Iranian Journal of Pathology
Year:2009 | Volume:4 | Issue:1|Papers Count:10

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in developed countries. In addition to traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, nowadays, accumulating evidence indicates that a variety of infections contribute to pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, (We investigated whether Helicobacter pylori infection is related to Prevalence of coronary heart disease) there is controversy concerning the impact of H.pylori infections in atherosclerosis.Materials and Methods: This case-control study was carried out on 130 subjects who underwent coronary angiography in the School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from Oct 2006 to Oct 2007. According to angiography findings, the patients were grouped into cases (n=70) with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and normal control group (n=60). Then, using ELISA method, specific anti H.pylori IgGs was measured in all subjects. The connection between CAD and H.pylori infection was studied.Results: Among the 130 patients, anti-H.pylori IgGs were detected in 80% of cases and 65% of control subjects (P=0.05). The investigation shows that CAD correlated significantly with hypertension, diabetes, and smoking (P<0.05) although there was no associations between these traditional risk factors, and H.pylori infection.Conclusion: These findings raise the possibility that exposure to H.pylori may lead to an increased risk of coronary artery disease independent of other risk factors.

Background and Objectives: Preterm labor is a serious problem in obstetrics, accounting for 70% of perinatal mortality. High sensitive C - reactive protein (HS-CRP) is a sensitive marker of Inflammation. Our aim in this study was to determine Amniotic fluid hs-CRP concentration and its correlation with pre-Term delivery.Materials and methods: This prospective study was conducted on 90 pregnant women who underwent genetic amniocentesis between the 15th and 20th weeks of gestation. All patients were followed until delivery. Pateints with abnormal karyotype and iatrogenic preterm delivery for fetal and maternal indications were excluded. The samples were carried immediately to the laboratory of Imam Khomaini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran for cytogenetic examination and tested for HSCRP by turbidimetric method. Non parametric tests and receiver-operating characteristics curve analysis were used for statistical purpose.Results: The study showed no correlation between amniotic fluid HS-CRP concentrations with preterm delivery. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were higher in patients delivered preterm compared with term deliveries (P=0.036).Conclusion: Our results implicated that HS-CRP like other acute phase response markers was not as a possible risk marker of preterm delivery.

Background and Objectives: Presence of steroid hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone) in the tumor tissues of various organs correlates with response to therapy and prognosis. Since their role in ovarian cancer is still controversial, in this study we investigated the expression and prognostic value of the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) in ovarian papillary serous carcinoma (PSC).Material and Methods: In this retrospective study we determined the expression of tissue receptors including tissue samples from 36 patients with stage III ovarian PSC by Immunohistochemistry method. Then ER and PR expression correlated with clinicopathological parameters and possible prognostic impact on ovarian PSC were investigated.Results: The correlation between age and survey of patients with ovarian PSC and expression of steroid receptor was not significant. Although correlation between severity of expression of PR and mortality rate was not meaningful, the relationship between severity of ER expression and mortality rate was significant (P=0.02).Conclusion: The determination of steroid receptor status may offer additional prognostic information in ovarian carcinoma (PSC).

Background & Objectives: Antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNA) that target growth essential genes show potent bactericidal properties without cell lysis. We considered the possibility that whether PNA treatment influence the bacteria total nucleic acids content and apply approach to develop a new delivery system to Dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are the most potent antigen presenting cells in the immune systems. Since the uptake of bacteria by DC is a necessary step for generation of effective DNA vaccine, we studied the uptake efficiency of PNA treated bacteria by DCs. Material & Methods: Total nucleic acids of anti- acyl carrier protein (acpP) peptide-PNA treated Escherichia coli Hb101 containing plasmid have been isolated. In addition, peripheral blood monocytes have been purified using mouse anti- cluster of differentiated (CD14) coated magnetic beads and then culture in presence of growth factors. Generated DCs have been assessed for their ability of uptake of flurescein isothiocyanate (FITC) - labeled peptide-PNA treated bacteria and heat inactivated by flow cytometry.Results: The preparation of total nucleic acid from peptide-PNA treated showed five distinct bands which correspond to chromosomal DNA, plasmid DNA, 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), 16S rRNA and mixture of small RNA. DCs incubated with FITC- labeled peptide-PNA treated and heat inactivated bacteria showed almost equal fluoresence intensity.Conclusion: Peptide–PNA treatment bacteria are intact and do not appear to alter cell barriers and nucleic acid content. They can be taken up by DCs efficiently. These finding may confirm new application for peptide-PNA in immunology and DNA vaccine.

Background and Objective: Helicobacter pylori has several strains with different degrees of virulence. The aim of this study was to detect two major important virulence factors, cagA/vacA genotypes, and to determine correlations among different cagA/vacA genotypes and histological features of chronic gastritis in Iranian patients.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, gastric biopsy was taken from 166 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia. The specimens were processed for DNA extraction and identification of glmM gene. The vacA subtypes and cagA gene were tested by PCR. Histopathological features were recorded and graded according to updated Sydney system.Results: 76.7% of the H.pylori strains were cagA gene positive. The proportions of vacA gene subtypes s1, s2, m1 and m2 in the 78 strains isolated were 70.5%, 29.5%, 37.2% and 62.8%, respectively. 83.3% of the vacA-positive strains had s1 allele. Twenty-six strains (33.3%) were positive for both cagA and m1 allele. Positive cagA status and vacA subtypes were not associated significantly with presence of neutrophil infiltration, intestinal metaplasia or H.pylori density. Only vacA s1 was significantly associated with more severe inflammation (P=0.02). The dominant genotype of H.pylori was vacA-positive s1/m2. CagA gene positivity rate was not closely associated with severity of the disease.Conclusion: H.pylori strains showing vacA s1 genotype were associated with more severe gastritis. These findings show that vacA genotyping may have clinical relevance in Iran.

Background and Objectives: Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome caused by germ-line mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes. Tumors arising as a result of these mutations display instability in a sequence area known as microsatellites. Studies have shown that some Bethesda markers (BAT25, BAT26) are more efficient than others in identifying Microsatellite Instability (MSI) in tumors of HNPCC patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible benefits of two MSI markers BAT25 and BAT26 to identifying microsatellite instability in tumor tissues from HNPCC patients.Material & Methods: We used 49 cases gathered from north-east Iran. Microsatellite Instability analysis was performed using fluorescent-labeled primers. Statistical analysis was achieved using SPSS software.Results: 24/5% (12/49) and 34.7% (17/49) of the cases showed MSI in BAT25 and BAT26, respectively. None of tumor sample was MSI positive for both markers.Conclusion: MSI frequency is considerably lower, compared to other findings. This might be due to the fact that environment and Race has great influence on MSI frequency.

Background and Objective: Approximately half of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma are cured with current chemotherapy regimens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Bax and Bcl2 expression and their relationship with the response to chemotherapy.Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective analysis on 44 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Their specimens were stained with immunohistochemistery method for Bax and Bcl2. The relationship between Bax/Bcl2 expression and the response to chemotherapy as well as some other prognostic factors were assessed.Results: Out of 44 patients, 29 were Bax+ and 15 Bax-, 31 Bcl2+ and 13 Bcl2-. We found a statistically significant relationship between IPI score and the response to chemotherapy (P = 0.002). The response rates were relatively better (but not significant) in cases with Bax + compared to Baxand in patients with Bcl2- compared to Bcl2 + tumors. The combination of immunohistochemistery results for Bcl2 and Bax could predict relatively higher response rates in a way that those with Bax+ Bcl2- had a higher response compared to Bax- Bcl2+ ( 57%% VS.22%, P=0.15).Conclusion: Although we found a relatively higher responses in our cases with Bax+vs. Bax- and in those with Bcl2- vs. Bcl2 +, the differences were not statistically significant. We suggest further studies to confirm whether the Bcl2 and Bax expressions have any effect on the response to chemotherapy and whether they could be considered as predictor factors for chemotherapy response.

Background and Objectives: Bone marrow necrosis (BMN) is a rare and ominous complication of wide variety of diseases including hematologic malignancy. This study was performed to identify frequency and the underlying associated diseases of marrow necrosis.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, totally 850 bone marrow trephine biopsies related to living patients at the Pathology Department of Urmia Imam Hospital from March 1998 to January 2008, were retrospectively reviewed. The reviews included clinical and laboratory findings from files of the patients.Results: Eight cases of bone marrow necrosis were found. Frequency was 0.94 percent. Ages of the patients were between 18 and 85 years, and four of them were female. Prominent symptoms of the patients were bone pain, fever, fatigue, and jaundice. The most common laboratory findingswere anemia, cytopenia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Underlying diseases of bone marrow necrosis in our patients includes systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple myeloma, metastatic gastric cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (M4), hairy cell leukemia, lymphoma, chronic myeloid leukemia and sepsis.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the conditions associated with BMN are varied and malignancy remains common. In cases presented with pyrexia, bone pain, pancytopenia, elevated LDH and ALK, marrow necrosis must be thought. Although prognosis is very bad, supplementary therapy, in addition to the underlying disease must be performed.

Thymoma is a term that should be restricted to neoplasms of thymic epithelial cells, irrespective of the presence or the number of lymphocytes. The usual location of thymoma is the antrosuperior mediastinum; however, this tumor can also occur in other mediastinal compartments, in the neck, within the thyroid gland, in the pericardial cavity, the pulmonary hilum, within the lung parenchyma, or the pleura itself (sometimes coating it in a mesothelioma-like fashion). The association of thymoma with hypogammaglobulinemia, Mucocutaneous candidiasis, systemic lupus erythematosus and myasthenia gravis is well known. Here we present a patient admitted in our hospital with buttock rashes regarded to be zoster of the buttock. In his past medical history he had recurrent cutaneous infections, lupus erythematosus, hypergammaglobulinemia, recurrent oral candidiasis and B- cell dysfunction. During the patient evaluation, a mass was found in the mediastinum and percutaneous needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of thymoma(type B3). This is the second case reported having thymoma in association with hypergammaglobulinema.

We report two cases of de novo Gemistocytic glioblastomas. In case one, a 35 year male presented with features of raised intracranial pressure and rapid neurological deterioration. In case 2; a 73 year old male presented with rapid neurological deterioration and focal neurological deficits. In both cases imaging findings were suggestive of high grade malignancy involving the brain. This was confirmed as gemistocytic glioblastoma after surgical excision. Gemistocytic cells are large astrocytes with plump processes and massive accumulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (gemistocytes).Their accumulation within astrocytomas may be due to bcl-2-mediated escape from apoptosis. In literature, exact incidence of these types of lesions is not known and it needs further evaluation.