{"title":"Current Understanding of PCSK9 and Its Relevance to Cancer Prognosis and Immune Therapy: A Review.","authors":"Morteza Hassandokht Mashhadi, Fahime Taheri, Sadaf Irani, Arshiya Mesbah Mousavi, Ali Mehri, Hossein Javid","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2023.1999459.3093","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2023.1999459.3093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effectiveness of immunotherapy for most cancer patients remains low, with approximately 10-30% of those treated surviving. Thus, much effort is being put into finding new ways to improve immune checkpoint therapy. Our review concludes that inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9), which plays a critical role in regulating cholesterol metabolism, can cause movement of T cells toward tumors, with increased sensitivity to immune checkpoint therapies. We searched PubMed, NCBI, Scopus, and Google Scholar for the published articles without limitations on publication dates. We used the following terms: \"PCSK9\", \"Cancer\", \"Immune Checkpoint\", and \"Cancer Prognosis\" in the title and/or abstract. Our search initially revealed 600 records on the subject and stored them in the used databases under EndNote X8 management software. A total of 161 articles were selected and through a careful review, 76 were included in our research. We concluded that PCSK9 reduces the number of LDL receptors (LDL-R) on the cell surface, which is linked to its ability to regulate cholesterol levels in the body. Also, we discuss how suppressing PCSK9 leads to the MHC-1 accumulation on the surface of cancer cells, which results in T lymphocyte invasion. Finally, we believe that inhibiting PCSK9 may be an effective strategy for improving cancer immunotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 1","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11164309/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141307788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arezu Rahnavard, Elham Mirzaian, Reyhaneh Safaei, Ida Mehrabi
{"title":"A Rare Malignancy of the Eyelid: Report A Case of Primary Periocular Histiocytoid Carcinoma.","authors":"Arezu Rahnavard, Elham Mirzaian, Reyhaneh Safaei, Ida Mehrabi","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2016655.3219","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2016655.3219","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Primary periocular histiocytoid carcinoma is a very rare malignant tumor. Until now, less than 50 cases have been reported in the English literature. It is characterized by resistant epiphora, limitation in extraocular motility, and ptosis. The definitive diagnosis of this lesion is made based on detecting histological histiocytoid features along with tracing positivity of specific biomarkers using immunohistochemistry. However, pathologists may be faced with two major obstacles in the diagnosis of this tumor including distinguishing it from metastatic histiocytoid lesions and also from benign mimics such as reactive inflammatory lesions. Here, we describe a case of primary periocular histiocytoid carcinoma located on the eyelid as well as review the literature to clarify the histopathological and diagnostic features of this tumor.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 3","pages":"359-362"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11646197/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142839476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparison of the Structural, Cytological and Biomarker Expression in Carcinoma in situ and Invasive Components in Breast Carcinoma.","authors":"Azar Naimi, Niloufar Mohaghegh","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2025907.3285","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2025907.3285","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & objective: </strong>Breast cancer is thought to arise from non-invasive breast lesions, such as atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is considered a direct precursor of invasive carcinoma. The morphological features alone do not reflect the biological truth of this disease. Therefore, we investigated features of carcinoma in situ and the invasive components in women diagnosed with breast cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was a cross-sectional study. The corresponding IHC slides were selected from the pathology archive and examined by the pathologist. Fifty-one samples which showed both in situ and invasive components confirmed immunohistochemically, were included in the study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 70.6% of the cases a high grade of in situ and invasive carcinoma was observed. In 45.1% of the studied cases, a solid structure was observed in in-situ carcinoma, and no otherwise specified structure was observed in invasive carcinoma. In 74.5% of both in situ and invasive carcinoma types, ER.PR had a positive value. In 45.5% of the cases, both in situ and invasive carcinoma components show low Ki67. In 42.2%, both in situ and invasive carcinomas were Her2 negative. There was no significant difference between the grade (<i>P</i>=0.687), Her2 type (<i>P</i>=0.532), and structure (<i>P</i>=0.532). ER.PR (<i>P</i>=1.00) and Ki67 (<i>P</i>=0.180) of in situ and invasive carcinoma in this study.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study showed differences between in situ and invasive biomarker expression. According to our findings, owing to heterogeneity, in situ components can't be representative of invasive components for treatment choices.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 3","pages":"318-325"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11646206/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142839673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fahad Mansoor Samadi, Shaista Suhail, Manjari Sonam, Mohd Kaleem Ahmad, Vijay Kumar, Shaleen Chandra, Shadab Mohammad
{"title":"Comparing Length and Telomere Expression at Oral Precancerous and Cancerous Stages.","authors":"Fahad Mansoor Samadi, Shaista Suhail, Manjari Sonam, Mohd Kaleem Ahmad, Vijay Kumar, Shaleen Chandra, Shadab Mohammad","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.1996330.3081","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.1996330.3081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & objective: </strong>Telomeres consist of repetitive G-rich nucleotides located at the end of each chromosome, acting as protein binding sites. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in telomere length in blood, saliva, and tissue samples at various stages of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Samples of blood, tissue, and saliva were collected from patients with oral precancerous and cancerous lesions. DNA extraction was performed. Then, a TRAP assay was conducted to assess and compare the telomere length and telomerase expression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The levels of telomerase activity (TA) in the DNA samples ranged from 0.19 to 6.91 (2.05+1.37) among oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients and from 0.17 to 4.5 (0.28+4.25) among precancerous patients. A significant difference was observed in TA levels between OSCC and precancerous samples (<i>t</i>=3.9691, <i>P</i>= 0.0000).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Assessing the telomerase activity is crucial for studying the behavior of carcinoma in the clinical setting. The augmented telomerase expression and the length of telomere contribute to OSCC progression. Hence, this study adds a diagnostic tool that can serve as a biomarker for the early detection and prognosis of OSCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 2","pages":"146-151"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11304464/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141907913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comprehensive Analysis of the Prognostic Marker and Immune Infiltrates of LDLR-Related Proteins Family Members in Breast Cancer.","authors":"Shabnam Shahidi, Parvin Ansari Shayesteh, Mahsa Alami, Negin Parsamanesh","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.1995769.3077","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.1995769.3077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & objective: </strong>Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most frequent tumors worldwide, accounting for 15% of all cancer-related deaths. A timely diagnosis of BC is essential for optimal treatment and increasing patients' survival rates. LRP family proteins are important components of cell-surface receptors involved in numerous biological activities. Expression of LRP is related to breast malignancy. In this study, we initially studied the expression of LRPs in BC tissues compared to normal tissues-the relation of LRP expression with relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Then, we investigated the association of LRPs relation and immune infiltrating abundance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed the LDLR family expression and prognostic value in BC by mining UALCAN, TIMER, and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases. Subsequently, we explored the association of LDLR expression and immune infiltrating abundance via the TIMER database.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Expression levels of LRP1/2/4/9/10 were found to be higher in the cases with positive estrogen receptors. There was a positive association between LRP1/6 expression and the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T Cell, Macrophage, Dendritic Cell, and Neutrophil.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study recommends LDLR as a potential prognostic biomarker that can be promising to improve the survival of BC patients' survival. However, further investigations are needed to evaluate the studied LDLR members in more detail.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 1","pages":"31-49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11164315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141306996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Delving into the Role of α-Smooth Muscle Actin as a Predictive Biomarker of Early Recurrence in Invasive Ductal Adenocarcinoma of Breast.","authors":"Seetu Palo","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2022442.3255","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2022442.3255","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 3","pages":"363-364"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11646196/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142839821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seyyed Jalil Mousavi, Rahim Nezhadrahim, Farima Abdulzadeh
