The implication of follicular lymphoma patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation from donors carrying t(14;18)-positive cells.

We performed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) in peripheral blood (PB) and/or bone marrow (BM) samples collected pre- and post transplant from 23 recipient-donor pairs receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) for follicular lymphoma (FL). Of 23 donors, 11 had a PB and/or BM sample positive for t(14;18) (BCL2/IGH fusion) at low levels (

Diagnosing primary and metastatic renal cell carcinoma: the use of the monoclonal antibody 'Renal Cell Carcinoma Marker'.

The diagnosis of primary or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be difficult, especially in small biopsies, because of the wide variety of histologic appearances and clinical presentations that RCC can assume. An immunomarker specific for RCC is currently not available. We tested the relevant diagnostic use of the Renal Cell Carcinoma Marker (RCC Ma), a monoclonal antibody, against a normal human proximal tubular brush border antigen. Immunostaining using RCC Ma and the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique was performed on archival tissues from primary and metastatic tumors of renal or nonrenal origin. A total of 122 of 153 primary RCCs (79.7%) were positive [clear cell (84%), papillary (96%), chromophobe (45%), sarcomatoid (25%), and collecting duct (0%)], with > or =10% of tumor cells stained in 93% of cases. None of the 64 primary renal tumors other than RCC, including 15 oncocytomas, was positive. Fifteen of 146 (10.2%) nonrenal primary tumors were positive (5 of 17 breast tumors, 8 of 8 parathyroid adenomas, and 2 of 7 embryonal carcinomas). Forty-two of 63 (67%) metastatic RCCs were positive with > or =10% of cells being stained in 83% of them. Two of 108 (2%) metastases from tumors other than RCCs were positive, both of which were metastatic breast carcinomas; however, only 10% (2 of 19) of metastatic breast carcinomas were positive. RCC Ma is an excellent marker for primary RCC, which should facilitate its diagnosis in a small biopsy. Although RCC Ma remains highly specific (98%) for metastatic RCC, a negative result may not rule out metastatic RCC because of a rather low sensitivity and a focal staining pattern in some of the positive cases. RCC Ma may also facilitate the differential diagnosis between oncocytoma and other types of RCC when they are composed mostly of eosinophilic cells.

Adenocarcinoma of the lung: a comparative diagnostic study using light and electron microscopy.

Several techniques for diagnosing adenocarcinoma of the lung are commonly available, but the frequency of their use and diagnostic sensitivity may vary. Twenty cases of primary lung adenocarcinoma obtained at surgery were studied by the following four routine techniques: light microscopy (LM) using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) stain, mucicarmine stain, and PAS-diastase stain, and electron microscopy (EM). Three observers independently determined the positivity (0 [none], +/- [equivocal], 1 + [slight], 2 + [moderate], 3 + [marked]) of each of these cases for lumen formation in H&E-stained sections (LM lumens), intracytoplasmic (cytoplasmic mucicarmine) or intraluminal (luminal mucicarmine) mucicarmine, intracytoplasmic (cytoplasmic PAS) or intraluminal (luminal PAS) PAS-diastase, and lumen formation (EM lumens) or microvilli (EM microvilli) on electron microscopy. Comparative matching of these seven microscopic determinants (using Wilcoxon signed-rank test) demonstrated significant (P less than .01) sensitivity of EM microvilli over EM lumens, EM microvilli over luminal mucicarmine, cytoplasmic PAS over luminal mucicarmine, EM microvilli over cytoplasmic mucicarmine, cytoplasmic PAS over cytoplasmic mucicarmine, and EM microvilli over LM lumens, and a significant (P less than .05) sensitivity of cytoplasmic PAS over LM lumens, EM microvilli over luminal PAS, luminal PAS over luminal mucicarmine, and cytoplasmic PAS over EM lumens. Friedman's nonparametric test (P less than .05) indicated a significant difference among the microscopic determinants. The most sensitive was EM microvilli (mean rank score, 5.17) followed by cytoplasmic PAS (4.77), luminal PAS (4.02), cytoplasmic mucicarmine (3.62), LM lumens (3.52), EM lumens (3.47), and luminal mucicarmine (3.40). However, each of the diagnostic techniques had case examples positive for one, but not for the others, indicating that maximum yield of adenocarcinoma diagnoses will be obtained by performing all four techniques (H&E, mucicarmine, PAS-diastase, and electron microscopy.

Subcutaneous nodular amyloidosis: a case report and review of the literature.

Amyloidosis typically manifests with disseminated infiltration of multiple organ systems. Rarely, amyloidosis may be localized. We report a patient with localized subcutaneous nodular amyloidosis, without systemic amyloid involvement or myeloma, whose presenting symptom was multiple discrete neck nodules. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the amyloid deposits to be derived from lambda light chains. Twenty-four month follow-up showed minimal disease progression. A literature review showed only 5 reported cases of subcutaneous nodular amyloidosis. This is the first description of a patient with subcutaneous nodular amyloidosis derived from lambda light chains. HUM PATHOL 32:346-348.

Time on task and blink effects on saccade duration.

Changes in saccade duration, saccade amplitude and slope of the regression line relating amplitude and duration were assessed during a 2 hour air traffic control simulating task. Mean duration significantly increased as a function of time on task (TOT). Saccade amplitude decreased during the beginning part of the two hour period, increased in the middle and decreased in the final part of task performance. Differences in saccade duration were also assessed for saccades occurring during and independent of eye blinks. When matched for amplitude, electrooculographically measured saccades occurring during a blink were significantly slower than those occurring independent of a blink. Our results suggest caution in interpreting saccade velocity change as an index of 'fatigue' since most of the reduction in average saccade velocity may be secondary to increases in blink frequency.