Clear cell "sugar" tumor of the pancreas. A novel member of the family of lesions characterized by the presence of perivascular epithelioid cells.

We report at unique, previously unreported pancreatic tumor occurring in a 60-year-old woman who was preoperative diagnosed on cytoaspiration as having clear cell carcinoma. The resected tumor consisted of a population of large epithelioid cells with clear or eosinophilic, granular cytoplasm, rich in glycogen, with nuclear pleomorphism and no mitotic activity. In spite of the epithelioid appearance, the tumor cells were negative for epithelial (CAM 5.2, KL1, AE1-AE3), endocrine (neuron-specific enolase [NSE], chromogranin A), and acinar (lipase, amylase) markers and positive for actin and melanogenesis-related marker HMB 45. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells showed membrane-bound granules; no evidence of either epithelial or melanocytic differentiation was present. These morphophenotypic features have never been reported in a pancreatic tumor and overlap those of clear cell "sugar" tumor of the lung. The same morphophenotypic features are observed in a family of lesions characterized by the presence of the perivascular epithelioid cell that also includes lymphangiomyomatosis and angiomyolipoma. The present case may be considered a novel member of this family of lesions. We propose this new entity be named clear cell "sugar" tumor of the pancreas.

Procollagen III peptide and fibronectin in alcohol-related chronic liver disease: correlations with morphological features and biochemical tests.

In order to clarify the significance of procollagen III peptide (PIIIP) and fibronectin (FN) blood concentration in alcohol related chronic liver disease (ALD), we have investigated their relationships with histological liver features and biochemical liver tests in 44 ALD patients. PIIIP was measured in serum by radioimmunoassay whereas FN was determined in plasma using an immunonephelometric method. In each liver biopsy, steatosis, portal infiltrate, lobular necro-inflammation, portal fibrosis and lobular fibrosis were semiquantitatively assessed by scoring from 0 to 3. A close correlation of PIIIP was found with morphological features of fibrosis (both of lobular and portal type), but not with necro-inflammation or steatosis. PIIIP was also positively correlated with ALP and GGT and exhibited a good diagnostic value in liver fibrosis. On the contrary, FN did not distinguish between normals and patients and was not correlated with any morphological liver feature or biochemical liver test. We also conclude that serum NP3P effectively reflects liver fibrosis, whereas plasma FN seems not related to any of the main histological aspects of liver damage in ALD.

Target neurons of endogenous androgens immunocytochemically localized in male rat hypothalamus.

A polyclonal antiserum against androgens, i.e., testosterone, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione, was tested to reveal target neurons of endogenous androgens in the hypothalamus of both intact and castrated male rats. Paraffin sections of hypothalamus and testis were immunostained by using Avidin-Biotin Complex method and 3-3' diaminobenzidine to visualize the immunoperoxidase complex. Conventional control experiments for method and antiserum specificity were performed. The antiserum proved to be specific for androgens, i.e., testosterone, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione. The nuclear labeling observed in tissues stained by this procedure is consistent with the hypothesis that the labeled neurons contained DHT, which is the main testosterone metabolite active in the cell nucleus. The antiserum was effective in staining not only the hypothalamic neurons of intact males with normal serum levels of testosterone but also the hypothalamic neuron of castrated males with very low serum levels of testosterone. Evidence is presented indicating that the immunostaining technique represents a more specific and sensitive method to identify target neurons of endogenous androgens than autoradiography.

A scanning electron microscopic study of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus in duck and rabbit.

The mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) cells of both young and adult ducks as well as of rabbits were investigated by scanning electron microscope. The rabbit showed only ovoid unipolar cells, while the duck also presented polyhedral cells. Few of these latter revealed processes originating from their surface and were recognized as multipolar cells. Some differences between the MTN cell surface of young and adult ducks were noticed. Synaptic bulbs were observed on the MTN cells in both duck and rabbit.

The fine structure of the area postrema of the sheep.

The ultrastructural features of the area postrema (AP) were investigated in the suckling lamb, weaned lamb and adult sheep. No morphological differences were observed between lambs and sheep. Unciliated ependymal cells, linked by zonulae adherentes-type junctions and gap junctions, cover the AP ventricular surface. Clusters of pyriform neurons, glial cells, and axons are present in the parenchyma. The blood vessels are surrounded by wide perivascular spaces, which present an inner and outer basal lamina. The capillaries are of the fenestrated type. Perivascular glial cells rest on the outer basal lamina of the perivascular space and form a continuous ensheathment with their cell bodies or with flattened interdigitating processes. Along adjacent perivascular glial processes gap junctions are present. From our ultrastructural observations it appears that the overall cellular morphology of AP of the sheep does not differ substantially from that of monogastric mammals.

