Aminopeptidases and angiotensin I-converting enzyme activities in primary human lung tumors and lung parenchyma.

The activities of alanyl aminopeptidase (AAP), arginyl aminopeptidase (RAP), alpha-glutamyl aminopeptidase (EAP) and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) were investigated in primary human lung tumors of different histological types and in matched lung parenchyma. In contrast to the studied aminopeptidases whose activity differences between tumor and lung tissues were infrequently significant, the activity of ACE was decreased highly significantly in the majority of lung tumors.

[Vascular tumors of the lungs]. / Cévní nádory plic.

A series of nine vascular tumors of the lungs, five of them being benign hemangiomas, three hemangiosarcomas and one hemangiopericytoma is presented. In five patients the disease was detected on the basis of subjective complaints which indicated necessary hospitalization, in the other four patients the tumours were revealed by chance during preventive X-ray examination or X-ray examination for other causes. These patients were admitted to hospital for progression of lung changes. Five of the patients underwent surgery, lobectomy, was made in two cases, the other patients were treated by segmental, V-shape or atypical lung resection. Patients with benign hemangiomas manifested the best prognosis even in those where surgery was not possible. In cases of hemangiosarcoma or hemangiopericytoma the outlook is exceptionally serious even in primary forms. In the preoperation diagnostics of arteriovenous hemangiomas the tomographic examination and lung angiography represents an important help, in the other vascular tumours it is particularly CT and lung biopsy.

Increased cathepsin B activity in human lung tumors.

The occurrence and levels of cathepsin B activity were investigated in primary human lung tumors and lung metastases of renal, colorectal and urinary bladder carcinomas as well as in the associated apparently normal lung parenchyma using a continuous rate enzyme assay with Ac-Leu-Arg-Arg-NHMec (7-(N-acetyl-L-leucyl-L-arginyl-L-arginylamido)-4-methylcoumarin) as the fluorogenic substrate. The inhibition studies of the enzymic hydrolysis of the substrate provided evidence for the catalytic action of the cysteine proteinase cathepsin B (CB) in the lung tumor tissues and the lung parenchyma under the assay conditions used. In the studied group of twenty-four patients with primary lung tumors of all major histological types, the level of CB activity in the tumor tissue was increased twofold and more over that in the associated lung parenchyma in 83% and 75% of cases, when expressed on the basis of wet tissue weight and tissue DNA, respectively. In patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma, the activity of the enzyme in the tumor tissue was elevated over that in the lung parenchyma in all cases studied. In both subgroups of patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, the mean cathepsin B activity was significantly higher in the tumor tissue than in the lung parenchyma. No obvious correlation was found between the tissue level of cathepsin B activity and the stage of primary lung tumor disease. In a limited number of patients with lung metastases, the level of cathepsin B activity was also higher in the tumor tissue than in the lung parenchyma.

[Percutaneous transthoracic aspiration biopsy: the reliability of cytological diagnosis of intrathoracic tumors]. / Perkutánní pertorakální aspiracní biopsie: spolehlivost cytologické diagnózy nitrohrudních nádoru.

The authors evaluated percutaneous aspiration biopsies of intrathoracic lesions in 348 patients where the obtained cytological results were compared with the histological finding from resections or post-mortem preparations. In 274 patients malignant and in 74 benign disease was confirmed. In the differentiation of malignant and benign disease the sensitivity of cytology was 84.3%, the specificity 91.9% and the accuracy 85.9%. The type of bronchogenic carcinoma was correctly diagnosed by cytological examination in 69.5%, in squamous cell carcinoma in 76.8%, in small-cell carcinoma in 80% and in adenocarcinoma in 59.1%. The same cytological finding as in the primary tumour was recorded in 73.5% of the patients with metastases in the lungs. Less favourable results as regards assessment of the type of tumour were obtained in other tumours, in particular in lymphogranulomas and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. In 25% it proved possible to assess by cytological examination the type of benign lung tumour.

[Benign tumors of the lungs and bronchi]. / Benigní nádory plic a prudusek.

Results of a retrospective study from the years 1961 to 1986 have been presented based on hospitalization of 292 patients with benign tumours of the lungs and bronchi verified by histology. The prevailing tumours in the cohort were chondrohamartomas (62.0%) and carcinoids (21.9%). The tumours were localized more frequently inside the parenchyma (75.7%) than inside the bronchi (24.3%). The patients were men in 59.9% and women in 40.1%, the mean age during hospitalization being 48.8 years. In 60.6% of the patients the tumours were detected during an accidental radiographic examination, the tumour increased in size over several years of observation in 22.6% of the patients. A total of 280 patients (95.5%) were surgically treated, the tumour was removed in the bronchoscopic way in nine cases, two patients could not be operated on for advanced processes and one patient refused the operation. In 83.2% of the patients the surgical intervention was smaller than lobectomy, larger interventions prevailed in endobronchial localization making 54% on the whole, bronchial carcinoids being 71% of these.

