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SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic data, molecular epidemiology, and in vitro antifungal susceptibility results of patients with Aspergillus isolated from various clinical specimens. METHODS: A total of 44 Aspergillus strains were studied. The definition of invasive aspergillosis in patients was made according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria. Strains were phenotypically and molecularly identified. Demographic characteristics of patients and genotypes of strains were evaluated. Phylogenetic analysis was done by the The Unweighted Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA). Antifungal susceptibility of strains was determined according to The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)-M61-Ed2 and The European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were classified as proven and 33 as probable invasive aspergillosis. There was a statistically significant difference in age groups, subdisease, neutropenic, and receiving chemotherapy between groups. A total of 23 strains were identified as Aspergillus fumigatus, 12 as Aspergillus niger, 6 as Aspergillus flavus, and 3 as Aspergillus terreus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed five different genotypes. No statistical difference was found in the comparisons between patients groups and genotype groups. There was a statistically significant difference between genotype groups and voriconazole, posaconazole, and itraconazole Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC). CONCLUSION: Accurate identification of strains and antifungal susceptibility studies should be performed due to azole and amphotericin B resistance. Genotyping studies are important in infection control due to identifying sources of infection and transmission routes.

Malignant proliferating pilar tumors are very rare adnexial lesions that can be confused with other skin neoplasms. The authors present four patients with malignant proliferating trichilemmal tumors located on the scalp. A review of the literature search for malignant proliferating pilar tumors and treatments was performed.

Aim: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) constitutes 40% of childhood lymphomas and approximately 6% of all childhood cancers. It is tried to achieve cure with combined treatment modalities consisting of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, and new treatment agents such as nivolumab. Radiotherapy-related infertility, secondary cancer, thyroid dysfunction, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary fibrosis, and local skin reactions can be seen in the pediatric age group with a long life expectancy. In this article, pediatric patients diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma without the use of radiotherapy in the treatment were evaluated retrospectively and the survival results were reported as a single-center experience. Material and Method: The patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma in the Pediatrics Hematology-Oncology Center at Erciyes University between January 2010 and December 2019 were included in the study and the data of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Results: In 68 pediatric patients with a mean age of 10.7 (±4.6) years, the male/female ratio was 1.3. The most detected finding at the time of diagnosis was cervical lymphadenopathy (83.8%). The most common mixed cellular subtype was identified (48.5%). Stage I-II disease was observed in 38.3% of the patients, and stage III-IV disease was observed in 61.7% of the patients. The median follow-up period of the patients was 61 (range, 8.3-161.6) months. Disease-free survival and overall survival were 85.3% and 94.1%, respectively. Treatment modalities to be used in this disease group, which has a high chance of cure after cytotoxic treatment, should be selected considering treatment-related long-term complications. Conclusion: Acceptable good results obtained without radiotherapy are satisfactory and the chance of curative success will increase with the addition of new target agents to the treatment.

This retrospective study examined the prognostic significance and treatment effect of promoter methylation of O6- methyl guanine methyl transferase (MGMT) and meth-ylation of CpG 1, CpG2, CpG3 and CpG4 in glioblastoma (GB) patients received postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), with or without adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ). One hundred patients with GB who received PORT with concomitant TMZ plus adjuvant TMZ or PORT alone, were included. The MGMT promoter methylation of CpG1, CpG2, CpG3 and CpG4 islands were examined. Overall, MGMT-methylation emerged as a significant prognostic factor for better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) [odds ratio (OR): 0.609, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.395-0.939, p = 0.02; OR: 0.662,95% CI: 0.430-1019, p = 0.5, respectively]. The methylation of each CpG1, CpG2, CpG3 and CpG4 islands was found to have no significant effects on OS and the methylation of each CpGl, CpG2 and CpG4 islands had no significant effect on PFS (p p = 0.04). In the group that only received radiotherapy (RT), CpG1 and CpC3 methylations were found to have a positive prognostic significance in terms of PFS (OR: 266, 95% CI: 1.05-6.75, p -0.03 for CpG1; OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.01-5.92, p = 0.04 for CpG3). The MGMT promoter methylation represents an important biomarker for predicting response to therapy. Individual islands, particularly CpG3, deserves further investigation as a prognostic marker. Further studies need to be done with larger sample sizes to clarify the results.

