Deep-vein thrombosis and coumarin skin necrosis associated with a factor V inhibitor with lupus-like features.

We report a 71-year-old man who developed deep-vein thrombosis after major surgery. Coumarin skin necrosis developed after starting oral anticoagulant therapy. An inhibitor to factor V (61 Bethesda units) with lupus-like features was found as well as a low protein C level. The occurrence of these very rare findings indicates that despite profound procoagulant inhibition (factor V inhibition and anticoagulant therapy), hypercoagulation can occur.

[Hypothermia during use of pipamperone]. / Hypothermie bij gebruik van pipamperon.

Two women aged 84 and 86 years developed hypothermia after use of pipamperone. In one of the patients repeated administration of pipamperone again induced a decrease of body temperature. Although other clinical and environmental factors may have contributed to the development of hypothermia, a causal relationship between the use of pipamperone and the fall in body temperature appears likely considering the close temporal relationship. Hypothermia has been documented as a side effect of neuroleptics, especially phenothiazines, but it has not been reported in relation to pipamperone. Hypothermia is a potentially lethal condition; the cases described confirm the necessity of being careful with use of neuroleptics in elderly people.

Campylobacter colitis: histological immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings.

The colonic biopsy specimens of 22 patients with colitis and positive stool cultures for Campylobacter jejuni were studied in order to obtain histological and immunohistochemical criteria to differentiate Campylobacter colitis from chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In addition we tried to identify Campylobacter inclusions by means of immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy as evidence for invasion of the colonic mucosa. The results show that the majority of patients with Campylobacter colitis have the histological picture of acute infectious colitis with increased numbers of IgA and IgM containing plasma cells in the colonic mucosa in contrast with patients with active chronic inflammatory bowel disease who show increases of IgA and IgG (ulcerative colitis) or IgA-, IgM and IgG containing plasma cells (M Crohn) in their colonic biopsies. The results of immunohistochemical stainings with Campylobacter antiserum show invasion of Campylobacter in the colonic mucosa. These findings were confirmed ultrastructurally.

Long-term morphological and immunohistochemical observations on biopsy specimens of small intestine from children with gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Jejunal biopsy specimens from nine Spanish children with gluten-sensitive enteropathy were studied with morphometric and immunohistochemical techniques in three stages of the diseases: the first biopsy was taken for diagnosis, when the child had a gluten-containing diet, the second after gluten withdrawal, and the third biopsy after gluten-provocation. The findings were compared with those in 10 healthy adults. The villous:crypt ratio and the length of the surface epithelium per stretched millimetre muscularis mucosae were decreased, whereas the number of interepithelial lymphocytes per millimetre surface epithelium was increased when the child had a gluten-containing diet. Although these parameters improved after withdrawal of gluten for at least seven months, they never reached the values of the healthy control group. With the indirect immunoperoxidase technique it was shown that the numbers of IgA-, IgG-, and IgM-containing cells, expressed per "mucosal tissue unit" of 4 micrometer thick and 1 mm wide, were significantly increased during the active phases of the disease. This increase was most striking for the IgM-containing cells. The most sensitive parameters for the histological diagnosis of gluten-sensitive enteropathy are the villous:crypt ratio or the length of the surface epithelium per millimetre muscularis mucosae, the number of interepithelial lymphocytes per millimetre surface epithelium, and the number of IgM-containing cells per millimetre muscularis mucosae.

Quantitative histological and immunohistochemical findings in jejunal biopsy specimens in giardiasis.

