Cytokines and growth factors in keratinocytes and sweat glands in chronic venous leg ulcers. An immunohistochemical study

The role of growth factors and cytokines in the impaired healing of chronic leg ulcers remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in the amount and location of cytokines and growth factors may be associated with impaired healing in chronic leg ulcers. Biopsies from leg ulcers of 21 patients and from normal skin of nine healthy volunteers were examined immunohistochemically for selected growth factors and cytokines. Greater staining intensity was found in keratinocytes at the edges of ulcers compared to normal skin, or skin adjacent to the ulcers. Staining at the ulcer edge was more intense in nonhealing ulcers for only vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor, whereas staining in the adjacent skin was more intense for all factors in the nonhealing phase. For all factors staining was cytoplasmic, suggesting production in these areas. This study shows up-regulation of the production of cytokines and growth factors in keratinocytes of chronic leg ulcers that is greater when the ulcers are nonhealing.     

面部肉芽肿：66例患者的临床病理学研究

背景：以往对面部肉芽肿（GF）的研究仅局限于病例报道或小样本研究。目标：通过对GF的大样本研究，描述其临床病理特征。方法：对66例患者和73份皮肤组织标本进行回顾性分析。结果：GF通常发生在中年人，表现为淡红色斑块或结节，1／3患者有多个皮损，5例患者有面部以外皮损。只有10例患者临床诊断为GF；其主要鉴别诊断包括：肉样瘤病、淋巴瘤、狼疮及基底细胞癌。GF最常见的组织病理学特征为一条grenz带、中性粒细胞浸润及毛细血管扩张。尽管坏死性血管炎罕见，但血管改变常见。通常皮损同时存在急性和慢性炎症，提示GF为急性复发的慢性过程，而不是一个明显连续的急性和慢性阶段。     

Hyperplastic pacinian corpuscles: an uncommonly encountered lesion of the hand

The occurrence of hyperplastic pacinian corpuscles in the hand is rare, with only 13 cases reported in the literature. We describe such a case in a 70-year-old male who had worked as a locksmith for many years. A grape-like cluster of firm, rice-sized nodules was discovered in the subcutaneous tissue of the finger following a glass-induced injury. Histopathological findings revealed pacinian corpuscles to be increased in size and number. Individual corpuscles consisted of a central nerve fiber surrounded by 35 to 60 concentric lamellae (normal controls from other specimens: 13–15 lamellae). The external corpuscular diameter ranged from 1.8 to 3.2 mm (normal controls from other specimens: 1.6 mm). Immunohistochemistry showed positive staining with Leu 7 antibody and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein in the small nerves situated in the vicinity of the pacinian corpuscles, but not in the corpuscles themselves. The lesion reported here clearly differed from both neurofibroma with occasional pacinian differentiation and the so-called pacinian neurofibroma. There was no evidence of neurofibromatosis.