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Context: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Jammu and Kashmir. The negative regulation of tumor suppressor gene leading to change in signaling pathway is one of the major mechanisms responsible for tumorigenic transformation., Objective: In the present study, the role of silencing of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) gene, a negative regulator of JAK/STAT pathway, was analyzed in ESCC., Methods: The expression pattern of SOCS-1 gene was analyzed in esophageal tumor biopsies although normal adjacent tissues that served as controls. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and human papillomavirus (HPV) detection were performed to assess the expression pattern and promoter methylation of SOCS-1 gene including HPV status in a total of 75 surgically resected tissue specimens., Results: Compared with the level of SOCS-1 expression in normal tissues, 53% (40/75) of the tumor tissues expressed either undetectable or reduced SOCS-1 expression (>50% loss of expression), which was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage or severe histopathological grade of the disease (P < 0.01). Aberrant promoter methylation of the SOCS-1 gene was found in 45% (34/75) of the esophageal tumor tissues, which was also found to be significantly associated with advanced stage of esophageal carcinoma (P < 0.01). The prevalence of HPV infection was found in 19% of tumor cases, whereas no HPV could be detected in any of the normal adjacent tissues., Conclusion: Transcriptional inactivation of SOCS-1 gene, primarily due to its promoter hypermethylation although HPV infection, may play an important role in esophageal carcinogenesis in Kashmir.

Background: Importance of repairing a diaphragmatic tear due to a missile injury cannot be overemphasized. Even a small diaphragmatic rent should be repaired because of morbidity and mortality caused by subsequent herniation and strangulation., Methods: Fifty-three cases with diaphragmatic injuries caused by penetrating missiles were studied from January 1997 to January 2007. All the patients were primarily explored either for thoracic or abdominal penetrating trauma; the diaphragmatic injury was an associated incidental intraoperative finding. Thoracotomy was performed in 18 patients, Laprotomy in 33 patients and in two patients combined thorocoabdominal approach was utilised for managing associated visceral injuries., Results: Overall mortality was 37.7%. Mortality was dependent on associated injuries of thoracic and abdominal viscera. Most patients died due to associated injuries and septicaemia. None of the patients had any sequelae of diaphragmatic repair., Conclusion: Immediate repair of diaphragmatic injury is of paramount importance to prevent subsequent complications of herniation and strangulation.