Showing papers by "Marche Polytechnic University published in 1994"

Effects of combination endocrine treatment on normal prostate, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Abstract: AIMS--To investigate the effect of combination endocrine treatment (CET) or luteinising hormone releasing hormone agonist and flutamide on non-neoplastic prostate, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and prostatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS--The morphology, including the mitotic activity, of 12 radical prostatectomies from patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma pretreated for three months with CET was evaluated in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections and compared with an untreated age and stage matched control group. RESULTS--A differential effect on the non-neoplastic prostate was observed. In fact, the transition zone of the treated prostate showed simplification of the glandular lobules: the ducts and acini were small without undulations of the epithelial border and with a prominent basal cell layer. Within the peripheral zone there was inconspicuous branching of the ducts and acini which looked dilatated and lined by flattened atrophic epithelium. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia occurred in scattered ducts and acini in the peripheral zone of 10 of the 12 patients. The epithelial cell lining showed a prominent basal cell layer. A certain degree of secretory cell type stratification was always present. However, crowding was less evident than in the untreated prostate because of cytoplasmic clearing and enlargement as a result of coalescence of vacuoles. The treated adenocarcinomas had neoplastic acini which looked small and shrunken, and areas of individual infiltrating tumour cells separated by abundant interglandular connective tissue. The secretory cells of the nonneoplastic, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and prostatic adenocarcinoma lesions had inconspicuous nucleoli, nuclear shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and cytoplasmic clearing. Apoptotic bodies were easily identifiable in all the cell layers. The lumina were rich in macrophages, sloughed secretory cells with degenerative features, and apoptotic bodies. Mitoses were not observed in any of the treated non-neoplastic prostate, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, or prostatic adenocarcinomas, whereas the mitotic frequency increased from non-neoplastic prostate through prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia up to prostatic adenocarcinomas in the untreated specimens. CONCLUSIONS--CET before radical prostatectomy causes regressive epithelial changes together with enhanced apoptosis and blocked mitotic activity.

Glutamate immunoreactivity in rat cerebral cortex is reversibly abolished by 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), an inhibitor of phosphate-activated glutaminase.

Abstract: Glutamate (Glu) immunocytochemistry has been widely used to identify presumed gluergic neurons and synapses, but several problems related to the fact that Glu is both a synaptic transmitter and a compound used for metabolic purposes are still unsolved. One of these concerns the intense perikaryal staining observed in perfusion-fixed tissue. Phosphate-activated glutaminase, a key enzyme for the synthesis of releasable glutamate, is inhibited by the diazoketone 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), which greatly reduces glutamate release. In the present experiments, DON was either injected intraparenchymally or applied epipially to the sensorimotor cortex of adult Sprague-Dawley rats at concentrations of 0.25-1 mM. Both intraparenchymal and epipial applications of the chemical abolished Glu immunoreactivity in neuron perikarya. Adjacent sections processed for cytochrome oxidase histochemistry, for aspartate immunoreactivity, or stained with thionine showed no changes. The effects of DON application are reversible, as shown in a second series of experiments in which, after 30 min of DON application, animals were allowed to survive for 5-10 days. In these cases, Glu immunoreactivity in cortical neurons was identical to that observed in normal untreated animals. The results reported here suggest that Glu immunoreactivity demonstrated by the present procedure in neuron perikarya is mainly due to Glu produced via phosphate-activated glutaminase.

Financial Institutions, Economic Policy and the Dynamic Behavior of the Economy

Abstract: Schumpeter asserted that there were two types of business cycle theories: one in which cycles reflected dampened economic behavior and another in which cycles reflect explosive economic behavior. Both of these theories allowed that cycles could be either monotonic or oscillating. In this working paper, Domenico Delli Gatti, Mauro Gallegati, and Levy Institute Distinguished Scholar Hyman P. Minsky expand the alternative types of theory to three by adding one in which cycles reflect nonoscillating time series, wavelike motions, and incoherent behavior, such as those witnessed in times of runaway inflation and debt deflations. In Gatti, Gallegati, and Minsky's business cycle theory, cycles result from the combination of endogenous interactions that can lead to incoherence" and the effects of institutions to contain these tendencies in the economy. The authors construct an accelerator-multiplier model that reflects the idea that times series that can generate smooth growth and well-behaved cycles as possible transitory results of the economic process, but that also allow for intermittent conditions conducive to the emergence of incoherence or turbulence." This turbulence, however, can be contained by institutional factors that act as circuit breakers on the economy. Whenever institutionally determined values dominate endogenously determined values, the path of the economy is broken and an interactive process, which starts with new initial conditions, generates future values. Specifically, whenever the economy threatens to behave incoherently, these stabilizers, whether built-in or activated by government authority, prevent the economy from continuing on the prior determined path.

Retroperitoneal hemorrhage following bone marrow biopsy

Abstract: We report the case of an elderly woman with polycythemia vera submitted to bone marrow biopsy who developed retroperitoneal hemorrhage as a result of direct penetration of the needle through the iliac crest, with damage to the iliolumbar artery, the first branch of the hypogastric artery.

Quantitative characterization of the frequency and location of cell proliferation and death in prostate pathology.

Abstract: This paper evaluates the use of quantitative methods to accurately assess cell proliferation and death in untreated and treated prostate lesions. The analysis of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-stained nuclei allow precise evaluation of the proliferating cells and exact identification of their location in the progression of untreated prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) to prostatic adenocarcinoma (PAC). The evaluation of the frequency and location of apoptotic bodies (ABs) gives accurate information on the apoptotic phenomenon in PIN compared to normal prostate (NP) and PAC. In fact, the frequency of ABs increases from NP to PIN to PAC and parallels that observed with PCNA. However, the AB-related values were approximately one-eighth to one-tenth of those obtained with PCNA immunostaining. Combination endocrine therapy (CET) decreases the proliferative activity and enhances the apoptosis phenomenon in NP, PIN, and PAC. This might indicate that CET could induce a certain degree of regression not only of PAC, but also of PIN.

Platelet abnormalities in idiopathic myelofibrosis: functional, biochemical and immunomorphological correlations

Abstract: BACKGROUND: An extensive study of platelet function was performed on 18 consecutive patients affected by idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical hematological and morphofunctional parameters were studied in IM patients and control subjects. Platelet tests, ultrastructural data, immunocytochemical von Willebrand factor detection, freeze fracturing results and free cytosolic calcium level were evaluated. RESULTS: Bleeding time was frequently found to be prolonged, but it never reached levels which could give any cause for concern. Aggregation by ADP, collagen and epinephrine was always altered, sometimes profoundly; on the contrary, agglutination by ristocetin was almost always normal, albeit occasionally increased. Plasma beta-TG and PF4 levels were found to be elevated in 11 and 12 patients, respectively. This indicated an abnormal release from platelet alpha-granules. Depletion of alpha-granules was also confirmed by the intraplatelet von Willebrand factor (vWF) labelling with colloidal gold particles bound to polyclonal antibodies against human vWF. In fact: 1) the number of positive alpha-granules/microm2 and per single platelet was reduced; 2) the intensity of the immunocytochemical reaction for single positive alpha-granules and for each platelet was significantly reduced. Freeze-fracturing studies showed an increase in the number of intra-membrane particles (IMP) on the P face of the platelet membrane with respect to normal platelets preincubated with ADP. However, no differences in their distribution or diameter were observed. High concentrations of free cytosolic calcium were always found and Ca++ ATPase activity was increased. Conversely, Na+/K+ ATPase activity was always reduced. CONCLUSIONS: We can hypothesize that the platelet membrane is altered in IM, resulting in facilitated activation, even by subliminal stimuli, and that this continuous platelet activation ultimately leads to alpha-granule depletion.

