Incidence Structure of Thymus Tumors in the Kharkiv Region and Analysis of Diagnostically Significant Parameters of Immune Response in Patients with Thymomas

The purpose of the study was to determine the structure of the incidence of thymus tumors in the Kharkiv region, taking into account the histological classification of thymus tumors and to analyze diagnostically significant indicators of the immune response of patients with thymomas. Materials and methods. The medical histories of 158 patients aged 16 to 80 years with diseases of the thymus gland were studied during 2006-2019. The indices of phagocytic activity of granulocytic neutrophils in blood heparinization, phagocytic index, phagocytic number, phagocytosis completion index and activity of proteins of the complement system were analyzed. We also analyzed the indices of the number of T- and B-lymphocytes obtained using monoclonal antibodies (CD2+, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD19+) (immunofluorescence method). Results and discussion. The structure of the incidence of tumors of the thymus in the Kharkiv region was determined, taking into account the histological classification of tumors of the thymus and indicators of the immune status of patients with thymomas. The relationship was determined between the indicators of the phagocytic activity of granulocytic neutrophils and the activity of proteins of the complement system, as well as changes in the ratio of the subpopulation composition of T-lymphocytes in patients with different types of thymomas. Lymphoepithelial thymoma is most widespread in male population in the age groups 40-59 and 20-39 years, and the lymphoid thymoma – in male population in the age group 20-39 years and female population in the age group 40-59 years. The significant decrease (p <0.05) in the mean value of the phagocytic index was revealed in group of patients with lymphoid thymomas. The subpopulations of T-lymphocytes CD3+ and CD4+ were significantly reduced (p <0.05) in group of patients with lymphoepithelial thymomas. The subpopulations of T-lymphocytes CD4+ and CD8+ were significantly reduced (p <0.05) in group of patients with lymphoid thymomas. The increasing of the mean values of markers CD16+ and CD19+ (p <0.05) in all study groups indicates that the processes of antibody production in patients with thymomas are activated regardless of the type of thymoma. Conclusion. The structure of thymus pathology in the population of the Kharkiv region is characterized by the predominance of tumor pathology in the general structure of thymus pathology, which is 51.3%. The lymphoepithelial and lymphoid thymomas are the most common tumors of the thymus and were recorded in 64.2% and 30.8% of patients with thymomas, respectively

Modern aspects of clinical, radiological and computed tomographic diagnostics of odontogenic cysts and the results of their treatment

There are many classifications of jaw cystic formations. The most perfect is the International histological classification of odontogenic tumors, cystic lesions of the jaws and tumor-like processes, approved by WHO in 1971. According to WHO, the group of epithelial cysts includes both developing ones, including odontogenic (primordial or keratocyst, gingival, erupting, follicular) and non-ontogenic origin (nasopalatine duct, globular-maxillary, nasolabial or so-called naso-alveolar), and inflammatory (radicular) tumor-like formations.

Thymomas: Analysis of Histological Subtypes and Staging in Patients with Surgical Treatment in Two Reference Centers in Argentina

Background: Thymomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors which represent the most frequent tumor of the anterior mediastinum. Aims: To describe the clinical, histological, surgical and oncological characteristics of a cohort of patients with a diagnosis of thymoma surgically treated in two centers in Argentina and to evaluate the possibility of retrospectively implementing the 8th edition of TNM staging. Materials and Methods: 180 patients with thymoma surgically treated over a period of 41 years were studied. The following variables were analysed: age, sex, presence of myasthenia gravis at diagnosis, Masaoka staging (1994), TNM staging of thymus tumors, Histological classification (WHO 2015), neoadjuvant treatment with chemotherapy, post-operative radiation treatment and clinical evolution of myasthenia gravis defined according to the modified Osserman classification. Results: 96 men and 84 women were analysed. Median age 51 years (range 13-85). 85% of the patients analysed came from the public sphere. When analysing the institutional distribution by Masaoaka-Koga stage and TNM, a higher proportion of stages I was observed for both staging systems. Most myasthenic patients belonged to the WHO B2 histological classification (49%, p=0.04) and 15 patients received neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery to improve the chances of resection, most of them classified as stages III of Masaoka (p=0.002) or IIIa of the TNM stage (p=0.001). 74 (46%) cases received post-operative RT when they presented Masaoka Koga stages II (p=0.000) and IIIa or more advanced TNM staging (p=0.000). 76% of the patients presented remission or stability of symptoms after surgical treatment and only 3/6 died due to myasthenic crisis in the immediate post-operative period. Conclusion: As reported in the literature, we have observed a higher frequency of B2 thymomas and their association with Myasthenia gravis. The histological criteria of the WHO 2015 classification, based on the ITMIG recommendations, favour precision in the definition of subtypes. The retrospective implementation of the 8th edition of TNM staging highlights the need to standardize protocols for pathological and surgical studies.

