Evaluation of bigel systems as potential substitutes to partially replace pork backfat in semi-dry sausages

Bigels prepared with olive oil oleogels admixed with κ-carrageenan or κ-carrageenan and gelatin hydrogels (BG1 and BG2, respectively) were characterized with respect to microstructure and textural properties and were used as pork backfat alternatives in semi-dry sausages. Stable oleogel-in-hydrogel type bigels were formed, with BG2 having higher hardness values. Control sausages (CF) were formulated with 20% pork backfat and sausage treatments B1F and B2F had 50% of the pork backfat substituted by BG1 and BG2 bigels, respectively. Moisture, water activity, texture, microbial counts, sensorial and nutritional attributes of the resulting sausages were assessed during fermentation and after pasteurization and storage. Substituted sausages had increased weight loss, moisture, and water activity. Color evaluation revealed that the treatments with bigels exhibited the same trend in color formation and no differences were recorded in L* and a* values of the sausages. Total viable counts and lactic acid bacteria populations were not affected by the addition of bigel systems. Regarding the texture parameters, B2F semi-dry sausages exhibited similar values of hardness and cohesiveness to CF. Sausages formulated with bigels exhibited a reduction in energy (20%), fat (27%), saturated fatty acids (30%) and cholesterol (∼6%) content. B2F sausages had similar liking scores with CF, and they did not show any undesirable sensory attributes. The results demonstrate that bigels are a promising fat alternative to manufacture semi-dry meat products with lower fat content and a better nutritional profile.

Endoscopic treatment of spinal arachnoid cysts

Background/objective

Spinal arachnoid cysts (SAC) are intradural lesions, which may provoke a compression of the spinal cord and roots. Endoscopic techniques are increasingly used to minimize the surgical access and the postoperative scar tissue. Shunts may also represent an option. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the technique of endoscopic-assisted fenestration and positioning of a cysto-peritoneal diversion in a thoracic SAC using a flexible endoscope and to perform a systematic literature review on this subject.

Material and methods

We reported our case and we performed a review of the literature, searching for all the adult cases of Type III SACs in English language treated through endoscopic procedures.

Results

We found 5 articles matching our search criteria and we included 9 adult patients in our analysis. Six patients were females and the most common localization was the thoracic spine. Six patients underwent selective laminectomies followed by endoscopic fenestration without cyst wall resection. Three patients had a percutaneous endoscopic inspection of the cyst and in two cases a cysto-subarachnoid shunt space was performed. Improvement of pre-operative neurological deficit was reported in six patients, no patients experienced clinical deterioration. The mean follow-up was 22 months and no progression or recurrence was reported.

Conclusion

The implementation of endoscopy allows a minimally invasive treatments with good visualization of cyst anatomy and precise shunt positioning under real-time guidance. Endoscopy is technically demanding but it can offer similar clinical outcomes when compared to microscopic procedures with a limited rate of post-operative complications.

The long-term risk of recurrence should be established by prospective studies.

MALDI-TOF MS profiling of non-starter lactic acid bacteria from artisanal cheeses of the Greek island of Naxos

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS), a culture based alternative for microbial diversity studies, is an attractive tool to dereplicate large numbers of isolates to a smaller set of representatives for downstream characterization. In the present study, MALDI-TOF MS, combined with a database of reference spectra compiled in previous studies, was applied to identify 88 non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) isolated from 18 samples of four different artisanal cheeses produced in the Island of Naxos, Greece, from raw sheep and goat milk without the addition of starters. Eighty-four isolates (95.5%) could be identified directly via MALDI-TOF MS. Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum were the dominant species, followed by Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Enterococcus faecium. The remaining four isolates represented species present in the database; however, within-species diversity was insufficiently covered. Additionally, pheS sequencing was applied to confirm identification.

High-throughput proteomic analysis of candidate biomarker changes in gingival crevicular fluid after treatment of chronic periodontitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Untargeted, high-throughput proteomics methodologies have great potential to aid in identifying biomarkers for the diagnosis of periodontal disease. The application of such methods to the discovery of candidate biomarkers for the resolution of periodontal inflammation after periodontal therapy has been investigated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from 10 patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis at baseline and 1, 5, 9 and 13 weeks after completion of mechanical periodontal treatment. Clinical indices of periodontal disease, including probing depth, recession, clinical attachment level and bleeding on probing, were recorded at baseline and 13 weeks. Samples were analyzed using an online liquid chromatography-nanoelectrospray-hybrid ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Spectra were processed with the PILOT_PROTEIN proteomics software suite.

