Introduction: Prostate cancer management focuses on rapid diagnosis and treatment. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of finasteride on PSA changes and biopsy results. Material & Methods: This retrospective descriptive-analytical study included 98 patients between the ages of 50 and 75 years with PSA levels between 2. 5 and 10 and negative DRE candidates for prostate biopsy. Patients were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of patients who consented to a prostate biopsy based on PSA levels. The second group of patients did not consent to prostate biopsy during referral. Moreover, they tended to delay prostate biopsy. At the end of the three-month period, patients who agreed to prostate biopsy were sampled. The effect of treatment on biopsy results and changes in PSA levels were compared between the two groups. (Ethic code: IR. UMSU. REC. 1396. 20) Findings: Three months after the initiation of the study, the mean PSA level was 3. 43±, 6. 11 ng/ml in the case group and 7. 36±, 2. 20 in the control group. This difference was statistically significant (P=0. 031). After three months of finasteride, the mean total PSA level among those who tested positive for biopsy was 2. 41±, 7. 63 ng/ml and among those who tested negative for biopsy was 2. 98±, 6. 42 ng/ml. This difference was also statistically significant (P=0. 046). Discussion & Conclusion: The use of finasteride in patients suspected of having prostate cancer for at least three months can lead to a correct decision regarding prostate biopsy and reduce the number of negative prostate cancer results in the biopsy, as well as the burden on the treatment system to use improper prostate biopsy.

Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an emerging treatment option which allows for extreme hypofractionation using modern technologies, because the low α /β-ratio favors the use of high dose per fraction in prostate cancer. There is a need for more data about SBRT. We provide a long-term update of SBRT clinical outcome using CyberKnife for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: This study was based on a retrospective analysis of 43 patients treated with SBRT using CyberKnife for localized prostate cancer (23. 3% in low risk, 67. 4% in intermediate risk and 9. 3% in high risk). The target volume included the prostate with or without the seminal vesicles depending on the risk stratification and uncertainty margins that are kept at 3-5 mm. Total dose of 36. 25 Gy in 5 fractions of 7. 25 Gy were administered. Results: 43 patients with a median 73. 6 months (range, 14 to 119 months) follow-up were analyzed. There was three biochemical failure (BCF). Eight-year BCF free survival and overall survival were 92. 0% and 73. 1%, respectively. Median PSA decline rates were-0. 301,-0. 191 and-0. 115 ng/mL/month, respectively, for durations of 1, 2 and 3 years after radiotherapy and has remained plateau. Median PSA nadir was 0. 27 ng/mL at median 38 months and PSA bounce (median 0. 33 ng/mL) occurred in 32. 6% (n = 14) of patients at median 19 months after SBRT. There was no grade 3 acute and late toxicity. Conclusion: Our long-term experience with SBRT using CyberKnife for localized prostate cancer demonstrates favorable efficacy and toxicity.

Background and Aim: Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) is one of the most frequently used tumor markers which is over-expressed in a variety of human cancers with epithelial origin such as colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, lung and breast cancers. The precise mechanism by which CEA is released from the cell surface into serum in cancer patients has not been clarified so far. CEA is attached to the plasma membrane by a glycophosphatidyl inositol (GPI) anchor. There have been some evidences indicating a possible role for involvement of an enzyme in CEA release from the cell surface. The GPI-anchor is a substrate for specific phospholipases. According to this information, we investigated the possible role of GPI specific PI-PLD (GPI-PLD) in hydrolysis and CEA release.Materials and Methods: We have, therefore, used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to verify GPI-PLD expression in some cell lines of colorectal adenocarcinoma. The amount of CEA released from a high CEA producing cell line in the presence or absence of specific activators / inhibitors of this enzyme were measured.Results: Using RT-PCR, expression of GPI-PLD gene in these cell lines can be demonstrated.The amount of CEA released from high producing cell lines are increased or decreased in the presence or absence of specific activators / inhibitors.Conclusion: According to this study there are evidences implicating the role of GPI-PLD enzyme in releasing CEA from the surface of the cells of colorectal carcinoma.

Introduction: Severe Early Childhood Caries (SECC) is one of the most common diseases in childhood. Etiology of SECC is multifactorial and both genetic and environmental factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. Genetic variation of the host may contribute to susceptibility for dental caries. Genetic factors such as Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) have been recently introduced as a predisposing factor. The aim of this study was to look for an association between HLA-DRB1*04 and HLADQB1*06 with SECC for early diagnosis as well as prevention of the disease. Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study we extracted the genomic DNAS from the whole blood samples of 44 patients with SECC and 35 caries free children (control group) by salting out method. We amplified the genomic DNA by PCR sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) and then HLA-typing was performed for both alleles. The data were analyzed using Logistic Regression, Fisher's exact, chi-square and Student t test with 95% significance level.  Results: The results revealed a significant increase in the frequency of HLADRB1*04 in the patient group (P-value=0.019). The odds ratio for this allele was detected to be 10. Frequency of HLA-DQB1*06 allele was not significantly different between the two groups (P-value=0.37). Conclusion: The above results suggest that HLA-DRB1*04 maybe related to the susceptibility to SECC. Thus HLA-DRB1*04 detection as a molecular marker for early diagnosis of SECC can be recommended.

Background: Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is the commonest symptomatic primary immunodeficiency and represents a heterogenous collection of disorders resulting mostly in antibody deficiency and recurrent infections. The syndrome includes impaired B-cell maturation, impaired somatic hyper mutation, reduced numbers of circulating memory and isotype-switched memory B cells, and absent or reduced plasma cells. B cell maturation Antigen (BCMA) is a tumor necrosis family receptor superfamily member 17 (TNFRSF17), expressed only on B cell lines, and is essential for survival of long-lived plasma cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate mutations in BCMA in patients with CVID in compare with normal individuals in Isfahan, Iran.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 10 CVID patients with substitutive immunoglobulin therapy before immunoglobulins (Ig) infusion and 10 normal controls in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes then DNA samples were extracted and after the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done, samples were sequenced.Findings: After reviewing the results of the sequence and alignment of the sequences, no mutations in the gene were seen.Conclusion: In addition to the study of mutation in BCMA gene, BCMA gene and protein expression level should be considered to understand more aspects of this disease.