Search

Unlabelled: Inflammation of the vascular wall is an essential event in the development of atherosclerosis, the main leukocytes of the inflammatory infiltrate being the monocyte/macrophages. These cells are very heterogeneous and rapidly change their function in response to signals received from the local environment., Purpose: The aim of this research was to study the immunohistochemical expression of the anti-CD68 antibody at the level of the atherosclerotic plaque., Materials and Methods: We used tissue samples obtained by endarterectomies in patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic lesions. Inflammatory reaction was highlighted in the arterial wall by immunohistochemistry using an anti-CD68 monoclonal antibody that marks normal or pathological monocytes/macrophages., Results and Discussion: The types of analyzed atherosclerotic lesions showed a positive reaction with the anti-CD68 antibody, varying in distribution and intensity in the vascular intima. The CD68 was positive in macrophages depending on the extent of the inflammatory reaction., Conclusions: The presence of many macrophages in the atherosclerotic plaques indicates a chronic inflammatory reaction, accompanied by fibroblast proliferation and connective tissue changes that influence the stability of the plaques.

Unlabelled: The microcirculation in neuropathic diabetic feet is the subject of the same changes found in other end organs of the diabetic patients. In diabetic neuropathy, abnormal neurogenic regulation of the hemodynamics in the small vessels may contribute to the development of microangiopathy, which is manifested as increased basement thickening., Material and Methods: The study has been made on a group of 25 patients: nine with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 16 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. All patients were affected by peripheral diabetic neuropathy and showed various degrees of lesions on the foot level. All cases required amputations done at the lower extremity of the limbs. Tissue fragments were processed for the standard histopathological exam, using Hemalaun-Eosin, trichromic Szekely and van Gieson staining., Results: The histopathological examination revealed on the skin level--ulcerations covering large areas, while entire sections showed hyperacanthosis. At the dermis level, the microscopic panel was dominated by the presence of the inflammatory infiltrate. The absence or the degeneration of the sweat glands, the presence of venous stasis and perivascular bleedings completed the morphological panel of the dermis. On the microcirculation level, the endothelial cells have a flat smooth inflated aspect. In the case of the large arterioles and arteries of muscular type, we observed the presence of the fibrous tissue on the level of media, calcium deposits on intima, mediocalcinosis., Conclusions: The identification of vascular and nervous morphological structures in the complicated diabetic foot allows the extension of the knowledge related to the pathological background of this condition. The vascular lesions, which appeared on the microcirculation level, are consequently involving arterioles and arteries of muscular type and are being accompanied by nervous lesions shown through morphological changes of the peripheral nerves. The overall morphological contest of the complicated diabetic foot involves lesions of the epidermis, dermis, and muscles.

Adenosquamous carcinomas range between 5-25% of cervical cancers and are composed by an admixture of malignant squamous and glandular elements. The aim of our study was to identify some common characteristics and to evaluate the correlation between the degrees of differentiation of the two components. We analyzed 15 cases diagnosed in a 6 years period. The age ranged between 26 years and 67 years (mean age 46.5 years). Paraffin embedding, followed by HE staining were performed. Differential diagnosis with endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the cervix with squamous metaplasia was made. Four cases (26.66%) were subtyped as clear cell adenosquamous carcinomas and 2 cases (13.33%) were subtyped as glassy cell carcinomas, exhibiting finely granular ground glass type cytoplasm. 93.33% of cases exhibited a poorly differentiated squamous component and 66.66% of cases exhibited a well differentiated glandular component. 20% (3 cases) presented prominent lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic inflammatory tumoral infiltrate. Squamous intraepithelial lesions in overlying epithelium was observed in 4 cases (26.66%). One case presented extension to the uterine body. One case, diagnosed as glassy cell subtype, presented regional lymph node metastases. Our study concluded the occurrence of adenosquamous cervical carcinomas at a similar age with squamous cervical carcinomas in the investigated group of patients. As adenosquamous cervical carcinomas are considered expressions of a biphasic differentiation of a single pluripotential sub-columnar reserve cell, a similar degree of differentiation of the two components would be expected. Although, we registered a degree of variability in grading of the two components, with a tendency of squamous component toward poorly differentiated aspect and a slightly dominant aspect of well differentiated glandular pattern.

Aim: To investigate the immunological reactions of the liver in various gall bladder disease., Methods: IgG, IgA and IgM were measured in the blood and bile of patients with cholecystectomy. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy techniques were used., Results: The tests showed high blood values of immunoglobulins and their presence in the bile. The immunofluorescence was positive for IgG in the hepatic sinusoids. The electron microscopy showed aspects of "cellular cooperation"., Conclusions: On the basis of our results we can affirm that in cholelithiasis there exists an immune response to the persistent antigens, with the release of circulating immune complexes.

