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Background The primary brain tumors including astrocytic tumors, ranging from circumscribed into diffuse and glioblastoma (GBM), which is considered as a highly malignant neoplasm of the central nervous system. They share common molecular and biological abnormalities. This study was aiming to illustrate the role of c-erbB-2 protein [human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2 neu)] and E-cadherin expression in varied groups of astrocytic tumors. Patients and methods The material of this work consisted of 50 cases with histopathological diagnosis of astrocytoma and GBM. The patients were classified histopathologically into four grades based on the WHO 2007 criteria: pilocytic astrocytoma (G1), diffuse astrocytoma (G2), anaplastic astrocytoma (G3), and GBMs (G4). C-erbB-2 protein and E-cadherin expressions were estimated semiquantitatively on immunohistochemically tissue sections stained with antibodies against c-erbB-2 protein and E-cadherin. Results Checking HER2 scores, 29 (58%) cases were HER2 neu positive. Comparing the percentage of all cases of astrocytic tumors, it was found that the most obvious positive staining was observed predominantly in anaplastic astrocytoma and GBM cases. Regarding E-cadherin, 19/50 (38%) cases were E-cadherin positive with variable expressions moderate to strong immunostaining, but was typically higher in low-grade astrocytoma than in higher grades. Conclusions Taken together from our and other data, HER2 overexpression may be considered a poor prognostic marker in patients with astrocytic tumors of the brain especially GBM and cadherin cell–cell contacts in astrocytoma cells may decrease its invasion, and they could become a new potential therapeutic strategy for astrocytoma's treatment.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association of TWIST1 and CD44 in gastric cancer (GC) with clinical parameters and their relation to prognosis, which may be beneficial for targeted therapeutic strategies in the future. Materials and methods The material of this work consisted of 40 primary GC specimens from patients who underwent radical gastrectomy. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, those who presented with other cancers at the same time, or the patients with incomplete clinical data were excluded from the study. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from all cases were re-evaluated and further stained immunohistochemically using antibodies against TWIST1 and CD44. Results TWIST1 and CD44-positive expressions were significantly increased in GC cases of diffuse type (P=0.019 and 0.002, respectively). Moreover, there was a statistically significant correlation between both markers and tumor grade, stage, and lymphovascular invasion (P=0.027 and 0.010, P=0.002 and 0.012, and P=0.001 and 0.005, respectively). A statistically significant correlation was found between TWIST1 and CD44 expressions in GCs (P=0.000). Conclusion The presence of TWIST1-positive carcinoma cells and CD44-positive cancer stem-like cells in GC tissue can be used as a diagnostic tool for GC and regarded as a marker of poor prognosis in patients with GC, which may provide potential targets for GC therapy.

Context Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a protein that acts as a tumor suppressor by dephosphorylating the lipid second messenger phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate. Loss of PTEN function and mutation in PTEN gene have been implicated in the pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma (EC). Objective The aim was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of PTEN in endometrial hyperplasia and EC and to evaluate the relationship between its expression and tumor grade in EC. Materials and methods Specimens included 16 cases of endometrial hyperplasia without atypia, six cases of atypical endometrial hyperplasia, and 18 EC specimens. Immunohistochemical staining for PTEN was performed using diaminobenzidine detection kit on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples. Tumor tissue blocks and clinical data were collected from the files of the Pathology Department of Al-Zahraa University Hospital during the period 2010–2014. Results Immunohistochemistry showed that PTEN was positive for nuclei and cytoplasm of glandular endometrial cells. The PTEN expression was decreased significantly in atypical hyperplasia or EC compared with simple or complex hyperplasia (P0.041). In EC, we proved that PTEN expression is downregulated in high-grade tumors. Conclusion A positive PTEN expression correlates significantly with hyperplasia without atypia and well-differentiated tumors. The downregulation of PTEN indicates a more malignant phenotype.