The Efficacy of Amifostine against Multiple-Dose Doxorubicin-Induced Toxicity in Rats.

Amifostine is well known cytoprotector which is efficient when administered before a wide range of antineoplastic agents. The aim of our study was to investigate amifostine effects on doxorubicin-induced toxic changes in rats. Amifostine (75 mg/kg ip) was given 30 min before each dose of doxorubicin (cumulatively 20 mg/kg ip, for 28 days).

Validity of ultrasound-guided aspiration needle biopsy in the diagnosis of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Background/aim: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most aggressive solid cancers, that develops local, regional and distant metastases. The presence of metastases in lymph nodes is in correlation with Breslow tumor thickness. According to various researches, in melanoma with more than 4 mm Breslow thickness, lymph node micrometastases can be found in 60-70% of cases.

JAK2V617F mutation and endogenous erythroid colony formation in patients with polycythaemia vera.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of JAK2V617F gene mutation in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and to compare the results with the presence of endogenous erythroid colony (EEC) formation.

Methods: Peripheral blood and bone marrow samples of 28 patients with PV were analyzed. The diagnosis of PV was established according to the bone marrow criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Allogeneic stem cell transplant for chronic myeloid leukemia as a still promising option in the era of the new target therapy.

Background/aim: Introducing tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has essentially changed curative approach, to be precise, clearly improved treatment efficacy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Thus, the place and usage of allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) in CML treatment--as a former "nearly monopolistic" therapeutic manner--is nowadays controversial. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the results obtained in the treatment of CML patients, with a particular attempt to define parameters critical for clinical benefit and superior overall outcome following allogeneic SCT.

Impact of stem cell source on allogeneic stem cell transplantation outcome in hematological malignancies.

Background/aim: Peripheral blood (PB) is used more frequently as a source of stem cells (SCs) for allogeneic transplantation. However, the influence of cell source on the clinical outcome of SC transplantation is not yet well established. The aim of this study was to compare the results of PBSC transplantation (PBSCT) with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on the basis of engraftment, frequency and severity of immediate (mucositis, acute Graft versus Host Disease--aGvHD) and delayed (chronic GvHD--cGvHD) complications, as well as transplant-related mortality (TRM), transfusion needs, relapses and overall survival (OS).

[Autologous stem cell transplantation in the treatment of multiple myeloma--single center experience].

Background/aim: In comparison to standard therapy autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) with high doses mel-phalane has improved treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of treatment of MM patients in our center with ASCTconditioning with melphalane or combining busulphane, cyclophosphamide and melphalane.

Methods: We performed 62 ASCT procedures in 47 patients from 1998 till 2008.

[Autologous stem cell transplantation in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease].

Background/aim: High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has shown to produce long-term disease-free survival in patients with chemotherapy-sensitive Hodgkin disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy of ASCT in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease.

Methods: Between May 1997 and September 2008, 34 patients with Hodgkin's disease in median age of 25 (range 16-60) years, underwent ASCT.

[Determination of infiltrative ductal breast carcinoma differentiation grade in biopsy imprints].

Background/aim: In patients with breast carcinoma there are many risk factors for assessment of breast carcinoma maturity and prognosis. Besides histological type of differentiation, cytologic criteria for the evaluation grade of the differentiation of infiltrative ductal breast carcinomas are very important for prognosis. The aim of this study was to define cytologic criteria for grading of infiltrative ductal carcinomas of the breast.

Production of proinflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines by inflammatory cells from periapical lesions in culture.

Background: The role of cytokines in pathogenesis of periapical lesions is not well understood. The aim of this study was to study the correlation between proinflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines in periapical lesions and their relationship with cellular composition and clinical presentation.

Methods: Inflammatory cells were isolated from 67 human periapical lesions and cultivated for 24 h.

[K-ras mutation predictive significance in platinum based chemotherapeutic protocols in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

Background/aim: K-ras oncogene is mutated in about 20% of lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive significance for therapeutic response of K-ras mutations in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods: Bronchial aspirate samples were assessed prior to platinum-based chemotherapy start in 39 patients with stage IIIb or IV NSCLC.

[Reliability of the CINtec p16INK4a immunocytochemical test in screening cervical precancerous lesions].

Background/aim: Overexpression of p16INK4a has been found to be linked with genomic integration of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and the developement of precancerous cervical intraepithelial lesions. The aim of this study was to examine is there a higher positive level of correlation between grade of histological dysplasia and p16INK4a level of expression in cervical smear, compared to results of Papanicolaou test. We also examined the correlation between HPV type, p16INK4a expression and Papanicolau test results.

A Ph-negative chronic myeloid leukemia with a complex BCR/ABL rearrangement and a t(6;9)(p21;q34.1).

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal malignant disorder of a pluripotent hematopoetic stem cell characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome in more than 90% of patients. Cryptic or "masked" BCR/ABL gene rearrangements may be found in cases with a normal karyotype and in cases with the complex karyotype, in which typical t(9;22) is not visible at the microscopic level. Those rearrangements can now be detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

[Umbilical metastasis (Sister Mary Joseph's nodule) diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration].

Sister Mary Joseph's nodule is the eponym for metastatic involvement of the umbilicus. This less common entity is the sign of disseminated malignant disease, mainly of digestive and gynecologic origin, and is associated with a poor prognosis. A case of Sister Mary Joseph's nodule in a 76-year-old woman in whom the umbilical metastasis was the first sign of malignant disease in presented.

[Diagnosis of multiple myeloma based on the material obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lungs].

The patient presented in this paper was admitted to the hospital for the evaluation of radiologically revealed shadow in both lungs. In the course of diagnostic procedures, fine needle aspiration biopsy of the intrathoracic mass was performed. Cytologic analysis of the smear was performed because of clinical suspicion of plasma cell proliferative disease that was confirmed by bone marrow aspiration.

[Importance of cytologic examination of urine in the diagnosis of renal transplant function disorders].

Background: This paper presents our experience with cytologic examination of urine in diagnosing renal allograft dysfunction.

Methods: The study group included 23 patients with renal allograft dysfunction, selected from 56 patients who underwent renal transplantation. Etiologic diagnosis was made according to the clinical picture, histological findings during allograft biopsy, and cytologic examination of urine.

[Phonation bronchoscopy].

Background: Fluorescence bronchoscopy is one of the methods of the early detection of lung cancer that involves the large airways. The method is based on the detection of the altered autofluorescence of malignantly transformed tissue, and confirmed by biopsy and histopathologic examination.

Method: Fluorescence bronchoscopy was performed in 18 patients, mean age of 51.

[Epithelioid vascular tumor].

Epithelioid vascular tumors are neoplasms formed by endothelial cells, morphologically similar to epithelial cells. Morphological shape of the cells in this tumors varies from benign to malignant forms, causing the diverse biological potential of the tumors. This case-report presents immunophenotypically interesting epithelioid vascular tumor of the upper vena cava manifested in thrombotic complications.

[Cytologic features of ameloblastoma].

Ameloblastoma is a rare tumor of the jaw arising from odontogenic epithelium. There are sparse reports in the literature concerning cytologic features of this tumor. This paper presents two cases of ameloblastoma, diagnosed by imprint cytology and confirmed histopathologically.

[Value of urinary cytology findings in the diagnosis of acute renal graft rejection].

Background: Acute rejection of allograft is one of the most serious complications of renal transplantation that requires fast and precise diagnostic approach. In this paper our experience in cytologic urinalysis as a diagnostic method of the acute renal allograft rejection was reviewed.

Methods: The study group included 20 of 56 patients with transplanted kidneys who were assumed for the acute allograft rejection according to allograft dysfunction and/or urine cytology findings.

[Value of cytologic diagnosis in rapid intraoperative diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy and tumors of the lung and mediastinum].

Extemporary (EXT) analysis is unavoidable in establishing the tumor diagnosis, operability and the extent of the operation. Alternative approach is cytologic analisis which, because of its simple methodology, provides results even faster. In this paper, the results of cytologic imprints (CI) and EXT finding were compared with definite histopathologic diagnosis (HDP) to determine the value of both methods.

Intrathecal synthesis of complement components C3c and C4 in the central nervous system infections with signs of the acute serous meningitis syndrome.

Two hundred and ten patients with meningismus and the infections of the central nervous system (CNS) with the clinical symptoms and signs of the acute serous meningitis syndrome, were divided in to groups according to etiology (enterovirus meningitis-ENTERO, serous meningitis various etiology-SM and tuberculous meningitis-TBC). Intrathecal synthesis (ITS) of C3c and C4 complement components and IgG were determined by the method of cerebrospinal indexes (I), to examine their role in differential diagnosis of this syndrome. Correlative study between the CSF/serum ratio (Q) for albumin (Alb) and QC3c and QC4 in patients with no proven ITS of this two complement proteins, and the comparative study of the increased value of C3cI and C4I (and IgGI) between the examined groups of the patients was done.