Predictive value of p53, Ki67 and TLR5 in neoplastic progression of Barrett's esophagus: a matched case-control study.

Barrett's esophagus progresses to high-grade dysplasia or cancer along the well-established metaplasia-dysplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of p53, Ki67, and toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) in prediction of malignant progression of Barrett's metaplasia and low-grade dysplasia. This was a retrospective matched case-control study based on Northern and Central Finland population.

Risk of progression in Barrett's esophagus based on diagnoses of general and gastrointestinal pathologists. A retrospective case-control study from Northern and Central Finland.

Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. It develops through Barrett's metaplasia - dysplasia sequence. However, the effectiveness of endoscopic surveillance is limited, since diagnosis of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) is known to be challenging for pathologists.

Rheumatoid arthritis antigens homocitrulline and citrulline are generated by local myeloperoxidase and peptidyl arginine deiminases 2, 3 and 4 in rheumatoid nodule and synovial tissue.

Background: Seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by autoantibodies binding to citrullinated and homocitrullinated proteins. We wanted to study the expression patterns of these disease-associated protein forms and if the rheumatoid nodule and synovial tissue itself contain biologically active levels of citrullinating peptidyl arginine deiminases 2, 3 and 4 and homocitrullination-facilitating neutrophil enzyme myeloperoxidase.

Method: Total of 195 synovial samples from metatarsal joints from five ACPA/RF-positive RA patients (n = 77), synovial samples from knees of eight seropositive RA (n = 60), seven seronegative RA (n = 33) and five osteoarthritis (n = 25) patients were analyzed for citrulline and homocitrulline contents using HPLC.

Different amounts of protein-bound citrulline and homocitrulline in foot joint tissues of a patient with anti-citrullinated protein antibody positive erosive rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Antibodies binding to citrullinated proteins are a frequent finding in rheumatoid arthritis patients and may precede the onset of clinical symptoms several years. The antibodies are a predisposing factor for bone erosions but their origin is unknown. In this study we analyze in detail the levels of protein bound citrulline and homocitrulline in several tissue samples of a single erosive arthritic surgery patient.

Attempt to treat congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia with mesenchymal stromal cell transplantation.

Background Aims: Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) caused by neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a refractory disease occurring in childhood. We present two cases that had failed all earlier treatment attempts and, as a last treatment attempt, the patients were chosen to receive mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) transplantation prior to amputation.

Methods: The MSC from bone marrow (BM) were harvested from the iliac crest and cultured in osteoinductive medium for 3 weeks.

Low proportion of false-negative smears in the Finnish program for cervical cancer screening.

Background: We assessed the performance and validity of cytology in the Finnish screening program by considering high-grade neoplasia and cervical cancer (CIN3+) rates as detected in the program and by reevaluating cases observed after a negative screening test.

Methods: This retrospective study included 915 screen-detected CIN3+ cases and 421 cases observed after a negative screen. Randomized and blinded reevaluation of potential false-negative screening tests covered 345 archival case smears from women without a referral to colposcopy, as well as 689 control smears for estimating performance and validity measures.

Tenascin-C and type I and III collagen expression in total Achilles tendon rupture. An immunohistochemical study.

Unlabelled: Tendon tissue degeneration and changes in collagen composition play a role in spontaneous rupture of the human Achilles tendon. Tenascin-C has been shown to be present in the tissue pathology and changes in tissue loading. We made an immunohistological study of the expression of tenascin-C and type I and III collagens in ruptured human Achilles tendons.

Reevaluation of the normal epidermal calcium gradient, and analysis of calcium levels and ATP receptors in Hailey-Hailey and Darier epidermis.

Electron probe microanalysis was used to analyze elemental content of human epidermis. The results revealed that the calcium content of the basal keratinocyte layer was higher than that of the lowest spinous cell layer in normal epidermis. This was surprising, as it is generally accepted that the calcium level increases with cellular differentiation from the proliferative basal layer to the stratum corneum.

Inflammation and prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Aim Of The Study: Previous work has indicated that quantification of inflammatory cell reaction is of prognostic value in colorectal cancer. We evaluated the prognostic significance of inflammatory cell reaction patterns in colorectal cancer and developed a grading method which could be used in the routine assessment of tumours.

Methods: The intensity of overall inflammatory cell reaction, numbers of neutrophilic and eosinophilic granulocytes, lymphoid cells and macrophages in both the central region and the invasive margin were estimated in 386 colorectal cancer patients.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) immunoreactive protein has modest prognostic value in locally advanced breast carcinoma patients treated with an adjuvant antiestrogen therapy.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved with tumour invasion and metastasis. Controversial data exists concerning the prognostic value of MMP-9 in breast carcinoma. We examined, here, whether the MMP-9 immunoreactive protein would correlate with--the prognosis in breast carcinoma treated with hormonal adjuvant therapy.

Prognostic factors in laryngeal carcinoma: the role of apoptosis, p53, proliferation (Ki-67) and angiogenesis.

Even though the roles of different known or suggested prognostic factors in laryngeal cancer have been studied in detail, clinical stage at time of diagnosis and anatomic subsite of the tumour remain the only practical predictors of clinical outcome and offer the only guidelines in the planning of treatment. In this study, the relative roles of known demographic and clinical prognostic factors, in addition to four histopathological factors, were evaluated in a sample of 100 laryngeal carcinoma patients with multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model. In addition to advanced stage (stage III-IV) (relative hazard of death (HR) 8.

Serum is a rich source of ligands for the scavenger receptor of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells.

The present study was prompted by findings in our laboratory showing that serum effectively inhibits scavenger receptor (SR)-mediated endocytosis in hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC). Experiments with SEC in vitro showed that the presence of 20% human serum inhibited endocytosis of SR ligands, 125I-formaldehyde treated bovine serum albumin (FSA) and 125I-nidogen, by 30 and 50%, respectively, whereas pre-heated foetal bovine serum (10%) inhibited endocytosis of 125I-FSA by as much as 56%. Human, bovine and rat serum had similar inhibitory effect on endocytosis in SEC.

Progression of human aortic valve stenosis is associated with tenascin-C expression.

Objectives: We sought to assess tenascin-C (TN-C) expression and its possible pathobiological impact in human aortic valve stenosis.

Background: Tenascin-C, a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein, has lately been increasingly connected to cardiovascular pathologies. As TN-C is a multifunctional protein implicated in cell proliferation, migration and differentiation, we investigated the pattern of its expression in diseased human aortic valves.