Faculty of Medicine

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    Common variants in breast cancer risk loci predispose to distinct tumor subtypes
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2022-01-04)
    Ahearn, Thomas U
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    Zhang, Haoyu
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    Michailidou, Kyriaki
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    Milne, Roger L
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    Bolla, Manjeet K
    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple common breast cancer susceptibility variants. Many of these variants have differential associations by estrogen receptor (ER) status, but how these variants relate with other tumor features and intrinsic molecular subtypes is unclear.
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    The highest frequency of BRCA1 c.3700_3704del detected among Albanians from Kosovo
    (Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poland, 2022)
    Kostovska Maleva, Ivana
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    Jakovchevska, Simona
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    Özdemir, Milena Jakimovska
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    Kiprijanovska, Sanja
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    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
    Background: The spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations varies among populations; however, some mutations may be frequent in particular ethnic groups due to the “founder” effect. The c.3700_3704del mutation was previously described as a recurrent BRCA1 variant in Eastern European countries. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of c.3700_3704del BRCA1 mutation in Albanian breast and ovarian cancer patients from North Macedonia and Kosovo. Materials and methods: A total of 327 patients with invasive breast and/or ovarian cancer (111 Albanian women from North Macedonia and 216 from Kosovo) were screened for 13 recurrent BRCA1/2 mutations. Targeted NGS with a panel of 94 cancer-associated genes including BRCA1 and BRCA2 was performed in a selected group of 118 patients. Results: We have identified 21 BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants, 17 (14 BRCA1 and 3 BRCA2) in patients from Kosovo (7.9%) and 4 (1 BRCA1 and 3 BRCA2) in patients from North Macedonia (3.6%). All BRCA1/2 mutations were found in one patient each, except for c.3700_3704del BRCA1 mutation which was observed in 14 unrelated families, all except one originating from Kosovo. The c.3700_3704del mutation accounts for 93% of BRCA1 mutation positive cases and is present with a frequency of 6% among breast cancer patients from Kosovo. Conclusions: This is the first report of BRCA1/2 mutations among breast and ovarian cancer patients from Kosovo. The finding that BRCA1 c.3700_3704del represents a founder mutation in Kosovo with the highest worldwide reported frequency supports the implementation of fast and low-cost screening protocol, regardless of the family history and even a pilot population-based screening in at-risk population.
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    Endometrial adenocarcinoma occuring in young women
    (Hellenic Division of International Academy of Pathology, 2003-05)
    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
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    Prodanova, Irina
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    Yashar, Genghis
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    Zografski, George
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    Background: Endometrial adenocarcinoma (EA) primarily occurs in postmenopausal women. Only 1-8% of the cases are diagnosed in women under forty years of age, while this neoplasm is extremely rare in the third decade. Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy (HSOPL) is the treatment of choice for older or patients with invasive EA. However, in young women with non-invasive well-differentiated EAs, who wish to preserve their fertility, conservative treatment with progestins can be tried. Aims: The purpose of this retrospective study is to present the clinical and morphologic characteristics, as well as the immunohistochemical profile of 3 cases of well-differentiated EAs, that occurred in women in their third decade of life. Since the neoplasms were non-invasive, an attempt to preserve their fertility has been made. Methods and patients: Six of the 1081 cases (0.5%) of EA diagnosed at the Department of Histopathology and Clinical Cytology in the last 14-year period (1989-2002), occurred in