1,721,095 research outputs found

    Radiation-induced cutaneous carcinoma of the head and neck: is there an early role for p53 mutations?

    No full text
    Background. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying ionizing radiation-induced carcinogenesis of the skin. Aims. To investigate the possible role of p53 in radiodermatitis and in the development of radiation-induced cutaneous carcinomas. Methods. The study group comprised six patients affected by cutaneous carcinomas arising in radiodermatitis (one squamous cell carcinoma and five basal cell carcinomas), and seven patients presenting only chronic radiodermatitis. Skin specimens were evaluated for p53 immunohistochemical expression. Using laser-assisted microdissection, areas with different p53 immunoreactivity were separately submitted to DNA isolation and p53 gene analysis. Results. In the majority of cases (9/12, 75%), p53 immunoreactivity was detected in radiation-damaged epidermis. In carcinomas p53 oncoprotein was expressed by several neoplastic cells in one case (16.7%%), or by nearly all neoplastic cells in four (66.7%). SSCP band shifts were detected in 9/25 samples (36%) microdissected from irradiated epidermis and in 3/6 (50%) carcinomas. DNA sequencing demonstrated two repeatedly found mutations: a G deletion at codon 244 and an A -> G transition at codon 205, as well as hallmarks of ultraviolet mutagenic action, including a C -> T transition occurring at a dipyrimidine site and a CC -> TT tandem double-base transition. Conclusion. Our data indicate that irradiation induces significant p53 alterations that may be relevant in the modification of epithelial maturation processes and may be responsible for the high risk for development of carcinomas in radiodermatitis

    Cumulative prognostic value of p53 mutations and bcl-2 protein expression in head-and-neck cancer treated by radiotherapy

    No full text
    We investigated the prognostic significance of p53-gene mutation (exon 5-9) and bcl-2-protein expression in primary squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) treated by curative radiotherapy (RT). Primary squamous-cell carcinomas for analysis were obtained from 85 consecutive head- and-neck-cancer patients, with complete follow-up data. We detected bcl-2 protein in 24% (20/85) of HNSCC studied; 38 (45%) of the 85 tumours had cells bearing p53 mutations. A strong association was observed between tobacco exposure and bcl-2-protein expression (p = 0.003), an association also evident in those patients who had a p53-mutated carcinoma (p = 0.049). Moreover, we found that most of the bcl-2-positive cancers (70%) were also mutated in the p53 gene (p = 0.010). In univariate and in multivariate analyses, the simultaneous detection of bcl-2 expression and a p53-gene mutation in a tumour biopsy specimen was associated with greater risk of locoregional failure (p = 0.002 and 0.001 respectively) and worse survival (p = 0.045 and 0.033) within 5 years in HNSCC patients treated by RT. The present study shows a cumulative prognostic value of simultaneous detection of bcl-2 over-expression and p53-gene aberration in some primary HNSCC treated with conventional RT, and provides further evidence for cross-talk between p53 and bcl-2, suggesting that these genes are important determinants of radiation-induced apoptosis, thereby modulating resistance to RT

    Case report: A multiple sclerosis patient with imaging features of glymphatic failure benefitted from CSF flow shunting

    Full text link
    The derangement of CSF circulation impacts the functions of the glymphatic-lymphatic system (G-Ls), which regulates solute trafficking and immune surveillance in the CNS. The G-Ls failure leads to the dysregulation of clearance of waste molecules in the brain and to an altered CNS immune response. The imaging features of dilated perivascular spaces imply the impairment of the G-Ls. We report on the case of a patient with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and dilatation of perivascular spaces, who transiently improved after CSF shunt diversions. The underlying mechanisms remain to be determined and at this stage, it is not possible to link CSF diversion to an effect on MS pathology. However, this observation provides the rationale to incentivize research in the largely unknown area of CSF dynamic disturbances on G-Ls failure and ultimately in neurodegeneration

    Ring 20 chromosome phenotype.

    No full text
    corecore