A case of epithelioid osteoblastoma of the thoracic vertebra in a 12-year-old male: a case report and review of literature.

Introduction and importance: Osteoblastoma (OB) is a rare benign bone tumor, representing less than 1% of all bone neoplasms. In contrast to the typical OB, a smaller subset known as 'epithelioid osteoblastoma (EO)' exhibits a distinctive inclination for local invasion and recurrence. This rare variant can pose diagnostic challenges, particularly due to its unclear clinical and radiological presentation. Case presentation: This study details a clinical case of a 12-year-old boy experiencing pain from a lytic bone tumor located in the thoracic vertebrae (T3-T4), initially suggesting malignancy. Following extensive curettage, histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of EO through immunohistochemical staining. Subsequent follow-up at 3 months revealed the absence of no pain or recurrence of the lesion. Clinical discussion: Distinguishing EO from a malignant tumor requires a multidisciplinary approach, considering clinical, radiographic, and histological features that differentiate the two entities. Conclusion: The goal of this case presentation is to increase awareness regarding this recurrent tumor variant, which poses diagnostic challenges, particularly in distinguishing it from malignant tumors, including osteosarcoma.

HER-2 overexpression in female genital tract clear cell carcinomas: Evaluation of different scoring guidelines, clinicopathological features and prognostic impact.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is a rare high-grade adenocarcinoma associated with poor response to platinum-based chemotherapy agents in the female genital tract. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression is routinely used as a biomarker for targeted therapy in breast and gastric carcinomas, but its role in CCC remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, HER2 overexpression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using College of American Pathologists (CAP) HER2 scoring guidelines for breast and endometrial serous carcinoma (ESC) on tissue microarray blocks. In equivocal and positive cases, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed. IHC score 3, and all amplified cases on FISH test were considered positive. RESULTS: Thirty-six cases of ovarian (OCCC), 36 endometrial (ECCC), and 2 cervical CCC were included. According to ESC and breast scoring guidelines, 20 % and 15.1 % of ECCC and 14.7 % and 6 % of OCCC were HER2 positive, respectively. Both cases of cervical CCC were negative. Scoring based on breast carcinoma guideline showed higher concordance (100 %) with gene amplification results, in comparison with ESC guideline (82.7 %). On multivariate survival analysis, HER2 positive ECCC and OCCC (based on ESC scoring methods) had significantly lower overall and disease-free survivals (OS, DFS) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HER2 immunoscoring based on ESC guideline can yield a higher sensitivity with relevant clinical and prognostic features in OCCC and ECCC. HER2 can be considered a potential biomarker for targeted therapy and future clinical trials.

Analysis of Prevalence and Trends in the Biopsy-Proven Native Kidney Diseases in Iranian Population: A 12-year Survey from a Referral Center.

Background & Objective: The prevalence of glomerular diseases, as the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, is increasing. Renal biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosis of the most kidney disorders. Data on prevalence of the biopsy-proven kidney diseases in Iran is limited and none of the previously reported studies used electron microscopic (EM) evaluation for the diagnosis. This study was conducted to analyze the prevalence of biopsy-proven kidney diseases in a referral center in Iran. Methods: The reports of kidney biopsy samples from 2006 to 2018 referred to a pathology center, affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences were reviewed. The prevalence of different disorders was assessed based on the clinical presentation in 3 age categories, including childhood, adulthood, and elderly. Results: Among 3455 samples, 2975 were analyzed after excluding transplant-related specimens, suboptimal specimens, and those with uncertain diagnoses. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) (39%) was the most common cause of biopsy followed by subnephrotic proteinuria (18%), hematuria in association with proteinuria (15%), renal failure (9%), isolated hematuria (6%), lupus (4%) and the other non-specific manifestations such as hypertetion or malaise (each one less than 2%). The most common diagnoses included membranous nephropathy (MGN) (17.9%), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (15.9%), lupus nephritis (LN) (13.7%), minimal histopathological findings (unsampled FSGS versus Minimal Change Disease, 12.1%), Immunoglobulin-A (IgA) nephropathy (6.5%) and Alport syndrome (6.1%). MGN was the most frequent disease before 2013, but FSGS became more frequent after that. Conclusion: NS and proteinuria were the most indications for kidney biopsy. Although MGN was the most common disease, the prevalence of FSGS has been increasing in recent years and making it the most common disease after 2013. LN and IgA nephropathy are the most common causes of secondary and primary GN presenting with proteinuria and hematuria, respectively.

