Generalized (systemic) secondary amyloidosis was a post mortem finding recorded in 28 patients (25.2%) by amyloid specific Congored staining according to Romhányi, from 111 randomized autopsy cases with rheumatoid arthritis. Amyloidosis was present most frequently in the gastro-intestinal tract, the heart, kidney, thyroid gland, spleen and in the suprarenal glands. The quantity of amyloid deposits is usually the highest in the organs that are most frequently have deposits. The amyloidosis is a progressive cumulative process. The conclusion is that the organs where there are frequently high quantities of amyloid is where the deposits begin and where there are infrequently any deposits or low quantities is where the deposits develop later. Biopsy of the most frequently involved organs are suggested for early diagnosis of amyloidosis. Comparing the laboratory parameters (at the last hospitalisation), the amyloidotic patients were anaemic, with low haemoglobin level (p < 0.05), the renal function significantly decreased, the carbamid (p < 0.001), and kreatinin level high (p < 0.05), with frequent proteinuria (p < 0.0001).
The authors report two cases of a peculiar microphlebitis of the intestines, similar to that described by Saraga and Costa quite recently [5]. The patients had undergone hemicolectomy because of evolving ileus caused by cecal polyps or lipohyperplasia, respectively. Pseudomembranous-ulcerative inflammation of the cecum and variously intense lymphocytic infiltrates of numerous small submucosal veins and venules of the intestines were found in both cases. Thrombosis occurred very rarely in the affected vessels, although sometimes it was found in deeper and larger veins. Arteries, lymphatics, mesenterial veins and lymph nodes were normal. Parts of the distal ileum and ascending colon displayed the phlebitic changes without mucosal alterations. The authors hypothesize that it was not the abnormal local circulation, but some hitherto not fully clarified immunological disorder that resulted in the disease. In contrast to the claim of Saraga and Costa [5], it is suggested that thrombosis of the small veins does not have a significant role in the development of the lesions, but a complex process that includes the entry of antigens via the altered mucosa followed by an immunogenic inflammatory response of the small veins is responsible for the pathogenesis.
We reviewed the autopsy material of 169 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and studied the cardiac changes is these patients. Systemic vasculitis was observed in 26 cases (15.38%) among 169 patients with RA. In 17 cases (10%) we found vasculitis of the subepicardial and/or intramural coronary vessels. Coronary arteritis or arteriolotis has led to multifocal small, and/or large myocardial infarctions in 10 cases (5.9%) and was the cause of progressive cardiac insufficiency, the direct cause of death. Multifocal circumscribed myocardial infarction reported in rheumatoid disease. In 8 cases rheumatoid nodules were found in the myocardium, 3 of them related to vasculitis. We suggest that rheumatoid nodules are the most severe form of necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis. Pathognomic nodular rheumatoid pericarditis was seen in 3 cases and diffuse rheumatoid pericarditis in another case. Pathognomic nodular valvulitis was found in 7 cases. Rheumatoid nodules localized to the epi-, myo-, or endocardium were observed on 9 patients. Generalized secondary amyloidosis was observed in 32 (18.93%) of the 169 patients with RA. Secondary amyloidosis was prevalent in the heart in 29 of 32 cases (relative frequency: 90.62%).
Sheep kidneys were injected with polyester crystic (Dewilux 511-0196) and three dimensional forms of the structure forming the postglomerular microcirculation were examined by scanning electron microscope. During the examination of the afferent and efferent arterioles, a glomerulus with double efferent arterioles were examined and microdiverticular structures were observed in the terminal end of peritubular capillary plexus. It is concluded that these structures widen the surface area of the capillaries as a result of which diffusion across the capillary bed is facilitated.
To study the influence of chromatin condensation on the absorption spectra of nuclei stained with toluidine blue, DNA staining methods--which favour or prevent dye polymerization--were applied to the imprints of rat tissues that differed greatly in the density of chromatin packing. It is stated that all factors promoting dye polymerization cause a left shift of the spectra while the factors preventing it, a right one. It was found that condensation of the chromatin can raise prerequisites that both enhance and hinder polymerization, and that the final result depends on the staining method, the manner of chromatin folding, and the density of its packing.
