Impact of 3'UTR variation patterns of the KRAS gene on the aggressiveness of pancreatobiliary tumors with the KRAS G13D mutation in a Turkish population.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have demonstrated the importance of mutations in codons 12, 13 and 61 and variations in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the KRAS gene, frequently observed genetic events in the progression of pancreatobiliary tumors (PBT). However, limited data exist on the clinical effect of these alterations. The aim of the current study was to clarify the frequency of relevant alterations of the 3'UTR regions of the KRAS gene and the effect of KRAS 3'UTR polymorphisms on the prognosis of patients with codon 12, 13 and 61 mutations in a Turkish population with PBT. METHODS: Codons 12, 13, and 61 and 3'UTRs of the KRAS gene were screened by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and DNA sequencing in 43 patients and 10 controls. Chi-squared and independent sample T tests were used to evaluate the results of the mutation analysis and clinical features of the patients. RESULTS: We defined the c.38G > A (rs112445441, p.G13D) (39.54%) mutation and two 3'UTR variations, c.*4066delA (rs560890523) (23.26%) and c.*4065_*4066delAA (rs57698689) (6.98%), in the KRAS gene of Turkish patients. There was a statistically significant relationship between the c.*4066delA (rs560890523) and c.*4065_*4066delAA (rs57698689) variations and invasion and lymph node metastasis status of the patients (p < 0.001). Compared to patients with c.38G > A (rs112445441, p.G13D), patients with c.*4066delA (rs560890523) and c.38G > A (rs112445441, p.G13D) presented more aggressive tumors with highly invasive features. The present study contributes findings regarding the clinical effects of KRAS alterations in PBT. Based on our study, further investigations are required.

Evaluation of the risk of thyroid cancer following hysterectomy through meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Thyroid cancer is observed more frequently in women than men, possibly due to the influence of hormonal factors. This study aims to conduct a meta-analysis encompassing both prospective and retrospective observational studies to examine the risk of thyroid cancer in women who have undergone hysterectomy surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The literature search identified 356 articles by May 2022, and eight reported hazard ratios for thyroid cancer in women who underwent hysterectomy surgery. After the eliminations, we performed three different meta-analyses with studies that included patients who underwent only total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TAH and BSO), and underwent hysterectomy with or without BSO. The reporting of this study has been conducted in accordance with the guidelines of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and AMSTAR (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews). RESULTS: Our study showcases a comprehensive meta-analysis that includes eight observational studies, both retrospective and prospective, exploring the link between hysterectomy and the likelihood of developing thyroid cancer. This analysis is based on data from more than 12 million individuals, encompassing over 24,000 cases. Women who had undergone TAH (HR = 1.586, 95% CI: 1.382-1.819, p < 0.001), women who had undergone TAH and BSO (HR = 1.420, 95% CI: 1.205-1.675, p < 0.001), and women who had undergone hysterectomy with or without BSO had an increased risk (HR = 1.623, 95% CI: 1.387-1.899, p < 0.001) of developing thyroid cancer later in life. CONCLUSIONS: We found that hysterectomy had a statistically significant risk effect on the development of thyroid cancer. The limited number of previous studies, the low amount of information, the lack of homogeneous distribution of the patients in the studies, and the unknown characteristics of thyroid cancer developing after hysterectomy were the limitations of this study. Nevertheless, our findings can positively affect public health because of the potential to enlighten the etiological mechanisms leading to thyroid cancer. Future researches should first aim to explain the underlying mechanisms of developing thyroid cancer after hysterectomy.

Report of a case mimicking the acute appendicitis; Small bowel perforation due to olive leaf.

Abdominal pain is one of the most frequent causes of emergency room admissions. Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical pathology in these patients. Foreign body ingestion is a quite rare pathology that takes place in list of differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis. We presented a dry olive leaf ingestion case in this paper.

Overexpression of the Long Noncoding RNA HomeoboxA Transcript at the Distal Tip Predicts Poor Prognosis in a KRAS-Independent Manner in Periampullary Region Tumors.

OBJECTIVES: Periampullary region tumors (PRTs) are the fifth highest cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although recent studies have highlighted the prognostic value of the long noncoding RNA HomeoboxA transcript at the distal tip (HOTTIP) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the relationship between HOTTIP and clinical outcome of all PRTs remains obscure. The aim of this study was to clarify the prognostic significance of HOTTIP in patients with all PRTs related to KRAS mutational status. METHODS: HomeoboxA transcript at the distal tip expression was detected in 100 PRT samples using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The associations between HOTTIP levels, clinicopathological factors, and patient prognosis were also analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of HOTTIP was found to be significantly upregulated by 32-fold (P = 0.031) in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. The over expression of HOTTIP was related with presence of invasion and metastasis (P = 0.0467, P = 0.0256). In addition, increased HOTTIP expression was associated with poor prognosis independent of KRAS mutation (P < 0.001; n = 72). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that high HOTTIP expression was an unfavorable prognostic factor for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that high levels of HOTTIP expression have the potential to be an independent, unfavorable prognostic factor for patients with PRT.