Biomedical subjects

L Agulansky

Publications and source records attributed to L Agulansky.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Acute prostatitis in middle-aged men: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical outcome of middle-aged men with acute prostatitis, the optimum time for re-assessing their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and to detect any possible echotextural and vascular changes that remain as a consequence of acute inflammation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Persistent fever prompted a re-evaluation for prostatic abscess formation in 28 middle-aged men, using transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) colour Doppler imaging, undertaken at the 3-, 6- and 12-month visits. The results of TRUS were compared with laboratory data and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Two abscesses were detected; 19 (68%) of the patients remained infection-free at the 3-month visit. Serum PSA levels were elevated in 11 (39%) of the patients at this visit; three prostate carcinomas were diagnosed. Increased intraprostatic colour flow was detected in 68% and there were hypoechoic areas in 46% of the patients. CONCLUSION: The re-evaluation for abscess formation should not be postponed for > 48 h. Patients with acute prostatitis tend to have persistent infection. PSA levels could be high even up to 3 months after an acute episode. Middle-aged men with carcinoma could be missed during the acute phase of inflammation. PSA and TRUS monitoring are strongly recommended.

Abscess↗

PubMed1999

Macrophage infiltration and angiogenesis in cervical squamous cell carcinoma--clinicopathologic correlation.

BACKGROUND: The role of angiogenesis and inflammatory cell response in predicting disease outcome was evaluated in various malignant tumors. However, the data relating to cervical cancer remains equivocal. This study evaluates the prognostic significance of microvessel counts and peritumoral macrophage infiltrates in squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. METHODS: Seventy-five cervical squamous cell carcinomas were stained immunohistochemically by two endothelial markers- anti-CD31 and Ulex Europaeus lectin I (UEA-I), and the macrophage- specific marker anti-CD68. Microvessel and macrophage counts were performed using a grid at X200 and X400 magnification, respectively, in areas of maximal density ('hot spots'). Five fields were scanned. Microvessel counts were correlated with macrophage density, and both were correlated with patient age, tumor stage, histological grade, and survival. RESULTS: Microvessel counts were comparable for ulex lectin (mean 6.8+/-4.8/field) and CD31 (8.7+/-5.3/field), and results by both markers correlated (p<0.001). Counts by both markers correlated with tumor stage, being higher in stages Ib-II compared to stage III-IV tumors (p<0.05). No correlation with age, grade, or survival was found. Macrophage counts (mean 13.1+/-12.3 cells/field) did not correlate with any of the clinical parameters studied or with microvessel counts. CONCLUSIONS: Microvessel counts and macrophage density do not correlate with survival in cervical cancer. Neither do they appear to be inter-related. The association between elevated microvessel counts and localized disease may reflect peak angiogenic stimuli by neoplastic cells. We hypothesize that the beneficial role of macrophages in cellular immunity may be opposed by the elaboration of growth factors in the vicinity of neoplastic cells.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Immunohistochemical analysis of rasGTPase activating protein (rasGAP) in prostate cancer.

The ras protooncogene plays a key role in the signal transduction cascade of activated growth factors, and is known to be activated or overexpressed in multiple tumor types, including prostate cancer. rasGTPase activating protein (rasGAP), a major downregulator of ras activity, has been shown to be underexpressed in human trophoblastic tumors, and presumably acts as a tumor suppressor gene product in these neoplasms. To assess the role that rasGAP plays in the development of prostate cancer, we performed immunohistochemical analyses with anti rasGAP antibodies of 125 human prostate tumors from Israel. Staining results were correlated with Gleason grade. In the majority of tumors (99/125-79%) there was either no staining or the tumor and surrounding benign glands had a similar pattern of staining. In up to 16% of the tumors, cytoplasmic, tumor-specific loss of expression was noted, presumably indicative of the role of rasGAP as a tumor suppressor gene. Unexpectedly, in up to 21% of the tumors, nuclear staining was demonstrated, and in about 20% of these, there was an accompanying loss of expression in the non neoplastic cytoplasm. Neither cytoplasmic nor nuclear staining correlated with Gleason grade. These findings of nuclear staining by anti-rasGAP are intriguing, since it is the first time that nuclear translocation of rasGAP is demonstrated, which might indicate that in this subset of tumors, rasGAP acts as a direct acting oncogene. The data indicate that rasGAP may play a dual regulatory role in prostate proliferation and that nuclear expression of it may be associated with malignant transformation of these cells.

Adenocarcinoma↗