Immune modulation by cadmium and lead in the acute reporter antigen-popliteal lymph node assay.

Immune modulation by heavy metals may cause serious adverse health effects in humans, although the mechanisms involved are not well understood. Both cadmium and lead are important environmental and occupational toxins. Therefore, in the current study, the costimulatory/adjuvant effects and the T-cell-activating potential of these metals (i.e., CdCl2 and PbCl2), are examined. These immune-modulating properties are critical in the development of conditions such as allergy, hypersensitivity, and autoimmunity. Using the direct popliteal lymph node assay (PLNA) and reporter antigen-popliteal lymph node assay (RA-PLNA) both metals were examined individually for immunotoxicity. Mercury (i.e., HgCl2) was included for comparative purposes as its effects in the RA-PLNA are well documented. Seven days following a single footpad injection containing metal and/or RA (trinitrophenyl-ovalbumin [TNP-OVA] or TNP-Ficoll), BALB/c mice were sacrificed and the popliteal lymph nodes (PLNs) removed. PLN cellularity, TNP-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASCs), and lymphocyte subsets were assessed. All three metals strongly stimulated T- and B-cell proliferation and ASC production following coinjection with the RA TNP-OVA. In each case, ASC production was skewed towards the IgG1 isotype. In addition, all three metals induced IgG production to TNP-Ficoll (although relatively weakly in the case of Cd). These results show that each of these metals can provide adjuvant signals to promote lymphocyte proliferation and enhance adaptive immune responses to unrelated antigens. Skewing of immune responses towards T helper type 2 responses suggests that each of these metals can enhance allergic and hypersensitivity reactions to environmental antigens. Furthermore, the induction of IgG responses to TNP-Ficoll, a T-cell-independent antigen, indicates that each of these metals can activate neoantigen-specific T cells. T-cell activation by metals can lead to metal hypersensitivity and has been implicated in the development of autoimmunity. This is the first report of immune modulation by CdCl2 and PbCl2 in the RA-PLNA.     

Menghini针在经皮肺活检中的应用

本文介绍了44例经皮肺活检的经验,40例诊断正确,占90.9%;气胸发生率6.8%,作者认为 Menghini 针具有操作简单,无气栓发生,更换注射器方便等优点。同时对导向的选用及穿剌方法的改进也做了介绍。     

超声引导下VacoraTM旋切系统的实验研究

目的探讨VacoraTM真空辅助活检系统的准确性和安全性,为临床应用奠定基础。方法选用里脊肉和鱼丸作为实验材料,根据鱼丸大小将实验分为5组:0.5、0.8、1.0、1.5及2.0cm组,每组鱼丸3~5个。采用VacoraTM活检系统,先行灰阶超声扫查肌肉后将鱼丸置入肌肉中,超声扫查置入的鱼丸,同轴套管针在超声引导下插入鱼丸底部,在套管针引导和超声监视下行旋切真空抽吸术;旋切后取出采样腔内的组织标本,用超声检查肌肉内的残腔,确定无鱼丸残留声像图。结果每次旋切组织条比较完整,其大小为20.0mm×0.6mm,旋切次数随鱼丸大小的增加而增加;0.5、0.8、1.0、1.5及2.0cm组里脊肉内鱼丸全部切除的平均旋切次数分别为12、15、19、26和31。所用的平均时间分别为15、18、23、27和34min。结论VacoraTM真空辅助活检系统定位准确、取样完整、操作简便。可为良恶性病变的诊断提供足够量的病理检查标本,为良性病变的完全切除提供具有潜在价值的手段。     

Tacrolimus Exposure and Evolution of Renal Allograft Histology in the First Year After Transplantation

Tacrolimus has a narrow therapeutic window and is characterized by a large inter-individual variability in bioavailability. The impact of tacrolimus exposure on subclinical evolution of graft histology has not been studied in renal recipients. This analysis included 239 protocol biopsies (obtained at implantation, 3 and 12 months) of 120 consecutive kidney recipients treated with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and corticosteroids. Biopsies were scored according to the Banff 2001 criteria and a chronicity score was calculated. Prospective pharmacokinetic data were included in the analysis (5544 tacrolimus predose blood concentrations and tacrolimus AUC(0-12) at 3 and 12 months). Higher donor age and higher number of human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) mismatches were independent predictors of subclinical acute rejection at 3 months, present in 8.7% of patients. The number of HLA-DR mismatches was independently associated with biopsy-proven clinical acute rejection. Biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes and low mean tacrolimus exposure were independently associated with higher increase in chronicity scores between 3 and 12 months after transplantation. This observational study suggests that rejection phenomena and immune-mediated mechanisms remain important in the early progression of chronic allograft pathology. Tacrolimus doses or systemic exposure were not associated with lesions of calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, suggesting that other factors determine susceptibility to tacrolimus nephrotoxicity.     

