Biomedical subjects

Mladen Petrovecki

Publications and source records attributed to Mladen Petrovecki.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Nm23 gene product expression in invasive breast cancer--immunohistochemical analysis and clinicopathological correlation.

The nm23 gene/protein is a putative metastatic suppressor identified a decade ago in a melanoma cell line. A number of laboratory, clinical and pathological studies have been carried out to define its real biological and biochemical function as a step in a complex metastatic process. In our study we examined the significance of nm23 expression in 164 breast cancer patients, aged 35 to 74 years, in comparison to other parameters such as age, menopausal status, histological grade, tumor size, lymph node status, and hormone receptor status. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. The median follow-up was 84 months. Significant changes in OS were found for tumor size, nodal involvement and histological grade but there was no convincing correlation with nm23 expression. When patients were stratified according to nm23 expression, it was shown that overall survival in nm23-positive patients was no longer than that in nm23 negative patients. It was also shown that patients who were lymph node negative and older than 50 years had longer OS than nm23-negative patients. A statistical analysis shows that there is a correlation between axillary node status and nm23 expression (p = 0.018) as well as between patients' ages and nm23 expression (p = 0.043). There was no statistically significant correlation between nm23 expression, lymph node status and their combination on DFS.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Ethics in medicine: students' opinions on disclosure of true diagnosis.

AIM: To determine students opinions about diagnosis disclosure to the patient and other interested parties. METHODS: During 2000/2001 academic year, an anonymous survey was conducted among the first-year (200 questionnaires) and sixth-year medical students (200 questionnaires) at the Zagreb University School of Medicine. Students were asked what they would say about the diagnosis to the patient, patients family, friend, employer, colleague from work, health insurance agent, another physician, or medical student, if the diagnosis was inoperable lung carcinoma in a 20- and 66-year-old patient vs bacterial pneumonia in patients of the same age. The possibilities were to tell the truth, lie, or refuse to disclose the diagnosis. RESULTS: The response rate was 55%. Students would disclose the true diagnosis to the patient, patients family, friend, and employer in case of benign disease more often than in case of malignant disease (p<0.001). Patient's age did not affect students' opinions. Most students would rather refuse to say anything than lie if they would not want to say the truth. Students would more often tell the truth to the patient and patient's family then to a health insurance agent, another physician, or medical student, less often to patient's friend and employer, and rarely to the patient's colleague from work. First-year students would generally tell the truth more often than sixth-year students (p<0.001). There were almost no differences in the opinions between male and female students. CONCLUSION: The strongest influence on students choice on whether or not to disclose the diagnosis had the severity of disease, person they would disclose the information to, and the academic year they attended, implicating that such important ethical issues should be discussed during the studies.

Croatia↗

PubMed2002

[Prognostic significance of newly formed blood vessels in the tumors of patients with breast cancer].

In this study 96 specimens of ductal invasive breast carcinoma were analyzed. The following data of each patient were collected: age, tumor size, histological grade, axillary lymph node metastases, estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor expression, percentage of cells in S-phase of cell cycle, cell ploidy status, and overall survival. From paraffin blocks 3-microns sections were stained using anti-factor VIII monoclonal antibody for detection of tumor neoangiogenesis. The number of new blood vessels/mm2 in the stained tumor tissue specimens was analyzed using a light microscope with Weibel graticule on the eyepiece. There was no statistically significant correlation of number of blood vessels/mm2 and age, axillary lymph node status, ploidy of tumor cells, size and tumor grade, ER and PR status, but there is a correlation with number of cells in the S-phase of cell cycle (p = 0.037). The cut-off value of tumor blood vessels/mm2 was 170. Univeriate analysis showed that overall survival correlated significantly with axillary lymph node involvement (p < 0.001), ER (p = 0.012) and PR (p = 0.001) status, and number of blood vessels/mm2 of tumor (p = 0.033). In multivariate analysis only axillary lymph node metastases (p = 0.015) and PR status (p = 0.026) were found to be independent and significant prognostic factors. When patients were stratified according to number of blood vessels/mm2 of tumor it was shown that those with the number of blood vessels/mm2 over 170, aged under 50 years (p = 0.011), number of cells in S-phase of cell cycle over 4% (p = 0.050), diploid tumor cells (p = 0.004), and negative PR (p = 0.059) had shorter survival than patients with tumors with less than 170 blood vessels/mm2 of tumor.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed2002

Evaluation of medical informatics curriculum at the Rijeka University School of Medicine in Croatia.

This paper presents preliminary results from the study to evaluate the Medical Informatics curriculum at the Rijeka University School of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia. Evaluation is based on the written anonymous. survey filled out by students after passing the exam. Questionnaire consisted of questions considering basic data (age, gender, study year, etc.), as well as students' opinions and marks on informatics, computer usage and teaching skills during the lessons. In total 459 students from five consecutive generations (from 1996/97 to 2000/01) were evaluated. Collected data define guidelines for teachers to improve organization and contents of curriculum. This study proved that, from one generation to the next, students show more and more interest in Medical Informatics, more of them have their own computer and more of them use Internet and e-mail communication.

Croatia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

p53 protein expression and cell proliferation in non-neoplastic and neoplastic proliferative skin diseases.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The p53 protein is essential for the regulation of cell proliferation and its aberrant accumulation is usually seen in malignant tumors but also occurs in squamous epithelium of inflammatory skin diseases characterized by hyperproliferation. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of the p53 tumor suppressor protein in the pathogenesis of different hyperproliferative, non-malignant and malignant skin diseases, and to determine the association between p53 overexpression and cell proliferation. We also investigated the influence of aging on p53 and Ki-67 protein expression. METHODS: One hundred and fifty skin specimens divided into 30 samples each of normal skin (NS), psoriatic skin (PS), keratoacanthomas (KA), basal cell carcinomas (BCC), and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were examined immunohistochemically to assess p53 and Ki-67 protein expression. RESULTS: p53 immunostaining of NS, PS, KA, BCC and SCC was detected in 39.0%, 46.7%, 66.7%, 80% and 86.7% of cases, respectively. Median values and ranges of p53 protein expression were as follows: 0.0% (range, 0.0-1.8%) in NS, 0.0% (range, 0.0-6.5%) in PS, 9.2% (range, 0.0-24.0%) in KA, 19.3% (range, 0.0-48.1%) in BCC and 30.1% (range, 0.0-68.1%) in SCC. p53- and Ki-67-positive cells were present in basal (NS) and suprabasal layers (PS), and not only in cancer nests of KA, BCC and SCC but also in dysplastic and even morphologically normal epidermis adjoining cancers. The positivity of p53 and Ki-67 proteins differed significantly among the groups, with no differences in p53 expression between NS and PS and in Ki-67 expression between PS and KA. Within all groups there was a significant correlation between p53 and Ki-67 expression. Lesion location and patient age, with the exception of location in PS and age in BCC, were significantly related to p53 and Ki-67 expression in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that p53 overexpression occurs mainly in neoplastic skin lesions, although it may also occur in squamous epithelium of inflammatory skin diseases such as PS, as well as in normal skin epithelium. It is associated with cell proliferation in normal as well as altered epithelium. p53 protein overexpression is an age-related process and significantly associated with sun exposure, especially in NS and PS but also in KA and SCC. Our findings suggest that Ki-67 rate and p53 protein expression reflect the degree of malignancy in the examined cutaneous neoplasms.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic factors of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are rare neoplasms of unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Their clinical behavior is very unpredictable and a reliable prognostic factor is lacking. The aim of this study was to analyze some prognostic factors and estimate which one is the most reliable. Thirty-eight biopsy specimens of GIST were immunolabeled for PCNA, CD34, vimentin, NSE and actin. The greatest diameter, histological grading, mitotic count, DNA-index and S-phase were estimated for each case. All patients were followed-up for at least 24 months or to death. The data were analysed by univariate and multivariate statistical analysis using a computer program. The results showed that greatest diameter, tumor grade, mitotic count and PCNA-index are prognostic factors in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis only the greatest diameter is a useful prognostic factor for planning further therapy.

Adult↗