Burden and quality of care index of chronic kidney disease: Global Burden of Disease analysis for 1990-2019.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes a heavy obscure burden on individuals and health systems. Besides its burden, the quality of care of CKD is less well investigated. In this study, we aimed to explore the global, regional and national trends of CKD burden and quality of care. METHODS: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 data were used. Trends of incidence, prevalence, deaths and disability-adjusted life years were studied for the 1990-2019 period in the global aspect. By generating four secondary indices to assess different aspects of quality of care the quality of care index (QCI) was developed to explore the care provided for CKD. Inequities and disparities between various geographic, socio-demographic and age stratifications, and sex were studied using the QCI values. RESULTS: In 2019, there were 18 986 903 (95% uncertainty interval 17 556 535 to 20 518 156) incident cases of CKD, globally. The overall global QCI score had increased slightly from 78.4 in 1990 to 81.6 in 2019, and it was marginally better in males (QCI score 83.5) than in females (80.3). The highest QCI score was observed in the European region with a score of 92.5, while the African region displayed the lowest QCI with 61.7. Among the age groups, the highest QCI was for children aged between 5 and 9 years old (92.0), and the lowest was in the age group of 20-24 year olds (65.5). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that significant disparities remain regarding the quality of care of CKD, and to reach better care for CKD, attention to and care of minorities should be reconsidered. The evidence presented in this study would benefit health policymakers toward better and more efficient control of CKD burden alongside improving the care of this condition.

Significant co-expression of putative cancer stem cell markers, EpCAM and CD166, correlates with tumor stage and invasive behavior in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The crucial oncogenic role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor maintenance, progression, drug resistance, and relapse has been clarified in different cancers, particularly in colorectal cancer (CRC). The current study was conducted to evaluate the co-expression pattern and clinical significance of epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAM) and activated leukocyte cell adhesion (CD166 or ALCAM) in CRC patients. METHODS: This study was carried out on 458 paraffin-embedded CRC specimens by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray (TMA) slides. RESULTS: Elevated expression of EpCAM and CD166 was observed in 61.5% (246/427) and 40.5% (164/405) of CRC cases. Our analysis showed a significant positive association of EpCAM expression with tumor size (P = 0.02), tumor stage (P = 0.007), tumor differentiate (P = 0.005), vascular (P = 0.01), neural (P = 0.01), and lymph node (P = 0.001) invasion. There were no significant differences between CD166 expression and clinicopathological parameters. Moreover, the combined analysis demonstrated a reciprocal significant correlation between EpCAM and CD166 expression (P = 0.02). Interestingly, there was a significant positive correlation between EpCAM/CD166 phenotypes expression and tumor stage (P = 0.03), tumor differentiation (P = 0.05), neural, and lymph node invasion (P =0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The significant correlation of EpCAM and CD166 expression and their association with tumor progression and aggressive behavior is the reason for the suggestion of these two CSC markers as promising targets to promote novel effective targeted-therapy strategies for cancer treatment in the present study.

Electron microscopic findings suggestive of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.

Distinction between minimal change disease and unsampled Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis is a challenging concept in kidney biopsy of patients with nephrotic syndrome with minimal histopathological findings. This study was performed to compare electron microscopic findings in patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with minimal histopathological abnormalities and cases with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis. This Cohort study was conducted in Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran. Twenty patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome and minimal changes on the light microscopic study were selected as case group. Similarly, 20 patients with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis were selected as the control group. Ultrastructural findings were re-evaluated and scored qualitatively (0-3+). In patients with minimal changes on light microscopic evaluation, clinical course of the disease was followed after 5 years. Mean ages of the patients (8 women and 12 men) in case and control groups were 12.9 and 15.9 years, respectively (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in number of examined glomeruli and sampling from cortico-medullary junction area between the groups. The mean percentage of sclerotic glomeruli in control group was 15.4%. Tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis were more frequent in control patients. Podocyte proliferation, GBM duplication (involving more than 10% of capillary walls), and moderate to severe multifocal expansion of mesangial matrix were significantly more obvious in FSGS patient samples (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in severity of cytoplasmic vacuolization, GBM wrinkling and splitting between the groups. Most of (80%) the patients with minimal changes improved during the 5-year follow-up. Generally, we concluded that Podocyte proliferation, GBM remodeling, and moderate to severe mesangial matrix expansion are the most reliable findings on electron microscopic examination in favor of FSGS.

