An inexpensive method of small paraffin tissue microarrays using mechanical pencil tips

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tissue microarray technology has provided a high throughput means of evaluating potential biomarkers in archival pathological specimens. This study was carried out in order to produce tissue microarray blocks using mechanical pencil tips without high cost.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Conventional mechanical pencil tips (Rotring Tikky II Mechanical Pencil 1.0 mm) were used to cut out 1 mm wax cylinders from the recipient block, creating from 36 to 72 holes. Three cores of tumor areas were punched out manually by using the mechanical pencil tips from donor paraffin embedded tissue blocks and transferred to the holes of the paraffin tissue microarrays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This technique was easy and caused little damage to the donor blocks. We successfully performed H&E slides and immunodetection without substantial tissue cylinder loss.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our mechanical pencil tip technique is the most inexpensive easy technique among the literature. It also takes a reasonable amount of time and reduces antibody consumption during immunohistochemistry</p

Bilharzial endocervical polyp

Schistosomiasis still represents a major threat to women′s health in many developing countries. The frequency in developed countries is increasing among immigrants and tourists who have a history of freshwater exposure in endemic areas. This is a case of 43-year-old immunocompetent Egyptian woman presented by abnormal vaginal bleeding. The gynecological examination revealed an endocervical polyp measuring 3 x 2 x 1 cm. Polypectomy was done. Histopathological examination revealed several granulomas containing viable eggs of Schistosoma hematobium. Schistosomiasis is rarely presented with endocervical polyp. In developing countries, schistosomiasis may be considered in differential diagnosis of patient with endocervical polyp

Cellular Oncology 27 (2005) 245-253 245 IOS Press p53, Bcl-2 and C-Myc expressions in colorectal carcinoma associated with schistosomiasis in Egypt

Abstract. Background and aims: Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes expression are well described in bladder cancer associated with schistosomiasis especially in Egypt. Scarce studies were directed to colorectal cancer (CRC) associated with Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni). Apoptosis (programmed cell death) and the genes regulating this process (e.g., Bcl-2) have recently become a focus of interest in the study of cancer development and progression. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression pattern of p53, Bcl-2 and C-Myc in CRC tissues obtained from Egyptian colorectal cancer patients divided in two different groups, one associated with Schistosoma mansoni (CRC-Sm) and the other without Schistosoma mansoni (CRC-NSm). Methods: Seventy-five CRC tumors containing 36 draining lymph node metastatic tumors were immunohistochemically stained using specific monoclonal antibodies for p53, Bcl-2 and C-Myc, in addition the apoptotic activity of these tumors were analyzed. Results and conclusions: Regardless of the S. mansoni infection, the obtained results showed that the apoptotic activity was more evident in p53 diffuse positive tumors (P = 0.021). There was a significant correlation between p53 diffuse positive staining and Bcl-2 positive immunostaining (P = 0.011). Signet ring cell carcinoma and mucinous adenocarcinoma exhibited both intense C-Myc expression than non-mucinous carcinoma (P = 0.001). When adjusting for S. mansoni infection, 58.3% of CRC-Sm cases were Bcl-2 positive compared to only (33.3%) of CRC-NSm (P = 0.046). Apoptotic activity was more evident in the latter group than of CRC-Sm tumors (P = 0.009). p53 and C-Myc expressions were found insignificantly different in CRC-Sm compared with CRC-NSm (P &gt; 0.05). These observations suggest that the genotoxic agents produced endogenously through the course of schistosomiasis mansoni may play a role in CRC-Sm pathogenesis through the dysregulation of apoptosis by alteration the expression pattern of Bcl-2 protein differently from CRC-NSm suggesting a different biological behavior

Frequency of central nervous system tumors in delta region, Egypt

Introduction and Aim of Work: Central nervous system (CNS) tumors represent a major public health problem, and their epidemiological data in Egypt have been rather incomplete except for some regional reports. There are no available frequency-based data on CNS tumors in our locality. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of CNS tumors in east delta region, Egypt. Materials and Methods: The data were collected during the 8-year period from January 1999 to December 2007 from Pathology Department, Mansoura University, and other referred pathology labs. Examination of HandE stained sections from retrieved paraffin blocks were done in all cases for histopathologic categorization of C.N.S. tumors. Immunohistochemical studies were applied to confirm final histopathologic diagnosis in problematic cases. Results: Intracranial tumors represented 86.7% of cases in comparison to only 13.3% for spinal tumors. Gliomas were the CNS tumors of the highest frequency (35.2%), followed by meningioma (25.6%), pituitary adenoma (11.6%) and nerve sheath tumors (6.6%). 10.25% of tumors were of children <15 years. Conclusion: This study provides the largest series of the relative frequency of CNS tumors in Delta region in Egypt till now and may help to give insight into the epidemiology of CNS tumors in our locality

CXCL10 antagonism and plasma sDPPIV correlate with increasing liver disease in chronic HCV genotype 4 infected patients

International audienceEgypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection worldwide. CXCL10 is a potent chemoattractant that directs effector lymphocytes to sites of inflammation. It has been reported that plasma CXCL10 is processed by dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPPIV) thus leading to the generation of an antagonist form. Using Luminex-based immunoassays we determined the concentration of different forms of CXCL10 (total, agonist, and antagonist). We also evaluated plasma soluble DPPIV (sDPPIV) concentration and plasma dipeptidylpeptidase (DPP) activity. Using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, we analyzed the distribution of lymphocyte subsets. Plasma CXCL10 was elevated in chronic HCV patients, however the agonist form was undetectable. Increased sDPPIV concentration and DPP activity supported the NH2-truncation of CXCL10. Finally, we demonstrated an increased frequency of CXCR3(+) cells in the peripheral blood, and low numbers of CXCR3(+) cells within the lobular regions of the liver. These findings generalize the observation of chemokine antagonism as a mechanism of immune modulation in chronic HCV patients and may help guide the use of new therapeutic immune modulators