Study of Proliferation and Apoptosis in Neuroblastoma. Their Relation with Other Prognostic Factors

Abstract Background Our objective was to study the proliferation and apoptotic process in 111 cases of neuroblastoma (NB) and to seek their relationship with other prognostic factors and survival. Methods Immunohistochemistry following ABC peroxidase was carried out for PCNA, Ki-67, bcl-2, and p53 proteins. Apoptosis analysis was performed with in situ detection of chromosomal breakdown. Molecular detection of DNA ladders by electrophoresis and amplification of MYCN was studied with PCR and Southern blot. Statistical study was performed with Pearson χ 2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests and Cox regression. Results Our results indicate that proliferative factors PCNA and Ki-67 were correlated to each…

Plasma levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 may determine the onset of early and late ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

BACKGROUND Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a life-threatening condition associated with ovarian stimulation. Its pathophysiology is unknown and its treatment continues to be empirical. Early (E)- and late (L)-OHSS occur in women at risk, though not in all cases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is related to increased vascular permeability in OHSS. We analysed the dynamics of the VEGF system in E- and L-OHSS. METHODS A prospective cohort of women undergoing IVF-ICSI treatment were divided into groups. E-OHSS: Nonpregnant patients classified as women not at risk (group 1) (n = 11) and patients at risk who did not (group 2) (n = 18) and did (group 3) (n = 8) develop sever…

Cytogenetics, flow cytometry, cytophotometry and morphometry of 22 cases of primary breast carcinoma. A comparative study.

Cytogenetic, flow cytometric, cytophotometric and morphometric analyses were performed on 22 previously untreated, primary solid breast carcinomas. Although the cell nuclei as the primary object of these studies were the same in all the tumors, distinct features were evaluated in each case to determine to what degree the results obtained by these techniques are comparable. From the cytogenetic viewpoint, six tumors had a modal number in the diploid range, seven were in the triploid range, and two in the tetraploid range; seven tumors had no modal number. These data correlate with the flow cytometry and cytophotometry results obtained, with DNA values slightly higher than their respective ch…

Prognostic markers in low-grade papillary urothelial neoplasms of the urinary bladder

Summary Papillary urothelial neoplasms (PUNs) of the urinary bladder comprise a heterogeneous spectrum of ‘continuous' lesions in which the assessment of an accurate histological grade and tumor stage is necessary for an adequate clinical management of patients. Recently, the 1998 World Health Organization/International Society of Urologic Pathologists (WHO/ISUP) Consensus Classification and the 1999 WHO classification proposed a new malignancy grading scheme based mainly on morphometric studies. In accordance with these grading systems, two major categories of PUNs were distinguished: low-grade and high-grade. Concerning the specific subgroup of low-grade tumors two other entities were def…

Physical activity and breast cancer risk by pathological subtype

Abstract Objective To examine the influence of physical activity on breast cancer risk and evaluate whether adherence to international recommendations is associated with a decreased risk. Methods This is a multicenter matched case-control study where 698 pairs completed a physical activity questionnaire. Recreational physical activity during the last year was quantified in metabolic equivalent hours per week (MET-h/week) and categorized in activities of moderate (3.0–5.9 MET) and vigorous (>6 MET) intensity. The adherence to World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research recommendation was also assessed. The association with breast cancer risk, overall and by path…

Effect of ischemic postconditioning on microvascular obstruction in reperfused myocardial infarction. Results of a randomized study in patients and of an experimental model in swine.

Background: Ischemic postconditioning (PCON) appears as a potentially beneficial tool in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We evaluated the effect of PCON on microvascular obstruction (MVO) in STEMI patients and in an experimental swine model. Methods: A prospective randomized study in patients and an experimental study in swine were carried out in two university hospitals in Spain. 101 consecutive STEMI patients were randomized to undergo primary angio-plasty followed by PCON or primary angioplasty alone (non-PCON). Using late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance, infarct size and MVO were quantified (% of left ventricular mass). In swine, using an ang…

The time to prevent mendelian genetic diseases from donated or own gametes has come

MYCN gain and MYCN amplification in a stage 4S neuroblastoma.

Abstract Stage 4S neuroblastoma is a disease associated with spontaneous regression and good survival. We present a patient whose evolution has shown the variety and complexity of this disease in infants. Biologic factors, such as ploidy, MYCN copy number, loss of 1p36, and other chromosomal gains and losses were determined. A complex pattern of genetic abnormalities, such as near-diploidy, MYCN gain (2–4 copies per haploid genome) and imbalance/deletion of 1p36 was seen in the diagnostic sample. An extensive disseminated disease after a latent period of 26 months was associated with a special genetic evolution, such as tetraploidy, MYCN amplification (2:100–500 copies), 1p36 deletion, and …

Benign, preinvasive and invasive ductal breast lesions. A comparative study with quantitative techniques: morphometry, image- and flow cytometry.