[Von Recklinghausen's peripheral neurofibromatosis (report of a case with malignant degeneration)]. / Neurofibromatosi periferica di von Recklinghausen (osservazione di un caso con degenerazione maligna).

The communication of a case of peripheric neurofibromatosis of Von Recklinghausen with malignant degeneration helps us to underline the importance of the follow-up as the best system to prevent these negative cases and to allow a best and longer survival of these patients with a high cancerogenic predisposition.

Numerical and morphological analysis of human endocervical cells in relation to peripheral estrogen levels.

To verify a previous hypothesis in the literature, a quantitative analysis of the endocervical muciparous cells was performed together with a histological and cytological study of the endocervical crypts and their muciparous cells, in relation to the variability of peripheral estrogen levels. Twenty healthy human cervices were studied. From the statistical analysis of the data obtained counting muciparous cells of the crypts of each with a different ovarian hormone pattern, a high significance emerged, excluding an individual biological variability of the subjects on the changes in cell number. This demonstrates that numerical variability of the endocervical muciparous cells is related to ovarian hormone variability. However, as morphological observations reveal that estrogens regulate the in-decreasing of the endocervical cells, a relation between numerical variability of endocervical cells and blood estrogen levels is deduced.

Hormone dependence of human cervical mucus and variability of mucus canalization and crystallization during the menstrual cycle.

Assessment of canalization and crystallization of human cervical mucus and their variability during the menstrual cycle has revealed a direct relationship with ovarian hormone levels. This hormone dependence of cervical mucus was clearly identified during the fertile phase, while it seemed to be hormone independent during the infertile phases. In fact, during the early preovulatory and the postovulatory phase, both canalization and crystallization showed the same morphological features in spite of the striking difference in hormonal levels. On the basis of these data and the already known heterogeneity of cervical secretion, it is suggested that one of the mucus components is hormone dependent while the other is hormone independent, their quantity modifications being quite opposite during the menstrual cycle. The hypothesis therefore indicates two different types of muciparous cells in the cervical crypts: normal muciparous cells--as in the other mucous epithelia--intermixed with others only secreting under the stimulus of ovarian hormones.

Preliminary results on the scanning electron microscopic structure of infertile human cervical mucus.

Interesting data on infertile human membranous mucus compared with infertile filamentous mucus have emerged from previous studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The aim of this study was to obtain more information about the infertility of membranous mucus being independent of ovarian hormone stimulus. All different types of mucus, progressively secreted during the menstrual cycle by endocervical muciparous cells, were collected from the cervical canal of a fertile woman with a long menstrual cycle and specifically with a long infertile preovulatory period. The most significant results concern the identification of the cycle phase characterized by the presence of membranous mucus alone, i.e. the infertile preovulatory phase and the hormonal bases of membranous mucus infertility. The conclusion is reached that each ovarian hormone pattern stimulates the secretion of a specific type of mucus during the menstrual cycle.

Further data indicating ovarian hormone independent cells in the human endocervical crypts.

This study was carried out in order to verify the existence of two types of muciparous cells in the human endocervical mucosa on the basis of their ovarian hormone dependence. Uterine cervices of fertile and late menopause women were compared to define histochemically the morphology of muciparous cells found in two opposite ovarian hormone patterns. A similar morphology was observed in the fertile and late menopause groups, although they differed in both a higher number of muciparous cells and more intracellular mucus present in the fertile women. A comparative evaluation of these data suggest that hormone independent cells are present in the cervical crypts of late menopause women and that a cyclic change of hormone dependent cells may occur in fertile women, analogous to the cyclic changes of endometrial mucosa.

Hormonal bases of the correspondence between microscopic and ultramicroscopic features of human cervical mucus.

By studying the changes of microscopic and ultramicroscopic structure of cervical mucus and the corresponding changes of ovarian hormone levels throughout the cycle, a close correspondence was found between micro and ultramicrostructures. The optical structure of non canalized mucus and the electronic features of membranous mucus maintained a similarly unvaried morphology in spite of the striking changes in hormonal levels during the cycle. On the contrary, a varied morphology corresponding to the changes of cyclic levels of ovarian hormones was observed in the optical structure of canalized mucus and in the electronic features of filamentous mucus. Therefore, whatever its micro or ultramicroscopic features, the dehydrated mucus showed two components, one dependent and the other independent of ovarian hormones. A similar conclusion has also been reached for fresh mucus components.