The Rare Condition of a Double Cervix: Results from the High-Risk Human Papillomavirus-Based Cervical Cancer Screening Program in the Lazio Region.

Precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterine cervix are known to be associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The screening of high-risk (HR)-HPV infection in the female population has led to the discovery of several cases of a double cervix, a congenital malformation that is very rare. The purpose of this study was to evaluate HR-HPV infections in women with a double cervix within the National Cervical Cancer Screening program of the Lazio region (Italy).

Prevalence of Multiple High Risk Human Papilloma Virus (HR-HPV) Infections in Cervical Cancer Screening in Lazio Region, Italy.

Background/aim: It has been well established that human papilloma virus (HPV) is the major cause of cervical pre-cancerous lesions and cervical cancer. Extended HPV genotyping has pointed out that co-infections with multiple high-risk (HR)-HPV genotypes not only is possible and quite frequent, but also has different prognoses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of co-infections in women tested for HR-HPV in the national cervical cancer screening program of Lazio (Italy).

Detection of 14 High-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Genotypes Within the Italian Cervical Cancer Screening.

Background/aim: The identification of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) genotypes is important both for epidemiological purposes and because the persistence of an HPV infection with the same genotype is a necessary condition for the development of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of HR HPV genotypes in women enrolled in the national program for cervical cancer screening in Lazio Region, Italy.

Patients And Methods: From April to November 2022, we evaluated 30,445 samples using the Anyplex TM II HPV HR Detection test (Seegene), which identifies 14 HR HPV: 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68.

Bioacumulation and ultrastructural effects of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the moss Scorpiurum circinatum (Brid.) Fleisch. & Loeske.

This paper tested if culturing the moss Scorpiurum circinatum (Brid.) Fleisch. & Loeske with metal solutions (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) for 30 days causes metal bioaccumulation and ultrastructural changes.

Physiological and chemical response of lichens transplanted in and around an industrial area of south Italy: relationship with the lichen diversity.

The lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. has been exposed for 3 months in and around an industrial area of Mediterranean Italy for monitoring physiological (photosynthetic efficiency, membrane lipids peroxidation and cell membrane integrity) and chemical (bioaccumulation of the heavy metals Cr, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) effects and investigate the consistency with the environmental quality status depicted by the diversity of epiphytic lichens (index of lichen diversity (ILD)).

Physiological effects of arsenic in the lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr.

The aim of this study was to test in a short term laboratory experiment the accumulation and physiological effects of As in the epiphytic lichen Xanthoria parietina. Arsenic content in treated samples increased progressively with increasing concentration in treatment solutions. Treatment of X.

Physiological effects of mercury in the lichens Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis (Sandst.) Ruoss and Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb.

This study aimed at investigating the cellular distribution of Hg in the lichens Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis and Peltigera rufescens treated with Hg²(+) and at testing if Hg treatment affects selected physiological parameters. In both species, increasing Hg accumulation under increasing Hg supply in the treatment solutions was found.

Time- and dose-dependency of the effects of nitrogen pollution on lichens.

The present work aims at testing if exposure time and dose play a role in the response of lichen species to nitrogen (N) pollution. To this purpose, samples of the N-sensitive Evernia prunastri and the N-tolerant Xanthoria parietina were treated for 5 weeks either with solutions of NH(4)NO(3) 0.05 and 1 M, or (NH(4))(2)SO(4) 0.

Effects of ammonia from livestock farming on lichen photosynthesis.

This study investigated if atmospheric ammonia (NH3) pollution around a sheep farm influences the photosynthetic performance of the lichens Evernia prunastri and Pseudevernia furfuracea. Thalli of both species were transplanted for up to 30 days in a semi-arid region (Crete, Greece), at sites with concentrations of atmospheric ammonia of ca. 60 microg/m3 (at a sheep farm), ca.

Physiological effects of a geothermal element: boron excess in the epiphytic lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) TH. FR.

The results of a study aimed at investigating the effects of boron excess on a set of ecophysiological parameters in the lichen Xanthoria parietina, to set up a monitoring system to trace early biological effects of boron pollution in geothermal areas, are reported. To this purpose, lichen thalli have been incubated for 24 h in solutions at boron concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ppm, which were within the range in bulk deposition and geothermal fluids.

The integrity of lichen cell membrane as a suitable parameter for monitoring biological effects of acute nitrogen pollution.

This study aimed at testing the suitability of cell membrane integrity in the lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. as sensitive indicator of nitrogen (N) stress, to set up a rapid and effective method for monitoring biological effects of acute N pollution.

Heavy metal deposition in the Italian "triangle of death" determined with the moss Scorpiurum circinatum.

In this study, a biomonitoring project using the moss Scorpiurum circinatum was carried out to evaluate the deposition and biological effects of heavy metals in the area of Acerra (Naples, S Italy), one of the vertices of the sadly called "Italian triangle of death" owing to the dramatic increase in tumours. The results clearly indicated that the study area is heavily polluted by heavy metals, a large proportion of which is likely present in the atmosphere in particulate form. The ultrastructural organization of exposed samples was essentially preserved, but cell membrane pits, cytoplasm vesicles and concentric multilamellar/multivesicular bodies, probably induced by pollution, were found, which may be involved in the tolerance mechanisms to metal pollution in this moss species.