Jejunal mucosa biopsies from non-immune deficient patients with Giardia lamblia infestation were examined and showed three different groups of mucosal changes, distinguishable on morphological and immunohistochemical grounds. In three patients no morphological or immunohistochemical abnormalities were found (group A). In five patients a normal villous architecture was seen. These biopsies had increased numbers of interepithelial lymphocytes and of immunoglobulin containing cells in the lamina propria, with a relative increase of the number of IgA and IgG containing cells (group B). Two patients with a malabsorption syndrome due to giardiasis had marked villous atrophy, documented by morphometric measurements and large numbers of interepithelial lymphocytes and of immunoglobulin containing cells in the lamina propria, especially IgA and IgG (group C). These findings differ considerably from those in patients with immunodeficiency or gluten sensitive enteropathy. This suggests that when villous atrophy of the jejunal mucosa is found immunohistochemistry of jejunal biopsy specimens may be helpful in the differential diagnosis between mere giardiasis and giardiasis superimposed on immunodeficiency or gluten sensitive enteropathy.

Allergic proctitis, a clinical and immunopathological entity.

Patients with isolated ulcerative proctitis form a heterogeneous group. Some may develop ulcerative colitis, others have a limited, benign disease. Twelve patients with isolated proctitis with a mean course of seven years were studied. All patients had a typical clinical picture consisting of a mild and intermittent course of the disease with the presenting symptom of rectal blood loss. At endoscopic examination the inflammatory process was limited to the rectal and distal sigmoid colonic mucosa with a clear upper border beyond which the mucosa of the sigmoid colon was normal. Histologically the mucosal biopsy specimens of the affected rectum resembled those of ulcerative colitis. However, in contrast with proctitis on the base of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, immunoperoxidase staining revealed a markedly increased number of IgE containing cells in the lamina propria of rectal mucosa biopsies. As an IgE-mediated immune mechanism was considered to play a role in this type of proctitis, eight of the 12 patients were treated with oral administration of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG). All patients were improved by the drug. The remaining four patients with mild proctitis did not require treatment. We concluded that, in patients with isolated proctitis on clinical and immunopathological criteria, a group can be separated which responds to DSCG, a condition for which we suggest the name 'allergic proctitis'.

Immunoglobulin containing cells in inflammatory bowel disease of the colon: a morphometric and immunohistochemical study.

Immunoglobulin containing cells in rectal and sigmoid colonic mucosa in endoscopically obtained biopsies from 10 patients with ulcerative colitis and 10 patients with Crohn's disease were studied, using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. These findings were compared with the immunoglobulin containing cell number in colonic biopsies from 10 control patients with no evidence of colitis. In biopsies from the 20 patients with inflammatory bowel disease a marked increase in area of the lamina propria per millimetre mucosa length was found. In ulcerative colitis a marked increase in number of IgG containing cells was observed. In Crohn's disease the increase in IgG containing cell number is dependent on the degree of activity of inflammation. In quiescent of active Crohn's disease of the colon we found a significant increase of the IgM containing cells. The number of IgM containing cells per millimetre mucosa length will differentiate the pathology of Crohn's disease from ulcerative colitis.

Gastrointestinal telangietasia as a cause of severe blood loss in systemic sclerosis.

Two patients with progressive scleroderma had severe gastrointestinal blood loss. Endoscopical examination revealed multiple telangiectase in the upper gastrointestinal tract, especially in the stomach. The telangiectases in the skin and the mucosa in systemic sclerosis are indistinguishable endoscopically and histologically from those seen in hereditary hemaorrhagic telangiectasia. Recurrent and severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage originating from telangiectases is an unusual complication of systemic sclerosis.

Use of morphometry and immunohistochemistry of small intestinal biopsy specimens in the diagnosis of food allergy.

Eight babies with cow's milk protein intolerance and malabsorption, ages ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months, and five adult patients with a history of food allergy were studied. In the jejunal biopsies of the eight children with cow's milk protein intolerance we found partial villous atrophy with an increased number of interepithelial lymphocytes as determined by morphometric analysis. In the five adult patients no morphological changes of the jejunal mucosa were found. However, immunoperoxidase staining revealed a markedly increased number of IgE containing cells in the lamina propria of all jejunal biopsies studied. This proved to be specific for young and adult patients with food allergy. It is concluded that immunohistochemistry of jejunal biopsy specimens is of considerable value in the diagnosis of food allergy.