RESULTS

Clinical parameters were significantly improved 13 weeks after treatment (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, P < .05). From the substantial number of identified proteins, a small subset was extracted by filter methods that included temporal pattern matching, logistic function fitting and mixed-integer linear optimization. This subset includes azurocidin, lysozyme C and myosin-9 as candidate biomarkers prominent at baseline and alpha-smooth muscle actin as prominent 13 weeks after treatment. Cross-validation studies yielded average predictive accuracy and area under the curve of 0.900 and 0.930, respectively.

CONCLUSION

High-throughput proteomic analysis can contribute to identifying endpoints of periodontal therapy. These candidate biomarkers should be evaluated for clinical efficacy.

The smooth and bumpy road of trastuzumab administration: from intravenous (IV) in a hospital to subcutaneous (SC) at home

Trastuzumab has become standard of care in the treatment of early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Initially trastuzumab could only be administered intravenously (IV), however since a few years there is also a subcutaneous (SC) formulation. The efficacy and the safety profile of both formulations is the comparable. The administration logistics however have an impact on the patients, the health care professionals (HCPs), the hospital and the government. The preference for the patients (89%) and the HCPs (77%) is in favour of the SC formulation. The patient chair time per cycle, as defined by the time between entry and exit of infusion chair, is between 53 and 122 minutes shorter for SC administration. Also, the time actively dedicated by the HCP on preparation and administration SC, is between 17 and 50 minutes shorter per cycle. These time savings may increase the capacity of an oncological day clinic and reduce waiting lists. An additional benefit is that the use of SC formulation reduces the consumables and the waste. When the SC form was given at home instead of in the hospital the safety profile remained the same, but the satisfaction rate improved further for both the patients and the HCPs. The next and final step will be potentially to invest in teaching the patients to self-administer the medication. The home administration and the education of the patients and the HCPs will have a cost price and it will be interesting to see how the hospital financial authorities and the government will deal with this situation in the time of budgetary restrictions.

Abstract P2-01-02: The predictive value of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in early breast cancer after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT): A prospective study

Background

SNB has replaced axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in those patients (pts) with clinically node negative axilla. This has reduced the morbidity, in particular lymphedema considerable. SLN after NACT is feasible but not accurate in clinically node positive (cN1-3) pts (false negative rate around 10%). Therefore, continuous efforts have to been made in randomized prospective studies to improve the detetion rate of SNB in order to avoid the morbidity of ALND. The purpose of this study is to determine the negative predictive value of the sentinel node in breast cancer after NACT.

Method

A single institution prospective study regarding the negative predictive value of the sentinel node in breast cancer after NACT was conducted in the Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic of the Antwerp University Hospital from 29/03/2010 untill 12-2015 (Study number: B30020108368). Inclusion criteria for study participation were: breast cancer, age above 18 years, female, tumor stages T2-T4 N0-3 or T1N1-N3. All pts were staged by a mammography, ultrasound of the axilla, MRI of the breast, 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose(18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET-CT) scan and bone scintigraphy. They received NACT consisting of 12 cycles of Paclitaxel or 4 cycles of Docetaxel followed by dose dense doxorubicin or epirubicin/cyclofosfamide or vice versa as a standard initial treatment. After 6 weeks a 18F-FDG PET-CT scan was performed for early tumor response evaluation. At the day of operation, all the pts had a preoperative injecting with a 99mTC-labelled nanocolloid in the peri-areolar region. A gamma detector was used to localize the SLN(s). All SLN(s) were removed and a complete ALND was performed.