A population-based and validated data set of 14 cases with isolated proximal intercalary type of congenital limb deficiency born in Hungary between 1975-84 was evaluated. Two cases had phocomelia of upper limbs, while 12 cases were affected with classical intercalary defects mainly in femurs. Of 14 cases, 13 had unimelic manifestation and both sexes were equally affected. The intrauterine growth retardation, the excess of second birth order, a higher rate of acute maternal disorder of the respiratory system and the lack of familial cluster are noteworthy. The vascular disruption hypothesis seems to be the most plausible explanation for the origin of isolated proximal intercalary defects.
A new computerized polarization microscopic method was developed for objective, quick quantitative analysis of anisotropic structures. The paper presents the technology on collagen fibers of kidney and liver preparations. According to the observations the birefringence of one fiber can be characterized not by a single number as it is accepted generally but by a series of data. It suggests that the process of compensation is gradual. One of the explanations of this fact might be that the collagen fibers are inhomogeneous at submicroscopic level. With regard to this assumption, first several birefringent capillary basement membranes of a whole glomerulum were measured simultaneously. In this case, the individual capillaries showed nearly the same retardation. Second, portal zones of normal and cirrhotic livers as functional units were analyzed simultaneously. In the latter case the individual fibers show different birefringence. Comparing the results obtained by their technique with the data of the classic measuring method authors found similarity that proved its validity. Data suggest that the new method seems to be useful in experimental and diagnostic pathology.
Paraffin sections from 21 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 28 cases (26 high-grade and 2 low-grade) of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) occurring in childhood were examined for the presence of proliferating cell nuclear antigen using an anti-PCNA antibody. All cases of HD and NHL showed PCNA reactivity. In HD 50.9% (mean value) of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells were PCNA positive and judged to be proliferating. PCNA reactivity was also found in a varying number of cells of the background population in HD (mean value = 11.7%). In NHL 61.2% (mean value) of cells were PCNA positive. In the 26 high grade tumours 63.6% (mean value) of cells were PCNA positive while only 32% (mean value) of cells were PCNA positive in the 2 low-grade tumours. Our results show that the proliferation rate of tumour cells in high-grade NHL is higher than those of tumour cells in low-grade NHL and HRS cells in HD. Moreover, we found a considerable variation of proliferation rate among individual cases of HD (range 31%-68%) of NHL (range 31%-78%). This suggests that PCNA assessment can help in the individual approach of the proliferation rate of each tumour, and, in conjunction with other parameters of the cell proliferation, could be useful for the understanding of the biological behavior of childhood lymphomas.
Authors describe a new mathematical approach based on mixture decomposition and maximum likelihood method for the determination of subpopulations and G1-S-G2 phase fraction ratios in aneuploid, multiploid DNA histograms. A special computer routine was developed for this purpose (DAHSY). The present study relates to DNA histograms obtained by a Leitz Miamed DNA TV image analyser system. Altogether 23 normal, 14 dysplastic and 28 tumours Feulgen stained gastric imprint smears were measured. In addition to determination of subpopulations and G1-S-G2 phase fraction ratios, the authors also performed a morphometric analysis of Feulgen stained nuclei and determined the values of 5c exceeding rate (5cER) and the 2c deviation index (2cDI). More than one subpopulation were found only in tumours. The usual G1-S-G2 phase fraction rates in normal gastric smears were 85.5%, 9.04%, 4.9%, in dysplastic cases 74%, 15.4%, 10.2% and in tumours 53.8%, 22.9%, 18.8%. Significance of the differences were calculated by the T-test. The G1 phase fraction ratio clearly discriminates the malignant lesions from all others. The S+G2 phase fraction ratio, however, distinguishes the normal cases from the dysplastic ones. The 2cDi and 5cEr could support a multivariate diagnostic system. The cell nucleus area was found also to be of diagnostic value.
Topographic distribution of terminal and intercalary carbohydrate moieties were studied using horseradish peroxidase conjugated Glycine max (GMA), Arachis hypogea (PNA), Lotus tetragonolobus (LTA), Bandirarea simplicifolia (BSA), and Dolichos biflorus (DBA) agglutinins. N-Gal NAc, alpha-D-Gal, alpha-L-Fuc, D-Gal (beta-1-3)-D-Gal NAc, and alpha-beta-D Gal NAc linked glyco-conjugates were exposed during follicular atresia in oocyte, zona pellucida and granulosa cells. Theca interna and interstitial gland tissue revealed homology in lectin binding.
