Bilateral diffuse nephroblastomatosis, pancortical type. A case report with immunohistochemical investigations

A variation of Perlman's syndrome of the pancortical type is reported in a male neonate whose parents were cousins. The patient was the product of a 35-week pregnancy, the Apgar score was 3, and the patient died of respiratory failure one hour and 12 minutes after delivery. Autopsy revealed bilateral diffuse nephroblastomatosis, pancortical type, associated with malformations (usually facial), congenital anomalies of the heart, hepatosplenomegaly, pancreatic islet cell hyperplasia, bilateral cryptorchidism, and hyperflexibility of the left knee joint. Renal immunohistochemical investigations revealed positive bindings with peanut and soybean agglutinins and epithelial membrane antigen along the luminal surface of the epithelium in the moderately differentiated tubules, but not in blastoma or primitive epithelium.     

Enhancement of chronic viral hepatitic changes by alcohol intake in patients with persistent HBs-antigenemia

The clinical and histologic changes in 116 Japanese patients with persistent HBs-antigenemia and chronic liver diseases were analyzed after the patients were divided into three groups depending on the history of alcohol consumption. Group 1 consisted of 45 nondrinkers, Group 2 of 51 social drinkers, and Group 3 of 20 habitual drinkers with a daily intake of more than 60 g of ethanol for at least ten years. The frequency of chronic active hepatitis (CAH) in Group 3 was higher than in Groups 1 and 2 (P less than 0.05). The histologic comparison of patients with CAH between the three groups revealed that only the inflammatory changes at/near portal tracts, such as piecemeal necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in Group 3, were more prominent than those in Groups 1 and 2. The alcohol-related changes except for fatty change were not found in any specimens. These findings suggest that alcohol intake, particularly of more than 60 g of ethanol a day, may enhance the viral inflammatory changes of the liver in patients with persistent HBs-antigenemia.     

Protease inhibitors (gebexate mesylate and ulinastatin) stimulate intracellular chemiluminescence in human neutrophils.

The effect of protease inhibitors on the intracellular production of free radicals was investigated by measuring chemiluminescence (CL) elicited from phagocytosed luminol-bound microspheres (Lumispheres) in human neutrophils stimulated with formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), interleukin-8 (IL-8), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, or diacylglycerol. Both gabexate mesylate (Foy) and ulinastatin (Miraclid), urinary trypsin inhibitor, increased intracellular CL in a dose dependent manner. Compared to control buffer without protease inhibitor, gabexate mesylate (322 micrograms/ml) caused about a 10-fold increase in intracellular CL in stimulated neutrophils, and ulinastatin (3100 U/ml) a twofold increase in neutrophils stimulated with fMLP or IL-8. When the protease inhibitors were added to the cell suspension after the phagocytosis of lumispheres, CL responses rapidly increased again to the level which was observed when both protease inhibitors and neutrophil stimulants were incubated simultaneously. In contrast, extracellular release of oxygen metabolites from stimulated neutrophils, assayed by a conventional measurement of luminol-dependent CL, was reduced by the protease inhibitors in a dose dependent fashion. When luminol-unbound microspheres were incubated with neutrophils stimulated by fMLP in luminol solution, extracellular CL was almost completely inhibited by gabexate mesylate. These results indicate that the protease inhibitors enhance the generation of intracellular CL and suppress the extracellular release of free radicals.     

EXFOLIATIVE CYTOPATHOLOGY OF ALVEOLAR RHABDOMYOSARCOMA

Exfoliative cytopathology of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is presented. A 34-year-old male was found to have alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the retroperitoneum at autopsy. Ascites was recognized in the course of this disease. Cytological features in the ascites were characterized by relatively small-sized ovoid cells observed singly or in loose clusters. The neoplastic cells possessed small amount of rather vesicular cytoplasm and an eccentric nucleus. The nucleus characteristically revealed multiple deep indentations in the nuclear membrane, a few prominent eosinophilic nucleoli and finely granular or evenly distributed chromatin pattern. These cytological findings, especially the nuclear features, might be useful to differentiate alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma from other neoplasms which consist of relatively small-sized ovoid cells even if the striated muscle origin cannot be confirmed by immunoperoxidase staining.     

Methods for culture ofBombyx mori wing discs

Summary A culture method forBombyx wing discs is described. Grace's insect medium,Bombyx hemolymph, and moderate doses of ecdysterone (0.02 to 0.1 µg/ml) were necessary for complete imaginal differentiation ofBombyx wing discs. This procedure is useful for understanding ecdysteroid action on insect imaginal differentiation and metamorphosis.     

Both recombinant interleukin-1 (beta) and purified human monocyte interleukin-1 prime human neutrophils for increased oxidative activity and promote neutrophil spreading

Both purified human monocyte interleukin-1 and recombinant interleukin-1 (beta) primed neutrophils for increased superoxide production and chemiluminescence in response to f-met-leu-phe. In addition, purified human monocyte interleukin-1 and recombinant interleukin-1 (beta) altered neutrophil shape. Recombinant interleukin-1 (alpha) used at the same concentration of interleukin-1 (beta) did not prime neutrophils for increased superoxide production after stimulation with f-met-leu-phe. Interleukin-1 expressed by monocytes in response to endotoxin stimulation could act as a modulator of neutrophil function.     

The numerical aberrations of chromosome 7 detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization in human breast cancers

The relationship between the numerical aberrations of chromosome 7 in interphase cells and the clinicopathological behavior of breast tumors was investigated in 51 touch imprinted preparations of breast tumors. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization with a chromosome 7-specific DNA probe, the fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC) spots mean and the representative copy number of each breast tumor were examined. The FITC spots mean (2.34) of 40 breast cancers increased compared with that of 11 benign lesions (1.98) (P < 0.02). The FITC spots mean tended to increase with the advancing stage and tumor size of the breast cancer. The FITC spots mean in the case with metastasis was also of a higher value than that without metastasis (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the existence of trisomy or over-trisomy of the copy number was related to the advancing stage and tumor size (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). These findings suggest that the FITC spots mean and polysomy of the number of chromosome 7 may be highly predictive for breast tumor aggressiveness.     

Increased concentrations of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is a potent inhibitor of human leukocyte elastase. We investigated whether SLPI was present in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis and to clarify the role of SLPI in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Western blot analyses revealed that SLPI protein was detected as a 12 kDa band in peritoneal fluid. The peritoneal fluid concentrations of SLPI, elastase and interleukin-6 were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). SLPI concentrations and the SLPI/elastase ratio in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis were higher than in samples from women without endometriosis. There was no significant correlation between concentrations of SLPI and interleukin-6 in the peritoneal fluid. Immunohistochemistry using an anti-SLPI polyclonal antibody revealed positive staining in peritoneal macrophages, but not lymphocytes. The present findings suggest that SLPI found in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis.