The clinical significance of changes in ezrin expression in osteosarcoma of children and young adults

Ezrin is a protein that functions as a cross-linker between actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Its clinical role in osteosarcoma is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate, in osteosarcoma, the prognostic value of ezrin expression at biopsy and changes in expression levels after preoperative chemotherapy. Thirty-eight newly diagnosed osteosarcoma patients aged 6-23 years were included. At diagnosis, 20 patients had localized disease, the others had distant metastases. Median follow-up was 75 months (range 13-135). Ezrin expression was assessed immunohistochemically in biopsy tissue and primary tumour specimens resected after chemotherapy. The influence on survival of changes in ezrin expression after chemotherapy was analysed. Ezrin expression was significantly higher after preoperative chemotherapy and changes compared to biopsy tissue were significantly lower in patients with early progression than in patients with relapse or no further evidence of disease (p = 0.006 and p = 0.002, respectively). Similarly, ezrin expression was higher after preoperative chemotherapy and exhibited less change in expression in deceased patients compared to patients surviving more than 5 years (both p = 0.001). Ezrin expression at biopsy was significantly associated with both histopathological aggressiveness (p < 0.001) and tumour size (p = 0.037). The results of this study provide evidence that changes in overexpression of ezrin due to preoperative chemotherapy could be a useful predictive and prognostic marker in patients with osteosarcoma.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency-like syndrome in giraffe

Studies were conducted on four giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) with diarrhea and three clinically healthy ones. The feces from both healthy and sick animals were examined to determine amylase, lipase and trypsin activity. In the feces of the giraffe with diarrhea a significant decrease of amylase and lipase activity was noted. The trypsin activity remained unchanged. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency-like syndrome was diagnosed on the basis of laboratory investigations and histopathological examinations. The administration of pancreatic enzyme supplements (Pancreatin; Polfa, Poland) had a noticeable effect on the normalization of clinical state and laboratory data of the giraffe with diarrhea. Determination of amylase and lipase activity in the feces may be helpful in determination of the condition of the pancreas in the course of chronic diarrhea in giraffe.

Serum lysozyme activity and nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test in dogs with diabetes mellitus

Serum lysozyme activity and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction by blood phagocytes were studied in 24 dogs with controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and in 16 healthy controls aged from 6 to 12 years. In dogs with diabetes mellitus serum lysozyme activity was significantly (p less than 0.001) lowered. The NBT reducing value of circulating phagocytes in diabetic dogs was increased (p less than 0.05), whereas these cells increase in NBT reduction following stimulation (stimulation index) was decreased (p less than 0.05). It is suggested that in diabetic dogs changes in activity of circulating and tissue phagocytes may occur.