Histopathology ; seconds ; Skin lesion, NOS ; Leprosy

Melanoma is a lethal skin cancer that occurs predominantly among Caucasians. In Malaysia, the incidence of melanoma is low. This is a retrospective study of clinical and histopathological features of patients with cutaneous melanoma who were seen at the University Malaya Medical Centre from 1998 to 2008. Thirty-two patients with cutaneous melanoma were recorded during that period. Of these, 24 had sought treatment at the onset of disease at our centre. Chinese patients constituted the largest group (19 cases). The median age of these 24 patients at the time of presentation was 62 years. 16 patients had melanoma involving the lower limb with 12 affecting the sole of the foot. None had melanoma arising from the face. Histopathology showed nodular melanoma in 22 cases (91.6%), with superfi cial spreading and acral lentiginous melanoma diagnosed in 1 case each. The majority of patients (62.5%) were found to be in Stage III of the disease at the time of diagnosis.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Porokeratosis is a specific disorder of epidermal keratinization, characterised histologically by the presence of cornoid lamella1. Linear is a distinct, mosaic variant of this autosomal dominant condition. There is a well recognized association between porokeratosis and malignancy, especially the linear variant which has the highest malignant potential2, 3.

Follicular dendritic cell sarcomas (FDCS) are rare neoplasms that involve lymph nodes or extranodal sites. They show varied histological features and thus can be mistaken for carcinoma or sarcoma. Correct identification is important for further management. A 43-year-old Indian female presented with a three-month history of progressive swelling at the right inguinal region. It was excised completely and was reported as lymph node with metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma based on Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain findings. Computerized tomography (CT) scans of thorax, abdomen and pelvis were normal and did not reveal a primary site. Following this, the case was referred to one of the authors. The slides were reviewed and a variety of immunocytochemical markers were done. The tumour cells were negative for epithelial, melanocytic, neural, leucocyte and soft tissue tumour markers. They were immunopositive for CD21, CD35 and negative for CD68. Based on the immunocytochemical findings, a final diagnosis of FDCS was made. This case highlights the histological and immunophenotypical profile of a rare tumour which requires a high index of suspicion for diagnosis.
lymph nodes ; Follicular ; Malignant neoplasm musculoskeletal ; Dendritic Cells ; Diagnostic

Extra-adrenal paragangliomata are uncommon entities. They can be classified into four basic groups according to their anatomical sites, i.e. branchiomeric, intravagal, aorticosympathetic and visceral autonomic. Similar tumours may arise in sites away from the usual distribution of the sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia, e.g. orbit, nose, small intestine and even in the pancreas. We report three instructive cases of extra-adrenal paraganglioma which were found in unusual sites such as urinary bladder, thyroid gland and on the wall of the inferior vena cava.
Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal ; Lower case ee ; g <3> ; agreement ; inferiority

A 62-year-old lady presented with a six-month history of swelling of the left upper eyelid, resulting in mild mechanical ptosis. Clinical assessment suggested a provisional diagnosis of dermoid cyst. The lesion was excised and histology revealed nodular deposits of amorphous eosinophilic material surrounded by lymphocytes and plasma cells. Special histochemistry and immunoperoxidase stain results showed deposition of amyloid, non-AA type. The lesion recurred 6 months later.
Eyelids ; month ; Cutaneous ; Lesion, NOS ; Primary

Vagal nerve schwannoma is extremely rare. The majority of cases present with a slow growing neck swelling without neurological deficit. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard investigation to establish a pre-operative diagnosis. We report a case of a 32-year-old man with an extensive right vagal nerve schwannoma involving the right jugular foramen and parapharyngeal space. The tumour was resected via a transcervical approach. Complete excision of the tumour is the key to prevent recurrence.

Objective: In this study, gelatinase producing bacteria were probed from sediment samples of Porto Novo Coastal sites, India. Screening and identification of potential strain were done followed by optimization of physico-chemical parameters; bulk production and gelatinase extraction were carried out. Methods: For probing of gelatinase potential producer primary and secondary screening was carried out for qualitative and quantitative estimation. Optimization of physico-chemical parameters for improved production of gelatinase enzyme and large scale of gelatinase was produced. Gelatinase precipitation was standardized using different saturation rates of ammonium sulphate from 10 to 100% at 4℃.Results: There were 8 morphologically different gelatinase producing bacteria were initially delved through primary screening tests. Bacillus spp produced maximum gelatinase activity (2.1U/mL) in secondary screening test. Optimizing its abiotic and biotic factors, maximum enzyme activity was achieved at 48h incubation period (2.2U/mL), 2.5 pH (2.5U/mL), 35℃ temperature (2.55U/mL), 0.8% lactose (2.6U/mL), 1.4% gelatin (2.9U/mL) as the ideal carbon source and nitrogen source, 1% salinity (2.9U/mL) and 3ml of inoculum containing 5.6×106/ mL (3.3U/mL). From the optimized factors, bulk production was carried out and saturation rate of 40% ammonium sulphate, precipitated out maximum enzyme with lowered dry weight indicates its enzyme purity and recovered enzyme showed 4.1U/mg of activity. Conclusion: The study revealed that the isolated strain Bacillus spp has its potentiality for industrial scale production and the results will stand as a base line data for the application of gelatinase in future.

A variety of ligands differ in their capacity to bind the receptor, elicit gene expression, and modulate physiological responses. Such receptors include Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize various patterns of pathogens and lead to primary innate immune activation against invaders, and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), whose interaction with their cognate ligands activates heterotrimeric G proteins and regulates specific downstream effectors, including immuno-stimulating molecules. Once TLRs are activated, they lead to the expression of hundreds of genes together and bridge the arm of innate and adaptive immune responses. We characterized the gene expression profile of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in RAW 264.7 cells when it bound with its ligand, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate (KDO), the active part of lipopolysaccharide. In addition, to determine the network communications among the TLR, Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), and GPCR, we tested RAW 264.7 cells with KDO, interferon-beta, or cAMP analog 8-Br. The ligands were also administered as a pair of double and triple combinations.
Arm ; Gene Expression ; GTP-Binding Proteins ; Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins ; Immunity, Innate ; Interferon-beta ; Ligands ; Macrophages ; Phosphotransferases ; Sugar Acids ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Toll-Like Receptors ; Transcriptome ; Transducers