patients younger than 35 years. Three of them (1.4%, 3/206), have been diagnosed in the last two years (2001-2002). The youngest of the last three patients (age 21), had a genetic abnormality (45X/47XXX) and experienced prolonged and heavy uterine bleedings that required explorative curettage. The second patient (age 25) had a history of diabetes and infertility. The neoplasm was found in the endometrial biopsy that was taken for evaluation of the endometrial response to hormonal stimulation. In the third patient (age 27) the neoplasm was an accidental finding in the cervical curettage material that was submitted to our department, for histopathologic reevaluation of the previously diagnosed moderate dysplasia of the epithelium of the uterine cervix. The materials, obtained either by dilatation and curettage (3 cases) or HSOPL (one case), were submitted to our department and were routinely processed. Standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides were prepared from paraffin blocks, whereas additional histochemical (PAS, alcian blue, azan, silver by Jones) and immunohistochemical stains (estrogen-ER, progesterone-PgR, p53, Ki-67) were performed on selected paraffin blocks that contained the neoplastic tissue. Results: In the curettage materials of the three patients, fragments of endometrial polyp were identfied, that contained areas of simple, complex and atypical hyperplasia. In each of these cases, only few small (1-3-millimetre in diameter) foci of well-differentiated EA were detected. Fragments of functional endometrium were also present. All three patients had hormone (ER, PgR) responsive neoplasms, whereas Ki-67 proliferative index was significantly higher in the neoplastic tissue (30-40%), compared to the zones of atypical hyperplasia (10-20%). The suppressor gene protein product p53 was negative in all three EAs. Subsequent dilatation and curettage to remove the residual parts of the polyp was performed in two of the patients. Conservative 5-6-month treatment with progestins led to regression of the disease in all patients, documented by endoscopy and curettage in two patients. As for the youngest patient, clinical decision for HSOPL has been made, and multiple sections of the operative material did not show any residual EA. Conclusions: Even though extremely rare, EAS may occur in asymptomatic patient and/or in young women without clinical evidence of polycystic ovary disease. In these patients careful histopathologic evaluation of the curettage material is essential, in order to select the ones to whom conservative fertility-preserving treatment can be offered.
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    Detection of human papillomavirus in early stage cervical carcinoma: Comparison of conventional and catalysed reporter deposition in situ hybridization.
    (Blackwell Publishing, 2002-10)
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    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
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    Yashar, Genghis
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    Prodanova, Irina
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    Zografski, George
    Introduction: Recently, alternative techniques have been developed to overcome the sensitivity limitation of conventional in situ hybridization (ISH), by signal amplification, which can be performed in diagnostic laboratories without the need for expensive equipment. Aims: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency and applicability of catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD) ISH, with those of conventional ISH in detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) in early stage cervical carcinomas. Material and Methods: Seventy-seven routinely processed specimens previously tested by conventional streptavidin-biotin-alkaline phosphatase ISH (PathoGene, Enzo Diagnostics), were reexamined by CARD-ISH performed by a biotinyl-tyramide-based detection system (GenPoint, DAKO). ISH was performed using commercial mixed biotinylated probes for HPV 6/11, 16/18, and 31/33/51 or 31/33. Discussion and Conclusion: The application of CARD-ISH increased the HPV detection rate from 33.8% (26/77) to 58.4% (45/77), the signal intensity, as well as the number of positive cells. CARD-ISH detection also enabled demonstration of multiple HPV infection in four cervical carcinomas. Diffuse and mixed staining patterns were more prevalent in conventional ISH, while a dot signal pattern presumably indicating viral integration, was highly predominant among CARD-ISH positive cases. CARD-ISH proved to be simple, fast, sensitive and effective at detecting low-copy of HPV in cervical carcinomas.
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    Prognostic significance of the HPV status in early stage cervical carcinoma
    (Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2006-09)
    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
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    Prodanova, Irina
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    Yashar, Genghis
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    Zografski, George
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    Aims: In order to evaluate their prognostic significance, the parameters of the human papilloma virus (HPV) status were correlated to the lympho-nodal and tumor status, maximal diameter, minimal thickness of uninvolved stroma, histologic type, grade of differentiation, lympho-vascular space invasion, degree of lymphocytic inflammatory stromal reaction at the invasion front, age and the disease-free survival (DFS) of the patients with early stage invasive cervical carcinomas. Material and methods: 77 cases of cervical carcinomas, limited to the uterus, surgically treated and postoperatively irradiated, were selected for this retrospective study. HPV DNA status (presence and HPV type, type of hybridization signal and number of positive cells per sample) was evaluated using sensitive in situ hybridization detection kit with catalyzed signal amplification with biotinylated probes for types 6/11, 16/18 and 31/33 or 31/33/51. Results: The presence of HPV DNA was detected in 45 (58.4%) cases. Thirty-two (71.1%) showed positivity for HPV type 16/18, 8 (17.8%) for 31/33, whereas multiple infection was detected in (8.9%) 4 cases. Dot hybridization signal was found in 31 (68.9%), diffuse in 2 (4.4%) and mixed in 12 (26.7%) cases. More than five positive nuclei per sample were found in 37 (82.2%) of the cases. Only the presence of HPV was associated with absence of regional lymph node involvement, presence of moderate/abundant lymphocytic infiltration and longer 5 and 10-year DFS. Conclusions: According to our results, more extensive studies are needed to assess the real prognostic influence of the other parameters of HPV status in early stage cervical carcinomas.
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    HER2/neu expression in correlation with p53 and Ki-67 immunoreactivity and clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer patients.
    (Blackwell Publishing, 2002-10)
    Yashar, Genghis
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    Ivkovski, Ljube
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    Kraleva, Slavica
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    Prodanova, Irina
    Introduction: Although the role of HER2/neu status is still unsettled, its determination is valuable in selecting breast carcinoma patients for adequate Herceptin therapy. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association among HER2/neu, p53 and Ki-67 immunoreactivity, as well as clinicopathological parameters (tumour size, histopathologic grade, nuclear grade, tumour type. lymph-node status and age) in breast cancer patients. Materials and methods: HER2/neu, p53 and Ki-67 expression was determined in 169 post-operative stage I-III (UICC. 1997) breast cancer patients using the standardized DAKO HercepsTest and by immunoperoxidase technique. respectively. The results were evaluated by performing the standardized scoring system. Discussion and conclusion: HER2/neu expression was positive in 66 patients (37%). There was no association between HER2/neu expression and p53 or Ki-67 immunoreactivity as well as any clinicopathological parameter, while the values of Ki-67 and p53 were strongly interrelated (P < 0.001). Ki-67 was also in significant correlation to tumour size, lymph-node involvement and tumour type (P<0.001), while p53 was only related to patients' age (P <0.01). These results indicate that HER2/neu is an independent prognostic marker in differentiating a subgroup of high-risk breast cancer patients. Additional studies are required to adjust HER2/neu testing results to clinical outcome.
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    Small and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix. A report of 10 cases.
    (Springer, 2005-08)
    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
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    Plaseska-Karanfilska, Dijana
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    Prodanova, Irina
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    Yashar, Genghis
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    Hadzi-Nicheva, Biljana
    BACKGROUND: Small (SCC) and large cell (LCC) neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix are rare and highly aggressive neoplasms. Their association with the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA of the types 16 or 18 has been documented in many studies. AIMS: The purpose of this study is to present the clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical characteristics and the presence of HPV DNA in ten cases of SCCs and LCCs of the uterine cervix. METHODS: Seven patients with primary SCCs and three patients with LCCs of the uterine cervix were diagnosed at our department between 1989 and 2004. Clinical data were retrieved from the patients’ files and included age, recurrence and survival. Routinely processed operative and/or biopsy specimens were used for immunohistochemical stains and hybridization procedures. Primary antibodies against several epithelial, neuroendocrine, mesenchimal and proliferative markers were included. The presence of HPV DNA was assessed by conventional in situ hybridization (ISH) using probes for HPV 16/18 and 31/33/51 and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using three primers (MY09/11, GP5+/GP6+, E6). Six of the patients were surgically treated. Postoperatively, four received chemo and/or radiotherapy, two rejected further treatment and one patient was lost to follow-up. The other four patients underwent conservative treatment due to advanced disease. RESULTS: The patients’ age ranged from 25 to 71 years. Histologically, the tumors showed trabecular, nesting or a sheet-like pattern, with areas of necrosis and frequent mitoses. Their neuroendocrine nature was confirmed by diffuse positive immunostaining for neuron-specific enolase and low-molecular weight cytokeratins. Focal positivity for chromogranin, synaptophysin and S100, together with pancytokeratin and EMA, was evident in the majority of the tumors. Their aggressive potential was confirmed by high Ki-67 proliferative index (50-90%). HPV types 16/18 were found in 4 tumors using ISH, and HPV 16 in additional 3, using PCR (type 16). 3 of the patients developed distant metastases and died 7-48 months after receiving partial or full treatment, while 6 are alive and without evidence of disease after 4-38 months. CONCLUSIONS: SCCs and LCCs are highly aggressive neoplasms. However, early diagnosis and combined therapy may improve survival in some patients. Although mainly a morphologic diagnosis, immunohistochemistry may help in the diagnosis of SCC and LCC.
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    Ki-67 expression in the invasion front as an additional independent significant prognostic factor influencing reccurence in early stage cervical carcinomas.
    (Springer, 2005-08)
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    Prodanova, Irina
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    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
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    Yashar, Genghis
    INTRODUCTION: The attempts to determine the prognostic significance of biological markers and their relation to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in cervical cancer have yielded controversial results. AIMS: The aims of this retrospective study were to correlate alterations of cell proliferation, growth, differentiation and apoptosis regulatory proteins in early stage cervical carcinomas with HPV infection, histopathological and clinical parameters, and to estimate their prognostic significance. METHODS: Expression of Ki-67, p53, mdm-2, bcl-2, c-erbB-2, EGFR protein, as well as estrogen and progesterone receptors was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in operative specimens of 83 patients with early stage cervical carcinoma. The results were assessed semiquantitatively in the surface area, center and invasion front of each tumor as a percentage of the immunostained cells and/or intensity of immunostaining for each protein. The presence of HPV was assessed by conventional in situ hybridization (ISH) technique and catalyzed reporter deposition signal amplification ISH using mixed biotinylated probes to identify types 6/11, 16/18 and 31/33 or 31/33/51. RESULTS: In our case series 73 patients had a tumor limited to the uterine cervix less than 4 cm in diameter (pT1b1), while 10 patients had larger neoplasms belonging to pT1b2 category. Pelvic lymph node involvement was found in 20 patients. During the follow-up period (range, 65 -181, mean, 121 months) recurrences were observed in 9 patients. The 5, 10 and 15-year disease-free survival rate was 92.7%, 90.8% and 86.6%, respectively. Among the 18 variables pelvic lymph node involvement (P=0.0008), tumor diameter (P=0.035), depth of stromal invasion (P=0.029), histotype (P=0.0009), grade (P=0.056), HPV DNA presence (P=0.056), HPV type (P=0.043), as well as bcl-2 (P=0.035), mdm-2 (P=0.051), EGFR (P<0.0001), and Ki-67 (P=0.031) expression in the tumor’s invasion front were identified as important predictive indicators of recurrence in the univariate analysis. Independent significant prognostic factors for disease-free survival in multivariate analysis were the histotype, HPV DNA presence and Ki-67 expression. CONCLUSIONS: The invasive front of carcinomas proved to be the most important area for tumor prognosis. In addition to the detection of HPV presence and morphological parameters, Ki-67 evaluation could be used in selecting appropriate therapeutical approaches in patients with early stage cervical cancer.
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    Comparative study of conventional and liquid-based cytology in a population with opportunistic cytological screening.
    (Springer, 2005-08)
    Hadzi-Nicheva, Biljana
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    Grncharovska, Zlata
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    Prodanova, Irina
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    Yashar, Genghis
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    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
    Background: In the last decade the conventional Pap smear (CPS) has frequently been replaced by the liquid-based cervical cytology (LBC) in the routine clinical practice due to improved technical quality and increased efficacy in detecting squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) and cervical cancer by LBC. Aims: The purpose of this study is to report the preliminary results of the of the performances of LBC versus those of CPS, in a country with an opportunistic cytological screening and a high incidence of cervical carcinoma. Methods: This comparative retrospective study is an initial part of a wider project, anticipated to assess the validity of the new method and its impact on clinical practice. It includes two groups of women referred to a tertiary centre for gynaecologic care, in different six-month periods. In each group, the Pap smear was taken by one of the methods. Data from unselected, consecutive series of 3,261 LBC tests and of 4,102 CPSs were analysed. Cytological diagnoses were classified using the Bethesda system. The differences in specimen adequacy and the rates of atypical squamous cells (ASC) category between the two groups were compared using chi-sqare test. The histological correlation with histopathological findings could be established in 901 patients with the LBC and in 1,408 with the CPSs. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of the findings were evaluated as well. Results: The improvement in the specimen adequacy for LBC was documented by the more than fivefold reduction of the proportion of unsatisfactory specimens (0.4% for LBC vs. 2.1% for CPS, P<0.001). The rate of "satisfactory but limited by¨ was also reduced by 40% for LBC (P<0.001). However, the rate of ASC category was similar in both methods (0.9% for LBC vs. 1.2% for CPS). The performances of LBC for detection of cervical SIL or cancer lesions versus those of CPS, such as sensitivity (94% vs. 79%), PPV (85% vs. 69%) and NPV (90% vs. 66%) were significantly different (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in specificity between the methods (65% vs. 62%, P<0.15). Ultimately, the diagnostic accuracy was higher in LBC than in CPS (84% vs. 73%, P<0.001). Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that the implementation of LBC significantly improved the technical quality of the smears and resulted in statistically significant improvement of the diagnostic value of the Pap test.
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    Potential prognostic significance of apoptosis related oncogenes: p53, bcl-2 and mdm-2 in early stage cervical carcinoma
    (2003-09)
    Prodanova, Irina
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    Yashar, Genghis
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    Kubelka-Sabit, Katerina
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    Zografski, George
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    Introduction: Evaluations of expression of apoptosis related oncogenes are being increasingly called upon in an attempt to better understand the carcinogenesis of cervical carcinoma and to provide possible prognostic information. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of bcl-2, p53 and mdm-2 oncoproteins and cellular proliferative marker Ki-67 in early stage cervical carcinoma, with an emphasis on their association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, recurrence rate and lymph node status. Material and methods: Using immunohistochemistry, 69 radical hysterectomy specimens with cervical carcinoma (pT1b1/pT1b2) were studied. Evaluation of expression of p53, bcl-2, mdm-2 and Ki-67 was performed in surface area, center and invasion front of the neoplasms. The HPV presence was determined by CARD in situ hybridization. Results and conclusion: In the invasion front bcl-2 was expressed in 31 (45%), p53 in 37 (53%) and mdm-2 in 33 (47%) cases. HPV infection was detected in 40 (58%) cases. Carcinomas with a higher Ki-67 labeling index were more frequently HPV positive than HPV negative (82.5% vs 17.5%, p<0.01). No association was found between p53, mdm-2 or Ki-67 and either lymph node status or recurrence rate. Negative staining for bcl-2 was associated only with the presence of lymph node metastasis (74% vs 26%, p=0.05), and not with the recurrence rate. Significant correlation among expression of bcl-2, p53, mdm-2 oncoprotein and Ki-67 values was also observed. These results suggest that further study of a larger series is needed to confirm whether bcl-2, either alone or in combined evaluation with other markers, could be a useful marker to identify more aggressive behavior in early stage cervical carcinoma.