The role of liquid based cytology and ancillary techniques in the peritoneal washing analysis: our institutional experience

Background The cytological analysis of peritoneal effusions serves as a diagnostic and prognostic aid for either primary or metastatic diseases. Among the different cytological preparations, liquid based cytology (LBC) represents a feasible and reliable method ensuring also the application of ancillary techniques (i.e immunocytochemistry-ICC and molecular testing). Methods We recorded 10348 LBC peritoneal effusions between January 2000 and December 2014. They were classified as non-diagnostic (ND), negative for malignancy-NM, atypical-suspicious for malignancy-SM and positive for malignancy-PM. Results The cytological diagnosis included 218 ND, 9.035 NM, 213 SM and 882 PM. A total of 8048 (7228 NM, 115SM, 705 PM) cases with histological follow-up were included. Our NM included 21 malignant and 7207 benign histological diagnoses. Our 820 SMs+PMs were diagnosed as 107 unknown malignancies (30SM and 77PM), 691 metastatic lesions (81SM and 610PM), 9 lymphomas (2SM and 7PM), 9 mesotheliomas (1SM and 8SM), 4 sarcomas (1SM and 3PM). Primary gynecological cancers contributed with 64% of the cases. We documented 97.4% sensitivity, 99.9% specificity, 98% diagnostic accuracy, 99.7% negative predictive value (NPV) and 99.7% positive predictive value (PPV). Furthermore, the morphological diagnoses were supported by either 173 conclusive ICC results or 50 molecular analyses. Specifically the molecular testing was performed for the EGFR and KRAS mutational analysis based on the previous or contemporary diagnoses of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and colon carcinomas. We identified 10 EGFR in NSCCL and 7 KRAS mutations on LBC stored material. Conclusions Peritoneal cytology is an adjunctive tool in the surgical management of tumors mostly gynecological cancers. LBC maximizes the application of ancillary techniques such as ICC and molecular analysis with feasible diagnostic and predictive yields also in controversial cases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Evaluation of neuroendocrine and proliferative markers in prostatic adenocarcinomas

Abstract Background: Certain marker studies have practical importance in the biology of prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the quantification of certain neuroendocrine and proliferative markers obtained during transurethral resection or prostatectomy, would help in the prognostic evaluation of prostatic adenocarcinomas. Methods: The present study was performed on samples obtained from two groups of patients with acinar type prostatic adenocarcinoma. Each group comprised 21 patients with Gleason scores .7 (high-grade) and Gleason scores .6 (low-grade). Tumors with their surrounding benign tissues were stained with Ki67 and chromogranin A (ChA), and their cell proliferation and neuroendocrine differentiation were examined. Results: The mean number of neuroendocrine cells (ChA positive cells) in high grade tumors was 21% and that of low grade was less than one percent (P<0.001). Whereas, the mean proliferative index determined by Ki67 positive cells was 49% in high grade tumors as compared to less than 4% in low grade tumors (P<0.001). No significant difference was found between the mean percentages of chA cells in the non-tumoral tissues of high grade (2.7%) and low grade (1.9%). The mean proliferative index in the non-tumoral tissues of high grade (2.8%) was significantly higher (P<0.001) than of low grade tumors (1.4%). Conclusion: The usage of proliferative index seems to be an acceptable diagnostic index for the determination of tumor grading

Diagnostic value of frozen section compared with permanent pathology results for detection of characteristics of head and neck tumors

Background: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic values of frozen section compared with permanent pathology results for detection of characteristic of head and neck tumors. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 88 patients suffered from head and neck tumors and operated during 2010-2015 in Alzahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran, were enrolled. The results of frozen section and permanent pathology were extracted from hospital records and sensitivity, specificity, false negative, false positive, and negative and positive predictive values were calculated for frozen section. Findings: Sensitivity, specificity, false negative, false positive, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were as 89.8%, 94.4%, 5.6%, 10.2%, 95.7%, and 87.2%, respectively; and the accuracy of frozen section was 91.8%. Conclusion: Frozen section test during surgeries is a good and valuable method for detection of characteristic of head and neck tumors. But, enough pathologist experience and precision of sampling by surgeon can lead to increase the accuracy rate of frozen section which finally leads to decrease of reoperation and relapse of disease, and better prognosis

The risk factors and laboratory diagnostics for post renal transplant tuberculosis: A case-control, country-wide study on definitive cases

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients and, because of its infrequency and the lack of medical awareness, it is usually misdiagnosed. This study was carried out to determine frequency and weight of multiple risk factors for post kidney transplantation TB. Methods. A total of 44 cases (0.3), out of 12,820 patients from 12 major kidney transplantation centers in Iran from 1984 to 2003, were compared with 184 healthy transplant subjects who were transplanted by the same surgical team. Results. The mean age of cases and controls was 37.7 (13-63) and 35.6 (8-67) years (P=0.3), respectively. The mean duration of pre-transplantation hemodialysis was 30.3 (3-168) months in cases and 18.2 (1-180) months in controls (P=0.03). A positive past history of TB was detected in 2 cases and 1 control (P=0.3). The mean doses of initial and maintenance immunosuppressive drugs in cases and controls were not significantly different. A total of 25 cases (56.8) and 60 controls (32.6) had rejection before diagnosis of TB (P=0.004; OR=2.7, CI95: 1.3-5.6). Conclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrated an increase in the risk of post-transplant TB by increasing the duration of pre-transplant hemodialysis and the number of post-transplant rejection episodes as 2 immunocompromised states. Further study is needed to clarify our new findings, specifically in relation to different immunosuppressive regimens. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc