[Renal cell carcinoma associated with Xp11 translocation involving the gene]. / Pochechno-kletochnyi rak, assotsiirovannyi s Xp11-translokatsiei gena.

The paper describes a clinical case of the rare tumor renal cell carcinoma associated with Xp11 translocations involving the TFE3 gene in a 53-year-old male patient. It provides the detailed characteristics of current diagnostic techniques.

[Importance of proliferative potential (as the ratio of a proliferative cells number and duration of mitosis) in diagnoses of malignant degree and prognosis of adrenocortical cancer].

The aim of research has been the estimation of a proliferative potential as simultaneous detection of a proliferative cells number (Ki-67 index) and duration of mitosis (nucleolar argyrophilic protein expression--B23/nucleophosmin and C23/nucleolin) at patients with adrenocortical cancer. In according to lifetime of patients after operation 2 groups had been sorted out. The first one included patients surviving 56.12 months, the second one--9.25 months. We've found out that different aspects of tumor diagnosis as well distinction of benignant or malignant tumor growth, a malignant degree of tumors, a prognostic criteria of illness, survival of patients etc. must be characterized by total research both a proliferative cells fraction (Ki-67 index) and a rate of mitosis (expressions of B23/nucleophosmin and C23/nucleolin).

[Prognistic value of a study of the expression of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region associated proteins in case of papillary thyroid cancer].

The prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is usually good. Ten-year survival can be seen in 90-98% of patients. Immunohistochemical study (antigen K-67) ascertained that a female patient with PTC had a low number of proliferating cells, which is usually seen in the favorable course of the disease. However, in the presented case, PTC was highly aggressive and showed a significant invasive growth, provided regional and distant metastases, rapidly progressed and, despite the performed surgical treatment, the patient died due to disease progression 3 months after surgery. This discrepancy between the number of proliferating cells and the aggressive course of PTC should be explained by the high expression of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region associated proteins nucleofozmin and nucleolin, detected by immunohistochemical study, which is known to cause an increase in the rate of a mitotic cycle rate and to promote intercellular adhesion and enhancement of invasive growth and metastatic spread. Various factors involved in the regulation of proliferation of cells and their capacity for invasion and metastasis should be studied to make the most objective estimation of the degree of malignancy of a tumor and its prognosis.

[Significance of the expression of nucleolar argyrophilic proteins and antigen Ki-67 in the evaluation of cell proliferative activity and in the prediction of minimal (T1) lung cancer].

S u m m a ry. - The subject of the study was 20 cases of non-small-cell lung carcinomas, up to 3 cm in diameter, conventionally designed as minimal lung cancers removed in patients operated on at the N. N. Blokhin Cancer Research Centre, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences in 1986 to 2001. According to survival rates after surgery, the patients were divided into two groups: 1) those who died within the first two years; 2) those who were followed up for 3-5 years. Histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical studies were performed. The expression of argyrophylic nucleolar organizer site proteins (Ag-NOS-proteins) that characterized the rate of cell proliferation (the duration of a cellular cycle) and the expression of Ki-67 antigen, which reflected the fraction of growth (the number of proliferating cells), were revealed in the tumor cells. Minimal lung cancers were found to be a heterogeneous group of neoplasms showing differences in both the rate of cell proliferation and the count of proliferating cells. The cell proliferation rate is a determinant of the clinical course of minimal lung cancers. Group 1 tumors characterized by the superexpression of Ag-NOS-proteins and, accordingly, the higher cell proliferation rate and the moderate count of proliferating cells had a poor prognosis even in the presence of Stage IA whereas Group 2 tumors with a large quantity of proliferating cells, but with the less rate of cell proliferation were characterized by a much better prognosis. The rate of cell proliferation (expression of Ag-NOS-proteins) and the count of proliferating cells (the expression of Ki-67 antigen) should be simultaneously studied to have more complete information on the proliferative potential of tumor cells and on the prediction of the course of neoplasms.

Reduction of phase thickness is a characteristic reaction of the nucleoli to toxicity as shown by coherent phase microscopy.

Optical parameters of human cell nucleoli (HCT116 colorectal cancer cells) in depolymerization of microtubules and depletion of intracellular ATP pool were studied by coherent phase microscopy. These influences were associated with a rapid (recorded within the first minutes) reduction of the phase thickness of the nucleoli. These changes are similar to the nucleolar response to direct inhibitors of transcription. Hence, quantitative parameters of coherent phase microscopy describe common reaction of the nucleolus to stress; reduction of optical thickness of the nucleolus is a component of this reaction.

[The influence of antisecretory agents on the antral gastric mucosa in patients with duodenal ulcer].

Changes in the antral gastric mucosa of patients with doudenal ulcer after a long-term administration of antisecretory agents were studied. The subjects were five patients with a different duration of the disease. The methods applied included light and electron microscopy of tissue samplings taken from the antral part of the stomach during the periods of exacerbation and remission. In addition to well-known morphological changes, cellular principalis not typical of antral gastric mucosa were found in one patient during exacerbation and remission periods.

[Argyrophilic proteins in the regions of nucleolar organizers are markers of cell proliferation rate].

The paper reviews the literature on the role of the above proteins in the mechanisms of cell cycle regulation and presents data on changes in protein expression in dynamics of cell cycle. The significance of studies dealing with the expression of these proteins, which, along with the assessment of a cell population growth fraction, allow one to characterize the rate of cell proliferation that under malignant growth is the determinant of cell proliferative status, which has a great impact on tumor progression, is discussed. The data on the diagnostic value of these proteins as an independent predictor for a broad spectrum of tumors are considered.

[Irritated bowel syndrome: clinicomorphological aspects of treatment with melaxen].

