Chronic thyroiditis in the rabbit induced with homologous thyroid microsomes.

Rabbits immunized with freshly isolated homologous thyroid microsomes in complete Freund's adjuvant developed a severe chronic thyroiditis with the concomitant production of antimicrosomal antibodies. The antibody response was measured by indirect immunofluorescence and complement fixation, employing isolated microsomes as the antigen. Microsomes but not thyroglobulin absorbed out the immunologic activity of the rabbit serum.

Sex steroid hormone receptors in normal and dysplastic bone disorders in children.

Children with monostotic and polyostotic bone dysplasias often exhibit localized bone overgrowth. We investigated the presence of nuclear estrogen and nuclear progesterone receptors by solid-phase radioimmunoassay, immunocytochemistry, and radioligand binding in osteoblast cell cultures derived from the areas of overgrowth of membranous bone, noninvolved membranous bone, and normal membranous bone from children undergoing elective craniotomy. Membranous bone of normal children had demonstrable levels of nuclear estrogen and progesterone receptors identified by radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemical assay. Two- to threefold increased levels of these receptors (p less than 0.001 versus normals) were found in cultures derived from the involved bone of two children with monostotic fibrous dysplasia and in one patient with polyostotic dysplasia (McCune-Albright syndrome). The noninvolved bone in our patients with fibrous dysplasia exhibited nuclear sex steroid hormone receptor levels similar to those in the normal children. Radioligand binding studies demonstrated increased sex steroid hormone receptors in cultures derived from involved osteoblasts. The presence of an increased level of sex steroid hormone receptor was accompanied by increased alkaline phosphatase activity and increased production of osteocalcin in vitro compared to normal or noninvolved bone. The mechanisms by which sex steroid hormone receptor levels are increased in the ostotic dysplasias remain to be established.

Establishment of replicating long-term lines of rabbit macrophages and lymphocytes.

Macrophages (monocyte derived) and lymphocytes have been successfully cultured from rabbit peripheral blood so that replicating long-term cultures are maintained both in media and in the viable, frozen state. The macrophages are considered as such on the basis of phagocytic capabilities, gamma-globulin receptor sites as evidenced by rosette formation with sensitized red cells and disparate enzyme content from the lymphocytes.

Large-cell lymphoma. Diagnostic difficulties and case study.

The present report describes the difficulties attending the establishment of a correct diagnosis in an adolescent patient with a large retroperitoneal tumor. It is known that clinical and pathologic findings may sometimes be insufficient to effect a distinction between germ-cell and lymphomatous origin of a large-celled neoplasm. Our purpose is to demonstrate that these difficulties may persist even when current methods of morphologic study, including electron microscopy, are complemented with the application of many antibodies that are commonly available for immunohistologic use. In the young, the differential diagnosis of large-celled neoplasm must include "rhabdoid" tumor, and the poorly characterized nature of this neoplasm compounds the unusually difficult diagnostic dilemma. Our problem case expressed none of many lymphoid tissue markers used, was positive for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and was comprised of so-called "anemone" cells visible by electron microscopy, which appearance may correspond to that of carcinomas or lymphomas. Study of gene rearrangement provided additional evidence that the neoplasm was of lymphomatous origin, by showing rearrangement of genes for immunoglobulins. This valuable technique has an important place in diagnostic surgical pathology.

B-cell lymphoma marking only with anti-epithelial membrane antigen.

A large cell malignancy identified as a B-lymphoma only by virtue of mu and kappa chain gene rearrangement additionally displayed profuse plasmalemma marking with anti-epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Affinity absorption of the antibody with N-acetyl-galactosamine but not with N-acetylglucosamine or d-galactose effectively removed the lymphoma reactive antibodies. Soy bean agglutinin but not wheat germ agglutinin demonstrated lectin activity towards an epitope on the lymphoma membrane. Finally, digestion of cryostat sections of the lymphoma with N-acetylgalactosaminidase effectively removed the sugar epitope involved in EMA marking. Such data taken together would tend to indicate a membrane positioned complex carbohydrate with galactosamine dominancy. By analogy to the purported "late differentiation antigen secretory function" of EMA this lymphoma may be close to plasma cell stage.

Giant cell fibroblastoma.

Two cases of giant cell fibroblastoma in children are described and the available literature on these uncommon neoplasms is summarized. Several local recurrences were noticed in both of our cases, but no metastases occurred. The histologic appearance was distinctive, but no firm conclusions regarding histogenesis could be drawn. Immunostaining methods ruled out a vascular origin. The evidence was not sufficient enough to either confirm or refute a neoplastic histiocytic component of these tumors. The clinical course and pathologic findings suggested that these lesions be classified tentatively with the fibromatoses of childhood.

Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver: ultrastructure, immunohistochemistry, and DNA ploidy analysis of two cases.

We describe the histopathologic, immunohistochemical, electronmicroscopic features, and DNA flow cytometric analysis of 2 cases of undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver. The tumor cells were found to be uniformly nonreactive to antibodies that identify cells belonging to the macrophagic-monocytic system. Focal expression of cytokeratin was an unexpected finding. We conclude that the observations are compatible with origin of this sarcoma from primitive mesenchyme. Uncertainty still exists about histogenesis, but the morphologic features of this neoplasm are quite characteristic. Both tumors demonstrate aneuploid stem lines with high S phase. Whether these findings are prognostically significant remains to be seen.

Duodenal mucosal T cell subpopulation and bacterial cultures in acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Enteric infections, chronic diarrhea frequently with no obvious etiology, and weight loss cause major morbidity and mortality in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Alterations in mucosal immunity may explain the increased incidence of enteric infections, and contamination of the upper small intestine with bacteria may be the cause of weight loss observed in these patients. To test this hypothesis we studied the mucosal T lymphocyte subset in duodenal mucosal biopsies in 14 AIDS and seven control patients. Duodenal fluid was also cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. There was a significant decrease among leu-3a T cells (helper/inducer) subset in AIDS. The proportion of mucosal T cells reacting with leu-2a (cytotoxic/suppressor) was significantly increased in AIDS patients. These patients also had a significant reversal of the normal mucosal helper/suppressor T cell ratio. There was no change in the number of leu-7 cells (cells mediate natural killer and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity) as compared to controls. All patients with diarrhea and three of five patients without diarrhea had bacteria in their duodenal fluid. Mean number of organisms was 4.5 X 10(4)/ml. Cultures were negative in all control subjects. The results reveal that the abnormalities of T cell subpopulation in the blood of AIDS patients also occur in their duodenal mucosa. This immunological abnormality is associated with the bacterial colonization of upper gastrointestinal tract which may explain the diarrhea and weight loss observed in majority of our patients. The results also indicate that increased incidence of enteric infections in AIDS may be explained on the basis of altered mucosal immunity.

Fibrolamellar carcinoma of the liver in a child: ultrastructural and immunohistologic aspects.

We describe a fibrolamellar carcinoma of the liver in a 12-year-old girl and review the literature concerning the occurrence of this distinct hepatic neoplasm in children up to the age of 16 years. The results of our electron microscopic and immunohistologic studies suggest that some cells of this tumor exhibit neuroendocrine differentiation. This finding has important theoretical implications relative to the tumor's histogenesis and practical implications with respect to the search for tumor markers of clinical usefulness and possibly for therapy.