Case of IgG4-related Disease with Crescentic Glomerulonephritis: An Unusual Presentation of the Disease.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory  disease, characterized by tissue infiltration of lymphocytes and  IgG4-secreting plasma cells, presenting by fibrosis of different  tissues, which is usually responsive only to oral steroids therapy.  Kidneys are the most commonly involved organs, exhibiting renal  insufficiency, tubulointerstitial nephritis, and glomerulonephritis.  Here, we describe a patient with acute renal insufficiency who  was presented with edema, weakness, anemia and multiple  lymphadenopathies. Kidney and lymph node biopsy showed  crescentic glomerulonephritis in kidneys and lymphoplasmacytic  infiltration in lymph nodes. After a course of treatment with an  intravenous pulse of corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide, the  patient's symptoms subsided, and kidney function improved. DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7788.

The Outcome of Pauci-immune Crescentic Glomerulonephritis and Its Prognostic Factors; A single Center Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) is the most common cause of rapidly progressive GN in adults. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of patients with pauci-immune crescentic GN and risk factors of the development of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in these patients. METHODS: This case series study was carried on 120 patients with pauci-immune crescentic GN biopsied in our center betwen 1998 and 2016. Inclusion criteria were age > 16 years, at least one crescentic glomerulus, maximally 1+ deposition of immunoglobulins and complement components at fluorescent microscopy, and at least 6 months follow-up. The main outcomes were ESKD and death. RESULTS: The study population included 120 patients with pauciimmune crescentic GN (mean age was 47 ± 17 years and 49.1% male). There was no significant difference in outcome between patients with diffuse or focal crescentic GN. Seventy-two patients (60%) developed ESKD and 31 patients (25.8%) died. The need for dialysis at admission, lower baseline hemoglobin and GFR and GFR at four months and high percentage of glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis had a significant relationship with low kidney survival (P < .05). The rate of ESKD was higher in patients who did not receive cyclophosphamide therapy, due to focal crescentic GN or high chronicity, compared to patients who received it (70.7 vs. 28.5%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: In our study, a high percentage of patients with pauciimmune crescentic GN developed ESKD. Low first GFR and high chronicity in biopsy were associated with lower kidney survival. Failure to administer cyclophosphamide in seemingly limited or advanced cases, together with late referral may have led to poor prognosis.  DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7545.

VEGF and p53 biomarkers in pediatric patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

BACKGROUND: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease with abnormal accumulation of the dendritic Langerhans cells. In the localized form (single system), the disease is self-limiting but in the cases of multisystem disease, one third of the patients develop organ dysfunction with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to examine the role of p53 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of LCH and look for association of them with the extent of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biopsy specimens obtained from 26 patients with definitive diagnosis of LCH were stained immunohistochemically for p53 and VEGF. RESULTS: There were 13 male and 13 female cases. The mean age of patients at presentation was 41.9 months (range, 2 mo to 18 y). Multisystem disease was presented by 61% of the patients (8 boys and 8 girls). Patients with multisystem disease were on average older than those with single system disease. p53 protein could be detected in 92% of cases and 61.5% of patients expressed VEGF, mostly from multisystem group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the role of angiogenic factors in the clinical behavior of LCH and might be of prognostic or therapeutic importance. However, further studies, with larger sample sizes are warranted.

Expression of stem cell markers, CD133 and CD44, in pediatric solid tumors: a study using tissue microarray.

Based on the cancer stem cell (CSC) concept model, a small population of cells with unique self-renewal properties and malignant potential exists in tumors. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of CSC markers, CD133 and CD44, in a series of pediatric tumors. The association between expression of these markers and tumor characteristics was then analyzed. In Wilms tumors (WT), a significant positive correlation was found between expression of CD133 and the National Wilms Tumor Stage (NWTS) (p = 0.047). In neuroblastomas (NB), expression of CD133 was positively correlated with the International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) (p-value = 0.012), indicating that the rate of CD133 positivity increased with the stage of these tumors. CD133, as a putative stem cell marker, is associated with more advanced stages of Wilms and NB tumors; therefore, this molecule can be a potential clinical prognostic marker in children suffering from NB or Wilms tumor.

