[In situ activation of metalloproteinases by the fibrinolytic system as pathogenetic mechanism of rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Sidoni.
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We present a case of multiple amyloidomas occurring in the calves of a 61-year-old woman, without systemic amyloidosis or plasma cell dyscrasia. The disappearance of Congo red positivity after potassium permanganate treatment and immunohistochemical results showed that this was a case of reactive AA amyloidosis. True soft tissue amyloidomas are extremely rare, and this is the first case of AA amyloidoma in the soft tissues of the legs.
Cutaneous cysts lined by ciliated epithelium are very rare, benign tumors predominantly occurring on the lower extremities of young women. We describe a ciliated cyst found in the perineum of a 60-year-old man. The location and histological features led us to attribute a primitive tailgut origin to this cyst, probably from the embryonic remnants of cloacal membrane. Only two previous examples of similar cysts were found in the literature.
Medulloblastoma is a rare neoplasm in adults. Extraneural metastases from this tumor are an unusual event. Maternal malignancy during pregnancy is very uncommon, especially for brain tumors and particularly for medulloblastoma. We describe the eighth case of medulloblastoma discovered during pregnancy with subsequent metastases to the muscle and lymph nodes.
Image cytometric analysis of DNA ploidy status of 40 fresh primary breast carcinomas was performed in a comparative study on cytologic preparations stained directly by the Feulgen method and smears from the same tumors Feulgen-stained after Papanicolaou staining. There was a 0.82 overall concordance in diploid and aneuploid tumor classification and a good correlation (r = 0.736, P < 0.001) between the DNA indices determined by the two methods. Discordances are probably due to tumor heterogeneity. This study demonstrates that image cytometric DNA analysis on previously routine-stained cytologic preparations is feasible and reliable for pretreatment DNA analysis and suggests potential applications in retrospective studies with cytologic material from archives.
Evaluation of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor content is now an important procedure in the management of breast cancer patients. Production of monoclonal antibodies to ER and PR has permitted development of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and immunocytochemical assay (ICA). This study compared the results of ICA and EIA to evaluate ER and PR in 197 breast cancers using the same monoclonal antibodies. The ICA results were obtained by automated computer-assisted image analysis using CAS 200. The cut-off values adopted were 15 fmol/mg protein for EIA and 10% of the positive neoplastic area of the nuclei for ICA. For statistical analysis, Spearman's correlation coefficient and chi 2 were used. There was good correlation between ICA and EIA for both ER (r = 0.714; p < 0.0001) and PR (r = 0.815; P < 0.0001). Of 197 tumors, 136 (69.04%) were ER-ICA+, and 138 (70.05%) were ER-EIA+; 111 (56.35%) were PR-ICA+, and 115 (58.38%) were PR-EIA+. Results were concordant, positive or negative with both methods, in 175 cases for ER and in 173 cases for PR. ER and PR results were only discordant in 22 and 24 cases, respectively. Concordance of results obtained by the two methods was 88.83% (P < 0.0001) for ER and 87.81% (P < 0.0001) for PR. Correlation of results obtained by EIA and ICA to determine ER and PR was good. The data obtained suggest that ICA with automated image analysis is an effective means for evaluating ER and PR content in human breast cancer, especially when, as happens ever more frequently nowadays, the tumor is too small to perform EIA or when retrospective studies are performed.
BACKGROUND: A strong positive correlation exists between the breast cancer tissue content of either urokinase-plasminogen activator (uPA) or plasminogen activator, inhibitor type I (PAI-1), quantified in the tissue extracts by immunoassays, and the survival of patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, several studies assign to the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) a pivotal role in triggering the proteolytic activity of the urokinase pathway involved in tumor stroma degradation, tumor spread and metastasis. However, the pattern of distribution of uPAR in normal and cancerous human tissue and the pattern of coexpression of activators and inhibitors that occurs in breast cancer tissues is not completely known. METHODS: The immunohistochemical localization of uPAR, uPA, tPA) and PAI-1 was evaluated by using the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique and affinity-purified monoclonal antibodies from American Diagnostica Inc. Studies were performed in formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue prepared from 23 surgically excised non-neoplastic breast tissues and 18 ductal breast carcinomas. RESULTS: While the expression of uPAR protein represents a constant feature of invasive ductal breast cancer, it was also observed in most of the breast tissue samples, including the normal breast tissues. The staining for uPAR was mainly localized on normal or tumoral epithelial cells, even if the co-expression of uPAR in stromal cells was frequently observed in adjacent slides. A semiquantitative analysis of immunohistochemical results showed that uPAR and PAI-1 were overexpressed in invasive breast cancer in comparison with normal and benign breast tissues. In addition, uPA was higher in both invasive breast carcinomas and benign breast lesions with respect to normal breast tissues. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that overexpression of uPAR, uPA, and its main inhibitor, PAI-1, is a constant feature of invasive ductal breast carcinomas. However, the expression of the above fibrinolytic reactants is not specific for breast cancer since positive staining for these molecules was frequently observed in benign breast lesions as well as in normal breast tissues. The combined increased expression of uPA and its cellular receptor, uPAR on the surface of tumor epithelial cells may account for the activation of the proteolytic system which occurs in breast cancer.
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BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) release plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration in D-galactosamine (GalN)-sensitized mice. Interleukin (IL) 10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits TNF-alpha synthesis and release both in vitro and in vivo and prevents lethality from experimental endotoxemia. The present study was designed to ascertain whether in vivo treatment with IL-10 protects mice against LPS/GalN-induced liver injury. METHODS: Mice were treated with an intraperitoneal dose of LPS/GalN with or without IL-10 pretreatment. Liver injury was assessed biochemically and histologically, and plasma TNF-alpha levels, liver myeloperoxidase activity, and adhesion molecule expression were determined. RESULTS: Administration of LPS in GalN-sensitized mice caused lethal shock and massive hepatic necrosis in almost 100% of the mice. The effect was associated with a significant increase in plasma TNF-alpha concentrations, liver myeloperoxidase activity, and up-regulation of adhesion molecules on liver specimens and circulating neutrophils. Pretreatment with IL-10 reduced plasma TNF-alpha concentrations and LPS/GalN-induced liver injury and lethality. Moreover, IL-10 reduced the LPS/GalN-induced liver neutrophil margination and up-regulation of adhesion molecules both on liver specimens and circulating neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that IL-10 therapy could be useful in the treatment of TNF-alpha-mediated liver diseases.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of up to 60 days intermittent octreotide on regeneration of rat pancreas stimulated by cholecystokinin after 70% distal resection. DESIGN. Random controlled experimental study. SETTING: University hospital, Italy. MATERIALS: 60 Male Wistar rats. INTERVENTIONS: Distal resection of splenic and gastric lobes of pancreas (70% of whole gland). Rats were allocated to three groups (n = 20 in each): group A (control) were given saline solution 0.5 ml; group B were given cholecystokinin 300 ng/kg; and group C were given cholecystokinin 300 ng/kg and octreotide 2.5 micrograms/kg. All substances were injected subcutaneously twice a day until death. Four rats were killed weekly for four weeks, and the remainder at 60 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Increase in weight of the gland as a percentage of the weight of the whole gland, and DNA synthesis measured by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) nuclear labelling index. RESULTS: In the cholecystokinin alone group pancreatic weight had increased significantly on days 21 and 28 (95% confidence intervals (CI) - 13.8 to 12.2 and -44.1 to 19.7, respectively) and the BrdU index had increased significantly at 21 (0.56 to 0.80), 28 (0.26 to 1.3), and 60 (0.09 to 0.51) days compared with the control group. In the group given both cholecystokinin and octreotide the weight was significantly lower than in the cholecystokinin alone group at 21 and 28 days (95% CI - 1.02 to 66.7 and 3.5 to 34.7, respectively) and the BrdU index was significantly lower at 28 days (0.40 to 1.19). CONCLUSIONS: Octreotide seems to reduce the pancreatic regeneration induced by cholecystokinin in rats after 70% distal resection. To our knowledge this has not previously been shown, and the mechanism must be elucidated further.
AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Granular cell tumor, usually a benign neoplasm, has been the object of many studies because of its uncertain histogenesis and based on many immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies it has been suggested that it originates from the Schwann cell. Our recent observation that granular cell tumor is positive with PG-M1, a new anti-macrophage monoclonal antibody, led us to further investigate the immunophenotypic profile of the tumor. STUDY DESIGN: We studied 11 granular cell tumors using a panel of 20 antibodies, 13 monoclonal and 7 polyclonal. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical study showed in all cases a constant diffuse positivity for S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, vimentin, KP1 and PG-M1, as well as occasional and focal positivity for alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and lysozyme. CONCLUSIONS: The immunophenotypic profile constantly observed could be the expression, on one hand, of the neuroectodermic nature of the neoplasm, proven by positivity for S-100 protein, neuron specific enolase and vimentin, and on the other could be the expression of the phagocytic activity of the tumor cell, proven by positivity for KP1 and PG-M1 antibodies and also by the presence of numerous phagolysosomes.
This paper reports a case of giant cell reparative granuloma of the right maxillary bone of a 13-year-old caucasian girl. It may be very difficult to distinguish this entity from other lesions of mandible, maxilla and skull bones which contain multinucleated giant cells. The differential diagnosis, especially from giant cell tumors of the bone, is discussed. Accurate diagnosis lies on correct integration of clinical, radiographical and histopathological data.
We examined 4 cases of synovial sarcoma, 3 biphasic-one of which was located in the abdominal wall-and 1 monophasic, in patients between 16 and 54 years. Immunohistochemistry revealed the capacity of these neoplasms to express mesenchymal and epithelial markers, not only in the sarcomatous-like stroma but also in gland-like component. We also found that in the epitheliomorphous cells vimentin positivity had a characteristic basal position whereas EMA and cytocheratins were much more positive in the apical zone. This double positivity could be profitably utilized when the predominance of the gland-like component in a synovial sarcoma requires differential diagnosis from metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Opportunistic infections with Strongyloides stercoralis are rare in Western countries. However, individuals with cellular immunity defects may develop a disseminated infection. We report the case of a 78-year-old Italian male who developed progressive respiratory failure six weeks after initiation of corticosteroid therapy for temporal arteritis. Infective filariform Strongyloides stercoralis larvae, found in the sputum one day before death, clarified the complex clinical picture. It is advisable that before and during immunosuppressive treatments, the stools and body fluids of patients should be screened for parasites.
Testicular involvement was the first manifestation of malignant lymphoma in the present case; after six months the disease became generalized but repeated chemotherapy achieved amelioration with negative bone-marrow biopsy after one year. Then urinary retention appeared, due to prostatic involvement from primary testicular lymphocytic lymphoma. We believe that this is the first reported case of primary malignant lymphoma of the testicle with secondary localization to the prostate and acute urinary retention.
Fifty colorectal carcinomas were investigated to demonstrate distal intramural spread (DIS). In 17 cases (34%) a DIS ranging from 0.25 to 3.5 cm was present. DIS was positively correlated with stage C2 (p less than 0.01), lymph node metastasis (p less than 0.03) and infiltrative growth of the tumor (p less than 0.05). Our results show that DIS is a relatively frequent event but of limited extension. In fact, a distal clearance margin of 2 cm was considered safe for all patients but one C2 mucoid case. No pathologic feature can predict preoperatively the presence and extent of DIS.
The Authors report the case of a 54 year old man who died suddenly for bulbar paralysis caused by a vertebrobasilar vascular system thrombosis due to compression by an aneurysmal cyst of the first two cervical vertebra. The diagnosis of bony tumour which they reached on the basis of angiography and t.c., has been confirmed and defined by the autopsy.
In order to document any modifications in age and sex distributions, tumor locations and histological types, a retrospective study was performed comparing 377 consecutive cases of gastric cancers observed from 1942 to 1956 with 359 cases diagnosed from 1986 to 1987. The mean age at diagnosis rose from 57 to 66 years with no significant male/female ratio variations (1.6 vs 1.7). Tumors located in the proximal stomach increased from 13 to 23% (p less than 0.001) whereas those arising in the distal stomach decreased from 66 to 50% (p less than 0.001). Intestinal type gastric carcinoma decreased from 65.6 to 52.6% (p less than 0.001). The diffuse type rose from 24 to 43% (p less than 0.001) and the mucoid type fell from 10.3 to 4.4% (p less than 0.001). In spite of the overall decline in intestinal type carcinomas, this form remained more common in the upper third area and increased from 55 to 70% (p less than 0.001). Significant modifications in the distribution of diffuse, mucoid and signet ring cell type carcinomas were also noted. The possible significance and implications of these observations are discussed.