CFY rats were treated intratracheally on one occasion with 60 mg of DQ12 quartz, illite (aluminosilicate) and enargite (dead rocks of a metal mine) suspended in 1 ml physiological saline. After a year, the structure of the pulmonary arterial system of pneumoconiotic rats was investigated by means of injection-corrosion cast and gelatin-India ink samples in thick preparations. In the identically treated animals, blood-gas analysis was made of samples of femoral arteries before and after intravenous treatment with noradrenaline and acetylcholine (40-40 micrograms/b.w.) under sodium pentobarbital narcosis. It has been stated that in focal alterations characteristic of different types of pneumoconioses, arborisation of the pulmonary arteries is and a newly developed and/or transformed vascular structure can be observed around the foci. In pneumonoconiotic lungs, arteriovenous shunts are more frequent. The authors assumed some connection between the vascularization of foci and the progression of the fibrotic process: richer vascularization around and inside the foci was accompanied by significant fibrosis. The blood-gas values suggested compensated respiratory acidosis. In the examined pneumoconioses, the effect of vasoactive substances - in terms of blood-gas values - had not changed significantly.
Ultrastructure of liver biopsy specimens obtained from normal and hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected livers of patients and chimpanzees were compared. Nuclear alterations (glycogen particles, nuclear bodies, "vermicellar bodies", etc.), intracytoplasmic crystalloid inclusions were observed before and after the HBV and HCV infections both in human and chimpanzee hepatocytes, however, some of them were more common during the viral infection. Extreme endoplasmic reticulum dilatation characterized the human, while the presence of membranous cytoplasmic inclusions the hepatocytes of chimpanzees during HCV infection. Interferon-associated membrane alterations were noted during acute or chronic hepatitis, however, in slightly different forms in humans and chimpanzees. Data suggest to be precautions in the interpretation of the ultrastructural alteration observed in different species even to be so closely related as humans and chimpanzees especially during infection with hepatotropic viruses.
Calcium pantothenate was administered to Wistar rats in a dose of 180 mg/day/rat for 42 days, in order to investigate its effect upon the ultrastructure of the epidermis locally irradiated with a dose of 600 rep and upon partly hepatectomized liver and locally irradiated epidermis, as compared to control. The resulting data have revealed that calcium pantothenate is metabolized without entailing ultrastructural changes. Both liver and epidermis appear to be protected by calcium pantothenate, which greatly diminishes or even cancels the display of irradiation-induced negative effects. The changes brought about by irradiation are throughly presented and the subcellular mechanisms providing the radioprotection of epidermis and liver are accurately defined.
The present ultrastructural study established the main morphological events that occur during the myenteric plexus formation in the chicken duodenum from the 7th day of incubation (E7) up to hatching, with special attention to the appearance of different axon profiles and synaptic contacts. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the compartmentalization of the enteric mesenchyma into outer and inner zones precedes the sequential morphological maturation of the crest derived cells during myenteric plexus formation. On E7, a slender neuropil was present in the migrating cell clusters, but all the crest derived cells were uniform. In the following stages, the neuronal and enteroglial cells were distinguishable. The first significant sign of neuronal maturation was the morphological heterogeneity in the vesicle population on E11. Progressive changes in the synaptogenesis were identified, and the axosomatic synapses were characteristic around hatching. On E18, a transient direct muscle-ganglion contact with the circular muscle layer was observed, in addition to the permanent ganglionar contact to the longitudinal layer of the muscularis externa.
Methylglyoxal-induced morphological changes were studied in cultured rat hepatocytes. Hepatocytes incubated either in the presence or absence of 2.5 mM Ca2+ were injured by 10 mM methylglyoxal to a similar extent, while 1 mM of the alpha-oxoaldehyde caused a moderate damage only in the absence of Ca2+. In the absence of Ca2+, however, hepatocytes were already injured, even without the presence of methylglyoxal hepatotoxicity proceeds independently of the Ca2+ influx.
