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Biomedical subjects

M M Stilmant

Publications and source records attributed to M M Stilmant.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The role of fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the prostate in staging adenocarcinoma.

Stage A prostate cancer is defined as the incidental finding of cancer in specimens obtained by transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in a clinically benign gland. A low-to-moderate grade tumor involving less than 5% of the TURP specimen has been termed Stage A1; a high-grade tumor or tumor involving more than 5% of the TURP specimen is termed Stage A2. Most investigators agree that Stage A1 disease has a significantly better prognosis than Stage A2 disease and may not warrant radical prostatectomy. However, the problem of correctly differentiating A1 and A2 disease remains. The authors prospectively studied 100 consecutive patients undergoing TURP for outlet obstruction without clinical suspicion of prostate cancer by digital examination. Each patient underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of each side of the prostate immediately before TURP. These data show that the addition of preprostatectomy FNAB increased the incidence of finding adenocarcinoma of the prostate from 10% to 14%. An additional 3% had FNAB results that were highly suspicious. A positive correlation between cytologic and histologic findings was seen in 83% of patients. Of three patients with Stage A2 prostate cancer, none had malignant cytologic findings. Of seven patients with Stage A1 disease, five (71%) had suspicious or malignant cytologic findings. Seven patients (7%) had suspicious or malignant cytologic findings with no histologic evidence of tumor. In conclusion, preprostatectomy FNAB cannot differentiate Stage A1 from Stage A2 prostate cancer. However, the procedure does increase the yield of finding incidental prostate cancer. The therapy of patients with either (1) malignant cytologic findings alone (Stage A0 disease), or (2) Stage A1 histologic and malignant cytologic findings (Stage A1+) is unclear at present.

Adenocarcinoma

Successful renal transplantation in a patient with systemic sarcoidosis and renal failure due to focal glomerulosclerosis.

In 1987, a patient presented with pulmonary sarcoidosis and progressive renal failure. Percutaneous renal biopsy showed focal glomerular sclerosis (FGS). Over the subsequent 4-year period, her renal failure progressed to require hemodialysis. During this time, her pulmonary sarcoidosis was treated with daily corticosteroid therapy and she remained in clinical remission. The patient received a one-haplotype-identical living-related renal transplant from her mother. The patient is now 25 months posttransplant with a serum creatinine of 106 mumol/L (1.2 mg/dL). Her sarcoidosis continues to be in clinical remission. In this report, we review the rare association of a primary glomerular lesion causing renal failure in patients with sarcoidosis. In addition, we detail the first successful renal transplant in such a patient.

Adult

Acquired renal cystic disease: implications for the urologist.

Acquired cystic kidney disease has become increasingly recognised as a significant risk in patients with end-stage renal disease, especially in those maintained on chronic haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. A review of the literature indicates that nearly 50% of patients on dialysis for more than 3 years develop renal cystic changes. The major complications of this condition are neoplasia and spontaneous renal haemorrhage. The risk of developing renal carcinoma has been estimated to be more than 30 times higher in dialysis patients with cystic changes than in the general population. Our experience with 5 patients is reported, including 3 with renal tumours and 1 with metastatic disease. Careful surveillance of dialysis patients using yearly ultrasonography and computed tomography is recommended. The evolving indications for radical nephrectomy in this disease are discussed.

Female

Palpable purpura and uveitis precipitated by splenectomy in an atypical case of Cogan's syndrome.

A patient with a baffling multisystem illness developed uveitis and palpable purpura shortly after a splenectomy, leading to the diagnosis of vasculitis. Clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system is a key factor determining the pathogenicity of circulating immune complexes, which are known to be the cause of some forms of vasculitis. The sudden appearance of uveitis and cutaneous vasculitis in an illness of many years' duration was probably a direct result of removal of the spleen.

Hearing Disorders

Renal artery dysplasia in a patient with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

A 27 year old man with nephrotic syndrome due to membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis had multifocal stenoses of the renal and intestinal arteries. The arterial lesions demonstrated by angiograhy closely resembled those of medial fibromuscular dysplasia. The dysplasia progressed over a five year period to involve both renal arteries from their extrarenal segments through their interlobar branches. Low serum levels of complement components C3 and C4, focal reduplication of the glomerular basement membrane on light microscopy, and the patterns of glomerular localization of IgG and C3 by immunofluorescence were characteristic of type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. The development of the arterial dysplasia in a patient with chronic glomerulonephritis suggests a common immunologic pathogenesis of both disorders.

