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Konstantinos Charalabopoulos,
Athanasios Kotsalos,
Anna Batistatou,
Alexander Charalabopoulos,
Dimitrios Peschos,
Patra Vezyraki,
Vicky Kalfakakou,
Apostolos Metsios,
Anestis Charalampopoulos,
Anastasios Macheras, Niki Agnantis,
Agelos Evangelou
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ABSTRACT: An inverse relationship between selenium (Se) intake and cancer mortality is evident in humans.
In eighty patients who had been operated on for primary gastric cancer, serum Se and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were measured preoperatively using a fluorometric and immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), respectively.
The serum Se levels were 43+/-6.3 microg l(-1) in the patient group and 68.7+/-4.5 microg l(-1) in healthy individuals (p<0.001). The serum CEA was 12+/-1.9 U ml(-1) in the gastric cancer patients and 2.1 U ml(-1) in the control group (p<0.001). The Se tissue concentrations were 2,640+/-220 mg g(-1) in excised neoplastic tissue and 685+/-115 mg g(-1) in non-neoplastic tissue (p<0.001). An inverse correlation between Se and CEA serum levels was found (r=-0.782). There was no correlation between serum/tissue Se concentration and disease stage/histological type or gender in the patient group.
Anticancer research 08/2009; 29(8):3465-7. · 1.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Dysadherin is a novel glycoprotein, with an anti-cell-cell adhesion function. The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of dysadherin in thyroid papillary microcarcinoma (PMC), to associate it with the expression of E-cadherin and to investigate whether there are differences with papillary carcinoma (PC). A statistically significant difference in dysadherin and E-cadherin expression between PC and PMC and a negative correlation between E-cadherin and dysadherin expression regardless of tumor size were noted. Based on these findings it is hypothesized that retained cell-cell adhesion, through maintenance of the E-cadherin adhesion system, in PMC prevents neoplastic cells from dissociating easily from each other and metastasizing. Increased dysadherin expression is possibly one of the post-transcriptional mechanisms responsible for E-cadherin downregulation in thyroid papillary neoplasia.
Endocrine Pathology 09/2008; 19(3):197-202. · 1.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present the case of a 35-year-old man with Crohn's disease diagnosed at the age of 27, several months after an operation for small-bowel adenocarcinoma. Seven years after the adenocarcinoma diagnosis, the patient presented with severe continuous anal pain and diarrhea. In parallel with antibiotic administration, the patient was given treatment with Infliximab, but without clinical symptom amelioration. Sigmoidoscopy and subsequent biopsies from an ulcerated rectal area supported the diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus-positive (EBV+) primary Hodgkin's lymphoma. Infliximab administration was immediately discontinued and the patient underwent oncological follow-up and began a course of chemotherapy. Only a few cases with primary gastrointestinal Hodgkin's lymphoma in Crohn's disease patients have so far been reported, including a variety of scenarios on the causal relationship including disease duration, presence of EBV, long-term immunosuppressive treatment and, recently, anti-TNFalpha administration.
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 08/2006; 41(7):866-9. · 2.02 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The chondrocytes of the articular condylar cartilage proliferate, hypertrophy and ultimately undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death), being replaced by osteoblasts. Converging results consolidate activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor as the pivotal downstream effector in the early response of stress-sensitive cells to mechanical loading, and the Fra-1, Fra-2, JunB and JunD members of the AP-1 transcription factor family, as mediators in bone remodelling and apoptotic phenomena. The aim of the present study was to examine the involvement of the Fra-1, Fra-2, JunB and JunD proteins in the biochemical response of functionally loaded mandibular condylar cartilage, and the subsequent initiation of cartilage maturation and apoptotic phenomena. Thirty, female, 14-day-old Wistar rats were assigned to two groups: one group was fed a soft diet and the other a hard diet. At day 21 after weaning, experimental animals from both groups were killed at 6, 12 and 48 hours and their condyles harvested. The condylar cartilage of both groups was immunostained using specific antibodies against Fra-1, Fra-2, JunB and JunD. Statistical analysis of the data revealed over-expression of Fra-1, Fra-2, JunB and JunD proteins in all stages of differentiation of chondrocytes derived from the mandibular condylar cartilage of animals fed on a hard diet. Moreover, the involvement of these proteins significantly increased with time in both groups. Since the aforementioned proteins play key roles in remodelling phenomena of bone and cartilage tissue, influencing pivotal cellular functions such as maturation, differentiation and apoptosis, the results of the present study suggest that mandibular condylar chondrocytes sense functional loading changes and respond by induction of proteins associated with biological phenomena that ultimately influence the growth of the condylar cartilage.
The European Journal of Orthodontics 03/2006; 28(1):20-6. · 0.89 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: An increased risk of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) has been reported. No data on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related dysplasia and cancer is available in Greece, where the disease profile seems to be milder than that of northern Europe. METHODS: A study was conducted of 215 IBD patients (182 with UC, 33 with CD) from a referral center. Patients were followed up for 3-18 years. The prevalence of cancer and dysplasia among the IBD patients who were diagnosed in northwestern Greece was analyzed and registered. Statistical analysis was performed assuming that this IBD cohort had the same risk of developing malignancies as the general population in Greece. RESULTS: Six of the 215 patients in this IBD cohort had cancer, and 20 of 126 patients for whom bowel biopsies were available had dysplasia. Three of these cases were high-grade dysplasia. There was no significant difference in the numbers of calculated and expected cases of IBD-related cancer at any sites except for the skin [2.7 vs. 2.0]. CONCLUSIONS: This IBD cohort did not appear to have an increased risk of cancer during the time period studied. It would be interesting to re-assess the risk after the second and third decades of follow-up.
European Journal of Internal Medicine 07/2005; 16(3):170-175. · 2.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A rare case of orbital metastasis from carcinoma of the prostate in a 76-year-old man who presented with pain in his left eye, mild proptosis and reduced visual acuity is reported. Cranial CT scanning demonstrated large bone metastases in the left orbit. The patient underwent orbital evisceration. The histopathological studies that were based on the morphological and immunohistochemical findings confirmed the histological diagnosis of orbital metastasis arising from prostatic carcinoma with neuroendocrine features.
Urologia Internationalis 02/2003; 70(3):219-22. · 0.99 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Small bowel Crohn's disease has been related to an increased incidence of small bowel adenocarcinoma, but the total number of reported cases is small. We present an interesting case of a young male patient with nephrolithiasis in childhood, an atypical intermittent history of diarrhoea also since his childhood, who developed obstructive ileus and underwent an urgent operation. The operation revealed a stenosis of the ileum owing to a mass, which proved to be a small bowel adenocarcinoma. One month later, the patient underwent a curative surgical resection of the tumour with additional lymphadenectomy, followed by chemotherapy for 6 months. Since then, the patient had mild diarrhoea but enteroclysis was normal. Approximately 2 years after the resection of the tumour, a new ileocolonoscopy demonstrated deep ulcerations of the terminal ileum and the adjacent area of the colon as well as anal ulcerations. The new biopsy specimens were convincing for Crohn's disease. There were no signs of residual or relapsing cancer. There is growing evidence that Crohn's disease is one of the triggering factors for the development of small bowel adenocarcinoma. Underlying Crohn's disease should be suspected in a young patient with an atypical history of diarrhoea and small bowel adenocarcinoma.
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 08/2002; 14(7):805-10. · 1.76 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We present a 72-year-old man with a subungual amelanotic malignant melanoma (MM) on the right first toe with numerous local nodular metastases after trauma and without regional lymph node involvement. Most of the lesions were angiomatous (reddish blue), and some had a hyperkeratotic surface, clinically resembling Kaposi sarcoma. Results of biopsies performed on skin taken from the toe and from a metastatic lesion of the tibia revealed a classic case of amelanotic MM. This case has 2 interesting points: the clinical presentation of the metastatic lesions and the topical spreading of the lesions, which was initiated after traumatic injury of the prime lesion.
Cutis; cutaneous medicine for the practitioner 06/2002; 69(5):353-6. · 0.81 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Several oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes have been implicated in epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis, but their clinical significance is not clear and conflicting data have been found in various studies.
The immunohistochemical expression of HER-2, p53 and Bcl-2 proteins was investigated in a cohort of 95 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (stages IIc-IV). These patients participated in a phase III randomized clinical trial and were treated either with paclitaxel/carboplatin, orpaclitaxel/carboplatin alternating with paclitaxel/cisplatin.
Positive immunostaining for HER-2, p53 and Bcl-2 proteins was found in 18%, 70.5% and 69.5% of the cases, respectively. In multivariate analysis, older patients (< 63 vs. > or = 63 years, p < 0.001), worse grade (I-II vs. III, p = 0.04) and p53 expression (negative vs. positive, p = 0.002) were significant prognostic factors independently associated with survival.
p53 status along with age and grade appear to be independent prognostic factors for survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
Anticancer research 27(2):1157-65. · 1.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The immunohistochemical expression of HLA-DR antigen, CD8, CD4, CD68, S1OO, PCNA and Ki-67 was performed in order to investigate the role of immune mechanisms in pterygium, in correlation with proliferative activity. A series of 98 surgically-excised pterygia, 18 pingueculae and 20 normal conjunctivae, was studied by the avidin-biotin method, on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. HLA-DR antigen was abundantly expressed in pterygium epithelial cells, whereas almost no expression was found in pinguecula and normal conjunctiva. A high value of Ki-67 and PCNA expression coexisted in the same areas with HLA-DR antigen expression in pterygium and a statistically significant positive correlation resulted between them (p = 0.002). Aberrant infiltration of inflammatory cells (CD4, CD8, CD68, S100) was detected in pterygium, while lower densities were found in pinguecula and conjunctiva. The data suggest that immunopathological mechanisms may contribute in the pathogenesis of pterygium. In addition, the aberrant HLA-DR antigen expression seems to be correlated with the growth fraction of the lesion.
In vivo (Athens, Greece) 16(5):299-306. · 1.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is a rare disease first described in 1972 by Kikuchi and Fujimoto et al. (1,2). Clinically the disease presents with lymphadenitis usually in the cervical region. Most reported cases of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease have been of Asian origin. The cause is unknown and the condition is self-limiting. Some kind of viral or postviral etiology has been implicated. Bacterial and protozoal organisms as well as various other antigens, chemical, physical and neoplastic, have also been postulated. An association with systemic lupus erythematosus has also been shown. Lymphadenitis, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly as well as leukopenia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hepatic abnormalities are common findings. Fever, malaise, fatigue, headache, night sweats, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, cutaneous manifestations, and even neurological symptoms are other complaints. Histologically the lymph nodes show partial involvement with patchy irregular areas of necrosis in the paracortical area with absence of neutrophils. We describe four cases of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease observed in Greece. Their characteristics are discussed, whilst a review of the literature is attempted.
In vivo (Athens, Greece) 16(5):311-6. · 1.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: N-acetyltransferase-2 (NAT-2) and Glutathione-S-transferase M1 and T1 (GSTM1 and GSTT1) polymorphism have been implicated in the detoxification of urothelial carcinogens, such as arylamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The results of epidemiological studies examining the role of NAT-2, GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes on the risk factors for bladder cancer were controversial, although suggesting that there may be an increased risk of the disease associated with these genotypes. The aim of the present study was to examine the independent effect and a possible interaction of NAT-2, GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes on the risk of bladder carcinogenesis, in the frame of a case-control study. We also investigated the possible association of specific genotype combinations with more aggressive disease in terms of tumor grading and local staging at the time of initial diagnosis. Between August 1996 and May 1998, 89 newly-diagnosed bladder cancer patients (transitional cell type) and 147 controls were included in the study. All patients were selected at the time of first diagnosis, done in the Department of Urology at the University Hospital of Ioannina, in north-western Greece. GSTM1 and NAT-2 deficient genotypes were found to be independently associated with the risk of bladder cancer (odds ratios 2.87 and 2.64, respectively). The GSTT1 genotype did not present any significant association with bladder cancer risk. We did not find a significant interaction between genotypes. These results could be explained by the independent activity of the two enzymes. Studies that will simultaneously examine the role of several genetic and environmental factors involved in bladder carcinogenesis are needed to give a global picture for the risk factors of bladder cancer and their potential interaction.
Anticancer research 22(6B):3801-4. · 1.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) display defects in cell cycle and apoptosis regulation. Therefore, the immunohistochemical expression patterns of the proteins p14, p21, Hdm2 and cyclin D2 were analyzed in relation to the previously reported expression of other major cell cycle proteins (p53, Rb, p16, p27, Ki-67 and cyclins A, B1, D2, D3 and E), apoptosis-associated proteins (bcl2, bcl-xl, bax, bak, bad and bid) and the B-cell differentiation immunophenotypes. Expression of the proteins p14, p21, Hdm2 and cyclin D2 was observed in 62/71 (87%), 22/76 (29%), 35/74 (47%) and 11/77 (14%) cases, respectively. Immunohistochemical alterations of the p53 (p53-Hdm2-p21-p14), Rb (Rb-p16-cyclin D [D2 or D3]) and p27 (p27-cyclin E) pathways were found in 56/77 (73%), 53/79 (67%) and 54/79 (68%) cases, respectively. Concomitant alterations of the p53-Rb, p53-p27 and Rb-p27 pathways were found in 40/77 (52%), 38/77 (50%) and 36/79 (46%) cases, respectively. Three concomitant alterations of the p53-Rb-p27 pathways were found in 28/79 (35%) cases. The main findings of the present study were the following: alterations of the p27 pathway were associated with higher expression of Ki-67 (p = 0.023); concomitant alterations of the p53Rb pathways and the p53-p27 pathways were associated with higher expression of cyclin A (p = 0.015 and p = 0.021, respectively) and concomitant alterations of the p53, Rb and p27 pathways were associated with higher expression of cyclin A (p = 0.013). Since cyclin A supports DNA replication, centrosome duplication and mitosis, these findings indicate that concomitant alterations of the p53, Rb and p27 pathways in DLBCL may have cooperative effects resulting in increased neoplastic cell proliferation. This might explain, at least partially, the association between concurrent aberrations of the p53, Rb and p27 pathways and aggressive clinical behavior in DLBCL.
Anticancer research 27(4B):2345-52. · 1.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A 43-year-old Greek cattler with a history of brucellosis three months previously for which he was treated with sulfonamides for three weeks, was admitted to the hospital complaining of fever, arthralgias, night sweats, painful cervical and axillary lymph nodes as well as a weight loss of 8 kg in the previous four months. Since microbiological and serological studies did not give a specific diagnosis, an open cervical lymph node biopsy was performed. The histological examination revealed Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. The etiology of the disease is unknown but viral, bacterial, protozoal and neoplastic as well as physicochemical agents may stimulate a particular immune response leading to Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. Hereby, we present a case in which Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease followed brucella melitensis infection. This association permits us to hypothesize that the initial brucella melitensis infection three months previously triggered an immune response leading to Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. The association of the disease with brucellosis is very important since these two entities share some similar characteristics, with brucellosis being relatively common in Europe. To our best knowledge, in the English language bibliography, this is the first reported case worldwide, though another similar case was described in the Spanish literature ten years ago.
In vivo (Athens, Greece) 17(1):51-3. · 1.17 Impact Factor