Purpose To investigate the relationship between CD133 positivity and radiotherapy (RT) response in early stage glottic laryngeal cancers. Methods Thirty seven patients with early-stage glottic laryngeal carcinoma who were treated with primary RT were evaluated. Patients with regular follow-up of at least 3 years were included in the study. Patients who had previously received chemotherapy for laryngeal surgery or underwent surgery were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups as recurrent and non-recurrent. These two groups were compared in terms of CD133 expression by immunohistochemical method. Results There were 37 patients in the study.Ten patients had recurrence and seven (70%) had CD133 positive and three had CD133 negative. Of 27 patients who had no recurrence, 16 (59%) had CD133 positive and 11 (41%) had CD133 negative. 7 (70%) of ten patients with recurrence were found to be positive for CD133; There was no statistically significant difference between recurrent and non-recurrent patient groups in terms of CD133 positivity (p > 0.05). There was no correlation between the final CD133 score and recurrence status as well (p > 0.05). Conclusion There was no relationship between radiotherapy response and CD133 staining in early-stage glottic laryngeal cancers. It is the largest study about CD133 and RT sensitivity in early stage glottic carcinomas.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prognostic and predictive value of PD-L1 expression in operated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to analyze its relationship with clinicopathological factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD A total of 90 patients with operable NSCLC were included in this retrospective single center study. Tumor blocks of patients were stained immunohistochemically with PD-L1 polyclonal antibody. When evaluated immunohistochemically and statistically, patients with tumor staining percentage of ≥5%, those with +2 and +3 membranous staining intensity, and those with ≥50% H-Score were considered positive. The relationship between PD-L1 expression status and clinicopathological features in addition to the prognostic effect of PD-L1 on survival were statistically analyzed. RESULTS The frequency of PD-L1 expression was 37%, 15% and 5% according to the staining percentage, staining intensity, and the H-Score, respectively. There was no significant relationship between PD-L1 expression and age, gender, smoking, tumor stage and histological subtype (p > 0.05). However, PD-L1 expression was relatively higher in patients < 65 years of age, men, smokers, patients with advanced tumor stage, and squamous cell subtype. Based on the analysis of the H-Score, no significant difference was noted regarding disease-free survival time between PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative patients (median 20 [95% CI 1.2-38.7] months vs. median 27 [95% CI 17.5-36] months, p=0.208). However, overall survival time was significantly shorter in PD-L1 positive compared to PD-L1 negative patients (median 24 months [95% CI 9.9-38] vs. median 48 months [95% CI 33.6-62.3], p=0.049). CONCLUSION In patients with high PD-L1 expression, the biological behavior of the cancer was more aggressive, and the life expectancy was shorter. PD-L1 expression seems to be a poor prognostic marker in NSCLC patients.

Aim: PIWIL 2 belongs to a subgroup of argonaute proteins, which has an essential role in germ cell development and repair. Recent studies have demonstrated PIWIL 2 as a stem cell marker in some solid tumors. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of PIWIL 2 in childhood solid tumors and to show being a potential marker for a therapeutic drug.Materials and Methods: The study included 150 patients who were diagnosed with pediatric solid tumor and followed between 2000 and 2011. Solid tumor preparations were stained with polyclonal PIWIL 2 antibody by using immunohistochemical methods.Results: Assessment of the tumor sub-groups showed that, among 30 patients with neuroblastoma, there was a strong staining in 5 (16.70%) (p=0.020). PIWIL 2 was showed strong staining in 3 (21.40%) osteosarcoma patients (p=0.030). Among 34 patients with a germ cell tumor, there was a strong staining in 6 (17.60%) patients (p=0.040).Conclusion: Significant PIWIL 2 positivity was found in neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma and germ cell tumors and it can be a potential marker for these tumors. Because of non-tumor tissue involvement in Wilms’ tumor it can be particularly useful in determining surgical margins.

Introduction: This study aimed to review the surgical excision results and pathological diagnostic features of rarely observed intracardiac masses in the light of the literature. Diagnosis and treatment approaches and complications were evaluated. Methods: Forty patients (26 females, mean age 52.1±18.1 years, and 14 males, mean age 48.1±20.5 years), who had undergone surgery for intracardiac mass between January 2008 and December 2018, were included in this study. The patients’ data were analyzed retrospectively from the medical records of both centers. Results: When the pathological diagnoses were examined, 85.8% of the masses (n=35) were observed to be benign (benign tumor + hydatid cyst) and 14.2% (n=5) were malignant tumors. The masses were most commonly located in the left atrium (75%, n=30), and this was followed by the right ventricle (12.5%, n=5), right atrium (7.5%, n=3), and left ventricle (5%, n=2). Of the patients, 7.5% (n=3) died during the early postoperative period, while the remaining 92.5% (n=37) were discharged with healing. In the histopathological diagnosis of the patients, in whom in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events were observed, there was malignancy in two cases. Conclusion: Intracardiac masses, which have pathological features, are severe life-threatening problems. In-hospital mortality is frequent, especially in malignant tumors.

Necrobiosis lipoidica is a rare chronic granulomatous disease that has historically been associated with diabetes mellitus, but recently it is thought to be secondary to microangiopathic changes. We report a necrobiosis lipoidica case of a five-year-old girl with diabetes since the age of two, because it is exceptionally unusual in pediatric diabetes. Necrobiosis lipoidica should be considered in pediatric patients with slowly expanded erythematous plaques and patches. This will help protect the patient from other important diabetic microangiopathic complications, such as nepropathy and retinopathy and also malignant progression, such as squamous cell carcinoma.

© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Aim of the study: We investigated protective effect of sodium selenite (Se) on hypothyroidism-induced impairments in, Morris water maze (MWM), long-term potentiation (LTP) and hippocampal neurogenesis male Wistar rats aged of 2 months. Materials and methods: Hypothyroidism was induced by administration of propylthiouracil (Ptu, 1 mg/kg/d) solution to the rats from postnatal day 60 for 81 days with or without Se (0.5mg/kg/d). Neurogenesis was examined by Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining. Se values on plasma and hippocampus were measured with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: Measurement of fT3 and fT4 levels confirmed that the fT3 levels, but not fT4, in Ptu-treated rats (5435.44±816.05 fg/ml, p < 0.05) has returned to control values (8721.66±2567.68 fg/ml) by Se treatment (8661.65±711.43 fg/ml). Analysis of learning performance in water escape learning task showed that Se supplementation disappeared memory deficit in Ptu-treated rats as shown by significantly decreased time spent in the target quadrant (33.7±0.24% in control group; 26.1±0.48% in Ptu-group, p < 0.05; 33.9±0.44 in Ptu+Se group), although there was no significant difference among groups in any measurement of learning performance on the last day. Considering LTP, Se supplementation improved the deficit in synaptic plasticity in Ptu-treated rats, as shown by significant increase in the excitatory postsynaptic potential slope (% 243±31 in control group; 172±49 in Ptu-group, p < 0.05; 222±65 in Ptu+Se group) without affecting of the impairment in somatic plasticity. Se supplementation did not improve the decrease in the number of progenitor cells in the subgranular layer (SGL) of dentate gyrus (DG) of Ptu treated rats. Conclusions: These findings suggest that selenium supplementation in hypothyroid patients may improve learning and memory disorders with different physiological mechanisms.Highlights Se increased serum fT3 levels and hippocampus Se levels in hypothyroid rats. Se attenuated impairment of population spike-LTP in hypothyroid rats Hypothyroidism disrupts neurogenesis process in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus. Se supplementation could not increase new born cells in hypothyroid rats.

Resumo Justificativa Uma injecao em dose unica ou infusao continua de anestesicos locais no espaco articular e considerada uma tecnica de analgesia bem definida. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos condrotoxicos e apoptoticos da injecao intra‐articular com dose unica de levobupivacaina e bupivacaina em tecidos articulares do joelho de coelho. Material e metodos Os animais foram alocados em dois grupos, cada um contendo 20 coelhos. Levobupivacaina a 0,5% (Grupo L) e bupivacaina a 0,5% (Grupo B) foram aplicadas intra‐articularmente nas articulacoes posteriores esquerdas de coelhos. Ao mesmo tempo, solucao salina normal foi aplicada nas articulacoes do joelho da perna posterior direita de coelhos em ambos os grupos e usada como controle (Grupo S). Ao fim do 7° e 28° dias apos as injecoes intra‐articulares, 10 coelhos escolhidos aleatoriamente em cada grupo foram mortos por aplicacao de tiopental intraperitoneal. Secoes de amostras de tecido cartilaginoso foram coradas para exames de microscopia de luz, e o metodo TUNEL foi usado para investigar celulas apoptoticas. Resultados Como resultado do exame microscopico de imunofluorescencia nos dias 7 e 28, o numero de celulas apoptoticas no Grupo B foi significativamente maior que nos grupos L e S (p Conclusoes Demonstramos que a bupivacaina e mais condrotoxica do que o outro agente anestesico e aumenta o numero de celulas apoptoticas. Esses resultados indicaram que a bupivacaina causou intensa lesao condrotoxica e levou a uma ativacao apoptotica maior do que a levobupivacaina.

Introduction Mediastinal and hilar nodal staging is one of the key points for differentiating treatment modalities in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of the present study was to determinate the diagnostic yields of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA), endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and combined EBUS-TBNA and EUS-FNA modalities for nodal staging in potentially operable NSCLC patients. Materials and methods Twenty consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in the study between March 2014 and November 2015. All patients had a potentially operable NSCLC diagnosis before endosonographic procedures. Result Thirty lymph nodes were sampled by EBUS-TBNA and 17 lymph nodes were sampled by EUS-FNA in all 20 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT), EBUS-TBNA, EUS-FNA and combined EBUS-TBNA and EUS-FNA were 100%, 33.3%, 64.7%, 100% and 70.0%; 81.8%, 100%, 100%, 81.8% and 90%; 81.8%, 100%, 100%, 75% and 88.2%; 90.9%, 100%, 100%, 90.0% and 95.0%, respectively. Conclusions The combined EBUS-TBNA and EUS-FNA technique is a successful procedure for nodal staging in potentially operable NSCLC patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the biological and clinical significance of apelin-36 in breast cancer and to compare apelin-36 expression and apoptotic index in both breast tissue and metastatic lymph nodes in patients with invasive breast carcinoma. In this study, both tumor tissue and metastatic lymph nodes of the same patient were collected from 60 cases of invasive breast carcinoma patients (IDC, ILC) and 20 cases of normal breast tissue with no tumor from mammoplasty were used as the control group. The expression of apelin was examined with immunohistochemically, and the apoptotic index was examined with TUNEL methods. According to Kruskal–Wallis analysis, there was a significant difference between IDC and the control group when the apelin expression was compared between the breast tissues (p = 0.001). There were significant differences between the three groups when comparing relationships with apoptotic index (p

