Search

Five groups of six rats each underwent sciatic resection, bridged with a 20-mm-long graft. Five different types of graft were used: (1). vein; (2). fresh muscle; (3). denatured muscle; (4). vein and fresh muscle; and (5). vein and denatured muscle. Denaturation was obtained by dry thermal shock in a microwave oven. Morphologic analysis took place at 6 months. The macroscopic appearance of the graft was continuous in all type 4 and 5 animals. Morphometric analysis within the graft revealed a significantly greater number of fibers in type 3 animals. Average fiber diameter and g ratio were higher, although not significantly, in type 5 animals. Distal to the graft, average fiber diameter and g ratio were significantly higher in type 5 rats. Denaturation by exposure to thermal shock significantly improves axonal regeneration, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The regeneration rate seems to be more rapid within denatured muscle. Denaturing muscle by exposure to thermal shock provides an excellent guide for axonal regrowth, but axonal leaks may occur. This problem is solved by a muscle-in-vein graft technique.

IGF-I anti-gene technology was applied in treatment of rat and human gliomas using IGF-I triple helix approach.CNS-1 rat glioma cell and primary human glioblastoma cell lines established from surgically removed glioblastomas multiforme were transfected in vitro with IGF-I antisense (pMT-Anti-IGF-I) or IGF-I triple helix (pMT-AG-TH) expression vectors. The transfected cells were examined for immunogenicity (immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry analysis) and apoptosis phenomena (electron microscopy). 3 x 10(6) transfected cells were inoculated subcutaneously either into transgenic Lewis rats or in patients with glioblastoma. The peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) derived from "vaccinated" patients were immunophenotyped for the set of CD antigens (CD4, CD8 etc).Using immunocytochemistry and Northern blot techniques, the transfected "antisense" and "triple-helix" cells showed total inhibition of IGF. Transfected cultures were positively stained either for both MHC-I and B7 antigens--60% of cloned lines, or for MHC-I only--40% of cloned lines. Moreover "triple helix" cells as compared to "antisense" cells showed slightly higher expression of MHC-I or B7. Transfected cells also showed the feature of apoptosis in 60%-70% of cells. In in vivo experiments with rats bearing tumors, the injection of "triple helix" cells expressing both MHC-I and B7 interrupted tumor growth in 80% of cases. In contrast, transfected cells expressing only MHC-I stopped development in 30% of tumors. In five patients with surgically resected glioblastoma who were inoculated with "triple helix" cells, PBL showed an increased percentage of CD4 + CD25+ and CD8 + CD11b-cells, following two vaccinations.The anti-tumor effectiveness of IGF-I anti-gene technology may be related to both MHC-I and B7 expression in cells used for therapy. The IGF-I antigene therapy of human glioblastoma multiforme increases immune response of treated patients.

Context.—Integrating anatomic pathology information— text and images—into electronic health care records is a key challenge for enhancing clinical information exchange between anatomic pathologists and clinicians. The aim of the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) international initiative is precisely to ensure interoperability of clinical information systems by using existing widespread industry standards such as Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level Seven (HL7). Objective.—To define standard-based informatics transactions to integrate anatomic pathology information to the Healthcare Enterprise. Design.—We used the methodology of the IHE initiative. Working groups from IHE, HL7, and DICOM, with special interest in anatomic pathology, defined consensual technical solutions to provide end-users with improved access to consistent information across multiple information systems. Results.—The IHE anatomic pathology technical framework describes a first integration profile, “Anatomic Pathology Workflow,” dedicated to the diagnostic process including basic image acquisition and reporting solutions. This integration profile relies on 10 transactions based on HL7 or DICOM standards. A common specimen model was defined to consistently identify and describe specimens in both HL7 and DICOM transactions. Conclusion.—The IHE anatomic pathology working group has defined standard-based informatics transactions to support the basic diagnostic workflow in anatomic pathology laboratories. In further stages, the technical framework will be completed to manage whole-slide images and semantically rich structured reports in the diagnostic workflow and to integrate systems used for patient care and those used for research activities (such as tissue bank databases or tissue microarrayers).

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the nervous system is frequent in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and can be responsible for encephalitis, encephalomyelitis, meningoradiculitis or polyradiculo-neuropathy. Encephalitis is characterized at microscopy by its periventricular and cerebellar location, and by the presence of cytomegalic cells, containing intranuclear and/or intracytoplasmic inclusions, microglial nodules and necrotic foci. The virus can infect almost all types of cells. Coexistence of CMV and HIV has been observed in giant cells of macrophagic origin. It has been suggested that the two viruses could act in synergy. The nervous system is seldom infected by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in AIDS. The infection can be responsible for multifocal leukoencephalitis, ventriculitis, vascular lesions associated or not with cerebral infarction, or with meningomyeloradiculitis. In almost all cell types Cowdry's type A intranuclear inclusions have been found. The virus can be demonstrated by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. VZV antigens have been reported in the walls of vessels damaged by a non inflammatory obliterating vasculopathy or by a granulomatous angiitis. Coexistence of VZV and HIV has been observed in giant cells of macrophagic origin, and synergy between those two viruses has been suspected.

To investigate the effect of gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma based on inhibition of cellular IGF-I expression, the technique of IGF-I triple helix was investigated in mice developing programmed hepatoma.mhAT1F1 mouse hepatoma cell line was transfected in vitro with IGF-I triple helix expression vector (pMT-AG-TH) or with IGF-I antisense expression vector (pMT-Anti-IGF-I). 10 x 10(6) transfected cells of either triple helix or antisense type were inoculated intraperitonealy into transgenic ATIIITB6 mice developing genetically programmed hepatoma (mice die between the age of 6 and 7 months). In parallel, human cell cultures established from surgically removed hepatomas were investigated.mhAT1F1 and human primary cell cultures, transfected with pMT-AG-TH or pMT-Anti-IGF-I vectors resulted in total inhibition of IGF-I demonstrated by immunocytochemical and Northern blot techniques. Transfected cells changed their phenotype and recovered major histocompatibility complex I expression showed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis and Western blot. Moreover, two phenomena were observed in IGF-I "antisense" or "triple helix" transfected cells: 1) the apoptosis, demonstrated by TUNEL technique; 2) the presence of IL-6 simultaneously with disappearance of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-10, investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique. In in vivo experiments, injection of murine transfected cells into mice in terminal-phase prolonged their survival 3-4 months in 100% of cases, as well in "antisense" group (8/8) as in "triple helix" group (10/10).Injection of hepatoma cells transfected with IGF-I triple helix expression vector, and showing immunogenic and apoptotic characteristics, can constitute an effective cellular therapy against hepatocellular carcinoma.