The frequency of latent prostate carcinoma in autopsies of over 50 years old males,the Iranian experience

Background

Latent adenocarcinoma of prostate refers to cases who present no obvious sign or symptom during their life spans and the tumor is incidentally found at postmortem examination. Its frequency can be very important in epidemiologic investigations, prevention and treatment. No previous study has been done in this regard in Iran and the studies performed in other countries show various results. The aim of present study is to determine the frequency of latent prostate carcinoma by studying the corpora of men above 50 years old referred to forensic medicine organization in Tehran in 2008 and 2009.

Methods

In this study, 149 men aged above 50 who had died of different reasons and undergone autopsy were examined. Their prostates were excised and the slides were studied for the presence of adenocarcioma and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). In each case, age, weight of prostate, location of lesion, and grading according to Gleason''s system were determined and the results were analyzed by SPSS software (version 16).

Results

Out of 149 cases, 34(22.8%) had low grade PIN, 26(17.4%) high grade PIN, and 14(9.4%) invasive adenocarcinoma. Most of the tumors were located in posterior lobe of prostate and they were more frequent in older cases (>65 years of age) and heavier prostates (p value <0.05). All invasive adenocarciomas were accompanied by PIN.

Conclusion

Worldwide studies show lower prevalence of latent carcinoma of prostate in Asian men than white European ones. Considering the absence of such studies in Iran, a larger study to compare and find out the precise rate of this kind of carcinoma, is recommended.     

Precise delineation of ureterocele anatomy: virtual magnetic resonance cystoscopy

Purpose  

To evaluate the application of virtual magnetic resonance cystoscopy (VMRC) in precise detection of ureterocele extension compared with conventional cystoscopy (as the gold standard) and other imaging modalities.     

Neurological soft signs in patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings: frequency and correlates in two ethnic and socioeconomic distinct populations

Recent studies have suggested that ethnicity and socioeconomic status may have an impact on the frequency and significance of neurological soft signs (NSS). However, this impact has not been adequately assessed. The objectives were to determine the NSS scores in patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings and to examine the clinical and therapeutic correlates of NSS in two ethnic and socioeconomic distinct populations. Two independent replicate studies were carried out: (1) a French Caucasian sample of 69 patients with schizophrenia, 43 of their unaffected siblings and 108 control subjects; (2) a Tunisian sample of 66 patients with schizophrenia, 31 of their unaffected siblings and 60 control subjects. NSS were assessed with a multidimensional scale, previously validated in drug-naïve and treated samples of patients with schizophrenia. Both patient groups were assessed with the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS), the clinical global impressions (CGI) and the global assessment of functioning. NSS total scores were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia comparatively to siblings and to controls in both studies. The two sibling groups had also higher NSS scores than controls. In addition, NSS total scores were correlated to the PANSS negative and disorganization sub-scores, to the CGI-severity of illness and to a low educational level in both studies. These studies provide a confirmation in two distinct samples of the high prevalence of NSS in patients with schizophrenia, and in their biological relatives, independently of their respective ethnic and socioeconomic origins.     

Drebrin A expression is altered after pilocarpine-induced seizures: time course of changes is consistent for a role in the integrity and stability of dendritic spines of hippocampal granule cells

We used a pathophysiological model of temporal lobe epilepsy induced by pilocarpine in adult rats in order to assess the in vivo role of drebrin A (DA), one of the major regulators of F-actin. This model displays a dynamic reorganization of the glutamatergic network including neo-spinogenesis, morphogenesis, and neo-synaptogenesis associated with an aberrant sprouting of granule cell axons in the dentate gyrus (DG). This reactive plasticity contributes in dentate granule-cell hyperexcitability that could lead to the emergence of recurrent spontaneous seizures. We investigated the hippocampal DA expression changes in pilocarpine animals using immunohistochemical, Western blot, and in situ hybridization analyses. We showed that DA immunoreactivity was decreased in the inner molecular layer (IML) and in the hilus (H) of the DG, at latent stage, when spinogenesis and morphogenesis occur. Western blot analysis confirmed these overall hippocampal decreases of DA protein expression. At chronic stage, when newly formed glutamatergic synapses are being established, the levels of immunolabeling for DA in the H and the IML were similar to control rats. This recovery is likely due to the increase of DA mRNA in perikarya of hilar and granule cells. Interestingly, our data showed that the changes pattern of labeling for Bassoon, a specific marker for presynaptic active zone, in the IML of pilocarpine-treated animals paralleled those found for DA at all time points examined. Furthermore, our double and triple immunofluorescence studies showed that the recovery in DA levels in the IML occurred within the dendritic spines involved in glutamatergic active synapses of presumed granule cells. Altogether, our results indicate that in vivo DA is not critical for spinogenesis and morphogenesis but instead is consistent with an involvement in synaptic structural integrity, stabilization, and function. Thus, DA appears as a novel modulator of reactive synaptic plasticity associated with epilepsy.     

Dietary risk factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Maghrebian countries

North Africa is one of the major Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) endemic regions. Specific food items unique to this area were implicated to be associated with NPC risk, but results were inconsistent. Here we have performed a large-scale case-control study in the Maghrebian population from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. From 2002 to 2005, interviews were conducted on 636 cases and 615 controls. Controls were hospitalized individuals from 15 non-cancer hospital departments, or friends and family members of non-NPC cancer subjects, matched by center, childhood household type (rural or urban), age and sex. Conditional logistic regression is used to evaluate the risk of factors. In results, consumption of rancid butter, rancid sheep fat and preserved meat not spicy (mainly quaddid) were associated with significantly increased risk of NPC, while consumption of cooked vegetables and industrial preserved fish was associated with reduced risk. Other foods such as fresh citrus fruits and spicy preserved meat (mainly osban) in childhood, industrial made olive condiments in adulthood, were marginally associated. In multivariate analyses, only rancid butter, rancid sheep fat and cooked vegetables were significantly associated with NPC. In regard to possible causative substances, our results implicate the involvement of butyric acid, a potential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activator.     

Novelty seeking modulates medial prefrontal activity during the anticipation of emotional stimuli

In a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, expectancy cues signaling emotional stimuli were used to study the personality trait of novelty seeking. BOLD responses to emotional expectancy were positively correlated with novelty-seeking scores in the medial prefrontal cortex. This correlation was strongest for the sub-dimension of exploratory excitability.     

Miliaria crystallina in an intensive care patient

Miliaria crystallina is frequently seen in intensive care patients. This skin condition should be known by both anesthesiologists and dermatologists to avoid unnecessary investigations.