Histochemical and biochemical determination of calcium in salivary glands with particular reference to chronic submandibular sialadenitis

Although salivary calcification is relatively common, little is known about the localization and content of the calcium of normal and diseased human salivary glands. We investigated this in chronic submandibular sialadenitis with a variable mixture of relatively normal and extremely atrophic parenchyma and in normal submandibular, parotid and palatal glands. Calcium was localized histochemically in mucous acinar cells of submandibular and palatal glands at moderate to high levels, in serous acinar cells of submandibular and parotid glands at low to moderate or occasionally high levels, in mucous ductal cells at moderate to high levels, and in extremely atrophic parenchyma at low levels or not at all. Calcium was determined biochemically at relatively high levels in the different glands in the order palatal, submandibular, sialadenitis and parotid. However, the differences were small. The results indicate that most salivary calcium is associated with secretory granules; this is the likely source of the calcium involved in salivary calcification     

Adrenal homografts in mice,with special reference to immunological adrenalectomy

Adrenal cortical grafts transplanted between members of an inbred strain of mice (`isografts'') are held to be successful when they empower adrenalectomized mice to subsist upon a diet low in NaCl. By this criterion, in which due allowance must be made for the hypertrophy of accessory adrenal tissue, the intramuscular implantation of adrenal cortical shavings, free from medullary tissue, is a reliable method of grafting. The intravascular injection of dissociated cortical cells, though sometimes successful, is not reliable. The testis, the anterior chamber of the eye, and the brain will also serve as sites of transplantation, though less efficiently than muscle.Adrenal cortical grafts transplanted by the intramuscular method between members of different inbred strains of mice (`homografts'') are unsuccessful. Homografts may, however, survive in the anterior chamber of the eye.Immunological tolerance may be procured in respect of adrenal cortical tissue: adult A-line mice into which CBA splenic cells have been injected shortly after birth will accept CBA adrenal homografts as readily as they accept isografts. It is accordingly argued that all the `transplantation antigens'' possessed by a mouse''s adrenal cortical tissue are also possessed by its spleen.Tolerant A-line mice subsisting upon homografts of CBA adrenal cortical tissue will die after adoptive immunization, i.e. after the injection of lymphoid cells taken from normal A-line mice which have been actively immunized against CBA tissues. It is shown that this procedure causes CBA tissue in the tolerant host to be destroyed; death is therefore attributed to an immunological `adrenalectomy''.Adrenal homografts transplanted between mice of unrelated strains behave essentially like skin homografts. No opinion is expressed upon whether or not adrenal homografts might survive their transplantation between mice belonging to strains which, though closely related, stand far enough apart for skin homografts to fail.     

Investigation of inflammatory cells in tubulointerstitial lesions in IgA nephritis with special reference to tubular lesions

Inflammatory cells in tubulointerstitial lesions were investigated electron microscopically in 6 cases of IgA nephritis and 4 cases of drug-induced nephropathy. Urinary beta 2 microglobulin and N-acethyl-glucosaminidase values were higher in the drug-induced nephropathy group. Both nephropathy groups had the same inflammatory cell composition in the interstitium in which T lymphocytes and macrophages were dominant. By electron microscopy these inflammatory cells were observed to infiltrate into renal tubules through the tubular basement membrane. Inflammated tubules showed various epithelial injuries. These findings suggest that inflammatory cells were actively involved in the epithelial injuries of IgA nephritis possibly through a cellular immune mechanism. This study was presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Clinical Electron Microscopy Society of Japan, Matsumoto, September 28–30, 1993.     

