Conjunctival Melanoma: A Case Presentation

Conjunctival melanoma is an uncommon tumor that is likely to recur and carries an overall mortality rate of approximately 30%. Melanoma arises from melanocytes, most often in sun-exposed skin. Less commonly, melanoma originates from other tissues such as the uvea, rectum, mouth, respiratory tract, and conjunctiva. Conjunctival melanoma represents only 1.6% of all noncutaneous melanoma. Herein, we reported a case of conjunctival melanoma followed by reviewing the literature to provide an optimal diagnostic approach.

SLAM-family receptors come of age as a potential molecular target in cancer immunotherapy

The signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) family receptors were discovered in immune cells for the first time. The SLAM-family receptors are a significant player in cytotoxicity, humoral immune responses, autoimmune diseases, lymphocyte development, cell survival, and cell adhesion. There is growing evidence that SLAM-family receptors have been involved in cancer progression and heralded as a novel immune checkpoint on T cells. Previous studies have reported the role of SLAMs in tumor immunity in various cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, pancreas, lung, and melanoma. Evidence has deciphered that the SLAM-family receptors may be targeted for cancer immunotherapy. However, our understanding in this regard is not complete. This review will discuss the role of SLAM-family receptors in cancer immunotherapy. It will also provide an update on recent advances in SLAM-based targeted immunotherapies.

TERT Promoter Mutation in Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors; A Cross-Sectional Study

Background & Objective

Telomere-related tumorigenesis mechanisms in the salivary gland, including mutation in the promoter region of TERT, have been rarely investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the mutation in the promoter region of TERT in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors.

Methods

This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study. Tissue samples of 54 patients with primary salivary gland tumors sent to the pathology department of Rasool-e-Akram Hospital from September 2017 to September 2021 were examined. Fifteen samples including two groups of the most common benign tumors (n=5; 3 pleomorphic adenomas and 2 Warthin tumors) and four groups of the most common malignant tumors (n=10; 3 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 3 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 2 acinic cell carcinoma, and 2 salivary duct carcinoma) were selected. The promoter region of TERT, including well-known hot spot regions, is sequenced using the Sanger sequencing method. Data were analyzed using statistical software R version 4.1.2.

Results

Of 15 salivary gland tumor specimens, consisting of 5 benign tumors and 10 malignant tumors after DNA sequencing, TERT promoter region mutation was only seen in one of the adenoid cystic carcinoma samples, located at -146 bp upstream from ATG (chr5: 1,295,250 C>T).

Conclusion

TERT promoter mutation was not different in malignant and benign salivary tumors. Nonetheless, there are a few studies that report TERT promoter mutation in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland, necessitating the need for further investigations.

The association between CD3+ and CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and prognosis in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with more than 250,000 deaths each year, is the eighth leading cause of death worldwide, with a five-year survival of less than 5% and a median recurrence time between 5 and 23 months. The association between PDAC and CD3⁺/CD8⁺ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the extent of tumor spread and clinical outcomes has been recently shown. This study aimed to determine and compare the density of TILs and their association with disease prognosis in patients with PDAC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we collected PDAC tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues from 64 patients with TIL-positive PDAC. The immunohistochemistry method was used for the detection of the expression levels of CD3⁺ and CD8⁺ TILs in PDAC tissues. Also, the completed follow-up history was evaluated for at least five years.

RESULTS

The frequency of intratumoral and peritumoral TILs was 20 (31.2%) and 44 (68.8%), respectively. The mean density of CD3⁺ TILs and CD8⁺ TILs was 67.73%±20.17% and 69.45%±17.82%, respectively. The density of CD3⁺ TILs and CD8⁺ TILs was not associated with overall survival nor metastasis-free survival of the patients and tumor grade. However, the density of TILs was significantly lower in those patients who experienced tumor recurrence than those without this recurrence.

CONCLUSION

TILs density was high in patients with PDAC. The density of both CD3⁺ and CD8⁺ TILs was significantly lower in patients who experienced tumor recurrence. Thus, this study suggests that tracking and determining the density of CD3⁺ and CD8⁺ TILs might be effective in predicting PDAC recurrence.

Low-Level Laser and Bovine Amniotic Fluid-derived Cream Accelerating Skin Neck Wound Healing and Reducing Inflammation and Wound Scar in a Rat Animal Model

Background

Nowadays, wound healing is one of the main problems of patients. Therefore, extensive research is underway to discover mechanisms associated with non-scarring of wounds. Using amniotic fluid and laser may potentially play a key role in wound healing and scar reduction due to its presence in tissue growth and repair agents.

Aim

The present study evaluated the effect of bovine amniotic fluid (BAF)-derived cream and low-power laser (LPL) on accelerating skin wound healing and reducing scarring in an animal model.

Materials and Methods

Therefore, 72 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (each group: 24). A wound 6 mm in diameter was then inflicted on the rats' backs. In the first group that was the control group, the wound was only used. Moreover, BAF was implemented for the second group, and in the third group, LPL radiation was utilized. On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 14th, and 21st days, the healing condition of the wound and scar created were examined.

Results

Hence, evaluation of wound healing status on days 5 and 14 showed that the wound healing scale in the BAF group and LPL group was significantly better than that of the control group. On the 21st day, the average Scar Scoring Scale in the BAF and LPL groups was significantly lower than that of the control group. Histological images showed a significant repair in the LPL and BAF groups.

Conclusion

To conclude, considering the positive effect of LPL and BAF on wound healing and less scarring, it seems that LPL and BAF can heal wounds faster. Moreover, they can be used to prevent scarring after wound healing.