[Intravascular sclerosing bronchioloalveolar tumor and sclerosing hemangioma of the lung - differential diagnosis]. / Intravaskulární sklerózující bronchioloalveolární nádor a tzv. sklerózující hemangiom plic - diferenciální diagnóza.

Confrontation of typical cases of an intravascular sclerosing bronchioloalveolar tumour and a pulmonary sclerosing "haemangioma" was used for making easier histological typing. Both shared a bit different papillary structure and fibrosis as well as hyalinization. The first one grew in multiple slowly increasing foci where granular pneumocytes occurred but in spaces of original alveoli around protruding tumorous papillae; the tumour cells proper were alike vasoforming elements. The second one was a solitary benign tumour consisting of granular pneumocytes in spite of some angiomatoid and cavernomatoid structures.

Toxicity of morphazinamide compared with pyrazinamide.

In a toxicological study on rats two derivatives of pyrazine: morphazinamide (MZA) and pyrazinamide (PZA) were compared with the objective to verify the possibility of using MZA as a substitute for the hepatotoxic PZA. The daily recorded weight and food intake of the rats were statistically significantly changed in the experimental groups with MZA as well as those with PZA, as compared with the control group and the group fed parallelly, already after the sixth dose of MZA and PZA 2.5 g per kg body weight, and similarly changed were also the various biochemical blood and liver tissue tests. Yet, certain differences were observed between the action of MZA and PZA. Some explanation was obtained from PZA blood and tissue concentrations, determined in the course of 24 hours following the administration of the sixth dose of both drugs. A repeated administration of MZA led to a PZA cumulation in the blood and organs of the rats. The study demonstrated that both drugs are hepatotoxic and, in high doses, also nephrotoxic. Moreover, MZA decreases the concentration of plasmatic iron and causes spleen atrophy. It will not be, therefore, a suitable substitute for the hepatotoxic PZA.

[Peritoneal form of adiaspiromycosis (author's transl)]. / Peritoneale Form der Adiasporose.

A female patient, aged 30 years was subjected in 1977 to an appendectomy because of a perforated gangrenous appendix associated with purulent peritonitis. Postoperatively she developed an intractable constipation persisting for more than one year. Because of suspected intestinal stenosis an exploratory laparotomy was performed which failed to disclose the presence of stenosis. Histological studies of excised peritoneal specimens were suggestive of tuberculous peritonitis. Since cultivation failed to provide evidence of mycobacteria and the clinical symptoms were not characteristic of a tuberculous involvement of the peritoneum it was decided to carry out a re-evaluation of the original histological slides. This revealed that the patient was infected with adiaspores of the fungus Emmonsia crescens which were disseminated over the entire peritoneum from the perforated appendix. The difficulties associated with the diagnosis which are due to the striking morphologic similarity between the minute nodules in adiasporosis and those in productive miliary tuberculosis, as well as because of the acid-fast adiaspore capsules, are stressed. Since Emmonsia crescens is spread in some regions of Czechoslovakia it may be expected that humans will come into contact with its spores either by inhalation or by alimentary ingestion.

Reaction of mouse lung tissue on the experimental airborne Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

There are described the histological changes in the lung tissue of mice after airborne infection with the strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae CNCTC Klp 80/66 and CNCTC 82/67 whose clearance is significantly different. Using the strain Klp 82/67, which is fairly prompt eliminated from lungs, no morphological changes in the mucous membrane of bronchi were found. Using the strain Klp 80/66, which is characterised by a multiplication of organisms in the lungs already in the initial phase of infection without any remarkable adaptative phase, the accumulation of neutrophils in the walls and on the surface of bronchi was observed. The accumulation retarded during 48 hours when mostly the mononuclear cells were present. Uptake of 3H-thymidine in the lung tissue in vivo demonstrated that the proliferation response of bronchial lymphoid tissue is a relatively early reaction. Histological examination of spontaneously died animals revealed the changes characteristic for the purulent bronchopneumonia. The pathogenic activity of various Klebsiella pneumoniae strains is obviously conditioned by at least two factors, i. e. by surface structures determining the rate of bacterial elimination from the lungs and by the lipoprotein components of the cell walls inducing the leucocytes mobilization into bronchial tissue.

[The advantage of combined histological and cytological examination for the early diagnosis of lung tumors]. / Výhoda kombinovaného histologického a cytologického vysetrovánípro vcasnou diagnózu plicních nádoru.

The authors present an analysis of the results of pre- and postoperative cytohistological examination in patients with suspect bronchogenic carcinoma. The number of falsely cytologically positive findings in a group of 446 patients with non-tumorous affection did not exceeed 2%. In confrontation of 1516 cytological and histological perioperative results the ascertained number of incorrect cytological conclusions was not higher too.