Spectrum and Distribution of Biopsy-proven Kidney Diseases: A 12-year Survey of a Single Center in Iran.

Data about the prevalence of biopsy-proven kidney diseases in Iran are rare, and none of the previous studies used electron microscopy for diagnosis. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of biopsy-proven kidney diseases in Iran's primary referral center. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most extensive study carried out in Iran. Reports of kidney biopsy samples from patients referred to our center in 2007-2018 were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentation, and final diagnosis. Statistical analyses were performed. Among the 3455 samples received, 2975 were analyzed. Nephrotic syndrome (39%) was the most common cause of biopsy, followed by subnephrotic proteinuria (18%), hematuria in association with proteinuria (15%), renal failure (9%), isolated hematuria (6%), and lupus nephritis (LN) (4%). The most common diagnoses were membranous glomerulonephritis (17.9%), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (15.9%), LN (13.7%), minimal histopathological findings (unsampled FSGS vs. minimal change disease, 12.1%), Immunoglobin A nephropathy (IgAN) (6.5%) and Alport syndrome (6.1%). NS and proteinuria were the most common indications for a kidney biopsy. IgAN and LN were the most common causes of primary and secondary glomerulonephritis, presenting with hematuria and proteinuria, respectively. Although membranous glomerulonephritis was the most common disease, it has been replaced by FSGS in recent years.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Iran: The dynamics of the epidemic and evidence on two independent introductions.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been rapidly spreading globally since December 2019, triggering a pandemic, soon after its emergence. While Iran was among the first countries confronted with rapid spread of virus in February 2020, no real-time SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome tracking in early phase of outbreak was performed in the country. To address this issue, we provided 50 whole-genome sequences of viral isolates ascertained from different geographical locations in Iran during March-July 2020. The corresponding analysis on origins, transmission dynamics and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 virus, represented at least two introductions of the virus into the country, constructing two major clusters defined as B.4 and B.1*. The first entry of the virus might have occurred around very late 2019/early 2020, as suggested by the time to the most recent common ancestor, followed by a rapid community transmission that led to dominancy of B.4 lineage in early epidemic till the end of June. Gradually, reduction in dominancy of B.4 occurred possibly as a result of other entries of the virus, followed by surge of B.1* lineages, as of mid-May. Remarkably, variation tracking of the virus indicated the increase in frequency of D614G mutation, along with B.1* lineages, which showed continuity till October 2020. The increase in frequency of D614G mutation and B.1* lineages from mid-May onwards predicts a rapid viral transmission that may push the country into a critical health situation followed by a considerable change in composition of viral lineages circulating in the country.

Study on SARS-CoV-2 strains in Iran reveals potential contribution of co-infection with and recombination between different strains to the emergence of new strains.

We aimed to describe SARS-CoV-2 strains in Iranians from nine distributed cities infected during two months expanding late 2020 and early 2021 by genotyping known informative single nucleotide in five PCR amplicons. Two variants associated with haplotype H1 (clade G) and nine additional variants associated with other haplotypes were genotyped, respectively, in RNA isolates of 244 and 85 individuals. The variants associated with the H1a (GR) and H1b (GH) haplotypes were most prevalent, indicating a significant change in infection pattern with passage of time. The most important findings were that recombinant genomes and co-infection, respectively, were surmised in 44.7% and 12.9% of the samples extensively genotyped. Partners of many of the recombinations were relatively common strains. Co-existing viruses were among those currently circulating in Iran. In addition to random mutations, co-infection with different existing strains and recombination between their genomes may significantly contribute to the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 strains.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the nasopharyngeal, blood, urine, and stool samples of patients with COVID-19: a hospital-based longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in the body fluids of patients with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may increase the potential risk of viral transmission. There is still uncertainty on whether the recommended quarantine duration is sufficient to reduce the risk of transmission. This study aimed to investigate the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the nasopharyngeal, blood, urine, and stool samples of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: In this hospital-based longitudinal study, 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recruited between March 2020 and August 2020 in Guilan Province, north of Iran. Nasopharyngeal, blood, urine, and stool samples were obtained from each participant at the time of hospital admission, upon discharge, 1 week after discharge, and every 2 weeks until all samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. A survival analysis was also performed to identify the duration of viral persistence. RESULTS: The median duration of viral RNA persistence in the nasopharyngeal samples was 8 days from the first positive RT-PCR result upon admission (95% CI 6.91-9.09); the maximum duration of viral shedding was 25 days from admission. Positive blood, urine, and stool RT-PCR results were detected in 24%, 7%, and 6% of the patients, respectively. The median duration of viral persistence in the blood, urine, and stool samples was 7 days (95% CI 6.07-7.93), 6 days (95% CI 4.16-8.41), and 13 days (95% CI 6.96-19.4), respectively. Also, the maximum duration of viral persistence in the blood, urine, and stool samples was 17, 11, and 42 days from admission, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the present results, immediately after the hospitalized patients were discharged, no evidence of viral genetic materials was found. Therefore, appropriate treatments were selected for the patients at this hospital. However, we recommend further investigations on a larger sample size in multi-center and prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effects of different drugs on the shedding of the virus through body secretions.

Association between Ki-67 expression and clinicopathological features in prognosis of breast cancer: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed female cancer. Breast cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death in females accounting for 13.7% of female cancer-related mortality globally. Variable known prognostic factors such as histological tumor type, tumor size, nodal status, grade, age, and estrogen receptor (ER) status and the proliferation marker - Ki-67 influence the type of treatment decision. The purpose of this present study is to investigate the association between Ki-67 expression with several clinicopathological variables and patients' outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study from September 2008 to March 2017; 165 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were enrolled in the study. Ki67 levels were measured using immunohistochemistry and compared with clinicopathological variables. The relation of Ki67 expression with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was also analyzed. RESULTS: The result of this study revealed that age, tumor size, menopausal status, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status had no effect on the patients' outcome. Patients with ER-positive, progesterone receptor (PR)-positive, and HER2-negative tumors expressed a higher rate of Ki-67 (>10%) than patients with ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2-positive tumors, respectively. However, we found that Ki-67 levels were not significantly increased statistically with ER, PR, and HER2 statuses. There was a statistically significant correlation between Ki-67 expression and with higher stages of the disease. Multivariate analysis showed that Ki-67 expression could not to be an independent prognostic factor for 5-year OS and DFS. Furthermore, p53 status was only prognostic factor for 5-year OS whereas higher stages of disease and p53 status were prognostic factors for 5-year DFS. CONCLUSION: Ki67 could not be an independent variable for prediction of breast cancer outcome.

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.

Characterization of decellularized ovine small intestine submucosal layer as extracellular matrix-based scaffold for tissue engineering.

Extracellular matrix-based scaffolds derived from mammalian tissues have been used in tissue engineering applications. Among all the tissues, decellularized small intestine submucosal layer (SIS) has been recently investigated for its exceptional characteristics and biocompatibilities. These investigations have been mainly focused on the decellularized porcine SIS; however, there has not been any report on ovine SIS (OSIS) layer. In this study, OSIS was decellularized and its physical, chemical, and morphological properties were evaluated. Decellularization was carried out using chemical reagents and various physical conditions. The effects of different conditions were evaluated on histological and biomechanical properties, quality of residual DNA, GAPDH gene expression, and biocompatibility. Results revealed satisfactory decellularization of OSIS which could be due to its thin thickness. Mechanical properties, structural form, and glycosaminoglycan contents were preserved in all the decellularized groups. In SDS-treated groups, further cells and DNA residues were removed compared to the groups treated with Triton X-100 only. No toxicity was observed in all treatments, and viability, expansion, and cell proliferation were supported. In conclusion, our results suggest that OSIS decellularized scaffold could be considered as an appropriate biological scaffold for tissue engineering applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 933-944, 2018.

Critical-sized full-thickness skin defect regeneration using ovine small intestinal submucosa with or without mesenchymal stem cells in rat model.

