Well Controlling of Plasmonic Features of Gold Nanoparticles on Macro Porous Silicon Substrate by HF Acid Concentration.

In this work, we fabricated an efficient macroporous silicon/gold nanoparticles (macro psi/AuNPs) hybrid structure and how well controlling of plasmonic features on macro psi/AuNPs employs them for highly sensitive detection of the very low concentration of cyanine (Cy) dyes molecules. Macro-PSi was synthesized on n-type Si wafer with 3-10 Ω. cm resistivity and 100 orientation using Photo Electro Chemical Etching (PECE) process with630 nm illumination wavelength and 30 mW/cm2 illumination intensity. The macroPSi /AuNPs hybrid structure substrates were prepared by simple and quick dipping process of macroPSi in tetrachloroauric gold solution HAuCl4 with different concentrations of (10-2  M, 10-2 M diluted in 2.9  M of HF, 5 × 10-3 M, and 5 × 10-3 M diluted in 2.9 M of HF). Efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals was obtained from macroPSi/AuNPs substrates for Cy dye concentration of about 10-6 and 10-10 M. The detection method is dependent on a nanoparticles sizes process through controlling the concentration in a HAuCl4 solution. Higher SERS signal was found for sample with lower salt concentration of 5 × 10-3 M diluted in HF. The enhancement factors (EF) of Raman's signal increased four orders of magnitude by diluting the salt concentration. The values of EF in the range of 0.8 × 103-0.72 × 107 were obtained by controlling the salt concentration from 10-2 to 5 × 10-3 diluted in HF acid.

Goniodysgenesis in elderly glaucoma and non-glaucoma patients. A masked slit-lamp and gonioscopy study.

The aim was to elucidate whether goniodysgenesis is more frequently observed in elderly patients with glaucoma, and furthermore, which signs of goniodysgenesis are of importance and most unanimously detected. Thus, 3 examiners evaluated 21 glaucoma patients and 19 non-glaucoma patients in a masked fashion. None of the patients had a first-degree heredity. Gonioscopy, slit-lamp examination and measurements of the corneal and pupillary diameter were performed, in all 26 variables. Significantly (P less than 0.05) more frequent in glaucoma were an increased corneal diameter, scleral overriding, hypoplasia of the pupillary seam, abnormal Schwalbe's line and an opaque pretrabecular membrane (one examiner). Less frequent were a peripupillary yellow pigment ring and pigment stars on the lens. Inter-observer variation was small regarding e.g. corneal diameter but rather large regarding e.g. the pretrabecular membrane.

The effect of bromhexine on experimentally induced diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by a single i.v. injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg). Animals were treated with bromhexine at 2 dose levels (2.5 mg/kg/day and 25 mg/kg/day) for 13 months thereafter and compared to non-diabetic controls and untreated diabetic animals. Renal pathology showed a significant increase in glomerular volume and basement membrane thickening in untreated diabetic animals. The higher dose bromhexine treated diabetic animals showed a significant decrease in glomerular volume as compared with diabetic animals not given bromhexine.

Immunological investigations in vernal eye disease.

A group of patients with vernal disease was investigated for serum IgE levels, specific antibody to external allergens in serum and tears, and the frequencies of the HL-A antigens. Biopsies taken from the conjunctiva were examined by means of light and electron microscopy for the presence of mast cells and other inflammatory cells. Serum IgE was elevated in 75 per cent of the patients, all of whom demonstrated positive prick tests to common allergens and specific antibody in their serum using the radio-allergosorbent test (RAST). Specific antibody was also demonstrated in tears using the same technique. The distribution of the HL-A antigens showed no difference in frequency when compared with controls. Conjunctival biopsies demonstrated numerous mast cells, the more superficial of which were degranulating in active disease. In control biopsy material, mast cells were densely packed with granules. The clinical manifestations in vernal disease together with the infiltration of the tarsal conjunctiva with many types of inflammatory cell, are possible caused by mediators which are known to be produced by degranulating mast cells when they are stimulated by allergens.

Human polyomavirus (BK) infection and ureteric stenosis in renal allograft recipients.

Human polyomavirus (BK) was detected in two renal allograft recipients as a result of routine examination of Papanicolaou-stained smears of urinary sediment in the light microscope. Infection with this recently identified virus was confirmed by virus isolation and electron microscopy. The cytological, histological, and ultrastructural changes due to the virus are described, and virus excretion is correlated with the clinical progress of the patients and the pathological findings. The transplant ureters in both patients were found to be ulcerated and stenosed, and virus-infected cells were observed in the ureteric epithelium. We suggest that the administration of high-dose steroids in transplantation may permit active infection with human polyomavirus to occur in ureteric epithelium which has been damaged by ischaemia or inflammation.

Human polyoma virus (HPV)--a significant pathogen in renal transplantation.

Routine cytological screening of Papanicolaou-stained smears of the urinary sediment from 57 renal allografts in 51 patients has resulted in the detection of seven cases of Human Polyoma Virus (HPV) BK infection--14% of the total number. Infection was confirmed by virus isolation and electron microscopy (EM). The cytological, histological and ultra-structural data are described and related to the clinical progress of the patient. Four out of the seven cases are discussed in more detail as histological material was available; in three of these, there was evidence of stenosis of the transplant ureter with virus infected cells in the ureteric epithelium and in one case also in the renal tubules. Administration of high dose steroids may provoke active infection with HPV in ureteric epithelium damaged by ischaemia and inflammation. The similarity between the clinical features of an HPV infection and a rejection episode make it imperative to confirm the diagnosis quickly and accurately. Cytological examination of the urinary deposit by light microscopy is a simple, inexpensive procedure which provides positive diagnosis of the typical virus inclusions within an hour of receiving the urine specimen in the laboratory. This can be confirmed by removing single cells from the original cytological slide preparation and processing them for EM using a technique described by Coleman et al [1].

Penicillamine nephropathy in rheumatoid arthritis. A clinical, pathological and immunological study.

Fourteen patients who developed persistent proteinuria while on penicillamine for rheumatoid arthritis, were collected over a period of one year. Eleven patients had a frank nephrotic syndrome and three had a lesser degree of proteinuria but no oedema. The patients had received penicillamine (mean daily dose 1015 mg) for less than one year (mean 7-5 months) when the nephropathy was detected. Clinical investigations have been correlated with renal biopsy material. Light microscopy detected no abnormalities except for minimal hypercellularity in a few patients. In markde contrast, the electron-microscope revealed numerous electron-dense deposits (EED's) in the outer layer of the basement membrane. Immunofluorescence showed the presence of IgG and complement in the basement membrane, the intensity of which correlated with the number of EED's. The pathological picture was essentially the same in those patients with the nephrotic syndrome and those with proteinuria. In this series, we found no evidence that penicillamine induced renal damage by any other mechanism except immune complex deposition. Serological tests revealed little evidence for complement activation or consumption and platelet aggregation was the only positive direct test for circulating immune complexes. Renal biopsies were performed at differing intervals after the cessation of penicillamine therapy, which allowed assessment of the natural history of the pathological lesion and revealed a striking persistence of EDD's in some patients. Two patients showed an almost identical picture initially and at re-biopsy one year later. Persistent proteinuria was also a feature of the group as a whole. The pathological picture has similarities with that of idiopathic membranous glomerulopathy. This study suggests that the use of penicillamine in rheumatoid arthritis may induce persistent renal damage.