Results

A total of 150 pts were enrolled in our study of which 129 were eligible for analysis. 53 pts had a positive SLN of which 32 have a positive axillary lymph nodes (ALN) (PPV 60%); 76 pts has a negative SLN of which 6 had a positive ALN (NPV 92%). The sensitivity is 84% and the specificity 76% with a false omission rate (FOR) of 8%. 45 pts had an initial clinical N0 (cN0 is defined as clinical negative and no suspect lymph nodes on ultrasound, on MRI breast and 18F-FDG-PET CT scan). 45 pts had negative SLN, with no ALN and 2 pts had a positive SNL of which 1 pts had axillary involvement (NPV 100%). The FOR of cN1: 5%, cN2: 37%, cN3 33%. A total of 22 pts out of 84 pts (26%) of which 15/49 cN1 (30%), 6/23 (26%) cN2, 1/12 (8%)have after 6 weeks of chemotherapy, 18F-FDG normalization on 18F-FDG PET-CT scan. A total of 17 pts had a negative SLN and ALN. The FOR was 0%

Conclusion

SNB after NACT in case of cN0 is very reliable with high NPV and low FOR. In case of 18F-FDG-PET CT normalization after 6 weeks of chemotherapy and a negative SLN, no ALND has to be performed.

Citation Format: Huizing M, Najim O, Dockx Y, Huyghe I, Van den Wyngaert T, van Goethem M, Verslegers I, Papadimitriou K, Altintas S, Baldewijns M, Trinh B, van Dam P, Tjalma W. The predictive value of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in early breast cancer after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT): A prospective study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-01-02.

In silico pathway analysis in cervical carcinoma reveals potential new targets for treatment

An in silico pathway analysis was performed in order to improve current knowledge on the molecular drivers of cervical cancer and detect potential targets for treatment. Three publicly available Affymetrix gene expression data-sets (GSE5787, GSE7803, GSE9750) were retrieved, vouching for a total of 9 cervical cancer cell lines (CCCLs), 39 normal cervical samples, 7 CIN3 samples and 111 cervical cancer samples (CCSs). Predication analysis of microarrays was performed in the Affymetrix sets to identify cervical cancer biomarkers. To select cancer cell-specific genes the CCSs were compared to the CCCLs. Validated genes were submitted to a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Expression2Kinases (E2K). In the CCSs a total of 1,547 probe sets were identified that were overexpressed (FDR < 0.1). Comparing to CCCLs 560 probe sets (481 unique genes) had a cancer cell-specific expression profile, and 315 of these genes (65%) were validated. GSEA identified 5 cancer hallmarks enriched in CCSs (P < 0.01 and FDR < 0.25) showing that deregulation of the cell cycle is a major component of cervical cancer biology. E2K identified a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of 162 nodes (including 20 drugable kinases) and 1626 edges. This PPI-network consists of 5 signaling modules associated with MYC signaling (Module 1), cell cycle deregulation (Module 2), TGFβ-signaling (Module 3), MAPK signaling (Module 4) and chromatin modeling (Module 5). Potential targets for treatment which could be identified were CDK1, CDK2, ABL1, ATM, AKT1, MAPK1, MAPK3 among others. The present study identified important driver pathways in cervical carcinogenesis which should be assessed for their potential therapeutic drugability.

Neoadjuvant endocrine treatment in early breast cancer: An overlooked alternative?

During the last decade neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) has moved from being reserved for elderly and frail non-chemotherapy candidates to a primary systemic modality in selected patients with hormone sensitive breast cancer. Neoadjuvant hormonal treatment in patients with hormone receptor positive, HER-2 negative early breast cancer is proven to be an effective and safe option; it is associated with a higher rate of breast conserving surgery (BCS), may reduce the need for adjuvant chemotherapy and enables a delay of surgery for medical or practical reasons. Clinical responses range from 13% to 100% with at least 3 months of NET. Methods of assessing response should include MRI of the breast, particularly in lobular tumours. In studies comparing tamoxifen with aromatase inhibitors (AI), AI proved to be superior in terms of tumour response and rates of BCS. Change in Ki67 is accepted as a validated endpoint for comparing endocrine neoadjuvant agents. Levels of Ki67 during treatment are more closely related to long-term prognosis than pretreatment Ki67. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy provides a unique opportunity for studies of endocrine responsiveness and the development of new experimental drugs combined with systemic hormonal treatment.

