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Biomedical subjects

H F Otto

Publications and source records attributed to H F Otto.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy with pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy is characterized by fibrocellular intimal proliferation of small pulmonary arteries and arterioles in patients with metastatic carcinoma. Its morphologic features, including precursor lesions, were studied in 21 patients diagnosed in 630 consecutive autopsy cases with carcinoma (3.3%). Nineteen of 21 patients had adenocarcinoma and 11 of these 19 patients had gastric carcinoma. The pathogenetic events start with microscopic tumor cell embolism. Tumor emboli do not occlude affected vessels but induce both local activation of coagulation and fibrocellular intimal proliferation, which lead into stenosis or occlusion. Hemodynamically, an increase in vascular resistance results in pulmonary hypertension. In three patients, metastatic carcinoma was unknown before death, and the condition was diagnosed as pulmonary hypertension of unknown origin. Thus, pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of primary pulmonary hypertension, particularly in patients with well-known carcinoma who develop acute or subacute cor pulmonale.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Solid-cystic tumour of the pancreas. An endocrine neoplasm?

Immunohistochemical studies and DNA flow-cytometric investigations were performed in a case of solid-cystic tumour of the pancreas in a 35-year-old woman. All tumour cells were immunoreactive for the neuroendocrine cell markers chromogranin A and neuron-specific gamma-enolase. Moreover, about 10% of tumour cells were immunoreactive for insulin, while hypoglycaemia was absent. Few tumour cells (less than 1%) were immunoreactive for somatostatin, and no cells were found to be immunoreactive for pancreatic polypeptide or glucagon. No immunoreactivity was present for duct cell marker carcino-embryonic antigen and only individual cells were reactive for alpha 1-antitrypsin. Nuclear DNA content of the tumour cells was diploid and the proliferative activity was low. In confirmation of some reports on neuroendocrine markers in solid-cystic tumour of the pancreas, our findings support the theory that the lesion is a hormonally inactive neuroendocrine pancreatic tumour.

Adult↗

Clinico-pathological features and surgical management of primary epithelial hepatic malignancies.

Between January 1983 and January 1990, 89 patients with primary epithelial hepatic malignancy were admitted to the Department of Surgery, University of Heidelberg, for surgical treatment. Histopathologically, tumours were hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) 75, fimbrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) 1 and cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) 13. Concomitant liver cirrhosis was found in 61%. Among the cirrhotic patients, hepatitis-B infection was found in 65% and post-alcoholic cirrhosis in 30%. Pre-operative alpha-fetoprotein serum levels were elevated in 66% of the patients with HCC and none of the patients with CCC or FLC. The resectability rate was 35.9% (32/83). Twenty-six patients underwent curative resection; six were resected palliatively. In 44 patients exploratory laparotomy and biopsy only were performed. Thirteen patients remained without any surgical procedure. The hospital mortality rate after resection was 21.8%. Short-term prognosis depended predominantly on concomitant cirrhosis associated with peri-operative blood loss and extent of hepatic resection. Long-term survival rates after curative resection were 78%, 55% and 21% for 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Prognostic factors of long-term survival were investigated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗

[Pathology of Crohn disease in children].

Incidence, macroscopic and histological appearance, and systemic manifestation of Crohn's disease in children are discussed. The main criteria for the differentiation between idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and acute self-limited colitis (infectious colitis) of the intestinal tract are reviewed. Finally, a description of the morphology of precancerous changes and their clinical implications in Crohn's disease (and ulcerative colitis) is given.

Biopsy↗

[Neutropenic enterocolitis].

In three patients with neutropenia who had died after a short period from their basic disease (myelodysplasia, medullary carcinoma, acute myeloic leukaemia), autopsy revealed segmental necrotising enterocolitis in the caecal region (neutropenic enterocolitis). Morphologically the enterocolitis was characterised by necrotized mucosa, marked oedema of the intestinal wall, intramural gas, the absence of pseudomembranes and a nearly complete absence of inflammatory cell infiltrates. In one case a palpable abdominal tumour had been produced by pseudotumorous thickening of the intestinal wall. The pathogenesis in these three cases might be a neutropenia-associated disturbance of the intestinal flora with selective proliferation of toxin-producing clostridia.

