Imaging of cell trafficking and metastases of paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish a preclinical mouse model to study metastases of paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma at the macroscopic and cellular levels, with different imaging methods. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cell line Rh30 was stably transfected with the red fluorescent protein (DsRed2) then was xenotransplanted (intravenous injection [n = 8], and footpad injection [n = 8]) into nude mice (NMRI nu/nu). Macroscopic imaging of metastases was performed using DsRed2-fluorescence and flat-panel volumetric computed tomography scan. In a further series of animals (n = 8), in vivo cell trafficking of rhabdomyosarcoma cells using cellular imaging with an Olympus OV100 variable-magnification small-animal imaging system was used. RESULTS: Metastases in the pelvis, thoracic wall and skin were visualized by fluorescence imaging. Pelvic metastases were found after tail vein injection and at other metastatic sites after footpad injection. Flat-panel volumetric computed tomography scan data allowed highly specific analysis of contrast between tumour and surrounding tissue. Correlation between fluorescence and flat-panel volumetric computed tomography scan imaging data was observed. Single-cell imaging visualized tumour cells in the vessels and demonstrated the arrest of tumour cells at vessel junctions followed by extravasation of the tumour cells. CONCLUSION: We established a model for visualization of experimental metastatic invasion and describe relevant tools for imaging childhood rhabdomyosarcoma metastases at the macroscopic and cellular levels. Imaging of cell trafficking visualized the behaviour of tumour cells and development of metastases by accumulation and extravasation of rhabdomyosarcoma cells.

[Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma of the lung associated with a highly positive pANCA-titer and clinical signs of microscopic polyangiitis]. / Bronchioloalveoläres Karzinom der Lunge assoziiert mit einem hochpositiven pANCA-Titer und dem klinischen Bild einer mikroskopischen Polyangiitis.

Autoimmune paraneoplastic processes are investigated in detail concerning the Lambert-Eaton-Myasthenic-Syndrome for bronchial carcinomas. For the cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis as a non-ANCA-associated vasculitis the paraneoplastic genesis is described. Litttle is known about ANCA-associated vasculitis as a paraneoplastic autoimmune phenomenon. We present the case of a 62 year old woman referred to our hospital presenting air-space shadows mainly in both upper lobes, skin rash with petechial bleeding and a highly positive pANCA-titer. A bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was diagnosed by surgical biopsy. The patient developed renal failure postsurgically and died a few weeks after the diagnosis was established. This is the 5 (th) case in literature of the temporal concurrence of a bronchial carcinoma and an ANCA-associated vasculitis. So far only 24 cases of a solid tumor occuring simultaneously with an ANCA-positive vasculitis are reported in literature.

[Effect of surgical timing and circulatory stability of various femoral shaft sections on fracture healing]. / Einfluss von Operationszeitpunkt und Durchblutungswertigkeit verschiedener Femurschaftabschnitte auf die Frakturheilung.

Between 1976 and 1986 in our clinic 273 patients aged 3 to 93 years underwent operation of the femur shaft because of fracture. 79% had multiple injuries. 254 with 269 fractures survived. 52 out of them had open fractures. All operated fractures were analysed concerning fracture type, fracture localization and timing of operation. We saw 36 complications (13.4%), 13 bone infections (4.8) and 23 non-unions (8.6%). 40% of the patients were operated immediately, 23.4% within the first week. Early operation of closed fracture showed 11.5% complications, operation within the first week showed 14% complications, and delayed operation only 5.7% complications. We saw 7 infections (3.5%) and 20 non-unions (9.9%) after 202 fixations with AO-plates, and 2 infections (4.3%) and one non-union (2.2%) after 46 Küntscher-nailings. Multi-fragment fractures showed considerably more complications (15%) than other types. 23 fractures in the transition from the middle to the distal third had the highest complication rate (13% infections and 21% non-unions) followed by 115 fractures in middle part with 4.3% infections and 9.6% non-unions. Fixation of multiple-fragment fractures in the transition from the middle to the distal third with AO-plates had the worst rate of non-unions of all (4 out of 16). The reasons for the different complication rates are discussed. The striking increase of complications from proximal to distal shaft regions is explained by different blood flow alterations in femur diaphysis found in former experiments.

[Qualitative and quantitative determination of proteins in the seminal plasma of the aging man]. / Qualitative und quantitative Proteinbestimmungen im Seminalplasma beim "alternden" Mann

A short review on the origin of the human spermaplasma proteins and their different methods of examination is given. It follows a description of the results of 44 men over 50 years of age concerning albumin and immunoglobulin IgA and IgG. These results were obtained with an immunodiffusion technique.

Polycube optical memory: a 6.5 x 10(7) bit read-write and random access optical store.

A random access optical memory for write-read-write operation is proposed. The memory is designed on the basis of a nonvolatile magnetooptic photoconductor sandwich storage material (MOPS) that offers high optical sensitivity. The optical addressing part of the memory consists of an He-Ne laser, digital light deflection combined with passive beam splitting and simple optics. The addressing is organized in blocks of about 10(3) bits. First experimental results measured at a system model being developed in our laboratory are presented, as well as results of storage experiments at a magnetooptic photoconductor sandwich.