RESUMEN
In double-masked studies, various concentrations of aqueous humor (AH) from 157 patients (208 samples) with ocular cancers, nonmalignant ocular lesions, and normal eyes were added to bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells plated onto gold-coated cover slips. The phagokinetic tracks made by 100 cells at each concentration were traced, and the mean area of migration plus or minus the standard error of the mean was determined. Data are expressed as the percentages of increase in mean track area made by 100 cells incubated in medium that contained AH samples beyond the mean area of 100 cells incubated in medium alone. The percentage increases in migration-stimulating activity were as follows: a) malignant ocular disease--retinoblastoma (30 samples), 34 +/- 2; malignant melanoma (55 samples), 37 +/- 3; b) nonmalignant ocular disease--cataracts, glaucoma, pseudoglioma, and diabetic retinopathy (36 samples), 14 +/- 2; c) control AH--no ocular disease (51 samples), 9 +/- 1; normal eyes and systemic cancer (36 samples), 38 +/- 6. The percentage increase in endothelial cell migration was as great in cases of systemic cancer as it was in cases of ocular cancer. The endothelial cell migration-stimulating activity in AH from patients with intraocular cancers was significantly higher than the levels in the other groups of patients having no systemic cancer (P much less than .001). In addition, when the results were compared in the control group and the group with benign ocular disease, no significant differences were detected (P greater than .01).
Asunto(s)
Humor Acuoso/fisiopatología , Capilares/fisiología , Neoplasias del Ojo/fisiopatología , Animales , Bovinos , Movimiento Celular , Endotelio/fisiología , Oftalmopatías/fisiopatología , Humanos , Melanoma/fisiopatología , Neoplasias/fisiopatología , Retinoblastoma/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
Six continuous cell lines have been established from choroidal and ciliary body melanomas. These lines have been maintained in culture for at least 100 in vitro population doublings for periods over 1 year. They were established initially using a human diploid fibroblast strain MRC-5 as a feeder layer. Cells were grown in Ham's F-12 medium containing fetal bovine and horse sera and supplemented with glucose, cholera toxin, and epidermal growth factor. Culture doubling times ranged from 72-96 hr; cloning efficiencies ranged from 1-5% in the absence of a feeder layer. Six cell lines were studied in detail by electron microscopy, and all were found to have evidence of melanosomes and/or premelanosomes. The morphology of the cells was characteristic of melanomas as defined by the Callender classification, with cell types ranging from spindle A to epithelioid. Karyotypic studies revealed the presence of only human chromosomes with modal numbers ranging from 48-54 in the different lines.
Asunto(s)
Línea Celular , Técnicas Citológicas , Melanoma/patología , Neoplasias de la Úvea/patología , Adulto , Anciano , División Celular , Citogenética , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Melanoma/ultraestructura , Microscopía Electrónica , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neoplasias de la Úvea/ultraestructuraRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To compare transillumination and histologic slide measurements of choroidal melanomas in 479 eyes randomized to enucleation in the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study. DESIGN: Transillumination defects were measured during gross examination of enucleated eyes. Tumor basal diameter and height were measured on histologic slides and each tumor was assigned to 1 of 8 distinct shape categories. Comparison of the transillumination and histologic slide measurements revealed 3 categories of difference: underestimation (transillumination measurement more than 4 mm smaller than the histologic slide measurement), overestimation (transillumination measurement more than 4 mm larger than the histologic slide measurement), and agreement within 4 mm. RESULTS: There was good correlation between transillumination and histologic slide estimates of largest basal diameter, particularly when the basal diameter was 16 mm or less. Measurement discrepancies were related to the shape of the tumors but not to the presence of subretinal fluid or fixation. CONCLUSION: Agreement was high between measurements of transillumination defect and histologic sections.
