ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori increases cellular turn-over causing hyperproliferation and possible assumption of neoplastic characteristics by the gastric epithelial cells. To verify whether patients at risk of cancer can be identified at the very first stages of gastric disease, we studied a sample of patients affected by early Hp+ and Hp- gastritis by flow cytometry and assessed the methods commonly adopted to study gastric cell proliferation. METHODS: 48 fresh biopsies taken from the gastric antrum and body of 24 patients who had undergone endoscopy for dyspepsia, and 48 paraffin-embedded antrum and body biopsies taken from the files of our Department were studied by flow-cytometry. The following markers and parameters were considered: S-phase, proliferation index, PCNA and ploidy. RESULTS: No correlation was found between Hp+ or Hp- gastritis and gastric cell proliferation and no cases of aneuploidy were observed. Gastric proliferation was found to vary depending on the methods, markers and type of biopsy employed. Furthermore, proliferation expressed by PCNA was significantly different in antrum and body. CONCLUSIONS: The commonly studied proliferation markers do not allow the early detection of patients at risk of gastric cancer by flow cytometry. Proliferation differences between body and antrum must be taken into account in the investigation of gastric diseases.
Subject(s)
Gastric Mucosa/cytology , Gastritis/pathology , Helicobacter Infections/pathology , Adult , Aged , Cell Division , Female , Flow Cytometry , Gastric Mucosa/metabolism , Gastritis/metabolism , Helicobacter Infections/metabolism , Helicobacter pylori , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen/metabolism , Pyloric Antrum/metabolism , Pyloric Antrum/pathologyABSTRACT
The authors tested the Soluene-350 method to detect diatoms in three cases of sea water drowning. The negative results obtained in all three cases prompted us to re-test the method on samples of fresh water and sea water microalgae. The experiment showed that the siliceous frustule of sea water diatoms is solubilized by Soluene-350 while that of fresh water diatoms is resistant to the treatment. The method, which is effective in cases of drowning in fresh water, should therefore be used with caution in sea water drowning.
Subject(s)
Diatoms/isolation & purification , Drowning/diagnosis , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds , Seawater , Diatoms/drug effects , Forensic Medicine/methods , Fresh Water , Humans , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/pharmacologyABSTRACT
A rapid HPLC method with fluorescence detection of pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), a polyether macrolide toxin, in microalgae is presented. A dienophile reagent, DMEQ-TAD, was used for precolumn fluorescence labeling. PTX2 could be quantitatively detected in the range 1-200 ng. This method confirmed the occurrence of PTX2 in net haul samples mostly composed of dinoflagellates Dinophysisspp. collected in the Adriatic Sea, Italy and Mutsu Bay, Japan.
