The purpose of our study was to evaluate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and aromatase immunohistochemical expression in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) present in the same breast, as well as in adjacent stroma and normal epithelium, we still correlated with nuclear grade, histologic grade, presence or absence of comedonecrosis, tumor size, and age at diagnosis. Forty-seven cases were evaluated through the use of anti-aromatase and anti-COX-2 polyclonal antibodies. Making the correlation of COX-2 and aromatase expression, we observed that COX-2 expression in IDC was correlated with aromatase expression in IDC (p < 0.001), DCIS (p < 0.001), normal epithelium (p = 0.024), and stroma tumor (p < 0.001). When the correlation was made between COX-2 expression in DCIS with aromatase, we observed positive correlation in IDC (p < 0.001), DCIS (p < 0.001), normal epithelium (p = 0.013), and stroma tumor (p < 0.001). In the correlative analysis of COX-2 expression in normal epithelium with aromatase in different evaluated tissues, we observed the following statistical results: IDC (p < 0.001), DCIS (p < 0.001), normal epithelium (p = 0.005), and stroma tumor (p = 0.047). Our results demonstrate the high correlation between COX-2 and aromatase expression in IDC, DCIS and normal epithelium, showing the importance of these two enzymes in the induction, promotion and progression of breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of p16(INK4a) as a marker of post-conization relapse in patients treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3). A retrospective study of 76 women with CIN 3 diagnoses, treated at the Hospital of Santa Casa de Misericórdia of São Paulo (Brazil) between January 2003 and September 2004, was performed. The study samples were obtained from cervical conization procedures, where paraffin blocks containing areas with the greatest amount of neoplastic tissue were selected. Immunohistochemical techniques were used on individual paraffin blocks for each case to detect p16(INK4a) protein expression. The p16(INK4a) cell counts were performed in 10 different high-amplification fields (400x) by light microscopy and total cell count expressed as number of cells per mm(2) . Patients involved in this study were followed up at the colposcopy outpatient unit for at least 48 months after cervical conization. The correlation of p16(INK4a) values with post-conization evolution in the patients (disease relapse or disease free) was determined. A significantly higher count of cells expressing p16(INK4a) was found in those patients with disease relapse during follow-up (p < 0.001). The variables age, number of gestations, and births correlated positively with number of cells expressing p16(INK4a) cells (p < 0.001; p = 0.001; 0.009, respectively). No correlation was found for the variables menopause, hormonal contraception, or smoking (p = 0.369, 0.425 and 0.853, respectively). p16(INK4a) can be considered a biomarker of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 cases presenting high risk of relapse or evolution to invasive carcinoma.

PURPOSE:To search for anti-retina antibodies that serve as markers for eye disease in uveitis.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Stored sera from patients with uveitis, ocular toxoplasmosis (n = 30) and non-infectious, immune-mediated uveitis (n = 50) and from asymptomatic individuals who were positive (n = 250) and negative (n = 250) for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were tested. Serum anti-retina IgG was detected by an optimized ELISA using a solid-phase whole human retina extract, bovine S-antigen or interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein.RESULTS:Uveitis patients showed a higher mean reactivity to whole human retina extract, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein and S-antigen in comparison to the asymptomatic population. These findings were independent of the uveitis origin and allowed the determination of the lower anti-retina antibody cut-off for the three antigens. Asymptomatic anti-Toxoplasma serum-positive individuals showed a higher frequency of anti-human whole retina extract antibodies in comparison to asymptomatic anti-Toxoplasma serum-negative patients. The bovine S-antigen and interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein ELISAs also showed a higher mean reactivity in the uveitis groups compared to the asymptomatic group, but the observed reactivities were lower and overlapped without discrimination.CONCLUSION:We detected higher levels of anti-retina antibodies in uveitis patients and in a small fraction of asymptomatic patients with chronic toxoplasmosis. The presence of anti-retina antibodies in sera might be a marker of eye disease in asymptomatic patients, especially when whole human retina extract is used in a solid-phase ELISA.

The osteogenesis induction by demineralized bone matrix grafts remains as a challenge in the reconstructions of the mandible through homologous and xenografts or in implants in abdominal muscle. PURPOSE: Observed the behaviour of implants of demineralized bone matrix at the mandible (right side with homologous graft and left side with xenograft of pig). METHODS: Experimental study with homologous and heterologous implants of demineralized bone matrix at the mandible and in ectopic muscle at the Center of Experimental Surgery of Heliopolis Hospital, Hosphel, São Paulo, Brazil. In 6 white New Zeland rabbits, 46 grafts were performed being 23 with homologous (rabbit) and 23 with xenograft (pig). 12 homologous implants (6 at the right side of the mandible and 6 at abdominal muscle of the rabbit) and 12 heterologous implants of pigs (6 at the left side of the mandible and 6 at abdominal muscle rabbit) were performed with demineralized bone matrix. RESULTS: Osteogenesis was assessed through histologic features after 30 and 60 days. After 1 rabbit dead, osteogenesis (mandible) were detected in 9 of 11 (82%) rabbits that received homologous matrix, in spite of heterologous implants showed osteogenesis in 6 out of 11 (54%) (p=0,18). The abdominal muscle showed induced osteogenesis in 3 out of 11(27%) animals with homologous and 0% with heterologous implants (p=0,10). CONCLUSIONS: Osteogenesis induction through homologous grafts in rabbit mandible and abdominal muscle were more effective than xenografts.

Abstract. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis, including, Bcl-2, Bax, Ki-67 and the type I insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptor (IGF1-R) in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC), present in the same surgical specimen. A total of 110 cases were evaluated using tissue microarrays. Cases were classified in scores from 0 to 3 according to predefined methods. The results showed that the positivity rates were COX-2 in 87% of cases in DCIS and IDC; Bcl-2 in 55% of cases in DCIS and IDC; Bax in 23% of cases in IDC and 19% in DCIS, IGF-1 in 24% of cases in DCIS and IDC; and Ki-67 in 81% of cases in DCIS and IDC. We also observed a positive correlation between the expression of COX-2 and IGF1-R (p=0.045). Our results demonstrate a positive correlation between the expression of COX-2 and IGF1-R in DCIS and IDC, demonstrating that they are involved in breast cancer carcinogenesis. Further studies are required to prove the effectiveness of COX-2 and IGF1-R inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, as well as to explain their mechanism of action.