ABSTRACT
We report the case of a 56-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer that manifested as multiple subcutaneous nodules. Histology showed irregularly shaped cells with large nuclei and it also showed frequent mitotic figures clustered throughout the dermis. To predict whether metastasis was likely to occur, we performed a controlled study using gastric cancer cells from patients with or without metastases. Tumor cells that had metastasized showed more positive staining for Ki67, PCNA and p53 than those that had not metastasized, although there were no marked differences between the reactivities of these 2 groups for factor VIII related antigen, CEA, EGF, or p21 staining. We conclude that immunohistochemical staining for Ki67, PCNA or p53 might be very useful in predicting the possible risk of metastasis of cancer cells.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Neoplasm Metastasis/diagnosis , Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis , Skin Neoplasms/secondary , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Adenocarcinoma/metabolism , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Ki-67 Antigen/metabolism , Male , Middle Aged , Predictive Value of Tests , Prognosis , Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen/metabolism , Skin Neoplasms/metabolism , Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolismABSTRACT
A case of bullous pemphigoid (BP) in a 47-year-old female hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier is reported. Disseminated bullae covered the patient's entire body including the hands and feet. BP was diagnosed on the basis of pathological and immunological observations examining immunofluorescence and cross reactions to both bullous pemphigoid antigen (BPAG) 1 and BPAG 2. Although oral prednisolone (80 mg daily) rapidly healed the eruption, liver function failed to respond, resulting in the patient's death. This liver dysfunction was attributed to the HBV infection. Use of the polymerase chain reaction showed that HBV in this case had transformed into its precore mutation form during the therapy. Standard tests on first examination did not detect HBV in this patient, but later detailed analysis suggested that she had been an HBV carrier since birth. Such carriers sometimes test negative for HBs antigen, when only a little HBV is present in the liver. Great care should also be exercised when using high doses of corticosteroids to treat bullous diseases in HBV carriers, because these drugs may aggravate HBV infections and cause liver failure.
Subject(s)
Carrier State , Hepatitis B/complications , Pemphigoid, Bullous/complications , Prednisolone/adverse effects , Female , Humans , Liver Failure/etiology , Middle Aged , Pemphigoid, Bullous/drug therapy , Prednisolone/therapeutic useSubject(s)
Hemangioendothelioma/therapy , Interleukin-2/therapeutic use , Scalp , Skin Neoplasms/therapy , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , HumansABSTRACT
We have tested the effects of nuclear isolation on intercalation of TMP (a psoralen) at specific sequences and in total DNA of cultured human cells. DNA in nuclei photobound about 20% more TMP than in cells and about 10% as much as purified DNA. In contrast, a transcribed ras gene and a randomly selected polymorphic sequence each bound about 20% more TMP than total DNA in cells. However, in nuclei, as in purified DNA, both sequences were just as sensitive as total DNA. Apparently, chromatin in cells exists within diverse TMP-binding environments and some of this diversity was lost upon nuclear isolation.