Adult

Crescentic glomerulonephritis without immune deposits: clinicopathologic features.

Of 46 patients with acute crescentic glomerulonephritis involving 20 to 90% of glomeruli, 16 had no definable systemic disease and no significant glomerular immune deposits by immunofluorescent or electron microscopy. Anti-GBM antibody and circulating immune complexes were further excluded by radioimmunoassay and Raji cell assay in all patients tested. Clinical features included a 10:6 male:female ratio, mean age of 58 years (range, 13-77), disease duration of less than 3 months, rapidly deteriorating renal function, and frequent pulmonary manifestations. Nine patients had oliguria, serum creatinine concentrations over 6 mg/100 ml, and required dialysis, but three of these patients subsequently recovered renal function. These three patients and seven patients with creatinine concentrations of less than 6 mg/100 ml have not progressed to chronic renal failure. In this series, idiopathic acute crescentic glomerulonephritis without immune deposits was more common than was immune complex or anti-GBM nephritis. The clinical, laboratory, and pathologic characteristics of these patients were similar to those reported in anti-GBM and immune-complex-induced glomerulonephritis. These observations expand the spectrum of rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis. They suggest that glomerular immune deposits may be less important than other factors in determining the extent of renal injury and subsequent clinical course in crescentic glomerulonephritis.

Adolescent

Determinants of glomerular localization of subepithelial immune deposits: effects of altered antigen to antibody ratio, steroids, vasoactive amine antagonists, and aminonucleoside of puromycin on passive Heymann nephritis in rats.

The role of circulating immune complex deposition versus in situ complex formation in membranous nephropathy is controversial. Passive Heymann nephritis in rats resembles membranous nephropathy in man and was induced by injection of sheep antibody to rat proximal tubular epithelial cell brush border antigen (anti-Fx1A). Minutes after injection of 1 ml. of anti-Fx1A, subepithelial immune deposits were seen by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and proteinuria appeared within 5 days. The effects of alterations in the dose of administered antibody, corticosteroid therapy, and vasoactive amine blockade on the development of subepithelial deposits and consequent proteinura were studied. Variation of the dose of anti-Fx1A from 0.25 ml. to 1 ml. resulted in a progressive increase in the size and number of glomerular capillary wall deposits, but no alterations in their distribution. Only those rats which received 1 ml. became proteinuric within 5 days. Corticosteroid therapy and vasoactive amine blockade, begun 24 hours prior to the induction of passive Heymann nephritis and continued until termination of the study 5 days later, had no effect on the amount or site of immune complex formation, nor on the extent of proteinuria as compared to untreated controls. In contrast, in rats with unilateral proteinuria produced by the selective perfusion of one kidney with aminonucleoside of puromycin 7 days prior to the induction of passive Heymann nephritis, there was a marked reduction of subepithelial deposits in the perfused kidney as compared to the nonperfused contralateral kidney. In this model of membranous nephropathy, systemic factors play little role in the development of subepithelial deposits, whereas local factors are critical. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that subepithelial immune deposits form locally.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones

Rapid recurrence of membranous nephropathy in a related allograft.

A patient with membranous nephropathy (MN) received a renal allograft from his brother. The allograft functioned immediately but nephrotic range proteinuria developed seven days after transplantation in the absence of any signs of rejection. Renal function deteriorated five weeks after transplantation due to ureteric obstruction. Nephrostomy drainage resulted in the return of renal function to normal and demonstrated that the allograft was the source of the nephrotic range proteinuria. An open renal biopsy of the allograft performed at the same time revealed the presence of recurrent MN. The recipient was investigated in an attempt to identify possible humoral immune mechanisms that may explain this very rapid recurrence of MN.

Adult

Chronic interstitial nephritis and mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with drug abuse.

Two cases of chronic interstitial nephritis with renal insufficiency were associated with mixed cryoglobulinemia and parenteral drug abuse. Previously recognized causes of interstitial nephritis were not present in either case. Despite extensive interstitial inflammatory infiltrates, no substantial glomerular abnormalities or immune deposits were present in either patient. One patient had a history of intravenous injection of suspended methadone tablets containing talc crystals, and there was evidence of talc embolization in biopsy specimens of liver, spleen, and kidney. Interstitial nephritis associated with drug abuse has not been previously described to our knowledge, but the association in these cases seems not to have been fortuitous and warrants consideration in the evaluation of both parenteral drug abusers and patients with unexplained interstitial nephritis.

Adult

Effect of aminonucleoside nephrosis on immune complex localization in autologous immune complex nephropathy in rats.

The effect of increased capillary permeability on glomerular immune complex localization was studied in rats immunized with proximal tubular antigen (Fx1A) to induce autologous immune complex nephropathy (AICN). AICN rats were made proteinuric by injection or unilateral renal perfusion with aminonucleoside of puromycin (PA) before developing subepithelial complex deposits. Control AICN kidneys developed diffuse granular deposits of IgG and Fx1A on the subepithelial surface of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) at 3 wk by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and deposits increased in subsequent weekly biopsies. In contrast, PA-nephrotic AICN kidneys developed few or no GBM deposits and a significant increase in mesangial localization of IgG and Fx1A during the period of PA-induced proteinuria. These alterations in complex localization were documented both in rats with PA nephrosis and in unilaterally PA-nephrotic kidneys compared with contralateral controls in the same animals, thus excluding any effect of PA on the immunopathogenetic mechanism in AICN as an explanation for these findings. The absence of GBM deposits closely correlated with reduced staining for polyanionic glomerular sialoprotein in proteinuric kidneys, since PA-perfused kidneys studied 2 wk after resolution of proteinuria demonstrated return of normal staining for sialoprotein and development of subepithelial complex deposits similar to those in contralateral control kidneys. These studies demonstrate that properties of the glomerulus itself play an important role in determining the site of complex deposition in experimental AICN and suggest that electrophysical characteristics of the glomerular capillary wall may influence complex localization on the GBM.

Animals

Experimental glomerulonephritis in the isolated perfused rat kidney.

The development of immune deposits on the subepithelial surface of the glomerular capillary wall was studied in isolated rat kidneys perfused at controlled perfusion pressure, pH, temperature, and flow rates with recirculating oxygenated perfusate containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) in buffer and sheep antibody to rat proximal tubular epithelial cell brush border antigen (Fx1A). Control kidney were perfused with equal concentrations of non-antibody immunoglobulin (Ig)G. Renal function was monitored by measuring inulin clearance, sodium reabsorption, and urine flow as well as BSA excretion and fractional clearance. Perfused kidneys were studied by light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy. All kidneys perfused with anti-Fx1A developed diffuse, finely granular deposits of IgG along the glomerular capillary wall by immunofluorescence. Electron microscopy revealed these deposits to be localized exclusively in the subepithelial space and slit pores. Similar deposits were produced in a nonrecirculating perfusion system, thereby excluding the formation of immune complexes in the perfusate caused by renal release of tubular antigen. Control kidneys perfused with nonantibody IgG did not develop glomerular immune deposits. Renal function and BSA excretion were the same in experimental and control kidneys. Glomerular deposits in antibody perfused kidneys were indistinguishable from deposits in rats injected with anti-Fx1A or immunized with Fx1A to produce autologous immune complex nephropathy. These studies demonstrate that subepithelial immune deposits can be produced in the isolated rat kidney by perfusion with specific antibody to Fx1A in the absence of circulating immune complexes. In this model deposits result from in situ complex formation rather than circulating immune complex deposition.

Animals

De novo development of membranous nephropathy in cadaver renal allografts.

Glomerulonephritis in transplant recipients often reflects recurrence of the immunopathogenetic mechanism causing the original renal disease. Membranous nephropathy (MN), a progressive immune complex mediated glomerular disease and the commonest cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in adults, has been virtually unreported in transplant recipients. Two cases are reported here of typical MN (by clinical, light, immunofluorescent and electron microscopic criteria) developing de novo in the transplants of patients whose original diseases were anti-GBM nephritis and focal glomerular sclerosis. NM developed following episodes of viral hepatitis and renal infarction respectively. Possible mechanisms by which this lesion might develop in these patients are investigated and discussed. Chronic immune complex nephropathy (MN) can develop de novo in immunosuppressed transplant recipients apparently initiated by events in the post-transplant period.

