Endometrial carcinoma is a common malignancy of the female genital tract. Alterations in the expression levels of various oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes serve important roles in the carcinogenesis and biological behavior of endometrial carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combination and individual expression of p53 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein in human endometrial carcinoma. In addition, the correlation of these proteins with clinicopathological parameters was also assessed. Retrospective immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of p53 and PTEN tumor suppressor proteins was conducted in 99 women with endometrial carcinoma. The overall rate of p53 and PTEN positivity was 89 and 77%, respectively, according to the sum of stain intensity and scores of immunopositive cells. The sum of p53 positivity correlated strongly with PTEN expression (ρ=0.256; P=0.044). The concomitant sum of p53 and PTEN expression was identified in 45% of patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma. Notably, the sum of the immunohistochemical expression of p53 was significantly correlated with patient age (P=0.037), histologic type (P=0.008), histologic grade (P=0.002) and fallopian and/or ovarian invasion (P=0.014). Furthermore, PTEN expression was associated with myometrial invasion (ρ=−0.377; P=0.002) and clinical stage (P=0.019). In addition, concomitant p53 and PTEN expression was correlated with patient age (P=0.008) and histologic differentiation (P=0.028). The findings indicated a correlation between the expression of p53 and PTEN in endometrial adenocarcinoma, which suggested an intrinsic association between expression levels of these tumor suppressor genes. The study also suggested that concomitant p53 and PTEN expression contributed in characterizing the tumor behavior of endometrial carcinoma. Taken together, the present study suggested the combined expression of p53 and PTEN in the development of high-grade endometrial carcinoma in older patients. In addition, the findings indicated activation of different molecular pathways in the tumor progression between low-grade and high-grade endometrial carcinomas.

Background: Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is involved in the initial steps of colorectal cancer (CRC) formation, playing a key role in the catalysis of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT or TERT) also plays an important role in colorectal cancer growth, conferring sustained cell proliferation and survival. Although hTERT induces COX-2 expression in gastric and cervical cancer, their interaction has not been investigated in the context of CRC. Methods: COX-2, PGE2 levels, and telomerase activity were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and TRAP assay in 49 colorectal cancer samples. PTGS1, PTGS2, PTGES3, TERT mRNA, and protein levels were investigated using RNA-seq and antibody-based protein profiling data from the TCGA and HPA projects. A multi-omics comparison was performed between PTGS2 and TERT, using RNAseq, DNA methylation, copy number variations (CNVs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and insertions/deletions (Indels) data. Results: COX-2 expression was positive in 40/49 CRCs, bearing cytoplasmic and heterogeneous staining, from moderate to high intensity. COX-2 staining was mainly detected in the stroma of the tumor cells and the adjacent normal tissues. PGE2 expression was lower in CRC compared to the adjacent normal tissue, and inversely correlated to telomerase activity in right colon cancers. COX-1 and COX-2 were anticorrelated with TERT. Isoform structural analysis revealed the most prevalent transcripts driving the differential expression of PTGS1, PTGS2, PTGES3, and TERT in CRC. COX-2 expression was significantly higher among B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase, mutant (BRAFmut) tumors. Kirsten ras oncogene (KRAS) mutations did not affect COX-2 or TERT expression. The promoter regions of COX-2 and TERT were reversely methylated. Conclusions: Our data support that COX-2 is involved in the early stages of colorectal cancer development, initially affecting the tumor’s stromal microenvironment, and, subsequently, the epithelial cells. They also highlight an inverse correlation between COX-2 expression and telomerase activity in CRC, as well as differentially methylated patterns within the promoter regions of COX-2 and TERT.

Cutaneous apocrine gland carcinoma, a subtype of sweat gland carcinoma, is a very rare malignancy, and only few cases have been reported in the literature. Many of these carcinomas are indolent and slowly developing, but some are rapidly progressive. The treatment of choice is wide local excision with clear margins, with or without lymph node dissection. We report a case of a 67-year-old man who came to our hospital with an ulcerated nodule in the right axilla measuring 1 × 0.8 cm. Histological evaluation showed features of an apocrine gland carcinoma arising in an area of high apocrine gland density.

Careful medical history, physical examination, laboratory serum values and imaging studies are helpful in making the pre-operative diagnosis. Steroid cell tumours, NOS are usually benign, unilateral and characterised by the composition of two similar-appearing polygonal cell types. They differ from Leydig cell tumours in the lack of crystals of Reinke in their cytoplasm.

Μalakoplakia is a rare inflammatory condition of the urogenital tract. The most frequently affected organ is urinary bladder. This condition has features of a granulomatous inflammation, the pathogenesis of which is not well understood. In this study, we presented a case of urinary bladder malakoplakia associated with advanced obstructive uropathy and renal failure.