BACKGROUND: The rapidly growing knowledge regarding factors controlling tumour growth, with the new modalities of therapy acting on the biological activity of the tumours draw the attention of most cancer researches nowadays and represent a major focus for clinical oncology practice. For the detection of HER2/neu protein overexpression and gene amplification, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in-situ hybridisation (ISH) is the recommended techniques, respectively, with high concordance between the two techniques. The current United Kingdom recommendations for HER2/neu testing are either for a two-tier system using IHC with reflex ISH testing in equivocal positive cases, or a one-tier ISH strategy. AIM: To compare the results of HER2/neu gene status in patients with breast carcinoma obtained by chromogenic in situ hybridisation with those obtained by immunohistochemistry, and to compare these results with hormonal receptors expression by immunohistochemistry and with age of patients.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry technique was used for evaluation of status of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and HER2/neu protein expression in 448 Iraqi patients with invasive breast carcinoma with different grades and histological types and then chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) technique was applied for all scores of HER2/neu to detect the gene status and compare the results in all negative, equivocal and positive cases by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The cases were referred from different centres, and IHC and CISH techniques were done in central public health laboratory in Baghdad over 28 months, from July 2013 to November 2015. A comparison of the results was made to find the relationship between HER2/neu and hormone receptors status and other clinical parameters like patients age. RESULTS: The mean age of the study cases was 49.08 years, ranging from 24 to 83 years. Of the 448 cases of breast carcinoma, 44 (9.8%) cases were of score 0 by IHC, none of them (0%) showed HER2/neu gene amplification by CISH. 71(15.8%) cases were of score 1 by IHC, 15 (21.12%) of them showed HER2/neu gene amplification by CISH, all were of low amplification. There were 306 (68.3%) cases of score 2 by IHC, of which 102 (33.33%) cases showed HER2/neu gene amplification by CISH, with 79 (25.81%) of them with low amplification and 23 (7.51%) cases with high amplification, while only one case (0.32%) remained in equivocal category. In score 3, all the 27 (6.0%) cases showed gene amplification with 12 (44.44%) cases with low amplification and 15 (55.55) cases with high amplification with overall percentage of gene amplification in score 3 of 100%. There was a significant inverse relationship between hormone receptors (ER and PR) status and HER2/neu gene amplification. No significant relationship was found between the patient’s age and HER2/neu gene amplification.CONCLUSION: Although immunohistochemistry is a widely used, less expensive and reliable test, we strongly advice performance of chromogenic in situ hybridization in assessment of HER2/neu gene status in all cases diagnosed with breast carcinoma as significant number of cases that were reported as negative by immunohistochemistry showed positive amplification by chromogenic in situ hybridization and can get benefit from anti-HER2 targeted treatments.
Due to its association with hepatocellular carcinoma and being one of the ten most common malignancies worldwide, hepatitis C viral infection has become a severe public health concern. Therefore, establishing an accurate, reliable and sensitive diagnostic test for this infection is strongly advised. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been created to achieve this purpose. The current study was established to investigate the hepatitis C virus among Iraqi patients with chronic renal failure and to detect the virus immunologically by the fourth generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique and molecularly by real-time PCR. As a result, out of 50 patients with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis, 39 patients tes
... Show MoreBackground: During Annual statistical report published by the Iraqi ministry of health the year 2004 showed that mortality rate was 0.15 per 1000 of diarrheal episodes among children under five years.Objectives: To study the occurrence of Shigellosis and Entamoeba histolytica in a sample of children from certain hospitals in Baghdad and determine its relation to some demographic factors.Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in Baghdad city involving 400 children with bloody diarrhea under five years of age attending four hospitals, 130 cases from Central Pediatric Hospital, 110 cases from Al Mansoor Pediatric Hospital, 90 cases from Al Kadhimya Teaching Hospital and 70 cases from Mohammed Baaqir Al Hakeem Hospital for the p
... Show MoreBackground :Evening preparation for colonoscopy is often unsatisfactory and inconvenient. This study was performed to compare the efficacy of bowel preparation at two different timings: night before and morning of endoscopy and to compare the cecal intubation rate and disturbance of sleep hours between these two groups.
Methods: In this prospective randomized endoscopist- blinded trial, 150 patients were enrolled between March 2010 and August 2011. Patients aged between 18 to 80 years needing colonoscopy were included. Patients with prior bowel surgery, suspected bowel obstruction or those who didn't completely fulfill the preparation instructions were excluded. Patients received polyethyelen glycol electrolyte preparation in a mornin
Background: Women with previous two or
more caesarean deliveries are usually
managed by elective cesarean section to avoid
the possible risks of labor.
Objective: To compare the relative risks of
maternal and fetal outcomes in emergency
versus elective previous two or more
caesarean deliveries
Design: Randomized prospective clinical
study
Setting: Al-Elweya Maternity Teaching
Hospital, from 1st of March to 31st of
September 2008.
Methods: The study groups, those who had
previous two or more caesarean deliveries,
were included from the hospital admissions.
The 1st group (102 women) presented in labor
and was managed by caesarean delivery as
soon as it was possible. The second group (7
Abstract: Fluoroquinolones drugs are an important class of wide
... Show MoreWhile hepatitis viruses A–E are established, emerging evidence points to additional, novel viral hepatitis agents. The torqueteno virus (TTV) has garnered interest due to its prevalence among patients with hepatitis, suggesting potential hepatotropism.
This study was conducted to detect TTV antigens in individuals infected with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and/or C (HCV) using molecular diagnostics and to explore any associations between TTV presence and demographic characteristics of the cohort.
Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is inflammation of the sacroiliac joints and spine, associated with clinical symptoms such as pain and stiffness in the vertebral column, after which, in a considerable number of individuals, new bone growth occurs. Objective: The current research study attempted to find out whether the presence of SNPs in TNF receptor [TNFRSF1A (rs767455), TNFRSF1B (rs1061622)] encoding genes could influence patients' outcomes to etanercept in a specimen of Iraqi AS patients. Patients and methods: Sixty patients with established AS receiving only etanercept were selected to be enrolled in this research with a mean age of 40.75 ± 8.67 years, 51 patients of them were males and only 9 patients were females. Patients we
... Show MoreMany studies of the relationship between COVID-19 and different factors have been conducted since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The relationship between COVID-19 and different biomarkers including ABO blood groups, D-dimer, Ferritin and CRP, was examined. Six hundred (600) patients, were included in this trial among them, 324 (56%) females and the rest 276 (46%) were males. The frequencies of blood types A, B, AB, and O were 25.33, 38.00, 31.33, and 5.33%, respectively, in the case group. Association analysis between the ABO blood group and D-dimer, Ferritin and CRP of COVID-19 patients indicated that there was a statistically significant difference for Ferritin (P≤0.01), but no-significant differences for both D-dimer and CRP.
... Show MoreThe third most ordinarily cancer type diagnosed in male and is Colorectal cancer (CRC) and it is widely spread in developed countries. Most of CRC arises from development of adenomatous polyps. The current study aimed to determine whether serum retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and Nesfatin-1 can be used as a novel biomarker for diagnosis of CRC. Nesfatin-1, RBP4 and Thyroid Hormones (T3, T4 and TSH) levels were measured in fifty sera of male patients suffering from CRC before chemotherapy initiation treatment as G1, G2 after first chemotherapy cycle dose and G3 after second chemotherapy cycle dose compared with twenty five male volunteers as a control G4. The results showed a significant increased in RBP 4 concentration in G3 and a signific
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