Eur Urol Suppl 2010;9(6):575 results: Overall HER-2 expression was detected in 31% patients (55% of cases Vs. 9% of controls, p<0.0001). HER-2 overexpression (staining intensity score ≥ 2+) was observed in 32.5% cases; however, none of the controls showed HER- 2 overexpression. Statistically signiicant correlation was revealed between HER-2 expression and tumor stage (p<0.001) and also tumor grade (p<0.0001). Univariate analysis was revealed a signiicant relationship between the HER- 2 immunoreactive score and history of hypertension (p=0.02). In multivariate regression analysis, HER-2 was found to be an independent prognostic factor. Moreover, HER-2 positive patients had higher rate of relapse in comparison with HER-2 negative patients (p=0.002). Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated a signiicantly worse disease-related survival (log-rank: 0.01) in patients with HER-2 expressing tumors compared to those without HER-2 expression. HER-2 expression in patients was signiicantly correlated with poor prognosis (HR: 2.45, 95% CI:1.24-4.84, P:0.009). conclusions: Our indings suggest a prognostic signiicance of HER-2 protein expression in patients with UCB. The relatively high percentage of HER- 2 expressing tumors (55%) indicates that there is a substantial collective of UCB patients who might potentially proit from anti-HER-2 therapy. Moreover, hypertension might predispose the expression of HER-2 oncogene in patients. Finally, HER-2 evaluation test could be considered as a diagnostic procedure in diferentiating the benign tissue from malignant one, particularly in patients with staining intensity score > 2+. S69 decreaSed peripheral blood cd8+ t cell SubSetS may be a marker for immune diSturbance in benign proStatic hyperplaSia Mladenov V. 1 , Mladenov D. 1 , Mihailova A. 2 , Naumova E. 2 , Tzvetkov M. 1 1 Medical University, Clinic of Urology, Soia, Bulgaria, 2 Medical University, Department of Clinical Immunology, Soia, Bulgaria introduction & objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common age related proliferative abnormality of the human prostate, could involve an inlammatory component in disease pathogenesis. Studies on immune cells have been mainly focused on local immune reactivity. Objective We examined and characterized immune cell phenotypes in peripheral blood of patients with BPH in order to assess possible changes in systemic immune responses in this disease. material & methods: Twenty three individuals with BPH were included in the study and 20 healthy aged matched male subjects served as controls. Peripheral blood T, B, NK cells and their subsets were analyzed by lowcytometric (FACSCalibur, USA) immunophenotyping with monoclonal antibodies using two and three color immunoluorescence staining. results: Our data revealed signiicantly decreased (p<0.012) absolute values of total CD3+ T cells in patients with BPH (957±561) compared to controls (1312±409), mainly due to a decrease of CD8+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cell subset (325±209 vs. 567±291; p<0.001). Additionally, signiicantly lower percentage of CD8+ T-cell subset (22.3±9.0 vs. 30.8±13.5; p<0.012) were also demonstrated. No signiicant changes in other cell subpopulation studied (CD4+ T cells, Treg, B cell, NK cells) were noted in BPH. conclusions: The observed changes may be an immunologic key feature the BPH pathogenesis. It would be of great interest to investigate and compare the cell populations in patients with prostate carcinoma and BPH. This could help us to select immunologic markers as additional noninvasive criteria for early diagnosis and diferentiation of malignant and benign changes in the prostate gland. S70 expreSSion of p53 protein and correlation with clinicopathological featureS in patientS undergoing radical proStatectomy Saidi S., Georgiev V., Lekovski L., Petrovski D., Dohcev S., Stavridis S., Janculev J., Mickovski A., Shabani B., Popov Z. University Clinic, Dept. of Urology, Skopje, Macedonia introduction & objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the nuclear expression of the p53 protein in the prostate cancer and to determine the relationship with clinico-pathological variables. material & methods: The research included 83 patients, 43 of which are patients with prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy and also a control group of 40 patients with benign hyperplasia of the prostate to which a transurethral resection or a transvesical prostatectomy was undertaken. In all cases it is only the nuclear expression of p53 protein evaluated. A hystopatological evaluation of the tumor characteristics and the data of the local progression of the cancer are undertaken at the researched group. results: The results have shown that the expression of the p53 protein was found in 13 (28%) of cases and it is in direct correlation with the Gleason score (p=0,0000), the Gleason sum (p=0,0000), the degree of the primary tumor (p=0,0000), metastatic lymph nodes (p=0,0000), the stadium of disease (p=0,026), but that it is not found signiicantly correlation with the involvement of the seminal vesicles (p=0,647), preoperative PSA (p=0,621) and age of the patient (p=0,341). conclusions: The p53 protein can be used as a good biomarker for determination of malignant potential of the tumor and prognosis of the disease while it doesn’t have any value for the extraprostatic extension. which have branches coursing both anterior and posterior to the abdominal aorta. Recognition of these variations have important clinical impacts. We designed a study to igure out the incidence of the left renal vein variations. material & methods: In March 2010 we started a prospective study in patients who would undergo a lomber spinal MRI examination for neurologic problems. So far our patient group consists of 396 females and 767 males who were examined by routine T1-weighted sagittal, T2-weighted sagittal and T2-weighted axial sequences in a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine (Philips). Intravenous contrast medium was only used if it was necessary such as in patients with postoperative discopathy, spinal neoplasm or infection. results: A total number of 34 left renal vein variations were detected so far. 20 of the cases were left retroaortic vein and 14 were circumaortic left renal vein. In our preliminary results the insidence of left renal vein variations was % 2.9, the incidence of retroaortic and circumaortic left renal veins were % 1.7 and % 1.2 respectively. conclusions: In diferent studies the incidence of left retroaortic renal vein varies between % 0.5 and 3.7 and the incidence of left circumaortic renal vein varies between % 0.3 and 6.3. Most of these studies used autopsy series or CT modality where patients are exposed to a signiicant amount of radiation and intravenous contrast medium with potential life threatening side afects. According to our knowladge, there are no insidence studies done in MRI with routine sequences. Recognition of these variations are important for renal transplant donors, in retroperitoneal surgeries and in renal venous sampling of renin. Variations of left renal vein can cause pitfalls in staging urogenital neoplasms since they can be misdiagnosed as soft tissue masses or lymphadenopathies. They can also have a predilection for thrombosis due to compression. S67 beneficial effectS of chrySin againSt 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (tcdd) induced reproductive toxicity in ratS Çiftçi O. 1 , Beytur A.B. 2 1 Inunu University Faculty of Pharmacy, Dept. of Toxycology, Malatya, Turkey, 2 Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Urology, Malatya, Turkey introduction & objectives: In this study, the protective efect of chrysin, is a natural lavonoid currently under investigation due to its important biological activities, on Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induced reproductive toxicity in rats was investigated. material & methods: Rats (n=112) were divided randomly into 4 equal groups. Rats in control group given corn oil as carrier. TCDD was orally administered at the dose of 2 µ/kg/week for 60 days. Chrysin was orally administered at the dose of 50 mg/kg/day by gavages dissolved in corn oil with and without TCDD for 60 days. We determined that TBARS and GSH levels, antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, SOD, GSH-Px) spectrophometrically, Sperm parameters (motility, concentration, abnormal sperm rate), reproductive organ weight (testes, epididymis, vesicular seminalis, prostate) and serum testosterone levels with ELISA method in rats. results: The results indicated that TCDD signiicantly (P<0.05) induced oxidative stress by increased formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and decreased in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD). In contrast, chrysin signiicantly (P<0.05) increased GSH, CAT, GSH-Px and CuZn- SOD levels but decreased (P<0.05) formation of TBARS. In addition sperm motility, sperm concentration and serum testosterone levels signiicantly (P<0.05) decreased, abnormal sperm rate increased (P<0.05) with TCDD treatment. However, these toxic efects of TCDD on sperm parameters and hormone levels were reversed (P<0.05) by chrysin treatment. conclusions: In conclusion, we suggested that administration of TCDD induces reproductive toxicity (oxidative stress, serum hormone level, sperm parameters) in rats and chrysin can be protective efect against toxic efects of TCDD. Thus, we suggested that chrysin may be useful for the prevention of reproductive toxicity induced with TCDD. S68 her-2 oncogene expreSSion and riSk of bladder cancer: role of aSSociated factorS Salem S. 1 , Kosari F. 2 , Mehrsai A. 1 , Khonsari M. 1 , Pourmand G. 1 1 Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dept. of Urology, Tehran, Iran, 2 Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dept. of Pathology, Tehran, Iran introduction & objectives: The level of expression and the prognostic signiicance of HER-2 protein in urothelial cancer vary among diferent investigations. This study sought to further evaluate the prognostic relevance of HER-2 expression in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB), and also to clarify the role of associated factors. material & methods: During a 6-year period, 120 patients with newly diagnosed and clinicopathologically conirmed primary UCB, and 132 controls without any malignant disease were evaluated prospectively. Their pathologic specimens were stained immunohistochemically and monoclonal HER-2 antibody was used to determine the HER-2 expression (FDA-approved Hercep Test, Dako). Staining characteristics were compared with the clinicopathological results. Impact on disease-free survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.