Biochemical recurrence rates are similar for pT2-positive surgical margins and pT3a.

OBJECTIVE: Histological details of positive surgical margins in radical prostatectomy specimens have been related to outcome after surgery in rare studies recently published. Our objective is to assess whether the status of surgical margins, the extent and the Gleason score of positive margins, and the extent of the extraprostatic extension are predictive of biochemical recurrence post-radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred sixty-five radical prostatectomy specimens were analyzed. The length of the positive surgical margin and extraprostatic extension and the Gleason score of the margin were recorded. Statistical analyses examined the predictive value of these variables for biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: 236 patients were stage pT2R0, 58 pT2R1, 25 pT3R0 and 46 pT3R1. Biochemical recurrence occurred in 11%, 31%, 20% and 45.7% of pT2R0, pT2R1, pT3R0 and pT3R1, respectively. The extent of the positive surgical margins and the Gleason score of the positive surgical margins were not associated with biochemical recurrence in univariate analysis in a mean follow up period of 35.9 months. In multivariate analyses, only the status of the surgical margins and the global Gleason score were associated with biochemical recurrence, with a risk of recurrence of 3.1 for positive surgical margins and of 3.8 for a Gleason score > 7. CONCLUSION: Positive surgical margin and the global Gleason score are significant risk factors for biochemical recurrence post-radical prostatectomy, regardless of the extent of the surgical margin, the extent of the extraprostatic extension, or the local Gleason score of the positive surgical margin or extraprostatic tissue. pT2R1 disease behaves as pT3R0 and should be treated similarly.

The effect of taurine on hepatic steatosis induced by thioacetamide in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most prevalent forms of chronic liver disease in the Western world. Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid in humans that may be a promising therapy for treating this disease. AIM: To evaluate the effect of taurine on hepatic steatosis induced by thioacetamide in Danio rerio. METHODS: Animals were divided into four groups: control (20 µl of saline solution), taurine (1,000 mg/kg), thioacetamide (300 mg/kg), and the taurine-thioacetamide group (1,000 + 300 mg/kg). Thioacetamide was injected intraperitoneally three times a week for 2 weeks. The mRNA expression, lipoperoxidation, antioxidant enzymatic activity, and histological analyses were evaluated in the liver and the triglyceride content was assessed in the serum. RESULTS: Thioacetamide injection induced steatosis, as indicated by histological analyses. The lipoperoxidation showed significant lipid damage in the thioacetamide group compared to the taurine-thioacetamide group (p < 0.001). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the taurine-thioacetamide group (5.95 ± 0.40) was significantly increased compared to the thioacetamide group (4.14 ± 0.18 U SOD/mg of protein) (p < 0.001). The mRNA expression of SIRT1 (0.5-fold) and Adiponectin receptor 2 (0.39-fold) were lower in the thioacetamide group than the control (p < 0.05). TNF-α mRNA expression was 6.4-fold higher in the thioacetamide group than the control (p < 0.05). SIRT1 mRNA expression was 2.6-fold higher in the taurine-thioacetamide group than in the thioacetamide group. CONCLUSIONS: Taurine seems to improve hepatic steatosis by reducing oxidative stress and increasing SIRT1 expression.

Assessment of the Fournier(®) cervical specimen self-sampling device using the Papanicolaou method.

INTRODUCTION: Communities of socially excluded immigrant women, especially Muslim, Asian, Aboriginal and Maroon, are among the groups of women with low rates of cervical screening. Exclusion of the pelvic examination could result in a higher acceptance of the cervical screening among these communities and an increase in screening coverage. AIM: To assess the performance of the Fournier(®) cervical specimen self-sampling device for the cytological diagnosis of precursor or neoplastic lesions in the uterine cervix using the Papanicolaou method. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted at the Cervical Pathology Outpatient Clinic. Liquid-based cytology slides were obtained by the Fournier device and stained using the Papanicolaou method. The slides were analyzed by two pathologists, blinded for the colposcopic and histological results and compared to Papanicolaou smears that were obtained using the traditional method of speculum examination. RESULTS: There were 68 patients who were considered free from precursor or neoplastic cervical lesions. There were 35 cases of low-grade lesions, 13 cases of high-grade lesions and 3 cases of squamous-cell carcinoma. According to the first and second pathologists, the sensitivities of the device for identifying precursor or neoplastic cervical lesions were 50.0 and 60.0%, and the specificities of the method were 81.8 and 73.8%. According to the first and second pathologists, the positive predictive values of the diagnostic test were 0.67 and 0.63, and the negative predictive values were 0.68 and 0.71, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sensitivity and specificity of the Fournier device test was comparable to Papanicolaou smears tests obtained using the traditional method with speculum examination.

