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Background: Talin-1 (TLN1) is crucial in cell migration, metastasis, and cancer development. This study evaluated Talin-1 expression and its clinical significance in gastric cancer (GC), along with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) expression and its correlation with Talin-1. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis assessed the potential prognostic value of Talin-1 and HER-2 in GC patients. The study included 223 GC patients (Signet Ring Cells and Intestinal subtypes) and 29 non-malignant tissue samples. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarray slides evaluated Talin-1 and HER-2 expression and clinical significance. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed their diagnostic value. Results: Bioinformatics identified Talin-1 as a potential prognostic factor and HER-2 as an oncogene in GC. Talin-1 and HER-2 expression increased in SRC-type GC samples compared to non-malignant tissues. High cytoplasmic Talin-1 expression inversely correlated with tumor expansion and invasion in SRC-type GC. Increased HER-2 expression positively correlated with metastasis. ROC curves showed significant diagnostic values for both proteins. Conclusions: Higher cytoplasmic Talin-1 expression is associated with less invasive tumor behavior, while increased membranous HER-2 expression is associated with metastasis in SRC-type GC. These findings suggest potential use in assessing diagnosis and screening high-risk cancer patients, particularly those with SRC-type GC. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer‑related deaths, often diagnosed at advanced stages, complicating treatment. This study highlights Talin‑1 as a potential prognostic marker in signet ring cell (SRC) subtype GC, where higher cytoplasmic expression is linked to reduced invasiveness. In contrast, increased membranous HER‑2 expression correlates with metastasis, emphasizing its role as an oncogene. These findings suggest that Talin‑1 could aid in patient stratification for less aggressive tumors, while HER‑2 status may guide targeted therapies. The combined assessment of Talin‑1 and HER‑2 could enhance diagnostic accuracy and risk assessment, contributing to improved patient management and outcomes in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore biomarkers with a tumor stage-dependent expression pattern in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Background: The fourth most common cancer in the world is colorectal cancer (CRC). A variation in the gene expression rate is a common change in cancers initiation and the accumulation of these variation changes the behavior of normal cells and turns them into cancer cells. Methods: Real-time RT-PCR was used to investigate the expression patterns of the FOXM1, PYROXD1, hTERT, BMI, PPARA, PIM3 and MCTP1 genes in 54 patients with stage I to IV CRC and their relation with clinicopathological features of CRC were analyzed. Results: FOXM1, hTERT and MCTP1 genes are overexpressed in CRC tumor tissues when compared to normal adjacent tissues in all the stages. Results FOXM1, PYROXD1, hTERT, PM3, BMI1, PPARA and MCTP1 had-stage dependent expression. Investigation of the association between clinicopathological features and expression pattern of the studied genes revealed; a) a significant relationship between FOXM1 gene expression level and tumor stage, tumor size and lymph node involvement, b) a considerable association between alterations in PPARA and PIM3 expression and lymph node involvement, c) a notable correlation between hTERT expression level and the tumor stage and d) a strong correlation between MCTP1 expression and patient's age only. Conclusion: Our study indicates that expression profiles of these genes either individually or together can be applied as potential biomarkers for prognosis of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: A large group of genes associated with extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and AmpC expression is involved in inducing antibiotic resistance in various bacteria. Identifying these genes and assessing their harboring will be crucial in determining the pattern of antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to characterize genetic variants in extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, AmpC-producing gram-negative bacilli, and associated antibiotic resistance. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted on clinical samples of patients admitted to Rasool-e- Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran (2019 and 2020). The genetic variants were assessed by the Polymerase chain reaction method. The pattern of durability to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion system. Results: Of the 80 isolates that produced ESBL and AmpC beta-lactamase, 75 cases were ESBL producers and 5 cases co- producers of ESBL and AmpC. The most common cultivated strains included Escherichia coli (61.2%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (31.3%). The highest antibiotic resistance in ESBL producers was related to cefotaxime, trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole, and cefazolin, and the lowest resistance level was related to colistin, cefoxitin, and ceftriaxone. The total frequencies of common genes of ESBL-producing gram-negative bacilli were bla CTX-M (76.0%), blaTEM (46.7%), and blaSHV (26.7%), while multigenic harboring was also observed in 49.3%. The level of drug resistance to Imipenem, Amikacin, and Ceftazidime in people who harbored the blaSHV gene was significantly higher than in other cases. Conclusion: The most common cultivated strains included E. coli and K. pneumoniae. bla CTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV, and multigenic expression were observed. The detection of the blaSHV gene is associated with increased antibiotic resistance to Imipenem, Amikacin, and Ceftazidime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tubulointerstitial disorders are characterized by diseases that affect the vascular and interstitial compartments of the kidney with relative sparing of the glomeruli. They might be either acute or chronic. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) is associated with acute renal failure due to either acute infection of the kidneys or reaction to medication. Chronicinterstitial nephritis is characterized by many syndromes of renal tubular dysfunction that may be primary or secondary due to renal tubular damage from a wide variety of causes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathologic characteristics of acute and chronic TIN and their probable causes. Materials and Methods: All native kidney biopsy specimens with a diagnosis of tubulointerstitial nephritis admitted to Ali-Asghar Hospital, a pediatric referral center in Tehran, from 1983 to 2013 were retrospectively re-evaluated. The demographic data of the patients were collected and pathologic findings were reviewed. Results: Forty-four patients, 18 males and 26 females with a mean age of 8.8 years (SD=4), were enrolled in this study. Thirty-seven (84%) patients had chronic and 7 (16%) had acute TIN. The disease was primary in 32 (72%) patients with a diagnosis of familial nephronophthisis and medullary cystic disease and 12 (28%) had other diseases. Kidney biopsy showed similar pathologic findings including periglomerular. Conclusions: Acute and chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis with different etiologies has similar pathologic findings. The patients mostly present in the late stages of the disease; therefore, determining the etiology is impossible. Many cases are congenital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meningioma is among the most common slow growing central nervous neoplasms, which recurs locally despite the benign histologic features. The aim of this study was to evaluate osteopontin and ki67 expressions in different histologic grades of meningioma in a group of Iranian people. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, first, the paraffin blocks with the definite pathological diagnosis of meningioma in 70 patients were cut by microtome, in 4-5 micron sizes and stained for immunohistochemical markers of osteopontin and ki67. Then, all samples were evaluated for positive immunoreactivity and contributing factors. Results: Among 70 pateints studied, the mean for the Ki67 level was 8.6±12.3 and the mean for the osteopontinm IHC score was 45.2±77.9. There was a high correlation between markers, tumor recurrence and grade (P<0.001). In addition, there was a significant direct correlation between ki67 and osteopontin levels (P<0.001, r=0.760). In other words, as OPN and ki67 expressions increased, the chance of tumor recurrence increased. Conclusion: ki67 and osteopontin expressions in patients with meningioma can be used as good prognostic markers for tumor recurrence and for distinguishing the grade of meningiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T/NK cell proliferative EBV associated disease is a rare one which is more common in eastern Asian countries. EBV is originally associated with B cells, and EBV associated T cell lymphoma is so rare. Hence we decided to describe a patient treated with misleading diagnoses such as TB and sarcoidosis for almost two years. The liver was biopsied after admission in this center, and gastric and colonic biopsy was also performed due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Diffuse infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells was seen, especially lymphocytes some of which were atypical. T lymphocyte markers were seen in these cells by immunohistochemical staining. Further studies demonstrated T lymphocytes associated with EBV to be positive which is very rare event. Although going under chemotherapy, there were no response and the patient died. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few reported cases of endobronchial metastasis of pheochromocytoma in pathology literature. We present here a 56-year old woman who underwent left lower lobectomy of lung, following pneumonia with unresolved chest radiographs. Computed tomography showed a lobulated soft tissue mass, measuring, 38x27 mm, at the perivascular space of anterior mediastinum. The resected specimen, showed lobulated tumor arranged in nesting pattern within arcuate vascular network. Immunohistochemistry showed intense positive staining of epitheloid cell (chief cells) for chromogranin and synaptophysin which were negative for cytokeratin. Sustentacular cells were strongly positive for S-100. Although very rare, physicians should keep in mind the possibility of endobronchial metastasis in patients with a history of pheochromocytoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a persistent inflammatory disease affecting paranasal sinuses. CRS is categorized into two distinct subgroups defined as CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). Although several immune cells are involved in the CRS pathogenesis, the role of T cells is not fully understood. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and macrophages in the sinonasal mucosa of CRS patients, as well as to investigate the specific transcription factors for Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells. Methods: In this study, 15 healthy controls, 12 CRSsNP, and 23 CRSwNP patients participated. CD4+, CD8+, and CD68+ cells were investigated in the sinonasal tissues using immunohistochemistry. The expression of transcription factors related to Th subsets (T-bet, GATA3, Ror-γt, and FoxP3) was evaluated using real-time PCR. Furthermore, CRSwNP patients were defined as eosinophilic when eosinophils consisted of more than 10% of total inflammatory cells. The Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney, and Spearman tests were used in statistical analyses. Results: The median (range) age of the studied groups was: 32 (14–67) for CRSwNP, 28 (10–43) for CRSsNP, and 27 (17–44) for controls. The number of eosinophils in CRSwNP patients was higher than two other groups, whereas neutrophils were elevated in both CRSwNP and CRSsNP groups in comparison to controls. The frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and total inflammatory cells were significantly increased in CRSwNP and CRSsNP patients compared with controls. The mRNA expression of GATA3 was increased in CRSwNP patients while mRNA expression of Ror-γt was elevated in CRSsNP patients. No significant difference was observed in T-bet mRNA expression among three groups. Both CRSwNP and CRSsNP patients showed decreased FoxP3 mRNA expression in comparison to controls. Conclusion: The frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was elevated in CRS patients. In addition, we demonstrated Th2 dominance in CRSwNP patients and Th17 dominance in CRSsNP patients, implicating different mechanisms may underlie the disease. Better CRS classification and targeted therapeutic strategies may be achievable by determining the pattern of infiltrating inflammatory cells. Therefore, further experimental investigations on T cells are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In 2009, the Oxford classification of immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy was proposed by the working group of the International IgA Nephropathy Network and Renal Pathology Society. It established specific pathologic features that predict the risk of progression of disease. This study aimed to evaluate the interobserver reproducibility of the Oxford classification of IgA nephropathy between Iranian nephropathologists.Materials and Methods: We included 100 patients with primary IgA nephropathy diagnosed between 2001 and 2011. Histologic slides were circulated among 4 pathologists. A score sheet was answered by each individual pathologist for each biopsy, according to the instruction of the Oxford classification. Reproducibility was determined for each variable, using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).Results: The ICC values calculated for each major category of the Oxford classification were as follows: the highest score of 0.94 for tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis; 0.8 for glomerular basement membrane duplication, extracapillary proliferation, and segmental endocapillary proliferation; and 0.1 to 0.3 for arterial lesions, especially for hyalinosis of arterioles and intimal thickening of arcuate vessels and interlobar arteries.Conclusions: The Oxford classification of IgA nephropathy is a useful tool and evidenced-based method with high interobserver reproducibility in pathology reporting. Our data suggest that Oxford classification may be used as a model for classification of other renal pathologies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) protein expression was detected in 45 to 90% of breast cancers in different studies, and high expression levels were associated with poor outcomes in several retrospective analyses. This study aims to investigate the relationship between EpCAM and clinicopathological parameters and survival in breast cancer., Methodology: This study was conducted as a Quasi-Experimental Cohort Study to explore 100 breast cancer patients. After the surgical excision of breast cancer, pathology blocks were deparaffinized and subjected to IHC (immunohistochemistry) for EpCAM examination. Using a Roche VENTANA Benchmark GX automated staining instrument and a well-established IHC staining protocol, the expression of EpCAM in breast cancer tissue was assessed. Independent sample T-test and Chi squared and Logistic Regression test with STATA version 17 software were used for data analysis., Results: The difference in the distribution of the negative state of biomarkers (ER = estrogen receptor, PR = Progesterone receptor) and EPCAM positive group was significant ( P -value = 0.002) ( P -value = 0.006). A statistically insignificant distinction was observed in the distribution of the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor) and EPCAM groups ( P -value = 0.198). With 30.95% of those in the EPCAM-positive cohort experienced metastasis or recurrence. ER+ and PR+ decreased the chance of EPCAM positive by 0.25 and 0.29, respectively. HER2+ and Basal like breast cancer increase the chances of EPCAM being positive by 1.9 and 2.08, respectively. Basal like breast cancer increases the odds of EpCAM positive 2.19 times. Similarly, N2 and stage 3 increase the odds of EpCAM positive by 1.95 and 0.5 times, respectively., Conclusion: We found that Basal like breast cancer, HER2+, and stage 3 increase the chance of EpCAM positivity. It seems that EPCAM positive cancer has more chance for recurrence and metastasis., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2024.)

Introduction: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in adults. Although studies regarding the association between the expression of Ki-67, CD10, BCL6, and MUM1 proteins, as well as c-MYC amplification and EBV status with clinicopathologic characteristics have rapidly progressed, their co-expression and prognostic role remain unsatisfactory. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the expression of all markers and clinicopathologic features and their prognostic value in DLBCL. Also, the co-expression of markers was investigated., Methods: The protein expression levels and prognostic significance of Ki-67, CD10, BCL6, and MUM1 were investigated with clinical follow-up in a total of 53 DLBCL specimens (including germinal center B [GCB] and activated B cell [ABC] subtypes) as well as adjacent normal samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Besides, the clinical significance and prognostic value of c-MYC and EBV status were also evaluated through chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), and their correlation with other markers was also assessed., Results: The results demonstrated a positive correlation between CD10 and BCL6 expression, with both markers being associated with the GCB subtype ( P< 0.001 and P =0.001, respectively). Besides, we observe a statistically significant association between MUM1 protein expression and clinicopathologic type ( P< 0.005) as well as a positive association between c-MYC and recurrence ( P =0.028). Our survival analysis showed that patients who had responded to R-CHOP treatment had better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than those who did not., Conclusion: Collectively, this study's results add these markers' value to the existing clinical understanding of DLBCL. However, further investigations are needed to explore markers' prognostic and biological roles in DLBCL patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background : Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory condition classified into chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). Th cells manage inflammatory cells in CRS. Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) proteins regulate Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway in Th cells by polarizing toward Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells. This study evaluated the levels of SOCS1,3,5 in CRS patients to find associations with Th cells. Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 20 CRSwNP patients, 12 CRSsNP patients, and 12 controls participated. The infiltration of CD4 + T cells was determined using immunohistochemistry. The expression of specific transcription factors and SOCS proteins was assessed using real-time PCR. Cytokine levels were evaluated using ELISA. SOCS protein levels were investigated using western blot analysis. Results : The expression of SOCS3 increased in the CRSwNP group compared to CRSsNP and control groups ( p <0.001). SOCS3 protein levels increased in the CRSwNP group compared to CRSsNP ( p <0.05) and control ( p <0.001) groups. Although there was a significant difference in SOCS5 expression between CRSsNP and control groups, SOCS5 protein levels were significantly different between CRSsNP and control ( p <0.001) and CRSwNP ( p <0.05) groups. Conclusions : Targeted therapies may be suggested for CRS by modulating SOCS3 and SOCS5 proteins that are responsible for polarization of Th cells toward Th2 or Th1 cells, respectively. JAK-STAT pathway targeting, which encompasses numerous cells, can be limited to SOCS proteins to more effectively orchestrate Th cell differentiation., (Copyright ©2024, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.)

Paraffin embedding is a standard technique used in clinical and research laboratories to create a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) block of tissue. Formalin-fixed tissue undergoes tissue processing and then is embedded in paraffin (wax) to create a FFPE block or paraffin block. The paraffin block can be cut using a microtome to generate thin sections of tissue contained in paraffin to be stained or paraffin tissue ribbons suitable for nucleic acid extraction. In addition, the FFPE blocks can be stored at room temperature for years. Herein, we provide a basic knowledge, and introduce common methods of the paraffin embedding process.