Lukic A

Oncosuppressor proteins of fragile sites are reduced in cervical cancer

FHIT and WWOX are tumor suppressor genes that span the common fragile sites FRA3B and FRA16D, respectively. To analyze possible synergisms among these genes in cervical cancer progression, we considered 159 cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, and 58 invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix. All cases were previously selected as high risk HPV. FHIT and WWOX proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry and their expression was inversely correlated with precancerous vs. invasive lesions. Statistics among biological markers indicated an association between FHIT and WWOX. Protein expression of these two genes was also absent or reduced in cancer cell lines. Thus, WWOX may be considered as a novel important genetic marker in cervical cancer and the association between the altered expression of FHIT and WWOX may be a critical event in the progression of this neoplasia.

Prognostic implication of high risk human papillomavirus E6 and E7 mRNA in patients with intraepithelial lesions of the cervix in relationship to age.

Since the introduction of the cytological screening programs, a significant reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer has been achieved. Almost all of these cancers are related to high-risk (HR) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infections. However, the natural history of HPV infection seems to be different in younger patients, resulting in a higher rate of regression. There is, therefore, the need to identify HPV-related biomarkers in order to enhance the effectiveness of screening of high-risk cytological lesions, in particular in women over 35 years of age. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of the HR HPV E6 and E7 mRNA expression in women with intraepithelial lesions of the cervix, older or younger than 35 years of age. One hundred and eighty-four HR HPV DNA positive patients with a low squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) were tested for mRNA expressions, included in an observational study, and evaluated at follow-up with standard cytology up to 24 months from the mRNA test. The frequency of HSIL/LSIL cytology in the older cohort of mRNA positive patients was significantly higher compared to mRNA-negative patients, both at 1 and 2 years of follow-up (Chi-square: p 0.007 and p 0.009), but this difference was not found in the younger cohort. According to our results, the E6/E7 mRNA test could be a biomarker for viral activity, useful in identifying patients at higher risk of abnormal cytology, and in implementing the management of HR HPV DNA-positive women over 35 years of age.

Survey of the deliveries of immigrant women from developing countries in the 2nd Institute of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Rome, `La Sapienza`, Italy

Five hundred and forty-four immigrant women, admitted from 1983 to 1993 to the 2nd Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Rome University, were enrolled in the study. Africa and East Europe were the most common places of birth. Seventy-five per cent of women gave birth spontaneously, and a caesarean section was performed in 22.2%. The frequency of spontaneous delivery and caesarean section was about the same among Italian and immigrant women.

Ten year survey of the deliveries of immigrant women residing in Rome

As a consequence of the change in the obstetric population towards an ever-increasing number of women who belong to ethnic groups different from that of the local population, the attention of many obstetricians has been drawn to the problems posed by immigrant women [ 1,2]. In order to evaluate the obstetric attitude towards immigrant women, we analyzed the clinical data of 544 immigrant women who delivered at the 2nd Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, between 1983 and 1993. The ages of the women ranged from 15 to 47 years with an average of 27.6 years; 36.5% and 34% came from Africa and Eastern Europe, respectively, and 23.2% and 6.3% came from Asia and South America, respectively. Most of the births (84.2%) occurred within the normal gestation period; 15.8% of the patients gave birth prematurely. Normal deliveries accounted for 75% of the total; operative deliveries

Acquired haemophilia in severe pelvic endometriosis: a new association?

1 Khadra I, Braun SR. Chapter 44: hemoptysis. In: Braun SR ed. Concise Textbook of Pulmonary Medicine. New York: Elsevier, 1989: 603–8. 2 Lynch JP III, Leatherman JW. Chapter 79: alveolar hemorrhage syndromes. In: Fishman AP, Elias JA, Fishman JA, Grippi MA, Kaiser LR, Senior RM eds. Fishman’s Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders, 3rd edn. New York: McGraw-Hill Health Professions Division, 1998: 1193–210. 3 Connolly JP. Hemoptysis as a presentation of mild hemophilia A in an adult. Chest 1993; 103: 1281–2. 4 Matsumoto H, Suzuki K, Watanabe I et al. Recurrent hemoptysis in tuberculosis with non-cavity lung disease as a symptom of mild hemophilia A in a young adult. Intern Med 2000; 39: 63–5. 5 Girolami A, Vettore S, Scandellari R, Allemand E, Girolami B. About the rarity of haemoptysis in congenital bleeding disorders. A report of five cases. Haemophilia 2009; 15: 825–7.

P1008 HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression as possible biomarker in preneoplastic cervical lesions at risk of progression

Results: Met staining showed significant differences on analysis of histological subtypes (H(3) = 16.45, p = 0.001), higher in clear cell tumours. There was no association with stage, grade, residual, recurrent disease, or survival (p > 0.05). HGF staining had no statistically significant association with stage, grade, residual or recurrent disease (p > 0.05). Data clearly showed better survival with high HGF scores (H(1) = 4.608, p = 0.034, HR 1.761). High scores conferred a 25 month survival advantage. Phosphorylated met had no association with stage, grade, histological subtype, residual, recurrent disease, or survival (p> 0.05). Neither met, HGF nor p-met were independent prognostic variables (p > 0.05. Conclusions: A functional HGF/met axis was demonstrated in ovarian cancer and high HGF scores conferred a significant survival advantage. These findings warrant further investigation of this pathway as a potential therapeutic target in women with ovarian cancer.