Eosinophile Fasziitis (Shulman-Syndrom)

Zusammenfassung Sklerodermieähnliche Hautindurationen ohne Organmanifestationen, Gelenkskontrakturen, Bluteosinophilie und ein entzündliches Infiltrat der Faszie zwischen Subkutis und Muskulatur gelten als die Charakteristika der eosinophilen Fasziitis (EF). Wir berichten über einen 30jährigen Diabetiker mit dem von Shulman 1974 definierten Syndrom. Eine Kortikosteroidtherapie führte zur Remission der Krankheitssymptome, jedoch zeigte eine Rebiopsie, daß die Therapie keinen Einfluß auf den pathomorphologischen Befund hatte. Anhand einer Literaturübersicht unter Berücksichtigung von 118 Fällen werden die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede von EF und der systemischen Sklerodermie diskutiert.     

An immunofluorescent method for specific staining of eosinophil granule major basic protein

We have developed an indirect immunofluorescent method for detection of the guinea pig eosinophil granule major basic protein (MBP) in formalin-fixed, paraffinembedded tissues. The method is specific for MBP, permits MBP localization in cells and tissues, and eliminates eosinophil non-specific fluorescent staining.     

Electrotonic parameters of rat dentate granule cells measured using short current pulses and HRP staining

The passive electrotonic parameters of nerve cells in the dentate gyrus of the rat were studied in vitro. Intracellular recordings from 30 granule cells and 3 pyramidal basket cells followed by intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), allowed calculations of input resistance (RN), membrane time constant (tau m), electrotonic length (L), ratio of dendritic to somatic conductance (rho), membrane specific capacitance and resistance (Rm, Cm), and specific axoplasmic resistance (Ri). The analysis of the voltage decays from long saturating (100 ms) and short (0.5 ms) current pulses showed that the short-pulse method gave better resolution for the measurement of the time constants and avoided some of the time-dependent nonlinearities but required larger currents than the long pulse. Morphological analysis of 49 branching points taken from the dendritic trees of granule cells showed that the branching power, n, is equal to 1.56 +/- 0.186 and was fairly constant throughout the tree. Given the fact that all dendrites have approximately the same length and number of branch points, the granule cell dendritic tree can be meaningfully collapsed into an equivalent cable. Moreover, electrophysiological data suggested that the cable had a "sealed" end or at least a high-impedance termination. Based on an equivalent cable model with a sealed end and a lumped soma impedance, a method was implemented to analyze the multiexponential decays from hyperpolarizing current pulses and to solve the equations of the model. This was done successfully in only 40% of the cells and yielded the following mean values for L = 1.13 and rho = 7.58. From the measurements of the soma surface area (S) and the equivalent cable diameter (D), the average specific membrane parameters were calculated: Rm = 2,726 alpha x cm2, Cm = 5.24 microF/cm2, Ri = 101 alpha x cm. The input resistance and time constant of the granule cells as measured from the short-pulse technique averaged to RN 58.57 M alpha and tau m = 16.21 ms. The failure of the model to fit 60% of the cells was interpreted to be due to the presence of a somatic shunt resulting from electrode injury, tonic synaptic activity, a lower somatic membrane specific resistance, or electronic coupling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Golgi-like staining with haematoxylin

Under certain conditions the Loyez method [4], an iron-haematoxylin stain for myelin, will impregnate the perikarya, dendrites and axons of neurones. This occurs (in chick embryos and young mice) at certain stages of normal development, and may be provoked in adult animals by a lesion of the brain; but it does not occur in normal, unoperated adults.     

Secretory granule exocytosis

Regulated exocytosis of secretory granules or dense-core granules has been examined in many well-characterized cell types including neurons, neuroendocrine, endocrine, exocrine, and hemopoietic cells and also in other less well-studied cell types. Secretory granule exocytosis occurs through mechanisms with many aspects in common with synaptic vesicle exocytosis and most likely uses the same basic protein components. Despite the widespread expression and conservation of a core exocytotic machinery, many variations occur in the control of secretory granule exocytosis that are related to the specialized physiological role of particular cell types. In this review we describe the wide range of cell types in which regulated secretory granule exocytosis occurs and assess the evidence for the expression of the conserved fusion machinery in these cells. The signals that trigger and regulate exocytosis are reviewed. Aspects of the control of exocytosis that are specific for secretory granules compared with synaptic vesicles or for particular cell types are described and compared to define the range of accessory control mechanisms that exert their effects on the core exocytotic machinery.     

Supravital staining of synovial fluid with Testsimplets.

We explored the use of Testsimplet (TS) in synovial fluid (SF) analysis. TS is a glass slide coated with a dry mixture of methylene blue and cresyl violet, which in contact with one drop of SF provides a stained fresh preparation. We applied the TS to the study of 159 SFs of patients with different rheumatic diseases. In those SFs of patients with crystal-associated diseases, the crystal search was performed both on unstained preparations and with TS. TS was as good as the Wright's and Papanicolaou stain in characterizing SF cells, lupus erythematosus cells, and detection of occasional bacteria. TS allowed a better visualization of Reiter's cells, cartilage fragments, synovial villi, fat droplets, and fibrin. Crystals were identified in every TS of those patients with crystal-associated diseases. TS is a rapid and reproducible method of SF supravital staining. Crystals are well preserved for simultaneous examination with compensated polarized light.     

Differential staining of mast cells with toluidine blue

Abstract

Mast cells play a significant role in inflammatory diseases such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and autoimmune diseases. Inhibition of c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase, a growth factor receptor, significantly reduces mast cell numbers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Compound X (a c-kit inhibitor) on mast cell numbers in rats. Connective tissue mast cells (CTMCs) and mucosal mast cells (MMCs) have differing histochemical characteristics which presents a challenge when staining for quantification by semi-automated image analysis. CTMCs are present in tissues such as tongue and skin and will stain readily in tissues fixed routinely. In contrast, MMCs, such as those present in the intestinal mucosa, are sensitive to fixation. Brief fixation in Carnoy’s solution, although seldom used due to its composition (a mixture of ethanol, chloroform, and acetic acid), was employed to fix tissues for MMC staining, while tissues for CTMC demonstration were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. An enzyme histochemistry method, napthol AS-D choloroacetate (specific esterase), was briefly considered for staining; however, granulocytes stained along with mast cells, requiring manual identification and exclusion, thereby rendering the method incompatible with automated means of quantification. Instead, staining was performed using two different toluidine blue methods which have proven conducive to semi-automated image analysis techniques. CTMCs were stained using Luna’s toluidine blue, while MMCs were stained with Matsson’s toluidine blue modification. In summary, the selected methods, based upon a conventional stain, were easy to do and successfully identified both populations of mast cells for quantification by image analysis.