Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine disorders in the world. In India, about 42 million people suffer from various thyroid disorders. However, based on population-based cancer registry (PBCR) and Chennai cancer registry, thyroid cancer is emerging as a common cancer particularly in Chennai. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is considered as the most prevalent cancer constituting about 80-85 % of thyroid malignancies. Rearranged during transfection (RET)/papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) gene rearrangements are one of the major genetic alterations found in papillary thyroid carcinoma. This present study aims at estimating the frequency of RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3 gene rearrangements in Chennai population and investigating the correlation between RET/PTC gene expressions with clinical parameters. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues obtained from 30 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were analyzed. Initially, to differentiate classic and follicular variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma samples, immunohistochemistry was performed. Thereafter, total RNA was isolated, and quantitative evaluation of RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3 gene rearrangements by real-time PCR was performed. Chi-square test was performed to understand the correlation between positive and negative mutations of RET/PTC messenger RNA (mRNA) expression with clinical parameters. RET/PTC3 gene rearrangements were identified in 26/30 (86.67 %) cases, and none of the patient in our series had RET/PTC1 gene rearrangements. There was no statistically significant difference observed between positive and negative mutations of RET/PTC3 mRNA expression with clinic pathological parameters. Our results indicate that RET/PTC3 gene rearrangements are the most prevalent form of rearrangements in PTCs of Chennai population.

Background: Pigmented lesions are group of lesions which have melanocytic proliferation with very common clinical presentation. Diagnosing these pigmented lesions and differentiating cutaneous melanocytic lesions from non-melanocytic lesions poses a great challenge for the pathologist.Methods: A Prospective study was conducted for one year from June 2016 to June 2017 sent to the Department of Pathology, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, a tertiary care centre in southern India consisting of 44 pigmented lesions. Specimens were formalin fixed and the tissue was adequately processed for histopathological examination. The sections were stained routinely with hematoxylin and eosin stain and examined under light microscopy.Results: Out of 44 cases, 24 cases were cutaneous melanocytic lesions which include benign naevi 22 (50%) and 2 (4.6%) malignant melanoma cases. The other 20 cases were cutaneous non melanocytic lesions which include 5 (11.4%) pigmented seborrheic keratosis, 6 (13.7%) pigmented basal cell carcinoma, 1 (2.3%) pigmented actinic keratosis and 8 (18%) cases of naevus sebaceous. Most common effected age group was <21 years (31.81%), male: female ratio is 1:2 and most common site involved was face 29 cases (65.9%). Most common pigmented lesions were benign melanocytic nevi 22 (50%) followed by naevus sebaceous 8 (18%) cases. 32 (72.71%) cases were consistent with both clinico-histopathological correlation.Conclusions: Benign melanocytic nevi are most common lesions obtained, seborric keratosis and pigmented basal cell carcinoma were most common mimickers of melanocytic lesions, hence a careful histopathological diagnosis is important.

NUTRALYS Pea Protein Isolate, a protein supplement, is a high-quality source of protein which is primarily emulsifying functional protein. We evaluated the genotoxic potential of NUTRALYS isolated from dry yellow pea, using three established genotoxicity tests (AMES test in vitro chromosomal aberration test, and in vivo micronucleus test) employing OECD guidelines under GLP conditions. In the bacterial reverse mutation test, NUTRALYS did not show positive responses in strains detecting point and frame shift mutations. In the chromosomal aberration test, NUTRALYS did not induce chromosome aberrations in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. In the bone marrow micronucleus test, NUTRALYS did not induce significant increases of micronucleated immature (polychromatic) erythrocytes in bone marrow of test animals.

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BMI1 is the first functional mammalian Polycomb group (PcG) proto-oncogene involved in multiple biological processes. Regulation of B cell-specific Moloney murine leukaemia virus integration site 1 (BMI1) expression with increase in histological grades of breast carcinoma in correlation with hormone receptor status was studied in 60 Indian breast cancer patient's formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. Relative expression of BMI1 was studied using real-time PCR. Immunohistochemistry explained the distribution of hormone receptor markers. Correlation of BMI1 gene expression with oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu status was analysed using Hex-protein docking tool. The hormone receptor expression was reduced with increasing grades of breast tumour. BMI1 gene expression was downregulated (real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis). Docking analysis explained the correlation between BMI1 and PR expression. BMI1 gene was co-regulated (down) with PR in the invasive ductal breast carcinoma with relative progression explicating it a diagnostic biomarker for ductal carcinoma of the breast.