Background: Mucormycosis is a rare, worldwide fungal infection with high mortality, which mostly affects immunocompromised patients. Compared to large parts of Asia, Europe, and the USA, information on clinical expression and fungal species distribution in mucormycosis in Turkey is limited. Objectives and methods: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic features of mucormycosis cases, identify the isolates at the species level by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), compare culture results with histopathological examination and determine the antifungal susceptibility patterns of the pathogens. Results: Between 2016 and 2018, 10 mucormycosis cases (six female, four male; age range: 35-74 years) were evaluated retrospectively. The predominance of the cases were in late autumn and winter. Diabetes mellitus was the most common underlying condition. Seven patients had rhinoorbitocerebral, two had pulmonary and one had cutaneous mucormycosis. By mycological culture and direct microscopic examination nine strains were identified as Rhizopus spp. and one as Mucor spp. Seven of these strains were identified at the species level by MALDI-TOF. Histopathological examination of eight tissues were reported as compatible with mucormycosis. All isolates were resistant to azoles and echinocandins. Two isolates were resistant to Amphotericin B and one was resistant to posaconazole. Surgical debridement combined with antifungal therapy was the main treatment option. The mortality rate was 40% (n = 4) and the mean number of days between the onset of complaints and the initiation of treatment was 9.25. Conclusions: Early, rapid and accurate diagnosis of mucormycosis is of critical importance in the treatment of immunosuppressed patients.

Gain of function mutations in the p110δ catalytic subunit of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PIK3CD) classified as activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta syndrome (APDS) are the cause of a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent sinopulmonary infections, and lymphoproliferation. Previously, autoimmunity and Epstein-Barr virus-related B-cell lymphoma have been documented for patients with APDS; here, we present a case that extends the picture, as the patient shows the full diagnostic criteria of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis at 6 months of age. He experienced Hodgkin lymphoma as a 2.5-year-old baby. Next-generation sequencing returned a de novo heterozygous missense variant in PIK3CD (LRG_191t1: c.3061G>A; p.Glu1021Lys), confirming the primary immunodeficiency. After 2 courses of ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide combined with brentuximab, the patient successfully underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from his HLA full matched sister, and he has been well for 18 months after that. The hematologist treating Hodgkin lymphoma and/or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis should be vigilant about the possible underlying immune deficiency, and they should consider APDS in their differential diagnosis.

Background: A single dose injection or continuous infusion of local anesthetics into the joint space is considered to be a well-defined analgesia technique. The aim of this study was to investigate the chondrotoxic and apoptotic effects of single-dose intra-articular injection of levobupivacaine and bupivacaine on rabbit knee joint tissues. Materials and methods: The animals were allocated into two groups each containing 20 rabbits. 0.5% levobupivacaine (Group L) and 0.5% bupivacaine (Group B) were applied intra-articularly to the left posterior joints of rabbits. At the same time, normal saline was applied to the right posterior leg knee joints of rabbits in both groups and used as a control (Group S). At the end of the 7th and 28th days after the intraarticular injections, ten randomly chosen rabbits in each group were killed by applying intraperitoneal thiopental. Sections of cartilage tissue samples were stained for light microscopic examinations and the TUNEL method was used to investigate apoptotic cells. Results: As a result of immunofluorescence microscopic examination, the number of apoptotic cells in Group B at day 7 and day 28 were both significantly higher than Group L and S (p

Objective To evaluate the value of E-cadherin and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM) expression in laryngeal biopsy materials for predicting cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma. Methods All patients participating in the study were selected from among the surgically treated patients at the department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erciyes University School of Medicine between 1991 and 2005. The study consisted of thirty patients who had pathologically metastatic lymph nodes (pN + group) and 30 age-, sex-, T value- and differentiation matched patients without pathologically metastatic lymph nodes (pN0 group). Immunohistochemical studies were performed with E-cadherin and Ep-CAM antibodies on representative tumor sections collected from paraffin sections of laryngeal biopsy materials. The expression of E-cadherin and Ep-CAM was compared between the pN0 and pN + groups. The association between immunostaining of E-cadherin and Ep-CAM was also evaluated. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of E-cadherin and Ep-CAM expression. There was also a very poor agreement between the expression of E-cadherin and Ep-CAM. Conclusion Multi-institutional and multidisciplinary immunohistochemical studies conducted with standardized methodology and also with more patient participation may help to obtain more specific results.

