Osteopontin splice variants expression is involved on docetaxel resistance in PC3 prostate cancer cells.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphoprotein that activates several aspects of tumor progression. Alternative splicing of the OPN primary transcript generates three splicing isoforms, OPNa, OPNb and OPNc. In this report, we investigated some cellular mechanisms by which OPN splice variants could mediate PC3 prostate cancer (PCa) cell survival and growth in response to docetaxel (DXT)-induced cell death. Cell survival before and after DXT treatment was analyzed by phase-contrast microscopy and crystal-violet staining assays. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunocytochemical staining assays were used to evaluate the putative involvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and OPN isoforms on mediating PC3 cell survival. Upon DXT treatment, PC3 cells overexpressing OPNb or OPNc isoforms showed higher cell densities, compared to cells overexpressing OPNa and controls. Notably, cells overexpressing OPNb or OPNc isoforms showed a downregulated pattern of EMT epithelial cell markers, while mesenchymal markers were mostly upregulated in these experimental conditions. We concluded that OPNc or OPNb overexpression in PC3 cells can mediate resistance and cell survival features in response to DXT-induced cell death. Our data also provide evidence the EMT program could be one of the molecular mechanisms mediating survival in OPNb- or OPNc-overexpressing cells in response to DXT treatment. These data could further contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which PCa cells acquire resistance to DXT treatment.

Histological differentiation and basement membrane distribution in gastric adenocarcinomas.

To analyse the histological distribution of basement membranes (BM) in gastric adenocarcinomas, we produced a monoclonal antibody, BM909 (IgG 2b, kappa), which has been found useful for identifying the BM in routinely processed specimens. The BM 909 antibody was shown by ELISA to be negative against the three major BM components (type IV collagen, laminin and fibronectin). Gastric carcinomas from 78 patients including both differentiated and undifferentiated adenocarcinomas were classified into three types (tubular, trabecular, and isolated) based on the histological arrangement of the cancer cells. Histological distributions of the BM were also classified into four patterns (peritubular, peritrabecular, intratrabecular, and pericellular) based on the immunostaining results with the BM 909 antibody. Our results demonstrated a close relationship between these two parameters as follows: 1) the tubular type of gastric carcinomas showed a peritubular pattern of BM distribution in the differentiated adenocarcinomas; 2) The isolated type of gastric carcinomas showed a pericellular pattern of BM distribution in the undifferentiated adenocarcinomas; and 3) The trabecular type of gastric carcinomas showed either peritrabecular or intratrabecular patterns of BM distribution, in both differentiated and undifferentiated adenocarcinomas. In conclusion, we suggest that all gastric adenocarcinomas are accompanied by BM deposition regardless of the degree of histological differentiation.

Early clinical and histologic viability of human liver-small intestinal allografts after implantation.

Our procedure for donor harvesting and preserving intestinal grafts has matured. In 27 consecutive cases, a protocol was established whose essentials consist of (a) selecting hemodynamically stable donors, (b) antibiotic pretreatment of the donor, and (c) short warm ischemic times (< 40 minutes). Assessment of graft quality can be achieved by daily inspection of stomas, inspection for diarrhea > 2.5 1/day in adults or > 300 ml in children, and weekly protocol or clinically directed endoscopic biopsies. Edema and microscopic separation of the mucosal surface and sloughing are routinely found during the first few post-engraftment days, but the crypt cells remain and regenerate a normal mucosa within a week. Recovery of a normal mucosal surface took place in all cases.

A study on the pathogenesis of human cerebral malaria and cerebral babesiosis.

Cerebral complications are important, but poorly understood pathological features of infections caused by some species of Plasmodium and Babesia. Patients dying from P. falciparum were classified as cerebral or non-cerebral cases according to the cerebral malaria coma scale. Light microscopy revealed that cerebral microvessels of cerebral malaria patients were filled with a mixture of parasitized and unparasitized erythrocytes, with 94% of the vessels showing parasitized red blood cell (PRBC) sequestration. Some degree of PRBC sequestration was also found in non-cerebral malaria patients, but the percentage of microvessels with sequestered PRBC was only 13%. Electron microscopy demonstrated knobs on the membrane of PRBC that formed focal junctions with the capillary endothelium. A number of host cell molecules such as CD36, thrombospondin (TSP) and intercellular adhesion molecule I (ICAM-1) may function as endothelial cell surface receptors for P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Affinity labeling of CD36 and TSP to the PRBC surface showed these molecules specifically bind to the knobs. Babesia bovis infected erythrocytes produce projections of the erythrocyte membrane that are similar to knobs. When brain tissue from B. bovis-infected cattle was examined, cerebral capillaries were packed with PRBC. Infected erythrocytes formed focal attachments with cerebral endothelial cells at the site of these knob-like projections. These findings indicate that cerebral pathology caused by B. bovis is similar to human cerebral malaria. A search for cytoadherence proteins in the endothelial cells of cattle may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of cerebral babesiosis.

