Cytogenetic evaluation of human bone marrow cells is one of the principal sources of diagnostic and prognostic information in the evaluation of the myeloid leukemias. In the majority of cases, these diseases are characterized by non-random chromosomal changes in the cells of the malignant clone. The chromosomal abnormalities are present only in the leukemic cells, which are distributed along with normal cells in the bone marrow and throughout the circulation. The objective of this thesis was to test the hypothesis that suitable criteria could be established for automated metaphase detection using human bone marrow preparations. This involved computerized, low resolution scanning of a specimen slide, and the measurement of object features which allowed metaphases to be adequately distinguished from nuclei and debris. Two approaches were investigated. The first used a line-scanning system, in which microscope slides were scanned line by line with a linear CCD detector, and focussing was performed automatically. Eighteen signal features were measured for each detected object. Three group discriminant function analysis was performed on objects from a large number of slides from both types of preparations, in order to distinguish metaphases from nuclei and debris. The second method evaluated the use of a frame scanning system. Objects were detected in a frame-by-frame scan of microscope slides, using a two dimensional CD camera. Feature measurements were performed for all objects within a specified area range, and three group discriminant function analysis was performed on data from a large number of slides. In both approaches, the performance of the discriminant functions was evaluated on independent samples collected from a number of patients, in order to determine the operational error rates of the systems. The sensitivity of the line scan system for metaphase detection was 86%, compared to 92% fror the frame scannning system, while the specificity was 84% for the line scan system, and 86% for the frame scanning system. The frame scan system was shown to be useful for determining the mitotic index of cells cultured for varying periods of time prior to fixation. Four patients with AML were examined, and the results of the analysis show that the mitotic indices could be determined in this way to an accuracy of approximately 5%. The mitotic indices differed as a function of time for different patients. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Pathology / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Paclitaxel (PTX) is an effective anti-mitotic drug. It stops cancer from spreading by interfering with the microtubule dynamics which in turn leads to cell cycle arrest and eventually cell death. Despite the clinical success in treating different types of cancers, resistance to PTX remains a major hurdle for successful treatment in relapse patients. Albendazole (ABZ) is a popular anthelmintic used world-wide for the treatment of various types of helmintic infections. In helminthes, ABZ binds to ??-tubulin and inhibits microtubule polymerisation. It was subsequently found that ABZ has anti-cancer activity. This study was carried out to study the effects of ABZ on PTX sensitive and PTX resistant human ovarian carcinoma cells. Cell growth assays revealed that the anti-proliferative activity of ABZ was not only effective on the PTX-sensitive human ovarian carcinoma cell line lA9, but also on its PTX-resistant sub-line, lA9PTX22. The ICso values of ABZ in lA9 and lA9PTX22 were 205 nM and 322 nM, respectively. Confocal images demonstrated that ABZ disrupted the microtubule network and caused formation of short microtubule bundles in both cell lines. Further analysis using tubulin polymerisation assay showed that the percentage of polymerised tubulin in lA9 and lA9PTX22 was increased by 58.9 % and 20.6 % respectively. Together, these results revealed for the first time that ABZ interacts with microtubules in human cancer cells and causes their polymerisation. It was also demonstrated that ABZ increased the release of cytochrome c, an important component of the intrinsic pathway in apoptosis. It was found that the expression of Bim, a BH-3 only pro-apoptotic protein was not elevated after ABZ treatment. The results presented in this study provide some information on the effect of ABZ on the microtubule network which could relate to its apoptotic effect in human ovarian carcinoma cells.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Thesis (M.Sc. (Chemical Pathology) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among one of the well documented conditions and pose a significant health burden in the world as they areconsidered to be of adult onset. However, recent studies have shown that in developed countries CVD risk factors are becoming prevalent in young people which isof great concern. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if CVD risk factors are present in young subjects aged 15-20 years of age residing in a rural area of a developing country. Methods: Subjects aged between 15-20 years who participated in the “Gene - Environment interaction project” were included in this sub-study. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDLcholesterol, insulin, glucose, creatinine, Lp(a), apoB, apoA-1 and hs-CRPwere determined. Blood pressure, physical activity (number of steps/day), weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference were obtained from the database. Subjects with CRP levels above 10mg/L and creatinine levels above 130 mmol/L were excluded. Results: The present study showed an overall high prevalence of some CVD risk factors. There was high prevalence of insulin resistance (23.0% in females and 34.7% in males), and high hs-CRP (18.4% in females, 12.9% in males). The prevalence of low HDL-C levels was high (55.2% in females and 16.8 % in males), however, the prevalence of abnormal levels of other lipids such as total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio was low in both males and females. The prevalence of an increased apoB/apoA ratio was significantly higher in females 26.4% compared to males 7.9%. The prevalence of overweight (12.6%) and obesity (9.2%) was higher in females than in males (overweight 1%, obesity 0 %). The prevalence of hypertension was comparable between the two genders (5.7% in females and 10.9 % in males). Conclusion: The results showed a relatively high prevalence of non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in adolescents residing in a rural area, Limpopo Province, while the prevalence of traditional risk factors such as total cholesterol and triglycerides was low.

