Clinical presentation of young people (10–24 years old) with brain tumors: results from the international MOBI-Kids study

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - We used data from MOBI-Kids, a 14-country international collaborative case–control study of brain tumors (BTs), to study clinical characteristics of the tumors in...     

Immunolocalization of CD80 and CD86 in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: CD80 as a Potent Prognostic Factor

It has been demonstrated that tumor cells express programed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1) to escape T lymphocytes that express programed cell protein 1 (PD-1), and PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors have been regarded in lung cancer patients. CD80 and CD86 are members of B7 superfamily which regulates T lymphocyte activation and tolerance. However, immunolocalization of CD80 and CD86 has not been examined in the lung carcinoma tissues and their clinical significance remains unknown. Therefore, to clarify clinical significance of CD80 and CD86, we immunolocalized these in 75 non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) in this study. Immunoreactivities of CD80 and CD86 were mainly detected in tumor-infiltrating macrophages. Immunohistochemical CD80 status was high in 56% of NSCLC, and it was positively associated with stage, pathological T factor, distant metastasis, histological type and PD-L1 status. Moreover, multivariate analysis turned out that the CD80 status was an independent worse prognostic factor. CD86 status was high in 53% of the cases, but it was not significantly associated with any clinicopathological parameters. These findings suggest that CD80 is a potent worse prognostic factor possibly in association with escape from immune attack in NSCLC.     

Cross-reactivity of influenza A (H3N2) hemagglutination-inhibition antibodies induced by an inactivated influenza vaccine

The antigenic drift of influenza A (H3N2) virus in 2003-2004 necessitated a change in the vaccine from the A/Panama to the A/Wyoming strain for the 2004-2005 season. Using hemagglutination inhibition, we therefore tested antibodies in sera of 39 individuals (mean age 64.6 years) at the end of the 2003-2004 season for cross-reactivity to vaccine strains and H3N2 antigens subject to antigenic drift. Antibodies against both A (H3N2) Panama and Wyoming developed in 5/13 (38.5%) unvaccinated individuals, whereas, 22/26 (84.6%) vaccinees developed antibodies to Panama and 21/26 (80.8%) to Wyoming. None of these individuals suffered an influenza episode that season. The results suggest that the elderly might develop protective levels of cross-reactive A (H3N2) Wyoming HI antibodies following vaccination with the Panama strain. Such strains, like the ones included in the 2003-2004 influenza vaccine, might be expected to provide a broad-spectrum antibody response that could be effective even in the face of single season antigenic drift.     

Electron microscopic findings of human auricular appendages

Summary Auricular appendages were obtained from 20 patients ranging in age from 4 to 64 years with chronic heart diseases at the time of operation and observed with an electron microscope. Myo-endocardial fibrosis was seen in the majority of cases. Proliferation of smooth muscle cells was noticed in the areas of thickened myo-endocardial spaces. These smooth muscle cells played an important role in the production of ground substance, collagen, and elastic fibers in the fibrotic lesions.Microfibrils and elastic tissue were also observed in close association with the basement membrane of cardiac muscle cells and capillaries.Cytoplasmic filaments were observed both dispersed and aggregated in bundles in the endothelial cells on the thickened endocardium.On leave of absence from Second Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.     

Ultrastructural study of hemangiomas. 4. Cavernous hemangioma of the liver

Seven cases of cavernous hemangioma of the liver found accidentally at autopsy were studied by electron microscope. The structures of the hemangioma consisted of capillaries and the intervening stromal cells. The endothelial cells contained pinocytotic vesicles, scattered ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus. A distinct basement membrane was present beneath the endothelial cells, and multilaminated arrangement of the basement membrane was sometimes observed beneath the endothelial cells. The endothelial cells also contained numerous cytoplasmic filaments, but contained sparse specific endothelial granules. The internal elastic lamina was hardly seen at all in the hemangioma. The stromal cells showed typical smooth muscle cells, modified smooth muscle cells, and fibroblast-like cells. Elastic tissue as well as collagen fibers was present within the intervening stroma. Neither adventitia nor nerve fibers were found in the cavernous hemangioma. It is thought that cavernous hemangioma of the liver may be of a hamartomatous nature.