[Gastric cancer: epidermal growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor]. / Cáncer gástrico: factor de crecimiento epidérmico y receptor del factor de crecimiento epidérmico.

In 19 patients with advanced gastric cancer the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were studied using immunohistochemical techniques. There were 12 males and the mean age of the group was 54.8 years. Most cases belonged in Borrmann's types III or IV. Tumoral cells were positive for EGF receptor in 9 patients (47%), with a strong reaction in 6. Thirteen of 18 subjects were positive for EGF. The reaction for EGF receptor was positive in 20% of 12 patients with intestinal type tumors and in 67% of 7 patients with diffuse tumors. Reaction for EGF was positive in 80% of intestinal type tumors and 64% of diffuse tumors. Simultaneous positive reactions for both antigens was observed in 5 of 18 patients, all with diffuse type tumors. Signet ring cell tumors showed less positivity than less differentiated ones. Thus, the expression of EGF and EGF receptor was higher in our patients with advanced gastric cancer than reported elsewhere.

[Advanced stomach neoplasms: expression of the fixation index of bromodeoxyuridine in vivo]. / Cáncer gástrico avanzado: expresión del índice de fijación de bromodeoxiuridina in vivo.

We studied fixation of bromodeoxyuridine by immunohistochemistry in 17 patients with advanced gastric cancer. Macroscopically, they corresponded to Borman's types III (n = 10), IV (5) I (1) and unclassified (1). 11 patients had a diffuse lesion, 5 an intestinal type lesion and 1 an epidermoid carcinoma. Positive reactions were observed in 27.7% of cells (95% CL 10-48%). No difference was observed in positivity of superficial (29%) or deep areas of the tumor (27%). Greater fixation rates were observed in patients under 50 years, of age compared to older patients. The percentage of positive reactive cells was not related to macroscopic or histologic tumor type. Greater fixation rates were observed in this series compared to those previously reported, suggesting greater proliferation rates in these patients.

Community-acquired influenza C virus infection in children.

To clarify the epidemiologic and clinical features of community-acquired influenza C infection in children, we took specimens throughout the year from a larger number of patients with acute respiratory illnesses in a pediatric clinic in Yamagata, Japan. During a 2-year survey, 20 strains of influenza C virus were isolated from 13,426 specimens. These isolates were recovered throughout the year. The ages of patients with influenza C virus isolates ranged from 2 months to 11 years and peaked at the age of 1 year. The clinical diagnosis of patients with influenza C virus infection included bronchitis in one child and pneumonia in four. Community-acquired influenza C infection in children can cause a variety of respiratory illnesses that cannot be clinically differentiated from those caused by other viruses.

Temperature measurement in term and preterm neonates.

Body temperatures of 99 term and 44 preterm infants were measured at four sites: core (5 cm beyond the anus, with an electronic telethermometer), rectum (2 cm, with a mercury-in-glass thermometer), axilla, and between the skin and mattress. Temperatures measured at the four sites agreed closely in this group of largely normothermic infants. However, five of seven term infants with abnormal core temperature (greater than 1.5 SD below or above the mean) would have been judged to be normothermic by each of the three other measurements. The temperatures in preterm infants were lower and varied less with the site of measurement, indicating a smaller core-surface temperature gradient because of their relative lack of thermal insulation by body fat. Axillary temperature was as reliable as rectal temperature measured in the usual way with a mercury-in-glass thermometer. Measurement of the temperature between the skin and mattress was nearly as accurate as the other more frequently used methods. Ninety percent of temperatures were within 0.1 degree C of their final stabilization readings by 5 minutes for each type of thermometer and measurement site.

The nude mouse as an experimental lepromatous leprosy model: the enhancing effect of thymus cells in infected / ?

In sumary, it may well be conculuded that the nude mouse with thymus cell grafting as a severe lepromatous leprosy model was developed in C57BL/6-nu/nu as well as CF#1-nu/nu, comparing with untreated nude mice. In addtion, comparison of sex in treated group, susceptibility to M. leprae in the some males were higher than in foot swelling of the females, also, difference of individuality occured in both sex at a latter stage after infection, therefore, further investigation is under way to look for preferable nude mouse and hairless-athymic mouse which they are established by ourselves