Browsing by Author "Dozic, Branko (6507142704)"

Purpose: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is one of the most common malignant salivary gland tumors. It is characterized by a high rate of recurrence, perineural invasion and development of distant metastases many years after removal of the primary tumor. Disorders of the induction of apoptosis and its cascade reactions where caspases are involved may be significant in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of caspase 9 and caspase 3 was analyzed by tissue microarray (TMA) in 50 cases of ACC in relation with different clinicopathological parameters (gender, age, localization, histological type and overall survival). Results: Caspase 9 was expressed in the cytoplasm and nuclei of ACC tumor cells with varying degrees of staining intensity (1+, 6%; 2+, 54%, 3+, 40%). Comparison of caspase 9 expression in tumor cells with clinicopathological parameters (gender, age, localization, histological type and overall survival) showed no statistically significant difference except that the expression was more pronounced infernales. Caspase 3 was expressed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells with varying degrees of staining intensity (1+, 22%; 2+, 36%; 3+, 42%). No correlation between the expression of caspase 3 and clinicopathological parameters was noticed. Conclusions: The expression of caspases 9 and 3 in ACC of the salivary glands can contribute in the better characterization of molecules involved in apoptosis of tumor cells.

Purpose: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is one of the most common malignant salivary gland tumors. It is characterized by a high rate of recurrence, perineural invasion and development of distant metastases many years after removal of the primary tumor. Disorders of the induction of apoptosis and its cascade reactions where caspases are involved may be significant in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Methods: The immunohistochemical expression of caspase 9 and caspase 3 was analyzed by tissue microarray (TMA) in 50 cases of ACC in relation with different clinicopathological parameters (gender, age, localization, histological type and overall survival). Results: Caspase 9 was expressed in the cytoplasm and nuclei of ACC tumor cells with varying degrees of staining intensity (1+, 6%; 2+, 54%, 3+, 40%). Comparison of caspase 9 expression in tumor cells with clinicopathological parameters (gender, age, localization, histological type and overall survival) showed no statistically significant difference except that the expression was more pronounced infernales. Caspase 3 was expressed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells with varying degrees of staining intensity (1+, 22%; 2+, 36%; 3+, 42%). No correlation between the expression of caspase 3 and clinicopathological parameters was noticed. Conclusions: The expression of caspases 9 and 3 in ACC of the salivary glands can contribute in the better characterization of molecules involved in apoptosis of tumor cells.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly malignant cancer and is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, but it is rare in adults (<1% of all adult malignancies). Altered expression and molecular abnormalities of cell-cycle-regulatory proteins are one of the most prominent features in RMS. Therefore, we evaluated the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p57 and p16, as well as p16 methylation status, along with clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS) in RMS patients. This analysis was conducted on 23 pediatric and 44 adult patients. There was a male predominance in both groups and extremities were the most frequent tumor site. In adults, alveolar and pleomorphic types were almost equally represented. The majority of pediatric tumors were low grade, whereas, in adults, only one patient had a low-grade tumor. Seven pediatric (30.43%) and eight adult (18.18%) patients had a low p16 expression. The analysis of methylation status of the p16 promoter showed the presence of methylated allele only in one sample with pleomorphic histology. Six (26.1%) pediatric and 15 (34.1%) adult patients had low p57 expression, while in 17 (73.9%) pediatric and 29 (65.9%) adult patients it was assessed as high. Ninetyone percent of the pediatric patients and 32.6% of adults were alive at the end of the observational period. In adults, significant associations were found between OS and age (P = 0.020), gender (P = 0.027), tumor size (P < 0.001), lymph node status (P < 0.001), presence of metastases (P = 0.015), and p57 expression (P = 0.039). Stratification by histological type showed the correlation of low p57 expression (P = 0.030) and worse OS of patients with alveolar RMS. Univariate analysis identified age > 50 yrs. (HR 2.447), tumors > 5 cm (HR 21.31), involvement of regional lymph nodes (HR 3.96), the presence of metastases (HR 2.53), and low p57 expression (HR 2.11) as predictors of lower OS. Tumor size, regional lymph nodes involvement, and metastases were the independent predictors after multivariate analysis, while p57 did not predict OS in an independent way. In summary, although p57 was not confirmed to be an independent predictor of OS, our results indicate that its low expression may be the marker of aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis in adult RMS patients. Also, our findings suggest that epigenetic inactivation of p16 is not important in the pathogenesis of rhabdomyosarcoma. © 2021

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly malignant cancer and is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, but it is rare in adults (<1% of all adult malignancies). Altered expression and molecular abnormalities of cell-cycle-regulatory proteins are one of the most prominent features in RMS. Therefore, we evaluated the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p57 and p16, as well as p16 methylation status, along with clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS) in RMS patients. This analysis was conducted on 23 pediatric and 44 adult patients. There was a male predominance in both groups and extremities were the most frequent tumor site. In adults, alveolar and pleomorphic types were almost equally represented. The majority of pediatric tumors were low grade, whereas, in adults, only one patient had a low-grade tumor. Seven pediatric (30.43%) and eight adult (18.18%) patients had a low p16 expression. The analysis of methylation status of the p16 promoter showed the presence of methylated allele only in one sample with pleomorphic histology. Six (26.1%) pediatric and 15 (34.1%) adult patients had low p57 expression, while in 17 (73.9%) pediatric and 29 (65.9%) adult patients it was assessed as high. Ninetyone percent of the pediatric patients and 32.6% of adults were alive at the end of the observational period. In adults, significant associations were found between OS and age (P = 0.020), gender (P = 0.027), tumor size (P < 0.001), lymph node status (P < 0.001), presence of metastases (P = 0.015), and p57 expression (P = 0.039). Stratification by histological type showed the correlation of low p57 expression (P = 0.030) and worse OS of patients with alveolar RMS. Univariate analysis identified age > 50 yrs. (HR 2.447), tumors > 5 cm (HR 21.31), involvement of regional lymph nodes (HR 3.96), the presence of metastases (HR 2.53), and low p57 expression (HR 2.11) as predictors of lower OS. Tumor size, regional lymph nodes involvement, and metastases were the independent predictors after multivariate analysis, while p57 did not predict OS in an independent way. In summary, although p57 was not confirmed to be an independent predictor of OS, our results indicate that its low expression may be the marker of aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis in adult RMS patients. Also, our findings suggest that epigenetic inactivation of p16 is not important in the pathogenesis of rhabdomyosarcoma. © 2021