No regression of renal AL amyloid in monoclonal gammopathy after successful autologous blood stem cell transplantation and significant clinical improvement.

BACKGROUND: High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous blood stem cell transplantation induces remission of plasma cell dyscrasia in patients with AL amyloidosis. The impact of this treatment on the glomerular amyloid mass is still unknown. METHODS: In the present study, the quantity of the renal amyloid mass before and more than 3 years after high-dose melphalan treatment and autologous blood stem cell transplantation was assessed in two patients. At the time of the second renal biopsy, both patients were in complete remission without detectable serum and urinary monoclonal IgA-lambda and a normal percentage of plasma cells in the bone marrow. RESULTS: In both patients with biopsy-proven AL amyloidosis, urinary protein excretion decreased from 7 g/24 h to <2 g/24 h more than 3 years after autologous blood stem cell transplantation. In contrast, glomerular amyloid deposits persisted, as shown in the second biopsy. CONCLUSION: Despite complete remission of the plasma cell dyscrasia and improvement of glomerular permeability, the amount of glomerular amyloid mass did not regress.     

Urine as an alternative to urethral swabs for the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in infertile males

Swabbing the urethrae of men has been the traditional approach for collecting specimens for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis . Recently, however, urine testing using enzyme immunoassay has yielded promising results. A total of 105 patients attending the Andrology Clinic at Ga Rankuwa Hospital, Medunsa were included in the study. These patients were asymptomatic and had no urethral discharge. Three endo-urethral swabs and first-catch urine were collected fiom each patient. The urethral swabs were used for enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (IDEIA 111), tissue culture and direct immonufluorescent antibody (DFA) test (IMAGEN) to detect C. trachomatis . In addition about 15–30 ml of first-catch urine, or urine collected at least 2h after the previous micturition, was collected for each patient for EIA testing. Fifteen (14.3%) of 105 patients were positive on urethral swab EIA, in comparison with the DFA test in which 14 (13.3%) were positive. Eight (7.8%) were positive in tissue culture. Urine EIA was positive in 17 (16.2%) patients, of whom five (4.8%) were positive in urine EIA only. All EIA positive urines were confirmed by DFA. We recommend that first-catch urine or urine collected at least 2h after the previous micturition in infertile males may be considered a suitable alternative to urethral swab for chlamydial diagnosis because it is noninvasive and nontraumatic.     

人体膀胱移行上皮癌细胞系(TSB-90,TSB-91)的建立及其生物学特性

从1例膀胱癌患者的癌组织培养中，分离得到2个不同生长特性的悬浮生长型细胞系，定名为TSB-90和TSB-91。在培养过程中，对其生物学特性进行了细胞和亚细胞水平的探讨，并进行了核型分析。发现2个细胞系核型的演化趋势有明显差异，生物学特性也不尽相同。这可能与膀胱癌组织中细胞的遗传异质性和分化程度有关。对其机制和细节有待进一步深入研究。     

运用组织芯片技术检测COX-2在结直肠癌中的表达及其临床意义

目的 探讨结直肠癌组织中COX-2的表达及其与各临床病理因素的关系，评价COX-2在结直肠癌预后判断中的价值。方法 应用组织芯片技术结合免疫组织化学SABC法，检测126例早中期结直肠癌组织中COX-2的表达情况，回顾性分析COX-2与各临床病理因素及预后之间的关系。结果 根据免疫组化染色强度，所有病例被分为COX-2高表达组和低表达组，其中高表达组有32例（25．4％），低表达组有94例（74．6％）。COX-2在结直肠癌中表达情况与年龄、性别、肿瘤大小、肿瘤部位、组织学类型、浸润深度、淋巴是否转移、Dukes分期均无相关。然而，高表达的COX-2与肿瘤复发、特别是血行转移显著相关（P〈0．05）。两组之间生存率具有显著差异（P=0．0067），COX-2高表达组术后五年生存率显著低于低表达组。多因素回归模型分析结果显示．在潜在的预后因素中（年龄、性别、肿瘤大小、肿瘤部位、组织学类型、淋巴是否转移、Dukes分期、COX-2表达），COX-2表达和Dukes分期可作为是结直肠癌根治术后独立预后因素，COX-2的检测可作为结直肠癌患者预后判断的一个有价值的指标。结论 高表达的COX-2与肿瘤复发、特别是血行转移显著相关，COX-2的检测町作为结直肠癌患者琐后判断的一个有价值的指标：应用组织芯片高效检测临床组织样本具有快速、方便、经济、准确的优点。     

