Transferrin receptor and B-lymphoblast antigen — their relationship to DNA synthesis,histology and survival in B-cell lymphomas

The reactivity of two monoclonal antibodies indentifying antigens related to B-cell activation, B3/25 (the transferrin receptor) and BB-1 (the B-lymphoblast-1-antigen), was examined on cell suspensions from 75 cases of monoclonal B-cell lymphomas. The expression of B3/25 antigen was correlated to DNA synthesis as measured by spontaneous ³H-thymidine incorporation (p= 0.0003) and histopathologically high-grade malignancy (p= 0.00003). Furthermore, B3/25 expression was associated with survival since the patients with B3/25-negative tumors survived longer than those with B3/25-positive tumors (p= 0.018). B3/25 expression also defined a larger group of patients with shorter survival than did histopathology alone, 28 cases versus 16 cases, respectively. On the other hand, the BB-1 antigen did not reveal an association with DNA synthesis, high-grade malignancy or survival. However, the findings indicated that BB-1 may be related to B-cell maturation/differentiation.     

Pseudoaneurysms complicating organ transplantation: roles of CT, duplex sonography, and angiography

In a retrospective study of proved pseudoaneurysms (PAs) in 15 patients with transplanted organs (11 liver, three kidney, one pancreas), the results of computed tomography (CT), duplex sonography, and angiography were reviewed. Of the 15 cases of PA, eight occurred at the arterial anastomosis and seven were nonanastomotic. Three of the eight anastomotic PAs were caused by infection. Of the seven nonanastomotic PAs, four were caused by percutaneous biopsy, two were caused by infection, and one was of undetermined cause. In nine (60%) of the 15 patients the PAs were incidentally detected at imaging studies performed for other reasons. Diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion. CT was performed in nine cases and duplex sonography in ten. The diagnosis of PA was made with CT in six (67%) patients and with duplex sonography in five (50%). CT and duplex sonography could not enable diagnosis when the PA was small, when the arterial anastomosis was not included in the field of study, or when enhancement with intravenously administered contract material was suboptimal. Angiography depicted the PAs in all 15 patients. In three liver transplant recipients with gastrointestinal tract bleeding, the causative PAs were detected only with angiography.     

Cerebellar tuberculoma: a rare disease in an industrialized country

A nine-year-old Somalian boy was treated in Denmark for a posterior fossa tumor, which proved to be a tuberculoma. This disease is virtually unknown in our highly industrialized country, which emphasizes the fact that due to increased international traveling, knowledge of endemic diseases in other parts of the world is necessary. The treatment of tuberculoma and their diagnostic features are reviewed.