Browsing by Author "Kalungi, Sam"

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    BRCA1 Protein Expression in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Associated Clinicopathological Factors in Uganda
    (Wiley, 2024-10-21) Okecha, Tonny; Abila, Derrick B.; Nabbale, Dorothy L.; Katongole, Fauz; Yahaya, James Joseph; Lukande Robert; Kalungi, Sam; Nalwoga, Hawa
    BRCA1 gene dysfunction seen in epithelial ovarian carcinomas often results from germline mutations, somatic mutations, and promoter methylation. Identi0cation of tumors with loss of BRCA1 protein expression has shown to have therapeutic and prognostic implications. *e aim of this study was to determine the expression of BRCA1 protein in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and the associated clinicopathological characteristics. This was a cross-sectional laboratory-based study that used para5n-embedded tissue blocks of patients histologically diagnosed with EOC from January 2010 to August 2018. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for histological con0rmation and with immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a mouse-derived monoclonal antibody MS110 for BRCA1 protein expression. *e association between BRCA1 protein expression and independent variables was determined using Pearson’s Chi-square test. A total of 104 tissue blocks from patients with EOC were included in the study with a mean age of 48.7 ± 12.8 years. Serous tumors were the most common which comprised 74.0% (77/104) of all the tumors and majority of them 75.3% (58/77) were high grade. Loss of expression of BRCA1 protein expression was found in 33.7% (33/98) of all the cases. *ere was no statistically signi0cant association between BRCA1 expression and age of patients, tumor grade, and histological subtype. There is a high expression of altered BRCA1 expression in tissues of EOC. Although it has not shown association with age of patients, histology types, and tumor grade, further studies need to assess its inCuence of the survival of cancer patients with EOC.
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    Quantitative expression of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and their correlation with immunohistochemistry in breast cancer at Uganda Cancer Institute
    (PLOS ONE, 2025-01-03) Wannume, Henry; Niyonzima, Nixon; Kalungi, Sam; Okuni, Julius Boniface; Okecha, Tonny; Kakungulu, Edward; Mpungu, Steven Kiwuwa; Waiswa, Geoffrey; Kadhumbula, Sylvester; Namayanja, Monica; Nabwana, Martin; Orem, Jackson
    The detection of Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), and Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) is important for the stratification of breast cancer and the selection of therapeutic modalities. This study aimed to determine the quantitative expression of ER, PR and HER-2 using Immunohistochemistry and their correlation with quantitative baseline Ct values measured using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This study also assessed the use of fresh breast tissue biopsies preserved in RNAlater solution in the quantitative detection of these receptors using PCR technique. The study evaluated 20 matched formalin fixed paraffin embedded and RNAlater preserved samples for ER, PR, and HER-2 using IHC and quantitative PCR technique. One portion of the breast tissue biopsy was fixed immediately in 10% neutral buffered formalin and another was preserved in RNAlater. After the histological confirmation of breast cancer by the H&E technique, formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues (FFPE)—positive cases were matched with their corresponding RNAlater samples for IHC and qPCR. The extracted RNA was quantified using Nanodrop technology, resulting into complementary DNA. ER and PR using IHC were expressed in 60% (n = 12) of the study samples and were negative in 40% (n = 8) of samples. HER-2 was negative in 70% (n = 14) of study samples, 25% (n = 5) positive, and 5% (n = 1) equivocal. With the quantitative expression of ER, PR, and HER-2 being reported in the IHC triple—negative breast cancer cases. The mean Ct values for the hormonal receptors correlated with what has been previously studied with ER at 19.631, PR at 25.410 and HER-2 at 25.695. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean Ct values of RNAlater and FFPE with their P-values being 0.9919, 0.0896 and < 0.0001 for ER, PR, and HER-2 respectively. P-values; 0.9919 and 0.0896 for ER and PR respectively being greater than 0.05 it’s a borderline significance although HER-2 had a statistical significance. With a concordance in the detection of these breast cancer hormonal receptors, qPCR can be used in our setting considering the delays that may be associated in following the samples through IHC processing.