Morphometrically assisted grading of astrocytomas.

Abstract: Alcohol-fixed, toluidine-blue-stained smears from 24 astrocytomas (12 low grade and 12 high grade or anaplastic) were included in the study. In each case 50 nuclei from representative areas of the tumor were selected for analysis; quantitative features pertaining to both the entire nucleus and the nucleoli were computed. Nuclear features were nuclear area and total optical density. Nucleolar features were number of nucleoli per nucleus, nucleolar area, variance of the nucleolar area, and mean and variance of the distance of nucleoli from the nuclear membrane. The results showed distinct changes in a number of nuclear and nucleolar features from low to high grade astrocytomas. Features expressing the most pronounced nuclear changes were area, grey level nonuniformity and run percentage. Changes were also found in the following nucleolar features: number of nucleoli, nucleolar area, variance of nucleolar area, nucleolar location and variance of nucleolar location. Linear discriminant analysis was carried out to determine a direction in feature space along which astrocytomas of low and high grade might be ranked. The nuclear area, number of low gray value pixels and a run length feature provided a useful linear combination. The study showed that one can derive a set of objective criteria from morphometric measurements that allows an ordering of astrocytoma cases along an axis and that might be used for continuous grading.

Chronic liver disease and active hepatitis C virus infection in patients with antibodies to this virus.

Abstract: AIMS--To assess the association between active hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and liver damage in randomly selected patients with antibodies to the virus. METHODS--Thirty three consecutive subjects with serologically confirmed positivity for antibodies to HCV were studied for the presence of liver and circulating viral sequences by using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and specific primers for the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the HCV genome. Parallel clinical, biochemical, and histological investigations were carried out in all cases. RESULTS--A comparative virological and histological investigation showed the presence of molecular signs of active viral replication and different degrees of liver damage in all cases. Baseline values of liver and plasma samples from all the patients showed (with one exception) the presence of detectable HCV RNA sequences, despite alanine amino transferase activities being within normal values or within 1.5 times the upper limit of normal in 13 of them. Examination of percutaneous liver biopsy specimens showed the presence of confirmed liver damage (ranging from chronic persistent hepatitis to cirrhosis) in all 33 patients. CONCLUSIONS--Circulating HCV RNA sequences (a direct sign of active HCV infection) are associated with liver damage, even in the absence of clinical or biochemical signs of overt liver disease. Parallel molecular, histological, and clinical follow up of these patients is needed to understand precisely the natural history of HCV infection and for correct clinical management.

Vaginal Micropapillary Lesions Are Not Related to Human Papillomavirus Infection: In situ Hybridization and Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection Techniques

Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the human papillomavirus DNA presence in vaginal papillary lesions, with particular regard to micropapillomatosis to better define their clinical significance. Prospective study: the study population was composed of 62 women who were recruited consecutively from the Colposcopy Centre of the Ancona University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on the grounds of vaginal papillomatosis or/and typical acuminata warts. Biopsies for routine histology, and for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection by means of in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were taken from the papillary lesions and from 24 healthy women, who were selected as controls. Macroscopically, vaginal micropapillomatosis was ascertained in 51 cases (82.3%), while in 11 cases (17.7%) the colposcopic diagnosis was condyloma acuminatum. During in situ hybridization, HPV DNA positivity was observed in 8 (9.4%) out of 85 samples of squamous papillae and in 11 (64.7%) out of 17 samples of condylomata; in control specimens, HPV DNA was detected in 2 (8.3%) out of 24 bioptic samples. The correspondence between in situ hybridization and PCR was 96.1%, with 17.4% more diagnosis obtained by PCR. Vaginal micropapillomatosis may be regarded as a variation in the normal anatomy of the lower genital tract without any significant relationship with HPV infection, and as a lesion easily distinguishable from condylomata acuminata by clinical examination alone.