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of melatonin (melaxen, Unipharm, USA), and its influence on the ultrastructural and histological features on the colon mucosa (CM) in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) corresponding to Rome criteria II. Twenty-one patients with IBS were examined before and after the end of the therapy (one month upon the beginning of treatment). All the patients had non-specific morphological changes in the CM, which were more pronounced during exacerbation and less significant during remission. The study showed that in terms of stool normalization and sleep improvement in IBS patients the combination of basic therapy and melaxen was more effective than either the combination of basic therapy and psychotropic drugs or basic therapy alone. Basic therapy plus melaxen is comparable in its effects to basic therapy plus psychotropic drugs in terms of coping with pain syndrome and dyspeptic syndrome in IBS patients, the normalization of their mental status and life quality improvement. The treatment of IBS with melaxen proved to be more effective than other therapies, which was proved by histological and electron microscopic studies of the CM.

Study of optical parameters of the nucleoli under the effect of transcription inhibitors by coherent phase microscopy.

The use of coherent phase microscopy for online quantitative registration of nucleolar reaction to transcription inhibition is validated. Reduction of phase thickness of the nucleoli was detected during the first minutes of the experiment; 30 min after addition of the drug rarefaction zones predominated and areas of condensation were seen. These changes reflect the dynamics of disorders in the nucleolar ultrastructure during transcription inhibition.

[Liver cancer: immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study].

Primary liver tumors, including 7 low-grade hepatocellular carcinomas (HC), 12 average-grade HC (including 2 mixed tumors and 2 cholangiocellular carcinomas (ChC)), obtained from 23 patients, were histologically, immunohistochemically, and electron microscopically. Certain markers were immunohistochemically studied to identify HC and ChC and differentiate liver carcinoma from metastatic tumors of the same organ.

[Askenazi (Hurtle) cell tumors of the thyroid].

Oncocytic adenomas have primarily follicular structure; trabeculas, solid areas, necrosis are rare. They may possess malignant potential as their malignant transformation occurs in 35% cases against 5% in adenomas of follicular cells. Oncocytic follicular carcinomas can be hardly distinguished from oncocytic adenomas. Tumors larger than 4-5 cm in diameter are considered to be malignant. Main difference with adenomas is invasion into the capsule surrounding thyroid or into the vessels. They can be well or poorly differentiated or anaplastic. Oncocytic papillary carcinoma and oncocytic medullary carcinoma are rare. The clinical course of oncocytic tumors is more aggressive than that of tumors from follicular cells. Of key importance in differential diagnosis is electron microscopy (EM) and immunohistochemistry with antimitochondrial antibodies. EM may be also useful in determination of the degree of oncocytic tumors maturation.

[Proteinkinase MAK-V/Hunk as a possible dianostic and prognostic marker of human breast carcinoma]. / Produktsiia proteinkinazy MAK-V/HUNK kak vozmozhnyi diagnosticheskii i prognosticheskii marker raka molochnoi zhelezy cheloveka.

We propose a system for detection of overproduction of protein kinase MAK-V/Hunk in tumours. MAK-V/ Hunk overproduction is observed in about 50% breast carcinomas. Positive staining is obseved in tumour cells only and has mainly cytoplasmic characteristics. Increased production of MAK-V/Hunk does not correlate with histological type of carcinoma, metastasizing, steroid receptor status (estrogen and progesterone), proliferative activity. Tumours positive for MAK-V/ Hunk were more frequently observed in c-erbB2-positive (3+) tumours than in c-erbB2-negative ones. Overproduction of MAK-V/Hunk in human breast cancer may be used fore more precise molecular typing of this tumour, in particular in case of c-erbB2-positive tumors, however, diagnostic-prognostic value of this new molecular marker needs further studies.

[Argyrophilic proteins of nucleolar organizers regions as markers of malignancy grade of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma]. / Znachenie argirofil'nykh belkov oblastei iadryshkovykh organizatorov kak markerov stepeni zlokachestvennosti anaplasticheskoi krupnokletochnoi limfomy i limfomy Khodzhkina.

Expression of argyrophilic proteins of nucleolar organizers regions (Ag-NOR-proteins) was studied in tumor cells from 17 patients with a classic variant of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) and 22 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). Eight cases of p80+ and nine cases of p80-ALCL were studied. HL was represented by 13 cases with lymphoid depletion by a reticular type and 9 cases with nodular sclerosis with a syncytial growth. Ag-NOR-proteins were identified using histochemical method with silver nitrate. The expression of Ag-NOR-proteins in tumor cells of ALCL and HL appeared intensive, being highest in ALCL cells, in p80+ cells of ALCL there was superexpression. The differences in expression of Ag-NOR-proteins point to different proliferative activity and growth of the above variants of ALCL and HL. The test for Ag-NOR-proteins expression can be recommended as an additional tool in differential diagnosis, determination of malignancy grade, assesssment of prognosis and sensitivity to chemotherapy.

[Morphological characteristics and immunophenotype of dendritic cells generated from monocytes of human peripheral blood]. / Morfologicheskie osobennosti i immunofenotip dendritnykh kletok, poluchennykh iz monotsitov perifericheskoi krovi cheloveka.

Morphological features and immunophenotype of mature dendritic cells (DC) generated from the monocytes of healthy donor blood after culture with GM-CSF and IL-4 with the addition of TNF, were studied using light and electron microscopy, as well as flow-cytometry. It was shown that DC were characterized by a number of morphological features such as: large size, eccentrically located nucleus, highly developed system of extensions, large vacuolated cytoplasm, prominent and activated Golgi complex and ribosomal apparatus. Mature DC are characterized by active surface expression of MHC and co-stimulatory molecules (MHC I, MHC II, CD40, CD80, CD86).