Expression of cancer stem cell markers in basal and penta-negative breast carcinomas--a study of a series of triple-negative tumors.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Immunohistochemistry has given rise to triple-negative carcinoma (TNC). Concomitantly, biological origins of neoplasia and its heterogeneity has been strongly debated in cancer stem cells (CSC) theme. This study investigates the prevalence of basal (BCC) and penta-negative carcinomas (5NC) in TNC and establishes associations with CSC (CD44CD24). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 94 TNC were tested for CK5/6, HER1, CD44 and CD24, evaluated by a simple immunohistochemistry score and correlated with clinicopathological and survival data. RESULTS: BCC had higher tumor grades than 5NC (p=0.004). CD44 negativity (p=0.007) and CD44(-)CD24(+) phenotype (p=0.013) were associated with less vascular invasion amongst TNC. CD44 expression was associated with BCC (p=0.007). CD44(-)CD24(-/low) phenotype was associated with 5NC. None of the variables were associated with clinical outcome. CONCLUSION: BCC and 5NC are closely related tumor subtypes. CD44(-)CD24(-/low) phenotype was associated with 5NC and CD44(-)CD24(+) phenotype was associated with vascular invasion. These results require histogenetic confirmation in larger studies.

Impairment of the organization of locomotor and exploratory behaviors in bile duct-ligated rats.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) arises from acute or chronic liver diseases and leads to several problems, including motor impairment. Animal models of chronic liver disease have extensively investigated the mechanisms of this disease. Impairment of locomotor activity has been described in different rat models. However, these studies are controversial and the majority has primarily analyzed activity parameters. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate locomotor and exploratory behavior in bile duct-ligated (BDL) rats to explore the spatial and temporal structure of behavior. Adult female Wistar rats underwent common bile duct ligation (BDL rats) or the manipulation of common bile duct without ligation (control rats). Six weeks after surgery, control and BDL rats underwent open-field, plus-maze and foot-fault behavioral tasks. The BDL rats developed chronic liver failure and exhibited a decrease in total distance traveled, increased total immobility time, smaller number of rearings, longer periods in the home base area and decreased percentage of time in the center zone of the arena, when compared to the control rats. Moreover, the performance of the BDL rats was not different from the control rats for the elevated plus-maze and foot-fault tasks. Therefore, the BDL rats demonstrated disturbed spontaneous locomotor and exploratory activities as a consequence of altered spatio-temporal organization of behavior.

Biochemical recurrence rates are similar for pT2-positive surgical margins and pT3a

Objective Histological details of positive surgical margins in radical prostatectomy specimens have been related to outcome after surgery in rare studies recently published. Our objective is to assess whether the status of surgical margins, the extent and the Gleason score of positive margins, and the extent of the extraprostatic extension are predictive of biochemical recurrence post-radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods Three hundred sixty-five radical prostatectomy specimens were analyzed. The length of the positive surgical margin and extraprostatic extension and the Gleason score of the margin were recorded. Statistical analyses examined the predictive value of these variables for biochemical recurrence.Results 236 patients were stage pT2R0, 58 pT2R1, 25 pT3R0 and 46 pT3R1. Biochemical recurrence occurred in 11%, 31%, 20% and 45.7% of pT2R0, pT2R1, pT3R0 and pT3R1, respectively. The extent of the positive surgical margins and the Gleason score of the positive surgical margins were not associated with biochemical recurrence in univariate analysis in a mean follow up period of 35.9 months. In multivariate analyses, only the status of the surgical margins and the global Gleason score were associated with biochemical recurrence, with a risk of recurrence of 3.1 for positive surgical margins and of 3.8 for a Gleason score > 7.Conclusion Positive surgical margin and the global Gleason score are significant risk factors for biochemical recurrence post-radical prostatectomy, regardless of the extent of the surgical margin, the extent of the extraprostatic extension, or the local Gleason score of the positive surgical margin or extraprostatic tissue. pT2R1 disease behaves as pT3R0 and should be treated similarly.