Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to W Sterry.
Langerhans cell counts were carried out in 16 normal or banal melanocytic naevi and 22 dysplastic naevi, and the numbers in the naevi compared with Langerhans cell numbers in perilesional, clinically normal, epidermis. Langerhans cell numbers were found to be raised in both types of naevi, but no significant difference between Langerhans cell numbers in the two types of naevi was found.
Cutaneous pseudolymphomas are biologically benign disorders which are characterized by their close clinical and histological similarity to malignant lymphomas. The most important criteria which permit their differentiation are clinical features (course, typical findings like light sensitivity in actinic reticuloid), histology, immunologic characteristics of the infiltrating lymphocytes (membrane and intracytoplasmatic immunoglobulins, membrane and nuclear antigens), as well as detectable chromosome aberrations.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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In 1186 patients with systemic malignant B-cell lymphomas, the skin was involved in 6.17% of low-grade malignant, 9.7% of medium-grade malignant, and 7.4% of high-grade malignant lymphomas. Skin involvement is associated with an impaired prognosis in malignant B-cell lymphomas, with the exception of medium-grade malignant lymphomas.
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Mollusca contagiosa are histologically characterized by several small lobules opening to a common porus. We have report on a histological deviation from this uniform picture showing differentiation of these lobules into hair follicle-like structures extending deep into the dermis.
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Development of squamous cell carcinomas in lesions of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) has been observed extremely rarely. This paper reports on two patients with squamous cell carcinomas in DLE-lesions that had preexisted for decades. Because this complication is observed so rarely, individual predisposing factors are discussed.
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High molecular pathogenic substances are eliminated from the blood by plasma exchange. Main indications are autoimmune disorders; the experiences with this therapy in dermatological disorders are reviewed. In psoriasis vulgaris immunoglobulins and antigen-antibody-complexes has been discussed as pathogenetic, too; we have therefore treated four patients with psoriasis by plasma exchange. Although we observed a surprising clinical improvement during the initial phase of therapy, the final results are not convincing.
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Under special culture conditions, rat peritoneal macrophages have previously been shown to transform into mast cells. This method has been adapted here to the human species. Adherent large mononuclear cells from human pleural exudates were cultured in a medium supplemented with horse serum (30%) and fibroblast supernatants (30%). Metachromatic staining (toluidine blue, pH 3.6) of cytoplasmic granules appeared first in a small percentage of cells by days 5-6 of culture and reached a high intensity in 50% of the cells between days 12-22. Histamine levels within the cells increased by a factor of 7 during this same time period and the cell size by a factor of 3. Cultures could be maintained for about three weeks, since viability and total cell number decreased on extended culture. The data suggest that mononuclear cells in inflammatory exudates can transform into mast cell-like cells under the influence of high levels of specific conditioning factors in their microenvironment.
Leukemic blood cells from eight patients with Sézary's syndrome were analyzed for enzyme cytochemical features, Fc receptors, and surface phenotype. Enzyme cytochemically the cases were heterogeneous in their activity of acid esterase, acid phosphatase and dipeptidylaminopeptidase IV (DAP IV). Only one case showed positive staining for DAP IV. The expression of Fc receptors for IgG and IgM also varied. The DAP IV-positive case exhibited Fc mu receptors. In contrast, four other cases showed only Fc gamma receptors. Analysis of the surface antigen pattern of Sézary cells with monoclonal antibodies revealed the phenotype of helper T lymphocytes (Leu-3 a/OKT4+) in all but one case. The Leu-3 a/OKT4-negative case showed a phenotypic feature of natural killer cells (Leu-7+). The results obtained with the antibodies TU14 and Anti-human Lyt-1 were more heterogeneous. The heterogeneity of Sézary cells may be interpreted as a sign of differences in functional differentiation or of proliferation of different T-cell subclones.
An in vitro culture method, previously shown to induce the transformation of rat macrophages to mast cells, has been adapted to humans. Adherent peripheral human blood mononuclear cells were cultured in a medium supplemented with 30% L-cell supernatant and 30% horse serum. During the first week of culture, the cells were phagocytic (80%), lacked histamine, were not metachromatic and stained faintly for naphthol-AS-D-chloroacetate esterase, primarily in a paranuclear location. During the first 2 weeks of culture, the cells grew in size, synthesized DNA, became nonadherent and developed cytoplasmic chloroacetate esterase staining which was strongly positive in 50-60% of the cells during the third week. Intracellular histamine levels increased steadily during culture, and electron-dense metachromatic cytoplasmic granules were present during the third week. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells contain therefore a subpopulation of cells that can differentiate into mast cells-like cells under specific in vitro culture conditions.