Ultrastructural changes of the olfactory bulb in manganese-treated mice

The effect of manganese toxicity on the ultrastructure of the olfactory bulb was evaluated. Male albino mice were injected intraperitoneally with MnCl2 (5 mg/Kg/day) five days per week during nine weeks. The control group received NaCl (0.9%). The olfactory bulbs of five mice from each group were processed for transmission electron microscopy after 2, 4, 6 and 9 weeks of manganese treatment. On week 2, some disorganization of the myelin sheaths was observed. After 4 weeks, degenerated neurons with dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum and swollen mitochondria appeared. A certain degree of gliosis with a predominance of astrocytes with swollen mitochondria, disorganization of the endomembrane system, dilation of the perinuclear cisternae and irregularly shaped nuclei with abnormal chromatin distribution were observed after 6 weeks. Some glial cells showed disorganization of the Golgi apparatus. On week 9, an increase in the number of astrocytes, whose mitochondrial cristae were partially or totally erased, and a dilation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum were found. Neurons appear degenerated, with swollen mitochondria and a vacuolated, electron dense cytoplasm. These changes seem to indicate that the olfactory bulb is sensitive to the toxic effects of manganese.

A possible defective estimation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus due ot the coexistence of periodontitis: preliminary observations

The objectives of this study is to determine if periodontitis-related ANCA hinder the accurate estimation of this kind of autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), due to the frequent coexistence of SLE and periodontitis, and the high incidence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in this periodontal condition. Thirty SLE, thirty periodontitis lacking systemic involvement patients, and twenty healthy controls were utilized in this study. The periodontal condition and the presence of ANCA in sera of all individuals was carefully evaluated. For ANCA determination an EIA essay was utilized, directed to a neutrophil granular extract and six neutrophil granule proteins. Sixty percent of SLE patients had periodontitis, and sixty-five percent were ANCA positive. Eighty three percent of all ANCA cases were coexisting with periodontitis. A significant association (p > 0.005) between periodontitis and ANCA was found (Chi Square Test). Fifty percent of the patients with periodontitis lacking systemic involvement were ANCA positive. The results obtained in this study suggest that the figures of ANCA previously reported for SLE, might be overestimated due to the inadvertent presence of periodontitis

Anticuerpos anticitoplasmáticos de neutrófilos (ANCA): un estudio sobre su presencia en patologías no asociadas con arteritis / Antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibodies (ANCA): study on its presence in pathologies not associated with artheritis

En la presente investigación, se ha estudiado la presencia de anticuerpos anticitoplasmáticos de neutrófilos (ANCA) en 101 pacientes con diferentes patologías: Artritis reumatoide, lupus eritematoso sistémico, neutropenia idiopática, síndrome de Down, glomerulonefritis aguda postes-treptocóccica, síndrome nefrótico con cambios mínimos, periodontitis del adulto, calcinosis tumoral, lipodistrofia y monoartritis. Inmunofluorescencia indirecta e inmunoensayo enzimático indirecto(ELISA) fueron las técnicas utilizadas para la detección de estos autoanticuerpos. Nuestros resultados muestran el patrón de distribución de ANCA en estas enfermedades y por primera vez se describe la presencia de estos autoanticuerpos en enfermedades como síndrome de Down, glomerulonefritis aguda postestreptococcica y periodontitis del adulto. El alto grado de positividad para ésta última enfermedad, plantea la posibilidad de que un número de casos positivos para ANCA reportados para ciertas enfermedades sistémicas, correspondan verdaderamente a otra enfermedad concurrente no detectada