Evaluation of Two Lactic Acid Bacteria Starter Cultures for the Fermentation of Natural Black Table Olives (Olea europaea L cv Kalamon)

The production of Greek-style natural black table olives remains an empirical process relying on spontaneous fermentation despite its economic significance. For this reason producers often resort to increased NaCl concentration of the brine to secure quality of the product. In this study we employ two lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides Lm139 and Lactobacillus pentosus DSM 16366 as starters in separate laboratory low salinity fermentations of “Kalamon” cultivar olives, processed according to the Greek-style method. L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides Lm139 was previously isolated from Kalamon olives laboratory spontaneous fermentations, while L. pentosus DSM 16366 was isolated from fermenting green olives prepared according to the Spanish-style method. Spontaneous olives fermentation was also performed as a control. Microbiological and physicochemical analyses of the brines revealed that the use of the starters had a significant effect on the olives fermentation, leading to a faster acidification due to the more efficient consumption of soluble sugars in the brines. The final pH value reached by each starter culture used indicates a successful lactic fermentation. The production of lactic acid by the starters and the concomitant drop of the pH value proved to inhibit enterobacteria in a shorter period of time compared to the spontaneous fermentation. Concluding, the use of either of the two lactic acid bacteria as starters in Greek-style Kalamon olives fermentation could lead to a more controllable fermentation at lower salinities. The resulting product could be of higher quality with extended shelf-life while being at the same time safer for the consumer.

Ductal carcinoma in situ: a disease entity that merits more recognition

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive breast carcinoma that remains in the milk ducts. It is a poorly understood disease and its natural history is not well known. This is because once diagnosed, DCIS is usually treated. It is known however that ductal carcinoma is a precursor of invasive breast carcinoma, as 14-53% can become invasive over a period of 10 years, if left untreated. With increasing knowledge about the molecular biology of DCIS, more insight is given in its relation to invasive breast cancer. Diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ is increasing in the last few years. This is likely caused by the increased mammographic screening for breast cancer and the higher quality of mammographic images. DCIS represents about one fifth of all mammographically detected breast cancers. Risk factors for the development of ductal carcinoma in situ are: low parity, late age at first birth and menopause, and Body Mass Index. The Van Nuys Prognostic Index is a useful scoring system to grade DCIS. DCIS is graded by scoring four characteristics: patient's age, margin width, tumor size and pathological classification. It allows us to divide DCIS lesions into different groups according to risk of local recurrence: low risk, intermediate risk and high risk. Each group requires a different treatment, respectively: local excision of the tumor; local excision and radiotherapy; and mastectomy. The use of tamoxifen in the treatment of DCIS is still controversial, but research so far has encouraging results. Interesting developments have been made in the use of Her-2 pulsed dendritic cell vaccination before DCIS surgery.

Looking into the "Garden of the Hesperides": new drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma remains an entity that is hard to approach therapeutically and has shown disappointing results in terms of survival. For many years, the only accepted option for this setting was the use of a multikinase inhibitor, sorafenib. Nevertheless, through the years, a deeper knowledge has arisen about how pathogenic pathways correlate with hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we provide an update of the most recent data regarding new agents under investigation and new possible targets for future treatments.

High frequency of TTTY2-like gene-related deletions in patients with idiopathic oligozoospermia and azoospermia

Genes located on Y chromosome and expressed in testis are likely to be involved in spermatogenesis. TTTY2 is a Y-linked multicopy gene family of unknown function that includes TTTY2L2A and TTTY2L12A at Yq11 and Yp11 loci respectively. Using PCR amplification, we screened for TTTY2L2A- and TTTY2L12A-associated deletions, in 94 Greek men with fertility problems. Patients were divided into three groups as following: group A (n = 28) included men with idiopathic moderate oligozoospermia, group B (n = 34) with idiopathic severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia, and group C (n = 32) with oligo- and azoospermia of various known etiologies. No deletions were detected in group C patients and 50 fertile controls. However, two patients from group A had deletions in TTTY2L2A (7.1%) and six in TTTY2L12A (21.4%), whereas from group B, four patients had deletions in TTTY2L2A (11.8%) and 10 in TTTY2L12A (29.4%). In addition, five patients from both groups A and B (8%) appeared to have deletions in both studied TTTY2 genes, although these are located very far apart. These results indicate that the TTTY2 gene family may play a significant role in spermatogenesis and suggest a possible mechanism of nonhomologous recombinational events that may cause genomic instability and ultimately lead to male infertility.

Current view on ductal carcinoma in situ and importance of the margin thresholds: A review

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a heterogeneous group of diseases that differ in biology and clinical behaviour. Until 1980, DCIS represented less than 1% of all breast cancer cases. With the increased utilization of mammography, DCIS now accounts for 15% to 25% of newly diagnosed breast cancer cases. The Van Nuys Prognostic Index (VPNI) is a commonly used tool for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treatment approach. Patient age, tumour size, tumour margins and pathological grade are used in order to stratify patients into three groups pertaining to risk of local recurrence: low-, intermediate- and high risk. Patients in the low-risk subgroup will always be treated with excision alone, while in the highest subgroup mastectomy is the safest option. Just like invasive breast cancer (IBC) there might be a curative dilemma in the intermediate-risk group. Many trials confirm that tumour margins are the most important prognostic factor of local recurrence for DCIS patients treated with breast conserving surgery alone or with breast conserving surgery plus radiotherapy. In this article we focused specifically on the literature concerning margin thresholds.

Benchmarking and audit of breast units improves quality of care

Quality Indicators (QIs) are measures of health care quality that make use of readily available hospital inpatient administrative data. Assessment quality of care can be performed on different levels: national, regional, on a hospital basis or on an individual basis. It can be a mandatory or voluntary system. In all cases development of an adequate database for data extraction, and feedback of the findings is of paramount importance. In the present paper we performed a Medline search on "QIs and breast cancer" and "benchmarking and breast cancer care", and we have added some data from personal experience. The current data clearly show that the use of QIs for breast cancer care, regular internal and external audit of performance of breast units, and benchmarking are effective to improve quality of care. Adherence to guidelines improves markedly (particularly regarding adjuvant treatment) and there are data emerging showing that this results in a better outcome. As quality assurance benefits patients, it will be a challenge for the medical and hospital community to develop affordable quality control systems, which are not leading to excessive workload.

Novel composites materials from functionalized polymers and silver coated titanium oxide capable for calcium phosphate induction, control of orthopedic biofilm infections: an "in vitro" study

Three copolymers containing the functional groups P=O, S=O and C=O were prepared, and upon the introduction in calcium phosphate aqueous solutions at physiological conditions, "in vitro" were induced the precipitation of calcium phosphate crystals. The investigation of the crystal growth process was done at constant supersaturation. It is suggested that the negative end of the above functional groups acts as the active site for nucleation of the inorganic phase. In order to obtain the copolymer further antimicrobial activity, titania (TiO(2)) nanocrystals were incorporated in the polymer matrix after silver coverage by UV radiation. The antimicrobial resistance of the composite material (copolymer-titania/Ag) was tested against Staphylococcus epidermidis (SEM), Staphylococcus aureus (SAM), Candida parapsilosis (CAM) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAM), microorganisms, using cut parts of "pi-plate" that covered with the above mentioned composite. The antimicrobial effect increased as the size of the nanocrystals TiO(2)/Ag decreased, the maximum achieved with the third polymer that contained also quartenary ammonium groups.

Relationship between lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and prognostic markers in different subtypes of breast cancer

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Background: Prognostic and predictive factors for invasive breast cancer (BC) are well established. LVI was added to the list of prognostic factors for node negative patients (St.Gallen 2006). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of LVI with known prognostic markers and its role on different subtypes of breast cancer. Methods: 367 patients with primary BC were evaluated in this study. Tumoral and peritumoral breast tissue was examined for LVI. The patient's age, menopausal status, tumor histology, tumor size, histologic grade, lymph node (LN) involvement, hormone receptor (HR) status and HER-2 status were determined as markers of prognosis. The association of LVI with the aforementioned markers was evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The distribution of the patients was as follows: 40.9% were HR + and HER-2 - (luminal type), (32.4%) were triple negative, 26.7% were HER-2 Positive (9.5% of them were HER-2 + and HR -, while 17.2% were HER-2 + and HR+). Almost half of the patients (48.8%) had one or more positive nodes. Multiple analysis revealed that histologic grade, LN involvement and HER-2 positivity were independently associated with LVI. Patients with histologic grade II and III had 5.31 (95% CI: 1.14–24.75) and 7.03 (95% CI: 1.47- 33.53) times greater odds for LVI respectively compared to those with grade I. Patients with one or more than three nodes involved had 3.95 (95% CI: 2.13–7.33) and 6.29 (95% CI: 3.14–12.63) times greater odds for LVI respectively compared with node negative tumors. Furthermore, HER-2 positive patients had almost twofold likelihood for LVI (OR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.02–3.16). The effect of HER-2 positivity on LVI was independent of HR status. Age, menopausal status, tumor histology, tumor size and HR status were not significantly associated with LVI. Conclusions: LVI shows a close relationship with known markers of poor prognosis as histologic grade, and LN invasion. More aggressive tumors as HER-2 + tumors have a significantly higher probability of LVI, which may be used as an indicator of more aggressive behavior of the primary tumor.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

