Assessment of Autophagy in Tumor Cells of Human Skin Melanoma of Different Stages.

High levels of autophagy can increase the viability of tumor cells as well as their resistance to chemotherapy. Evaluation of the dynamics of autophagy processes at different stages of carcinogenesis can extend our understanding of melanoma pathogenesis to develop new therapeutic approaches. We performed a comparative study of tumor cell autophagy in stages II and III human skin melanoma. Tumor cells were characterized by high content of structures associated with autophagy (autophagosomes and autolysosomes). In stage III melanoma characterized by the presence of regional metastases in the lymph nodes, tumor cells showed higher expression of the autophagy marker protein LC3beta in comparison with stage II melanoma cells, which can indicate the involvement of autophagy processes in tumor progression and the formation of metastases in the lymph nodes.

[Possibilities of modern echocardiographic technologies in the early diagnosis of the cardiotoxic effect of chemotherapy drugs anthracycline series in cancer patients].

Chronic heart failure following chemotherapy for cancer is a relevant issue of an adverse cardiovascular prognosis and premature death in cancer patients. This category of patients requires thorough and chronic monitoring of the cardiovascular system, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular complications of chemotherapy, such as IHD, systolic or diastolic myocardial dysfunction, arterial or pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary thromboembolism, pericarditis, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. However, many aspects of this important interdisciplinary issue presently remain understudied. For instance, it is still impossible to predict long-term consequences of chemotherapy for cancer and development of the associated cardiovascular complications listed above. Baseline evaluation of the risk for cardiovascular complications is a major component in management of such patients. High-risk patients need an individual, detailed schedule of cardiovascular treatment throughout and after the course of chemotherapy. Furthermore, early detection of subclinical myocardial dysfunction is critical for prevention of the most threatening cardiovascular complications of chemotherapy, CHF. Detecting impaired LV EF following chemotherapy is, unfortunately, only a late predictor of irreversible changes, such as toxic cardiomyopathy and clinically pronounced, rapidly progressing CHF. Markers of myocardial injury, high-sensitivity troponins and natriuretic peptides, in combination with up-to-date EchoCG technologies have been recently used. Their use, for instance, for evaluation of LV myocardial global longitudinal strain to detect early, reversible changes in structure and mechanics of the myocardium is promising for ultimate improvement of prediction for such patients.

Expression of Molecular Markers of Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis, and Proliferation Depending on the Stage of Skin Melanoma.

The expression of molecular markers characterizing activity of the tumor process and metastases (proliferation marker Ki-67, angiogenesis marker CD34, and lymphangiogenesis markers podoplanin and LYVE-1) was assessed by immunohictochemical method in the primary tumor specimens collected during surgery for cutaneous melanoma (40 patients). Proliferative activity of the tumor tissue and volume density of peritumoral blood and lymph vessels increased with increasing tumor malignancy, which could indicate the risk of metastases.

[The relationship between concentrations of pepsinogens in blood serum and pathohystologic parameters of stomach adenomas and adenocarcinomas].

The article demonstrates that in patients with adenomas of stomach the concentration of pepsinogen I in blood serum and the rate between pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II is decreased. In case of adenomas and adenocarcinomas of stomach the concentration of pepsinogen I and the rate between pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II are in inverse correlation relationship with indicators of proliferative activity of epithelial cells and tumor cells correspondingly. The threshold level was the rate between pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II can be used as criteria of intensity ofproliferative activity of epithelial cells of adenomas and cells of adenocarcinomas of stomach.

Morphology of pararectal lymph nodes in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy.

Remodeling and cytograms of pararectal lymph nodes were studied in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy by different protocols. Radiotherapy and its combination with chemotherapy lead to an increase in the volume of connective tissue components and significant reduction of the volume density of lymphoid follicles without germinative centers. The counts of dividing cells, immunoblasts, and plasmoblasts in various compartments of the pararectal lymph nodes changed more significantly after radiotherapy, while changes in the count of monocytes and neutrophils were more pronounced after cytostatic therapy combined with exposure to ionizing radiation. These differences can be explained by the systemic toxic effect of chemotherapeutic drugs and primarily local cytotoxic effects of radiotherapy manifesting largely at the site of exposure.