Resumo: A survivina é uma proteína inibidora da apoptose que desempenha papel de controle no ciclo celular e no mecanismo de carcinogênese. Este trabalho teve como proposição verificar a correlação clinicopatológica da expressão da survivina nas diferentes condições relacionadas à carcinogênese intra-bucal humana, o que pode ser útil para destacar aspectos importantes das etapas da carcinogênese bucal. Foram constituídos três grupos, formados em parte por material citológico coletado de pacientes participantes do Programa Ambulatorial de Tratamento de Tabagismo do Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (INCOR-HCFMUSP); e por material que se encontra incluído em blocos de parafina no Laboratório de Patologia Bucal da Faculdade de Odontologia de São José dos Campos FOSJC - UNESP. O primeiro grupo foi constituído por material citológico obtido do bordo lateral lingual esquerdo e soalho bucal de 30 pacientes que fumavam mais de 20 cigarros/dia/10anos e que não apresentavam histórico de neoplasia bucal maligna, nem sinais clínicos visíveis no local avaliado; o segundo grupo foi constituído por amostras teciduais de 21 pacientes com lesões brancas clinicamente classificadas como leucoplasias. O terceiro grupo foi formado por 42 amostras teciduais de pacientes com diagnóstico de carcinoma epidermóide bucal. Os pacientes que foram submetidos à citologia esfoliativa foram examinados através de anamnese, exame clínico extra e intra -bucal. A citologia esfoliativa foi realizada com cytobrush para obtenção de duas lâminas de cada local selecionado. Após a realização da imunoistoquímica com anticorpo primário anti-survivina as lâminas foram analisadas qualitativamente através da microscopia óptica. Uma lâmina de assoalho e uma de língua foram coradas e avaliadas pelo método de Papanicolaou... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein that plays a role in cell cycle control and the mechanism of carcinogenesis. The aim of the present work was to study the clinicopathological correlation of survivin expression in different conditions related to intra-oral carcinogenesis. This may be useful to highlight important aspects of oral carcinogenesis steps. Three groups were analyzed. They were formed in part by cytological material collected from patients of Heart Institute's Patient Center and the Smoking Cessation Program of the University Hospital, University of São Paulo Medical School (INCOR-HCFMUSP) and material of Laboratory of Oral Pathology, São José dos Campos Dental School. The first group consisted of cytologic material obtained from the left side of the tongue and mouth floor of 30 patients who smoked more than 20 cigarrettes/day/10years and had no history of malignant oral neoplasm or clinical signs at the site evaluated; the second group consisted of tissue samples from 21 patients with white lesions clinically classified as leukoplakia. The third group consisted of 42 tissue samples from patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Patients who underwent exfoliative cytology were examined by medical history, extra and intra-oral clinical examination. The exfoliative cytology was performed using cytobrush to obtain two smears of each selected location. After performing the immunohistochemistry for anti-survivin the slides were analyzed qualitatively by light microscopy. One smear of mouth floor and tongue was stained and evaluated by the method of Papanicolaou. Statistical analysis was performed by Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney and X2. Survivin was positive in 100% of cytological material from the smokers, 85.7% of oral leukoplakia and 83.3% of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Fisher's exact test showed no association between the expression... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Janete Dias Almeida / Coorientador: Jaqueline Scholz Issa / Banca: Luiz Antonio Guimarães Cabral / Banca: Adriana Aigotti Haberbeck Brandão / Banca: Renata Falchete do Prado / Banca: Suzana Cantanhede Orsini Machado de Sousa / Doutor

published_or_final_version / abstract / Community Medicine / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy