[Reports on bladder epithelium and subepithelial capillaries studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Zummo.
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OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to determine the presence and expression of the 60-kD heat shock protein (HSP60) in the dysplasia-carcinoma sequence in the uterine exocervix and to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic significance. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses on biopsies from 40 cases, consisting of 10 normal exocervical biopsies, 10 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (L-SIL), 10 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (H-SIL) and 10 cancerous exocervices (G2 grade). The immunohistochemical results were quantified by computer-assisted image analysis. Western blot analysis showed that HSP60 was undetectable in normal tissues and that there was a gradual increase of protein expression from L-SIL to carcinoma. Immunostaining for HSP60 was negative in normal tissue and positive in basal and parabasal layers of L-SIL epithelium; H-SIL were markedly stained in all layers of epithelium, and carcinomas showed an even stronger positivity. The increasing expression correlated with the malignancy grade. Finally, koilocytes were mostly negative in L-SIL and positive in H-SIL. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing degree of expression of HSP60 from L-SIL to carcinoma and the different intraepithelial distribution between L-SIL and H-SIL could be used as a new diagnostic tool. Moreover, HSP60 could have a role in cervical carcinogenesis.
The purpose of this study was to verify the difference between diameters of abdominal aorta obtained on corpses and on living bodies, using C.T. The Authors focused the attention on abdominal aorta, beneath kidney veins. Moreover, a linear relationship was found between height and diameter of abdominal aorta. A careful examination of the literature has shown discordance among the values of the abdominal aorta. The Authors conclude that improved techniques of radiological anatomy may offer an important support to obtain important data for clinical practice.
To address this work, we studied the vertebral canal and the lateral recess at the L1 to L5 level. The importance of this tract of vertebral column lies in the frequent pathologies involving this anatomical region. In fact, the diagnosis of any pathological condition requires the knowledge of the normal status of that anatomical district. In particular, in this study, we suggested the presence of a relation between the diameter of vertebral canal and lateral recess. In addition, the age of the subjects did not seem related to these diameters. In conclusion, we confirmed also that the living-obtained data have a practical utility for clinical and surgical applications.
This study focuses the aging-related modification of skeletal fiber types in two skeletal muscles of different-age swine (6 and 18 month). Rectus abdominis and vastus medialis were employed. It was performed an immunohistochemical staining for slow fibers and it was made a quantitative evaluation, using an automatic interactive image analysis system. The percentage of slow fibers decreased in adult swine. Moreover, slow fibers in rectus abdominis were less numerous than in vastus medialis. Aging and muscle function are two important factors able to modify fiber types. Morphometric analyses can ascertain this modification for diagnostic or nourishmental purposes.
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) constitute a heterogeneous family of proteins involved in cell homeostasis. During cell life they are involved in harmful insults, as well as in immune and inflammatory reactions. It is known that they regulate gene expression, and cell proliferation, differentiation and death. HSP60 is a mitochondrial chaperonin, highly preserved during evolution, responsible of protein folding. Its function is strictly dependent on HSP10 in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic elements. We investigated the presence and the expression of HSP60 and HSP10 in a series of 20 normal human bone marrow specimens (NHBM) by the means of immunohistochemistry. NHBM showed no expression of HSP60, probably due to its being below the detectable threshold, as already demonstrated in other normal human tissues. By contrast, HSP10 showed a selective positivity for myeloid and megakaryocytic lineages. The positivity was restricted to precursor cells, while mature elements were constantly negative. We postulate that HSP10 plays a role in bone marrow cell differentiation other than being a mitochondrial co-chaperonin. The present data emphasize the role of HSP10 during cellular homeostasis and encourage further investigations in this field.
This review addresses the significance of the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53 and some heat shock proteins (Hsps) in prostate carcinoma (PC). In fact, PCNA and p53 are two widely discussed tools in PC diagnosis, mainly because of the controversy regarding the significance of their expression during prostate cancer development and progression. At the same time, only few studies have shown the potential role of Hsps in carcinogenesis and their overexpression in pre-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the prostate. We briefly describe the physiological roles of Hsps in normal cells, and the significance of their immunohistochemical detection in PC as well as in pre-cancerous lesions of the prostate. We will also discuss the possible functional interactions of these molecules in both dysplastic and neoplastic cells.
The Channichthyidae or "icefish" represent an intriguing example of extreme adaptation to the stable low temperature and high oxygen content of the Antarctic waters. The lack of respiratory pigments (hemoglobin and myoglobin) in these teleosts is associated with relatively low oxygen consumption and relevant cardio-circulatory adjustments which include large blood volume, increased relative heart weight (cardiomegaly), and very high cardiac output. The heart has the ability to displace large systolic volumes at a low rate and relatively low pressure, with large ventricular fillings (high ventricular compliance), whereas it is incapable of facing increased afterloads. These functional aspects of mechanical flexibility and restrictions of the cardiac pump have been tentatively related to some constructional aspects of the icefish cardiomegaly, particularly, at the whole ventricular level, to the trabeculate type of myo-architecture, and, at the subcellular level, to the conflict in space economy between the exceptionally high mitochondrial densities and the consequent severe reduction in myofibrillar volume. On the basis of this morphodynamic approach, we suggest that the icefish may illustrate how a certain feature (i.e., an architectural cardiac design) common to the suborder and to most teleosts, and apparently with "irrelevant" properties, can become useful for a specialized purpose (i.e., volume pump design); and how, in contrast, the internal machinery construction, because of structural and ultrastructural constraints, may prevent these stenothermal sedentary teleosts from conquering niches requiring more active locomotory habits.
The Authors studied postural changes in the lumbosacral segment of the spine due to severe obesity in 28 young adults of both sexes. In particular, the preliminary degree of pelvic rotation caused by overweight was evaluated by studying the lumbosacral angle (LSA) amplitude, changes in normal static equilibrium of the spine and lumbar hyperlordosis in relation to the lordotic angle (LA) amplitude. Body Build Index (BBI), the lumbosacral angle and the lordotic angle were compared to determine if any correlations existed among the three. Even though the patient number was limited, pathologic values for both the LSA and the LA were found in all 28 subjects. The Authors found no correlation between LSA and LA increase regarding BBI; on the contrary, a correlation was evident between LSA increase and LA. A decrease in the LSA and LA values took place after reduction in body weight, after therapeutic intervention. The Authors believe that a one year follow-up is necessary to evaluate any long term decrease in the values of the above mentioned angles.