Repeated epicutaneous exposures to ovalbumin progressively induce atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in mice

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease in which environmental factors play a great role. A widely used murine model for AD has provided a useful tool to study the disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate kinetically the induction of this AD model and the processes involved in the development of AD due to extrinsic allergen exposures. METHODS: BALB/c mice were epicutaneously exposed to ovalbumin (OVA) for 3 weeks; each week was separated by a 2-week resting period. Mice were killed after each exposure week. Skin biopsies and blood were obtained for histological study, RNA isolation and antibody analysis. RESULTS: There was a progressive and significant thickening of the epidermis and dermis in OVA-exposed mice. Significantly increased dermal cell infiltration of eosinophils, mast cells and total inflammatory cells, including CD3 and CD4 cells, was found after each OVA exposure week. Total IgE, IgG2a and OVA-specific IgE were significantly increased after the second and third exposure week, while OVA-specific IgG2a was significantly induced after the third exposure week. Gradual and/or significant increases in mRNA expression of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-gamma and IL-12p35 were found after each exposure week. Chemokines and their receptors involved in both T-helper type 1 (Th1)- and Th2-type cell recruitment (CCL1, CCL8, CCL11, CCL24, CXCL9, CXCL10, CCR1, CCR3, CCR5, CCR8 and CXCR3) were up-regulated significantly at different time-points. CONCLUSION: This study provides an insight into the dynamic nature and time-dependent transition of skin inflammation and systemic immune responses in a murine AD model induced by repeated epicutaneous exposures to OVA.     

Endocardial fibroelastosis in children with special reference to the lesions of cardiac ganglia

In all cases of primary endocardial fibroelastosis investigated diffuse degenerative changes in the ganglion cells were detected. Thickened endocardium was formed by the proliferation of mesenchymal cells located under the endothelial endocardium and of the mesenchyme surrounding the necrobiotic muscle cells. In some cases ;axial' vacuolar degeneration, necrobiosis, and necrosis of muscle cells, interstitial oedema, and dilatation of capillaries and lymphatic spaces were found in the whole myocardium. In all cases these changes were in the subendocardial layer.In the cases discussed morphological changes in the endocardium were seen to be secondary to lesions in myocardial and possibly in neural structures.     

Glomerular lesions in male rabbits treated with aluminium lactate: with special reference to microaneurysm formation.

Novel glomerular lesions were seen in male rabbits after intravenous administration of aluminum lactate. Eight rabbits in the treated group were given 0.1 mmol/kg of aluminum lactate 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The control group of 8 rabbits was given 0.3 mmol/kg of sodium lactate by the same injection protocol. In the treated group, the mesangial cells in the glomerular tufts in 6 of 8 rabbits were distended with grayish blue granular material, which was identified by laser microprobe mass spectrometry and acid solochrome azurine stain as an aluminum compound. Other consistent findings in the glomeruli included microaneurysm in 6 of 8 rabbits and segmental sclerosis in 6 of 8 rabbits. Less frequently observed glomerular changes included crescent formation, necrosis with calcification, fibrosis of the Bowman's capsule, cystic dilation of the Bowman's space, and exudation of erythrocytes into the Bowman's space. The mechanism by which aluminum lactate induces the glomerular changes is not certain. However, the pathogenesis may involve the deposition of aluminum in the mesangial cells, resulting in mesangiolysis which in turn causes microaneurysm. The sclerotic change is interpreted as a sequela of microaneurysm. The findings suggest that aluminum induces glomerular lesions in rabbits. This may serve as a good animal model to study mesangiolysis and microaneurysm formation.     

Effects of EDTA in newborn mice with special reference to neural crest cells

Newborn mice were injected with measured doses of EDTA, resulting in the development of a complex of multiple neural crest tumors, hyperplasia, excessive cell proliferation, cell death of neural crest cells and heterotopic melanin pigmentation in the sites where the neural crest cells are present. The occurrence of multiple neural crest tumors as well as the mechanism of EDTA as a teratogen may be associated with cell membrane perturbation. Oncogenesis of neural crest tumors and cell death of neural crest cells from a single agent showed the complexity and variability of phenotypic expression. Neural crest cells may differentiate into many divergent cellular phenotypes derived from an initially undifferentiated stem cell population.     

Immunological parameters in multiple sclerosis patients with special reference to the herpes virus group

A group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (n = 50), most of them in a stable or slightly progressive phase was studied together with a group of neurological control (NC) patients with CNS lesions (n = 38) comparable in age and disability and an age matched group of healthy persons (n = 46). On stimulation of lymphocytes with herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) a significantly lower interferon production was found in MS patients compared with the NC patients and the healthy controls; when the NC patients were compared with the healthy controls a significantly lower production was also found. The lymphocyte transformation reaction in seropositive MS patients was significantly lower than that seen in the seropositive control groups when HSV was used as antigen. Lower responses, although insignificant, were found when CMV and VZV were used as antigens. There were no differences among the three groups when Con A was used as mitogen in three different concentrations. Likewise spontaneous lymphocyte transformations were equal. The lower interferon production and the lower transformation reactions in MS patients could not be correlated to age, duration of disease, disability, disease activity or impairment. No significant differences in humoral immunity to HSV, CMV and VZV were found in the three groups, a few MS patients were 'true' seronegative to HSV type 1 and 2. Suppressor cell activity induced by Con A and measles virus was comparable in the three groups, although a few MS patients in an active relapsing phase were found to have low suppressor cell activity. Natural killer cell activity against two different cell lines was found equal in the three groups, and there was no difference in the potentiating effect of interferon.     

Polypoid lesions of the gallbladder: report of 160 cases with special reference to diagnosis and treatment in China

Background: The preoperative diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions is difficult, justifying the lack of consensus on the appropriate treatment. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of each type of polypoid lesion of the gallbladder and the indications for surgery. Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2012, clinical data were retrospectively correlated with the histopathologic characteristics of polypoid lesions in 160 patients who underwent cholecystectomy. Results: A total of 160 patients with benign polypoid lesions (including 49 tumor-like lesions and 75 adenomas) and 14 patients with malignant polypoid lesions (including 2 adenocarcinomas and 12 adenomas with malignant changes) were included in this study. One hundred and five (65.6%) of the patients had associated symptoms, and 70 (43.8%) had gallstones. Of the 49 patients with tumor-like lesions, 49 (100%) were correlated with chronic cholecystitis. A total of 72 (83.8%) patients with neoplasms had a single polyp compared with 25 (59.5%) of those with non-neoplastic polyps. The mean age of the patients with malignancy was 59.07±13.465 years, and 12 (85.7%) of these patients were over 50 years of age. The mean diameters of the benign and malignant polyps were 1.0±0.77 cm and 2.15±1.16 cm, respectively. Ten (100%) of the patients with malignancy had polyps of over 1 cm in size, as shown by ultrasound. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that tumor-like lesions, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas are the most common polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. Cholecystecomy should be done in patients with symptoms. The risk of malignancy is high in patients over 50 years of age; those with polyps with diameters of greater than 10 mm; and those with single polypoid lesions. The remainder of PLG patients without cholecystectomy should be followed up at regular intervals.     

Pathological study of sequelae of Kawasaki disease (MCLS). With special reference to the heart and coronary arterial lesions

Unexpected sudden cardiac death among children with a history of Kawasaki disease has come to be reported in Japan. Death occurred between 2 months and 8 years after complete recovery from Kawasaki disease according to our study material. To study the lesions of Kawasaki disease sequelae we examined 61 cases of Kawasaki disease which came to autopsy. In 17 of these the deaths apparently to be due to sequelae of this disease, were characterized by cardiac insufficiency caused by ancient coronary aneurysm with organized thrombotic occlusion and superimposed acute ischemic myocardial degeneration and/or necrosis. The age of the lesions appears to correlate with the interval period between complete recovery from this disease and death. Six cases succumbed incidentally of other causes: one traffic accident, one hemophilus meningitis, one chronic myeloid leukemia, one neuroblastoma, one meningeal hemorrhage due to rupture of basilar arterial aneurysm, and one acute lymphatic leukemia. Even in these cases, definite sequelae of arteritis were detected. A surgically resected coronary aneurysm and a ventricular aneurysm were also examined. It was disclosed by mass physical check-up of school children that 0.1% had a history of Kawasaki disease, among which 5-6% showed cardiac and/or coronary abnormality including aneurysms. The high incidence of cardiac involvement in Kawasaki disease has been proved in this study and this kind of lesion has the possibility of resulting in unexpected cardiac death of children.