ABSTRACT
AIM: To document and clarify the nature of intranuclear inclusions of luminal epithelium in benign proliferative breast lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five benign breast lesions were selected which showed intranuclear inclusions within epithelial cells on light microscopy. Following confirmation of their luminal epithelial (non-myoepithelial) localisation by immunohistochemistry, ultrastructural examination was performed with the following observations: (1) presence of deep nuclear indentations occasionally verging on nuclear inclusions; (2) inclusions with features of helioid bodies; and (3) a morphological spectrum of helioid bodies and their focal coexistence. CONCLUSION: Intranuclear inclusions of breast epithelium are likely of cytoplasmic origin. Helioid bodies may be formed by a stepwise process, the nature of which needs further study.
Subject(s)
Breast Diseases/pathology , Breast/pathology , Epithelial Cells/pathology , Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies/pathology , Papilloma/pathology , Aged , Breast/metabolism , Breast/ultrastructure , Breast Diseases/metabolism , Cell Nucleus/metabolism , Cell Nucleus/pathology , Cell Nucleus/ultrastructure , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/ultrastructure , Female , Humans , Hyperplasia , Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies/metabolism , Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies/ultrastructure , Male , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission , Middle Aged , Papilloma/metabolism , Papilloma/ultrastructureABSTRACT
AIMS: We aimed to develop an image analysis software that enabled measurement of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickness. METHODS: With this software, we evaluated the range of GBM widths found in a cohort of Asian patients diagnosed with a spectrum of renal diseases including minimal change/IgM nephropathy, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, IgA nephropathy, systemic lupus erythematosus nephritis, diabetic nephropathy, pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis, thin basement membrane disease, and tubulointerstitial nephritis. Measurements were taken from a minimum of five glomerular capillary loops of each glomerulus. For each loop, at least 10 different points of the GBM were measured. RESULTS: The average GBM width measured for minimal change disease was 347.4 +/- 9.0 nm, with the highest value being 403.9 nm and lowest being 214.7 nm. No association was found between GBM width and gender. We found a significant increase in GBM width in pathological states like lupus nephropathy (p < 0.0001), diabetic nephritis (p < 0.001) and tubulointerstitial nephritis (p < 0.01) as compared with minimal change disease. Only one case of thin membrane nephropathy (198.7 nm) was available for analysis and we found a significant thinning of the GBM. CONCLUSIONS: These observations provide insights into the range of GBM thickness in several disease states and support the use of this novel software in the daily diagnostic laboratory setting.
