crude plant juices of desert plants as appropriate culture media for the cultivation of rhizospheric microorganisms

The exclusive use of plant juices, not as a mere supplement to synthetic culture media, for culturing rhizospheric microorganisms [RMO] is introduced here. Juices were prepared from desert [Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., Zygophyllum album L., Carpobrotus edulis L.] as well as cultivated [Trifolium alexandrinum L., Beta vulgaris L.] plants. Colonies of RMO [Azospirillum brasilense, Enter obacter agglomerans and Klebsiella pneumoniae] nicely developed on surface-inoculated agar plates prepared from crude and diluted juice of M. crystallinum [ice plant]. Furthermore, hundreds of RMO colonies developed on various standard culture media were replicated [> 90%] on agar plates of different plant juices. RMO cells grew nicely in liquid ice plant juice, with doubling times comparable to those grown in the reference culture medium. RMO populations resident in various host plants were able to develop on culture media prepared from homologous and heterologous juices. The application of a thin semi-solid overlay agar on the surfaces of inoculated agar plates significantly increased the recovery of micro-colonies on agar plates, particularly those prepared from plant juices

Hodgkin's disease: Ten year-clinical experience and pathological review

Four hundred and fifty four cases of Hodgkin's disease presented to the Radiotherapy and Oncology Unit, Alexandria University Hospital [AUH] between January 1980 and December 1989. The median age was 25 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.1: 1. Mixed cellularity histology was the commonest and accounted for 40% of the cases. Systemic manifestations were present in 38%. Early stages [I, II and IIIA] were treated by an extended field radiotherapy using Cobalt 60, and, in late stages [IIIB and IV] combination chemotherapy [MOPP or one of its variants] was used either alone, or combined with involved field irradiation. The complete remission rate was 81.5% and 34.3% of cases achieving complete remission relapsed. Advanced stage, systemic symptoms, mixed cellularity and lymphocytic depletion had a negative effect on prognosis

Reed-Stornberg cell and its mononuclear variants in Hodgkin's disease: an immunohistological study

An immunoperoxidase study of 20 cases of Hodgkin's disease [HD] showed positive staining of the Reed-Sternberg cells and their mononuclear variants for IgG and both kappa and lambda light chains. Staining for J chain was negative suggesting that the immunoglobulin had not been synthesized by the neoplastic cells but had been taken up from the extra cellular environment. A positive staining for alpha-1 antitrypsin, a histiocytic marker, was also detected in the Reed- Sternberg cells and their mononuclear variants in 16 out of the 20 cases studied. These findings lend support to the concept of histiocytic origin of these cells. It is also suggested that the characteristic immunohistochemical staining properties of these cells may be helpful in distinguishing Hodgkin's disease from other neoplasms that exhibit Reed-Sternberg-like cells

Study of the thyroid gland involvement in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers

Twenty case of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers treated with radical surgery were studied. These were 16 males and four females with their ages ranging from 43 to 71 years. The cases included: four supraglattic cancers, five cordal cancers, one case of subglottic cancer, four cases of postcricoid cancer and one case of cancer of the pyriform fossa. All cases were squamous cell carcinomas. Serial sectioning of the thyroid gland showed its involvement in three instances: one case of postcricoid carcinoma that spread to the gland via lymphatic channels; and two cases of transglottic cancers. In one of these, tumor spread through the thyroid cartilage to involve the thyroid gland occured; while in the other case, involvement of the gland was by direct spread from the involved prelaryngeal lymph node. Total thyroidectomy is essential when resecting post-cricoid or subglottic cancers

Thyroglossal cyst and fistula: a clinicopathological study

The clinicopathologic features of 31 cases of thyroglossal tract anomales encountered during a period of two years were studied. These were 28 cases of thyroglossal cyst and three cases of thyroglossal fistulae, in various locations. Thyroid tissue was detected in the wall of 3 cases [9.7%]. Diagnoses and management of such lesions are discussed

Fine needle aspiration biopsy in the management of thyroid nodules

During a 15 month period, aspiration biopsy cytology was carried out on 54 patients presenting with solitary thyroid nodules. The cytological findings were compared with the histopathologic diagnoses in the surgically biopsied cases. The procedure showed a high accuracy in the differentiation of benign lesions from malignant ones, and in the specific diagnosis of the types of lesions. The method safe, simple and more specific than other currently available non-histologic techniques, used in thyroid nodule evaluation and management

Percutaneous needle biopsy of the kidney in cases of nephrotic syndrome

The present study dealt with the percutaneous needle biopsy specimens obtained from the kidneys of 50 patients presenting with nephrotic syndrome. Sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin as well as, others stained with periodic acid Schiff [PAS], periodic acid silver methenamine [PASM], Congo Red and Masson trichrome stain were examined by light microscopy. The special stains used helped in the recognition of the different histopathologic patterns underlying the nephrotic syndrome. A definite diagnosis could be reached in 36 [72%] cases of diffuse histopathological patterns underlying the nephrotic syndrome. A definite diagnosis could be reached in 36 [72%] cases only. These included 12 [33.3%] cases of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, six [16.6%] cases of diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, five [11.1%] cases of membranous glomerulonephritis, two [5.6%] cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, while in 12 [33.3%] cases, an underlying systemic disease was detected, including amyloidosis, systemic lupus erythematosis and diabetes mellitus