Clinical parameters that predict histology of postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node mass in testicular cancer

BACKGROUND: Since the advent of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, the majority of metastatic testicular cancers can be cured by chemotherapy followed by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND). However, postchemotherapy RPLND confers no therapeutic benefit if the residual mass contains no viable cells. Therefore, to determine which parameters predict a patient's likelihood of having only necrosis in the residual mass, we retrospectively analyzed clinical parameters of patients who underwent postchemotherapy RPLND. METHODS: Data from 27 patients with metastatic testicular cancer were analyzed. The histology of the primary tumor was seminoma in 11 cases and non-seminoma in 16 cases. All of the patients with non-seminoma showed a normalization of tumor markers after chemotherapy. Analysis of clinical parameters included data for the initial histology, pretreatment tumor marker levels, postchemotherapy retroperitoneal mass size, and the histology of the dissected RPLNs. RESULTS: Histological examination of dissected RPLNs showed residual tumor in 27% of seminoma patients and 38% of non-seminoma patients. In seminoma patients, no viable cells were found in all six patients with pretreatment lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels below 7.5 times the upper limit of normal, or in all five of the patients with postchemotherapy RPLNs less than 2.5 cm. In non-seminoma patients, no viable cells were found in nine of 10 patients with pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels less than 2700 ng/mL, or in eight of nine patients with residual mass less than 2.5 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Both postchemotherapy RPLN mass size and pretreatment tumor marker levels are possible predictors for necrosis of the residual mass in testicular cancer patients.     

经直肠超声引导前列腺穿刺活检术诊断前列腺癌

目的　总结和评价经直肠超声引导下前列腺穿刺活检术对前列腺癌诊断的准确率。方法　222 例直肠指检阳性或 PSA>4μg/L的患者应用经直肠超声引导下前列腺6点系统穿刺活检以明确诊断。结果　222 例受检者中病理证实前列腺结节性增生41例、前列腺炎24例、前列腺肉瘤3例、前列腺癌 154 例,其中低分化癌 74 例、中分化癌 58 例、高分化癌 22 例。术后血尿15例、发热6例,其中高热1例,经抗生素治疗后体温恢复正常、尿检阴性。结论　经直肠超声引导下前列腺穿刺活检无需麻醉,患者痛苦小、安全性高,是诊断前列腺癌的可靠方法。     

Significance of lateral biopsy specimens during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies in Japanese men

OBJECTIVES: Lateral biopsies are thought to have a better cancer detection rate compared with standard sextant biopsies. This study aimed to determine whether lateral peripheral zone biopsies in Japanese men who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies provided a significantly higher cancer detection rate than sextant biopsies. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2004, data were collected from 461 men who underwent prostate biopsy and had enough data regarding the performance of lateral biopsies for statistical analysis. There were two categories in this study: (i) patients who underwent sextant prostate biopsies; and (ii) patients who underwent sextant biopsies plus lateral biopsies. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was detected in 141 (30.6%) of 461 patients. It was detected in 24 (22.2%) of 108 patients who underwent sextant biopsies and 117 (33.1%) of 353 patients who underwent sextant plus lateral biopsies. Lateral biopsies were not associated with a statistically higher rate of positive biopsy findings; however, we found a significantly higher ratio of patients with positive findings in those with prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels 10 ng/mL (one of 71, 1.4%) among those who had positive cores only in lateral biopsy samples (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Lateral biopsies did not show a significantly higher detection ratio of prostate cancer compared to sextant biopsies. However, lateral biopsies were more effective than sextant biopsies in patients with lower PSA levels. Our findings might be useful for the establishment of biopsy strategies to detect prostate cancer, especially in patients with lower PSA levels.     

腹股沟浅淋巴结移植的应用解剖

本文在32侧成人尸体上,对腹股沟浅淋巴结的形态及血供进行了观察和测量。腹股沟部上外区淋巴结有恒定的旋髂浅血管供应。动脉外径平均约1.5mm,干长21.8mm,营养2～6个淋巴结、该区是吻合血管移植淋巴结的首选供区。     

Immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and epidermal growth factor receptor in human breast carcinoma analysed by computer image analyser: correlation with histological grade and metastatic behaviour

 

Aims:

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D (CD), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in 65 cases of breast carcinoma in Japanese women and traditional prognostic factors such as histological grade, lymph node status, mitotic rate and clinical stage, in order to possibly identify some indicator(s) that may be specifically associated with prognosis.  

Methods and results:

Serial sections of 5-μm thick were cut from the archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, and processed for CD, PCNA and EGF-R immunostaining. The results were analysed by computer-based image analysis system. All samples showed a positive immunoreaction for cathepsin D in both the parenchyma and stroma. However, the staining area and intensity varied from cell to cell in the parenchyma and stroma as well as among samples. Subsequently, the evaluation of immunostaining for CD was separately performed in both the parenchyma and stroma (CDpar and CDstr, respectively) and the combination of both components (CDtotal). PCNA and EGF-R showed positive immunostaining almost exclusively in the parenchymal component of the carcinoma tissue specimens. CDtotal significantly correlated with the histological grade, PCNA index (PI), mitotic rate (MR), EGF-R and lymph node metastasis. Significant correlation was also demonstrated between CDpar and the histological grade, EGF-R and lymph node metastasis, or between CDstr and MR, EGF-R and lymph node metastasis. EGF-R correlated highly with the histological grade, MR score, lymph node metastases and recurrence-free survival.  

Conclusions:

Both the CD parameters and EGF-R are valuable indicators for predicting the biological behaviour of human breast carcinoma.