p53 Immunoreactivity in inflammatory and neoplastic diseases of the uterine cervix

Immunoreactivity for the tumour suppressor gene product p53 is commonly found in many different human malignancies and few premalignant lesions. Data on cervical neoplasms, however, are still lacking. We retrospectively investigated p53 immunoreactivity in 92 lesions of the uterine cervix, including 44 cases of chronic cervicitis, 29 squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), and 19 invasive carcinomas. p53 immunoreactivity confined to the basal cell layer, was detected in 74 per cent of cases showing chronic cervicitis and in all cases with low-grade SILs. Conversely, suprabasal and/or diffuse p53 immunoreactivity was exclusively demonstrated in 25 per cent of high-grade SILs and in 74 per cent of invasive carcinomas. The results of this investigation document a high prevalence of p53-immunoreactive malignant tumours of the uterine cervix. In high-grade SILs, p53-immunoreactive cells paralleled the height of involvement by dysplastic changes within the squamous epithelium. A prolonged half-life of the protein is the most likely explanation for the occurrence of p53 immunoreactivity in neoplastic cells. The unexpected finding of p53-immunoreactive cells in inflammatory lesions, though possibly related to an increased proliferation rate of the basal cell compartment, requires further study and underlines the need for a careful approach to p53 immunocytochemistry.     

Plasticity of the central nervous system—a neurosurgeon's experience of cerebral compensation and decompensation

Summary Cerebral plasticity constitutes one of the most decisive factors in recovery and readaptation after cerebral lesions. In contrast to the considerable progress in current studies on normal neuronal plasticity including the idea of l'homme neuronal, the concept of plasticity postulated by Albrecht Bethe in 1929 received little attention. The author, as a neurosurgeon, has tried to describe cranial morphological plasticity, morphological and functional plasticity in infantile encephalopathies and especially in hemiatrophic lesions. It is supposed that a true morphological substrate exists due to compensatory hyperplasia of the uninvolved hemisphere.Modern neurosurgical techniques have demonstrated that the functional plastic capacity is much larger than has been supposed, even in the elderly. Some aspects of the mechanisms of compensation and decompensation of cortical and subcortical structures as well as of the central regulation systems are discussed. The full extent of the amazing recovery and functional reorganization is reached by plastic capacity, personal motivation, adequate training and sufficient time.The contribution ends with an exposition of a personal philosophy concerning psycho-somatic dualism, the body-mind problem, the future of the human brain and the ethical outlook, based on the progressive biological evolution of the basal neocortex and the immanent functional development (H. Spatz).In grateful memory of my paternal friends, the great German brain researchers Julius Hallervorden (1882–1965) and Hugo Spatz (1888–1969).     

Occurrence of leukoplakia and some other oral white lesions among 20 333 adult Swedish people

Among 20,333 people aged 15 yr or above, the prevalences of oral white lesions were calculated based on a partly new classification. The total prevalences were: cheek and lip biting 5.1%, smoker's palate 1.1%, frictional white lesion 5.5%, snuff dipper's lesion 8.0%, preleukoplakia 6.4% and leukoplakia 3.6%. If all these lesions were pooled, the prevalence was 24.8% and if only the entities cheek and lip biting and smoker's palate were excluded it became 20.1%. If weak "preleukoplakic" lesions were excluded from the latter figure the prevalence for marked whitish lesions was 13.8%. Etiologic and clinical subgroups of leukoplakia showed the following prevalences: using the etiologic subgroups, idiopathic leukoplakia 0.7% and tobacco-associated leukoplakia 2.9%; using the clinical subgroups, homogeneous leukoplakia 3.5% and non-homogeneous leukoplakia 0.3%. The intraoral location pattern of leukoplakias was preponderant in the commissural and buccal areas. However, the idiopathic leukoplakias showed a somewhat more even distribution and thus a more similar distribution to that of oral cancer.     

Long-term effects of lateral hypothalamic lesions on brown adipose tissue in rats

A classic feature of animals with lateral hypothalamic (LH) lesions is their regulation of body weight at sub-normal levels. The present studies were done to determine whether this is associated with enhanced thermogenic activity of their brown adipose tissue (BAT). Three groups of young chow-fed male Holtzman rats were formed: (1) animals receiving bilateral radiofrequency heat lesions of the dorsal LH and then permitted free access to chow (LH rats); (2) non-lesioned animals that were pair-fed (PF) to the lesioned rats during a 2 week post-operative recovery period (Phase 1); (3) non-lesioned, ad lib fed (NORM) controls. After Phase 1, each group was divided and permitted free access to chow alone or an additional selection of palatable, novel food items (a "cafeteria" diet) for 2-3 weeks (Phase 2) to stimulate diet-induced thermogenesis in BAT. Finally, half of each sub-group was exposed to 4 degrees C for 15 hr to stimulate nonshivering thermogenesis in BAT. During Phase 1 LHs and PFs ate 50% less than NORMs. This resulted in a weight deficit of 16% for LHs and 12% for PFs. After the additional period of feeding palatable foods (Phase 2) LHs collectively weighed 14% less than NORMs whereas previously PFs had a weight deficit of only 4%. They gained less weight than NORMs or PFs despite a similar energy intake. LHs had small deposits of gonadal white adipose tissue [both total amount and expressed per metabolic body mass (kg 0.75)]. The weight of interscapular BAT was less in the LHs but its concentration of protein (mg/g) was higher.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Dysplasia in the gastrointestinal tract: definition and clinical significance

Summary The term dysplasia is used increasingly in gastrointestinal pathology. Dysplasia denotes an unequivocal neoplastic epithelial alteration without invasive growth and is synonymous with the term intraepithelial neoplasia. Dysplasia is the paradigm of a precancerous lesion. Confusion arises because some pathologists do not use the term in the above-defined sense but to describe regenerative, inflammatory and reactive changes. It is essential to separate these kinds of non-neoplastic epithelial changes from neoplastic dyplasia because the clinical consequences are completely different. The general morphology and the grading of dysplasia are described. Most dysplasias in the gastrointestinal tract are the polypoid lesion; dysplasias in flat mucosa are uncommon. Knowledge of the incidence of dysplasia in the gastrointestinal tract is important for the concept of secondary cancer prevention.     

