Rheumatic manifestations in brazilian patients with AIDS.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) may have rheumatic complaints such as arthritis and arthralgia, dry eyes, increased salivary glands, lower back pain, enthesitis etc. Autoantibodies like ANA (antinuclear antibody) and RF (rheumatoid factor) may also be present. OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of rheumatic complaints in AIDS patients and correlate them with the presence of ANA and RF. METHODS: We studied 69 patients with AIDS (28.9% women and 71.0% men) with a mean age of 40.8 ± 8.9 years, median disease duration of 60 months, for rheumatic complaints, ANA, ENA-6 (anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-Scl70 and anti-Jo1) and RF. We collected demographic data, CD4+ and CD8+ cell count and values of viral load. RESULTS: Arthralgia was present in 39.1%, sicca symptoms in 21.7%, inflammatory lumbar pain in 13.4%, enthesopathy in 6.6%, parotid enlargement in 1.4%, RF in 10.1% and ANA in 8.6%. All patients were negative for ENA-6. ANA was more common in older patients (p = 0.03) and in those with higher viral load (p = 0.006). No association was found with the presence of RF. CONCLUSIONS: The most common manifestation in this context was arthralgia. ANA presence was associated with age of the patients and viral load.

Communication: X-ray excited optical luminescence from TbCl3 at the giant resonance of terbium.

We have studied the optical recombination channels of TbCl(3) using x-ray excited optical luminescence at the N(4,5) absorption edge of Tb (giant resonance) in both the energy and time domain. The luminescence exhibits a relatively fast (5)D(3), and a slow (5)D(4) decay channel in the blue and green, respectively. The rather short lifetime of the (5)D(3) state indicates that the decay is mainly driven by Tb-Tb ion interaction via non-radiative energy transfer (cross-relaxation). At the giant resonance the X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) recorded using partial photoluminescence yield is inverted. In the pre-edge region the contrast of the spectral feature is significantly better in optical XANES than in total electron yield. Changes in the intensity of (5)D(3)-(7)F(5) (544 nm) and (5)D(4)-(7)F(6) (382 nm) optical transitions as the excitation energy is tuned across the giant resonance are also noted. The results provide detailed insight into the dynamics of the optical recombination channels and an alternative method to obtain high sensitivity, high energy resolution XANES at the giant resonance of light emitting rare-earth materials.

Synthesis and synchrotron light-induced luminescence of ZnO nanostructures: nanowires, nanoneedles, nanoflowers, and tubular whiskers.

ZnO nanostructures, including single-crystal nanowires, nanoneedles, nanoflowers, and tubular whiskers, have been fabricated at a modestly low temperature of 550 degrees C via the oxidation of metallic Zn powder without a metal catalyst. Specific ZnO nanostructures can be obtained at a specific temperature zone in the furnace depending on the temperature and the pressure of oxygen. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies show that ZnO nanostructures thus prepared are single crystals with a wurtzite structure. X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) from the ZnO nanostructures show noticeable morphology-dependent luminescence. Specifically, ZnO nanowires of around 15 nm in diameter emit the strongest green light. The morphology of these nanostructures, their XEOL, and the implication of the results will be discussed.

Mixed ductal-endocrine carcinomas of the pancreas and ductal adenocarcinomas with scattered endocrine cells: characterization of the endocrine cells.

We compared the histological and immunohistochemical features of mixed ductal-endocrine carcinomas of the pancreas with those of ductal adenocarcinomas (DACs) containing scattered tumor-associated endocrine cells (SECs). Three pancreatic neoplasms fulfilled the WHO criteria for mixed ductal-endocrine carcinomas. Two of them showed moderately to poorly differentiated glandular structures composed of both mucin producing and neuroendocrine cells. The third mixed ductal-endocrine carcinoma was of the composite type showing DAC structures and a solid component with small epithelial cells, most of them of neuroendocrine nature. In 32 of 34 cases of DAC located in the head (30 cases) and body to tail (4 cases) of the pancreas and showing lymph-node metastases, SECs were found, but they were few in number and irregularly distributed in the tumors. In three DACs a few SECs were also detected in lymph-node metastases. Double staining for chromogranin A and the proliferation marker Ki-S5 revealed that all SECs that were not intimately integrated into the neoplastic glandular epithelium failed to show proliferative activity and changes of the expression of tumor suppressor genes (p53 and DPC 4). These findings suggest that only those SECs that belong to the proliferative cell fraction may be of neoplastic origin, while the majority of SECs probably constitute a tumor-associated but non-neoplastic cell population. These features contrast with those of mixed ductal-endocrine carcinomas, in which all endocrine cells are a component of the neoplasm.