Specific cell differentiation in breast cancer: a basis for histological classification

Breast parenchyma progenitor cells show a high degree of phenotypic plasticity reflected in the wide range of morphology observed in benign and malignant breast tumours. Although there is evidence suggesting that all breast cancer (BC) arises from a common epithelial progenitor or stem cell located at the terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs), BC shows a broad spectrum of morphology with extensive variation in histological type and grade. This is related to the complexity of BC carcinogenesis including initial genetic changes in the cell of origin, subsequent genetic and epigenetic alterations and reprogramming that occur at various stages of BC development and the interplay with the surrounding microenvironment, factors which influence the process of differentiation. Differentiation in BC determines the morphology, which can be measured using histological grade and tumour type. Histological grade, which measures the similarity to the TDLUs, reflects the degree of differentiation whereas tumour type reflects the type of differentiation. Understanding BC phenotypic differentiation facilitates the accurate diagnosis and histological classification of BC with corresponding clinical implications in terms of disease behaviour, prognosis and management plans. In this review, we highlight the potential pathways that BC stem cells follow resulting in the development of different histological types of BC and how knowledge of these pathways impacts our ability to classify BC in diagnostic practice. We also discuss the role of cellular differentiation in producing metaplastic and neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast and how the latter differ from their counterparts in other organs, with emphasis on clinical relevance.

Comparison of the Efficacy of S-1 Plus Oxaliplatin or Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin for Six and Eight Chemotherapy Cycles as Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Stage II-III Gastric Cancer After D2 Resection

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy with six or eight cycles of S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) or Capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) after D2 resection of GC.Design and participantsWe collected 470 cases of patients with TNM stage II and III GC who underwent D2 gastrectomy in the Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2007 to December 2017 and received six or eight cycles of SOX or XELOX regimen. This study was designed to evaluate the prognosis of patients receiving six or eight cycles of SOX or XELOX chemotherapy and identify the appropriate number of chemotherapy cycles.ResultsAmong the 470 study participants [340 (72.3%) males; median age, 50 years (range, 24-76 years)], 355 and 115 received XELOX or SOX regimen chemotherapy, respectively. The number of 152 patients included in this study who received 6 and 8 cycles of chemotherapy in stage II and stage III without considering chemotherapy regimens were 125 and 27. The median DFS was, respectively, 14.9 months and 26.8 months (P = 0.08), the median OS was, respectively, 30.2 months and 30.8 months (P = 0.5), the difference was not statistically significant. Comprehensive survival analysis of XELOX and SOX group showed no significant difference for DFS (P = 0.29) and OS (P = 0.61). The total number of stage III GC patients who received six and eight cycles of chemotherapy was 92 and 19, respectively. The median DFS of patients who received six and eight cycles of chemotherapy was 14.6 and 23.2 months (P = 0.3), respectively. The median OS of patients who received six and eight cycles of chemotherapy was 26 and 30.6 months (P = 0.9), respectively. Comprehensive analysis of DFS (P=0.73) and OS (P=0.6) shows no difference between the XELOX group SOX groups. Subgroup analysis revealed significant differences in the gender (P = 0.05) and histological classification (P &lt; 0.05) distribution.ConclusionRegardless of the XELOX regimen or the SOX regimen, similar survival benefits are observed in patients receiving six or eight chemotherapy cycles irrespective of the regimen used. The XELOX and SOX regimens are well tolerated in patients undergoing D2 resection of GC.

Recurrence Rates of Intraosseous Ameloblastoma Cases With Conservative or Aggressive Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ObjectiveThis study aimed to systematically investigate and compare the post-treatment recurrence of intraosseous ameloblastoma in patients treated with conservative or aggressive approaches.MethodsSystemic searches of PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases from inception to October 28, 2020, were conducted. Studies that aimed to evaluate the recurrence of intraosseous ameloblastoma by conservative and aggressive treatment approaches were included.ResultsA total of 20 studies with 942 ameloblastoma cases were included. Fourteen studies included patients with ameloblastoma who received conservative treatment, and 16 studies reported the overall recurrence rate for patients undergoing aggressive treatment. The pooled results indicated that the recurrence rate for aggressive treatment [0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.09–0.16] was significantly lower than that for conservative treatment, with a recurrence rate of 0.30 (95% CI = 0.23–0.39). Similar results were obtained when stratifying the participants by the histological classification. When trying stratification analysis following the original included studies, multicystic ameloblastoma presented a much higher recurrence rate than solid and unicystic ameloblastomas.ConclusionThese findings supported the hypothesis that aggressive treatment might lead to a lower recurrence rate than conservative treatment. More studies and meta-analyses following the new histological classification of ameloblastomas are needed to validate and support the findings.