PRb2/p130, p107 and p53 expression in precancerous lesions and squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

The aim of this study was to investigate pRb2/p130, p107 and p53 expressions in precancerous lesions and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix. We evaluated Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing and typing and pRb2/p130, p107 and p53 expressions (antibody D07) of 48 patients showing low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (LCIN, 18 cases), high-grade CIN (HCIN, 13 cases) and SCC (17 cases). Paraffin-embedded tissue sections were analyzed for the study.

Accuracy rates of US-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy.

A prospective study designed to measure the accuracy of mammography (MRx), ultrasound (US), fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and one of the most recently introduced techniques, vacuum biopsy (VB), in the diagnosis of breast cancer is reported. A sample of 146 breast lesions on 135 patients were examined. The design of the study made it possible to compare MRx, US, FNAC and VB directly, because it excluded several confounding variables.

Galectin-3 immunodetection may improve cytological diagnosis of occult papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Galectin-3 has been found recently to be neo-expressed in thyroid cancers compared to benign lesions and it could therefore be considered a marker of malignancy. We report the case of a 36-year-old woman with a history of occasional dysphagia and dysphonia first observed in November 2000. Thyroid ultrasound scan revealed two subcentimetric nodules in the right lobe.

[New and old procedures in the diagnosis of dubious breast lesions].

In the last years the detection of early breast cancers (lesions less than one centimetre in diameter, with good prognosis) has consistently increased for the wide application of mammary screening programs. At the same time, an increasing number of radiographically detected unexpected lesions (nonpalpable breast lesions) has been evidenced. In those cases, often both mammography and ultrasound evaluation are dubious and a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach is mandatory.

Immunocytochemical expression of Ki67 and laminin in Hurthle cell adenomas and carcinomas.

Background: Hurthle cell neoplasms may occur as a benign adenoma or carcinoma; the latter displays comparatively aggressive clinical behaviour. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) represents a reliable tool for screening Hurthle cell lesions before surgery. Nevertheless, the cytological interpretation of these lesions is not always unequivocal.

p53 polymorphism at codon 72 is not a risk factor for cervical carcinogenesis in central Italy.

Recently Storey et al. showed that p53 polymorphism at codon 72 was related to cervical cancer. This polymorphism encodes either arginine (p53Arg) or proline (p53Pro).

Thyroiditis and oncocytic carcinoma: incidental association? A case report.

Background: Several studies have reported an association between Hashimoto's disease and thyroid carcinoma although the cause/effect relationship is still controversial.

Case Report: In this paper we report the case of a 38-year-old female who first presented with a clinical history of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Ultrasound examination showed a diffuse thyroid irregularity more pronounced in the right lobe.

Papillary solid and cystic pancreatic tumor. Genetic prediction factors for malignancy: report of three cases.

Background: Papillary solid and cystic pancreatic tumor (PSCPT) is a rare neoplasm of unknown pathogenesis, with an excellent overall prognosis after complete resection. The malignant potential of this tumor remains unclear and was the object of our investigation.

Patients And Methods: We report three cases of PSCPT submitted to radical resection in which histological and immunohistochemical studies, as well as genetic analysis of Kirsten-ras (K-ras) oncogene mutations, p53 and Fragile Histidine Triad (FHIT) gene expression, were evaluated.

Cytological analysis and immunocytochemical expression of Ki67 and Bcl-2 in breast proliferative lesions.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is considered a reliable method for the diagnosis of breast diseases. However, in some cases, cytological diagnosis may be difficult because of the presence of certain cytological parameters, which suggest a proliferative/indeterminate epithelial lesion, ie. a cytological "gray zone" In this retrospective study we considered 37 cases with an uncertain cytological diagnosis and compared the cytological parameters with the histological diagnosis.

Implication of laminin and collagen type IV expression in the progression of breast carcinoma.

Background: The prognostic variability in breast cancer patients prompted the authors to investigate specific biological markers for the identification of high-risk breast cancer groups. In the present study, attention was focused on the interaction between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix, an important requisite in the metastatic process.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-six primary breast carcinoma specimens obtained by mastectomy or quadrantectomy plus axillary dissection were examined with immunohistochemistry, for the determination of laminin, collagen type IV and hormone receptor expression and with static cytometry, for the determination of the DNA content.

Cervical dysplasia, ploidy, and human papillomavirus status correlate with loss of Fhit expression.

Purpose: The tumor suppressor gene, FHIT, has been cloned and mapped at chromosome region 3p14.2, one of the regions most frequently deleted in cervical carcinoma. In this report, we show that the expression of the Fhit protein in relation to human papillomavirus (HPV) subtype, the type of the intraepithelial lesion, HIV-induced immunodeficiency, and the DNA content (ploidy) correlates with the biological behavior of the lesions.

Fine needle aspiration and core needle biopsy techniques in the diagnosis of nodular thyroid pathologies.

It is widly accepted that Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) is the main test to distinguish benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Nevertheless, this technique presents some limits such as the possibility of false-negative or inadequate samples and it is unable to cytologically discriminate among adenomathosus goiter, follicular adenoma and well-differentiated follicular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of restricting these limitations using Core Needle biopsy (CN) technique.