Calretinin Immunoreactivity in the Human Testis Throughout Fetal Life.

The main functions of the testis are sex hormone and sperm cell production. Steroidogenesis occurs in the Leydig interstitial cells and spermatogenesis in the seminiferous tubules. Male gonad morphogenesis is a finely orchestrated process, mainly coordinated by hormones, whose actions can significantly affect post-pubertal testicular function. Calcium is a key intracellular messenger, which regulates many signal transduction pathways, and is also implicated in steroidogenesis. Calcium homeostasis and signaling rely on many calcium-binding proteins including calretinin, of the "EF-hand" protein family. Calretinin is a highly conserved protein mainly expressed in the nervous system but also detected in rat and human adult and fetal testis as well as in pathological conditions. Calretinin expression in the fetal testis, however, has not been thoroughly analyzed probably owing to limited availability and paucity of tissues. Here, we examined by immunocytochemistry the expression of calretinin in human fetal testis specimens, obtained from natural and therapeutic abortions, at various developmental ages. We found that calretinin-immunoreactive Leydig cells were visible throughout the timeframe studied (14th-27th week). Immunoreactivity was also observed in Sertoli cells and in the germ cells of the immature seminiferous tubules. Overall our data indicate that calretinin expression parallels the decline in Leydig cell number, suggesting that its presence is indeed correlated to their steroidogenic activity. They also suggest that the intratubular positivity of calretinin could be linked to the ability of Sertoli cells to produce locally acting hormones contributing to the histodifferentiation of the male genital tract. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1872-1878, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Embryologic origin of endometriosis: analysis of 101 human female fetuses.

The etiology of endometriosis, a gynecological disease characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity, is still unknown. Our research group has recently demonstrated the presence of ectopic endometrium in human female fetuses at different gestational ages. In this manuscript we describe four new cases of fetal endometriosis found among a series of 52 female fetuses analyzed at autopsy. The anatomical localization of this ectopic endometrium, and its histological and immunohistochemical characteristics are depicted. We suggest that endometriosis is caused by dislocation of primitive endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity during organogenesis. The clinical and pathological implications of these findings are discussed.

New evidence of the presence of endometriosis in the human fetus.

The aetiology of endometriosis, a gynaecological disease defined by the histological presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity, is still open to debate. Research has recently found evidence for endometriosis in human female fetuses at different gestational ages. This paper reports a new case of fetal endometriosis in a 25-week female fetus, deceased due to placental pathology, from a series of 13 female fetuses analysed at autopsy. The exact anatomical localization of this misplaced endometrium, as well as its histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics are illustrated. The case suggests that endometriosis can be caused by dislocation of primitive endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity during organogenesis.

Periappendiceal inflammation in pediatric ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: An involvement of the appendiceal orifice as a distintive skip lesion in adults with left side ulcerative colitis (UC) has been reported. The aim of our prospective study was to evaluate, by endoscopy and histology, the prevalence of periappendiceal inflammation (PAI) in children affected by UC. METHODS: Fifty of 77 consecutive children undergoing total colonoscopy, who had a diagnosis of UC not extended beyond the hepatic flexure were enrolled. RESULTS: PAI was endoscopically present in 16 of 50 patients (32%) with UC. Patients were divided in 2 groups: group A included the 16 patients with PAI, whereas group B included 34 patients without PAI. We found that among the 2 groups, PAI was more frequent in patients with new diagnosis than in those with pre-existing UC (P = 0.016). At index colonoscopy, the patients of group A had a significant major extent of disease (P = 0.013). Moreover, the histologic grade of inflammation at the ascending colon was significantly higher in group A than in group B (P = 0.014). Clinical activity, measured by pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index, and use of medication did not show significant differences among groups (P = 0.464 and P = 0.723, respectively). The use of immunosuppressant was significantly higher in group A than in group B. CONCLUSIONS: PAI is a frequent skip lesion in children with UC. It seems more frequent in patients with new diagnosis, and it is associated with a major extent of the disease and with a higher grade of histologic inflammation at the ascending colon.

Ectopic endometrium in human foetuses is a common event and sustains the theory of müllerianosis in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, a disease that predisposes to cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a gynecological disease defined by the histological presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. Women with endometriosis have an increased risk of different types of malignancies, especially ovarian cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Though there are several theories, researchers remain unsure as to the definitive cause of endometriosis. Our objective was to test the validity of the theory of müllerianosis for endometriosis, that is the misplacing of primitive endometrial tissue along the migratory pathway of foetal organogenesis METHODS: We have collected at autopsy 36 human female foetuses at different gestational age. We have performed a morphological and immunohistochemical study (expression of oestrogen receptor and CA125) on the pelvic organs of the 36 foetuses included en-block and totally analyzed. RESULTS: In 4 out of 36 foetuses we found presence of misplaced endometrium in five different ectopic sites: in the recto-vaginal septum, in the proximity of the Douglas pouch, in the mesenchimal tissue close to the posterior wall of the uterus, in the rectal tube at the level of muscularis propria, and in the wall of the uterus. All these sites are common location of endometriosis in women. CONCLUSION: We propose that a cause of endometriosis is the dislocation of primitive endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity during organogenesis.