Carboxylic monolayer formation for observation of intracellular structures in HeLa cells with direct electron beam excitation-assisted fluorescence microscopy

Intracellular structures of HeLa cells are observed using a direct electron beam excitation-assisted fluorescence (D-EXA) microscope. In this microscope, a silicon nitride membrane is used as a culture plate, which typically has a low biocompatibility between the sample and the silicon nitride surface to prevent the HeLa cells from adhering strongly to the surface. In this work, the surface of silicon nitride is modified to allow strong cell attachment, which enables high-resolution observation of intracellular structures and an increased signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, the penetration depth of the electron beam is evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations. We can conclude from the results of the observations and simulations that the surface modification technique is promising for the observation of intracellular structures using the D-EXA microscope.OCIS codes: (170.0170) Medical optics and biotechnology, (170.0180) Microscopy     

Combined pure red cell aplasia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia in systemic lupus erythematosus with anti-erythropoietin autoantibodies

A 42-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus was admitted to our hospital because of severe anemia. Her bone marrow was almost normocellular and erythroblasts were nearly absent. Laboratory data showed elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase and positive findings on Coombs' tests. On the basis of these findings, her anemia was diagnosed as the overlap of pure red cell aplasia with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Radioimmunoprecipitation assay revealed that her serum was positive for anti-erythropoietin antibodies before therapy. Furthermore, the autoantibodies inhibited proliferation of an erythropoietin-dependent cell line in a dose-dependent manner. Immunosuppressive treatment improved the anemia accompanied with disappearance of the autoantibodies.     

Transient elastography-derived liver stiffness measurements were found to be useful for predicting liver infiltration in a case of mature T-cell neoplasm involving liver dysfunction

Transient elastography (TE) is a novel, non-invasive imaging technique for measuring liver stiffness (LS). It is considered to be useful for predicting the severity of fibrosis and the risk of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the association between the presence of diffuse regions of increased cell density in the liver and elevated LS values has not been assessed. We experienced a case in which a mature T-cell neoplasm had invaded the liver, but the infiltrating lesion was not detected by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) or fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT scans. Instead, the tumor’s presence was indicated by the change in the patient’s TE-derived LS values after chemotherapy. At diagnosis liver dysfunction was detected in a biochemical examination, and mean LS value was as high as 25.4 kPa [interquartile range (IQR): 0.3, success rate (SR):100%]. After chemotherapy, the patient’s mean LS value fell to 4.3 kPa (IQR: 0.8, SR:100%). A follow-up pathological investigation demonstrated that proliferating abnormal T-cells were no longer present in the patient’s liver. This is the first report to describe the use of LS data to support a diagnosis of liver infiltration by tumor cells exhibiting a portal and sinusoidal distribution pattern rather than a focal pattern. Elevated TE-derived LS values should lead to hepatic tumor infiltration being considered during initial examinations or a suspicion of recurrence during follow-up examination of lymphoma patients who achieve complete remission, even when radiological investigations do not detect abnormalities in the liver.     

Peritoneal pregnancy with massive hemoperitoneum in early gestation: two case reports

Peritoneal pregnancy may cause severe abdominal bleeding without genital bleeding as early as the fifth week of gestation. Awareness that pregnancy can exist in unusual locations is imperative.