Optimization of tissue microarray technique for breast cancer patients: a short communication.

Background: Tissue microarray (TMA) is a novel technique for studying different types of cancer tissues in one block. TMA is not yet established in Syria, so we aimed in this project to apply and set the most optimal conditions of TMA creation of breast cancer tissues at the Pathology Department of our institute. Materials and Methods: Eighty-eight blocks of breast cancer tissues were selected, considering the inclusion criteria. The tissue specimens of breast cancer patients were manually placed in the block by punching a core from a paraffin block, which was then released into a recipient block using a small trocar. Three different conditions were tested on the constructed TMA block. Results: We determined the most effective parameters that proved high quality: incubating the newly constructed block at a temperature of 43°C for 24 h in the oven and then cutting it the next day after cooling it to room temperature; also, cutting with a 5 µm thickness created the preferable stained slides later. CD3 staining showed high expression of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes among triple-negative breast cancer patients and high expression of CD3 in triple-negative cancer patients. Conclusion: The optimization of parameters presented in our study resulted in perfect TMA generation and successful immunohistochemistry staining for cancer research at our institution.

Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniases in a City in Syria and the Effects of the Syrian Conflict.

War provides ideal grounds for the outbreak of infectious diseases, and the Syrian war is not an exception to this rule. Following the civil crisis, Syria and refugee camps of neighboring countries witnessed an outbreak of leishmaniasis. We accessed the database of the central leishmaniasis registry in Latakia city and obtained the leishmaniasis data of the period 2008-2016. Our data showed that the years 2013 and 2014 recorded a surge in the number of both cutaneous leishmaniases (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases. This surge coincided with the massive internal displacement waves that struck Latakia governorate during that time. Subsequently, after 2015, the number of recorded CL and VL cases gradually decreased. This drop coincided with a reduced influx of internally displaced persons into Latakia governorate. Our report depicts the effects of the Syrian crisis on the epidemiology of leishmaniasis by outlining the experience of Latakia governorate. Similar results may have occurred in other refugee-hosting Syrian governorates.

Chiclero's ulcer: An unusual presentation of Leishmania tropica in Syria.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been an endemic disease in Syria for decades. The first reports of CL from the Syrian city Aleppo date back to the 17th century. The recent crisis has further empowered the spread of this infection not only in Syria, but also in the neighboring countries. Here, we describe a case of a 67-year-old patient with a 6-month, nonhealing ulcerative lesion of the left auricle. It was initially diagnosed as either a squamous or a basal cell carcinoma. However, the biopsy revealed an unexpected finding of Leishmania amastigotes in the histiocytes. Consequently, CL of the auricle, chiclero's ulcer, was diagnosed. Polymerase chain reaction, in turn, revealed Leishmania tropica to be the causing factor; a rather rare one for chiclero's ulcer. The lesion completely resolved after a 3-week glucantime regimen, without any recurrence after an 8-month follow-up.