Prevalence and Prognosis of Post-transplant Glomerulonephritis in Kidney Transplant Biopsies, A Single- Center Report.

INTRODUCTION: Recurrence of glomerulonephritis (GN) after kidney transplant (Tx) may be associated with allograft loss. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and prognosis of de novo or recurrent post-Tx GN. METHODS: We reviewed 1305 kidney Tx biopsy samples obtained between 2006 and 2020. The biopsy specimens were divided into post-Tx GN (recurrent or de novo) and control groups (i.e., no detectable GN in biopsy). Demographic and baseline characteristics of the patients and kidney survival rates were analyzed. RESULTS: From 1305 kidney transplanted biopsies, 350 repeated biopsies for transplant rejection were excluded. Among 955 analyzed biopsies, (mean age: 40.4 ± 13.48 years, mean transplantation duration: 4.54 ± 3.98 years, 74.6% males), the frequency of GN was 10.78%. The most common recurrent post-Tx GN was IgA nephropathy (22.3%), followed by secondary focal segmental glomerulonephritis (FSGS, 19.4%), primary FSGS (19.4%), and membranous glomerulonephritis (17.5%). In the post-Tx GN group, the mean serum creatinine and proteinuria were 3.28 ± 1.97 mg/dL and 2730 ± 1244 mg/d at the biopsy time and 4.14 ± 1.86 mg/dL and 2020 ± 1048 mg/d, at the end of the study. There was a significant relationship between baseline serum creatinine and graft loss (P < .001). One-, five-, and ten-year graft survival rates were 97%, 81%, and 63% in the postTx GN, and 100%, 92%, and 59% in the control group. The median time to graft loss after biopsy, (graft survival after biopsy), was significantly lower in the post-Tx GN group (P < .000). The other accompanying factors had no significant impact on graft survival. CONCLUSION: The median time to graft loss after biopsy was significantly lower in post-Tx GN. Baseline serum creatinine had a significant association with graft loss. Optimal management of recurrent or de novo GN should be a main focus of post-transplant care.  DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7205.

Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Membranous Nephropathy: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Membranous nephropathy (MN) has variable clinical outcomes, ranging from spontaneous remission to slow progression to kidney failure. Since the clinical outcomes of MN have not been studied in a large sample size in Iran, this study was designed to evaluate the outcome of patients diagnosed with MN at Hasheminejad Kidney Center (HKC), Tehran. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 1086 patients with a diagnosis of MN who were biopsied between 1998 and 2018 in HKC were evaluated through a review of medical records for baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics at the time of biopsy and through a review of follow-up charts and phone calls for the evaluation of clinical outcomes. Of these patients, 551 could be followed for clinical outcomes. The composite outcome included kidney loss (hemodialysis, transplantation, or death). The effect of demographic, clinical, laboratory, and pathological variables on kidney survival was determined by the Cox-regression model using SPSS-16 software at a significance level of .05. RESULTS: Sex (P < .05), higher weight (P < .05), older age (P < .001), hypertension (P < .001), higher baseline proteinuria and lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at the onset of the disease were associated with kidney failure (P < .001). A higher percentage of interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, global sclerosis, and a higher pathological class of membranous nephropathy were significantly associated with disease outcome in the univariate Cox-regression analysis (P < .001). Kidney survival rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 86%, 74%, and 56%; respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that baseline demographic, clinical and laboratory factors affect kidney outcomes. Patients who are considered high-risk based on the criteria listed above may need to be candidates for more aggressive therapy.  DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7373.

Crescentic Glomerulonephritis, A Rare Presentation of Alport Syndrome.

Crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) is a feature of severe glomerular injury. Anti-GBM disease, immune-complex mediated glomerulonephritis, and ANCA-associated vasculitis are the main causes of crescentic GN. Alport syndrome is a progressive form of hereditary nephritis presenting with hematuria and progression to proteinuria and renal failure. Herein we present a 16-year-old male with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis syndrome, sensory-neural hearing loss, and a family history of hematuria and proteinuria in his mother and aunt. Light microscopic examination shows cellular crescent in glomeruli. In an electron microscopy study, GBM changes compatible with Alport syndrome were identified. Alport syndrome rarely can be presented as crescentic GN. Electron microscopy is necessary for the diagnosis of this type of pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis.

