Genetic and molecular alterations in rhabdomyosarcoma: mRNA overexpression of MCL1 and MAP2K4 genes

Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood, belongs to the small round cell tumor family and is classified according to its histopathological features as embryonal, alveolar and pleomorphic. In this study we propose to explore genetic alterations involved in rhabdomyosarcoma tumorigenesis and assess the level of mRNA gene expression of controlling survival signalling pathways. For genetic and molecular analysis, array-based comparative genomic hybridization, combined with Real Time PCR using the comparative method, was performed on 14 primary well-characterized human primary rhabdomyosarcomas. Multiple changes affecting chromosome arms were detected in all cases, including gain or loss of specific regions harbouring cancer progression-associated genes. Evaluation of mRNA levels showed in the majority of cases overexpression of MCL1 and MAP2K4 genes, both involved in cell viability regulation. Our findings on rhabdomyosarcoma samples showed multiple copy number alterations in chromosome regions implicated in malignancy progression and indicated a strong expression of MAP2K4 and MCL1 genes, both involved in different biological functions of complicated signalling pathways.

The number of pregnancies is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

Epidemiological data show a higher prevalence of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) in women. The estrogenic deficiency in the post-menopausal period is suspected to be the cause of the gender-related risk of the disease, but studies on the estrogenic therapy and occurrence of AD were not consistent and sometimes contradicting. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a higher exposure to endogenous estrogens is associated with lower risk of dementia or not. Two hundred and four AD patients and 201 control women were considered. By interviews, we evaluated different variables, indirectly correlated to estrogenic natural exposure, as well as educational level and head trauma. These data were correlated in the AD group with the disease progression, as well as with the age at onset. Unexpectedly, we found a significant higher number of pregnancies in the AD than in the control group. Within the AD cases, the number of lifetime pregnancies is related to an earlier onset of the disease. As previously reported, we confirmed that the educational level is a protective factor and that major head trauma represents a risk factor in developing AD. The higher number of pregnancies and a less frequency of nulliparous women, indirectly relate the AD group to a higher estro-progestinic exposure. These findings suggest that it is the increase of progesterone or estrogens level--and not the estrogens decrease, as previously indicated by other authors--that could play a role in the Alzheimer's pathology.

[Conservative surgical treatment of lung cancer: the "sleeve resection". Case contribution]

A series of 19 upper right lobectomies with resection and anastomosis of the principal bronchus carried out since 1975 at the 2nd Surgery Division, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital is described. An account is given of the carcinogenic risk, the endoscopic aspects, and the intraoperative picture in the various cases, and the long-term survivals, compatible with the time when the operation was performed. A brief description is also given of the technique employed, namely Sleeve Resection instead of the usual cuneiform approach. The reasons for this choice are explained. Lastly, from what is indicated it appears that right upper lobectomy with resection and anastomosis of the main bronchus is a very efficacious and very probably radical method in any cases where the neoplastic site should make right pneumonectomy necessary, but this is barred on the patient's functional status.