Expression of DNA topoisomerases in chronic proliferative kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Circulating autoantibodies to human topoisomerases have been reported in glomerular kidney disease associated with scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus. However, limited information is available about the expression of topoisomerases in the kidney under normal and pathological conditions. METHODS: The expression of DNA topoisomerases I and IIalpha was studied by immunohistochemistry on archival biopsies from 70 patients with chronic renal diseases. Normal kidney tissue was examined for comparison. Topoisomerase I was detected by means of monoclonal antibody (mAb) C21, and topoisomerase IIalpha was detected by means of mAb Ki-S4. In addition, mAb Ki-M1p was used to assess the density of monocytic infiltrates. All parameters were assessed in a semiquantitative manner. RESULTS: Glomerular topoisomerase IIalpha levels were increased in mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), and lupus nephritis (LN) and were reduced in membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN), chronic transplant nephropathy (CTN), and tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN). Tubular epithelia displayed high topoisomerase IIalpha levels in mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis (MCGN), RPGN, TIN, miscellaneous entities (MISC) and LN, and displayed low levels in MPGN and CTN. Topoisomerase I expression was high in the glomeruli of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), MCGN, and RPGN and was extreme in LN, whereas it was strikingly diminished in the glomeruli of MGN, CTN, and TIN. Almost all conditions displayed lower tubular topoisomerase I levels than normal kidney, except for LN, in which the enzyme content was markedly increased. Increased glomerular monocytic infiltrates were found in FSGS, MCGN, RPGN, TIN, and LN, and tubulointerstitial Ki-M1p+ cells were seen at high numbers in MCGN, RPGN, TIN, MISC, and LN. The expression of the topoisomerases I and IIalpha was significantly correlated; also, topoisomerases showed a positive association with the density of monocytic infiltrates. The parameter profiles exhibited significant differences between distinct types of chronic renal disease. CONCLUSION: Topoisomerase IIalpha expression is tightly linked to cell cycling, and topoisomerase I is likely a reflection of gene transcription. Rapidly progressing glomerular disease therefore appears to be accompanied by active mesangial cell proliferation and increased metabolic activity in glomerular cells. The correlation with inflammatory infiltrates is likely to reflect a positive feedback mechanism involving cytokines, growth factors, and adhesion molecules. Assessment of topoisomerases may therefore be of diagnostic help and might allow prognostic predictions. Provided that our observations are supported by clinicopathological follow-up studies, one might envisage the use of topoisomerase inhibitors in the therapy of chronic proliferative renal disease refractory to current treatment protocols.

Ontogeny, differentiation and growth of the endocrine pancreas.

The pancreas develops from the primitive foregut endoderm, which differentiates into ductal, acinar and endocrine cells. This complex process is probably replicated in the adult pancreas when endocrine cell renewal is required, as may be the case in diabetes mellitus. This review describes what is known about the morphogenesis of the endocrine pancreas during ontogeny and the mechanisms regulating its differentiation and growth.

lmmuno Histochemical Profile of Endometrium in Patients With Genital Endometriosis.

The aim of present study was to investigate the occurence of different lymphocyte subsets in the endometrium of endometriosis patients and in healthy women on every day of the menstrual cycle with special emphasis to the proliferative activity of endometrial cells with Ki-S3 antibody. We also conducted immunohistochemical studies of T-lymphocytes, B-lympho-cytes, macrophages, natural-killer-cells and also of antigens class II of the histocompatibility complex (HLA-DR) during the different phases of the menstrual cycle in endometriosis and non-endometriosis patients.Endometrial lymphocyte subsets show equal quantity and distribution in endometriosis patients and in the control group. After a peak in the early preoliferative phase the absolute number of T-lymphocytes decreases while a predominance of T-suppressor/cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD8) compared to T-helper/inducer lymphocytes (CD4) occurs towards the end of the menstrual cycle.It can be concluded that endometrium as the potential parent epithelia of endometriotic lesions seems not to be altered in its lymphatic cell content compared to healthy women. Furthermore endometrium is clearly characterised as part of the mucosa associated lymphatic tissue (MALT). T-lymphocytes show specific quantitative changes due to different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Lymphocyte subsets in the endometrium of patients with endometriosis throughout the menstrual cycle.

PROBLEM: Comparison and characterisation of different lymphocyte subsets in the endometrium of endometriosis patients and in healthy women on every day of the menstrual cycle with special emphasis on the CD4:CD8 ratio in the endometrium. METHOD: Immunohistochemical staining of 253 endometrial biopsies of infertile women with and without endometriosis with Anti-Leu4 (CD3), Anti-Leu3a (CD4), Anti-Leu2a (CD8), Anti-Leu7 and Anti-Human-B-cell (CD22) using the immune peroxidase reaction. Identification and counting of positive lymphocyte were performed on cryostat sections. RESULTS: Endometrial lymphocyte subsets show equal quantity and distribution in endometriosis patients and in the control group. After a peak in the early proliferative phase the absolute number of T lymphocytes decreases while a predominance of T-suppressor/cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8) compared to T-helper/inducer lymphocytes (CD4) occurs towards the end of the menstrual cycle. CONCLUSION: Endometrium as the potential parent epithelia of endometriosis lesions seems not to be altered in its lymphatic cell content compared to healthy women. Furthermore, endometrium is clearly characterised as part of the mucosa associated lymphatic tissue (MALT). T lymphocytes show specific quantitative changes due to different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Proliferative activity of the endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle in infertile women with and without endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether changes in endometrial proliferation in patients with endometriosis contribute to ectopic endometrial implantation. DESIGN: Endometrial biopsies from patients with endometriosis were stained immunohistochemically and compared with endometrium of a control group (n = 111). The newly developed monoclonal antibody Ki-S3 was used as a marker of cellular proliferation in surface and glandular epithelia and in stromal cells. SETTING: Female Infertility Clinic, Research Centre of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Moscow, Russia, and Institute of Pathology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-nine women with endometriosis and 111 women without endometriosis, all being infertile. INTERVENTION: Collecting endometrial samples during diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Number of proliferating cells in endometrial stroma, glandular, and surface epithelia. RESULTS: Endometrial proliferation showed a characteristic cyclic dependency with greatest activity in the follicular phase. Although epithelial proliferation ceased completely during the luteal phase, the number of proliferating cells in the stroma increased again toward the end of the menstrual cycle after its maximum at ovulation. No significant differences could be found between both investigated groups. CONCLUSIONS: Endometriosis is not due to an altered proliferative activity in eutopic endometrium. Proliferating stromal cells at the end of the menstrual cycle may reflect increasing numbers of immunocompetent cells. Endometrium of patients with endometriosis reveals almost the same cyclical changes as endometrium of patients without endometriosis does. Further attention to cells and cell-mediated reactions in the extrauterine milieu is required to elucidate the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Heavy-atom enhancement and analytical figures of merit for low-temperature phosphorimetry in the red region for several polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.

Analytical figures of merit for the low-temperature (77 K) phosphorescence of 22 polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are presented. Also, heavy-atom enhancement factors have been obtained for these compounds with an n-heptane solvent with iodoethane and dimethylmercury as sources of external heavy atoms, and with a 3:1 v/v ethanol/water solvent with potassium iodide, silver nitrate, thallium acetate, and lead acetate as heavy-atom sources. Effects of these heavy atoms on the phosphorescence signals vary markedly, depending on the compound of interest.