Prognostic Value of Soluble Death Receptor Ligands in Patients with Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Bladder.

Background: The activation of Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) and DR4-DR5/tumor necrosis factor-related-apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) pathways in cancer cells triggers apoptosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of soluble FasL (sFasL) and soluble (sTRAIL) in the serum of patients with bladder cancer.

Methods: The sFasL and sTRAIL levels in the sera of patients with bladder cancer or healthy donors were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Clinical significance of T-bet, GATA-3, and Bcl-6 transcription factor expression in bladder carcinoma.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of three immune cell-related transcription factors, T-bet, GATA-3 and Bcl-6 in bladder cancer in Tunisian patients.

Methods: Expression of T-bet, GATA-3 and Bcl-6 genes was assessed using RT-qPCR in 65 bladder cancers from patients: 32 being diagnosed as low- and medium-grade, 31 as high-grade, 25 as muscle invasive stage and 39 as non-muscle invasive stage. Gene expression was statistically correlated according to the grade, the stage, tobacco consumption, the BCG response and disease severity.

Akt activation correlates with the tumor aggressiveness in Tunisian patients with bladder cancer.

Various studies in western countries found Akt amplification to be a frequent event in human cancers, including bladder, but the correlation with clinicopathological features is controversial. Such studies have not been reported in African populations, including Tunisians. The purpose of this study was to assess expression of the phosphorylated/activated forms of Akt in tumors from Tunisian patients with bladder cancer and to correlate its expression with pathological and clinical parameters of the disease.

[Immunohistochemical analysis of mismatch repair proteins in colorectal adenomas].

Background: The deficiency of mismatch repair system is one of the main pathways in colorectal cancer. This system consists mainly of four proteins: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. Colorectal cancer develops in the majority of cases from precancerous lesions called adenomas.

Over-expression of EGFR is closely correlated to poor prognosis in Tunisian patients with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma.

We studied epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression profile with the aim of an individualized therapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from whom tumor materials are not sufficient for molecular investigations. Using immunohistochemistry, we found a markedly increased EGFR expression with significant difference in term of intensity and distribution from normal mucosa to primary tumors (p < 0.05).

Immunohistochemical expression pattern of MMR protein can specifically identify patients with colorectal cancer microsatellite instability.

The microsatellite instability (MSI) pathway is found in most cases of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) and in 12 % of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC). It involves inactivation of deoxyribonucleic acid mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, and MSH6. MMR germline mutation detections are an important supplement to HNPCC clinical diagnosis.

[Inter-observes agreement of Ishak and Metavir scores in histological evaluation of chronic viral hepatitis B and C].

Many classification systems are currently used for histological evaluation of the severity of chronic viral hepatitis, including the Ishak and Metavir scores, but there is not a consensus classification. The objective of this work was to study the intra and inter-observers agreement of these two scores in the histopathological analysis of liver biopsies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C. Fifty nine patients were included in the study, 26 had chronic hepatitis C and 33 had chronic hepatitis B.

Primary testicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma. a 10-year Tunisian single-institute experience.

Background: Primary testicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is an uncommon extra nodal presentation, accounting for 1% of all NHL and 1 to 9% of testicular neoplasms. Median age at time of presentation is 60 years old. Anthracycline based chemotherapies are most frequently used.

Prognostic value of Pheochromocytoma of the Adrenal Gland Scaled Score (Pass score) tests to separate benign from malignant neoplasms.

Background: Differentiating malignant from benign pheochromocytoma has been challenging when based on histologic features. This is due to the definition of malignant pheochromocytoma which are defined by the presence of metastases. A PASS score was developed and according to many authors, a PASS score> =4 identified potentially malignant tumors.

Lupoid cutaneous leishmaniasis: a case report.

Background: Lupoid cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a rare form of CL having a striking resemblance to other granulomatous cutaneous conditions of infectious or inflammatory origin. The authors present a patient with a facial lupoid CL and discuss the diagnostic tools of this parasitological infection, the main differential diagnosis, and treatment.

Case Report: A 54-year-old Tunisian woman, with no past medical history of lupus erythematosus or infectious disease, presented with a 3-month history of a slowly enlarging erythematous and infiltrated plaque, extending over the nose, the right cheek, and the internal aspect of the right lower eyelid.

Bullous Darier's disease mimicking Hailey-Hailey disease.

Background: The bullous variant of Darier's disease (DD) is a rare type characterized by histological and clinical overlap with Hailey-Hailey disease (HDD).

Case Reports: The following case report describes two cases of familial DD; a 51-year-old woman who presented with erythematous plaques, covered by small blisters in axillary and inguinal areas, and the first patient's daughter, who presented with keratotic papules localized on the axillary and inframammary folds.

Conclusion: These two cases are original by the predominant flexural distribution, and by a bullous form in the first case, clinically and histologically mimicking HHD.

Nevus lipomatosus cutaneous superficialis: Report of eight cases.

Introduction: Nevus lipomatosus cutaneous superficialis (NLCS) is a rare benign hamartomatous skin tumor characterized by dermal deposition of mature adipose tissue. It's classified in two types: the classical form with multiple soft, pedunculated, cerebriform papules and nodules that coalesce into plaques, and the solitary form that consists of a solitary papule or nodule. In this study, eight cases of NLCS are reported.

Erosive lichen planus of the soles: Effective response to prednisone.

Background: Erosive lichen planus (LP) of the soles is a rare variant of LP, characterized by chronic, painful, and disabling plantar ulcerations. Herein, we report a case with complete healing following treatment with systemic steroids.

Case Report: A 38-year-old woman was referred with painful and disabling erosive bilateral plantar LP, which she had experienced for 6 weeks.

A case of multiple epithelioid angiomatous nodules.

Cutaneous epithelioid angiomatous nodule (CEAN) is a distinct type of epithelioid vascular tumor that is usually solitary. Herein we present a 31-year-old man with multiple, rapidly growing nodules on the scalp.

Salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland.

Salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland is an uncommon tumor, highly aggressive. About 200 cases have been reported in the English literature. Pathomorphologically, these tumors showed great similarities to ductal carcinoma of the female breast, which is why they described this tumor as "salivary duct carcinoma.