{"title":"The Most Common Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria Associated with Hospital Infections, in Urmia, Iran.","authors":"Seyyed Jalil Mousavi, Rahim Nezhadrahim, Farima Abdulzadeh","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2014294.3195","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2014294.3195","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & objective: </strong>Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major healthcare problem in hospitalized patients, especially in developing countries, where they affect millions of patients and cause high mortality rates. This study aimed to investigate multidrug-resistant bacterial strains in NIs at Imam Khomeini University Hospital in Urmia, Iran.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method. The study population comprised all positive clinical samples from HAIs registered in the laboratory of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia, Iran, in 2019. Bacteria were identified by culturing the samples on blood agar and MacConkey agar, followed by performing standard biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using the disk diffusion method, in accordance with CLSI guidelines.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 607 positive samples, the most common microorganisms isolated were <i>Escherichia coli</i> (27.5%), <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> (18.5%), and <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (15.2%). The distribution of resistance to the number of antibiotics in bacterial isolates from the samples showed that 19.8% of them were resistant to one antibiotic and 13.2% were resistant to three antibiotics. 40.5% of the samples showed no resistance to antibiotics.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the critical issue of HAIs and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in Urmia, Iran. Urgent measures, including improved hygiene, accurate diagnostics, appropriate antibiotic use, and stakeholder education, are essential. Establishing a robust HAI surveillance system is also recommended. Future efforts should aim at understanding and mitigating the spread of these pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 3","pages":"283-291"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11646194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142839861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diagnostic Value of Hepatic Mast Cell Concentration (MCC) in NAFLD and NASH Severity and Fibrosis Grade.","authors":"Mahshid Panahi, Nasser Rakhshani, Alireza Sarhaddi, Monavvar Afzalaghaee, Hamid Rezvani, Nikoo Emtiazi, Farkhonde Sarhaddi","doi":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2016320.3216","DOIUrl":"10.30699/IJP.2024.2016320.3216","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & objective: </strong>Mast cells play a role in the immune responses to fatty liver disease. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of hepatic mast cell concentration (MCC) in NAFLD and NASH severity and fibrosis grade.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present cross-sectional unremarkable hepatic histology, NAFLD, or NASH cases were enrolled. Demographic variables, BMI, hepatic stiffness assessed using fibroscan, portal inflammation, hepatic disease grade assessed using the NAFLD Activity Score (NAS), and hepatic fibrosis severity assessed using the NASH fibrosis stage, hepatic necrosis severity, and hepatic steatosis severity of the patients were collected. The hepatic specimens underwent immunohistochemical (IHC) staining.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of a total of 92 patients with a mean age of 38.7±13.3 years, 56 (60.9%) were males. There were significant relationships between the NAS score of the patients and hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the NASH fibrosis stage had significant relationships with the variables of hepatic necrosis, steatosis, and stiffness. There were significant positive correlations between the mast cell concentration (MCC) in all zones of the hepatic tissue (zone 1, zone 2, zone 3, portal area, and total) and the variables of age, BMI, and hepatic necrosis, steatosis, and stiffness. The patients with a higher NASH fibrosis stage showed a significantly higher MCC in all zones of the hepatic tissue.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hepatic mast cell number may have a significant impact on the grade and fibrosis in NAFLD. However, it is recommended to perform further studies with larger sample sizes on patients with various etiologies for hepatic injury to confirm the present study results.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 3","pages":"291-299"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11646207/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142839828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Secondary to Scorpion Envenomation in a 7-Year-Old Boy from Southwestern Iran.","authors":"Nafiseh Mortazavi, Nakysa Hooman, Mitra Mehrazma, Yasaman Moradi, Parvin Aghavali","doi":"10.30699/ijp.2024.2024403.3272","DOIUrl":"10.30699/ijp.2024.2024403.3272","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Hemiscorpius lepturus</i> is a deadly scorpion species found in the tropical regions of the Middle East. Its venom consists of a complex mixture of peptides and enzymes, including the protease toxin hemiscorpius crolysin, the analgesic peptide, and the cytotoxic agent which attacks vascular low-body weight patients, and especially young patients, are prone to systemic complications such as nephrotoxicity, hemolysis, hepatotoxicity, and even death. In this case report, we present a 7-year-old boy from city of Ahwaz in southwestern Iran, who was bitten by Gadeem (<i>H. lepturus</i>) and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. After being stung, the patient developed hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and uremia in the subsequent days. The patient received supportive treatment, hemodialysis, and plasma exchange, and was discharged after 30 days of hospitalization.</p>","PeriodicalId":38900,"journal":{"name":"Iranian Journal of Pathology","volume":"19 4","pages":"467-471"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11872030/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143543948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}