Background:Sox11 is a transcription factor expressed in foetal and neoplastic brain tissue, including gliomas. It has been shown to suppress the tumourigenicity of glioma stem cells in vivo, thereby being hypothesised to function as a tumour suppressor.Methods:We investigated the expression of Sox11 in 132 diffuse astrocytomas in relation to the regulator cell marker nestin, c-Met and IDH1-R132H, which have shown to be differentially expressed among the molecular subgroups of malignant gliomas, as well as to an inducer of astrocytic differentiation, that is, signal transducer and activator of transcription (p-STAT-3), clinicopathological features and survival.Results:Sox11 immunoreactivity was identified in all tumours irrespective of grade, but being correlated with p-STAT-3. Three out of seven cases showed partial Sox11 promoter methylation. In >50% of our cases neoplastic cells coexpressed Sox11 and nestin, a finding further confirmed in primary glioblastoma cell cultures. Furthermore, nestin, c-Met and IDH1-R132H expression differed among grade categories. Cluster analysis identified four groups of patients according to c-Met, nestin and IDH1-R132H expression. The c-Met/nestin high-expressor group displayed a higher Sox11 expression. Sox11 expression was an indicator of favourable prognosis in glioblastomas, which remained in multivariate analysis and validated in an independent set of 72 cases. The c-Met/nestin high-expressor group was marginally with shorter survival in univariate analysis.Conclusions:We highlight the importance of Sox11 expression as a favourable prognosticator in glioblastomas. c-Met/nestin/IDH1-R132H expression phenotypes recapitulate the molecular subgroups of malignant glioma.

Non-occlusive colonic ischaemia is a recognized albeit rare entity related to low blood flow within the visceral circulation and in most reported cases the right colon was affected. This is the second case report in the literature of extensive colonic necrosis following cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A 83-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted to our hospital due to a low energy hip fracture. On her way to the radiology department she sustained a cardiac arrest. CPR started immediately and was successful. A few hours later, the patient developed increasing abdominal distension and severe metabolic acidocis. An abdominal multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan was suggestive of intestinal ischaemia. At laparotomy, the terminal ileum was ischaemic and extensive colonic necrosis was found, sparing only the proximal third of the transverse colon. The rectum was also spared. The terminal ileum and the entire colon were resected and an end ileostomy was fashioned. Although the patient exhibited a transient improvement during the immediate postoperative period, she eventually died 24h later from multiple organ failure. Histology showed transmural colonic necrosis with no evidence of a thromboembolic process or vasculitis. Therefore, this entity was attributed to a low flow state within the intestinal circulation secondary to the cardiac arrest.

Bisphosphonates are employed with increasing frequency in various pediatric disorders, mainly associated with osteoporosis. After cessation of bisphosphonate treatment in children, skeletal radiologic changes have been documented including dense metaphyseal lines of the long bones and “bone in bone” appearance of the vertebrae. However, the evolution of these radiographic changes has not been fully explored. We describe the MR imaging appearance of the spine that, to our knowledge, has not been previously addressed in a child with idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis who had received bisphosphonates and emphasize the evolution of the radiographic findings of the spine and pelvis over a four-year period.

Σκοπός: Στόχος μας ήταν η μοριακή και η ανοσοϊστοχημική μελέτη του Υποδοχέα του Επιδερμικού Αυξητικού Παράγοντα (EGFR), του Ηπατοκυτταρικού Αυξητικού Παράγοντα (HGF), του C-MET και του Αγγειακού Ενδοθηλιακού Αυξητικού Παράγοντα (VEGF) σε δείγματα μη μικροκυτταρικών καρκίνων του πνεύμονα.Υλικό και μέθοδοι: Σαρανταεπτά ασθενείς επιλέχθηκαν από το αρχειακό υλικό του Ά Εργαστηρίου Παθολογικής Ανατομικής της Ιατρικής Σχολής του Εθνικού και Καποδιστριακού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών. Η μοριακή μελέτη έγινε με PCR αντιδράσεις, χρησιμοποιώντας ειδικούς εκκινητές για τα εξόνια 19/21 και 14/16 για τον EGFR και τον C-MET αντίστοιχα. Οι ανοσοϊστοχημικές χρώσεις έγιναν με χρήση anti- EGFR/HGF/C-MET/VEGF/CD34 αντισωμάτων. Η ανοσοέκφραση συσχετίστηκε ποιοτικά και ποσοτικά με αγγειογενετικά γεγονότα, χρησιμοποιώντας το δείκτη CD34. Τα δεδομένα συσχετίστηκαν στατιστικά μεταξύ τους, όπως και με κλινικοπαθολογικές παραμέτρους, με στόχο τη διερεύνηση της προγνωστικής τους αξίας.Αποτελέσματα: Η έκφραση του VEGF βρέθηκε υψηλότερη στα πλακώδη καρκινώματα, ενώ των CD34 και HGF στα αδενοκαρκινώματα. Οι CD34 και HGF σχετίζονται θετικά με υψηλό βαθμό διαφοροποίησης, υψηλό στάδιο της νόσου και λεμφαδενική διήθηση. Δεν ανιχνεύθηκαν ανακοινώσιμες μοριακές μεταλλάξεις.Συμπεράσματα: Η έκφραση των μελετώμενων δεικτών διαφέρει ανάμεσα στους ιστολογικούς τύπους των μη μικροκυτταρικών όγκων του πνεύμονα.Όγκοι με θετική έκφραση αγγειογενετικών παραγόντων είναι πιο επιθετικοί, και διαγιγνώσκονται σε πιο προχωρημένο στάδιο της νόσου.

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