[Wegener's granulomatosis with clinical manifestations of temporal arteritis]. / Une maladie de Wegener avec des signes d'artérite temporale.

A 51-year-old woman presented with crusting rhinitis, bilateral serous otitis, inflammatory arthralgias, fever, weight loss and signs of temporal arteritis. Temporal arteries were increased in size, painful, with inflammatory signs. There was microscopic hematuria and inflammatory parameters were increased. The renal function was normal. Anticytoplasmic neutrophils antibodies were detected (anti-PR3). Temporal artery biopsy did not show signs of giant cell arteritis. A diagnostic of Wegener's granulomatosis was established and steroid treatment allowed disappearance of clinical and biologic features.

[Simultaneous detection by non-isotopic in situ hybridization of human papilloma viruses and Epstein-Barr virus during the lytic cycle in oral hairy leukoplakia lesions]. / Détection simultanée de papillomavirus humains et du virus d'Epstein-Barr en cycle lytique dans des lésions de leucoplasie orale chevelue par hybridation in situ non isotopique.

Oral hairy leukoplakia is almost only described in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. Epstein-Barr virus, sometimes associated with human papillomavirus, is always involved in the occurrence of these lesions. We have investigated two cases of oral hairy leukoplakia with the goal of detecting EBV and HPV by using both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. EBV genome was detected with biotinylated BamHI W cDNA probe in the two cases. Furthermore, EBV was found to be in lytic phase as demonstrated by the strong signal observed with FITC-labelled anti-sense BHLF1 oligonucleotide probes. This finding was further supported by the absence of labelling with EBV-latent-cycle markers such as EBER1/2 oligoprobes and anti-latent membrane protein 1 antibody. In addition, these two cases were positive for HPV genomes: 31-33-51 (n = 1) and 31-33-51 plus 6-11 (n = 1) as detected by in situ hybridization using different sets of biotinylated probes. The signal obtained with in situ hybridization (both HPV and EBV) was localized to the upper layers of epithelial cells. The mechanism of oral hairy leukoplakia remains still unknown, but this work emphasizes the value of in situ hybridization with nonisotopic probes in the detection of viral nucleic acids on routinely processed tissue sections. The fact that these lesions seem to precede the AIDS phase emphasizes the clinical implications of this diagnosis in HIV infected patients.

Embryonic recapitulation, coenogenesis and heterochrony. An attempt at a comparative analysis of the relationships between embryogenesis and evolution.

The relationships between embryogenesis and the scale of living beings have been the subject of long-dated observations. It is well known that Haeckel, going back and codifying this data, has divided it into two large groups called palingenesis and coenogenesis. He has only mentioned the concept of heterochrony to which we give much more importance nowadays. We will look over these questions and link them up with some aspects of modern genetics.

Induction of glyconeogenic enzymes by gibberellin a(3) in endosperm of castor bean seedlings.

Seedlings of castor bean (Ricinus communis cv. Hale) were exposed to gibberellin A(3) (GA(3)) (100 micromolar) for periods up to 20 hours. Endosperm homogenates were fractionated on linear sucrose gradients and enzymes in mitochondria, glyoxysome, and cytosol fractions were assayed. Gibberellin treatment resulted in increases in the activities of enzymes in all three compartments. There were also enzymes in all three compartments which were not affected by exogenous applications of GA(3). The isozymes of l-asparate-alpha-ketoglutarate aminotransferase in both mitochondria and glyoxysomes were induced coordinately, whereas the isozymes of citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase were not. All gluconeogenic enzymes in glyoxysomes are induced by GA(3). With the exception of the mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase isozyme, all enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle believed to participate in glyconeogenesis were increased. The cytosolic enzymes malate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and fructose bisphosphatase were induced, but the levels of pyruvate kinase and enolase were not affected by GA(3) treatment.

[Effects of adaptation temperature on the development of brown adipose tissue in the rat]. / Effets de la température d'adaptation sur le développement du tissu adipeux brun du rat

Male Long Evans rats were acclimated to 28 degrees C, 5 degrees C or to a daily fluctuating temperature (Cy group). The development of brown adipose tissue (BAT) was compared to that of controls maintained at 22 degrees C. Acclimation to 28 degrees C did not affect the BAT weight. After 10 days of cold exposure, the total BAT weight was increased in the 5 degrees C group, but not in the Cy group compared to controls. After four months the BAT weight was increased by about 130% in 5 degrees C group and only by 60% in Cy. In both groups the increase of abdominal BAT was four times larger than the interscapular one. No histological difference was observed between interscapular and abdominal BAT of cold acclimated rats : the size of lipid droplets is smaller than in controls. The physiological significance of the important cold induced hypertrophy of abdominal BAT is discussed.

[Primary sarcoma of the pulmonary artery of the hemangioendotheliosarcoma type]. / Sarcome primitif de l'artère pulmonaire à type d'hémangioendotheliosarcome.

A case of primary sarcoma of the pulmonary artery presenting with the symptomatology of a bronchopulmonary tumour is studied in comparison with those reported up to the present in the literature. The tumour, examined in the pneumonectomy specimen, appeared to be inserted into the trunk of the left pulmonary artery with unusual propagation in the distal arteries. It had also spread into the neighbouring bronchial lumina. Histologically, the appearance was, rarely, that of a haemangioendotheliosarcoma. The histogenesis of these neoplasms is briefly discussed.

Ability of peripheral DXA measurements of the forearm to predict low axial bone mineral density at menopause.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (pDXA) measurement of the forearm to predict low axial bone mineral density (BMD) as defined according to the WHO classification. Two hundred and thirty-four healthy women aged 45-60 years were investigated. BMD was measured at the proximal and distal radius + ulna by pDXA and at the lumbar spine and femoral neck by DXA. There was a significant but moderate correlation between peripheral and axial BMD measurements, with r values ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 (SEE: 13.5-17%). The cutoff values for the proximal and distal radius BMD that allow the identification with 95% sensitivity of postmenopausal women with either a lumbar spine or femoral neck T-score < -1, corresponded to a T-score of +0.5 (proximal radius) and +1 (distal radius). More than 90% of the whole population had a peripheral T-score below these thresholds. Using an axial T-score < or = -2.5 as the definition of abnormality reduced to 48% (proximal radius) to 66% (distal radius) the number of women who would have required DXA axial measurements (i.e., with a pDXA T-score below the cutoff value of -0.7). Of the 33 women (14%) with a proximal radius T-score < or = -2.5 (osteoporosis), only 1 had a lumbar spine and femoral neck T-score > or = -1 (normal). Conversely, of the 50% (proximal radius) to 65% (distal radius) of the women with normal forearm measurement, 5% (proximal radius) to 9% (distal radius) were found to be osteoporotic and an additional 57% (proximal radius) to 59% (distal radius) could be classified as osteopenic (T-score between -1 and -2.5) at either the lumbar spine or femoral neck. In conclusion, use of pDXA forearm measurement as a prescreening tool in early postmenopausal women should allow the direct identification of about 50% of the women with no axial osteoporosis. However, this study highlights the difficulties in using a unique T-score that could be applied to different sites to diagnose osteoporosis.

[Virilizing luteoma of pregnancy. Relation to polycystic ovaries]. / Lutéome virilisant de la grossesse. Rapport avec les ovaires polykystiques.

Luteoma of pregnancy is a benign uncommon ovarian tumor which develops during pregnancy and disappears completely after delivery. It can virilize the mother and female foetus. The coexistence of this ovarian tumor with polycystic ovarian disease is well known but no causal relation has been demonstrated. In polycystic ovarian disease, luteinization is the result of persistent stimulation of the ovary by elevated levels of LH, whereas HCG has been suggested as a factor in the pathogenesis of luteoma. Though not a requisite factor, ovarian polycystic disease promotes the development of luteoma. However, the role of other hormonal and biochemical factors is still unknown.