Decellularized extracellular matrices (ECM) based materials are routinely used for a variety of clinical applications. Hereof, in vivo application of decellularized ovine small intestinal submucosal (DOSIS) layer as, a scaffold is yet to be investigated. In this study, the effectiveness of the DOSIS scaffold, with or without rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), in full-thickness wound healing of critical-sized defect was experimentally studied in a rat model. The experimental groups included; group I (control), group II (DOSIS), and group III (BM-MSCs-seeded DOSIS). Wound healing of all groups was examined and compared clinically and histopathologically on days 7, 14, and 21 postoperation. Our results represented BM-MSCs-seeded DOSIS accelerated wound contraction and healing compared to both the DOSIS alone and control groups. Epithelization was close to completion 21 days postoperation in DOSIS alone. In OSIS with BM-MSCs group, epithelization was faster and had fully taken place at the subsequent time points. DOSIS layer, as cell-free form with low substantially DNA content, accelerated healing of rat skin wound defects that was created at critical-size and full-thickness. In conclusion, decellularized OSIS alone and in combination with BM-MSCs has the potential to be used as a wound graft material in skin regenerative medicine. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2177-2190, 2018.

The effect of immunohistochemically detected p53 accumulation in prognosis of breast cancer; A retrospective survey of outcome.

BACKGROUND: P53; a tumor suppressor gene has known to have a role in a group of human cancers. Its role in breast cancer; one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, is still controversial. The current study is designed to evaluate the prognostic role of p53 mutation in breast cancer. METHODS: one hundred and eighty five breast cancer patients were studied in this retrospective study. P53 mutation was detected by accumulation of p53 protein in the patients' pathology samples. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the protein. The effect of p53 on the final outcome was assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival and compared by log-rank test. Prognostic effects analyzed by cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: while the stage of the disease at presentation was not significantly different between p53 positive and negative patients, those with p53 mutation had a significantly poorer outcome in terms of overall and disease-free survival rates (OS and DFS). In a multivariate analysis hazard ratio of p53 mutation was about 5 and 3.8 for OS and DFS respectively. They also had a higher cumulative incidence of relapse. CONCLUSION: It seems that p53 mutation is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer. Although larger prospective studies are needed to clarify the importance of such a conclusion.

Fas Receptor Activation by Endogenous Opioids Is A New Mechanism for Cardiomyopathy in Cirrhotic Rats.

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis, a common consequence of chronic liver inflammation is associated with various cardiovascular dysfunctions which are called cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CC). Among the various possible causes of CC, apoptosis is considered to have a pivotal role. OBJECTIVES: To explore the contribution of endogenous opioids in the apoptosis process in a rat model of CC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four genes were selected to cover both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis. Cardiac samples from 4 groups of rats were evaluated. Two groups were cirrhotic through bile duct ligation (BDL) receiving either naltrexone (BDL-naltrexone) or saline (BDL-saline), two others were normal rats as sham groups receiving either naltrexone (sham-naltrexone) or saline (sham-saline). Expression level of BCL2, Caspase3, Fas and FasL was explored in all groups using reverse transcriptase real-time PCR. RESULTS: BDL-saline group showed significant over-expression of BCL2, caspase3 and Fas. BCL2 expression was 1.44 (P < 0.001) and caspasse3 was 1.35 (P < 0.001) times higher than sham-saline group, Fas was also overexpressed 1.3 (P < 0.001) times higher than BDL-naltrexone group and 1.91 (P < 0.001) compared to sham-naltrexone group. Caspase3 expression was 1.35 (P < 0.001) folds higher than sham-naltrexone group. The expression pattern of FasL revealed no statistically significant change among study groups. CONCLUSION: Fas molecule enrollment during CC is a novel finding. Fas molecule is activated during cirrhosis through elevated levels of endogenous opioids. This pathway is one of the leading causes of CC. Our findings also demonstrated the protective role of naltrexone as opioids antagonist on cardiomyocytes in a rat model of CC.