The microscopic morphology of the respiratory territory was investigated on sections of pulmonary tissue and bronchioalveolar lavage liquid (BAL) that were stained with Giemsa, PAS and trichrome solutions. As a result of the induced pathological conditions, the following histological images were encountered: normal histological aspect of the bronchoalveolar territory was seen in the groups nebulized with 0.9% NaCl or sensitized after i.p. administration of ovalbumin (OA); macrophage cells influx in both tissue samples and BAL in animals nebulized with OA; after sensitization with OA followed by nebulization with OA, the same sequence of events as in atopical asthma was reproduced, including loss of epithelial structure and the appearance of mast cells and basophils in the alveolar territory. Hydrocortisone hemisuccinate, used to treat asthma attacks, causes a similar histological aspect as in the untreated group. Cells with intact basophilic granules were seen in the hypersensitized group under ketotiphen protection.

Our work analyses the effects of radiotherapy in cervical carcinoma by computerized morphometry techniques that evaluate the morphologic changes in the specimens taken from pre and post-irradiation biopsies of 8 cases. These cases were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma, undifferentiated (1 case), moderately (5 cases) and well differentiated (2 cases). For each case, 40 relevant microscopic fields were chosen, reflecting the morphologic aspects before (20 fields) and after irradiation (20 fields). The digitised images of these fields were used for measuring the tumoral and stromal areas by a program we implemented in the Zeiss KS400 environment. The program provides a mean tumoral/stromal area for each case, computed by averaging the results of the 20 measurements performed on the pre and post-irradiation images. In terms of a stereological interpretation, each mean tumoral area expresses the percentage of the tumoral volume and can be used as an index for quantifying the efficiency of the radiotherapy. Such an index allows developing comparative discussions on cases that belong either to the same diagnosis entity, or to different diagnosis entities. These discussions yield the idea that the morphologic classification of a case is not sufficient to accurately predict the efficiency of irradiation, and a systematic approach to the morphometric features, before and after irradiation, may contribute to the refinement of the prediction.

Although eccrine adenoma is usually situated on the distal portions of the extremities, we present a case localized in the vicinity of a mammary gland near axilla. The clinical diagnosis was of a mammary fibroadenoma with associated apocrine type of adenomere, supported by a myxomatous stromal tissue. The diagnosis was of an eccrine adenomyxoma. We continue with a review of the problems of microscopical differential diagnosis.

This paper relate a patient case, age 42, female sex, which was complex immuno-morphologically investigated, on thyroid fragments, surgically obtained. The patient was previously diagnosed with Graves'-Basedow disease; the relapses after conventional therapy, orientated the case for surgical treatment--subtotal thyroidal resection. Using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, we may confirm that the disease is fully active. Graves'-Basedow disease is the most common form of autoimmune thyroiditis, responsible for the majority of the cases of hyperthyroidism, affecting young women. It was suspected, many years ago and recently demonstrated that the hyperthyroidism is involved in the development of the autoimmune response, by increasing the immune reaction of the organism. Some effects of the antithyroid drugs are mediated by the decrease of the specific stimulator antibodies (long-acting thyroid stimulator), commonly found in Graves'-Basedow disease.

The pathomorphogenesis of renal lesions in the course of cirrhogenic diseases of the liver was studied on a human and experimental material. The development of membranoproliferative glomerulopathy, of tubular lesions, interstitial reactive infiltrates and sclerosis processes in the advanced stages of cirrhosis were observed. An important role in the determining of these lesions was played by immunologic perturbations in the entire organism.

In order to follow up the morphological changes of the rat liver as a reaction to the tumour graft, three groups of Guérin tumour-grafted animals were used: a first control group, a second one treated with leucotrophine (LT) and a third one treated with LT and thiamine diphosphate (TDP). The tumour-grafted rats showed hepatic changes affecting mainly the organelles involved in cellular respiration and synthesis, as well as some morphological changes of Kupffer cells expressing an increased endocytosis. The protection by immunostimuli determined the diminution of histochemical and histoenzymatic changes both in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells.

The effect of Silymarin (Legalon) upon liver lesions was investigated using four experimental models: In acute galactosamine-hepatitis, Silymarin administration achieved protection of the liver structure (electron-microscopy included), liver cell glycogen, RNA and enzymatic activity, Galactosamine-depressed gluconeogenesis in the isolated perfused rat liver was significantly preserved by Silymarin treatment. In lead and cadmium poisoning the structural damage and histochemical and histoenzymatic changes were partly but significantly prevented. The complex noxious effects of Imuran overdoses were favourably influenced by Silymarin, without diminishing the cytostatic-immunosuppressive action of Imuran.

Liver cell changes produced in rats by the ligature of the portal vein and of the spleen pedicle were studied by electron microscopy. There were differences in the liver response to the various types of circulatory disturbances. The earliest and most marked lesions of hepatic cells were noticed in the case of portal vein ligature, and occurred at the level of rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and lysosomes. No significant changes in Kupffer cells. When the spleen pedicle was ligated, the hepatic cell changes were less obvious, but the Kupffer cells changes were more prominent, testifying and increased hetero- and autophagy.