BACKGROUND: To predict the nodal involvement of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) many investigators have studied the histologic features of primary tumors. However, conventional histologic grading still is not sufficient to provide an objective and practical evaluation. In this study we tried to modify one standard type of histologic grading, namely, mode of invasion (MI), on the basis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) staining pattern. METHODS: One hundred seventeen initial biopsies of primary OSCC were histologically examined, and the MI was graded. The expression of a series of ECMs-laminin, type IV collagen, heparin-sulphate proteoglycan, fibronectin, tenascin, decorin, and vitronectin-was immunohistochemically examined. RESULTS: The ECM staining pattern showed a close association with the MI, and was classified into types I and II. The type I staining pattern was observed in the noninvasive cases (MI grades 1 and 2), while type II was in the highly invasive cases (MI grades 4c and 4d). Because the ECM staining pattern in the moderately invasive cases (MI grade 3) included both types I and II, these cases were subdivided and compared. As a result, the type II cases showed a significantly higher incidence of nodal involvement than did the type I cases. CONCLUSION: An examination of a series of the ECMs, in addition to the conventional histologic examination, is thus considered to provide more objective and practical data to evaluate the invasive and metastatic potential of OSCC.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Appraisal of ten-year survival following esophagectomy for carcinoma of the esophagus with emphasis on quality of life.

Characteristics of 10-year survival after esophagectomy for carcinoma were studied retrospectively in 161 patients who underwent curative operation between 1973 and 1984. Of the 161 patients, 44 (27.3%) survived for 10 years after operation (right transthoracic approach with cervical anastomosis in 36 patients and left thoracoabdominal approach with jejunoesophagostomy in 8 patients). Females survived significantly longer than males; 10-year survival was observed in 10 (50%) of 20 females and 34 (24.1%) of 141 males. TNM factors were significantly linked to the 10-year survival for 25 patients (56.8%) whose tumors invaded the adventitia and 20 patients (45.5%) who had lymph node metastases, where the total number of involved nodes was less than eight. A questionnaire mailed 10 years after operation revealed that about one-fifth of the 10-year survivors could not go up one flight of stairs without taking a rest, and that the daily activity significantly deteriorated if the patient's age at the time of surgery was more than 66 years. One-third of the 10-year survivors were not satisfied with the daily quantity of food intake, resulting in no gain of body weight after discharge from the hospital. This complaint was significantly correlated with either weekly reflux or heartburn, resulting in the increasing number of nonmalignancy deaths. Of 13 ten-year survivors who were alive at 10 years but died after that, 11 (84.6%) died of pneumonia or malnutrition. Duodenogastroesophageal reflux may eventually cause nonmalignancy death 10 years after esophagectomy for carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intraoperative pleural lavage in esophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cytological examination of intraoperative pleural or peritoneal lavage specimens is useful for predicting outcomes for patients with various carcinomas. There have been few reports regarding cytological examination of pleural lavage fluid in esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: Intraoperative pleural lavage fluid was collected before and after esophagectomy and was examined by Papanicolaou and Giemsa staining for 78 patients with esophageal carcinoma. RESULTS: Although epithelial cells were found for 29 patients, only blood cells were detected for 48. The remaining one patient exhibited no cells in the specimen. For 4 of 78 (5.2%) patients, tumor cells were detected in the pleural lavage fluid after esophagectomy. Three of these four patients had T4 tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Positive cytological findings for pleural lavage fluid, using Papanicolaou and Giemsa staining, is correlated with regrowth of residual tumor and poor prognosis in esophageal carcinoma.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Trace elements and mineral requirements for very low birth weight infants in rickets of prematurity.

To establish mineral and trace element requirements for very low birth it is important to prevent bone mineral disorder. Those infants fed mother's milk only are thought to be at higher risk of this disorder. Both calcium and phosphorus supplementation were thought to be needed to prevent it. Copper and zinc are important as cofactors of major enzymes involved in the synthesis of collagen. These trace elements especially zinc may not be enough for very low birth weight infants fed mother's milk. At present however the relationship between these trace elements and minerals, and bone metabolic disease in preterm infants is not completely clear.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sequential MRI findings in a patient with a germ cell tumor in the basal ganglia.

Serial changes of MRI scanning of an 11-year-old boy with hemiparesis due to a germ cell tumor in the basal ganglia are presented. Initial brain MRI T1-weighted images revealed a subtle mixed signal intensity lesion at left anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule. This lesion was not enhanced with Gd-DTPA, however, T2-weighted images showed a misty high signal intensity lesion in the same region. The MR images also showed hemiatrophy of the left basal ganglia. Histologic examination of biopsy specimens of the tumor revealed an embryonal carcinoma. The patient was treated with chemotherapy with subsequent improvement in the hemiparesis. Our case suggests that germ cell tumors must be considered in the differential disorders of lesions in the ipsilateral hemiatrophic basal ganglia in pediatric patients with hemiparesis.

Basal Ganglia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Histopathological study on cerebellar dysgenesis of shaking rat Kawasaki (SRK).

The cerebellum of shaking rat Kawasaki (SRK) was studied histochemically and immunocytochemically. The cerebellar cortex was characterized by a delay in the disappearance of the external granular layer, a narrow molecular layer, a narrow and cell sparse internal granular layer, and disarranged and heterotopically situated Purkinje cells with tortuous arborization and a large cell cluster in the depths of the cerebellum. Golgi-Cox staining revealed an abnormal ramification and polarity of ectopic Purkinje cells. Ultrastructurally, most spines of Purkinje cells in the depths remained naked. Based on these results, it is suggested that the genetically determined mechanisms responsible for the abnormal structure in the cerebellar cortex of SRK may include a migratory disorder of the Purkinje cells, and a decrease in the microneurons with a resulting decrease of synaptic contacts on the Purkinje cell soma and dendrite.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Axon ramification following unilateral cortical ablation in neonatal rats.

We confirmed the formation of an aberrant ipsilateral corticospinal tract after unilateral cerebral cortical ablation during the neonatal period in rat. This tract was studied using anterograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) tracing. Ramifications of the axons in the pyramidal tract were found to contribute to the ipsilateral tract at the level of the pyramidal decussation, suggesting that ramification of immature axons play an important role in the formation of the ipsilateral corticospinal tract.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development of corticospinal tract fibers and their plasticity I: quantitative analysis of the developing corticospinal tract in mice.

This study was undertaken to elucidate ultrastructurally and quantitatively the development of the corticospinal tract (CST) axons of mouse at the intumescence level of the cervical cord. An anterograde HRP study showed that the CST was located at the ventral one-third of the dorsal funiculus, and a few HRP-positive fibers were noted at the medialmost part of the ipsilateral anterior funiculus. Ultrastructurally, the CST was composed of unmyelinated axons, growth cones and a few degenerating axons until postnatal day 10 (P10), then the axons in CST gradually increased in size. The number of axons constituting the right CST was calculated at different days of age. The total numbers of axons at P0, P4, P14, P21 and P56 were 2.3 x 10(4), 6.2 x 10(4), 10.4 x 10(4), 7.1 x 10(4) and 3.5 x 10(4), respectively. These results indicate that the number of CST axons at the cervical intumescence of mouse becomes maximum at P14, and then decreases rapidly to reach the adult level of 3.5 x 10(4) (at P56), about 68% of them thus being lost.

Animals↗