Contamination of transplantable human tumor-bearing lines by Helicobacter hepaticus and its elimination

Helicobacter hepaticus contaminating nonfrozen tumors was transmissible to severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, but the organism in cryopreserved samples was not. This suggests that H. hepaticus has the ability to spread via biomaterials and that freezing-thawing is able to reduce the numbers of organisms to levels insufficient for subcutaneous infection of SCID mice.     

Early morphological changes in the striated muscles in normal and dystrophic chickens

Histological and histochemical analyses were performed on the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle (ALD, red muscle) and the posterior latissimus dorsi muscle (PLD, white muscle) in normal (line 412) and dystrophic chickens (line 413) from 19 day embryos to 6 weeks of age. PLD, the white muscle, in dystrophic chickens showed higher percentages of red and intermediate fibres than those of normal chickens during the early development of muscles. Increases of the oxidative enzyme activities and the numbers of NADH--TR formazan granules in the white fibres of PLD were already found at 1 week of age in dystrophic chicken. Fibre types, oxidative enzyme activities and NADH--TR formazan granules showed no differences in ALD between normal and dystrophic chickens. These results suggest that increases of oxidative enzyme activities and formazan granule numbers and incomplete fibre type differentiation in PLD of dystrophic chickens are early pathological processes in such birds.     

Local secretory immunoglobulin A and postimmunization gastritis correlate with protection against Helicobacter pylori infection after oral vaccination of mice

C57BL/6 mice were orally immunized with five weekly doses of 2 mg, 200 microgram, or 2 microgram of Helicobacter pylori (Sydney strain) whole-cell sonicate combined with cholera toxin. One week after the last vaccination, mice were challenged with 5 x 10(7) CFU of live H. pylori three times at 2-day intervals. At 6 or 18 weeks after the challenge, mice were sacrificed and bacterial cultures and histological studies of the stomach were performed. Vaccination with 2 mg/session or 200 microgram/session inhibited H. pylori colonization by 90 and 100%, respectively. These mice were considered protected. Lower levels of H. pylori-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) were detected in fecal and saliva samples before challenge. However, a significant increase in IgA secretion in mucosal tissue and a higher labeling index for IgA-positive lumina of pyloric glands were noted in these mice in response to challenge and in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. In protected mice, however, severe gastritis characterized by marked infiltration of inflammation mononuclear cells was noted at 6 weeks after challenge, compared with the gastritis seen in unprotected mice or nonvaccinated, ordinarily infected mice. Marked expression of gamma interferon mRNA was detected in the stomach of all protected mice, and 50% of these mice expressed interleukin 4 (IL-4) or IL-5 mRNA. Our findings suggest that local secretory IgA antibody and severe postimmunization gastritis correlate well with protection of mice against H. pylori infection.     

Increased expression levels of integrin alphavbeta5 on scleroderma fibroblasts

Integrin alphavbeta5 is a receptor for vitronectin, a plasma glycoprotein that is also distributed in extracellular matrix of various tissues. Matrix-bound vitronectin has the potential to stabilize the active form of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, resulting in the inhibition of the plasmin-mediated pericellular proteolytic cascade. In this study, we compared the levels of alphavbeta5 and matrix-bound vitronectin between normal and scleroderma fibroblasts and investigated the association with fibrosis. We demonstrated that alphavbeta5 was up-regulated on scleroderma fibroblasts. The up-regulated alphavbeta5 contributed to the increase in vitronectin-binding ability in scleroderma fibroblasts, which led to the vitronectin-dependent activation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. In immunohistochemistry, the alphav and beta5 subunits were stained strongly on scleroderma fibroblasts and the amount of vitronectin was increased in the pericellular matrix of those cells. The transient overexpression of alphavbeta5 on normal fibroblasts enhanced the human alpha2(I) collagen promoter activity through Sp-1 and Smad3 as well as the vitronectin-dependent plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity. This effect on the promoter activity was also observed in the absence of vitronectin and completely disappeared in the presence of anti-alphavbeta5 antibody. These results indicate that the up-regulated alphavbeta5 may contribute to the phenotypical alteration of scleroderma fibroblasts, while at the same time suppressing the plasmin-mediated pericellular proteolytic cascade.     

Ras homolog gene family H (RhoH) deficiency induces psoriasis-like chronic dermatitis by promoting TH17 cell polarization

1. Download : Download high-res image (104KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

SF-1/Ad4BP transforms primary long-term cultured bone marrow cells into ACTH-responsive steroidogenic cells

Bone marrow stem cells develop into haematopoietic and mesenchymal lineages, but have not been known to participate in steroidogenic cell production. Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), also designated adrenal 4 binding protein (Ad4BP), is an essential orphan nuclear receptor for steroidogenesis as well as for adrenal and gonadal gland development. In the present study, we revealed that the adenovirus-mediated forced expression of SF-1 can transform cultured primary long-term cultured bone marrow cells into steroidogenic cells, showing the de novo synthesis of multiple steroid hormones in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This finding may provide an initial step in innovative autograft cell transfer therapy for steroid hormone deficiencies.     

Immunostaining of galectin-3 and CD44v6 using fine-needle aspiration for distinguishing follicular carcinoma from adenoma

To evaluate the clinical applicability of galectin-3 and CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6) immunostaining in fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid follicular tumors, 79 cytological specimens (35 follicular carcinomas and 44 follicular adenomas) were studied. The positive rates of galectin-3 and CD44v6 were 89 and 74% in follicular carcinoma, respectively, and 25 and 30% in follicular adenoma, respectively. There were no significant correlations between the expression of galectin-3 or CD44v6 in follicular carcinoma and characteristics such as capsular invasion, vascular invasion, metastasis, or tumor size. Positive staining of either galectin-3 or CD44v6 resulted in a diagnostic sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 52% for follicular carcinoma among follicular tumors. Immunostaining of galectin-3 or CD44v6 using cytological specimens can provide independent information on conventional morphological findings of cytology to distinguish follicular carcinoma from adenoma.     

Deoxycorticosterone-secreting adrenocortical carcinoma

A case of DOC-secreting adrenocortical carcinoma in a 66-year-old man is reported. He had hypertension, hypokalemia, suppressed PRA, and excessive serum levels of DOC. His serum aldosterone level was normal. The resected adrenal mass weighed 230 g. Histologically, the tumor was mainly composed of compact cells associated with necrosis and atypical mitoses. Invasion of venous structure, sinusoids, and capsule was also present. Immunohistochemically, P450 C21 (21 -hydroxylase) was positive in many tumor cells, and P450 C17(17 α-hydroxylase) was intensely positive in a relatively small number of tumor cells. The patient died 9 months after operation due to rupture of metastatic liver tumor.Endocr Pathol 4:165–168, 1993.     

ADENOID SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE SKIN OVERLYING THE RIGHT BREAST: An Autopsy Case Clinically Manifested with Rapid Growth and Widely Spreading Metastases

An autopsy case of a 62-year-old woman with a poorly differentiated, aggressive form of adenoid squamous cell carcinoma arising in the skin overlying the right breast was studied. The tumor, 9×8cm in diameter, had rapidly enlarged since one year before admission from a verrucous lesion of 20 years duration. The histologic features of the tumor showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma mainly in the superficial areas, which transformed into, with a zone of transition in between, an alveolar or adenoid structure in the deep invading portion. The adenoid tumor cells exhibited an undifferentiated appearance with prominent nucleoli and frequent mitotic figures. These cells partly showed dyskeratotic or acantholytic features. Mucin was negative. The patient died at 8 months after the operation. Autopsy revealed widely spreading metastases in which an adenoid structure was outstanding. These unusual pathological features and an aggressive behavior of this tumor, which were hitherto rarely described for adenoid squamous cell carcinoma, seemed to be a poorly differentiated variant of the tumor. This malignant transformation might be derived from loss of cohesion of the pre-existing usual well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma in the basal and parabasal layers, inparting marked invasiveness of these cells into the supporting connective tissue.