ABSTRACT
Quantitative determination of neuron-specific enolase in the serum was performed by RIA method in 18 neurological patients and in 22 patients with pulmonary diseases. The data confirmed that the specificity of this marker is not absolute for the detection both of the nature and of the seat of origin of the disease. Further problems are posed in patients which simultaneously suffer from endocrine, nervous and pulmonary abnormality.
Subject(s)
Lung Diseases/enzymology , Nervous System Diseases/enzymology , Phosphopyruvate Hydratase/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Biomarkers/blood , Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Brain Neoplasms/enzymology , Female , Humans , Inflammation , Lung Neoplasms/enzymology , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Proteins/bloodABSTRACT
This report describes and illustrates the results of the histopathological and histochemical investigation on five slow-growing tumors of the central nervous system: four meningiomas and an ependymoma of the spinal cord. We have studied, by means of polarizing microscopy, sections stained with picro-sirius red F3BA that enhance the birefringence of collagen and reticulum fibres. The heterogeneous behaviour of the distribution of the collagen let us conclude that the fibrillar component of the extracellular matrix have a scarce importance for the speed of growth of these tumours.