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Introduction: Tumor budding (TB) is considered to be a morphological and prognostic factor relevant to colon cancer (CC). The aim of our study is to assess the TB and to evaluate its relationship to clinicopathological findings within stage II and III CC patients as a single center experience. Materials and methods: A total of 120 CC patients operated between 2018 and 2021 at the University Clinic of Digestive Surgery in Skopje, the Republic of North Macedonia were included in this retrospective, single center study. TB was evaluated by the magnification of 200x along the invasive front of the primary tumor on H&E and CKAE1/AE3 immunohistochemically stained sections. Two grades were used: low grade (TB1, 0-4 TBs) and high-grade, which includes intermediate (TB2, 5-9 TBs) and high grade (TB3 ≥10TBs) of TBs. Results: A statistically significant correlation has been identified between high-grade TB and age (p=0.05) of the patients. There was also a significantly higher occurrence of high-grade TB in patients within stage III CC. Statistically significant correlations were also found in lymph node status (p<0.01), vascular invasion (p<0.05), lymphatic invasion (p<0.01), postoperative relapse (p<0.01), and death (p<0.01). Tumor relapse and death were significantly more frequent in patients with high-grade TB than those with low-grade TB. Patients with registered high-grade TB demonstrated significantly lower relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates than patients with low-grade TB over the observation period (RFS: 53.8% vs. 98.5%, p<0.001; OS: 65.4% vs. 97.1%, p<0.001, respectively). Patients with lung and liver postoperative relapses had higher percentage of cases with high-grade TB (94.1%). Conclusion: Our results are highly suggestive that TB should be included as a histological biomarker in the pathology report of patients with stage II and stage III CC, because of its prognostic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Bladder cancer (BC) is the sixth most common malignant neoplasm in men. Recently, great effort has been devoted to the study of BC variant histology (VH). Yet, the results from these studies have shown conflicting data and remain unclear whether their presence alters recurrence and survival rates after radical cystectomy (RC). Aims: We undertook this study aiming to test the effect on VH on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in single-center RC patients. Settings and Design: We have retrospectively analyzed medical records and pathology reports from 331 patients who underwent RC with or without pelvic lymphadenectomy at University Urology Clinic-Skopje, North Macedonia, in the period between 2010 and 2018. Subjects and Methods: Microscopic analysis of the specimens involved the evaluation of histological tumor type, tumor grade, pathological tumor node metastasis stage, presence of lymphovascular invasion, and resection margin status. Statistical Analysis Used: Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were applied to test the effect of VH on RFS and OS. Results: We found 185 patients who matched our inclusion criteria. At multivariable analyses, lymphovascular invasion and positive resection margins were associated with shorter RFS. Similarly, patients diagnosed with lymphovascular invasion, positive resection margins, and a pelvic lymph node metastasis had poorer OS. VH was not found to be an independent predictor of both RFS and OS (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The present study did not reveal prognostic effect of VH on RFS and OS. In our series, histomorphologic parameters including lymphovascular invasion, resection margins, and pelvic lymph node metastasis were the most relevant predictors on survival outcome after RC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to identify Helicobacter species with 2 different morphology (Helicobacter-like organisms and Gastrospirillumlike organisms) in gastric imprint of pig stomach. A total of 120 gastric specimens, (60 from intensive and 60 from extensive pig production) were analyzed. The presence of Helicobacter species was detected in 9 of total 60 (15%) pigs from intensive production and 6.67% (4/60) belong to „Helicobacter pylori morphotype", while 8.33% (5/60) belong to „Gastrospirillum-morphotype". Helicobacter species in pigs from extensive production was found in 14 of total 60 (23.33%). „Helicobacterpylori morphotype" were present in 5 of total 60 samples (8.33%), while bacteria with spiral appearance (Gastrospirillum-morphotype) were identified in 9 of total 60 samples (15%). Also, semi-quantitative evaluation of bacterial density was performed. The gastric imprint is useful, fast, simple and inexpensive method, widely used for confirmation of presence of Helicobacter species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of the most valuable frescoes in the world can be found in the churches and monasteries in the Republic of Macedonia. Painted mostly in the Byzantine (eleventh to fifteenth centuries) and post-Byzantine periods (fifteenth to eighteenth centuries), these frescoes are now under threat, presumably due to the fact that the original roofs covering the churches were replaced by modern ones. The new roofs, made of aggressive materials such as cement mortar and reinforced concrete, have very low air permeability and do not allow sufficient drying of the fresco layers during the humid periods in winter and cause over-drying of the fresco layers during the hot and dry summer periods. This phenomenon is believed to be the main cause for the frescoes' degradation. This study examines some recent interventions to Macedonian church buildings and what appears to be consequential damage to the fresco paintings, which in some cases is already irreversible. It also proposes possible approaches which could help to save this important element of world heritage and preserve it for posterity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]