Introduction: Parkinson"s disease (PD) is a human neurodegenerative disorder which is associated with a massive and progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in subistantia nigra (SN). There is a strong evidence of an oxidative stress participates in the etiology of PD. Materials and Methods: The rats were divided into sham-operated, experimental and vitamin E-treated groups. For anesthesia, a mixture of ketamine and xylazine was used (i.p.). The experimental group received 5ml of 0.9% saline containing 6-hydroxydoppamine (6-OHDA) and 2% ascorbic acid in addition to 0.8 ml/kg of propylene glycol (PG, i.m.), and sham-operated group received and identical volume of saline- ascorbate in left side of striatum. The vitamin E-treated group received D-a-tocopheryl acid succinate (24 I.U./Kg, i.m.) dissolved in PG, one hour before the surgery and three times a week for a month after the surgery. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry in SN and striatum was used as an index for the tratment efficacy. Results: The results, showed than an over all reduction (47%) in the number of TH immunoreactive (IR) neurons in the left SN-cell was observed in 6-OHDA lesioned group (P<0.005). However, the cell loss had attenuated to 18% in vitamin E-treated animals (P<0.05) compared with the right side. A non-significant difference in the number of TH-positive neurons between the sham-operated and the vitamin E-treated groups was noticed. A microscopic inspection of the injection site in the striatum revealed that in all treated animal, there was a dense halo of TH-IR fiber around the needle track. A grater loss of TH-IR fiber has been observed around the injection site in the experimental group. Conclusion: Vitamin E-treatment can enhance the resistance and longitivity of dopaminergic nigral neurons against the oxidative stress induced by 6-OHDA. The results may prompt an interest in the use of vitamin E as a neuroprotective agent in the treatment of PD.

Breast carcinomas with steroidal receptors and good response to hormonal therapy have better prognosis than those without steroid receptors. This study was to evaluate the association between estrogen and progesterone receptors and the age of patients with the type and severity of malignancy in 140 cases with breast carcinoma between 1997 to 1999 in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences affiliated hospitals. Immunocytochemical method on paraffin fixed sections was used for the evaluation in this study. The prevalence of positive estrogen and progestin receptors in cases aged under 50ys (95 subjects) and over 50ys (45 subjects) were (%46, %41) and (%44, %48), respectively. The highest and lowest positivity of receptors were due to lobular carcinoma (%66.7) and medullary carcinoma (%21.4), respectively. The prevalence of steroid receptors had inverse association with higher grades of differentiated ductal carcinoma (114 cases). However, immunocytochemical estrogen and progestin assay in breast cancer is a reliable method to estimate the prognosis and to make decision for hormonal therapy.

This is a report of a ram type of soft tissue tumor - which is mostly seen in young males. Microscopically it is characterized by hypercellularity, small tumoral cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and tendency to rosette formation. Immunohistochemical studies show neural features. These tumors have aggressive behavior and distant metastasis.In this case report we present a 19 years old with suprapubic mass which the clinical and microscopic features are compatible with peripheral neuroepithelioma.

The importance and necessity of labeled and unlabeled antibodies in various biomedical fields and their significance in clinical diagnosis, prompted us to design a research protocol to produce HRP (horse radish peroxidase) and FITC (fluprescinisothiocyanate) conjugated goat anti-human I gm. Human IgM was prepared from the sera of patients with multiple myeloma by Gel filtration technique. The purity of IgM was analyzed by immunoelectrophoresis. Chain was prepared on a sephadex Gl00 column using dithiotritol as a reductant. For immunization, goats were kept under appropriate conditions. Immunization was performed intramuscularly by injecting of 2 mg of chain in 1 ml freunds complete adjuvant. The immunization was repeated on days 14 and 75 with the same antigen but with freunds incomplete adjuvant. During the immunization period, titers of antisera were measured by the indirect ELISA method. The highest titer of Antibody was detected 10 days following the last immunization at which time goats were bled and IgG fraction was separated using caprylic acid procedure. Conjugation of IgG with HRP was performed by use of sodium periodate. No cross-linker reagent was employed for FITC conjugation. For the detection of FITC-conjugated antibody titer, immunofluorescence method was used. For titration of HRP-conjugated antibody, immunoperoxidase and ELISA methods were employed. Specificity, lack of cross reaction and suitable titer, altogether suggested that these products can easily be replaced for the reagents which are currently purchased from outside the country for immunological tests such as ELISA, IFA, IEP and immunohistochemistry techniques.  

We report of a 29-year-old man presented with yellow-red, scaling papules on the skin of scalp, retro-auricular folds, inguinal, axillary, chest and abdomen. The lesions had a poikilodermatious appearance in some areas, such as trunk. The patient also had diabetes insipidus and skull osteolytic lesions. The diagnosis of langerrhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) was suggested based on H& E staining of skin biopsy specimen. S-100 staining was positive in immunohistochemistry. Birbeck granules were seen in electron microscopic examination confirming the diagnosis of LCH. Considering the systemic involvement, he is a case of an extensive LCH in new classification and a case of Hand-SchullerChristian in the old classification. The cutaneous lesions of the-patients responded to oral thalidomide 200 mg daily after 2 months and did not recur after 6 months follow up.

Today in histopathology, emphasis is specially laid on Molecular Pathology. Some however believe that the gold standard diagnosis should be based on molecular appearance. Some suggest that the classification of histopathology of tumors should be based on the molecular pattern, because morphology alone is not enough to explain all the tumor characteristics.In this article based on practical practice and scientific approach, the importance of diagnosis on the basis of morphology is emphasized. Moreover, reports of molecular pathology and immunohistochemistry serve as diagnostic ancillary method in the diagnosis and follow up of diseases, and on this basis, molecular investigations can be founded. As regards to classification of tumors, molecular Pathology along with, histomorphology can be helpful in arriving at a diagnosis.

Increased endometrial vascular density in Norplant users was shown and suggested to be due to either an increase in angiogenesis or excessive endometrial regression compared with the regression of individual blood vessels. A major feature of angiogenesis is endothelial cells' proliferation (ECP). This study was aimed to measure and compare the ECP activity before and after Norplant use. In a clinical trial study, 34 healthy fertile volunteers were studied before and after using Norplant. Three endometrial biopsies were taken from each volunteer, one before and two at different times after insertion. ECP were assessed by double immunostaining methods using anti-Ki67 and also anti-PCNA with anti-CD34. The ECP of pre- and post-insertion were compared using paired t test in each subject. Vascular and endothelial cells (EC) density were also measured. Correlation between the ECP and vascular density was also studied. Using anti-Ki67, a decrease of ECP was demonstrated from beginning first few weeks of Norplant use (0.7±0.031 % after 2 to 13 weeks of Norplant use, versus 12±2.8±before use, P< 0.05). During the next 13 to 42 weeks after using Norplant, a significant decrease of ECP was also observed using both markers. EC and microvascular density were significantly increased. Therefore, increased endometrial vascular density in Norplant users may be due to excessive Endometrial regression compared with the regression of individual blood vessels. However, it may partly be due to neovasculmization activity associated with the action of migratory angiogenic factors rather than mitogenic/proliferating factors.