Treatment Outcomes and Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Report from Cancer Institute of Iran.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) have a more aggressive course and are associated with poorer prognosis in comparison with other subtypes of breast cancer. One of the most common subtypes of TNBC is basal-like. The aim of this study was to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and clinical course of TNBC in Iranian women and compare them with other studies. Subjects and Methods: Between March 2009 and February 2011, patients with breast cancer in Cancer Institute of Iran were selected and then followed-up for 2 years. Paraffin-embedded tumor block of all TNBC patients were evaluated for CK5/6 and EGFR using IHC method. Results: Among 267 breast cancer patients, 60 cases with TNBC were identified (22.5%), 31 patients (51.7%) had basal-like and 29 patients (48.3%) had non-basal-like tumors. The median age of participants with TNBC was 49.6 years. Among our patients, 70% had positive lymph nodes.93.4% of all patients at the time of diagnosis were stage II or III and tumor size was at least 3 centimeters. No grade 1 TNBC was found in this study. During the follow-up period, there were 26 recurrences and 7 deaths. Conclusion: The percentage of basal-like subtype among Iranian women with TNBC was lower compared to other studies, while bone metastases, clinical stage, lymph node involvement and tumor size were higher. Clinicopathological findings in basal and non-basal-like subgroups were not different, but the probability of lymph node involvement was more common in patients who were EGFR positive.

Association Between Amplification and Expression of C-MYC Gene and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Stomach Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence rate of gastric cancer in western countries has shown a remarkable decline in the recent years while it is still the most common cancer among males in Iran. The proto-oncogene MYC, located at 8q24.1, regulates almost 15% of human genes and is activated in 20% of all tumors. The amplification of MYC and overexpression of its protein product are observed in 15 - 30% of gastric neoplasias. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to find the preferences of Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization (CISH) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) in diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 102 samples of gastric cancer in Iran and all the patients had undergone primary surgical resection at the Cancer Institute Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The CISH and IHC techniques were applied for all our samples. All of the samples had adenocarcinoma gastric cancer and were selected randomly. Also, the type of study was cross sectional. The sample size was 100 patients. RESULTS: Our data revealed that both diffuse and intestinal types of gastric cancer occurred significantly more in males than females. Our results showed that there was an indication of some correlation between grades and CISH, although the difference was not significant. Our data also showed that CISH positive patients (43%) were more frequent compared to IHC positive patients (14.7%). There was a correlation between CISH and IHC. These results revealed that there was a significant difference between grades and IHC. There was also no statistical difference between CISH amplification in diffuse and intestinal types. CONCLUSIONS: From the results, it could be concluded that for administration of the treatment of stomach cancer, and progress and prognosis of tumor, which is important for patients and clinicians, the CISH is a better and more feasible test than IHC, in regards to sensitivity and specificity.

BCL-1 Gene Rearrangements in Iranian Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients.

In the present study, our aim was to assess the incidence of BCL-1 gene rearrangements in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). The BIOMED-2 protocol was applied to assess the BCL-1 gene rearrangements in NHL patients. PCR amplification was carried out on FFPE in 100 patients with B-cell lymphoma including 89 cases with diffused large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (15 cases under 18 years old) and 11 cases with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Out of the 100 patients, 19 cases (19%) were identified to have concurrent translocation involving BCL-1. The significant association was seen between BCL-1 gene rearrangements and the lymphomas in patients older than 55 years (P<0.05). Out of 100 cases, 80 cases were positive and 20 cases were negative regarding CD20. No significant association was found between DLBCL lymphoma in patients under 18 years old and BCL-1 gene rearrangements (P>0.05). In addition, the positive and negative expressions of LCA/CD45 marker were 76% (76/100) and 26% (26/100), respectively. Our findings revealed that BCL-1 gene rearrangement assays using BIOMED-2 protocol can be considered as a valuable approach in detection of the lymphomas.