CT colonoscopy for obstructive sigmoid endometriosis: a new technique for an old problem

Endometriosis of the sigmoid colon is a pathologic entity which is infrequently reported. A 29-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of abdominal pain, constipation, and menstrual rectal bleeding. Endometriosis was suspected, and CT (virtual) colonoscopy showed severe stenosis of the orthosigmoid canal due to a submucosal mass. Sigmoidoscopy using a pediatric endoscope was successful, and biopsies confirmed the original diagnosis. Non-invasive techniques such as endoscopic ultrasound and CT (virtual) colonoscopy now make it possible to diagnose sigmoid endometriosis. The latter technique, in particular, is feasible and well tolerated.

Evaluation of the offensive behavior of elite soccer teams

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the offensive behavior of the four elite teams (France, Brazil, Croatia, and Holland) using data from the semifinals of the 18th World Soccer Championship in France in 1998. 28 videotaped soccer games were observed, 7 for each team. The protocol contained the following parameters of evaluation: (a) successful pass in the defensive and middle area, (b) unsuccessful pass in the defensive and middle area, (c) attempt on goal in the offensive area, and (d) cross and follow-up action. A multivariate analysis of variance showed the teams' plan was significantly different only in playing the ball back to the goalkeeper. This last action, used more often by Holland than by the other teams, indicated its restrained offensive behavior, which may be one of the reasons for its defeat in some games.

Ras oncogenes and p53 tumor suppressor gene analysis in cardiac myxomas

Although ras oncogenes and p53 tumor suppressor gene mutations are implicated in the development of several human tumors, little is known about their role in the pathogenesis of primary cardiac tumors. Paraffin-embedded tissue from 19 cardiac myxomas were investigated for the presence of ras oncogenes and p53 tumor suppressor gene abnormalities. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to identify the accumulation of p21-ras and p53 proteins. A polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify exons 1 and 2 of the ras genes and exons 5 to 8 of the p53 gene. The PCR products were analyzed by single strand conformation polymorphism analysis and by direct DNA sequencing. Three of 19 myxomas showed strong positive staining for the ras p21 protein. In contrast, nuclear p53 was not detectable in any of the myxomas. Among the ras p21 immunopositive myxomas, 2 were heterozygous for a missense point mutation of the K-ras, Gly 12Asp. Further screening of the remaining myxomas showed no mutation or even silent polymorphism in any exon of the ras and p53. The results suggest that although genetic alterations of ras oncogenes and p53 are uncommon events in cardiac myxomas, ras mutations may be involved in the pathogenesis of a subgroup of this type of tumor.

Characterization of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Hus1: a PCNA-related protein that associates with Rad1 and Rad9

Hus1 is one of six checkpoint Rad proteins required for all Schizosaccharomyces pombe DNA integrity checkpoints. MYC-tagged Hus1 reveals four discrete forms. The main form, Hus1-B, participates in a protein complex with Rad9 and Rad1, consistent with reports that Rad1-Hus1 immunoprecipitation is dependent on the rad9(+) locus. A small proportion of Hus1-B is intrinsically phosphorylated in undamaged cells and more becomes phosphorylated after irradiation. Hus1-B phosphorylation is not increased in cells blocked in early S phase with hydroxyurea unless exposure is prolonged. The Rad1-Rad9-Hus1-B complex is readily detectable, but upon cofractionation of soluble extracts, the majority of each protein is not present in this complex. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrates that Hus1 is nuclear and that this localization depends on Rad17. We show that Rad17 defines a distinct protein complex in soluble extracts that is separate from Rad1, Rad9, and Hus1. However, two-hybrid interaction, in vitro association and in vivo overexpression experiments suggest a transient interaction between Rad1 and Rad17.