Clinicopathological Significance of Tumor Stem Cell Markers ALDH1 and CD133 in Colorectal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide with a high mortality rate. The main causes of death in patients are recurrence and metastasis which are mainly attributed to the small subpopulation of cells within tumors called cancer stem cells (CSCs). This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between the expression of ALDH1 and CD133 as CSC associated markers and clinicopathological characteristics in CRC. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 483 CRC tumor samples were immunohistochemically stained for detection of CD133 and ALDH1 markers. Correlations of marker expression with clinicopathological factors were also evaluated. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the luminal intensity of CD133 and neural invasion (P=0.05) and between the cytoplasmic intensity of CD133 and metastasis (P=0.05). In terms of H-score, a positive significant relation was observed between cytoplasmic expression of CD133 and lymph node (P=0.02), neural (P=0.04) and vascular invasion (P=0.02). The ALDH1 cytoplasmic expression showed a significant correlation with tumor size (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that increased expression of CD133 and ALDH1 is associated with tumor progression and worse outcomes in CRC patients. These markers can be good candidates for localized targeting of CSCs using antibodies. Future researches need to be improved approaches for early detection of CRC, and treatment monitoring for CRC and other cancers.

SMAD4 Expression in Renal Cell Carcinomas Correlates With a Stem-Cell Phenotype and Poor Clinical Outcomes.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most lethal neoplasm of common urologic cancers with poor prognoses. SMAD4 has a principal role in TGF-ß (Transformis growth factorß)-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a key factor in gaining cancer stem cell (CSC) features and tumor aggressiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the expression patterns and clinical significance of SMAD4 in RCC and the impact of its targeting on stem cell/mesenchymal cells and EMT characteristics in renal spheroid derived cells (SDCs) compared to parental cells (PCs) in RCC. The expression pattern and clinical significance of SMAD4 was evaluated in RCC. SDCs were enriched using a sphere culture system. Then SDCs and their PCs were compared with respect to their sphere and colony formation, expression of putative CSC markers, invasiveness as well as expression of genes, including stemness/mesenchymal, SMAD4 and TGFß1genes. Finally, the effect of SMAD4 knockdown on SDCs was analyzed. We demonstrated that SMAD4 is positively correlated with decreased disease specific survival (DSS) in RCC patients and clear cell RCC (ccRCC) subtype and associates with poor DSS in patients with RCC, especially in ccRCC as the most metastatic RCC subtype. SDCs exhibited higher stem cell/mesenchymal properties. Inhibition of SMAD4 in PCs accelerated the dissociation of SDCs and decreased their clonogenicity, invasiveness, expression of mesenchymal markers and expression of SMAD4 and TGFß1 genes compared to SDCs before transfection. We suggest that targeting SMAD4 may be useful against renal CSCs and may improve RCC prognosis.

High expression of DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) is associated with advanced pathological features in the patients with colorectal cancer.

DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) is induced in various cellular stress conditions. This study was conducted to investigate expression and prognostic significance of DDIT4 protein as a biomarker in the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). PPI network and KEGG pathway analysis were applied to identify hub genes among obtained differentially expressed genes in CRC tissues from three GEO Series. In clinical, expression of DDIT4 as one of hub genes in three subcellular locations was evaluated in 198 CRC tissues using immunohistochemistry method on tissue microarrays. The association between DDIT4 expression and clinicopathological features as well as survival outcomes were analyzed. Results of bioinformatics analysis indicated 14 hub genes enriched in significant pathways according to KEGG pathways analysis among which DDIT4 was selected to evaluate CRC tissues. Overexpression of nuclear DDIT4 protein was found in CRC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (P = 0.003). Furthermore, higher nuclear expression of DDIT4 was found to be significantly associated with the reduced tumor differentiation and advanced TNM stages (all, P = 0.009). No significant association was observed between survival outcomes and nuclear expression of DDIT4 in CRC cases. Our findings indicated higher nuclear expression of DDIT4 was significantly associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and more advanced stage of disease in the patients with CRC.

