Morphological and immunohistochemical evaluation of ganglion cysts. Cross-sectional study of 354 cases.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to characterize the morphology and immunophenotype of ganglion cysts (GCs) and explore their histogenetic origin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional morphological and immunohistochemical study of 354 GCs used the following antibody panel: vimentin, specific actin, ß-actin, smooth-muscle actin, smoothelin, h-caldesmon, ß-catenin, desmin, calponin, podoplanin, keratins 5/6, E-cadherin, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), lysozyme, CD10, CD31, CD33, CD34, CD68, Ki-67, and PCNA. Double-blind semi-quantitative analyses were conducted to evaluate the immunopositivity on a 4-point scale. Samples from 10 synovial membranes and 10 scapholunate ligaments were compared. GCs showed a hyalinized wall with mesenchymal spindle cells and were intensely positive for vimentin, actins, h-caldesmon, calponin in all cases and for podoplanin in 53% of cases, suggesting features of early muscle differentiation, without ruling out a myofibroblastic origin. Focal cavity lining of non-synovial flat or raised cells (CD34/CD31/CD10/E-cadherin-negative and podoplanin-positive in 34% of cases) was detected in 93% of cases, showing differential expression with synovial membrane and scapholunate ligament cells. Nuclear positivity for proliferative markers was observed in GC wall cells (258.1±255; 1019.3±316 positive cells/mm², Ki-67 and PCNA, respectively) but positivity for these markers was significantly lower (p⟨0.001 Mann Whitney U-test) in scapholunate ligament samples. CONCLUSION: In this first immunohistochemical study of GCs, focal cellular lining of the cavity was observed in almost all cases, and the immunophenotype was identical to that of GC wall cells. These cells are immunohistochemically different from synoviocytes and scapholunate ligament cells and show characteristics of myofibroblasts or mesenchymal cells undergoing early muscle differentiation.

Effect of anorganic bovine bone to autogenous cortical bone ratio upon bone remodeling patterns following maxillary sinus augmentation.

INTRODUCTION: Maxillary sinus augmentation is a predictable implant site development technique, although several local and systemic factors may influence outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate healing patterns and bone remodeling activity following the use of two different graft mixtures for maxillary sinus augmentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients in need of maxillary sinus augmentation were randomly assigned to two different groups. A graft mixture using a 50% autologous bone (AB) to 50% anorganic bovine bone (ABB) ratio was used in group 1, while a 20% AB to 80% ABB ratio was utilized for group 2. After a 6-month healing period, bone core biopsies were harvested for histological, histomorphometrical, and immunohistochemical analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-eight subjects participated in this study. No statistically significant differences were found between groups in regards to vital bone and non-mineralized tissue proportions. Higher number of osteoid lines (18.05 ± 10.06 in group 1 vs. 9.01 ± 7.53 in group 2; P = 0.023) and higher cellularity, particularly regarding the number of osteocytes (631.85 ± 607.98 in group 1 vs. 219.08 ± 103.26 in group 2; P = 0.002), were observed in specimens from group 1. Differences in expression patterns of osteopontin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase were also detected between groups. CONCLUSION: AB to ABB ratio appears to influence bone remodeling patterns and cell content following maxillary sinus augmentation procedures. Similar proportion of vital bone was found in specimens obtained from both groups. More cellular presence was observed in samples containing higher proportions of AB.

Role of sympathetic tone in BSO-induced hypertension in mice.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the contribution of the sympathetic tone to the hypertension induced by chronic administration of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and characterized this model in mice. METHODS: Three experiments were performed. In experiment I, four groups of CBA-C57 male mice were used: controls and three groups that received oral BSO at 5, 10, or 20 mmol/l. In experiment II, the alpha(1)-adrenergic blocker prazosin was orally administered (10 mg/100 ml) to control and BSO-treated mice. All treatments were maintained for 5 weeks. Body weight (BW), tail blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) were measured weekly. Direct mean arterial pressure (MAP) and morphological, metabolic, plasma, and renal variables were measured at the end of the experiments. In experiment III, the acute response of MAP and HR to the ganglionic blocker pentolinium (10 mg/kg intravenous) was used to further evaluate the sympathetic contribution to BP and HR in control and BSO-treated mice. RESULTS: BSO produced dose-related increases in BP (control, 115 +/- 0.5; BSO-5, 141 +/- 0.5; BSO-10, 151 +/- 0.9; BSO-20, 163 +/- 1.1 mm Hg) and HR and augmented plasma noradrenaline, brainstem isoprostane levels, and total urinary isoprostane excretion. BSO did not produce cardiac hypertrophy and did not modify metabolic or plasma variables, or creatinine clearance, proteinuria, or renal morphology. Chronic prazosin markedly reduced MAP (control, 101 +/- 4.7; prazosin, 95 +/- 1.29; BSO-10, 130 +/- 2.9; BSO-10 +/- prazosin, 98 +/- 0.9) and HR. Acute pentolinium produced a greater percentage MAP (control, 43 +/- 4.2; BSO-10, 66 +/- 4.5) and HR decrease in BSO-treated mice vs. controls. CONCLUSION: Sympathetic tone plays a major role in the increased BP and HR of BSO hypertensive mice.