Middle ear adenomatous tumor with a predominant neuroendocrine component

A primary adenomatous tumor of the middle ear was examined by light microscopy, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical techniques. In support of its extensive neuroendocrine differentiation, was the diffuse detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and positive immunoreaction with antibodies to chromogranin and synaptophysin. The great majority of tumor cells contained neurosecretory granules and intraluminal mucin production could be focally detected. These characteristics confirm the diagnosis of a middle ear adenomatous tumor (MEAT) of a biphasic nature and with a prominent neuroendocrine component.

Sweat gland carcinoma with multiple local recurrences: a case report

We report a case of primary, high grade sweat gland carcinoma, a rare tumor, occurring in the skin of the left axilla. The patient, a 54-year-old man, was treated with wide surgical excision and lymph node dissection; he had developed metastatic deposits in one regional lymph node. The neoplasm relapsed locally thrice in a period of 10 years; however, distant metastases were not found. The differential diagnosis of sweat gland tumors is discussed in the present article.

Sclerosing sertoli cell tumor of the testis--a case report and review of the literature

To date, only I I cases of sclerosing Sertoli cell tumors have been reported in the literature, representing a distinctive subtype of Sertoli cell tumor in humans. We present a 12th case with a review of the current urological and pathological literature.

Lipoid proteinosis of the oral mucosa: case report and review of the literature

We describe a 37-year-old woman who presented with progressive mouth dryness. Physical examination revealed long-standing plaques on the face and upper limbs, papular lesions of the oral cavity and tongue firmness. A lower lip biopsy was performed. Light microscopy demonstrated accumulation of PAS-positive material around blood vessels, capillaries and salivary gland canaliculi as well as focally massive hyaline deposits in the submucosa. Immunohistochemistry revealed widespread presence of type IV collagen in the hyaline material and around thickened blood vessels. Laminin immunoreactivity was particularly strong at thickened basement membranes. The above findings were compatible with lipoid proteinosis, which is likely to involve primary perturbation of collagen metabolism and production of glycoproteins.

Purification and characterisation of an intracellular X-prolyl-dipeptidyl aminopeptidase from Streptococcus thermophilus ACA-DC 4

An intracellular X-prolyl-dipeptidyl aminopeptidase from Streptococcus thermophilus ACA-DC 4, isolated from traditional Greek yoghurt, was purified by anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. A single band of molecular weight of about 80,000 appeared in SDS-PAGE; by gel filtration it was shown that the native enzyme was dimeric. The peptidase showed optimum activity on glycyl-prolyl 4-nitroanilide at pH 7.0 and at 50 degrees C, with K(m) = 3.1 mM and Vmax = 3500 U mg-1; over 50 degrees C the enzyme activity declined rapidly. It was inactivated by PMSF; sulfhydryl group reagents and metal chelators had little effect on enzyme activity.

Detection of herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma

The aetiology of Kaposi's sarcoma remains obscure, however, epidemiological studies indicate that the disease possesses an infectious aetiology. Recent data revealed the presence of specific herpesvirus-like DNA sequences (KHSV) in all forms of Kaposi's sarcoma indicating that a novel virus may be the infectious agent which causes the disease. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the incidence of this herpesvirus-like DNA sequence in 28 Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcomas. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and analysed by a sensitive PCR based assay. The KSHV specific DNA sequences were found in 22 of 28 (79%) cases suggesting a potential important role in the development of the disease.