Aged↗

Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in benign and malignant primary tumours of the breast.

Using the monoclonal antibody EGF-R1, normal mammary gland and a series of 213 unselected primary breast tumours were investigated immunohistochemically for expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In normal breast EGFR was expressed in variable patterns in lobular, ductal, and myoepithelial cells. In fibroadenoma, EGFR was detectable in variable numbers of ductal and myoepithelial cells and in stromal fibroblasts. The myoepithelial compartment of 2 cystosarcomas phyllodes also expressed EGFR. Among the 197 carcinomas tested only 20.3% contained EGFR expressing tumour cells which represented a minority in 12.2%, the majority in 2.1%, and the entire neoplastic population in 6.1% of the cases. Again, non-neoplastic ductal remnants often contained EGFR positive myoepithelial and ductal cells whereas stromal fibroblasts expressed EGFR only occasionally. We conclude that in contrast to the normal state, EGFR-expression is a rather rare phenomenon in breast carcinoma cells, positively correlated with a declining grade of differentiation (p less than 0.025) and at least occasionally associated with squamous metaplasia within the tumour, that EGFR expression is not exclusively restricted to cells of the epithelial lineage, and that EGFR may have other functions not related to proliferation, since it is commonly detectable in myoepithelial cells.

Breast↗

Expression of cortical and medullary thymic epithelial antigens in thymomas. An immunohistological study of 14 cases including a characterization of the lymphocytic compartment.

Four monoclonal antibodies against antigens expressed differentially by the normal thymus epithelium, which define the cortical, medullary and subcapsular compartments, were used for immunohistological characterization of the epithelial cells in 14 thymomas. Furthermore, thymoma-associated lymphocytes were studied with monoclonal antibodies directed against T-lymphocyte differentiation antigens (CD1a, CD3, T-cell antigen receptor). Only four of the 14 thymomas could be classified into either medullary or cortical type thymoma based on the immunophenotype of epithelial cells. Ten cases escaped immunophenotypical classification due to co-expression of medullary and cortical antigens by the tumour cells. This aberration from the normal phenotype might indicate the failure of differentiation of such tumours. The immunophenotype of the associated lymphocytes, on the other hand, made it possible to classify the tumours as cortical (5 cases), mixed (2) and medullary (3) thymomas. Four thymomas escaped this classification scheme due to the absence of lymphocytes (2) or to a hybrid immunophenotype (2). Nevertheless, thymocytes of cortical type clearly predominated and were seen in all thymomas with associated lymphocytes. This feature may constitute a good diagnostic tool in differential diagnosis since, in 28 mediastinal or extramediastinal metastasis of tumours not derived from thymic epithelium and associated with various numbers of lymphocytes, none of them were found to contain CD1a positive lymphocytes.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Expression of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, -DP, -DQ, and of HLA-D-associated invariant chain (Ii) in non-neoplastic mammary epithelium, fibroadenoma, adenoma, and carcinoma of the breast.

Non-neoplastic mammary gland, 20 benign tumors and 206 carcinomas of the breast were immunohistochemically examined for expression of HLA-A, -B, -C, HLA-DR, -DP, and -DQ molecules and the HLA-D associated invariant chain (Ii). In contrast to cells from benign lesions, tumor cells of 51.2% of carcinomas had an abnormally low content of HLA-A, -B, and -C determinants ranging from reduction of antigenic density per cell (28.8%) over an incomplete (15.6%) to complete loss of antigens (6.8%). Associated with lymphohistiocytic stromal infiltrates, HLA-D/Ii determinants were found to be induced in benign duct and acinar epithelium after the order Ii greater than or equal to HLA-DR greater than or equal to HLA-DP greater than or equal to HLA-DQ. These antigens were also expressed, mostly noncoordinately, in 55.5% of carcinomas, and in 98 cases according to the above order. In 28.6%, Ii expression clearly exceeded HLA-D antigen expression; conversely, 6.2% contained HLA-DR+/Ii- tumor cell subsets. In breast carcinoma, the association of reduced HLA-A, -B, and -C expression and a noninduction of HLA-DR was highly significant (P less than 0.0009), suggesting an abnormal signal acting down-regulating on the expression of both classes of antigens. Because the modality of HLA-A, -B, and -C and HLA-D/Ii expression correlated with neither tumor type nor grade, it might be an independent parameter.

Adenofibroma↗

Whipple's disease: a report of 22 patients.

Twenty-two patients with Whipple's disease are reviewed (21 male, 1 female; mean age 49.3 years). All but one were diagnosed by small intestinal biopsy. The most frequent clinical symptoms at diagnosis were weight loss (14/21 patients), diarrhea (13/21), arthralgias (13/21), cramping abdominal pain (11/21), and skin pigmentation (8/21), which anteceded the diagnosis by from 6 months to 10 years (median 3.5 years). All but three patients were treated successfully with tetracycline given for at least 2 years. Follow-up was done for a median of 7.7 years (range 1-15 years). Two of 17 patients who were followed for 2 years relapsed, as did 2/11 followed for at least 5 years. One patient relapsed twice. Each relapse could be treated with success. In no case did relapse occur in the central nervous system. Thus, tetracycline appears to be effective in the treatment of Whipple's disease if given for at least 2 years. In two further patients with confirmed central nervous system involvement at diagnosis, who were treated with ampicillin plus chloramphenicol, characteristic SPC cells disappeared from the cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, the recently recognized problems in the differential diagnosis of Whipple's disease and atypical mycobacterial infection in AIDS patients are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Intra- and extrathymic B cells in physiologic and pathologic conditions. Immunohistochemical study on normal thymus and lymphofollicular hyperplasia of the thymus.

Normal thymuses and thymuses with lymphofollicular hyperplasia have been examined immunohistologically using immunoenzymatic single and double labelling methods and a panel of monoclonal antibodies against B lymphocyte differentiation antigens (CD19-, CD20-, CD21-, CD22-, CD23- and CD37ag) and human immunoglobulins (IgM, IgD) for the presence and localisation of B lymphocytes and cells expressing B cell differentiation antigens. The numerous hyperplastic lymph follicles which occur in the pathological condition of lymphofollicular hyperplasia of the thymus were found to originate in the extrathymic compartment of the interlobular septal space. This area was found to be blown up by the growing lymph follicles with exactly the same cellular composition as their counterparts in the peripheral lymphatic tissue. Some of the B lymphocytes expressing the immunophenotype of follicular mantle zone lymphocytes which were detected in the thymic medulla probably infiltrated through discontinuities of the border between the perivascular space and the thymic medulla. Apart from this primarily extrathymic B cell compartment, B lymphocytes and cells expressing B cell antigens were found within the thymus medulla of normal control thymuses of different ages from fetal to adult life. These cells were detected as a small subpopulation in normal fetal, juvenile and adult thymuses. Morphologically they could be subdivided into small, round lymphoid cells accounting for less than 1% of medullary lymphoid cells, and into a larger variant, asteroidally shaped because of short cytoplasmic processes. These asteroid cells were even more infrequent than the lymphoid variant. Immunophenotype (CD19ag+, CD20ag+, CD22ag+, CD37ag+, IgM+, IgD+) and morphology of the first cell type led to the conclusion that the lymphoid cells were in fact B lymphocytes. They were scattered throughout the medulla of fetal and juvenile and adult thymuses alike. The second, the asteroid cell type, constantly expressed CD20ag and inconstantly IgM, CD22ag and CD37ag; furthermore, CD23ag was detected in a subset of the asteroid cells either restricted to the perinuclear zone or expressed in the entire cytoplasma and on the plasma membrane. The asteroid cells were located in the corticomedullary region of the fetal thymuses but were randomly distributed with a tendency to Hassall's corpuscles in juvenile and adult thymuses. They often formed rosettes with non-B lymphocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