The Effects of Testosterone on Oxidative Stress Markers in Mice with Spinal Cord Injuries.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes infertility in male patients through erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, semen and hormone abnormalities. Oxidative stress (OS) is involved in poor semen quality and subsequent infertility in males with SCI. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of SCI on the level of testosterone hormone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, we evaluated the effects of exogenous testosterone on the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) as well as the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonylation (PCO), as markers of OS, in 10 groups of SCI mice. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was determined using the 2,29-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation assay. RESULTS: Exogenous testosterone administration in mice with SCI significantly reduced SOD and GPx enzyme activities and MDA level. There was no significant decrease in PCO content. In addition, TAC remarkably increased in the sham and SCI groups not treated with testosterone but remained unchanged in all other experimental groups. Exogenous testosterone also reduced serum testosterone levels in all groups except the positive control group. CONCLUSION: Our cumulative data indicated that SCI could cause sterility by disturbing the plasmatic testosterone balance. The normal level of endogenous testosterone was not completely restored by exogenous testosterone administration.

Evaluation of IGK and IGL molecular gene rearrangements according to the BIOMED-2 protocols for clinical diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Although the analysis of molecular clonality rearrangements of the immunoglobulin light chains (IGK and IGL) is an alternative approach for diagnosis of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) using BIOMED-2 protocols, NHLs have not been extensively confirmed for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cases. We evaluated BIOMED-2 protocols in HL cases, which have been suggested previously as gold standard method for molecular clonality analysis on formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue in NHL patients. METHODS: We recruited 50 consecutive FFPE tissues of HL samples to evaluate IGK and IGL clonality gene rearrangements using BIOMED-2 and Heteroduplex methods. RESULTS: Our findings revealed a total of 94% (47/50) positive clonality, which consisted of 70% (35/50) for IGK and 44% (22/50) for IGL. In three cases, clonality was not detected in any of the immunoglobulin gene segments. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of clonality gene rearrangements in IGK and IGL genes using BIOMED-2 protocols could be implemented as a valuable method for improving clonality detection rate in HL cases and sensitivity (94%) and accuracy of HL diagnosis similar to that of the NHL samples will be increased.

Molecular Analysis of IGH and Incomplete IGH D-J Clonality Gene Rearrangements in Hodgkin Lymphoma Malignancies.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated molecular clonality in immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) and incomplete IGH D-J genes for improvement of clinical diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). We applied BIOMED-2 protocols in HL cases, which were previously approved by clonality detection in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cases. METHODS: We investigated 50 consecutive FFPE samples of classical HL (cHL) patients to assess IGH and IGH D-J clonal gene rearrangements by multiplex PCR protocols, which were provided by the European Biomedicine and Health (BIOMED-2) Concerted Action Project BMH4-CT98-3936. RESULTS: In the present study, there was a monoclonality of 86% (43/50) including a clonality of 74% (37/50) for IGH and a clonality of 42% (21/50) in IGHD-J. In addition, a lack of clonality was detected in 14% (7/50) of cases. Frequent gene rearrangements were detected in framework (FR) III (54%) and FRII (20%), whereas no clonality was seen in FRI. Furthermore, a monoclonality of 28% and 14% was detected in the DH(1-6)-JH and DH(see symbol)-JH gene rearrangements, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the complete IGH and incomplete IGH D-J clonality gene rearrangement assays using BIOMED-2 protocols could be considered a valuable method for detection of clonal gene rearrangements, especially in HL cases.

Study of C-MYC amplification and expression in Iranian gastric cancer samples using CISH and IHC methods.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is the fourth most frequent malignancy and the second cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. It has been suggested that in gastric carcinogenesis, the C-MYC gene has an important function. The objective of this study is to establish the preference of Chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples comprised of 50 randomly selected patients of whom 40 were male and 10 female. To evaluate the MYC copy number and its protein expression, CISH and IHC analyses were performed for 50 gastric adenocarcinomas, in Iran. RESULTS: The location of the tumor in 64% of the patients was the fundus, and in 72% of patients, the tumors were of a diffuse type; 22 samples showed no amplification, and 28 samples were with amplification. MYC immunoreactivity was observed in 13 samples. Twelve samples showed both MYC amplification and MYC immunoreactivity. In addition, among the 28 CISH+ samples, 12 samples had positive signals for IHC and 16 samples had negative signals for IHC. A majority of the IHC-negative patients had no amplification, but only one patient with IHC positive had no amplification. CONCLUSION: Our conclusion was that for the management and treatment of gastric cancer, and for special attention of clinicians, for prognosis and tumor progression, the CISH was a better and more feasible test than IHC, in regard to the sensitivity and specificity.