ERBB2 in Cat Mammary Neoplasias Disclosed a Positive Correlation between RNA and Protein Low Expression Levels: A Model for erbB-2 Negative Human Breast Cancer

Human ERBB2 is a proto-oncogene that codes for the erbB-2 epithelial growth factor receptor. In human breast cancer (HBC), erbB-2 protein overexpression has been repeatedly correlated with poor prognosis. In more recent works, underexpression of this gene has been described in HBC. Moreover, it is also recognised that oncogenes that are commonly amplified or deleted encompass point mutations, and some of these are associated with HBC. In cat mammary lesions (CMLs), the overexpression of ERBB2 (27%–59.6%) has also been described, mostly at the protein level and although cat mammary neoplasias are considered to be a natural model of HBC, molecular information is still scarce. In the present work, a cat ERBB2 fragment, comprising exons 10 to 15 (ERBB2_10–15) was achieved for the first time. Allelic variants and genomic haplotype analyses were also performed, and differences between normal and CML populations were observed. Three amino acid changes, corresponding to 3 non-synonymous genomic sequence variants that were only detected in CMLs, were proposed to damage the 3D structure of the protein. We analysed the cat ERBB2 gene at the DNA (copy number determination), mRNA (expression levels assessment) and protein levels (in extra- and intra protein domains) in CML samples and correlated the last two evaluations with clinicopathological features. We found a positive correlation between the expression levels of the ERBB2 RNA and erbB-2 protein, corresponding to the intracellular region. Additionally, we detected a positive correlation between higher mRNA expression and better clinical outcome. Our results suggest that the ERBB2 gene is post-transcriptionally regulated and that proteins with truncations and single point mutations are present in cat mammary neoplastic lesions. We would like to emphasise that the recurrent occurrence of low erbB-2 expression levels in cat mammary tumours, suggests the cat mammary neoplasias as a valuable model for erbB-2 negative HBC.POCI/CVT/62940/2004 and by the PhD grants (SFRH/BD/23406/2005 and SFRH/BD/31754/2006, of the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) from Portugal

Le flogosi tubercolari del testicolo: quadri caratteristici in ecografia

During the last 3 years (1987/1990) the authors have performed 562 ultrasound studies of the scrotum in patients ranging 6 months to 76 years of age. All patients were referred with a non-specific clinical suspicion of scrotal pathologies. Only 214/562 patients presenting with signs and symptoms of scrotal inflammation were considered for this study. Among this group of 214 patients, 34 cases of tuberculous epididymo-orchitis were identified. The remaining 180 patients were classified as follows: non-specific inflammation 141, other non inflammatory pathology 39. In the group with findings of tuberculosis, all stages of disease were identified, including miliary forms as well as nodular forms. The patients were closely followed during medical therapy or until surgery was performed to study the course of the disease. For each form of disease specific US findings and differential diagnostic criteria were recognized and will be illustrated in this paper. All diagnosis of tuberculosis were confirmed either at surgery or on the basis of successful response to specific chemotherapy. US diagnosis based on the morphologic and echo texture criteria allowed high diagnostic accuracy: in fact in the whole group of 214 patients with inflammatory disease there were only 1 false positive and 1 false negative diagnoses with a sensitivity of 96.9%, a specificity of 89.9% and a diagnostic accuracy of 98.85%. The paper also stresses the importance of US in the short- and long-term follow-up of the patients undergoing medical therapy

Psychotropic medication of acute episodes of mood disorders: Current prescription attitude in two psychiatric wards in Cagliari, Italy

Background: Medication of acute episodes of mood disorders has changed over the last decades following the results of randomized clinical trials. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze medication prescribed at discharge from two psychiatric wards. We focused on hospitalization as one of the best opportunities to start prophylaxis. Methods: We examined retrospectively the clinical records of 357 patients hospitalized for mood episodes in two psychiatric wards in the Cagliari area (SPDC-1 and SPDC-2) between 1 January and 31 December 2016. We focused on the psychotropic medication prescribed at discharge from the hospital. Results: Most patients were discharged with antipsychotics (86%) and/or benzodiazepines (89%). Combined medication was frequent, including various co-administration of first-generation and/or second-generation antipsychotics (26% of patients), or antipsychotics combined with mood-stabilizers (51% of patients). There was a preferential prescription of first-generation antipsychotics in SPDC-1, and of second-generation antipsychotics in SPDC-2. Prescription of lithium was significantly more frequent in SPDC-1. Conclusion: Although the treatment was in line with randomized clinical trials, the choice of individual psychotropic agents differed significantly between the two wards. Different prescription attitudes can have consequences on the long-term outcome of patients discharged from the hospital after an acute mood episode

Ecotomografla Clinica

Manuale didattico che illustra apparecchiature ecografiche, tecnica di studio, anatomia dei vari distretti , semeiotica normale e patologica dei vari organi e apparat

Gingival hypertrophy induced by cyclosporin A in heart transplant patients.

The clinical and histological aspects of gingival hypertrophy due to cyclosporine-A in 10 heart-transplanted patients are studied. The behaviour to avoid or to limit gingival overgrowth is suggested