ABSTRACT
We report a case of a mucoepidermoid penile carcinoma. The specimen was studied by immunohistochemistry and DNA cytometry. Mucoepidermoid and adenosquamous penile carcinoma are exceedingly rare variants of penile cancer, with very little follow-up data available. To evaluate the possible prognostic significance of these differentiation patterns, it is necessary to document more cases of this unusual tumor entity.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma , Penile Neoplasms , Aged , Carcinoma/chemistry , Carcinoma/pathology , DNA, Neoplasm/analysis , Humans , Image Cytometry , Immunohistochemistry , Male , Penile Neoplasms/chemistry , Penile Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Radiation-induced pneumonitis and subsequent pulmonary fibrosis are important dose-limiting complications of radiotherapy. Their pathogenesis is known only in part. T-lymphocytes comprise a significant part of the infiltrating cells but little is known about their role. The aim of this study was to define the function of T-lymphocytes during development of postirradiation pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats received a unilateral lung irradiation of 20 Gy. Kinetics of T-lymphocytes isolated from irradiated and non-irradiated lungs were analysed. Subsequent CD4 depletion experiments were performed to affirm the importance of CD4+ T-cells in the development of lung fibrosis. Finally, the T helper-cell subtype of the T-lymphocytes was analysed by determining the cytokine mRNA by RT-PCR. RESULTS: A selective increase of CD4+ T-cells was observed peaking 4 weeks after irradiation in the irradiated lungs. When rats were depleted of these cells, the postirradiation thickening of parenchyma was significantly reduced as determined by morphometric analysis of lung tissue sections. In addition, it was found that IL-4 mRNA was selectively increased in the CD4+ T-cells isolated from irradiated lungs, which indicates a lymphocyte reactivity dominated by Th2 cells. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a critical role for Th2 CD4+ T-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced pneumonitis preceding lung fibrosis.
Subject(s)
Lung/radiation effects , Th2 Cells/physiology , Animals , Interferon-gamma/genetics , Interleukin-4/genetics , Male , Pneumonia/etiology , Pulmonary Fibrosis/etiology , RNA, Messenger/analysis , Rats , Rats, Inbred F344ABSTRACT
To determine the value of von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen as a marker of endothelial injury in radiation-induced fibrosis of rat lungs, we studied endothelial immunoreactivity to antibodies against vWF using the indirect immunoperoxidase technique combined with morphometric analysis. Using immunoelectron microscopy of LR White embedded lung samples to detect vWF, immunogold-labelled Weibel Palade bodies were found in endothelial cells of capillary endothelium. The irradiated lungs showed a statistically significant elevation of vWF expression, ie, vWF positive endothelia per unit area, and a significant increase of vWF expression per unit of parenchyma as well. The results suggest that vWF antigen expression and the number of vWF positive structures is modulated under condition of injury in radiation-induced fibrosis.
Subject(s)
Capillaries/immunology , Endothelium, Vascular/immunology , Lung/blood supply , Lung/immunology , Pulmonary Fibrosis/pathology , von Willebrand Factor/analysis , Animals , Female , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Immunohistochemistry , Male , Microscopy, Immunoelectron , Pulmonary Fibrosis/etiology , Radiation Injuries, Experimental/pathology , Rats , Rats, Inbred F344ABSTRACT
The diagnosis of pancreatic lesions can be improved with the aid of the diagnostic needle aspiration procedure under computed tomographic guidance. The computer aided diagnostics should be used to distinguish degenerative changed cells of chronic pancreatitis from cells of well differentiated carcinomas. Investigations are performed with a Jenaval microscope (Carl Zeiss Jena), solid state camera C-1000-35 (Hamamatsu Japan) coupled with minicomputer (Typ 1 102 F ICE Rumania). Multivariate discrimination using 35 features of each nucleus (20 fine needle aspirations of pancreatic carcinomas, 20 fine needle aspirations of chronic pancreatitis of histological controlled autopsies with 8,000 nuclei of Feulgen-reaction and 4,000 nuclei hemalum-eosin-stained of the same material) provides a classification result for single cells of 81% of Feulgen-reaction and 77% by hemalum-eosin-staining. Nonessential differences between the Feulgen-reaction and hemalum-eosin-staining are found by the single cases of fine needle aspiration biopsies of pancreatic carcinomas and nontumorous pancreatic lesions.
Subject(s)
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , Pancreatitis/pathology , Staining and Labeling , Biopsy, Needle , Humans , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Changes of nineteen features of tumour cell nuclei in hypernephroma and three following late metastases were investigated by use of the automated image system. Histograms of nuclei features from primary tumours and metastases were compared. They showed objectively an increased cellular dedifferentiation during metastases. Various aspects of the capability of automated morphometry for investigation of tumours are discussed.
