Histology and histopathology Vol.33, nº4 (2018)
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- PublicationOpen AccessEmerging evidence of molecular biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2018) Umeda, Shinichi; Kanda, Mitsuro; Kodera, YasuhiroHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Patients with HCC generally present at an advanced stage resulting in death within 6-20 months. Therefore, novel treatment modalities and sensitive prognostic markers that can decrease the mortality rate of HCC are required. HCC is a complex and heterogeneous tumor with multiple genetic aberrations. It has been well described that accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes leads to the clonal selection of cancer cells harboring aggressive tumor behavior. Aberrant expression of cancer-related genes is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells and plays a role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Epigenetic alterations, such as the alteration of DNA methylation and histone modification in cancer cells, can also induce the activation and inactivation of cancer-related genes. Studies have shed light on the link between HCC-related genes and molecules, and a better understanding of the mechanisms of HCC pathogenesis could be translated into clinical biomarker tools. Moreover, analyses of genetic and epigenetic alterations have identified potential biomarkers that might be targeted therapeutically. In this review, we update the current knowledge of biomarkers in HCC, examine recently published literature, and introduce some representative molecules in each category.
- PublicationOpen AccessPrognostic significance of PTK7 in human malignancies(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2018) Chen, Gang; Qi, Shengcai; Yang, Xi; Chen, WantaoBackground. Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is a member of receptor protein tyrosine kinase-like molecules, which is involved in tumorigenesis. However, the association between PTK7 expression and its pathological significance in survival prognosis remains under investigation. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to clarify the prognostic value of PTK7 expression in human malignancies. Methods. A comprehensive literature search was performed in databases of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library. The statistical procedures were conducted by Stata 14.0 and the effect size was displayed by model of relative risk. Subgroup analyses were additionally implemented to disclose the potential confounding elements. Sensitivity analysis was used for evaluating the outcome stability, both Begg’s test and Egger’s test were utilized to detect the publication bias across the included studies. Results. We identified 11 studies published with a total sample-size of 2431 participants. Patients with higher PTK7 expression were significantly associated with cancer risk (RR=2.995, 95% CI: 1.048-8.56, p=0.041, random model), and histological grade (RR=0.696, 95% CI: 0.499-0.972, p=0.033, random model). PTK7 was also found to be an unfavorable prognostic marker for overall survival (HR=2.621 95% CI: 1.980-3.468, p=0.000, fixed model) and shorter disease free survival (HR=2.242, 95% CI: 1.112-4.521, p=0.024, random model). Conclusions. Higher expression of PTK7 significantly indicates worse prognosis in human malignancies.
- PublicationOpen AccessDigital image analysis of the tissue surface areas of site-designated and bilaterally pooled prostate biopsies(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2018) Koivusalo, Laura; Kaipia, Antti; Kujala, Paula; Isola, Jorma; Tolonen, Teemu T.Initial reports about the length of bilaterally pooled biopsies showed alarming tissue loss compared to individual biopsies, but the current understanding of “noodle biopsies” and better embedding techniques may have improved their quality. Here, we implemented digital image analysis to study the differences in tissue surface areas between individual and pooled cores. Prostate biopsy reports from 1242 consecutive patients were reviewed. Urologist-dependent bias on the biopsy quality was eliminated by identifying four urologists who submitted equally individual and bilaterally pooled biopsies. Digital image analysis was applied to the tissue surface areas of 936 virtual slides containing 1440 biopsy cores (12 cores per patient x 120 patients) taken by the four urologists. The median (range) surface areas were 73.8 mm2 (40.1-102.5) for the site-designated (n=57) and 77.1 mm2 (49.5-119.2) for the bilaterally pooled biopsies (n=63) (p=0.19). For three urologists, the median surface areas were 69.5 mm2 (60.4-93.2), 75.5 mm2 (48.2-98.7) and 78.2 mm2 (47.1-92.7) for the site-designated and 79.2 mm2 (49.5-116.4), 69.3 mm2 (49.6-119.2) and 79.2 mm2 (55.1-96.7) for the pooled biopsies, respectively (p=0.58-0.75). For one urologist, the median surface area was marginally higher for the pooled biopsies, 68.1 mm2 (40.1-102.5) vs. 81.6 mm2 (62.7-108.8) (p=0.03). In conclusion, the histological yields of individual and pooled prostate biopsies were practically equal. The results should not be considered as a recommendation to increasingly submit unspecified bilateral cores but to encourage pathology laboratories to embed and cut all received prostate biopsies with special attention, regardless of submission type.
- PublicationOpen AccessMicroRNAs: a critical regulator under mechanical force(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2018) Wei, Fulan; Yang, Shuangyan; Wang, SonglinMechanical force is a kind of mechanical stimuli which actively participates in manipulating cellular activities in numerous types of cells. Progress in molecular and genetic research has uncovered various regulatory mechanisms underlying mechanical forceinduced changes in cellular activities, which include both transcriptional regulation and post-transcriptional regulation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20-25 nucleotide (nt) non-coding RNAs which serve as posttranscriptional regulators of multiple physiological processes. To date, considerable research effort has focused on the expressions and functions of miRNAs in a wide range of biological and pathological processes, including but not limited to development, proliferation, metabolism and osteogenic differentiation. In this review, major emphasis is placed on the biogenesis, expressions and functions of miRNAs in a mechanical environment.
- PublicationOpen AccessApoptosis and proliferation of the prostate cells in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia and concomitant metabolic disorders(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2018) Rył, Aleksandra; Rotter, Iwona; Kram, Andrzej; Teresiński, Leszek; Słojewski, Marcin; Dołęgowska, Barbara; Lubkowska, Anna; Piasecka, Małgorzata; Laszczyńska, MariaIntroduction. Apoptosis and proliferation of prostate cells are associated with both physiological increase and hyperplasia of the prostate. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of metabolic syndrome to the processes of apoptosis and proliferation in gland epithelial cells and prostatic stromal cells in men with BPH. Materials and methods. The study involved 151 men, aged 52-89 years, receiving pharmacological treatment for BPH. The men were divided into two groups: those with and those without metabolic syndrome. The serum levels of the parameters were determined. Reactions for the identification of apoptosis (TUNEL) and proliferation (PCNA) in cells were also performed. Results. The relationships between the number of TUNEL(+) and PCNA(+) cells and metabolic syndrome were not observed. It was found that the total number of TUNEL(+) cells in the prostate stroma correlated negatively with the levels of highdensity lipoprotein and insulin-like growth factor-1. The analysis of the correlations in BPH patients with and without metabolic syndrome demonstrated that the only parameter correlating with the number of PCNA(+) cells in the prostate stroma was insulin resistance. Conclusion. Metabolic syndrome in patients with BPH had no impact on the number of TUNEL(+) and PCNA(+) cells in the prostate gland. However, the disturbed levels of metabolic parameters, and deviations of anthropometric parameters from normal may influence the number of apoptotic and proliferating cells.