Rapid diagnosis of malignancy using flow cytometry

The rapid and accurate diagnosis of childhood malignancy is important both in the planning of appropriate treatment and in relieving the inevitable family anxiety. The use of flow cytometry to analyse monoclonal antibody coated single cell suspensions is widely accepted as having increased the speed and accuracy of diagnosis in leukaemias, though its use in solid tumour diagnosis is not widely reported. Ten cases of childhood malignancy in whom the diagnosis was initially made by flow cytometry and subsequently confirmed histologically are described. The technique has a number of advantages. Only a small sample is required as the analysis is carried out on a single cell suspension, the method is rapid, a diagnosis being reached within three hours of receipt of the sample, and information is obtained on cell lineage and stage of differentiation. Diagnostic accuracy is good when compared with histological results.     

广州市184例新治疗的HIV阳性者焦虑和抑郁状况及影响因素分析

目的 了解广州市新治疗的艾滋病病毒（human immunodeficiency virus,HIV）阳性者焦虑、抑郁状况及影响因素,为促进其身心健康提供依据。方法 通过方便抽样,于2016年5~8月,采用自行设计的调查问卷及特定的量表对广州市第八人民医院新治疗的HIV阳性者进行调查。对结果进行描述性分析,并采用Logistic回归对调查对象的焦虑、抑郁状况及影响因素进行分析。结果 共调查184例新治疗的HIV阳性者。焦虑症状检出率为51.6%,广泛性焦虑量表（generalized anxiety disorder scale-7,GAD-7）平均得分为（5.04±4.25）分;抑郁症状检出率为66.3%,病人健康状况问卷中抑郁评估部分（the patient health questionnaire-9,PHQ-9）平均得分为（7.01±4.92）分。多因素Logistic分析结果显示HIV诊断时间≥ 6个月（OR=0.344,95%CI:0.170~0.695,P=0.003）、较高水平的自我效能（OR=0.814,95%CI:0.682~0.973,P=0.024）、较高水平的社会支持（OR=0.955,95%CI:0.930~0.982,P=0.001）是焦虑症状出现的保护因素;较高水平的自我效能（OR=0.790,95%CI:0.646~0.966,P=0.022）、较高水平的社会支持（OR=0.955,95%CI:0.928~0.983,P=0.002）是抑郁症状出现的保护因素;有艾滋病相关临床表现（OR=3.168,95%CI:1.570~6.394,P=0.001）是抑郁症状出现的危险因素。结论 受多重因素影响,广州市新治疗的HIV阳性者焦虑、抑郁状况较为严重且普遍存在。     

Massive urinary ascites after removal of a supra-pubic catheter: case report and review of the literature

Urinary ascites is a rare diagnosis usually associated with intra-peritoneal bladder perforation. We present a case of massive urinary ascites in a patient who presented 1 week after a total abdominal hysterectomy and sacrocolpopexy. We discuss how the diagnosis was made, the mechanism of biochemical changes associated with urinary ascites and the management. In summary, we show that a combination of serum and ascitic biochemistry are essential to make a diagnosis of urinary ascites.     

Orthogonal Atrial Appendage Sensing

The characteristics of electrograms derived from a solid platinum-iridium pacing catheter tip in contact with the right atrial appendage are compared to those derived from a Target-tip electrode. Both are then compared to electrograms from two noncontacting orthogonal electrodes positioned more proximally within the atriai appendage. Wave form morphology and spectral energy distribution were determined for the three sets of electrograms. It is concluded that orthogonal electrodes placed within the atrial appendage may offer enhanced atrial sensing required by more sophisticated pacemakers.     

HAEMANGIOLYMPHANGIOMA: THORACIC PRESENTATION OF A RARE VASCULAR NEOPLASM

SUMMARY A case of haemangiolymphangiorna, a rare hybrid vascular tumour not previously reported in the mediastinum. The pathology and surgical management are discussed.     