The histological distinction between ductal hyperplasia of the breast, atypical ductal hyperplasia and ductal carcinoma in situ is difficult and subjective. To gain a better understanding of these lesions, we performed a comparative study comprising 20 cases of ductal hyperplasia without atypia, 20 cases of ductal hyperplasia with atypia, and 30 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (well-, moderately- and poorly-differentiated), using quantitative techniques: image cytometry analysis, morphometry and DNA analysis, and DNA flow cytometry. Our results confirm that the mean nuclear area and volume progressively decreased from ductal carcinoma in situ to ductal hyperplasia without atypia. The diff…

Comparison of concomitant outcome achieved with fresh and cryopreserved donor oocytes vitrified by the Cryotop method

Objective To evaluate the outcome of oocyte vitrification using the Cryotop method, observed in an egg donation program by simultaneously evaluating embryos derived from vitrified and fresh oocytes coming from the same stimulated cycle. Design Cohort prospective randomized study. Setting Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI) Valencia, Spain. Patient(s) Thirty oocyte donors and 30 recipients with informed consents. Intervention(s) Vitrification by the Cryotop method. Warming 1 hour after vitrification. Microinjection of surviving MII and fresh oocytes, evaluation of fertilization, embryo development, and clinical results. Main Outcome Measure(s) Survival, fertilization, and cleavage rat…

Family entrepreneurial orientation as a driver of longevity in family firms: a historic analysis of the ennobled Trenor family and Trenor y Cía

This study uses family entrepreneurial orientation to explain longevity and trans-generational value creation in Trenor y Cia., a Spanish family firm that remained in business for over three genera...

Pleomorphic anaplastic neuroblastoma

Breast cancer risk among women following lifestyle recommendations: A case-control study in Spain.

1602 Background: In 2007, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) issued 8 general and 2 special recommendations for cancer prevention based on av...

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast: A Comparative Analysis of Histology, Nuclear Area, Ploidy, and Neovascularization Provides Differentiation Between Low- and High-Grade Tumors

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a heterogeneous group of lesions that has been subdivided into three types: well differentiated (grade I), moderately differentiated (grade II), and poorly differentiated (grade III). Forty-five cases of DCIS were analyzed for image analysis: nuclear area, DNA ploidy, and vascularization in order to establish a more precise correlation between the histologic grade and these morphometric parameters. Our results confirm that the mean nuclear area, DNA ploidy, and microvessel density (MVD) progressively increased from DCIS grade I to DCIS grade III. The analysis of the nuclear area in relationship to DCIS grading demonstrated a progressive increase of values …

Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Improve Left Ventricular Function, Induce Angiogenesis, and Reduce Infarct Size in Rats with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract Human dental pulp contains precursor cells termed dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) that show self-renewal and multilineage differentiation and also secrete multiple proangiogenic and antiapoptotic factors. To examine whether these cells could have therapeutic potential in the repair of myocardial infarction (MI), DPSC were infected with a retrovirus encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and expanded ex vivo. Seven days after induction of myocardial infarction by coronary artery ligation, 1.5 × 106 GFP-DPSC were injected intramyocardially in nude rats. At 4 weeks, cell-treated animals showed an improvement in cardiac function, observed by percentage changes in anterior wall thic…

Patología de los tumores neuroblásticos: evaluación pronóstica. Experiencia del centro español de referencia de la SEOP para estudios biopatológicos del neuroblastoma (1992-2005)

Resumen Antecedentes Los tumores neuroblasticos son los tumores solidos extracraneales mas frecuentes en la infancia y se caracterizan por una evolucion clinica heterogenea que va desde una progresion rapida a una regresion tumoral espontanea. Existen factores pronosticos conocidos que determinan dicha evolucion como son la edad, estadiaje, histopatologia, estatus de MYCN, ploidia y diversas ganancias y perdidas cromosomicas. El objetivo del trabajo es describir nuestra experiencia como laboratorio de referencia espanol para la determinacion de estos parametros pronosticos. Metodos Material tumoral de pacientes con neuroblastoma, remitido a nuestro laboratorio desde 1992 hasta 2005, ha sido…

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a treatment for extreme oligospermia.

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the efficacy of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in patients with extreme oligospermia.Materials and Methods: A total of 67 intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles was attempted in 58 infertile couples in which the husbands had extreme oligospermia (less than 100,000 spermatozoa per ml. ejaculate).Results: Fertilization was achieved in 65 of 67 cycles. Mean fertilization rate per cycle was 66.4 percent. A total of 18 clinical pregnancies was obtained, for a pregnancy rate of 26.8 percent per started cycle. There were 4 miscarriages and 8 live births from 5 deliveries. Nine pregnancies are ongoing.Conclusions: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection in patients with ex…