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase protein expression predicts tumour aggressiveness and survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an active component of telomerase and responsible for its catalytic activity, associated with cell proliferation and differentiation. For the first time, the present study was conducted to evaluate the expression and prognostic significance of hTERT in different histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Expression of hTERT was examined in 176 well-defined renal tumour samples including clear cell RCCs (ccRCCs), papillary and chromophobe RCCs using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. The association between hTERT expression and clinicopathological parameters as well as survival outcomes were then analysed. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of hTERT expression among various RCC subtypes. In ccRCC, increased expression of hTERT was significantly associated with advanced stage, higher grade, presence of microvascular invasion, lymph node invasion, and metastasis. Moreover, in the multivariate analysis, tumour stage and tumour size were independent predictors of the disease-specific survival (DSS). Additionally, expression of hTERT was found to be a significant predictor of worse DSS (p = 0.012) in the univariate analysis. In papillary carcinoma samples (type I and II), significant association was detected between hTERT expression and the tumour stage (p = 0.010, p = 0.050), respectively. In chromophobe RCC, no significant association was detected between expression of hTERT and clinicopathological parameters and survival data. We showed that hTERT protein expression was associated with more aggressive tumour behaviour and more advanced disease in ccRCC patients. Also, hTERT may be a novel poor prognostic indicator of DSS, if the patients are followed for more prolonged time periods.

Co-expression of Cancer Stem Cell Markers OCT4 and NANOG Predicts Poor Prognosis in Renal Cell Carcinomas.

Many renal cancer patients experience disease recurrence after combined treatments or immunotherapy due to permanence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). This study was conducted to evaluate the expression patterns and clinical significance of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) and NANOG as the key stem cell factors in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A total of 186 RCC tissues were immunostained on a tissue microarray (TMA) for the putative CSC markers OCT4 and NANOG. Subsequently, the correlation among the expression of these markers, the clinicopathological variables and survival outcomes were determined. OCT4 and NANOG were expressed in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of RCC cells. Coexpression of OCT4 and NANOG in renal cancer was significantly associated with RCC subtypes. A significant association was found among nuclear coexpression of OCT4 and NANOG, worse PFS in RCC, and the clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) subtype. The OCT4-nuclear high/NANOG-nuclear high phenotype in RCC and ccRCC subtype indicated aggressive tumor behavior and predicted a worse clinical outcome, which may be a useful biomarker to identify patients at high risk of postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Cytoplasmic expression of NANOG could be considered as a novel independent prognostic predictor in patients with renal cancer.

Cytoplasmic expression of Twist1, an EMT-related transcription factor, is associated with higher grades renal cell carcinomas and worse progression-free survival in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Twist1 is a key transcription factor, which confers tumor cells with cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics and enhances epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pathological conditions including tumor malignancy and metastasis. This study aimed to evaluate the expression patterns and clinical significance of Twist1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of Twist1 were examined in 252 well-defined renal tumor tissues, including 173 (68.7%) clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC), 45 (17.9%) papillary renal cell carcinomas (pRCC) and 34 (13.5%) chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray. The association between expression of this marker and clinicopathologic parameters and survival outcomes were then analyzed. Twist1 was mainly localized to the cytoplasm of tumor cells (98.8%). Increased cytoplasmic expression of Twist1 was associated with higher grade tumors (P = 0.045), renal vein invasion (P = 0.031) and microvascular invasion (P = 0.044) in RCC. It was positively correlated with higher grade tumors (P = 0.026), shorter progression-free survival time (P = 0.027) in patients with ccRCC, and also with higher stage in pRCC patients (P = 0.036). Significantly higher cytoplasmic expression levels of Twist1 were found in ccRCC and pRCC subtypes, due to their more aggressive tumor behavior. Increased cytoplasmic expression of Twist1 had a critical role in worse prognosis in ccRCC. These findings suggest that cytoplasmic, rather than nuclear expression of Twist1 can be considered as a prognostic and therapeutic marker for targeted therapy of RCC, especially for ccRCC patients.