Asunto(s)
Braquiterapia , Neoplasias de la Coroides/patología , Neoplasias de la Coroides/terapia , Enucleación del Ojo , Melanoma/patología , Melanoma/terapia , Humanos , Patología/métodosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate morphologic differences in iris stroma that contribute to clinically perceptible differences in iris color, using immunohistochemical identification of stromal melanocytes and fluorescence microscopy. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded sections from 51 human irides were stained with S100a and fluorescein isothiocyanate. Cells were counted and scored as melanocytes or other. Melanocyte number, proportion, and density were determined for light-colored (blue), medium-colored (hazel) and dark-colored (brown) irides and compared. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed for mean total cellularity or mean melanocyte number among the three color groups. Mean total stromal cell count was 1177 +/- 259 (mean +/- SEM), and mean melanocyte number was 778 +/- 196 per 5-micrometer section. In human irides, 65.9% of the iris stroma is composed of melanocytes. Melanocyte density (number of cells per square millimeter) is not related to iris color. CONCLUSION: The number of melanocytes, the proportion of melanocytes, and iris stromal cellularity are not major contributors to iris color.
Asunto(s)
Color del Ojo , Iris/citología , Melanocitos/citología , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Recuento de Células , Femenino , Técnica del Anticuerpo Fluorescente , Humanos , Masculino , Melaninas/análisis , Pupila/fisiología , Proteínas S100/análisisRESUMEN
In five patients with choroidal melanoma occurring among present or former workers of the duPont Belle, West Virginia, plant the involved eye was enucleated and histopathologic confirmation of the diagnosis was made. This represents a statistically significantly greater than expected occurrence of choroidal melanomas in the white male study population.
Asunto(s)
Industria Química , Neoplasias de la Coroides/inducido químicamente , Melanoma/inducido químicamente , Enfermedades Profesionales/inducido químicamente , Adulto , Anciano , Neoplasias de la Coroides/epidemiología , Neoplasias de la Coroides/patología , Métodos Epidemiológicos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Melanoma/epidemiología , Melanoma/patología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Metástasis de la Neoplasia , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Oftalmológicos , West VirginiaRESUMEN
A case of intraocular paragonimiasis is reported in a 13-year-old Chinese boy. The disease manifested as repeated attacks of acute intraocular pain associated with panuveitis. A combination of inflammatory reaction and ocular findings mimicking both perforating and contusion injuries caused by the migration of the fluke within the eye characterises the infection. The living fluke was successfully extracted from the anterior chamber and identified as Paragonimus westermani.
Asunto(s)
Oftalmopatías/diagnóstico , Paragonimiasis/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Humanos , Masculino , Uveítis/etiologíaRESUMEN
We report morphologic and viability changes in the rabbit corneal epithelium exposed in vitro to gentamicin sulfate. Rabbit corneal epithelial cells (3 x 10(5)) were seeded in replicate 24-well plates at their first in vitro passage, and gentamicin in concentrations of 0, 50, 250, 500, 1,000, or 5,000 micrograms/ml was added to the tissue culture medium beginning 7 days after subculture. By phase contrast microscopy, changes in cell morphologic appearance, particularly increased cytoplasmic granularity, were observed in the 5,000-micrograms/ml groups as early as 24 h after introduction of the drug. At 48 h, similar findings were observed in the 250-micrograms/ml group and at all higher concentrations. The cytoplasmic granularity was not noted in the 0- or 50-micrograms/ml groups. By electron microscopy, these observations correlated with ultrastructural findings of increased accumulations of intralysosomal bodies beginning in the 250-micrograms/ml group after 48 h of exposure to gentamicin. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001) was demonstrated between the total number of viable cells in the low-dose group (50-micrograms/ml) and the high-dose groups (greater than or equal to 250-micrograms/ml) for exposure periods of 48 h or more. These findings demonstrate aminoglycoside toxicity to corneal epithelial cells in vitro similar to that seen in the human kidney and conjunctiva.
