Dp71 expression in human glioblastoma

Background: Dp71 is the most abundant dystrophin (DMD) gene product in the nervous system. Mutation in the Dp71 coding region is associated with cognitive disturbances in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, but the function of dystrophin Dp71 in tumor progression remains to be established. This study investigated Dp71 expression in glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: Dp71 expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and immunoblotting in glioblastoma cell lines and cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) bioptic specimens. Results: Dp71 isoform was expressed in normal human astrocytes (NHA) cell lines and decreased in glioblastoma cell lines and cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme bioptic specimens. Moreover, Dp71 was localized in the nucleus in normal cells, while it was localized into the cytoplasm of glioblastoma cells organized in clusters. We have shown, by double labeling, that Dp71 colocalizes with lamin B in normal astrocytes cells, confirming the roles of Dp71 and lamin B in maintaining nuclear architecture. Finally, we demonstrated that decreased Dp71 protein in cells isolated from human bioptic specimens was inversely correlated with the Ki-67 tumor proliferative index. Conclusion: A decreased Dp71 expression is associated with cancer proliferation and poor prognosis in glioblastoma

Value of staging squamous cell carcinoma of the anal margin and canal using the sentinel lymph node procedure: an update of the series and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Inguinal metastases in patients affected by anal cancer are an independent prognostic factor for local failure and overall mortality. Since 2001, sentinel lymph node biopsy was applied in these patients. This original study reports an update of personal and previous published series, which were compared with Literature to value the incidence of inguinal metastases T-stage related and the overall incidence of false negative inguinal metastases at sentinel node. METHODS: In all, 63 patients diagnosed with anal cancer submitted to inguinal sentinel node. Furthermore a research in the Pub Med database was performed to find papers regarding this technique. RESULTS: In our series, detection rate was 98.4%. Inguinal metastases were evidentiated in 13 patients (20.6%). Our median follow-up was 35 months. In our series, no false negative nodes were observed. CONCLUSION: Sentinel node technique in the detection of inguinal metastases in patients affected by anal cancer should be considered as a standard of care. It is indicated for all T stages in order to select patients to be submitted to inguinal radiotherapy, avoiding related morbidity in negative ones. An overall 3.7% rate of false negative must be considered acceptable

Sézary Syndrome: Different Erythroderma Morphological Features with Proposal for a Clinical Score System

Sézary syndrome is a rare subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by erythroderma, peripheral lymphadenopathies, and circulating atypical cerebriform T-cells. To date, no definite staging system has been developed for these patients. In this retrospective analysis of the archive of the Dermatological Clinic of the University of Turin, Italy, erythrodermic SS patients were classified according to clinical records and photographs into three main presentations: erythematous, infiltrated, or melanodermic. The pattern of erythroderma was found to be associated with disease outcome, as better survivals were recorded in patients with erythematous and infiltrative erythroderma. Patients in the melanodermic group, though less represented in our investigation, seemed to show a worse trend in survival. According to this preliminary evidence, a new prognostic classification, with a revised score specific for Sézary syndrome patients, can be proposed to usefully integrate the current staging system. The correlation displayed in our research will be hopefully confirmed by prospective studies with larger cohorts, with the aim of identifying significant prognostic features in this subset of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients