In Vivo Anergized T Cells Form Altered Immunological Synapses In Vitro

T cells contact allogeneic antigen presenting cells (APCs) and assemble, at their contact interface, a molecular platform called the immunological synapse. Synapse-based molecules provide directional signals for the T cell--either positive signals, resulting in T-cell activation, or negative signals causing T-cell inactivation or anergy. To better understand the molecular basis of in vivo T-cell anergy we analyzed the contacts made between in vivo anergized T cells and APCs, and determined which signaling molecules were included or excluded from their immunological synapses. Anergy was induced in TCR transgenic mice by the intravenous injection of semiallogeneic donor spleen cells. T cells from anergized mice were mixed with APCs, the T-cell/APC synapses imaged using deconvolution microscopy, and their molecular compositions were determined. T cells from anergic mice formed unstable immunological synapses in vitro with allogeneic APCs and failed to recruit the signaling proteins necessary to initiate T-cell activation. These findings suggest that T-cell anergy induced by exposure to semiallogeneic donor cells is associated with defects in the earliest events of T-cell activation, immunological synapse formation and recruitment of TCR-mediated signaling proteins.     

PCNA AND P53 EXPRESSION IN ORAL LEUKOPLAKIA WITH DIFFERENT DEGREES OF KERATINIZATION

Leukoplakias are oral lesions that may have many clinical and histological aspects and they are usually associated with malignancy when dysplastic alterations are shown. However, these transformations may occur in non-dysplastic lesions that show harmless clinical aspect. For this reason, the proposal was to study the p53 and PCNA immunohistochemical expression in non-dysplastic leukoplakias, trying to correlate the results only with the epithelial keratinization degree. For this, 24 leukoplakias degrees I, II and III of Grinspan were used, all of them located in oral mucosa. Most of the leukoplakias showed p53 and PCNA expression in their different keratinization degrees. The p53 marking was confined to the basal and parabasal layers, while the PCNA marking occurred in practically all epithelial layers. The expression pattern of these markers was histologically and statistically similar between the lesions with these keratinization variations. It was evident that non-dysplastic epithelium of leukoplakias showed submicroscopical signs of alterations that lead to malignant transformation, and that the keratinization degree did not correlate to a greater risk of this event.     

The comparative evaluation of cellular localization of viral antigens with microscopic changes in the ileum of cattle infected with bovine viral diarrhea

The correlation between microscopic changes with cellular localization of viral antigens was studied in the ileum of 16 cases infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Microscopic lesions in the ileum included multifocal erosive and ulcerative ileitis, severe congestion and hemorrhage, crypt dilation and mucus engorgement, epithelial debris and leukocytes, lymphoid depletion of Peyer’s patches, herniation of mucosal epithelium into depleted Peyer’s patches, and fibrinoid vasculitis of submucosal vessels. BVDV antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in macrophages, dendritic cells, smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, epithelial cells of crypts, and mucosal epithelium, together with other mononuclear cells including lymphocytes, plasma cells, fibroblasts, and intramural ganglial cells. No consistent correlation between the presence of BVDV antigen and vascular lesions in the ileum was identified. The intensity and distribution of the immunoperoxidase stain in the ileum was graded as highly positive (18.7%), moderately positive (56.3%), and mildly positive (25%). In conclusion, the pattern and density of distribution and localization of BVDV antigen in the ileum was not consistently correlated with the severity of microscopic lesions.     

A case of alpha-fetoprotein–producing adenocarcinoma of the endometrium with a hepatoid component as a potential source for alpha-fetoprotein in a postmenopausal woman

Although case reports of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing adenocarcinoma other than hepatocellular carcinoma have gradually increased in number, AFP-producing adenocarcinoma of the endometrium is very rare. The patients universally complain of abnormal vaginal bleeding. The patient presented with complaints of epigastric discomfort. No vaginal bleeding was observed. Serum AFP concentration was 453 ng/mL, and lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP percentage of total AFP was increased to 67%. Radiologic imaging and endoscopy did not provide evidence of any primary carcinoma in the liver and gastrointestinal tract. To investigate the unknown origin of high AFP, Pap smear of the endometrium followed by fractional curettage was performed and revealed adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection and partial omentectomy was performed. Histologic study showed a mixture of major AFP-negative endometrioid adenocarcinoma and minor medullary proliferation of the AFP-positive hepatoid adenocarcinoma cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and hyaline globules. After the surgery followed by four courses of weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel administration, serum levels of AFP dropped into normal range. The possible existence of AFP-producing adenocarcinoma of the endometrium should be considered in a postmenopausal woman even if there is no vaginal bleeding, when AFP-producing tumor is clinically suspected and the imaging studies fail to confirm the diagnosis.     

自然流产患者滋养细胞肝素表皮生长因子的表达及意义

目的　探讨自然流产患者滋养细胞肝素表皮生长因子 (HB EGF)的表达及其与滋养细胞增殖细胞核抗原 (PCNA)的关系。方法　选择自然流产患者和正常妊娠者各 2 0例 ,采用免疫组织化学法分析滋养细胞HB EGF和PCNA的表达。结果　HB EGF主要存在于细胞质 ,合体滋养层和细胞滋养层均有表达 ,部分流产滋养细胞不表达。自然流产患者滋养细胞HB EGF和PCNA的表达显著低于正常妊娠者 (P <0 .0 1) ,成正相关 (r =0 .4 5 4 ,P <0 .0 1)。结论　HB EGF的表达和滋养细胞增殖相关 ,HB EGF下降可能与自然流产的发生相关     

Circulating filarial antigen in cats infected with Brugia pahangi is indicative of the presence of adult worms

Using counterimmunoelectrophoresis with rabbit antisera raised against soluble extracts of adult females of Brugia pahangi parasite antigen was detected in the serum of all cats repeatedly infected with B. pahangi. Antigen was never detected in uninfected cats. The antigen was associated with the presence of adult worms. Antigen was detected consistently in a cat that was amicrofilaraemic but at autopsy harboured only two or three adult worms. Conversely, some cats showed slowly declining numbers of microfilariae and, in these, circulating antigen declined before the number of microfilariae. Eventually no antigen was detectable in circulation whereas microfilariae, although in diminishing numbers, were still present. At autopsy no adult worms were found in these cats. Antigen also appeared in several cats before they became microfilaraemic.     

大鼠非特异性睾丸炎模型的建立及生精上皮的变化

目的:探讨大鼠生精上皮在非特异性炎症状态下的变化。方法:20只成年W istar雄性大鼠随机分为2组(对照组和实验组),对照组腹腔注射生理盐水(1 m l/kg),实验组注射细菌内毒素(LPS),剂量为1 mg/kg,两组均隔1 d注射1次,距第1次注射10 d后取材。HE染色观察睾丸组织的病理改变,免疫组化方法探讨生精上皮内增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)、α连接素的变化。结果:实验组睾丸组织有明显炎性改变;生精上皮内PCNA表达量显著降低:每个生精小管(仅精原细胞着色的小管)阳性细胞个数为(59±5)个,比对照组明显减少(P<0.01),而这种小管占总管数的比例显著升高(P<0.01),为0.673±0.054;实验组大鼠睾丸内α连接素表达量亦减少(P<0.01),阳性反应颗粒平均光密度为0.150±0.014。结论:睾丸炎症时精原细胞增殖和生精上皮内细胞间粘附力度均减弱,这可能是睾丸炎导致男性不育的原因之一。     

肝细胞癌SCT表现特征与Rb,PCNA的关系

目的　探讨肝细胞癌 (HCC)SCT (spiralCT)表现特征与癌细胞中视网膜母细胞瘤基因(Rb)、增殖细胞核抗原 (PCNA)表达的关系。方法　对 39例 (41个病灶 )经手术病理证实且行SCT动、静脉双期增强扫描的肝细胞癌病例 ,观察每个病灶的SCT表现特征 :肿瘤的大小、包膜、侵袭危险性、强化类型和肝硬化情况。用免疫组化法检测癌组织中Rb ,PCNA表达 ,分析评价SCT表现特征与蛋白之间的关系。结果　HCCSCT图像中肿瘤大小、包膜形成、侵袭危险性、强化类型和周围肝组织有无硬化与Rb蛋白之间无统计学意义 (P >0 .0 5 )。肿瘤大小、侵袭危险性、强化类型与PCNA之间有统计学意义 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　肝细胞癌的SCT表现特征与PCNA的表达相关 ,根据其表现特征 ,可在一定程度上推测肿瘤组织PCNA表达情况 ,这有助于HCC的早期诊断及治疗方案的选择     

卫氏并殖吸虫成虫的特异性诊断抗原

目的：寻找诊断并殖吸虫病的特异性抗原。方法：应用SDS-PAGE和Western blot对卫氏并殖吸虫成虫可溶性抗原中的蛋白组分进行分析。结果：卫氏并殖吸虫成虫可溶性抗原蛋白经SDS-PAGE后显示14条蛋白带，其中相对分子质量为53000、3l000、25000、16000、11000是主带；相对分子质量为53000和34000的条带可与华支睾吸虫病患者血清反应；108000、94000、65000的条带可与血吸虫病患者血清反应；58000、53000、43000的条带可与旋毛虫感染的大鼠血清、小鼠血清及旋毛虫病患者血清反应。37000的蛋白带只能被斯氏狸殖吸虫感染的大鼠血清和并殖吸虫病患者血清所识别，而不与华支睾吸虫病、血吸虫病患者血清、旋毛虫感染的大鼠和小鼠血清、旋毛虫病患者血清、正常大鼠、小鼠血清及正常人血清发生交叉反应。结论：卫氏并殖吸虫成虫可溶性抗原中相对分子质量为37000的蛋白组分为卫氏并殖吸虫成虫的特异性抗原，可用于并殖吸虫病的免疫学诊断及血清流行病学调查．