The effect of a secretory proteinase from the pathogenic amoebae Acanthamoeba castellanii on hosts defense-oriented or regulatory proteins such as immunoglobulins, interleukin-1, and protease inhibitors was investigated. The enzyme was found to degrade secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), IgG, and IgM. It also degraded interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and IL-1beta. Its activity was not inhibited by endogenous protease inhibitors, such as alpha2-macroglobulin, alpha1-trypsin inhibitor, and alpha2-antiplasmin. Furthermore, the enzyme rapidly degraded those endogenous protease inhibitors as well. The degradation of hosts defense-oriented or regulatory proteins by the Acanthamoeba proteinase suggested that the enzyme might be an important virulence factor in the pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba infection.
Acanthamoeba/*enzymology/pathogenicity ; Animals ; Endopeptidases/*physiology ; Immunoglobulins/*metabolism ; Interleukin-1/*metabolism ; Protease Inhibitors/*metabolism ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Virulence

No abstract available.
Urticaria*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Brain* ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Liver*

No abstract available.
Bile*

No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Breast*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*

A total of 213 fine needle aspirations from pulmonary lesions in 193 patients performed from January, 1986 to March, 1989 were analyzed. The cytologic diagnoses were unsatisfactory in 10, negative in 60, atypical in 6, suspicious in 11 and malignant in 126 cases. The cytologic types of the malignant cases were 47 squamous cell carcinomas, 40 adenocarcinomas, 10 small cell carcinomas, 6 large cell carcinomas and 10 metastatic tumors. They were verified by the histologic confirmation in 31 cases and by the clinical data in the remainder. There were 5 false-negative cases and none was false-positive, representing 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Primary lung cancers were accurately typed in 73% of histologically confirmed case. Cell blocks, prepared in 99 cases, were helpful in tumor typing of 11 cases.
Neoplasm Metastasis ; Lung Neoplasms

A case of systemic cytomegalovirus infection in a newborn baby is reported. This female baby was born after 36 weeks gestation to a 30 year-old mother who had no prenatal problem except for breech presentation and placenta previa for which Caesarian section was given. The mother has two healthy children. The clinical course of this baby was characterized by repeat spells of apnea, cyanosis and edema, that progressed to deepening jaundice and generalized petechiae. She died 58 hours after birth. A characteristic linear calcification along the ventricular wall of the brain enabled us to suggest congenital nature of cytomegalic inclusion disease in the patient. Postmortem exmaination showed numeorous cystomegalic inclusions in kidneys, pancreas, liver and thyroid. There was subependymal and periaqueductal calcification together with hydrocepalus and cerebellar hypoplasia.
Adult ; Apnea ; Autopsy* ; Brain ; Breech Presentation ; Child ; Cyanosis ; Cytomegalovirus Infections* ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Kidney ; Liver ; Mothers ; Pancreas ; Parturition ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy ; Purpura ; Thyroid Gland

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lung is histologically and ultrastructurally identical to the salivary gland tumor of the same name and is characterized by infiltrative growth, local recurrence, and usually a prolonged clinical course. We have recently experienced two cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in the lung. Case 1 was a 59 year-old male who presented with cough, fever, and chill of 1.5 months' duration, and case 2 was a 61 year-old male who was incidentally found to have a 3 to 4 cm sized lobulated mass in the right upper lobe. After being worked up, both patients underwent right pneumonectomy. In case 1, a 3x2 cm sized tumor was located in the lower bronchus, partly elevating toward the lumen and partly infiltrating into regional lymph nodes and lung parenchyma showing grayish-white and solid cut surface. Case 2 was a 3.5x3.5 cm sized upper bronchial tumor resembling the former in appearance. Histologically, the tumors were composed of small round hyperchromatic cells, forming solid, cribriform, acinar, or tubular structures. Luminal spaces in tumor cell nests contained PAS-positive mucinous or hyaline material. Among the tumor cells, scattered islands of normal submucosal gland were noticed.
Male ; Humans