Premalignant lesions and nonsquamous malignancy of the penis and carcinoma of the scrotum.

Premalignant lesions of the penis include cutaneous horn, balanitis xerotica obliterans, and leukoplakia. The true incidence of progression of each of these to squamous-cell carcinoma is unknown. Bowenoid papulosis, erythroplasia of Queyrat, and Bowen's disease are histologically identical to in situ carcinoma. Although the first is consistently benign, the latter two regularly evolve into invasive cancer. Malignant scrotal lesions include squamous-cell carcinoma, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, basal-cell carcinoma, extramammary Paget's disease, erythroplasia of Queyrat, malignant melanoma, and metastases. Hemangioma can be confused with carcinoma.     

Expression of the Human Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain VH6 Gene Element by Fetal B Lymphocytes

Fetal B lymphocytes in mice and humans use a limited number of the available V_H gene segments. Mouse fetal B cells primarily utilize 3' V_H elements, suggesting that the localization of these elements determines their rearrangement frequency. The previously reported non-random usage of human V_H genes has been more difficult to explain. In this study the authors analysed the expression of the most proximal 3' human V_H element (V_H6) using a monoclonal antibody (JE-6). V_H6 expression was assessed in various B cell differentiation stages from fetal liver, bone marrow and spleen at 12–20 weeks of gestation. The authors demonstrate that the level of V_H6 expression does not exceed a stochastic usage frequency. This suggests that the localization of V_H6 does not significantly promote its expression during human fetal life, and that other factors must affect the usage of V_H genes during human fetal development.     

结肠腺瘤与腺癌p53,c—erbB2蛋白及CEA的表达和意义

应用免疫组化法检测１５例正常结肠粘膜，４０例结肠瘤及４０例结肠癌组织的ｐ５３，ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ２和ＣＥＡ的表达。结果发现：结肠癌患者ｐ５３，ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ２及ＣＥＡ的阳性表达率均显著高于腺瘤（Ｐ〈０．０１）。ｐ５３阳性表达在不典型增生腺瘤患者中，重度显著高于轻度病例（Ｐ〈０．０１）；在结肠腺癌患者中低分化显著高于高分化病例（Ｐ〈０．０５）；ＣＥＡ的新型单克隆抗体ｃｏｌ－１对结肠癌的敏感性和特异性均高，阳     

Spleen sizing by ultrasound in polycythaemia and thrombocythaemia: comparison with SPECT

Detection of non-palpable early splenic enlargement may aid diagnosis of primary polycythaemia (PP) and primary thrombocythaemia (PT). In this study linear spleen sizing by ultrasound has been compared with spleen volume estimation by single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) in 26 patients. Spleen length by ultrasound correlated well with SPECT volume estimation.
Ultrasound spleen length was also measured in 60 normal control subjects where the upper limit of the 95% reference range was 11.6 cm. Changes in spleen length with both age and body weight were substantial and overshadowed the imperfect reproducibility of this method. Therefore, interpretation of an individual's measured spleen length should be in relation to that predicted for adults of the same age and weight, particularly at the extremes of the younger, heavier patients and also the older, lighter patients.
Ultrasound spleen lengths of different patient groups (21 PP, 26 PT, 17 idiopathic erythrocytosis, 12 secondary polycythaemia, nine apparent polycythaemia) were compared both using the measured overall reference range and the differences from the values predicted for their age and weight. The comparison showed that almost all patients with PP whose spleens were not palpable had spleen lengths greater than the upper limit for the normal control group, but separation from the other patient groups was incomplete.
Detection of non-palpable splenomegaly by ultrasound length should remain a 'minor' criterion amongst the 'proposed modified diagnostic criteria' of PP.     

Content of HSP70 in rats with hereditary stress-induced arterial hypertension

Sensitivity of normotensive Wistar rats and NISAG rats (with hereditary arterial hypertension) to heat stress is compared at the organism and cell levels. High temperature sensitivity of NISAG rats correlates with a low content of the main heat shock protein HSP70. This relationship can serve as a biochemical marker of predisposition to arterial hypertension. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 8, pp. 171–173, August, 1997