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Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) is associated with HPV infection and can be detected by cytological screening. While conventional exfoliative cytology (CC) is a low-cost and nonaggressive method, liquid-based cytology (LBC) tends to give clearer readings. Although studies of the efficacy of anal cancer screening methods would be of great importance for groups at high risk for AIN, few such studies have been conducted. The aim of the present study was to assess the concordance of CC and LBC in diagnosing anal pre-neoplastic lesions, and to compare cytological results with anoscopy, histopathological, and molecular biology findings. Comparative study involving 33 HIV-positive patients, who underwent anoscopy and biopsy of suspected lesions. Concordance between the two cytology methods was calculated, as were the associations between cytology results and findings from other screening methods. A total of 54.5% of cases were considered AIN-negative by CC and LBC, and concordance between the two methods was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Anoscopy was negative in 15 of the 18 CC- and LBC-negative cases. CC identified 75% of patients with positive biopsy, while LBC identified 85.71% of these patients. Molecular biology results showed that patients with LSIL tested positive for the highest number of HPV subtypes. The associations between positive biopsy and high grade HPV, HPV 16, and multiple HPV infections were not statistically significant. Conventional and liquid-based cytology are equally effective in screening for anal preneoplastic lesions.

Rhinoscleroma is a chronic, infectious and granulomatous disease of the respiratory tract. There is often a delay in diagnosis due to unfamiliarity with the disease and also because culture is not always positive. We report a case in a 26-year-old woman with granular mass obstructing bilateral nasal cavities and causing breathing diffi culty. Histopathological examination showed characteristic Mikulicz histiocytes containing numerous Gram-negative intracellular rod-shaped bacilli consistent with the diagnosis of rhinoscleroma. The patient was treated with gemifl oxacin and tetracycline and remains asymptomatic over a year follow-up period. It is important to consider rhinoscleroma in cases of chronic nasal obstruction. As culture is not always positive, histopathological examination may be crucial to the diagnosis.

For almost three decades, tamoxifen has been used in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. It has also proven effective in the chemoprophylaxis of this disease and in the treatment of cyclic mastalgia. Since a fibroadenoma is a benign hormone-dependent neoplasm which contains estrogen receptor (ER) levels higher than in the mammary lobule, an evaluation of the effect of this drug on the proliferative activity of both the epithelium and the stroma of fibroadenomas in premenopausal women following the administration of 10 or 20 mg/day over 22 days was proposed. Forty women with fibroadenoma were selected for a randomized double-blind trial. They had regular menstrual cycles and had received neither hormones nor become pregnant 12 months prior to this study. Patients were divided into three groups: A (n = 14; placebo), B (n = 13; tamoxifen 10 mg/day), and C (n = 13; tamoxifen 20 mg/day). The treatment was initiated on the first day of their menstrual cycle and the surgeries were performed on the 22nd day. Estradiol, progesterone, and steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured twice. The first measurement was performed on the 22nd day of the previous menstrual cycle and the second one was performed on the day of surgery. The fibroadenoma was fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and then processed through immunohistochemical reaction (PC-10, DAKO code number M879, Denmark A/S). The immunoexpression of the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) of at least 500 epithelial and 500 stromal cells was evaluated. Such cells were interactively counted using the Kontron Imaging System KS-300 computerized analysis system, with x 400 magnification. As to PCNA expression in the fibroadenomas' epithelium, the average percentage of stained nuclei in groups A, B, and C was 25.2, 19.3, and 18.0, respectively. However, no significant difference was found in the variance analysis of these data (p = 0.168). As to the study of the fibroadenomas' stroma, the average percentage of stained nuclei found in groups A, B, and C was 32.4, 23.2, and 18.4, respectively. The variance analysis (p = 0.031) and Fisher's multiple comparison test (1.39; 26.67 confidence interval [CI]) confirmed that the number of PCNA-expressing nuclei in the stroma was significantly lower in group C (20 mg/day) compared to group A (control). However, there was no significant difference between group B (10 mg/day) and group C (20 mg/day). It was found that tamoxifen reduced the expression of PCNA in the epithelium and the stroma of the fibroadenoma. However, the effect was only statistically significant in the stroma when a 20 mg/day dose was administered.

No abstract

These results indicate that HLA-G may play an important role in the pathology of nasal polyposis. Considering the anti-inflammatory properties of HLA-G, this study suggests that it could reduce susceptibility to atopy and asthma.

No abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Tamoxifen on the proliferative activity of both the epithelium and the stroma of fibroadenomas in women during menacme following the administration of 10 and 20 mgiday during 22 days. Study Methods: 41 females with fibroadenoma were selected for a randomized double-blind trial. They presented regular menstrual cycles and had neither received hormones nor become pregnant 12 months prior to this study. Patients were divided in three groups: A (n=15; placebo), B (n=13; 10 mgiday) and C (n=13; 20 mgiday). The treatment was initiated on the 1"' day of their menstrual cycle, and the surgeries were performed on the 22"d day. Estradiol, progesterone and steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured twice. The first measurement was performed on the 22"d day of the previous menstrual cycle and the second one on the occasion of the surgery. The mammary tissue was fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution and stained with HE and then processed through immunohistochemical reaction (PC-10 DAK0 code number M879 Denmark AiS). The immunoexpression of the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) of at least 500 epithelial and 500 stromal cells was evaluated. Such cells were interactively counted using Kontron Imaging System KS-300 computerized analysis system, with 400X magnification. Results: As to the PCNA expression in the epithelium of fibroadenomas, the average percentage of stained nuclei in groups A, B and C was 25.2 (standard error = 3.0), 19.3 (standard error = 2.9) and 18.0 (standard error = 2.5), respectively. However, no significant difference was found in the variance analysis of these data (p=O.168). Upon the study of the stroma of fibroadenomas, the average percentage of stained nuclei found in groups A, B and C was 32.4 (standard error = 3.3), 23.2 (standard error = 4.6) and 18.4 (standard error = 3.0), respectively. The variance analysis (p=O.O31) and Fisher's multiple comparison test (1.39; 26.67 confidence interval) confirmed that the number of PCNA expressing nuclei in the stroma was significantly lower in group C (20 mgiday) when compared to group A (control). However, there was no significant difference between groups (10 mgiday) and C (20 mgiday). Conclusion: Thus, it was concluded that the administration of 10 mgiday and 20 mgiday of tamoxifen reduced the PCNA expression in the stroma of fibroadenoma after 22 days of treatment; however, its effect was statistically significant only in the stroma when doses of 20 mgiday were administered.