Asunto(s)
Córnea/efectos de los fármacos , Gentamicinas/toxicidad , Animales , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Células Cultivadas , Córnea/ultraestructura , Epitelio/efectos de los fármacos , Epitelio/ultraestructura , Microscopía de Contraste de Fase , Conejos , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
Time-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with 20 mg/kg of cocaine HCl or 0.9% saline daily from gestation days 15 through 21. Maternal plasma levels of approximately 720 ng/ml of cocaine did not alter maternal weight gain during treatment, duration of pregnancy, any of the litter variables or several indices of maternal behavior. Offsprings' body weight from birth to 30 days of age and physical maturation were not generally affected by prenatal cocaine exposure. While the development of surface righting, cliff avoidance, and the startle response was accelerated in cocaine-exposed offspring, acquisition of a preference for a social odor was unaltered. Prenatal cocaine also attenuated the locomotor response of the offspring to d-amphetamine and cocaine at PND 15; at PND 30 both of these catecholaminergic agonists increased activity in prenatal saline and prenatal cocaine offspring. However, the difference in plasma levels of cocaine at PND 30 suggests a possible down-regulation of adrenergic receptors following prenatal cocaine exposure. Decreased thymus/body weight ratios and splenomegaly were observed in prenatal cocaine animals at 55 days of age. Although complete neutralization of herpes simplex virus-type 1 was not observed, sera from prenatal cocaine offspring showed an increased rate of appearance of cytopathic effect, while sera from animals given cocaine postnatally showed a reduction in the rate at which viral infectivity was expressed in culture. These results indicate that prenatal cocaine exposure can alter neurobehavioral ontogeny and humoral immune responsitivity in the offspring.
Asunto(s)
Cocaína/administración & dosificación , Sistema Inmunológico/efectos de los fármacos , Actividad Motora/efectos de los fármacos , Efectos Tardíos de la Exposición Prenatal , Reflejo/efectos de los fármacos , Animales , Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Peso Corporal/efectos de los fármacos , Cocaína/farmacocinética , Femenino , Edad Gestacional , Conducta Materna , Tamaño de los Órganos/efectos de los fármacos , Embarazo , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas , Simplexvirus , Bazo/efectos de los fármacos , Bazo/crecimiento & desarrollo , Timo/efectos de los fármacos , Timo/crecimiento & desarrolloRESUMEN
Ocular tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of panophthalmitis, uveitis, and intraocular neoplasms. We have presented 6 cases illustrating some of the clinical and pathological characteristics of two types of ocular involvement, acute tuberculous panophthalmitis and ciliary body tuberculoma. The former should be entertained when panophthalmitis or uveitis occur in debilitated patients with obvious systemic tuberculosis foci. Ciliary body tuberculoma should be suspected in relatively healthy individuals with a history of tuberculosis and an intraocular mass. The diagnosis is confirmed by positive cultures or the identification of the organism by acid-fast stains. Typical histopathology in the appropriate clinical setting is sufficient to start specific antituberculous therapy, which should be used in all cases.
Asunto(s)
Tuberculosis Ocular/patología , Enfermedades de la Úvea/patología , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , China , Cuerpo Ciliar/patología , Conjuntiva/patología , Córnea/patología , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Ojo/patología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Panoftalmitis/patología , Tuberculoma/patología , Tuberculosis Ocular/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de la Úvea/diagnóstico , Agudeza VisualAsunto(s)
Neoplasias de la Coroides/inducido químicamente , Melanoma/inducido químicamente , Enfermedades Profesionales/inducido químicamente , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Neoplasias de la Coroides/patología , Métodos Epidemiológicos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Melanoma/patología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Nevo/etiología , Enfermedades de la Úvea/etiologíaRESUMEN
The localization of enzymes involved in the flow of carbon into and out of starch was determined in guard cells of Commelina communis. The guard cell chloroplasts were separated from the rest of the cellular components by a modification of published microfuge methods. The enzymes of interest were then assayed in the supernatant and chloroplast fractions. The chloroplast yield averaged 75% with 10% cytoplasmic contamination. The enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis, ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthase, and branching enzyme, are located exclusively in the chloroplast fraction. The enzymes involved in starch degradation show a more complex distribution. Phosphorylase is located in both the supernatant and chloroplast fraction, 50% in each fraction. Most of the amylase and debranching enzyme activity is present in the supernatant (70%) fraction. The majority of the rest of the enzymes involved in the degradation of starch to malate and synthesis of starch from a hexose precursor were also investigated. All of the enzymes were present in the chloroplast except for hexokinase and phosphofructokinase. The inability to assay these enzymes could possibly have been due to the lack of or low activity of the enzymes or to nonoptimal assay conditions.
