Search

Introduction: Association studies have shown that gene polymorphisms in various classes of genes can modulate cancer risk. The -31G/C polymorphism in the promoter of survivin gene, affects the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein survivin which in turn may predispose an individual to some types of cancer., Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether the survivin promoter -31G/C polymorphism could be a susceptibility factor for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin., Methods: The DNA obtained from 88 patients with SCC, 60 patients with BCC and 111 healthy individuals was subjected to polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) in order to determine genotype and allele frequencies in patients and control groups. Logistic regression was used for cancer risk assessment., Results: The following distribution of genotypes was obtained: CC genotype 15% in the SCC group, 13% in the BCC group and 12% in controls; CG genotype 41% in SCCs, 35% in BCCs, 48% in controls; GG genotype 44% in SCCs, 52% in BCCs and 40% in controls. Allelic frequencies were as follows: G allele 0.65 in SCCs, 0.69 in BCCs and 0.64 in the control group; C allele 0.35 in SCCs, 0.31 in BCCs and 0.36 in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in allele or genotype frequencies between the patients and controls (p>0.05)., Conclusion: In Serbian population, -31G/C polymorphism in the promoter of the survivin gene cannot be considered as a risk factor for oral squamous cell carcinoma and skin basal cell carcinoma.

Ophthalmopathy of Graves-Basedow disease appears in 20-50% of patients suffering from thyreotoxicosis. It is usually bilateralophthalmopathy with different degrees of severity. Many noninvasive diagnostical methods are used today. In diagnostic procedure, and especially in therapy, multidisciplinary approaches are compulsory. Although therapeutical effects vary from person to person, only a long follow-up can offer some clinical data about therapeutical success. The authors describe a 39-year-old woman with thyrotoxic bilateral ophthalmopathy. Thyrostatics, such as MMi and PTU, gave no satisfactory therapeutical results. Therefore a therapeutic dose of 131J was administered after which egsophthalmometry (Hertel) revealed regression of thyrotoxic ophthalmopathy, while the ocular signs were more pronounced after the partial thyroidectomy which had had to be carried out because of the existing thyroid functional nodule. The patient responded to corticosteroid therapy by showing a reduction in periorbital oedema, chemosis and hyperemia as well as by lowering the antibody titre against thyroglobulin and disappearing the serum immune complexes.