BACKGROUND: The presence of mast cells often in increased numbers, has been noted in various cutaneous disorders. Recent studies suggest that mast cells are of primary importance in these conditions and their presence does not merely represent a second event. Previous reports of mast cell enumeration in normal and pathologic tissues have revealed inconsistent results, reflecting technical difficulties in quantitation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study is to develop a new approach for quantifying mast cell in tissue section that is accurate, reproducible and avoids problems caused by the variation in distribution of these cells in the tissue. METHODS: Mast. cells were quantitated in eight cases of mastocytosis and in the flank and back skin of three normal human controls in toluidine blue stain using a computerized image analysis system. RESULTS: Macular and nodular mastocytosis patients had from twenty-fold to nearly a 100-fold greater mast cell content than was observed in normal skin. CONCLUSION: Image analysis in conjunction with toluidine blue stain offers a single and accurate method for mast cell quantification. This technique also provides a practical and important new diagnostic tool for establishing the presence of increased lesional skin mast cells in patients with mastocytosis.
Humans ; Mast Cells* ; Mastocytosis ; Skin ; Tolonium Chloride

A 17-year-old male had a coin sized, follicular plaque on the glabella for 3 months. Histopathologic examination revealed reticular degeneration in the pilosebaceous follicles and amorphous homogenous materials between the degenerated cells. Alcian blue and toluidine blue stained the material as blue and metachromatically purple, respectively. The material was subsequently confirmed as acid mucopolysaccharide. Two months after the initial visit, the lesion showed a tendancy to heal spontaneously. According to the data obtained, the case was considered as an acute benign form of follicular mucinosis.
Adolescent ; Alcian Blue ; Humans ; Male ; Mucinosis, Follicular* ; Numismatics ; Tolonium Chloride

PURPOSE: To confirm the adhesion and matrix formation of chondrocytes which were cultured on chitosan beads and to elucidate the difference between the porous chitosan beads and non-porous chitsan beads as scaffold for chondrocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chondrocytes isolated from rabbit articular cartilage were cultured in vitro on porous and non-porous chitosan bead for 2 weeks. Histochemical (H&E stain, Toluidin blue stain) and scanning electromicroscopic approaches were used to compare the differences between two groups. RESULTS: In both groups, adhesion and proliferation of chondrocytes were observed on scanning electron microscopy. which were more active in the porous chitosan bead group. On histochemical staining with toluidine blue, the porous chitosan bead group showed stronger metachromasia than that of the non-porous chitosan bead. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that both chitosan beads could work as an effective scaffold for culturing chondrocytes, and that porous chitosan bead may be a better scaffold than non-porous chitosan bead because of cavities in former bead.
Cartilage, Articular ; Chitosan* ; Chondrocytes* ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Tolonium Chloride

We evaluated the availability of toluidine blue stain in body fluids, such as peritoneal and pleural fluid and urine. Nine hundreds specimens, i.e., 400 pleural and 400 peritoneal fluids and 100 urine samples, respectively, from Jan. 1995 to May 1996 were included. We obtained the result of high sensitivity and high specificity in toluidine blue stained body fluid in comparison with Papanicolaou stained result. Additionally, we found the diagnostically important crystals in chylothorax and some urine samples, which can not be seen in routine Papanicolaou stain. We thought the toluidine blue stain in body fluid is one of very useful diagnostic methods.
Ascitic Fluid ; Body Fluids ; Chylothorax ; Proteinuria* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tolonium Chloride

This study was performed in order to evaluate the accuracy and the usefulness of the cytology of crush preparation in central nervous system(CNS) lesions. Forty four intraoperative biopsies were performed at the time of craniotomy including 34 benign and 10 malignant lesions. Crush preparations were prepared from tiny tissue fragments of craiotomy products. All cases were stained with toluidine blue. Intraoperative diagnoses made on cytologic examination were compared with the final paraffin section diagnoses. Comparison between the results of the cytologic and histologic findings revealed an overall diagnostic accuracy of 88.6%. This study attests to the diagnostic accuracy of cytologic examination in CNS lesions. The detailed cytologic features are described and important criteria for the cytodiagnosis of CNS lesions are discussed.
Biopsy ; Central Nervous System* ; Craniotomy ; Cytodiagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Paraffin ; Tolonium Chloride

We evaluated the availability of toluidine blue stain in body fluids, such as peritoneal and pleural fluid and urine. Nine hundreds specimens, i.e., 400 pleural and 400 peritoneal fluids and 100 urine samples, respectively, from Jan. 1995 to May 1996 were included. We obtained the result of high sensitivity and high specificity in toluidine blue stained body fluid in comparison with Papanicolaou stained result. Additionally, we found the diagnostically important crystals in chylothorax and some urine samples, which can not be seen in routine Papanicolaou stain. We thought the toluidine blue stain in body fluid is one of very useful diagnostic methods.
Ascitic Fluid ; Body Fluids* ; Chylothorax ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tolonium Chloride*

To assess the influence of diabetes mellitus on the healing of segmental defect of rat, a defect measuring 5mm was made at right sciatic nerve in thirty-three adult female Wistar rats(control group:17, diabetic group:16). To induce diabetes in rats, Streptozotocin(50mg/kg body weight) was injected into tail vein after dissolution in saline solution. Both proximal and distal nerve ends were connected with 9mm long silicone tube, and the tube was filled with 10µl collagen(Vitrogen 100) solution. Two and 4 weeks after the operation, electromyographic study(latency period and amplitude) and histologic examination(the number of myelinated axon, non-neuronal cell, and vessel at mid-chamber level, the mid-chamber cross-sectional area) after toluidine blue staining were carried out. From the results, we concluded that diabetes mellitus retarded the healing process of segmental defect of sciatic nerve in rat. And we might suggest that if we meet this situation in clinical practice, we have to consider some supportive measures to overcome the bad effect of diabetes mellitus on the healing of nerve defect.
Adult ; Animals ; Axons ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Humans ; Myelin Sheath ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve ; Silicon ; Silicones ; Sodium Chloride ; Tail ; Tolonium Chloride ; Veins

To verify the effect of subgingival calculus on the periodontal tissues in periodontitis and the effectiveness of supragingival scaling to remove the calculus, 30 teeth from healthy group (Probing pocket depth:PPD< or =mm: HP group), 15 teeth from moderate group (4< or =PD<7mm: MP group), 30 teeth from advanced group (PPD>7mm: AP group) were selected and supragingival scaling was performed before extraction of all experimental teeth. After careful extraction, the teeth were cleaned with saline and disclosed with toluidine blue and carefully examined the relationship and distance between the calculus attached on the root surface and periodontal tissues. As a result, it was; 1. The calculus was not discovered on the root surface of teeth in HP group, but was in MP and AP group, mostly on interproximal surface and furca area. The shape of the attached calculus was ovoid, trepazoid and polygonal and the calculus was distributed randomly over the root surface. 2. PPD was more than the distance between the gingival margin to the level of attached connective tissue in AP group rather than in HP and MP group. 3. The length of calculus was 2.7mm+/-.44mm in HP group and 4.1+/-.89in AP group. 4. The distance between the apical margin of calculus and the level of attached connective tissue was 2.4+/-.33mm in MP group and 3.4+/-.89mm in AP group. 5. The length of subgingival calculus was tended to increase in relation to the probing pocket depth. Therefore, it can be concluded, the calculus in periodontal pocket can not be removed completely with supragingival scaling. As the terminal part of calculus was far away with limited distance from the periodontal tissue, it can be said that the calculus was not a direct factor in destroying the periodontal tissue. In this study, the extent of the plaque was not verified but the location of calculus can be used in clinical practice for complete removal of calculus when the distance relation bewteen calculus and plaque will be known.
Calculi* ; Connective Tissue ; Dental Scaling ; Periodontal Pocket ; Periodontitis* ; Tolonium Chloride ; Tooth

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of the microvessel density and macrophage and mast cell counts in invasive breast carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 45 invasive breast carcinomas were immunohistochemically stained with the endothelial antigen, CD34, and macrophage marker, CD68. 0.1% toluidine blue was used to highlight mast cells. The microvessel and mast cell counts were performed at x200 magnification and the macrophages at x400 magnification. RESULTS: With the 45 invasive breast carcinomas, there were no statistically significant associations between the mast cell, macrophage and microvessel counts and the tumor size and lymph node status. ER and PR negative mast cells infiltrated more than in cases of positive stati, with statistical significance (p-value=0.010 and 0.005, respectively). The macrophage counts were negatively correlated with the PR status (p-value=0.030). With respect to the c-erbB-2 status, there was no significance correlation with the mast cell, macrophage and microvessel counts. The mast cell counts showed significantly positive correlation with the microvessel counts in the invasive breast carcinomas (p-value=0.015). In a comparison of the macrophage counts with the microvessel counts, a positive tendency for both parameters, but without statistical significance (p-value=0.310). CONCLUSION: Increasing numbers of mast cells and macrophages were recruited in invasive breast carcinomas, which contribute to angiogenesis. The microvessel density in invasive breast carcinomas had no statistically significant association with the tumor size, lymph node status, and histological grade, presence of DCIS component, estrogen/progesterone receptor status and cerbB-2 status. The evaluation of angiogenesis using these methods is not thought to provide an independent clinicopathological factor in invasive breast carcinomas.
Antigens, CD34 ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Lymph Nodes ; Macrophages* ; Mast Cells* ; Microvessels* ; Tolonium Chloride

Since the culture of M. furfur is impossible, the KOH wet mount and various staining techniques have been applied for identification of the M. furfur. However, these methods still have many disputed points. Practically, the KOH wet mount method is in common use but. there are many difficulties in identifying the fungi. The author intended to suggest an easy and simple method for identification of the fungi, using the KOH and various other staining solutions, and comparing this with many known methods. At the same time, by applying the best method of identification which the author was able to develop, distribution of the fungi in the horny layer and the viability of the fungi during treatment were abserved In identifying the fungi, 1% toluidine blue was most excellent, but hematoxylin, eosin, cotton blue, Giemsa stain, and Wright stain were not so satisfactory. 2. After staining with l% toluidine blue to the skin lesion scotch tape was applied to the lesion briefly and then examined under direct microscope. This was most easy and convenient method. 3. Repeated scotch taping from ] to 12 times produced no change in the distribution of fungi in the horny layer, but after 28 applications there was remarkable reduction of the amount of the fungi and no fungi was demonstrated in groups taped more than 46 times. 4. No influence was noted in the distribution of fungi after repeated irradiation of Ultra-violet light once daily for 18 days. 5. Continous daily application of 25% sodium thiosulfate solution for average 3. 9 days, caused the disappearance of tungi and no fungal elements were found following EO days of successive observation. 6. Application of 2.5% selenium sulfide on alternate day for average 6.2 days, caused the disappearance of fungi and no fungal elements were found following 55- 62 days of successive observation.
Azure Stains ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Fungi ; Hematoxylin ; Malassezia* ; Selenium ; Skin ; Sodium ; Tinea Versicolor* ; Tinea* ; Tolonium Chloride