Mahmoud Orazizadeh, Iran Rashidi, Jamileh Saremi, Mahmoud Latifi,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (4-2009)
Abstract
Background: Endometrial remodeling occurs during each menstrual cycle in women. Reports have shown that, in a variety of cell types, processes such as proliferation, signaling complex formation and extra cellular matrix remodeling require a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, focal adhesion kinase (FAK). The present study has focused on the expression pattern of FAK in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the probable function of FAK in menstrual cycle changes and the role of FAK in tissue repair and tissue remodeling in vivo. Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded endometrial samples were obtained from 400 pre-menopausal, non-pregnant women, who underwent hysterectomy and biopsy for benign diseases. Forty six samples with no tissue abnormalities were studied and ABC staining method of immuno-histochemistry methods was applied. Positive staining of FAK by different cell types of human endometrium was scaled and compared with each other by using histologic score method. Results: All different cell types of endometrium showed various patterns of FAK expression in different stages of menstruation. FAK in glandular and luminal epithelial cells is up-regulated during the early proliferative (EP) to mid-secretory (MS) phases. FAK in stromal cells is up-regulated during the EP, early and MS phases in comparison to the late secretory (LS) phase. FAK expression in endothelial cells is up-regulated during the EP and MS phases in comparison to LS phase. This study showed that endometrial FAK expression is a phase-dependent manner during the menstrual cycle. Conclusion: It appears that up-regulation of FAK during the proliferative phases is responsible for endometrial regeneration and high expression of FAK in the EP and MS phases may associate with the implantation. Down-regulation of FAK during the LS phase may facilitate apoptosis in human endometrium. It seems that FAK as a key kinase plays a critical role in endometrial remodeling that it may regulate by steroid hormones.
Farzad Pazhang, Kian Masoumzadeh, Mohammad Amir Sharifabadi,
Volume 28, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
Introduction: Flexor tendon entrapment of digits, presenting with symptoms such as catching or locking of the affected finger during movement, with or without pain, is known as trigger digit and trigger thumb. In these cases, involvement of the Flexor pollicis longus tendon often manifests as a fixed flexion contracture, which can become problematic if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Considering the daily functional impairments caused by the trigger finger (TF) and its prevalence of 5-6%, there is a need to identify effective and low-risk treatment methods. This study compared two non-surgical treatments: corticosteroid injection and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.
Methods and Materials: This double-blind clinical trial was conducted at Dr. Ali Shariati Hospital in Isfahan from 2021 to 2022. The study included patients diagnosed with the TF and employed a census approach. All participants (27 people in each group) were diagnosed and confirmed by an orthopedic specialist as having TF. Questionnaire results were collected for each patient in a checklist. Patients were divided into two treatment groups. Follow-ups were conducted 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment to assess pain levels using the visual analog scale (VAS) by an orthopedic specialist and range of motion (ROM) with a manual goniometer. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26 software،. For evaluating the classified data, the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test was used.
Results: Based on the study of 54 patients (39 women and 15 men) with a mean age of 49.92 ± 10.48 years (range 28-70), the PRP group showed significant improvement at one, three, and six months follow-up (p = 0.03) in VAS scores (p = 0.004, p = 0.001, and p = 0.002) and ROM (p = 0.003, p = 0.012, and p = 0.000). The CS group had significant improvement at 1 month (p = 0.02) but no significant pain reduction (p = 0.16). At three months, the CS group showed significant improvement in all outcomes (p = 0.003), with continued improvement in VAS (p = 0.003, p = 0.008, and p = 0.002) and ROM (p = 0.001, p = 0.000, and p = 0.006) at one, three, and six months follow-up, respectively.
Conclusion and Discussion: The study found that both invasive treatment methods are effective, but concerns about the clinical efficacy of PRP persist due to a lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials. Future research is necessary to investigate different types of PRP and the influence of conditions such as diabetic neuropathy, as well as to include long-term follow-up to assess recurrence rates based on treatment type, coexisting diseases, and occupations.
Najme Golmakani, Zahra Mohammadi, Elahe Ramezanzade Tabriz,
Volume 28, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
Introduction: Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, exhibits anti-cancer properties, including suppressing metastasis. This effect is attributed to its immunogenic mechanisms, antioxidant activities, tumor cell proliferation inhibition, and apoptosis induction. This systematic review investigated the effect of melatonin on suppressing metastatic processes in cancer cells.
Methods and Materials: A comprehensive search was conducted until May 2024 in Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. English keywords included "neoplasm", "metastasis", "melatonin", and "cancer" with appropriate logical operators (and). Inclusion criteria were full-text, English-language randomized controlled trial articles exploring the impact of melatonin on cancer metastasis. Journal notes (editorials and opinion pieces), conference abstracts, and thesis were excluded. Articles meeting the criteria underwent quality assessment, data extraction, and classification.
Results: Based on the inclusion criteria, 50 studies entered the data extraction stage. These studies involved both in vitro and in vivo experiments on human and animal cancer cells. The findings demonstrated the ability of melatonin to inhibit metastasis and cancer cell progression across various cancers. Melatonin treatment suppressed invasive properties, migration, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in breast, lung, mouth, liver, ovarian, esophageal, and stomach cancers. It modulated key signaling pathways like angiogenic factors and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α while inhibiting osteoclast function and SOX9-mediated signaling. The anti-cancer effects were observed through anti-invasive, anti-migratory, and anti-proliferative properties of melatonin on cancer cells.
Conclusion and Discussion: Laboratory studies suggest melatonin's potential to suppress metastasis in human and animal cancer cells. It holds promise as a therapeutic agent for inhibiting metastasis and tumor progression across a range of cancers. Further research is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and ensure successful clinical applications in cancer treatment.
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