The morphologic differences hetween a mucoid and pasty type of Cryptococcus neoformans derived from pigeon drops were investigated using an eIectron microscope. The following results were obtained: No essential differences in ultramicroscopic structures were noted hetween the mucoid and pasty type of C. neoformans, but the capsule is thicker in the mucoid type than the pasty one and the intracytoplasmic structures were seen more clearly in the mucoid type. These differences seem to he related to chemical components and the difficulty of penetration of fixing solution through thick capsules. There were no differences between C. neoformans derived from pigeon drops and those from pathogenic strains which were reported by others. Therefore, C. neoformans derived form pigeon drops can infect humans.
Capsules ; Columbidae* ; Cryptococcus neoformans* ; Cryptococcus* ; Humans

No Abstract Available.
Catalase* ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Streptococcus*

No abstract available.
Cauda Equina* ; Ependymoma*

Kupffer cells are tissue macrophages (histiocytes) fixed in hepatie sinusoids. Since malignant hepatocytes are the only tumor parencymal cells of the hepatocellular carcinoma, theoretically there are no Kupffer cells within the hepatocellular carcinoma. To clarify whether it is true or not, 12 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma of the trabecular type with some extents of the non-neoplastic surrounding liver were subjected to immunoperoxidase staining for lysozyme and S-100 protein and the results are as follows. 1) Kupffer cells were stained positively by the immunoperoxidase staining for lysozyme but not for S-100 protein, indicating that they are monocyte derived macrophages. 2) Kupffer cells were also present within the hepatocellular carcinoma, but were 2-7 times fewer within the hepatocellular carcinoma than in the non-neoplastic areas (p<0.05). 3) The non-neoplastic hepatic tissue of patients with serum HBsAg shows a tendency to have more kupffer cells than those without HBsAg.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

To obtain a useful method for the identification of mycobacteria in tissue section, we evaluated 118 cases of tuberculosis: 48 pulm onary, 14 lymph nodal and 56 synovial tuberculosis. Seventy nine of these cases underwent the culture study. Sections stained with anti-Mycobacterium bovis were compared with the results of the Zieh1-Neelsen stain and culture. The immunohistochemical stain for Mycobacterium bovis in al examined cases was not any more sensitive than the Zieh1-Neelsen stain(p>0.05). Neverthless, the immunohistochemical stain was a useful method for the localization of mycobacteria because of the striking contrast between its background and the wider dimension of a positive area. Immunoreactive areas demonstrated a few intact mycobacteria showing a positive reaction in the Zieh1-Neelsen stain. In conclusion, double staining method using the immunohischemical stain for Mycobacterium bovis and the Zieh1-Neelsen stain is an efficient technique in oder to confirm the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Overexpression of the nuclear phosphoprotein p53 is the most common genetic anomaly found in primary human cancer and mutation of the tumor suppressor gene p53 has been identified in breast cancer cell lines. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of p53 protein expression in patients with mammary infiltrating ductal carcinoma and its correlation with histopathologic grade, lymph node status, tumor size, p53 protein expression and survival. Among 53 cases, p53 protein expression was detected in 26(49.1%) cases by immunohistochemistry. There was no correlation between p53 protein overexpression and histopathologic grade(p=0.09) or lymph node status(p=0.38) and between survival and histopathologic grade (p=0.68) or lymph node status(p=0.52). However, p53 protein expression was significantly correlated with survival(p=0.01) and patients with p53 protein-positive tumors showed poorer survival times. But Cox multivariate analysis showed the lymph node status is significant(p=0.01). The authors conclude that the presence of mutant p53 protein and lymph node status may serve a prognostic role, in a subset of mammary infiltrating ductal carcinoma cases.
Humans ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Breast Neoplasms

The thickness of the glomerular basement membrane may vary not only in glomerular disease, but also in normal persons according to age and sex. But there has been no data on the normal thickness of the basement membrane in Korea. This study was designed to determine the glomerular basement membrane thickness as a reference value according to age and sex, in 50 cases of minimal change disease obtained from patients aged 2~67 years. Measurement of glomerular basement membrane was made on electron micrograph using an image analyzer. The thickness of each case was estimated by the arithmetic and harmonic mean methods. The mean thickness of the glomerular basement membrane was 291.9 47.9 nm by harmonic mean method and 284.2 43.7 nm by arithmetic mean method. And the harmonic mean thickness of the glomerular basement membrane according to age was 249.1 32.5 nm (1~5 years), 256.6 45.3 nm (6~10 years), 279.2 57.9 nm (11~15 years), 303.2 43.8 nm (16~20 years), 335.3 37.5 nm (21~30 years), and 291.1 22.5 nm (over 30 years), respectively. There was a trend that the thickness of glomerular basement membranes increased with the age till 30 years of age. There was no significant sex-related difference. In conclusion, the mean glomerular basement membrane thickness is comparable to the data from western people and shows a trend of increasing thickness according to the age.
Basement Membrane ; Glomerular Basement Membrane* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Korea ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Reference Values

Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary tumor of the heart. The tumor contains a variety of cell types that are thought to arise from a focus of primitive pluripotential mesenchymal cells in the area of the fossa ovalis. Throughout the myxoid stroma, there are variable amounts of reticular fivers, collagen, elastic fibers and smooth muscle cells. A 38-year-old female had right atrial myxoma with multiple pulmonary infarcts. In this case, we experienced an unusual degenerative change in the tumor of granulomatous lesion consisting of hemosiderin pigments, foreign body giant cells and peculiar, spheroid, semilunar or bamboo-shaped degenerated elastic fibers. Microscopically it resembles Gamna-Gandy nodule seen in the spleen of chronic passive congestion.
Female ; Humans

Immunohistochemical analysis of 24 paraffin-embedded osteosarcomas was studied to evaluate the expression of simple cytokeratin, basal cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen(EMA) according to the histologic subtypes and anatomical locations. Mean age of the patients was 18 years. Anatomical locations of the tumors were femur(8), tibia(10), humerus(4), lumbar spine(1), and zygomatic arch(1). Histologic subtypes included osteoblastic(14), fibroblastic(4), chondroblastic(4), epithelioid(1), and mixed osteoblastic and fibroblastic(1). All were positive in the immunohistochemical stain for vimentin. The expression of cytokeratin and/or EMA was found in 10 cases(41.7%) regardless of anatomical locations and histologic subtypes. Positive immunoreaction for EMA was demonstrated in osteoblastic(5), chondroblastic(2), epithelioid(1), and mixed osteoblastic and fibroblastic(1) types. Osteoblastic (2), chondroblastic(2), and epithelioid(1) types among them also showed immunoreactivity with anti-simple cytokeratin monoclonal antibody, NCL-5D3. The expression of basal cytokeratin (NCL-LL002) was found in two osteoblastic, one chondroblastic, one epithelioid, and one mixed osteoblastic and fibroblastic types. These findings indicate that cytokeratin and EMA immunoreactivity can not be regarded as an absolute specific marker of the epithelial origin of tumor and may also occur in osteosarcoma.

We present an autopsy case of signet ring cell carcinoma of urinary bladder which underwent widespread metastsis through nearly entire organ. The patient, 45-year old male, suffered from hematuria, dysuria and flank pain for 6 months. Under the diagnosis of the signet ring cell carcinoma by the cystoscopic biopsy, radical cystectomy and ileocutaneous ureteral division were performed. But he died after 11-months after the diagnosis. The autopsy confirmed the widespread metastasis at the lung, kidney, adrenal gland, parathyroid gland, heart, stomach, ileum, spine, rib and meninges. The preveously resected urinary bladder discolosed the well defined fungating mass at the dome and anterio-lateral portion without apparent evidence of the remnant of the urachus. Histologically, the signet ring cells were predominent and focally mucinous pool floating the signet ring cells was noted. We could find several foci of the well differentiated adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. The above findings may reflect that the origin of carcinoma may be from the multipotential transitional cell epithelium.
Adenocarcinoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis