Monitoring of basophil activation using CD63 and CCR3 in allergy to muscle relaxant drugs

Allergic or pseudoallergic reactions that occur during anesthesia have been increasing for the last few years. To date, the diagnosis of allergy to muscle relaxants remains difficult. In this respect, we developed a flow cytometric method for the study of drug-induced basophil degranulation using CD63 and CCR3. Fifty patients who developed clinical features evocative of allergic reactions immediately after induction of anesthesia were included and classified into two groups. Group 1 (n = 39) comprised true allergic patients, who developed typical signs of shock associated to positive skin testing. Group 2 (n = 11) consisted of patients whose clinical history was not typical and skin testing was negative or nonconclusive. Seventeen control subjects were also studied in this report. We compared data from flow cytometry to skin tests, specific IgE, and histamine release results. Flow cytometry showed a sensitivity of 54%, while that of specific IgE was similar, at 62%. Interestingly, when considering the sensitivity of IgE + CD63 for diagnosis, we reached a sensitivity value of 80%. Of 15 negative results for specific IgE, we found 7 positive CD63 tests, while histamine release gave positive results in only 2 cases. Furthermore, the CD63 protocol showed good specificity (100%). We conclude that our flow cytometry protocol is a promising tool in allergy diagnosis since it is specific and complementary to specific IgE detection.     

Immunohistochemical detection of p53 homolog p63 in solid cell nests, papillary thyroid carcinoma, and hashimoto's thyroiditis: A stem cell hypothesis of papillary carcinoma oncogenesis

Most models suggest that the cell of origin of papillary carcinoma is the mature thyroid follicular epithelial cell. In a recent study, p63 was detected in papillary carcinoma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and in squamoid aggregates and solid cell nests (SCNs), embryonic remnants found sporadically in the fully developed thyroid. In the present study, the relationship between solid cell nests and papillary carcinoma was investigated further. Four-micrometer sections from 88 routinely fixed and processed archival thyroidectomy specimens were pretreated with citric acid pH 6.0 for antigen retrieval, then incubated overnight with anti-p63 monoclonal antibody 4A4. Slides were stained with a streptavidin-biotin kit and diaminobenzidine as chromogen and were counterstained with hematoxylin. Squamoid aggregates or SCNs were noted in 21 specimens. Several morphologic variants of SCNs were found, all of which displayed p63 positivity. These included undifferentiated SCNs and those displaying commitment toward squamoid and ciliated glandular differentiation. Small, morphologically inconspicuous aggregates of p63-positive cells were commonly found in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Commitment of p63-positive undifferentiated cells toward thyroid follicular epithelial differentiation was occasionally noted. One SCN variant, also associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, was a floretlike arrangement of p63-positive cells with fusiform nuclei. p63 staining was strong and uniform in some SCNs, but in other SCNs it was compartmentalized and homologous to stem cell-staining patterns in normal squamous or bronchial epithelia. Stem cell-like staining, associated with compartmentalized p63 staining or p63-positive undifferentiated cells, was noted in 7 of 27 papillary carcinomas. p63 immunostaining is a highly sensitive means of detecting SCNs. p63 expression patterns in SCNs and a subset of papillary carcinomas are closely homologous to stem cell-associated p63 staining patterns that have been described elsewhere in squamous and bronchial epithelia. We propose a stem-cell-associated model of papillary carcinoma oncogenesis that suggests that (1) p63-positive embryonal remnants rather than mature follicular cells are the cells of origin of a subset of papillary carcinomas; (2) these p63-positive cells are pluripotent and may stay undifferentiated or undergo benign squamoid or glandular maturation, may undergo thyroid follicular epithelial differentiation, may undergo oncogenic change leading to papillary carcinoma, or may trigger an immune reaction, resulting in lymphoid infiltration and Hashimoto's thyroiditis; and (3) Hashimoto's thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma may therefore be linked etiologically, because both disorders may be initiated by the same population of pluripotent p63-positive embryonal stem cell remnants.     

基于 C/S与B/S混合模式的重症肌无力管理系统的设计与研制

重症肌无力临床医生在就诊过程中收集了大量的临床资料,但是面对庞大而又杂乱的临床资料,人工对其进行管理、查询、统计分析等显然不可取,费时费力且更不用说从中“挖掘”出有用的信息以辅助诊断;此外,对于病人服药情况、疗效的随访等也难于开展,更不用说在医院各科室内部、Internet上共享临床资料。基于此,本文开发了以C/S和B/S混合模式的重症肌无力信息系统,以期为临床和科研做出一定的贡献。     

Microdissection genotyping of archival fixative treated tissue for Gaucher disease

The genetic diagnosis of Gaucher disease by molecular methods is complicated by the existence of a highly homologous transcribed pseudogene (96% identity) that is found in close proximity to the true gene on chromosome 1q21. In addition, the pseudogene sequence can mimic disease-causing mutations in the true gene. Selective polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the true gene can be accomplished in extracted DNA from fresh-frozen samples by designing oligonucleotide primers to hybridize to defined regions that are not present in the pseudogene. This standard molecular approach, which entails amplification of relatively long segments of intact DNA, is not feasible in archival, paraffin-embedded, solid-tissue specimens in which the negative effects of chemical fixation result in DNA strand scission and breakdown of nucleic acid. A novel approach, specifically created for use with archival, fixative-treated tissue specimens, was developed for detection and characterization of common mutations of Gaucher disease. Three separate robust PCR reactions were formulated, 2 for selective amplification of portions of only the true gene exons 2 and 9, with a third reaction targeting exon 10, wherein both the true and pseudogene were coamplified. In the latter, DNA sequencing was used to determine the presence of true and pseudogene allele content in addition to identification of base sequence alterations. This method, requiring a single, 4-microm-thick histologic section, was successfully applied to archival paraffin block tissue specimens that had been in storage for up to 75 years. It was capable of accurately genotyping common Gaucher disease mutations as well as discovering a novel mutation and genetic polymorphism. We recommend our approach when only fixative-treated tis sue is available for molecular genotyping.     

子宫颈癌△Np63蛋白表达的临床病理学意义

目的探讨△Np63蛋白表达在子宫颈癌不同组织学类型中的临床病理学意义。方法43例子宫颈上皮内瘤变(cervi-calintraepithelialneoplasia,CIN)(包括15例CIN1,6例CIN2和22例CIN3),21例角化型和33例大细胞非角化型宫颈鳞状细胞癌(鳞癌)、40例腺癌、4例神经内分泌癌、4例腺鳞癌、2例移行细胞癌、2例玻璃样细胞癌和1例腺瘤样基底细胞癌的标本选自韩国高丽大学安岩附属医院和延边妇幼保健医院病理科,应用免疫组化染色方法检测△Np63蛋白在上述病变组织中的表达情况。结果△Np63蛋白在所有子宫颈鳞癌标本中呈阳性表达,而在所有腺癌则为阴性。随着CIN病变级别的增加,△Np63蛋白表达的分布范围也逐渐增多,而且在不同组织学类型的子宫颈癌中,合并鳞状细胞分化(associatedwithsquamousdifferentiationofuterinecervix)的病变区△Np63表达增强,但在腺性分化和神经内分泌分化的区域△Np63则不表达。结论△Np63蛋白检测对区分子宫颈癌组织学类型的具有重要意义,且对子宫颈腺癌的鉴别诊断是一个非常有用的指标。     

Expression profiles and functional implications of p53-like transcription factors in thymic epithelial cell subtypes

In this study, we investigated the localization and functional significance of p53 tumor suppressor-like molecules, p63 and p73, in human thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Immunohistochemical studies showed particular distribution profiles of p63 and p73 in thymic epithelium, in which cortical TECs preferentially expressed p63 in their nuclei whereas subcapsular and medullary TECs expressed both p63 and p73 in their nuclei. The wide distribution of p63 in TECs was further suggested by studies using TECs of primary culture. In vitro studies using two human TEC lines demonstrated that p63 was capable of up-regulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and enhancing the production of IL-6 and IL-8. Moreover, in vitro studies also indicated that p73, but not p63, had the capacity to induce granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the TEC lines. These findings suggest that p63 would regulate the cell adhesive property through ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction and the production of IL-6 and IL-8, probably in all TEC subtypes. p73 in subcapslar and medullary TECs was suggested to play a role in the regulation of the production of GM-CSF and G-CSF, which might stimulate other stromal cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages and endothelial cells around these regions.     

ADULT综合征与Tp63基因突变

ADULT综合征是一种外胚层发育异常疾病,属常染色体显性遗传,临床表现为四肢发育畸形、神经性皮炎改变(包括指/趾剥脱性皮炎)、皮肤干燥、乳腺和乳头发育不全或缺失、缺指(趾)畸形和并指症、指(趾)甲发育异常、泪管闭锁、少汗、牙齿发育不全等症状,该病由Tp63基因错义突变所引起.Tp63基因主要在各种上皮组织的发育、分化和形态发生过程中起作用,对于胚胎形成过程的外胚层发育具有重要的意义.研究发现ADULT综合征与Tp63基因外显子3'、4、6、8的核苷酸发生错义突变相关.Tp63基因的突变位点不同导致临床表现存在差异,即使突变位点相同,患者的临床表现还存在地域、种族和个体差异.本文就ADULT综合征的临床表现与Tpi3基因突变的关系进行综述.