Objective: P53, Bcl-2, and Fas proteins play significant roles in lymphoid cell apoptosis. These proteins affect the prognosis and treatment response of lymphoma and various malignancies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of P53, Bcl-2, and Fas protein expression on treatment and prognosis in patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were included in the study. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze P53, Bcl-2, and Fas protein expression levels in paraffin sections. Results: We examined 39 patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 21 males and 18 females, with a median age of 54 years. P53 protein expression was detected in 24 patients (61.5%), Bcl-2 protein expression was detected in 26 (67%), and Fas protein expression was detected in 28 (72%). The five-year overall survival rate was significantly lower in patients with P53 and Bcl-2 expression; on the other hand, we did not find a significant difference in the five-year overall survival with respect to Fas protein expression. Conclusion: We found that P53 and Bcl-2 protein expression had a negative effect on prognosis and survival in patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. However, Fas protein expression had no effect on prognosis and survival. Taken together, patients with P53 and Bcl-2 expression should be considered to have a high risk from the beginning, and these patients should undergo aggressive treatments. © 2015 by Erciyes University School of Medicine.

Pituicytomas are very rare and benign primary tumors of the neurohypophysis or infundibulum. They originate from pituicytes and the clinical features vary depending on the location of the tumor. Immunohistochemistry has an important role in the diagnosis. There is no pathognomonic feature for pre-operative diagnosis. Diagnosis is generally established after surgery. We present this case report to emphasize the clinical features and good prognosis as well as unusual locations of pituicytomas that may be observed on magnetic resonance imaging. Turk Jem 2015; 19: 115-118

Multiple myeloma is a haematological disease caused by proliferation of malignant plasma cells in bone marrow. It frequently has lytic bone lesions. However, involvement of the small bones of the hands and feet is extremely rare. We report a unique multiple myeloma patient with first recurrence in navicular bone after allogenic stem cell transplantation.

Collet-Sicard syndrome is characterized by the unilateral paralysis of cranial nerves IX-XII. The most common cause is an extra- dural tumor in the posterior fossa. This syndrome may occasionally occur because of distant metastases. Collet-Sicard syndrome which results from metastatic prostate carcinoma is very rare. A review of the English literature showed that this is the second report of metastatic prostate carcinoma with Collet-Sicard syndrome and dysfunctions of cranial nerves VII and VIII. On the other hand, this is the first report of a patient with prostate carcinoma who initially presented with Collet-Sicard syndrome and showed dysfunctions of cranial nerves VII and VIII.

Background and Aims Intrathoracic lymphadenopathy usually occurs as a result of neoplasm, granulomatous diseases, infections or reactive hyperplasia. Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration (C-TBNA) is a cheap and safe procedure for diagnosing intrathoracic lymphadenopathy. The aim of this study was to assess the learning curve and diagnostic accuracy of C-TBNA after an observational education programme. Methods In the present study, we retrospectively evaluated our first 62 C-TBNA procedures at Erciyes University between May 2012 and December 2012 after an observational education programme. The first 31 patients were defined as group A, and the second 31 patients as group B. Results One hundred and seven lymph nodes were sampled in 62 patients by C-TBNA. Adequate lymph node samples were obtained in 52 of the 62 patients (83.8%). In these 52 patients, two patients had a diagnosis of ‘suspicious of malignancy’ by C-TBNA, and these patients were excluded from the analysis. In the remaining 50 cases who had adequate results, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy per patient were 80.6%, 92.9%, 96.7%, 65.0% and 84.0%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy rates of C-TBNA for Group A and B were 72.0% (18/25) and 96.0% (24/25), and the difference was statistically significant (P

Aim The aim of this study is to determine the immunohistochemical properties of Ki-67, P53 expression and loss of P16, and to assess their relationship with both clinical parameters and patient survival in DLBCL. Method Forty patients, diagnosed at the Pathology Department of our institute with nodal DLBCL were selected as the study group. The relationship between P16, P53, Ki-67 expressions and clinical and laboratory parameters like age, gender, performance status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), clinical stage, presence of B-symptoms, bone marrow involvement, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, extranodal extension, relapse, C-reactive protein (CRP), sedimentation, number of leukocytes in patients and patient survival were then statistically evaluated. Results Our results display no statistically significant correlation between P53 expression and loss of P16, Ki-67 proliferation index and clinical parameters and overall survival (p > 0.05). The only statistically significant relationship was between loss of P16 and stage (p 0.05). Conclusion According to the results of our study, the loss of P16, P53 gene expression and Ki-67 proliferation index have no effect on life expectancy of patients with DLBCL (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 29).

Aim Hypervascular intracranial tumors may cause serious bleeding in surgery. Though pre-operative endovascular embolization of tumor is a widely accepted method, sometimes despite embolization, an effective and safer intraoperative hemostatic technique is needed to prevent or at least decrease the massive bleeding from the tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the ethyl alcohol (EA) injection in hypervascular tumors and find out whether it is likely to be an alternative method to prevent massive bleeding from tumor. Material and methods Fifty-five cases that had hypervascular intracranial tumor and underwent EA injections into their tumors were included in the study. A small amount (0.1-0.2 ml) of EA was used in every injection. Total EA amount differed from 1.2 to 18 ml for each patient. Results Most of the tumors were removed with less bleeding, because bleedings stopped or decreased during resection after EA injections. No serious complication that might be related to EA was observed. Conclusion EA injection into the tumor is an easy, cheap and less invasive method to obtain effective and safe tumor devascularization. It may be an alternative method for tumor devascularization when preoperative embolization cannot be performed due to any reason or severe bleeding despite embolization.

Background Inflammatory events triggered by the mediators released from free oxygen radicals and infiltrated leukocytes play a direct role in formation of the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of lidocaine on IR injury due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Materials and Methods Following delivery of lidocaine to the ischemic flaps in two different doses prior to the reperfusion, flap survival, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, myeloperoxidase (MPO) level, neutrophil count, and measurement of vascular diameters were studied. Twelve hours after reperfusion, tissue specimens were collected for measurement of MDA level, MPO level, neutrophil count, and vascular diameters. Flap survival was evaluated on the fifth day. Results Flap survival rate was 15.54% ± 8.23% in the control group, whereas the groups treated wtih lidocaine showed remarkable elevations in survival rates as follows: 70.83% ± 33.53% and 67.42% ± 30.81%, respectively. MDA levels in sham and lidocaine treatment groups were significantly lower than those observed in control group. Conclusion Lidocaine inhibited the increase in MDA level associated with IR injury while showing no influence over increases in number of neutrophils and tissue MPO level, and it elevated the flap survival rate.

Endostatin, one of the most potent negative regulators of angiogenesis, is naturally occurring as an inhibitor of angiogenesis capable of inhibiting tumor growth and their metastases. We aimed to investigate the in vivo activities of low dose of recombinant human endostatin on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced mice colon cancer. Thirty male Balb-c mice were injected with DMH (20 mg/kg/week) subcutaneously once a week for 12 weeks to induce colon cancer. Twelve weeks after the last DMH injection, 7 µg rh-endostatin was injected every day for 6 weeks. The animals were killed after 30 weeks for histopathological examination. The weight of the animals, tumor inhibition rates, death rates and the distribution of the lesions in colon were evaluated after the mice were killed. The mean colonic lesions incidence in single tumor bearing mice was 11 ± 4.0 in those treated with DMH and 8.1 ± 3.7 in those treated with endostatin. When we look at the distribution of lesions in the colon, they occurred in the distal colon. At the end of our study, we noticed that the number of lesions decreased by 25% in the group of endostatin, considering the number of the lesions in the group of DMH. But there was no statistical difference between the mice treated with endostatin and those treated with DMH. It will be very significant to identify endostatin therapeutic effects as long as proper dose of endostatin is administrated at the proper time, duration and proper tumor model.

There have been several studies confirming an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight. The detrimental effect of nicotine exposure beginning in fetal life continues during lactation, in infancy and in the early childhood period. In our previous studies, we found increased aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) as a preatherosclerotic lesion in neonates with intrauterine growth restriction and in infants of smoking mothers. We aimed to evaluate histopathologically the effect of nicotine exposure during pregnancy and lactation period on fetal growth and aIMT at postnatal 45 days of age (end of the mid-adolescent period) in rat pups living in the same conditions. Gravid rats were assigned into three groups. In nicotine A, pregnant rats received 6 mg/kg/day nicotine intraperitoneally during pregnancy from 1 to 21 days of gestation and lactation (until postnatal day 21). Nicotine B received 3 mg/kg/day nicotine for the same period. Control pregnant rats received only saline intraperitoneally. Abdominal aIMT was studied histopathologically at postnatal 45 days of age. Nicotine exposure resulted in decreased birth weight and pregnancy weight gain. The mean aIMT values of the rat pups exposed to nicotine in both nicotine A and B groups were higher than those of the control group (103.78 +/- 21.33 mu m, 99.11 +/- 30.12 mu m, and 62.56 +/- 7.18 mu m, respectively). In conclusion, the detrimental effect on birth weight of nicotine exposure that began in fetal life is dose dependent. Nicotine exposure during intrauterine life and the lactation period causes increased aIMT in rat pups.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic chronic granulomatous disease. It mostly involves the lungs and hilar lymph nodes and produces epithelioid granulomas. Granulomatous (sarcoid) reaction is known to be associated with malignancies; however, it is uncommonly seen with colon carcinomas. Furthermore, systemic sarcoidosis following cancer diagnosis is less commonly seen. To the best of our knowledge, cutaneous sarcoidosis related with an underlying colon carcinoma has not been reported previously in the literature. In this report, we present a very rare case with sarcoidosis development after resection of sigmoid adenocarcinoma, presenting with multiorgan involvement including the skin, eye, joints, and lymph nodes. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) images showed the skin, lung, spleen, mediastinal, and hilar lymph node involvement. Histopathological examination of skin lesions demonstrated granulomatous dermatitis. This case demonstrates that sarcoidosis can cause intensely FDG-avid lesions on 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans, mimicking metastasis in colon cancer patients. Histopathological evaluation is essential for confirming the diagnosis. 18F-FDG-PET/CT scan provides important information for evaluation of disease extension, progression, and clinical follow-up.

Objective To define the accuracy and acceptability of ultrasonography-guided percutaneous needle core biopsy in diagnosis of renal masses. Methods The data of 42 consecutive patients on whom needle biopsies were performed and were surgically treated for suspicious renal masses in our clinic between January 2001 and April 2008 were evaluated. In all patients, needle biopsies were done percutaneously with an 18-gauge needle under local anesthesia in prone position with ultrasonography guidance. Two cores were taken from each tumor. The pathology results of biopsy and surgical specimens were compared. Results The mean age was 56.1 years (range, 21-77 years). The mean follow-up period was calculated as 44.8 months (range, 10-85 months). The abdominal computed tomography imaging showed that the mean mass size was 63.9 mm (range, 25-140 mm). Of 42 patients, 39 were diagnosed (92.8%) after the first biopsy. The accuracy of percutaneous needle biopsy in differentiating between malignant and benign masses was calculated as 90% (36/40).The accuracy of histopathological diagnostic typing as against the postsurgical pathologic examination results was 77.5% (31/40) and the accuracy in the Fuhrman grade was 51.5% (17/33). The sensitivity was calculated as 91.4% and specificity as 60%. Its negative predictive value was 50% and positive predictive value was 94.1%. Conclusions In conclusion, percutaneous renal needle core biopsy has an acceptable sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of renal masses. The major limitation of percutaneous core biopsy is the technical failure that leads to insufficient material for accurate diagnosis.

Skin infections caused by Paecilomyces species have been rarely described in patients with solid organ transplantation. Cutaneous manifestations are highly variable and include erythematous macules, nodules, pustules, and vesicular and necrotic lesions. The diagnosis of these infections is generally made by examination of a skin biopsy. Management of these fungal infections is difficult due to the immunocompromised state of the patients. Moreover, antifungal therapy and immunosuppressive drug interactions should be considered during treatment management. Herein, we reported a case of cellulitis caused by Paecilomyces variotii in a 56-year-old man who had undergone a kidney transplantation. Erythematous macular and nodular lesions on the left hand and left foot appeared first; within 2 months the skin lesions became ulcerated, hemorrhagic, and progressively painful and the patient was admitted to our hospital. The diagnosis was made by skin biopsy and tissue culture. The skin lesions resolved by the sixth week of the treatment with voriconazole.

Objective: Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world. Experimental animal models of the neoplastic diseases are important in understanding etiological and pathophysiological processes. 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) is a potent colon carcinogen and commonly used in the studies investigating the effects of diet on colon cancer. In this study, the relationship between 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and tumor development were investigated. Material and Methods: Eight-week old, fifty balb/c male mice were used for our experiments and treated with subcutaneous DMH solution (20 mg/kg) once weekly throughout a period of 12 weeks. After the end of the last DMH injection, they were sacrificed in sixth (group A), twelfth (group B), eighteenth (group C) and twentyfourth (group D) weeks. Results: Group A did not develop tumor. Group B, C, D mice showed 71.4% 100% and 100% tumoral lesions, respectively. Eventually, it was found that 33% of the 36 lesions in the group of B, 50% of the 59 lesions in the group of C, 34% of the 67 lesions in the group of D were adenocarcinomas. When we have a looked at the distribution of the lesions in colon, we observed that dysplastic lesions and adenocarcinomas were mostly developed in the distal colon. Conclusion: As a result, after the repeated doses of DMH, we observed colonic tumors after a long period of latency in mice.

The aim of this study is to describe the relationship of pre-operative complete blood count parameters [mean platelet volume (MPV), neutrophil/lymphocyte count ratio (NLCR), and white blood cell count (WBC)], with the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features and the management options for patients under 3 years of age with a newly diagnosed central nervous system tumors. Children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors in the first 3 years of life admitted in the Erciyes University Hospital between April 2004 and April 2014 were enrolled in this study. The CBC parameters were compared with those of an age- and sex-matched normal control group. In the study group, the means of MPV and WBC were 8.00 ± 1.24 fl, and 10,855 ± 3642/mm3 respectively; the median (25–75%) of NLCR was 0.98 (0.66–1.46). For the control group, the means of MPV and WBC were 6.8 ± 0.73 fl and 8565 ± 2522/mm3; the median (25–75%) of NLCR was 0.52 (0.36–0.70). The MPV, WBC, and NLCR were higher in the study group. The median overall survival (OS) of the patients was 60 months (range 0–81.6 months); and median event free survival (EFS) was 24 months (range 0–70.1 months). The formulation of MPV, NLCR, and WBC was found to be predictive for the diagnosis of CNS tumor in children with nonspecific symptoms. The univariate and multiple binary regression analyses showed a positive association of MPV, NLCR, and WBC and the risk of a diagnosis of CNS tumor. There was no relationship between MPV, WBC, NLCR, and histological subgroups. However, there were no associations between CBC parameters and OS or EFS of the patients. By causing suspicion, MPV, NLCR, and WBC may provide both an earlier radiological investigation decision and thereby an early diagnosis of CNS tumor in children with nonspecific symptoms in the first 3 years of life.