The DNASK is a PC-based image analysis module for quantitative cytological and histological examinations on Feulgen-Schiff preparations. The module consists of a frame grabber, a CCD black and white video camera and the DNASK software package which can be incorporated in an IBM compatible PC-AT joining to a standard pathological research photo microscope. The use of 386 IBM AT systems leads to significant decrease of the measurement's time. Mono- or color VGA graphics card should be used. The resolution of the images is 512 x 512 pixels and 256 gray values. The image caption is made in less than 0.5 second, the measurement of a cell nuclei (18 parameters) takes less, than 5 seconds (IBM AT 286). The camera is a standard CCD one. The microscope should be a good quality, modern microscope with built-in light source, however, the application of voltage stabiliser is strongly recommended. The software is able to measure the parameters mostly used and suggested in the international literature: 15 morpho- and densitometric parameters of the cell nuclei 6 DNA histogram parameters of the measured case, like DNA Index, 2c deviation Index, 5c exceeding rate, G1-S-G2 phase fraction ratio. The system supports the grouping of the measured cases and at the end of a study results of the single measurements can be collected and summarized in an ASCII file, which is readable by major statistical programpackages. The DNASK has a special graphical user interface for the control of the program.
The effects of intravesical therapy with adriamycin, 1.6-dibromo-1.6-dideoxydulcitol (DBD) or with 1.6-dianhydrodulcitol (DAD) on bladder carcinogenesis were investigated in rats. To induce premalignant lesions in the urinary bladder female Sprague-Dawley rats received 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN) in their drinking water for 4 weeks and then post-treated intravesically with one of the antitumor drugs and examined once a week for 3 months. These antitumor drugs in healthy rats (i.e. without the pre-administration of BBN) did not cause any significant morphological changes in the urinary bladder after intravesical application once a week for 3 months. In the applied dose BBN alone induced only premalignant lesions in the urinary bladder. However, neoplastic lesions occurred in the groups treated with BBN and adriamycin (9 papillomas and 3 carcinomas in 14 animals). Similarly intravesical application of DBD after BBN administration resulted 5 carcinomas among the 11 animals. On the contrary no urinary bladder tumor was found in the animals treated with BBN and DAD. As DAD is one of the conversion products of DBD it is conceivable that the difference between DBD and DAD action may be due to the formation of other solvolytic product from DBD than DAD.
77 HIV-positive corpses were autopsied at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Hamburg (in cooperation with the Bernhard-Nocht Institute) from August 1984 until September 31st, 1989. In the clinical autopsies (29 cases) the patients had always shown manifest AIDS symptoms, while 90% of the HIV-infected forensic autopsy cases had no AIDS symptoms during their lives and mostly died from drug overdose. Authors describe the clinical autopsy findings (Kaposi sarcoma, infections caused by opportunistic pathogenics), serological AIDS screen-examinations, and the precautions applied during the autopsies. They also describe their own methods for the prevention of infection with reference to hygiene in the dissecting rooms.
Recently, the presence of deleted forms of the HTLV-I provirus was described in 6 out of 6 cases of CTCL. We investigated whether the presence of these viral genomes could be verified in 20 patients with CTCL using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analysis. Only one of the 20 cases showed a band corresponding to the pX region of HTLV-I. These data indicate that in the majority of CTCL cases, sequences closely related to HTLV-I are not present, or their copy number is below the limit of detection employed in this study.
Paraffin sections from 21 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD), 28 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and 34 cases of non-specific reactive lymphadenitides occurring in childhood were examined for the presence of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-encoded Latent Membrane Protein (LMP) using a double layer immunohistochemical method. LMP was detected in 12/21 (57%) cases of HD but not in NHL or reactive lymph nodes. LMP reactivity was restricted to Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's (HRS) cells in 4 of 9 (45%) cases of nodular sclerosis (NS), 6 of 9 (66%) cases of mixed cellularity (MC) and 2 of 2 (100%) cases of lymphocyte depletion (LD) while it was undetectable in the single case of lymphocyte predominance (LD) subtype. These results provide further evidence for an association between EBV and Hodgkin's disease, and they show that LMP expression occurs more frequently in the clinically more aggressive subtypes of HD. Furthermore, in view of the in vitro transforming potential of the LMP protein, the exclusive immunolocalization of LMP in HRS cells, suggests that EBV may be involved in the pathogenesis of a proportion of cases of HD.