Common bile duct stone associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Cholelithiasis is an unusual complication of hemolytic uremic syndrome. A 12-year-old boy with hemolytic uremic syndrome, established by renal biopsy, who developed cholestatic jaundice is presented here. Laboratory results for secondary causes of hemolytic uremic syndrome were normal. Abdominal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed extrahepatic obstruction. A common bile duct stone, discovered by retrograde cholangiopancreatography was extracted by sphincterotomy. In conclusion, cholelithiasis should be considered as a cause of abdominal pain and cholestasis in patients who are diagnosed as having hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Clinical significance of endothelial cell marker CD34 and mast cell marker CD117 in prostate adenocarcinoma.

Prostate cancer is the second cause of cancer-related deaths in men and this is attributed to its aggressiveness and metastatic identity. Our objective was to evaluate the expression patterns of endothelial cell marker CD34 and mast cell marker CD117 in prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) compared to benign prostate tissue and their relation to the clinicopathological features. A total of 90 prostate samples, including 45 PCa and 45 benign prostate tissues were immunohistochemically examined for the detection of CD34 and CD117 markers. The expression of these markers was also correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Significant overexpression of CD34 was found in PCa group compared to benign prostate tissues (P≤0.001). The expression of CD34 and CD117 in PCa with advanced Gleason score was more than PCa with early Gleason score (P=0.02 and P=0.005, respectively). A significant positive correlation was observed between CD34 expression and the level of total serum prostate specific antigen (sPSA) (P=0.006). In addition, CD34High/CD117High phenotype was frequently observed in PCa cases compared to benign prostate tissues (P≤0.001). There was a positive significant association between CD34High/CD117High phenotype with advanced Gleason score (P≤0.001) and total sPSA level (P=0.02). Our findings showed that increased expression of CD34 and CD117 markers confer tumor progression and aggressiveness on PCa. These molecules may be good candidates for targeted therapy of PCa patients.

Reduced expression of CXCR4, a novel renal cancer stem cell marker, is associated with high-grade renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a population with tumour-initiating, self-renewal, and differentiation potential. This study aimed to evaluate the expression patterns and clinical significance of chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) as a novel CSC marker in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: The expression of CXCR4 was examined in 173 well-defined renal tumour tissues, including 106 (61.5 %) clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs), 35 (20 %) papillary renal cell carcinomas (pRCCs), and 32 (18.5 %) chromophobe renal cell carcinomas (ChRCCs), by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray. The association between expression of this marker and clinicopathologic parameters was then analysed. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the expression levels of CXCR4 in the ccRCC samples compared to the ChRCC and pRCC samples (P < 0.001). Increased expression of CXCR4 was significantly correlated with higher-grade tumours (P < 0.001) and worse stage (P = 0.001). A significant association was also found between expression of CXCR4 and microvascular invasion (P = 0.018). Among RCC subtypes, comparison of the differences between CXCR4 expression in low- and high-grade tumours demonstrated that pRCC tumours had a significantly higher expression of CXCR4 (P < 0.001) than ccRCC tumours (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Significantly higher expression levels of CXCR4 were found in pRCC and ccRCC samples. Increased CXCR4 expression was associated with more aggressive tumour behaviour in RCC patients, especially in pRCC and ccRCC subtypes due to their more metastatic behaviour. These findings suggest that CXCR4 can be considered as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic marker for targeted therapy of renal carcinoma.

Evaluation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase expression in nonsmall cell lung cancer;a tissue microarray analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The oncogenic form of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene is an attractive candidate marker for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in several malignancies, including nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to examine the expression levels and clinical significance of ALK in a series of NSCLC tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 140 samples of NSCLC, including 64 (46%) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 62 (44%) adenocarcinoma (ADC), and 14 (10%) large cell carcinoma (LCC) for expression of ALK using immunohistochemistry; and immunostaining patterns were correlated with clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: Expression of ALK was significantly different between SCC with ADC (P < 0.001) and LCC samples (P < 0.001). The highest level of ALK expression was found in ADC cases with poor differentiation and high nuclear grade (P = 0.005 and P = 0.005, respectively). Furthermore, high level of ALK expression was more often observed in ADC cases with poor prognosis features (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that ALK can be considered as a promising target in the targeted therapy in patients with lung ADC.