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Biomedical subjects

C S Foster

Publications and source records attributed to C S Foster.

455 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructural characteristics of conjunctiva in cicatricial pemphigoid.

Conjunctival biopsy specimens were obtained from three patients with clinically active ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and from two of these patients after successful immunosuppressive therapy. Compared with specimens from normal subjects, the pretreatment specimens showed profound alteration in interepithelial adhesion as evidenced by a dramatic increase in desmosomes. Unusually prominent tonofilaments and tonofibrils were seen throughout the cytoplasm. The basal lamina showed areas of discontinuity, duplication, and focal thickening. The lamina propria was thickened and demonstrated an infiltration of inflammatory cells and disorganized collagen fibrils. Post-treatment specimens had a relative absence of desmosomes between the widely separated epithelial cells, less prominent tonofilaments and tonofibrils among epithelial cells, and, in one specimen, goblet cells. The enhanced network of desmosome-tonofilament complexes serves to tightly bind epithelial cells, perhaps providing a clue to the pathophysiology of conjunctival surface changes.

Conjunctiva↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Herpes simplex virus type 2 acute retinal necrosis in an immunocompetent patient.

PURPOSE: To report a case of acute retinal necrosis caused by herpes simplex virus 2 in an otherwise healthy patient. CASE REPORT: A 45-year-old man presented with one month's history of decreased vision in the right eye. He had previously received a course of intravenous gancyclovir because of a clinical suspicion of cytomegalovirus retinitis. The patient's ocular history was remarkable for a similar episode in the left eye thirty years earlier, resulting in important visual impairment. System and laboratory investigations were unremarkable. Ocular examination showed severe anterior granulomatous uveitis, vitreous haze, areas of necrosis and retinal exudates. The anterior chamber tap disclosed the presence of HSV type 2, and oral steroids and acyclovir were instituted. Two weeks after the patient had been discharged, a retinal detachment occurred in the right eye, necessitating surgical repair. The presence of HSV type 2 was confirmed in the vitreous. Visual acuity recovered completely after surgery and the patient was placed on a maintenance dose of oral acyclovir. CONCLUSIONS: HSV type 2 is a rare cause of acute retinal necrosis in healthy patients. Bilateral involvement can occur in the fellow eye, even with a long delay. Acute retinal necrosis is a severe ocular inflammatory syndrome associated with a very poor visual outcome. It is caused by VZV, HSV type 1 and, less commonly, by HSV type 2. The disease can affect healthy patients and cause bilateral involvement in the fellow eye, even with a long delay.

Anterior Chamber↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HLA class II expression in normal and inflamed conjunctiva.

Conjunctival biopsy specimens from 8 OCP (ocular cicatricial pemphaigoid), 6 AKC (Atopic keratoconjunctivitis) patients, and 10 normal individuals were studied for the expression of HLA class II molecules. Immunohistochemical studies were performed using monoclonal antibodies specific for HLA DR, DP, and DQ molecules. Strong, diffuse staining in conjunctival epithelium was observed for HLA DR in the specimens of OCP and AKC patients with heavy staining in the superficial and basal epithelial layers, not observed with normal specimen. About 30% of the samples from OCP and AKC patients showed a similar pattern of the diffuse staining in the superficial epithelial cell layers for HLA DP with less intensity than for HLA DR, while the 50% of the samples had shown greater HLA DP positivity in the basal epithelial cell layers. Positive epithelial cells and positive inflammatory cells were also observed in these samples while normal epithelium had few HLA DP positive cells. The HLA DQ staining pattern was similar to that observed for the HLA DP. There were significant increases over normals in the numbers of HLA-DR positive cells within the substantia propria of OCP and AKC specimens with the majority of the positive cells located subepithelially and around vessels. Increased numbers of HLA DP and HLA DQ positive cells were seen in the substantia propria of CP and AKC specimens with the staining pattern similar to the HLA DR while normal specimens had little staining in this region. Vessel endothelial cell staining was observed for HLA DR, DP and DQ with different degrees of the staining in these three groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An immunocytochemical study of the distribution of epithelial membrane antigen in normal and disordered squamous epithelium.

Using immunocytochemical techniques, we have investigated the distribution of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in human squamous epithelium. The antigen is not demonstrable in normal adult tissues although it is present on the surface membrane of normal foetal epidermis before keratinization takes place. It may be expressed strongly in the adult, however, in in situ and infiltrative squamous carcinomas as well as in a variety of non-neoplastic states. Present evidence suggests that EMA may protect exposed surfaces. The lack of demonstrable antigen on malignant melanomas and basal cell carcinomas highlights the histogenetic differences between these tumours and squamous carcinomas, and suggests a possible role for EMA in the differential diagnosis of malignant skin tumours.

Antigens, Surface↗