Widespread osteolytic lesions of the long bones in basal cell nevus syndrome

Three members of a family, father, daughter, and son, with the basal cell nevus syndrome are presented. A very unusual manifestation of widespread cyst-like osteolytic lesions in all the tubular bones was observed in the father, together with osteoblastic spotty osteopoikilotic lesions in the skull and the mandible of the same patient. Cyst-like osteolytic lesions have been described previously in this syndrome, mainly in the phalanges. We believe that such lesions can occur in any bone.     

Algorithmic Approach to Fibroinflammatory Sinonasal Tract Lesions

Fibroinflammatory lesions of the sinonasal tract are one of the most common head and neck lesions submitted to surgical pathology. When the fibroinflammatory pattern represents the lesion (i.e., not surface reactive ulceration), an algorithmic approach can be useful. Separated into reactive, infectious, and neoplastic, and then further divided based on common to rare, this logical progression through a series of differential considerations allows for many of these lesions to be correctly diagnosed. The reactive lesions include chronic rhinosinusitis and polyps, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and eosinophilic angiocentric fibrosis. Infectious etiologies include acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, rhinoscleroma, and mycobacterial infections. The neoplastic category includes lobular capillary hemangioma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, and NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. Utilizing patterns of growth, dominant cell types, and additional histologic features, selected ancillary studies help to confirm the diagnosis, guiding further clinical management.     

Retrorectal tumors: A challenge for the surgeons

Retrorectal or presacral tumors are rare lesions located in the presacral area and considered as being derived from multiple embryological remnants. These tumors are classified as congenital, neurogenic, osseous, inflammatory, or miscellaneous. The most common among these are congenital benign lesions that present with non-specific symptoms, such as lower back pain and change in bowel habit. Although congenital and developmental tumors occur in younger patients, the median age of presentation is reported to be 45 years. Magnetic resonance imaging plays a crucial role in treatment management through accurate diagnosis of the lesion, the evaluation of invasion to adjacent structures, and the decision of appropriate surgical approach. The usefulness of preoperative biopsy is still debated; currently, it is only indicated for solid or heterogeneous tumors if it will alter the treatment management. Surgical resection with clear margins is considered the optimal treatment; described approaches are transabdominal, perineal, combined abdominoperineal, and minimally invasive. Benign retrorectal tumors have favorable long-term outcomes with a low incidence of recurrence, whereas malignant tumors have a potential for distant organ metastasis in addition to local recurrence.     

基于胃癌高发区人群筛查队列的不同胃黏膜病变进展为胃癌风险的前瞻性研究

目的 依托胃癌高发区大规模人群筛查队列分析不同级别胃黏膜病变的患病情况,前瞻性探讨不同胃黏膜病变进展为胃癌的风险,为优化胃癌的筛查策略提供科学依据。方法 基于山东省临朐县胃癌高发区开展的国家上消化道癌早诊早治项目,纳入年龄在40~69岁之间,2012-2018年经内镜筛查和病理诊断明确为各级别胃黏膜病变、且未患有高级别上皮内瘤变（HGIN）或浸润性胃癌的14 087例研究对象,随访至2019年12月31日。随访期内新发胃癌通过重复性胃镜筛查、肿瘤发病和死因登记系统报告以及主动入户随访联合判定,经查阅医院信息管理系统中摘抄的临床病历进行确认。应用Poisson回归模型计算各级别胃黏膜病变进展至胃癌风险的相对危险度（RR）及其95%CI。结果 14 087例研究对象中,胃黏膜正常者仅有8例（0.06%）,最高诊断为浅表性胃炎（SG）、慢性萎缩性胃炎（CAG）、肠上皮化生（IM）和低级别上皮内瘤变（LGIN）分别为7 608例（54.00%）、2 848例（20.22%）、3 103例（22.03%）和520例（3.69%）。经过前瞻性随访,共有109例研究对象诊断为HGIN（63例）和浸润性胃癌（46例）。与基线正常或仅有SG的个体相比,患有CAG、IM和LGIN的个体进展为胃癌的风险依次增加为3.85倍（RR=3.85,95%CI：2.04~7.28）、5.18倍（RR=5.18,95%CI：2.79~9.60）和19.08倍（RR=19.08,95%CI：9.97~36.53）,其中LGIN组进展为HGIN和浸润性胃癌的风险分别为SG/正常组的22.96倍（RR=22.96,95%CI：9.71~54.27）和14.64倍（RR=14.64,95%CI：5.37~39.93）。各个年龄组患有LGIN者随访期间发生胃癌的风险均显著增加。结论 基于胃癌高发区的大样本人群研究显示,绝大多数40~69岁的高发区居民患有不同程度胃黏膜病变。随胃黏膜病变严重程度的增加,随访期间发生胃癌的风险呈级联上升趋势。