RESUMEN
In this paper, we borrow the idea of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) from clinical medicine and demonstrate its application to sequence comparison. The ROC includes elements of both sensitivity and specificity, and is a quantitative measure of the usefulness of a diagnostic. The ROC is used in this work to investigate the effects of scoring table and gap penalties on database searches. Studies on three families of proteins, 4Fe-4S ferredoxins, lysR bacterial regulatory proteins, and bacterial RNA polymerase sigma-factors lead to the following conclusions: sequence families are quite idiosyncratic, but the best PAM distance for database searches using the Smith-Waterman method is somewhat larger than predicted by theoretical methods, about 200 PAM. The length independent gap penalty (gap initiation penalty) is quite important, but shows a broad peak at values of about 20-24. The length dependent gap penalty (gap extension penalty) is almost irrelevant suggesting that successful database searches rely only to a limited degree on gapped alignments. Taken together, these observations lead to the conclusion that the optimal conditions for alignments and database searches are not, and should not be expected to be, the same.
Asunto(s)
Curva ROC , Análisis de Secuencia/métodos , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Ferredoxinas/genética , Alineación de Secuencia , Factor sigma/genética , Factores de Transcripción/genéticaRESUMEN
Flag leaves of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell. cv ;Duke') were supplied with (14)C(glucosyl)sucrose. Translocated [(14)C]sucrose was isolated, then hydrolyzed. Label appeared in both the hexose moieties indicating that some randomization of label had occurred. However, near the radioactive front essentially all of the (14)C was in the glucose moiety, suggesting that randomization occurred after unloading, supporting the conclusion that sucrose was taken up intact by phloem and translocated unaltered.
RESUMEN
In developing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit, starch levels reach a peak early in development with soluble sugars (hexoses) gradually increasing in concert with starch degradation. To determine the enzymic basis of this transient partitioning of carbon to starch, the activities of key carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes were investigated in extracts from developing fruits of three varieties (cv VF145-7879, cv LA1563, and cv UC82B), differing in final soluble sugar accumulation. Of the enzymes analyzed, ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase and sucrose synthase levels were temporally correlated with the transient accumulation of starch, having highest activities in cv LA1563, the high soluble sugar accumulator. Of the starch-degrading enzymes, phosphorylase levels were fivefold higher than those of amylase, and these activities did not increase during the period of starch degradation. Fiften percent of the amylase activity and 45 to 60% of the phosphorylase activity was localized in the chloroplast in cv VF145-7879. These results suggest that starch degradation in tomato fruit is predominantly phosphorolytic. The results suggest that starch biosynthetic capacity, as determined by levels of ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase rather than starch degradative capacity, regulate the transient accumulation of starch that occurs early in tomato fruit development. The results also suggest that ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase and sucrose synthase levels correlated positively with soluble sugar accumulation in the three varieties examined.
RESUMEN
The activator specificity of the ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase from Commelina communis guard cells is the same as observed for the mesophyll cell enzyme. 3-Phosphoglycerate was found to be the most effective activator. Fifty per cent of maximal stimulation was observed at about 100 micromolar. Inorganic phosphate was found to be a potent inhibitor giving 50% inhibition at 0.3 millimolar. These results are discussed with respect to regulation of starch synthesis in guard cells.