Pathologische Anatomie (Sektionstechnik) und Physiologie

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Quartz glass pipette puller operating with a regulated oxy-hydrogen burner

Quartz glass electrodes are superior to conventional glass electrodes for low-noise recording. They have better electrical characteristics and hydrophobic surfaces which resist creeping of salt solutions. We used oxy-hydrogen heating with program-controlled gas pressure to melt quartz glass capillaries. Usually, the relative wall thickness (the quotient of the outer and inner diameters do/di) of capillaries is, at best, maintained up to the electrode tip. If tips with thicker walls can be produced, coating and other surface treatments can be avoided. We found that programmed heating periods without pull allowed an fivefold increase of do/di in the tip region. Since do/di is inversely proportional to input capacity, the recording noise was minimized and became insignificant relative to amplifier and holder noise. A sample patch-clamp recording is shown.     

New and established treatment options for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome – an update

At the time of diagnosis primary cutaneous lymphomas are limited to the skin. T‐cell lymphomas represent at least two thirds of all primary cutaneous lymphomas with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome being the most frequent entities. A precise staging based on clinical, histological, immunohistological and molecular biological criteria is crucial for selecting the appropriate therapy. Since curative treatment is only possible in exceptional cases, the aim of any therapy is to achieve healing of the skin lesions, minimizing relapses, preventing progression and maintaining the quality of life. While in early disease stages skin‐directed therapy is being used, in later stages systemic treatments become more important. This work aims to provide an overview of established and new therapies for the treatment of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.     

High frequency of MYC gene amplification is a common feature of radiation‐induced sarcomas. Further results from EORTC STBSG TL 01/01

Irradiation is a major causative factor among the small subgroup of sarcomas with a known etiology. The prognosis of radiation‐induced sarcomas (RIS) is significantly worse than that of their spontaneous counterparts. The most frequent histological subtypes include undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas, angiosarcomas, and leiomyosarcomas. A high frequency of MYC amplifications in radiation‐induced angiosarcomas, but not in primary angiosarcomas, has recently been described. To investigate whether MYC amplifications are also frequent in RIS other than angiosarcomas, we analyzed the MYC amplification status of 83 RIS and 192 sporadic sarcomas by fluorescence in situ hybridization. We found significantly higher numbers of MYC amplifications in RIS than in sporadic sarcomas (P < 0.0001), especially in angiosarcomas, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas, and leiomyosarcomas. Angiosarcomas were special in that MYC amplifications were particularly frequent and always high level, while other RIS showed low‐level amplifications. We conclude that MYC amplifications are a frequent feature of RIS as a group and may contribute to the biology of these tumors. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Human leukocyte and fibroblast interferon in a combination therapy of dendritic keratitis

Summary Thirty-eight patients with virologically proven dendritic keratitis were treated using either debridement plus human leukocyte interferon (HLI) or debridement plus human fibroblast interferon (HFI) in a randomized, doubleblind study. We administered one drop of HLI or HFI (1×10⁶ reference units/ml) daily and found no significant difference in the action of either type of interferon.

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Zusammenfassung 38 Patienten mit virologisch verifizierter Keratitis dendritica wurden in einer randomisierten Doppelblindstudie entweder mit Abrasio plus Humanleukozyteninterferon (HLI) oder Abrasio plus Humanfibroblasteninterferon (HFI) behandelt. Nur ein Tropfen Interferon (1×10⁶ Einheiten/ml) wurde täglich gegeben. Es fand sich kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen der Wirkung beider Interferone.

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With support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft