MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 110 nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) were collected from children aged one month to 12 years old who were admitted with ARI in UKMMC during a one-year period. The two qPCR assays were conducted in parallel.
RESULTS: Ninety-seven samples (88.2%) were positive by QIAstat-Dx RP and 86 (78.2%) by RespiFinder assay. The overall agreement on both assays was substantial (kappa value: 0.769) with excellent concordance rate of 96.95%. Using both assays, hRV/EV, INF A/H1N1 and RSV were the most common pathogens detected. Influenza A/H1N1 infection was significantly seen higher in older children (age group > 60 months old) (53.3%, p-value < 0.05). Meanwhile, RSV and hRV/EV infection were seen among below one-year-old children. Co-infections by two to four pathogens were detected in 17 (17.5%) samples by QIAstat-Dx RP and 12 (14%) samples by RespiFinder, mainly involving hRV/EV. Bacterial detection was observed only in 5 (4.5%) and 6 (5.4%) samples by QIAstat-Dx RP and RespiFinder, respectively, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae the most common detected.
CONCLUSION: The overall performance of the two qPCR assays was comparable and showed excellent agreement. Both detected various clinically important respiratory pathogens in a single test with simultaneous multiple infection detection. The use of qPCR as a routine diagnostic test can improve diagnosis and management.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: After searching the records for a 15-year period at the London Health Sciences Centre Pathology Department, we identified 8 cases of surgical acute lesion biopsies in which clinical MS diagnoses were made before or after the biopsy.
RESULTS: The white matter pathologies in these cases could be sorted into 3 morphological patterns. The first pattern, which represents typical demyelinated plaques, was observed in 4 cases and was characterised by nearly complete demyelination accompanied by variable degrees of axon preservation and axonal swelling. The second pattern was observed in 3 cases and was characterised by demyelinating lesions containing variable numbers of myelinated axons mixed with a few demyelinated axons and variable numbers of axonal swellings. The myelinated axons ranged from scattered fibres to bands of variable thickness, and the demyelination was a mixture of primary and secondary demyelination. The third pattern was observed in 1 case and was characterised by well-demarcated areas of reduced myelin staining and numerous apoptotic nuclei. Axonal staining revealed many fragmented axons with reduced myelin staining but no definitely demyelinated axons.
CONCLUSIONS: This report shows that the predominant pathology underlying acute MS-related lesions is not limited to demyelination but can include axonal degeneration alone or in combination with primary demyelination which reflect different pathogenesis for these acute lesions.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 5-year-old Somalian boy with no known medical illness presented with progressive nasal blockage associated with clear nasal discharge and intermittent spontaneous epistaxis for three months. CT paranasal sinus and neck region revealed poorly enhancing expansile mass in the right maxillary sinus with areas of necrosis within. Initial radiological differential diagnoses were lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. The mass was biopsied and histologically showed diffuse sheets of small round blue cells that was positive to CD99, NSE and vimentin. The muscle and lymphoid markers were negative. Fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) study revealed the presence of EWSR1 gene rearrangement thus diagnosis of ES was rendered.
CONCLUSIONS: ES of sinonasal tract is a rare entity and its pathological features significantly overlap with others small round blue cells tumour. Demonstration of EWSR1 gene translocation is recommended for the diagnosis of ES particularly at uncommon sites.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated UTX and JMJD3 protein expression patterns in UC and assess their clinical significance.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) method was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) of UC tissues and compared to the normal bladder tissues from the autopsy specimen. The staining intensity of FFPE tissues were captured with the nuclear and overall positive pixels quantified using Aperio ImageScope software.
RESULTS: JMJD3 protein uptake was present in both nucleus and cytoplasm but UTX protein was predominantly seen in the cytoplasm of UC tissue. UTX was under expressed whereas JMJD3 was over expressed in UC compared to normal bladder. UTX and JMJD3 were not related to clinical stage and grade. However, significant association between JMJD3 expression and invasiveness of tumour (p<0.05) was noted, especially in MIBC group (88.9%). UTX and JMJD3 did not yield any significance as prognostic factors for diseasespecific survival.
CONCLUSIONS: Low expression of UTX protein in UC may indicate possible loss of its tumour suppressor activity and higher JMJD3 protein expression may indicate oncogenic activity. Hence, JMJD3 protein could be a potential diagnostic biomarker in detecting bladder UC of higher stages. Further investigation needed to study the dysregulation of this protein expression with associated gene expression.
CASE REPORT: In this literature work, we reported on a particular case of MCC, as exhibited by an 84-year-old Chinese woman, and discussed the clinical features and management of MCC.
DISCUSSION: We highlighted that MCC cases have a link to the polyomavirus 5. Patients who were identified with the Polyomavirus 5, and underwent immunotherapy, were seen to depict much better prognosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight specimens of needle prostate biopsy and its subsequent radical prostatectomy were retrospectively studied. The GSs of the needle biopsy were compared with the corresponding prostatectomy specimens. The percentage of GP4 in GS7 needle biopsy groups was calculated and correlated with the pathological staging.
RESULTS: More than half (60%) of GS 6 needle biopsy cases (PGG 1) were upgraded in the prostatectomy specimen, while the majority (80%) of the GS7 needle biopsy groups (PGG 2 and 3) remain unchanged. Cohen's Kappa shows fair agreement in the Gleason scoring between needle biopsies and prostatectomy specimens, K = 0.324 (95% CI, 6.94 to 7.29), p <0.0005 and in the percentage of GP4 in GS7 needle biopsy groups and their corresponding radical prostatectomy specimens, K = 0.399 (95% CI 34.2 - 49.2), p<0.0005. A significant relationship was seen between the percentage of GP4 in GS7 needle biopsy with the pT and pN stage of its radical prostatectomy (p = 0.008 and p=0.001 respectively).
CONCLUSION: A higher percentage of GP4 in GS7 tumour is associated with worse tumour behaviour, therefore it is crucial for clinicians to realise this in deciding the optimal treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) CRC tissues blocks were retrieved and confirmed by haematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) targeting autophagy proteins (LC3A, LC3B, and p62/SQSTM1) was then performed followed by pathological examination.
RESULTS: All three autophagy proteins were present in both normal and tumour tissues of CRC patients. Interestingly, high expression of autophagy proteins in colonic ganglion cells was consistently seen regardless of tissue type (normal or cancer) or tumour site (caecum, ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid colon and rectum).
CONCLUSIONS: This work highlights the high autophagic activities in human colonic ganglion cells.