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Biomedical subjects

A Billis

Publications and source records attributed to A Billis.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Nonamyloidotic fibrillary glomerulopathy. Report of a case and review of the literature.

A 29-year-old man had oedema, proteinuria in nephrotic range, haematuria and cardiac arrhythmia (second grade atrioventricular block). The pathologic findings of kidney biopsy showed in light microscopy diffuse mesangial matrix increase with mild mesangial proliferation and variable thickening of the glomerular capillary walls. IgG, c3 and c1q were intensely fluorescent and exhibited a diffuse granular pattern in mesangial areas and along the capillary walls. Both kappa and lambda chains were weakly positive in the same pattern. Ultrastructurally, microfibrils of about 20 nm in width were seen to be deposited in mesangial areas and along the glomerular basement membranes. Congo red stain and metachromasia were negative. Neither cryoglobulinaemia nor paraproteinaemia including light chains were found. The aetiology of nonamyloidotic fibrillary glomerulopathy is unknown and no clear-cut clinical or pathologic pattern has emerged. It may represent more than one disease process with a common morphologic expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Histologic grading of prostatic adenocarcinoma: intraobserver reproducibility of the Mostofi, Gleason and Böcking grading systems.

Intraobserver variation of three grading systems--Mostofi, Gleason and Böcking--is examined. No significant difference was noted between the histological grades found in the two examinations by any of the three methods used. Neither the type of surgical procedure nor the number of slices with tumour influenced the reproducibility of histological grading within each system studied. In the Gleason system the intraobserver highest disagreement would not have resulted in change of therapy choice, but in 2% of tumours graded according to the Mostofi system this would have occurred if the choice of therapy would depend on the grading results.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Experimental studies on BCG in hamsters.

The effects of BCG in the treatment of superficial bladder cancer in man are known, but the mechanism is not quite well understood. Thirty-six hamsters received BCG through three routes: intravesical, intradermal and oral. Each group was composed of 12 animals; BCG was administered to 9 and only saline solution to 3 hamsters. BCG was given once a week for six weeks. The animals were sacrificed at 20, 30 and 65 days after the last administration of BCG. The anatomopathologic study revealed granulomatous reaction in the liver of 5 hamsters and in the spleen of 4 other animals of the intravesical group. In all groups that received BCG, hyperplasia of periarteriolar lymphoid tissue (T zone) of the spleen was observed. We support the view that BCG promotes a systemic reaction whatever the route of administration may be.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed1990

Massive intratubular hemorrhage with herniations into renal veins: report of a case.

A 24-year-old man had unilateral gross hematuria that required nephrectomy. Pathological examination revealed massive intratubular hemorrhage and frequent deposition of an amorphous and homogeneous material positive for periodic acid, Schiff stain in the corticomedullary junction. This substance had the characteristics of Tamm-Horsfall protein and frequently herniated into the lumen of thin-walled veins of arcuate size. There was no apparent cause for the bleeding. To the best of our knowledge this is the third reported case with these peculiar findings and no apparent cause. We discuss some hypotheses as to the etiopathogenesis of this rare and intriguing condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Vasography: experimental study.

Vasography may cause stricture of the vas deferens. The probable causes of this obstruction are traumatic lesion at the puncture site and the radiological contrast material used. Because of this problem we performed an experimental study using Wistar rats, which were divided into four groups: Group A - Control, Group B - injection of a saline solution, Group C - hypaque injection, Group D - hypaque plus saline solution. According to the results obtained it was concluded that the needle puncture is not responsible for stricture of the vas deferens. Hypaque is responsible for 5% of strictures and the use of a saline solution to wash the vas did not show any benefit.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Latent carcinoma and atypical lesions of prostate. An autopsy study.

The posterior lobe of the prostate of 180 consecutive autopsies was examined by the step section method. Latent carcinoma was found in 25 per cent of the prostates examined, with an increasing frequency according to age. Atypical lesions were seen in 153 of 180 prostates (85%) and were significantly more frequent and extensive in patients with rather than without latent carcinoma. Latent carcinoma was more extensive either when grade 2 histologically or when showing cribriform arrangement. There was no relationship of latent carcinoma to nodular hyperplasia or extraprostatic cancer. Atypical lesions were not significantly more extensive in patients with large latent carcinomas than in those with small ones. Atypical lesions als showed no significant increase in frequency according to age. The findings support the concept that atypical lesions may represent a potentially precancerous lesion.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1986

Some parameters of haem synthesis in dialysed and non-dialysed uraemic patients.

Some parameters of haem synthesis were estimated in 60 uraemic patients (30 non-dialysed, 30 dialysed) and in 30 matched controls. Serum delta-aminolaevulinic acid and erythrocyte coproporphyrin and protoprophyrin were found significantly higher in the non-dialysed uraemics than in the controls. Erythrocyte delta-aminolaevulinic acid dehydrase (ALA-D) activity was 498 +/- 174 mumol/h.l in the non-dialysed patients, 321 +/- 146 in the dialysed (just before haemodialysis) and 833 +/- 281 in the healthy controls, the differences between these groups all being statistically significant (p less than 0.001). After haemodialysis the enzymic activity in the dialysed group increased significantly (380 +/- 167, p less than 0.001), but remained lower than normal (p less than 0.001). A similar pattern - although with less statistical significance of the differences between groups - was observed concerning erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen I synthase activity. Incubation of normal erythrocytes with uraemic plasma resulted in a considerable decrease of their ALA-D activity (from 830 +/- 263 to 616 +/- 126) while incubation of uraemic erythrocytes with normal plasma increased their ALA-D (from 384 +/- 139 to 494 +/- 77). Addition of zinc in the haemolysate caused a similar induction of ALA-D in both controls and uraemics. The zinc-induced uraemic ALA-D practically reached normal levels. The mechanism of enzymic depression and the possible role of elevated delta-aminolaevulinic acid concentrations (to which depressed ALA-D activity considerably contributes) in the pathogenesis of the neurologic manifestations of uraemia, are discussed.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed1978

[Extensive cerebellar necrosis in sickle cell anemia. Report of a case].

A 6 month-old mulatto boy was admitted on account of acute gastroenteritis, malnutrition and dehydration. In the hospital, the child developed septicemia, and temperature reached up to 38.6 degrees C. Despite intensive antibiotic treatment the patient died 12 days after admission. Necropsy disclosed bilateral bronchopneumonia, bilateral fronto-parietal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and extensive necrosis of the inferior half of both cerebellar hemispheres. On histopathological examination of the necrotic cerebellar cortex, numerous sickled erythrocytes were observed in petechial hemorrhages, and, in lesser quantities, inside capillaries. Lesions of the central nervous system in sickle cell anemia most often involve the cerebral cortex, and a single extensive cerebellar infarction as present in this case seems extremely rare. The pathogenetic mechanism of the necrosis is unclear, since thrombosis was not observed either in large blood vessels or in capillaries. Possible contributory factors were the infectious condition (septicemia), fever, and anoxia caused by the extensive bronchopneumonia.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗
PubMed1976

South American blastomycosis of the ureter.

A case of disseminated South American blastomycosis with unilateral involvement of the ureter and hydronephrosis is described; it is the third such case to be reported.

Blastomycosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects on rabbit spermatogenesis following orthostatic collapse. Light microscope qualitative and quantitative studies.

Forty rabbits were submitted to orthostatic collapse, divided into 9 groups and sacrificed 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours, 4, 7, 15, 30 and 45 days following collapse. Ten animals were used as controls. The testis and epididymis were submitted to microscopic examination. The most striking change was necrosis of seminiferous cells which was most severe in the 24-hour group. The most susceptible cell to necrosis was the primary spermatocyte whilst spermatogonia, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells were not damaged. Other frequent changes included hypertrophic spermatocytes, hypertrophic early spermatids, nonelongated late spermatids, nonelongated multinucleated late spermatids, multinucleated and binucleated early spermatids. A quantitative study done by counting tubular cross-sections with presence of the changes described showed a significant increase of frequency in the rabbits submitted to orthostatic collapse. The histological changes can be related primarily to the circulatory disturbance leading to oligaemia and consequently to anoxia and are strikingly similar to those following experimental ischemia of testis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multiple biopsies in bladder urothelial carcinomas. Correlation of atypical lesions with histological grade, clinical staging and number of tumors.

Twenty-eight cases of transitional cell carcinomas, (19 papillary cell carcinomas, 9 nonpapillary invasive carcinomas) with concomitant mucosal biopsies are reported. Multiple biopsies were obtained cystoscopically at diagnosis (during resection or biopsy of the main tumor) or afterwards, during post-operative evaluation. Fifteen patients (53.6%) were positive for dysplasia, carcinoma "in situ" or micro-invasive carcinoma in the biopsies. These lesions were correlated with the primary neoplasm in regard to: 1) histological grade. Atypical lesions were more frequent the higher the grade (0.01 < p < 0.05); 2) clinical staging. The possibility of finding atypical lesions was higher in cases with more advanced staging (0.01 < p < 0.05) and 3) presence of one or more tumors visible cystoscopically. The results were not statistically significant (0.10 < p < 0.50) but there was a trend toward a higher incidence of atypical lesions among patients with more than one tumor at cystoscopy. Performance of multiple mucosal biopsies is the only means of diagnosing for atypical lesions of the bladder because, due to their plane configuration, they are not detected cystoscopically. The presence of these lesions is very important because they influence the prognosis and the therapeutic measures.

Adult↗