人体蠕形螨感染的皮肤组织病理学观察

目的:观察人体蠕形螨感染所致皮肤组织病理学改变。方法:收集7例面部皮肤标本经HE染色后在显微镜下观察。结果:在患者面部皮损处扩大的毛囊和增生的皮脂腺中检查出大量蠕形螨成虫、若虫和虫卵。人体毛囊蠕形螨多寄生于毛囊的根部或毛囊周围组织内,被寄生的毛囊均有不同程度的扩张,虫体周围常可见淋巴细胞为主的慢性炎症细胞浸润,毛根角质化较常见。人体皮脂蠕形螨寄生部位为皮脂腺体及导管部,可见腺细胞增生而失去正常结构,但较少有炎症细胞浸润,导管部有轻度扩张。结论:人体蠕形螨寄生与皮肤组织病理学改变有密切关系。     

肝纤维化组织中MMP1、TIMP1的表达及其临床意义

目的 :检测肝纤维化组织中基质金属蛋白酶 1 (MMP1 )、基质金属蛋白酶组织抑制因子 1 (TIMP1 )的表达 ,为肝纤维化的诊治提供重要的分子生物学指标。 方法 :采用链霉菌抗生物蛋白 -过氧化酶联接法 (S- P法 )检测70例肝纤维化组织中 MMP1 、TIMP1 的表达。结果:(1) TIMP1 蛋白阳性表达随肝纤维化程度的加重而增强 ,并且呈正相关关系 (r=0 .92 74 ,P <0 .0 1)。 (2 ) MMP1 蛋白阳性表达随肝纤维化程度的加重无明显变化 ,无相关关系(r =0 .2 181,P >0 .0 5 )。 结论:TIMP1 与肝纤维化的发生、发展密切相关 ,随纤维化发生、发展阳性表达增强。从分子水平对肝纤维化、肝硬化病变进行评估 ,为早期诊治肝纤维化和判断预后提供依据。     

分娩时子宫下段MMP-9及其组织抑制剂TIMP-1的变化

目的:探讨基质金属蛋白酶(MMP)及其组织抑制剂(TIMP)在分娩发动、宫颈成熟和扩张中的作用和机制.方法:采用ELISA方法测定子宫下段组织中MMP-9和TIMP-1的浓度.有宫缩剖宫产组56例,其中第一产程组44例,第二产程组12例.以无宫缩剖宫产组16例为对照组.结果:有宫缩剖宫产组子宫下段组织中MMP-9和TIMP-1的浓度分别明显高于无宫缩剖宫产组(P<0.05,P<0.05).第一产程组中随宫口开大,MMP-9和TIMP-1的浓度各组间无显著性差异.第二产程组MMP-9和TIMP-1的浓度分别明显高于第一产程组(P<0.01,P<0.05).结论:MMPs和TIMPs的动态变化是分娩发动、宫颈成熟和扩张过程中的重要中间环节.     

Removing the effect of SVD algorithmic artifacts present in quantitative MR perfusion studies.

Quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) values can be obtained from dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MR perfusion studies using the standard singular value decomposition (sSVD) deconvolution algorithm. Reports in the literature from simulation and in vivo studies suggest that CBF estimates obtained using sSVD deconvolution depend on the arterial-tissue delay (ATD). By contrast, Fourier transform (FT) deconvolution produces CBF estimates that are independent of ATD. The diagnostic reliability of quantitative CBF measurements to define areas of normal tissue flow and tissue at risk is brought into doubt by such gross sensitivity to the specifics of the deconvolution approach. This variation of CBF values with ATD is shown to be an artifact associated with the current implementation of the sSVD deconvolution algorithm. A reformulated version of the SVD deconvolution algorithm (rSVD) is presented and compared to the standard SVD algorithm through simulation and patient case studies.     

Cutaneous basosquamous carcinoma infiltrating cerebral tissue

Basosquamous carcinoma of the skin is a rare malignancy with specific histopathological features of both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Some authors believe that basosquamous carcinoma is a variant of basal cell carcinoma, while others suggest that this tumour may behave more aggressively. We present a 44-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with a basosquamous carcinoma histopathologically. She had extensive ulcero-vegetative lesions, involving the anterior half of the scalp, the left orbit and the left side of the face. With this case we aim to emphasize the aggressive nature of basosquamous carcinoma and review the literature.