Lymph Node Dissection in Testicular Cancer: The State of the Art and Future Perspectives.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving role of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in the management of testicular cancer (TC). It explores the significance of RPLND as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, highlighting its contribution to accurate staging, its impact on oncological outcomes, and its influence on subsequent treatment decisions. RECENT FINDINGS: RPLND serves as an essential diagnostic procedure, aiding in the precise assessment of lymph node involvement and guiding personalized treatment strategies. It has demonstrated therapeutic value, particularly in patients with specific risk factors and disease stages, contributing to improved oncological outcomes and survival rates. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of meticulous patient selection and nerve-sparing techniques to mitigate complications while optimizing outcomes. Additionally, modern imaging and surgical approaches have expanded the potential applications of RPLND. In the context of TC management, RPLND remains a valuable and evolving tool. Its dual role in staging and therapy underscores its relevance in contemporary urological practice. This review highlights the critical role of RPLND in enhancing patient care and shaping treatment strategies, emphasizing the need for further research to refine patient selection and surgical techniques.

"Expression of genes encoding protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in cultivars and lines of common wheat with different baking quality of flour".

BACKGROUND: The subject of this research was to investigate the level of expression of genes encoding protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in cultivars and lines of wheat with different baking value of flour. PDI plays a key role in the formation of disulfide bonds in newly formed proteins. Each of cultivars and lines had a specific set of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS). Based on the presence of individual subunits, the potential baking value is predicted. Sometimes this value is not confirmed during technological analysis. Since there are cases where flour has a better or worse value than expected on the basis of the genotype, the expression of PDI genes was considered as a potential cause for discrepancies mentioned. RESULTS: Analysis focused on three stages of grain development. The expression level of PDI genes was compared between wheat cultivars and lines with different genotype-phenotype combinations, which means diversified sets of HMW-GS combined with diversified qualitative classification. The highest expression level of PDI was noticed at early stage of grain development, which is consistent with the function of PDI. The expression level was evaluated by the real-time PCR technique. CONCLUSION: Results obtained in this work did not allow for a clear statement of decisive significance of PDI in the context of shaping the final baking value. The results of this work contribute to an ever more in-depth understanding of the mechanisms governing baking value, and thus to the progress of the selection of new varieties with more beneficial properties.

Characterization of Genes Encoding Protein Disulfide Isomerase in Wheat Including the Specific Role of PDI in the Formation of Gluten.

The results of phylogenetic analyses revealed that the family of plant PDI may comprise of at least eight different subfamilies with varying numbers and positions of active centers while retention signals in the endoplasmic reticulum may be present or absent. At least one gene has been cloned for each phylogenetic group. Other phylogenetic analyses have indicated that the family of PDIlike proteins consists of ten classes, the first five of which include proteins equipped with two thioredoxin domains. These results indicate complexity and diversity of the family of protein disulfide isomerase in plants. The study of molecular characteristics of PDI in some cereal species have shown that this enzyme participates in the maturation of secretory proteins and also in the formation of albuminous substances in endosperm, in the mechanism of formation of disulfide bonds and polymerization of gluten polypeptides in wheat. The mechanism of formation of disulfide linkage was tested through in vitro experiments. However, it is not entirely certain whether it reflects their formation in vivo. The results of researches suggest that protein folding and disulfide bond formation occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. PDI plays a prominent role among enzymes involved in posttranslational modification of proteins. The main goal of this work is to present research data on protein disulfide isomerase, which may be a leading research objective in the area of wheat gluten and the impact of PDI on the baking quality of wheat flour.