Morphological, histochemical and histoenzymatic investigations on the lungs of mice chronically infected with influenza virus type A.

The lungs of mice having survived three inoculations with influenza virus A/PR8/34 (H1N1) repeated at 7-day intervals (an experimentally induced "chronic" influenza infection) were subjected to histological, electron optic, histochemical and histoenzymatic investigations. Hyperemia, edema and infiltration of the alveolar walls with lymphoid and monocytic elements could be observed. Electron microscopy revealed changes at the level of different ultrastructures of both lung and infiltration cells. A decrease in the levels of alkaline phosphatase, lactate, malate, succinate dehydrogenases and monoaminoxidase, an elevated amount of lipids and of mucopolysaccharides were made evident in the lung cells of mice chronically infected with influenza virus type A.

Ultrastructural peculiarities of intercellular junctions in bronchopulmonary carcinomas.

Six bronchopulmonary carcinomas of various histological types (macrocellular, epidermoid) were electronmicroscopically studied on bronchial biopsy samples. The scarcity of intercellular junctions was observed in all of them, especially in carcinoma types or zones (i.e. of epidermoid carcinoma) less differentiated. Close and gap junctions, zonulae adherentes and maculae adherentes dominated the structure of poorly differentiated carcinomas, while the differentiated types also presented frequent desmosomes. Also the reduction of intercellular junctions frequency was accompanied by their ultrastructural aberrations. The ultrastructural changes observed were correlated to the capacity for invasion of investigated carcinomas without reducing this basic property of cancer cells to the former.

Persistent measles virus infection in a calf kidney cell line. Note III. Cellular alterations in the selected chronically infected K-2 cell line.

Marked morphological, growth and chromosome alterations pointing to in vitro cellular transformation were made evident in a selected calf kidney cell line (K-2) chronically infected with measles virus. The transformed cell line released infectant virus and had no oncogenic potential for the hamster.

Experimental aerogenic pulmonary berylliosis in rabbits.

The dynamics of pulmonary changes produced by a prolonged daily administration of 1 g per cent solution of BeSO4 in aerosols was pursued by current histopathological methods in periodically sacrificed rabbits. A progressive constitution of beryliosic granulomas involving intralobular and interlobular areas was observed. The epithelioids and giant cells were present in variable proportions. Concomitantly, a cellular thickening of alveolar walls and perivascular cuffs was noted, as well as an intercellular reticulin fibrillogenesis. The intratracheal three-fold administration of a 0.3 g per cent solution of BeSO4 induced a more rapid formation of berylliosic nodules with the same characters. The relation between the cell accumulation and reticulin fibrillogenesis was morphometrically analysed and statistically verified as pertinent correlated phenomena.

Morphogenesis and pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases. X. An anatomoclinical and pathogenetic study of 48 pseudotumoral chronic pneumonites.

Forty-eight cases of operated pseudotumoral chronic pneumonites were anatomoclinically and histogenetically studied. Two groups of cases can be established. The first one (21 cases), in which the histogenetic mechanism is related to previous bronchopulmonary infections, suppurations, and immune processes of the immediate type, is characterized by numerous granulocytic foci, granulomatous structure, Arthus type vasculites and fibrous evolution. The unefficient therapy could be one of the determining factors of this evolution, by maintenance of active germs and released antigens. The second group (27 cases) is characterized by hypertrophic bronchites reflecting the prolonged penetration of airborne antigens, by a step by step involvement of peribronchial and parenchymatous structures. A multiphasic development is comparatively demonstrated in the different cases, and dominated by various proportions of plasmocytes and fibroblasts interfering with a restorative granulomatous process involving the intra- and interlobular areas and evolving to a fibrogranulomatous state. Obstructive pneumonitic phenomena and reactive endoalveolitis obliterans interfere, too. Correlations between the dynamics of this picture and the experimental data assert an immune mechanism with repeated immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions and auto-aggressive phenomena, determined by released antigens and inductors of cell proliferation and differentiation, as the main processes conducing to the building up of the pseudotumoral chronic pneumonites.

Bronchopulmonary carcinosarcoma.

Carcinosarcoma accounted for 0.27% of nearly 3000 lung cancers examined in this department. All the patients were men aged between 44 and 62 years, and a majority of the tumours occurred in the left lung. Three patients died within six months of lung resection and in each case a postmortem examination was performed. In seven the carcinomatous component was a squamous-celled growth, and in one columnar-celled; the histology of the sarcomatous element varied. Carcinosarcomas form a distinct group of malignant lung tumours. In five cases sarcomatous transformation of the stroma had occurred and was considered to be the usual means by which the mixed type of growth arises. The other three were considered to be "collision" tumours. Carcinomatous metastases without sarcomatous change were seen in lymph nodes in three cases, and in three fatal cases sarcomatous tumour had recurred.

Pleomorphous macrocellular pulmonary carcinomas. An anatomoclinical study on 193 cases.

A pathomorphologic study was carried out by the conventional histologic methods in 193 cases of pleomorphous macrocellular pulmonary carcinoma, of a total of 1,637 cases of lung cancer diagnosed histologically between January 1, 1961 and December 31, 1974. In comparison to other histologic types, the incidence of macrocellular carcinomas was of 11.8%, 62.6% belonged to the 40-60 years age-group, with male predominance. The results showed this carcinoma to be an autonomous type of neoplastic proliferation. The pathomorphologic particularities observed in the 193 cases and their evolution are conclusive arguments for considering pleomorphous macrocellular carcinomas as a separate histologic type in the classification of lung cancers. The term of pleomorphous macrocellular carcinoma appears to be the most comprehensive and in keeping with the histologic structure of these tumours. Cellular pleomorphism is an important diagnostic feature. Zones of specific differentiation observed in some cases may be included in the pleomorphism of these carcinomas. Notions of histogenesis are likewise discussed. It is increasingly assumed that these carcinomas are morphologically the expression of a cellular proliferation, differentiation and maturization response to the action of complex factors. The reduced stroma of these carcinomas indicate a more rapid increase of the tumoural parenchyma.