Prognostic significance of p53 and c-erbB-2 immunohistochemical evaluation in colorectal adenocarcinoma

Mutant p53 tumour suppressor gene and c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene are involved in human carcinogenesis, and their protein product detection in human malignancies might influence the evolution of many neoplasms. Our aim was to estimate their association with histopathological and clinical parameters of prognostic value in colorectal cancer. An immunohistochemical assay was undertaken in formalin-fixed sections from tissue specimens of 60 colorectal carcinomas. Nuclear p53 expression was detected in 46.6%, while membranic c-erbB-2 positivity was noticed in 35% of the examined cases. P53 positivity rate significantly correlated with poor differentiation (p < 0.001), high mitotic activity (p < 0.0001), tumour stage (p < 0.001) and 5-year overall survival period (p < 0.01). C-erbB-2 positivity incidence significantly correlated with advanced Dukes' stage (p < 0.001) and high mitotic activity (p < 0.05). Significant association between p53 and c-erbB-2 immunostaining was observed (p < 0.05) and p53/c-erbB-2 co-expression was related to poor differentiation (p < 0.001), high mitotic activity (p < 0.001), advanced Dukes' stage (p < 0.001), tumour aneuploidy (p < 0.05) and worse overall survival (p < 0.05). P53 and c-erbB-2 immunohistochemical detection in combination with known prognostic indicators may be a useful future tool in determining colorectal cancer prognosis and subsequently in deciding on optimal postoperative treatments.

C-erbB-2 expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Seventy-five squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck were analysed for c-erbB-2 expression using immunohistochemical techniques with four different c-erbB-2 antibodies. No membrane staining was seen in any of the squamous cell carcinomas studied with any of the antibodies; however, c-erbB-2 cytoplasmic staining was seen in 60 per cent of the tumours. The significance of cytoplasmic staining is discussed and that it may possibly represent elevated c-erbB-2 expression in squamous cell carcinomas. C-erbB-2 cytoplasmic staining was also observed in 10 of 23 normal specimens obtained from the resection margin of the tumours. No correlations were found between positive c-erbB-2 cytoplasmic staining and any of the clinicopathological parameters or survival.

Low levels of ras p21 oncogene expression correlates with clinical outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

We have previously demonstrated that the Ha-ras and the Ki-ras oncogenes are overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. In this study we have used the Y13-259 monoclonal antibody to p21 ras to determine if expression of the ras oncoprotein correlates with any of the clinico-pathological parameters or with survival in 69 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Forty-four specimens were from patients with previously untreated tumours and 25 from patients with previously treated disease. We have found a correlation between low levels of ras expression and the disease-free survival period in patients with previously untreated tumours. Three per cent of the patients with ras negative staining were alive 60 months after diagnosis, whereas 54 per cent of the patients with positive staining were still alive after the same time period (P less than 0.05).

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of the c-myc oncoprotein in human stomach cancers

In an immunohistopathological study, we have used the specific monoclonal antibody myc 1-9E10 to the c-myc oncoprotein in 88 gastric carcinomas (22 gastric biopsies and 66 gastrectomies for cancer). Positive myc p62 immunoreactivity was shown in 48 (55%) cases with moderate or intense staining. The remaining 40 cases exhibited negative or equivocal staining. Normal stomach mucosa was generally nonreactive, with the exception of parietal cells. Elevated c-myc expression was not found to correlate with histological differentiation or in patients with metastases in one or more perigastric lymph nodes. A correlation was found between the level of c-myc expression and the stage of the disease, (p = 0.04); positive c-myc staining was found in 0/4 early gastric cancers and in 48/84 with advanced disease. Also, an association was found between the elevated c-myc expression and depth of invasion (p = 0.1; 0/4 mucosa and submucosa, 2/6 muscularis propria and 25/47 serosa). The c-myc monoclonal myc 1-9E10 may therefore be of use as a marker of advanced disease and depth of invasion in stomach cancer.

Evaluation of the ras and myc oncoproteins in benign gastric lesions

Ras and c-myc oncoprotein expression was analyzed using specific monoclonal antibodies Y13-259 (for ras p21) and mycl-9E10 (for c-myc p62) in 144 histological sections derived from benign gastric lesions. Increased expression of ras p21 was observed in inflammatory metaplastic, dysplastic, hyperplastic and cystic histological changes, and on the basis of ras p21 staining three distinct histological groups emerged: (i) cystic changes, hyperplastic polyps; (ii) inflammatory gastritis; (iii) metaplastic, dysplastic and adenomatous polyps. Elevated levels of ras p21 expression were found at significantly higher levels than those of c-myc expression in dysplastic lesions. However the expression of the c-myc oncoprotein was less frequent than ras p21 in all other histological types. With the exception of parietal cells, normal stomach mucosa was found to express low levels of both ras p21 and c-myc oncoproteins.