Hypereosinophilic syndomes (HESs) include potentially lethal multisystem disorders characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of a variable spectrum of target organs, predominantly the skin, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system. Based on recent advances in molecular and genetic diagnostic techniques and increasing experience with differences in clinical features and prognosis, subtypes have been defined, including "myeloproliferative-HES ", "lymphocytic-HES", "familial eosinophilia", "overlap HES", "undefined HES" ("complex undefined HES", "simple undefined HES", "episodic undefined HES") and "eosinophil associated diseases" (such as Churg-Strauss syndrome). HES should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of eosinophilic lung diseases especially in patients with peripheral eosinophilia and pulmonary infiltrates. Corticosteroids represent an effective firstline approach to decreasing eosinophil counts in the majority of cases. Imatinib might be used for corticosteroid nonresponders. We herein report a patient with "complex undefined HES" who had disease resistant to corticosteroids, but who had a significant response after treatment with imatinib.

WOS: 000353584100016, PubMed ID: 25015673, Lafora disease is a rare, fatal, autosomal recessive hereditary disease characterized by epilepsy, myoclonus and progressive neurological deterioration. Diagnosis is made by polyglucosan inclusion bodies (Lafora bodies) shown in skin biopsy. Responsible mutations of Lafora disease involves either the EPM2A or NHLRC1 (EPM2B) gene. Mutations in the NHLRC1 gene are described as having a more benign clinical course and a later age of death compared with EPM2A mutations. We report 2 genetic mutations and clinical courses of Lafora disease in 3 adolescents with homozygote NHLRC1 mutation and novel homozygous EPM2A mutation.

WOS: 000352689100012 PubMed ID: 26576577 The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the intraoperative ultrasonographic appearances and the histopathological characteristics of glial tumors using the pathological grading system and the Ki-67 proliferation index. Patients with glial tumors who underwent surgery with the aid of intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) between September 2013 and August 2014 were included in the study. The lesions' IOUS characteristics were analyzed and compared with the results of surgical histopathological characteristics. Lesions were classified as low-grade gliomas (grade I-II, LGG) and high-grade gliomas (grade III-IV, HGG). The glioblastoma multiforme (grade IV, GBM) group was classified according to the Ki-67 values for further evaluation. The Chi square test (Fisher's exact test) was used for comparing the ultrasonographic characteristics of the low-grade and high-grade gliomas; HGG with different Ki-proliferation indexes. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 41 patients were included. The histopathological findings revealed 15 LGG and 26 HGG. Twenty of the 26 HGG were GBM. Differences were found between the intraoperative ultrasonographic characteristics of the low-grade and high-grade glial tumors. The majority of LGGs were mildly hyperechoic and homogeneous, with distinct margins and a regular contour. HGGs were mostly highly hyperechoic, with indistinct margins, irregular contours, and a heterogeneous internal texture. Surrounding edema was seen more often in HGGs. The differences in the echogenicity of the solid parts, the internal echo patterns, margins, contours, and peripheral edema (P < 0.05) were statistically significant, but the difference in the presence of cysts (P > 0.05) was not significant. In the GBM group, all of the lesions with distinct margins and regular contours had Ki-67 values a parts per thousand currency sign15 %. We compared the intraoperative ultrasonographic characteristics of the Ki-67 > 15 % group with those of the Ki-67 a parts per thousand currency sign 15 % group for statistical significance. The difference between the echogenicity of the solid parts, margins, and contours was statistically significant between the groups (P < 0.05). The difference in the internal echo pattern, presence of cyst, and peripheral edema was insignificant (P > 0.05). IOUS is a very useful imaging technique not only in defining the borders but also in characterizing the tumoral tissue. The IOUS characteristics of the glial tumors were a valuable tool in differentiating the grades of the glial tumors and might have a relationship with the Ki-67 proliferation index. We think this theory requires further investigation in more detailed comparative studies with larger numbers of patients.

The more metastatic sites and bone marrow metastasis in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the worse the prognosis. Diagnosing the bone marrow invasion at the beginning of the therapy is important for determining of the prognosis and planning the treatment. Abnormalities of some blood parameters may help to estimate the extent of bone marrow invasion by cancer cells. In this retrospective review, the changes in routine laboratory tests that may indicate bone marrow invasion, the predictive values of these tests, and the prognostic importance of bone marrow invasion were evaluated in SCLC patients who were being followed up according to a protocol. One hundred and forty-four patients with SCLC were enrolled in this study. Retrospectively, it was evaluated that 25 (17.4%) of the patients had bone marrow metastasis. According to univariate analysis, there was a significant difference between hemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelet count, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and uric acid of the patients with and without bone marrow involvement. Among the biochemical parameters, the elevated LDH and AP had the highest sensitivity and specificity as indicators of bone marrow invasion (0.80–0.82 and 0.84–0.78, respectively). The median overall survival of extensive-stage disease with and without bone marrow metastasis were 4.0 ± 1.0 months (95% CI 2.2–5.7) and 7.0 ± 1.2 months (95% CI 4.7–9.3), respectively (P = 0.03). Bone marrow metastasis was found to be an indicator of a bad prognosis. Bone marrow biopsy, that is an invasive procedure, can be performed on selected patients who have changes of routine laboratory tests suggesting bone marrow invasion.