True histiocytic lymphoma following therapy for lymphoblastic neoplasms

True histiocytic lymphomas (THLs) are rare tumors in which the malignant cells show morphologic and immunophenotypic evidence of histiocytic differentiation. We describe THLs that arose after therapy for one case of T-lineage lymphoblastic lymphoma (LyL) and two cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (both CD10+, one pre-B phenotype). The lymphoblastic neoplasms were not unusual in any way, and responded well to standard therapy. The THLs arose 10 to 20 months after complete remission was achieved for the lymphoblastic neoplasms, at which time there was still no clinical or pathologic evidence of the lymphoblastic neoplasms. All three THLs exhibited clinical and morphologic features of malignancy. Neoplastic cells in the THLs had abundant eosinophilic vacuolated cytoplasm and pleomorphic nuclei, and expressed histiocytic antigens in the absence of lymphocyte-specific lineage markers. Because THLs are rare neoplasms, their occurrence after otherwise successful therapy for lymphoblastic neoplasms in these three cases may constitute a distinct clinicopathologic entity.     

Lysis of human fibroblast colony-forming cells and endothelial cells by monoclonal antibody (6-19) and complement

The murine IgG2a monoclonal antibody 6-19 binds to a wide variety of nonhematopoietic cells including human marrow-derived stromal cells but does not bind to marrow or peripheral blood cells. We studied the effects of this antibody and rabbit complement on marrow cells. Fibroblast colonies were eliminated from light density marrow cells by a single incubation with monoclonal antibody 6-19 and complement. The growth and composition of granulocytic and erythroid colonies were unaffected. Specific complement mediated cytotoxicity of the antibody was confirmed on passaged human fibroblasts derived from marrow (more than 99.6% of fibroblasts are killed by a single treatment). Similar results were obtained with human umbilical cord endothelial cells. In addition, such treatment abolished the initiation of Dexter culture stroma. Incubation of bone marrow cell suspensions with this antibody and complement will allow the study of stroma-free marrow cells in long- term liquid cultures.     

Fluorouracil selectively spares acute myeloid leukemia cells with long- term growth abilities in immunodeficient mice and in culture

A subset of leukemic cells is assumed to maintain long-term growth of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in vivo. Characterization of these AML progenitor cells may further define growth properties of human leukemia. In vitro incubations with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have been used for enrichment of normal primitive hematopoietic stem cells. By analogy to normal hematopoiesis, it was hypothesized that primitive leukemic stem cells might be kinetically more inactive than colony- forming cells (colony-forming units-AML [CFU-AML]). To examine this hypothesis, conditions were established for incubation with 5-FU that eliminated all CFU-AML. These conditions selected a 5-FU-resistant AML fraction that was evaluated for its capacity for long-term growth by transplantation into mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and long-term culture in the quantitative cobblestone area-forming cell (CAFC) assay. Transplantation of the 5-FU-resistant fraction of four cases of AML into SCID mice resulted in growth of AML. Whereas no CFU- AML survived, 31% to 82% of primitive (week-6) CAFC were recovered from the 5-FU-treated cells. Hematopoietic cells proliferating in the CAFC assay were shown to be leukemic by cytologic, cytogenetic, or molecular analysis. The reduction of AML growth as determined by outgrowth of AML in SCID mice was in the same order of magnitude as the primitive (week- 6) CAFC reduction. This indicates that both assays measure closely related cell populations and that the CAFC assay can be used to study long-term growth of AML. These results show a hierarchy of AML cells that includes 5-FU-resistant progenitors. These cells are characterized as primitive (week-6) CAFC and as leukemia-initiating cells in SCID mice.     

Interleukin-10 is an autocrine growth factor for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related B-cell lymphoma [see comments]

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an acid-sensitive protein of 35 kD that has pleiotropic effects including inhibition of cytotoxic T-cell response, induction of major histocompatibility complex type II in B lymphocytes, induction of B-cell growth and differentiation, and autocrine growth factor activity in monocytes. We and others have shown that IL-10 is produced spontaneously by blood mononuclear cells from human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive patients. In an attempt to ascertain the potential role of IL-10 in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related B-cell lymphoma, we evaluated the expression of human IL-10 in both tumor-derived B-cell lines and primary tumor cells. Expression of human IL-10 (hIL-10) mRNA and protein was detected in four of five cell lines examined. An IL-10 antisense oligonucleotide inhibited IL-10 mRNA expression and IL-10 protein production. The proliferation of all B-cell lines was inhibited by an antisense oligonucleotide in a dose-dependent manner that was abrogated by the addition of recombinant hIL-10 protein. No effect of antisense oligonucleotide was observed in the B-cell line not producing hIL-10. Evaluation of primary tumor cells from patients with AIDS-lymphoma cells showed similar production and response to IL-10. These data suggest an autocrine growth mechanism for IL-10 in AIDS-related lymphoma cells and that IL-10 may be important in its pathogenesis.