Bronchodilatory Effect of

Background. Several therapeutic effects including anti-asthma and dyspnea have been described for the seeds of Carum copticum. In previous studies the relaxant and anticholinergic (functional antagonism) effects, histamine H1 inhibitory and $\beta_{2}$ stimulatory effects of Carum copticum have been demonstrated on guinea pig tracheal chains. In the present study, the bronchodilatory effect of boiled extract from Carum copticum in the airways of asthmatic patients was examined. Materials and methods. The bronchodilatory effects of 0.125 and 0.25 ml/kg of 10 g% boiled extract in comparison with 6 mg/kg theophylline and placebo were studied by measuring pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and specific airway conductance (sGaw). Pulmonary function tests were measured before administration and repeated 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min after administration of the oral extract and theophylline. Results. The results showed that the boiled extract of Carum copticum caused significant increases in all PFT values, in most time intervals, ($\rm p<0.05$ to $\rm p<0.001$). However, the increase in most PFT values due to the both doses of boiled extract were significantly lower than those of theophylline in most time intervals ($\rm p<0.05$ to $\rm p<0.001$). The onset of brochodilatory effect of extract was similar to that of theophylline beginning 30 min, its maximum effect on PFTs (23 to 32% increase) was seen in 90–120 min and the effect of extract decline after 150 min following administration similar to the effect of theophylline. In addition the placebo did not cause any significant increase in PFT values. Conclusion. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that Carum copticum has a relatively bronchodilatory effect on asthmatic airways which was comparable with the effect of theophylline at concentrations used

Does MRI have added value in ultrasound-detected BIRADS-3 breast masses in candidates for assisted reproductive therapy?

Background: Ultrasound-detected breast lesions with probably benign features are a great challenge for clinicians, especially in breasts with dense composition. We aimed to investigate the finding of two radiologic modalities on these lesions. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study recruited patients including (1) candidates of assisted reproductive therapy (ART), (2) patients with prior high-risk lesions, and (3) the “suspected” BIRADS-3 masses referring to masses that US BIRADS-3 was not compatible with the clinical breast exam. The degree of agreement in diagnosing BIRADS-3 lesions between two modalities of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US), and comparison of the lesions in US and MRI were the study variables. Results: A total number of 123 lesions in 67 patients with a median age of 38 (IQR: 11, range: 17–67). In the examination by MRI, 107 (87.0 %) lesions were BIRADS-3 indicating the agreement level between these two modalities. The median size of the lesions in US was 9 mm (IQR: 5, range: 3–43) and 9 mm (IQR: 10, range: 4–46) in MRI. The measured size of the lesions between the two modalities was highly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.889, P-value < 0.001). MRI evaluation revealed two cases of deep lesions which were missed in the US imaging. Conclusions: This study found relatively high agreement values between US and MRI in detecting BIRADS-3 breast lesions in candidates for ART or patients with prior high-risk lesions. Also, MRI could downgrade about one-tenth of the cases to a lower BIRADS level and resolved the need for closer follow-up

Diagnostic challenges of lung biopsies in setting of metastatic female genital tract tumors; report of 2 cases

Introduction: Lungs are one of the most common sites for metastatic tumors in the body. In addition, primary lung tumors are the most common cause of death due to neoplasms in both genders. Treatment strategies are completely different for primary and metastatic lung tumors making accurate diagnosis of lung tumors an effective factor in planning the correct treatment. The development of personalized medicine and targeted therapy, especially in the treatment of primary lung tumors, has highlighted the importance of correct diagnosis of these tumors. Case report: The Pathology Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital Cancer Institute in Tehran, Iran, as a referral center for cancer across the country, is faced with a large number of lung biopsies, and therefore, there will be numerous diagnostic challenges. In this article, we presented two cases of primary female genital tract (cervical) tumors that during follow up lung masses were detected. Diagnosis on lung biopsy assigned as primary lung adenocarcinoma. Both cases referred to our lab for second opinion accompanied with related resected sample and implementation of further supplementary markers documented metastatic origin of tumors. Discussion & conclusion: In both cases, similarity in immunohistochemical characteristics of metastatic tumors with primary lung adenocarcinoma, especially positive nuclear TTF1 staining led to misdiagnosis of lung tumor origin. This finding emphasizes on the use of other specific markers related to primary site of tumor to decrease possibility of incorrect diagnosis of the origin of the tumor in metastatic setting. Due to remarkable influence of primary versus metastatic origin of lung tumor on selection of treatment, pathologists should be considered correct diagnosis and notice to similarity of immunohistochemical markers of primary lung tumors to other organs and implementation of more specific markers are necessary

Characterization of immune checkpoints expression and lymphocyte densities of iranian breast cancer patients; the co-expression status and clinicopathological associates

Abstract Background Breast malignancies are now the most common and deadliest type of neoplasms among women worldwide. Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to combat advanced stages of breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression and co-expression status of three immune checkpoints (PD-1, PD-L1, and LAG-3), as well as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) scores, and to further establish their potential correlations with clinicopathologic features. Methods We performed a retrospective study on 361 pathologic samples of breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the status of the immune checkpoint markers, and H&E staining was used to score TILs. The correlations of the immune checkpoint markers of tumor cells and tumor-associated immune cells and TIL scores with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Results Out of 361 assessed samples, LAG-3 was positive in 51%, while IC PD-L1 and TC PD-L1 were detectable in 36% and 8.9%, respectively. Moreover, both IC PD-L1 and LAG-3 stained positively in 24.4% of samples. IC PD-L1 expression was significantly higher in tumors with higher nuclear, mitotic, and overall grades and tubule formation. In addition, TC PD-L1 and LAG-3 exhibited a similar trend for higher overall grading. Tumors with positive estrogen- and progesterone-receptor (ER and PR) expression had significantly lower IC PD-L1 and TC PD-L1 staining, while LAG-3 positivity was more prevalent in HER2 positive samples. Tumors that were positive for these biomarkers had significantly higher Ki-67 scores. LAG-3 expression showed significant correlations with PD-1 and IC PD-L1 expression. Besides, the co-expression of LAG-3 and IC PD-L1 was significantly more encountered in luminal B and triple-negative subtypes, compared to the luminal A subtype. Regarding TILs, their scoring was significantly higher in ER and PR negative and HER2 positive samples. Intriguingly, samples with positive staining for LAG-3, IC PD-L1, and TC PD-L1 had significantly higher TIL scorings. Conclusions Immune checkpoints show differentially different levels of expression in certain molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Moreover, they reveal a meaningful correlation with each other, proliferation indices, and histologic grades. Finally, a sizable proportion of breast cancers co-express PD-L1 and LAG-3, which will make them appropriate targets for future combined ICIs

sj-docx-1-jbm-10.1177_03936155231158661 - Supplemental material for Pleural CEA, CA-15-3, CYFRA 21-1, CA-19-9, CA-125 discriminating malignant from benign pleural effusions: Diagnostic cancer biomarkers

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jbm-10.1177_03936155231158661 for Pleural CEA, CA-15-3, CYFRA 21-1, CA-19-9, CA-125 discriminating malignant from benign pleural effusions: Diagnostic cancer biomarkers by Farzaneh Fazli Khalaf, Mehrnaz Asadi Gharabaghi, Maryam Balibegloo, Hamidreza Davari, Samaneh Afshar and Behnaz Jahanbin in The International Journal of Biological Markers</p