Abstract Patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) have a better prognosis than patients with non-HPV-induced OPSCC. The role of the immune response in this phenomenon is yet unclear. We studied the number of T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), T helper 17 (Th17) cells and IL-17+ non-T cells (mainly granulocytes) in matched HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCC cases (n = 162). Furthermore, the production of IFN-γ and IL-17 by tumor-infiltrating T cells was analyzed. The number of tumor-infiltrating T cells and Tregs was higher in HPV-positive than HPV-negative OPSCC (p < 0.0001). In contrast, HPV-negative OPSCC contained significantly higher numbers of IL-17+ non-T cells (p < 0.0001). Although a high number of intra-tumoral T cells showed a trend toward improved survival of all OPSCC patients, their prognostic effect in patients with a low number of intra-tumoral IL-17+ non-T cells was significant with regard to disease-specific (p = 0.033) and disease-free survival (p = 0.012). This suggests that a high frequency of IL-17+ non-T cells was related to a poor immune response, which was further supported by the observation that a high number of T cells was correlated with improved disease-free survival in the HPV-positive OPSCC (p = 0.008). In addition, we detected a minor Th17 cell population. However, T cells obtained from HPV-positive OPSCC produced significantly more IL-17 than those from HPV-negative tumors (p = 0.006). The improved prognosis of HPV-positive OPSCC is thus correlated with higher numbers of tumor-infiltrating T cells, more active Th17 cells and lower numbers of IL-17+ non-T cells.

To the Editor A 65-year-old woman with a positive family history for breast cancer presented with the palpable mass in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. Ultrasonography and mammography revealed an oval, hypoechogenic, sharply demarcated mass, measuring 23 9 14 mm, classified as Bi-RADS 4 (Fig. 1A). A core needle biopsy revealed a cellular spindle cell lesion (AE1/AE3 negative) without prominent atypia and mitotic activity (B3 category, Fig. 1B). The multidisciplinary breast meeting discussed the case and recommended a wide local excision of the mass. Grossly, the 20-mm tumor was well-circumscribed, grayish-white on cut section, without necrosis and hemorrhage (Fig. 1C). Histopathologic examination revealed a well circumscribed, spindle cell neoplasm composed of the cells with mild to moderate atypia and sporadic mitotic activity (up to 5/10 hpf mitotic figures, Fig. 1D,E). An extensive immunohistochemical (IHC) examination revealed only convincing S-100 positivity in about 20% of neoplastic cells (Fig. 1F). All other markers were negative (AE1/AE3, Cam5.2, p63, GFAP, SMA, desmin, CD34, HMB-45, SOX-10) while beta-catenin retained cytoplasmic/membranous expression without nuclear positivity. Morphologic and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a low-grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). Due to the tumor size, clean margins, and the tumor grade, a close follow-up without further treatment of the patient was recommended (1–3). Additional clinical

Although the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) MET is widely expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), its prognostic value remains unclear. This might be due to the use of a variety of antibodies and scoring systems. Here, the reliability of five commercial C-terminal MET antibodies (D1C2, CVD13, SP44, C-12 and C-28) was evaluated before examining the prognostic value of MET immunoreactivity in HNSCC. Using cancer cell lines, it was shown that D1C2 and CVD13 specifically detect MET under reducing, native and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) conditions. Immunohistochemical staining of routinely FFPE oral SCC with D1C2 and CVD13 demonstrated that D1C2 is most sensitive in the detection of membranous MET. Examination of membranous D1C2 immunoreactivity with 179 FFPE oral and oropharyngeal SCC – represented in a tissue microarray – illustrated that staining is either uniform (negative or positive) across tumors or differs between a tumor's center and periphery. Ultimately, statistical analysis revealed that D1C2 uniform staining is significantly associated with poor 5-year overall and disease free survival of patients lacking vasoinvasive growth (HR = 3.019, p < 0.001; HR = 2.559, p < 0.001). These findings might contribute to reliable stratification of patients eligible for treatment with biologicals directed against MET.

As it was shown recently that nanostructures can exist in water-ethanol-citronellol tinctures, a deeper investigation of these media was performed using conductivity, UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques. Different regimes of conductivity, depending on the water content, an increase of the polarity of the polar pseudo-phase with increasing water content, and even the presence of free water molecules at higher water content are observed, just as in classical surfactant-based microemulsions. The percolation model, generally used to fit conductivity data in surfactant based microemulsion having a weak interfacial film, can be used to fit our conductivity data below a critical water content Φ(p)(w) with a critical exponent typical of dynamic percolation. In presence of higher water contents, superior to Φ(p)(w), obtained conductivity data cannot be fitted neither with a static nor a dynamic percolation model. As in surfactant-based microemulsions, an increase of polarity of the microenvironment with increasing water content can be postulated using respectively the UV-Vis wavelength absorption band (λ(max)) of methyl orange and performing FT-IR spectra.

Dr. Arindam Chakrabarty JSPS Post-doctoral Fellow Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 Japan e-mail: arindamchakrabarty.vu@gmail.com Prof. Priyadarsi De Polymer Research Centre Department of Chemical Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata Mohanpur 741246 Nadia, West Bengal India e-mail: p_de@iiserkol.ac.in

Original scientific paper Purpose of the research was to compare the effects of dynamic and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on knee isokinetic strength and power parameters. Sample size of 50 male athletes is represented as male athletes divided into sub-samples of 10 athletes at competitive level in karate (19 ± 2,4), taekwondo (20 ± 3,6), boxing (19,8 ± 4,3), football (15,1 ± 0,3) and track and field sprint (18,3 ± 2,6). Isokinetic parameters of the knee were measured using Biodex isokinetic system3, at two angular speeds 60 °/s and 180 °/s. Parameters were measured after dynamic stretching protocol and again 48 h later after PNF protocol. For karate and taekwondo fighters no statistically significant differences were found. For boxers, football players and sprinters the values of strength and power parameters were higher after dynamic warm-up protocol at a statistically significant level. Results of this study confirmed that dynamic stretching contributes to higher values of the strength and power of thigh muscles compared to proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.

In the traditional cheese production standardisation of milk is not a common procedure. The consequence of avoiding this step could be a lesser financial profit for the farm, due to reduced: proteins and fats utilisation, firmness of the curd and cheese yield. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the effect of the milk standardisation on the chemical composition of Skripavac cheese and whey, as well as on the cheese yield. For the needs of the experiments, in the small scale dairy, 8 batches of Skripavac cheese were produced. The milk of each batch was divided into three categories: milk for cheese production without standardisation (control group) ; milk for cheese production with standardised ratio protein : fat = 0.9 : 1 by the addition of skimmed milk powder (SMP) ; milk for cheese production standardised to the ratio of protein : fat = 0.9 : 1, by skimming the part of milk fat. Adding of SMP or skimming the part of a cream had a significant effect on the content of fat (P < 0.01 ; P = 0.01) and proteins (P = 0.09 ; P < 0.01) in the cheese. The content of milk fat decreased after milk standardisation and the content of proteins increased in comparison to the control batch. Addition of the SMP did not result in a better utilisation of milk fat and proteins as expected, but the cheese yield increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared to the control cheese. Milk standardisation by skimming the part of the cream caused better utilisation of milk fat (P = 0.08), but the lower cheese yield resulted in the lesser utilisation of proteins and therefore in a lower cheese yield (P = 0.08). Milk standardisation by addition of SMP can provide the economic benefits in the production of traditional cheeses. On the contrary, the process of milk skimming can have a negative influence on the cheese yield due to the mechanical treatment of milk (separation), which is not usual in a traditional cheesemaking.