IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY (IJP)
Year:2014 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:13

Error is an inevitable part of life and cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be minimized. A root cause analysis is a technique for understanding the systematic error causes that is involved beyond a person or people to implement an errors and including field and environmental causes of errors when occur in this situation too. An important factor of an error occurrence is a root cause (causes) in causal factors that its revision or removing caused to prevent the recursion of a situation such as an error when is occurring in a process. The process of root cause analysis is consist of six steps: the beginning of the process, Data collection and mapping information, Identifying the problems, Analyzing Information, Solution Providing, Implementing the solutions (action plans), Writing the report.

Background and Objectives: Acrylamide is a monomer which is formed in foodstuffs containing carbohydrates altered to asparagine during thermal processing. Vitamin E is a component in human diet considered as the most effective lipid-soluble antioxidant found in the biological system. It prevents initiation of oxidative tissue damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of vitamin E on hepatic biochemical and histological integrity in male mice fed with acrylamide.Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight adult male mice were randomly divided into four groups comprised of seven mice each. The first group served as control fed on ad-libitum diet; second group received 10 mg/kg/day acrylamide in drinking water; in third group, 100 mg/kg/day vitamin E was injected intraperitoneal, and fourth received a combination of acrylamide/vitamin E for 35 days. After cutting liver, liver injury was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin, and reticulin staining.Results: Following acrylamide consumption, the serum levels of liver enzymes significantly increased and light microscopy showed lymphocytes infiltration, inflammation of portal space and central vein, apoptosis, chromatolysis and fibrous expansion in some portal areas in acrylamide-treated mice. There was a statistically considerable difference between biochemical parameters, index apoptosis and histological features when the acrylamide plus vitamin E-treated group was compared with acrylamide-treated group.Conclusion: Acrylamide induced disturbance in hepatocytes activity and increased the serum levels of liver and structural changes in the liver. Administration of vitamin E significantly reduced the increased level of serum aminotransferase and the pathological changes, also effectively suppressed the acrylamide-induced liver injury.

Background & Objectives: Nanotechnology is one of great important part of technology. Nanoparticles can be used in different applications for industrial, medical, military and personal use. The objectives of this study were preparation of Polystyrene/ZnO nanocomposite films via a simple method and investigation of antibacterial activity of them.Materials and Methods: Polystyrene/ZnO nanoparticle (PS/nano-ZnO) composite films were prepared via simple method with 0, 0.1, 1 and 2.5% wt concentration of ZnO and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antibacterial properties of the product were investigated against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus.Results: The survival ratio of L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. aureus and B. cereus decreased with increase of ZnO content on PS/nano-ZnO composite films and the best antibacterial activity was obtained with 2.5% wt ZnO-PS composite films for all bacteria. Results show the larger sensitivity of the S. aureus compared to other bacteria.Conclusion: The treated fabric with ZnO NP indicates significant improve for antibacterial properties for polystyrene fabric.

Background & Objectives: Alloxan and streptozotocin are used for inducing diabetic models. Their combination has been used to reduce the individual chemical dosage and minimize the side effects. Present investigation was aimed at studying pre-diabetic clinical changes induced by low doses of Alloxan-STZ cocktail in rabbits.Materials and Methods: New Zealand White rabbits, 1-1.5 kg body weight, were administered alloxan (@50 mg/kg b.w.) and STZ (@35mg/kg b.w.) cocktail, as single intravenous dose. Blood glucose levels were monitored (0 h, 20 min, 1 h, and then hourly up to 9 h) and clinical signs noted. Rabbits surviving up to 9 hours were given glucose therapy.Results: The cocktail caused immediate transient hypoglycaemia, followed by hyperglycaemia, and then progressively severe hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemia caused characteristic behavioural alterations from lethargy, through aesthesia, muscular weakness to recumbency. Severely affected rabbits revealed intermittent convulsions and died in coma.Conclusion: Low dose Alloxan-STZ cocktail induced triphasic immediate response in rabbits. The behavioural changes reflected glycaemic status serving as a guide for institution of glucose therapy.

Background and Objectives: Biological scaffold resources composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) have been shown to make easy the practical remodeling of various tissues in both animal and human studies. The goal of current study was to make sheet form of ECM from sheep’s urinary bladder.Materials and Methods: ECM was extracted from Sheep’s urinary bladder according to standard method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied in order to analyze the ultrastructure of the extracted matrix.Results: Matrix was formed by irregular and fiber like particles.Conclusion: Sheep’s urinary bladder matrix may be used as an accessible and suitable source of ECM extraction.

Background and Objective: The DBC2 (deleted in breast cancer 2) or RhoBTB2 (Located on 8p21) is a tumor suppressor gene associated with tumorigenesis. Mutational studies of DBC2 at its promoter region in breast cancer revealed an important role for epigenetic changes contributing to its low expression. Epigenetic changes through hypermethylation of the promoter can cause the inactivation of DBC2 gene. The purpose of this study was to investigate methylation pattern of DBC2 gene in the peripheral blood of 40 Iranian women with breast cancer and its comparison with healthy women.Material & Methods: We used peripheral blood samples from 40 patients with sporadic breast cancer and 40 normal individuals. Analysis of the methylation statues of DBC2 promoter region was done by MSP (Methylation Specific PCR) technique on the DNA extracted from the blood samples. The results were validated by sequencing. The methylation status was then correlated with the clinicopathological parameters of breast cancer patients.Results: Methylation pattern was detected in 60% of the patients, whereas 25% of the normal individuals demonstrated a positive methylation pattern (P£0.01, odd ratio: 2.143). No significant correlation was obtained between methylated DBC2 and cliniclpathological parameters.Conclusion: Aberrant hypermethylation was observed preferentially in the patients. These findings along with the previous studies, propose that abnormal methylation pattern in DBC2 promoter region may be one of the main reasons for low expression of DBC2 in breast cancer and this hypermethylation pattern could play a fundamental role in the breast tumorigenesis.

Background and Objective: The management of apoptotic cell death has been considered as a putative therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. In the present study we investigated the putative pro-apoptotic effect of allicin, the main garlic organosulfur component with repeatedly claimed chemopreventive potency, on the human adenocarcinoma cell line HT29 as an apoptosis resistant cell line, in vitro.Materials and Methods: The HT29 cells were incubated with different concentrations of allicin (0-40mg/ml) and for different time periods (6-48h) to investigate its effect on cell proliferation and apoptotic cell death.Results: Five and 10mg/ml allicin could induce a significant cell death only after 12h, whereas concentrations of 20 and 40mg/ml resulted in a significant cell loss as soon as 6h. The results of the TUNEL assay, presented as percentage of apoptotic cells to total cell loss, indicated that concentrations ³5μg/ml significantly increased the apoptotic features in time periods 6-24h, but after 48h no significant changes could be detected. The ratio of the sum of the apoptotic features of the four studied time points to the total cell loss calculated after 48h was about 0.5.Conclusion: Allicin can induce apoptosis in a concentration- and time-dependent manner with most considerable effects achieved at 24h and by concentrations higher than 10mg/ml.

Background and Objective: It is presumed that human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) is the necessary cause of all different forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma which is the most common neoplasm in HIV-infected persons. In this study, we wanted to determine the prevalence of HHV-8 infection in all the available Isfahan (Central of Iran) HIV positive individuals in comparison with healthy blood donors, and also investigating the risk factors of HIV infections in both groups.Material and Methods: In this cross sectional study, the samples were consisted of 50 healthy HIV-negative blood donors and all the available Isfahan HIV positive individuals (55 persons). The selected people fulfilled a questionnaire about personal demographic information. The blood samples were examined using Biotrin kit to detect anti HHV-8 antibody (IgG).Results: In HIV positive group, 10 persons (18.2%) tested positive for HHV-8, but none of the control group had positive test. We analyzed risk factors for AIDS and found, as expected, strong associations between HIV infection with addiction, being in prison, travelling out of Iran, low educational status and being single or having multiple sexual partner but there is no differences between HHV-8 positive and negative group.Conclusion: The prevalence of HHV-8 in HIV positive persons is high in Isfahan and preventive care may be beneficial. A future study including a large population from different high risk groups and general population in Iran is needed in order to define seroepidemiology and risk factors associated with HHV-8 infection.

Background and Objective: N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists such as piperidines are the most important antiepileptic drugs. Considering the fact that piperidine derivatives such as phencyclidine (PCP) and its new derivative, 1-[1-(3-methoxyphenyl) (tetralyl)] piperidine (PCP1), have different potencies, the antiepileptic effects of mentioned drugs were investigated in the present study.Material and Methods: Fifty male mice weighing 25-30 g were randomly selected and divided into five experimental groups: 1-Control 2- Pentylentetrazole-kindled mice, 3- Positive control group which received valproate, and groups 4 and 5, which received PCP and PCP1, respectively. Kindling was down by 11 periods injection of PTZ every second day for 22 days. At the 12th injection, all kindled group were tested for PTZ challenge dose. The exhibited phases of seizure (0-6) were observed and noted till 30 minutes after PTZ injection. Finally, the malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and nitric oxide levels of the animal’s brain tissues were determined and compared with others.Results: PCP1 could have a prominent anti-convulsion effect compared to PCP, especially in the reduction of phase 2 duration time and seizure score in challenge dose. Our additional experiments showed that there was a significant reduction in NO level in PCP1 treated animals.Conclusion: Administration of the new piperidine derivate, PCP1 could have yielded a prominent anti-convulsion effect in grand epilepsy. Regarding to the changes in conformation of PCP1 as a non-competitive antagonist of NMDA receptor, it may block the NMDA receptors potentially more effectively than phencyclidine.

Sertoli cell tumors of the testis are extremely rare tumors with a heterogeneous pathology. Three histological variants have been described: Sertoli cell tumor not otherwise specified (NOS), large cell calcifying sertoli cell tumor and the Sclerosing Sertoli cell tumor. The sclerosing Sertoli cell tumor described herein is associated with prominent stromal sclerosis. They present as painless scrotal masses without hormonal disturbances and are benign in nature. Less than 30 cases have been reported in the world literature. We present a case of Sclerosing Sertoli cell tumor in a 39 year old male patient who presented with the complaints of a slowly growing painless mass in the right testicular region for 4 years.

Primary myeloid sacrom (MS) is a rare tumor and even more rare in multiple organs with no evidence of bone marrow involvement. This report describes an unusual case of a 19-year-old male presenting scrotal MS with a history of subconjunctival MS, 5 months ago. Bone marrow biopsies showed no evidence of acute leukemia. Despite radiotherapy for first involvement and chemotherapy for second presentation, his condition deteriorated and he unfortunately died. This case is presented here to remind an unusual presentation of MS and to address that the pathologist should bear in mind the possibility of MS when making the differential diagnosis of unusual lymphoma or undifferentiated nonhematological tumors.

Congenital or neonatal rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare entity, usually presenting as a mass in the head and neck region as well as genitourinary tract. The embryonal variant is the most common type occurring in infancy. This is a case of congenital rhabdomyosarcoma with a huge forearm mass, with metastatic discrete nodules in the soft tissues of the neck and scapular region, resembling a ‘blueberry muffin baby’.

Lymphomatous involvement of the appendix is rare and most of them are found accidentally from appendectomies to treat appendicitis. Here we report three cases of primary lymphoma of appendix of 10 year-old boy, 23-year-old man and 24-year-old woman that presented with abdominal pain to our hospital and the tumors were discovered during routine appendectomy for suspected "appendicitis". Our cases underwent chemotherapy regimen and they were asymptomatic respectively at 14, 17, and 18 months following-up. In the literature review of the tumors of the appendix, most of the begin tumors of appendix are treated with surgery alone. Lymphoma requires CHOP-like chemotherapy and carcinoid tumor treated according to the size of the tumor<2 with appendectomy alone and>2 with right hemicolectomy. The preferred treatment for adenocarcinoma of appendix is right hemicolectomy and the role of chemotherapy is unclear but when lymph node involvement is present, chemotherapy seems to be accepted.