Occupational contact urticaria to cannabis sativa.

Cannabis allergy is not commonly reported, perhaps due to the legal status of cannabis use and the difficulties of obtaining permission to test it. We report 3 cases of work-related cannabis allergy with features suggestive of a dermatitis, rather than a contact urticaria. Only prick tests were able to confirm the diagnosis. Identification of the cause of the rash was essential to direct work re-deployment.

Prostaglandin f2alpha treatment in vivo, but not in vitro, stimulates protein kinase C-activated superoxide production by nonsteroidogenic cells of the rat corpus luteum.

Luteal regression is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To determine the nature of the ROS generator, cells isolated from luteinized rat ovaries were examined for ROS production using luminol-amplified chemiluminescence (LCL). Cells cultured for 2-48 h exhibited minimal LCL, but there was a significant (30- to 50-fold), rapid (maximum at 3-5 min), and dose-dependent increase in LCL in response to phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; TPA; ED50 = 0.03 microM) and diacylglycerol (1,2-dioctanoyl-glycerol; ED50 = 30 microM). The TPA-induced response was cell number dependent and was virtually abolished by superoxide dismutase, freezing, or heating (95 degrees C for 5 min). Zymosan, known to induce a phagocytic response in leukocytes, stimulated a superoxide (O2-.) response with a slow onset (maximum at 40 to 60 min) and a maximum about one third of that observed for TPA. The response to TPA and zymosan was inhibited by the NADPH/NADH-oxidase inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium (ID50 = 5 microM for TPA), but not by the mitochondrial inhibitors, potassium cyanide, rotenone, or sodium azide. Fractionation of cells by centrifugal elutriation showed that TPA-stimulated O2-. production coeluted with the nonsteroidogenic cells and that little, if any, O2-. generation coeluted with the steroidogenic cells. Cells isolated 1, 2, and 4 h after in vivo treatment with a luteolytic dose of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) showed a significant increase in TPA-stimulated O2-. production at 2 h, whereas luteal cells or corpora lutea incubated directly with 1 microM PGF2alpha did not show any increase in response. Corpora lutea isolated from naturally regressed ovaries (18 days after ovulation) showed a significantly elevated level of TPA-stimulated O2-. production. In conclusion, there is a superoxide generator in luteinized ovaries that is activated through a protein kinase C pathway, localized in nonsteroidogenic cells, transiently increased during PGF2alpha-induced luteolysis in vivo, and elevated during natural luteal regression.

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma: further evidence by FISH for the involvement of chromosome band 17q25.

A cytogenetic study of an alveolar soft-part sarcoma, a rare tumor of probably myogenic origin, demonstrated a t(X;17)(p11;q25) as the sole chromosomal abnormality. Dual- and triple-color fluorescence in situ hybridization, performed on metaphase and interphase cells, confirmed the translocation between chromosomes X and 17 and demonstrated that this translocation resulted in loss of 17q25. Involvement of 17q25 has been described in four previously published cases of alveolar soft-part sarcoma, but without further characterization. Compared to our karyotype, it seems that the derivative chromosome 17 observed in the reported cases could also be the result of a t(X;17) with possible loss of the 17q25 band. If so, a 17q25 deletion and/or chromosome rearrangement between Xp and 17q leading either to a gene fusion or gene disruption could play an important role in the pathogenesis of alveolar soft-part sarcoma.

Multiple clonal chromosome aberrations in a case of childhood focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver.

A case of focal nodular hyperplasia is described that was accompanied by intense reactive stromal changes giving rise to a pseudosarcomatous appearance. Cytogenetic study revealed complex karyotypic abnormalities including five partially identifiable clonal aberrations and one marker chromosome. The composite karyotype was interpreted as: 45-46,XY,add(4)(q21-25)[24], add(11)(p14)[24], add (19)(p13)[15], der(20)t(1;20)(q25;p12)[31], add(21) (q22)[13],-22[3], +mar[2][cp31]. In addition, quadriradial or complex figures, telomeric associations tas, unidentified ring chromosomes, chromosome breaks, and markers were seen in some cells. Such cytogenetic findings, although suggestive of malignancy, could most likely be related to a nonneoplastic condition, i.e., the unusual florid reactive changes associated with this focal nodular hyperplasia.

[A comparative study of the karyotypes of fetuses of spontaneous early abortions obtained by direct method and by long-term culture]. / Etude comparée des caryotypes de produits d'avortements spontanés précoces obtenus par une méthode directe et par culture à long terme.

The direct method of chromosomal preparations on chorionic villi biopsies has been applied to the cytogenetic study of 34 early spontaneous abortion products. These results were compared with those obtained through long term cultures performed simultaneously from the same samples. The success rate obtained through the direct method (86.2%) is superior to that of the long term culture (76.4%). However, the combined use of both techniques further improves the success rate (94.1%) and the reliability of the results. Among the 32 informative cases, 15 chromosomal aberrations (46.8%) have been detected. These data demonstrate the value of the direct method of karyotyping chorionic villi from spontaneous abortion products. However, considering the specific advantages of either method respectively, the authors recommend that both be used simultaneously for optimal diagnostic efficiency.