The paper deals with the histochemical and cytochemical distribution of thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPP-ase 3.6.1.) in the normal rat gastric mucosa using the method of NOVIKOFF and GOLDFISCHER (1961). In light microscopy, activity was demonstrated only in the GOLGI apparatus of the foveolar mucous cells; in the other specialized gastric mucosal cells no activity was established. At electron microscopic level, the reaction product was localized in the membranes of the cisternae of the GOLGI apparatus of foveolar mucous cells, undifferentiated neck cells, parietal cells, chief cells and in endocrine cells. The reaction product was not found in the endoplasmic reticulum of any of the above mentioned types of cells with the exception of parietal cells. The deposits of the reaction product in the cytoplasmic membrane, in the capillary endothelium and on the surface of the plasma membrane of foveolar mucous cells represents the sites of activity of alkaline phosphatase. The examination of the TPP-ase in the gastric mucosa inables us to estimate the activity of the GOLGI apparatus of gastric mucosal cells in the norm and in different pathological conditions connected with its changes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Localization of alpha 1,2,3-subunit isoforms of Na,K-ATPase in cultured neonatal and adult rat myocardium: the immunofluorescence and immunocytochemical study.

By indirect immunofluorescence and preembedding peroxidase-diaminobenzidine technique the localization of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against alpha 1, alpha 2 and alpha 3 isoforms of the Na,K-ATPase were studied in rat myocardium. The alpha 1-subunit was identified predominantly on sarcolemma of cultured myocytes, neonatal, as well as adult cardiocytes. The alpha 2 signal was localized around nuclei of cultured cardiocytes, very weak signals were seen in neonatal and more intense signal, were dispersed throughout the adult myocytes. The alpha 3-subunit immunoreactivity was weak and localized in cell processes connecting individual cultured cells, on sarcolemma and intercalated discs of neonatal cells and very weak in adult working myocytes. Cytochemically demonstrated ouabain resistant Na,K-ATPase localized in junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum may represent alpha 1 isoenzyme which is directly involved in modulation of action potential fluxes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemistry in stage FIGO III cervical cancer: prognostic value of tumor associated antigens and intermediate filaments.

The prediction of prognosis in cervical carcinomas solely by histological examination is doubtful. Our study was undertaken to evaluate whether Cytokeratin 5D3, Cytokeratin high molecular weight (HMW), Cytokeratin AE1/AE3, Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) and CA 19.9 could have a prognostic value in primarily irradiated stage FIGO III cervical cancer. We investigated 45 pretreatment punch biopsies of cervical cancer stage FIGO III. All patients underwent a combined standardised primary irradiation treatment. In the cases with expression of Cytokeratin AE1/AE3 survival was significantly better than in cases without expression. The expression of CEA also had a significantly positive effect on survival. The best prognosis was found in cases with coexpression of AE1/AE3 and CEA (Wilcoxon p = 0.006, log-Rank p = 0.03). The other investigated tumor associated antigen and intermediate filaments did not correlate with survival. The application of Cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and CEA allows a prediction of prognosis in patients with stage FIGO III cervical cancer undergoing irradiation treatment.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma: detection of occult regional lymph node metastasis by immunohistochemistry.

Twenty-two patients primarily operated for infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma (ILC) stage T2 with negative axillary lymph nodes in routine histology were investigated in order to detect occult metastasis in the nodes by immunohistochemistry. After testing a panel of monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratins, AE1/AE3 as the most sensitive marker for ILC cells was selected for the study. The immunohistochemical investigation of the 226 regional lymph nodes showed one case of a tumor cell embolus in the subcapsular sinus. Despite the fact that our routine examination included serial sections of the lymph nodes, an occult micrometastasis could be detected by immunohistochemistry only. As so far no significant prognostic value of micrometastasis to axillary lymph nodes of ILC has been shown, at the moment the clinical impact of the detection of micrometastasis is limited. Immunohistochemical methods do not appear to be an improvement for clinical decisions if careful histological examination of serial sections of lymph nodes in ILC is carried out.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