Dariusz Samulak

Vaginal hysterectomy with bipolar coagulation forceps (BiClamp) as an alternative to the conventional technique

PurposeThe aim was to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using bipolar coagulation forceps in vaginal hysterectomy and to compare the effects of this method with those of the conventional technique.MethodsA group of 30 patients was operated on with bipolar coagulation forceps and the next 30 were operated on using the traditional method. The following parameters were observed: duration of procedure, blood loss, complications, postoperative pain, hospitalization time and cost of treatment.ResultsThe duration of the surgical procedure and hospitalization time were similar in both groups. Blood loss was lower in the BiClamp group. There were no serious complications in either group. In one case with BiClamp, laparotomy was performed to stop persistent bleeding; the after-effects of the laparotomy were not statistically significant. The patients in the BiClamp group reported less pain, experienced shorter recuperation times and incurred lower treatment costs.ConclusionsThe BiClamp technique is a good alternative to traditional hysterectomy methods as it causes lower blood loss during surgery, causes less post-operative pain and is economically more favorable for the patient and hospital.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of XRCC2 and XRCC3 homologous recombination repair genes and triple-negative breast cancer in Polish women

XRCC2 and XRCC3 genes involved in homologous recombination repair (HRR) of DNA and in the maintenance of the genome integrity play a crucial role in protecting against mutations that lead to cancer. The aim of the present work was to evaluate associations between the risk of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and polymorphisms in the genes, encoding for two key proteins of HRR: XRCC2 Arg188His (c. 563 G>A; rs3218536, Genbank Accession Number NT 007914) and XRCC3 Thr241Met (c. 722 C>T; rs861539, Genbank Accession Number NT 026437). The polymorphisms of the XRCC2 and XRCC3 were investigated by PCR–RFLP in 70 patients with TNBC and 70 age- and sex-matched non-cancer controls. In the present work, a relationship was identified between XRCC2 Arg188His polymorphism and the incidence of triple-negative breast cancer. The 188His allele and 188His/His homozygous variant increased cancer risk. An association was confirmed between XRCC2 Arg188His and XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphisms and TNBC progression, assessed by the degree of lymph node metastases and histological grades. In conclusion, XRCC2 Arg188His and XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphisms may be regarded as predictive factors of triple-negative breast cancer in female population.

An Association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Lys751Gln ERCC2 Gene and Ovarian Cancer in Polish Women

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the Lys751Gln (rs13181) ERCC2 gene polymorphism in clinical parameters and the risk for development of ovarian cancer. Material and Methods. The study consisted of 430 patients with ovarian cancer (mean age: 53.2 ± 10.11) and 430 healthy subjects (mean age: 50.31 ± 18.21). Analysis of the gene polymorphisms was performed using the PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each genotype and allele were calculated. Results. The results obtained indicate that the genotype Gln/Gln is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer (OR 5.01; 95% CI 3.37–7.43; p < 0.0001). Association of Lys751Gln polymorphism with histological grading showed increased ERCC2 Gln/Gln (OR = 6.96; 95% CI 3.41–14.21; p < 0.0001) genotype in grading 1 as well as Gln allele overrepresentation (OR = 4.98; 95% CI 3.37–7.40; p < 0.0001) in G1 ovarian patients. Finally, with clinical FIGO staging under evaluation, an increase in ERCC2 Gln/Gln homozygote frequencies in staging I and Gln allele frequencies in SI were observed. Conclusion. On the basis of these results, we conclude that ERCC2 gene polymorphism Lys751Gln may be associated with an increased risk of ovarian carcinoma.

Association of polymorphisms in the 5' untranslated region of RAD51 gene with risk of endometrial cancer in the Polish population

AbstractPurpose Many of the studies have analyzed cell repair capabilities, following cancer development. The cellular reaction to DNA damaging agents can modulate the susceptibility to various tumors. This reaction is mainly determined by DNA repair efficacy which, in turn, may be influenced by the variability of DNA repair genes, expressed by their polymorphisms.Methods This report describes studies of the distribution of genotypes and the frequency of alleles of the G135C (rs1801320) and G172T (rs1801321) RAD51 polymorphism in 630 paraffin-embedded samples of tumor tissue from patients with endometrial cancer. DNA from 630 normal endometrial tissues served as control. RAD51 polymorphisms were determined by PCR–RFLP.ResultsIn the present work, a relationship was identified between RAD51 G135C polymorphism and the incidence of endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer patients had an overrepresentation of 135C allele. The 135C/C homozygous variant increased cancer risk. A tendency towards a decreased risk of endometrial cancer was observed with the occurrence of combined G135C–G172G genotype of RAD51 polymorphism. An association was confirmed between RAD51 G135C and G172T polymorphisms and endometrial cancer progression, assessed by the histological grades.ConclusionsThe results support the hypothesis that RAD51 G135C and G172T polymorphisms may be associated with endometrial cancer occurrence and/or progression.

The diagnostic value of evaluating the maximum velocity of blood flow in the uterine arteries of women with postmenopausal bleeding

PurposeThe aim was to evaluate the utility of ultrasonographic examinations, such as the Doppler technique, in diagnosing women with postmenopausal bleeding.MethodsSpecifically, maximum end-diastolic velocity of blood flow (MEDV), time-averaged maximum velocity of blood flow (TAMXV) and peak systolic velocity of blood flow (PSV) were evaluated. Data were obtained and analyzed from a group of 100 female patients diagnosed and treated because of abnormal bleeding from the genitals in the Gynecological-Obstetrics Clinical Hospital of Poznan University of Medical Sciences. The following packages were used for statistic analyses: STATISTICA v 7.1 (StatSoft, Inc. 2005), StatXACT v.5.0.3, CYTEL SOFTWARE CORPORATION and Analyse-it Software v.1.68.ResultsThe parameters evaluated were highest in the carcinoma group, lower when proliferation was diagnosed and the lowest in the control group.ConclusionsTransvaginal ultrasonography diagnostics using the Doppler technique was found to play an important role in the diagnostic process of pathologies within the endometrium.

Association of R156R single nucleotide polymorphism of the ERCC2 gene with the susceptibility to ovarian cancer.

AIM The reported study was designed to explore associations between the ERCC2- R156R gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and the risk of ovarian cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS The R156R (C to A, rs238406) polymorphism of ERCC2 gene was investigated by the PCR-RFLP technique in 400 patients with ovarian carcinoma and 400 age- and sex matched non-cancer controls. Blood samples were obtained from patients treated at the Department of Surgical Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Institute of Polish Mothers Memorial Hospital between the years 2000 and 2015. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each genotype and allele. RESULTS Genotype distribution of R156R polymorphism of ERCC2 gene was compared between the patients and controls with significant differences (p<0.05) between the two investigated groups. A possible association was observed between ovarian cancer and the presence of A/A genotype (OR 3.30 95% CI 2.26-4.82, p<0.0001). The variant A allele of ERCC2 increased the risk of ovarian cancer (OR 2.08 95 % CI 1.70-2.54, p<0.0001). A relationship was confirmed between ERCC2 R156R polymorphism and ovarian cancer progression, assessed by the degree of histological grades and FIGO staging (p<0.05). CONCLUSION This is the first study, linking R156R polymorphism of ERCC2 gene with ovarian carcinoma incidence. In conclusion, ERCC2- R156R polymorphism may be connected with the susceptibility to ovarian cancer.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of XRCC2 and XRCC3 homologous recombination repair genes and ovarian cancer in Polish women

The variability, perceived in DNA repair genes, may be of clinical importance for evaluation of the risk of occurrence of a given type of cancer, its prophylactics and therapy. The aim of the present work was to evaluate associations between the risk of ovarian cancer and polymorphisms in the genes, encoding for two key proteins of homologous recombination: XRCC2 Arg188His (c. 563 G>A; rs3218536) and XRCC3 Thr241Met (c. 722 C>T; rs861539). The study consisted of 700 patients with ovarian cancer and 700 healthy subjects. Analysis of the gene polymorphisms was performed using PCR-RFLP (restriction length fragment polymorphism). We found a statistically significant increase of the 188His allele frequency (OR=4.01; 95% CI=3.40-4.72; p<.0001) of XRCC2 in ovarian cancer compared to healthy controls. There were no differences in the genotype and allele distributions and odds ratios of the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism between patient and control groups. Association of these genetic polymorphisms with histological grading showed increased XRCC2 188Arg/His (OR=33.0; 95% CI=14.51-75.05; p<.0001) and 188His/His genotypes (OR=9.37; 95% CI=4.79-18.32; p<.0001) and XRCC3 241Thr/Met (OR=24.28; 95% CI=12.38-47.61; p<.0001) and 241Met/Met genotype frequencies (OR=17.00; 95% CI=8.42-34.28; p<.0001) in grading 1 (G1) as well as 188His (OR=2.78; 95% CI=2.11-3.69; p<.0001) and 241Met allele overrepresentation (OR=2.59; 95% CI=2.08-3.22; p<.0001) in G1 ovarian patients. Finally, with clinical FIGO staging under evaluation, an increase in XRCC2 188His/His homozygote and 188Arg/His heterozygote frequencies in staging I (SI) and XRCC3 Thr/Met heterozygote frequencies in SI was observed. The obtained results indicate that XRCC2 Arg188His and XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphisms may be positively associated with the incidence of ovarian carcinoma in the population of Polish women.

Studies of Correlations Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of DNA Repair Genes and Endometrial Cancer in Polish Women

Aim: The goals of this study included an analysis of the incidence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotypes and alleles in DNA repair genes and evaluation of the effects by which this genetic variability may influence the risk for endometrial cancer. Materials and Methods: The study group included 610 women with endometrial cancer and was compared with a quantitatively matched control group of 610 women without any diagnosed malignancy. The following polymorphisms were analyzed: X-Ray repair cross complementing 1 (XRCC1)-Arg399Gln (rs25487); XRCC2-Arg188His (rs3218536); XRCC3-Thr241Met (rs861539); ERCC excision repair 2, TFIIH core complex helicase subunit (ERCC2)-Lys751Gln (rs13181); and 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1)-Ser326Cys (rs13181). Results: Allele XRCC2-188His [odds ratio (OR)=5.24, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.36-6.29; p<0.0001], hOGG1-326Cys (OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.36-1.88; p<0.0001) and ERCC2-751Gln (OR=1.67, 95% CI=1.42-1.96; p<0.0001) strongly correlated with neoplastic disease. Conclusion: The evaluated SNPs may be approached as a group of new risk factors for the development of this cancer type.