Adolescent

Complement-independent nephrotoxic nephritis in the guinea pig.

Immunologic mechanisms of proteinuria were investigated in guinea pigs (GP) injected with sheep antiserum (NTS) to GP glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Linear deposition of sheep gamma 1 and gamma 2 IgG led to a prompt but transient (36 hr) increase in albumin excretion from control values of 0.026 +/- 0.013 mg/hr to maximal values of 26+/-12.1 mg/rh at six hours without detectable histologic or electron microscopic changes except for decreased staining for glomerular polyanion and epithelial cell foot process fusion. GBM permeability to anionic ferritin was not increased during proteinuria. Anti-GBM antibody deposits did not fix GP C3 or C4 in vivo or in vitro. NTS-induced proteinuria was the same in guinea pigs that were normal, greater than 95% depleted of C3 through C9, genetically deficient in C4, and depleted of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Prior administration of antihistamines, steroids, azathioprine, colchicine, indomethacin, heparin, aprotinin (Trasylol), and niridazole also failed to reduced proteinuria. Initial proteinuria subsided by 36 hr, did not recur despite linear deposition of GP gemma 1 and gemma 2 after day seven, and antibody to GMB-bound sheep globlin. In the GP nephrotoxic nephritis model, anti-GBM antibody deposits apparently mediate increased permeability to albumin by a currently undefined mechanism which is independent of complement, PMN, and other know mediators of inflammation.

Animals

The immunopathology of the aging rat kidney.

Immunofluorescence studies of rat kidneys from 3-24 mo. of age demonstrated deposition of immunoglobulins, predominately IgM, within the glomerular mesangium by age 3 mo. Immunoglobulins eluted in acid buffer, did not fix complement, were not associated with inflammatory changes, and increased markedly with the onset of proteinuria at about 12 mo. Rats 24 mo. old also had mesangial deposits of IgG and fibrin. No basement membrane deposits were seen, and autoantibodies to antigens in normal kidney, liver, spleen, and skeletal muscle were not demonstrable in serum or eluates of kidneys from aged animals. The focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis which develops in aged rats does not appear to be mediated by glomerular deposition of auto-antibody or immune complexes. Mesangial accumulation of macro-molecular material, perhaps as a consequency of the age-associated increase in glomerular permeability, may contribute to the development of the glomerular sclerosis of aging in the rat by impairing mesangial phagocytic or clearing mechanisms rather than through immunologically mediated tissue injury.

Aging

Autologous immune complex nephropathy. I. Sequential study of immune complex deposition, ultrastructural changes, proteinuria, and alterations in glomerular sialoprotein.

Experimental evidence suggests that barriers to glomerular filtration of macromolecules exist at the glomerular basement membrane itself and at the level of the epithelial cell and epithelial slit pores. The distribution of negatively charged glomerular sialoprotein (GSP) at the latter site and the reduction in histochemical staining for GSP reported in several clinical and experimental glomerular diseases suggest a role for this material in the regulation of glomerular permeability. Alternatively, reductions in GSP associated with proteinuria may reflect only epithelial cell swelling consequent to the proteinuria. The sequence of subepithelial immune complex deposition, epithelial cell swelling and foot process fusion, alterations in histochemical staining for GSP, and development of proteinuria was studied in 12 Lewis rats biopsied weekly during development of autologous immune complex (Heymann) nephropathy. Deposition of IgG was detectable 3 weeks after antigen injection by immunofluorescence. Electron-dense deposits were first seen by electron microscopy coincident with the appearance of complement at week 4. Proteinuria began at 6 to 8 weeks, 3 to 5 weeks after detectable immune complex deposition. Proteinuric animals had marked subepithelial immune complex deposition and extensive epithelial cell swelling and foot process fusion. Despite these changes, there was no detectable reduction in staining for GSP until week 14, 6 to 8 weeks after onset of proteinuria. Reductions in GSP apparently do not play a role in altering glomerular permeability early in autologous immune complex (Heymann) nephropathy, and proteinuria and epithelial cell swelling can be present in this model without detectable changes in GSP. These findings suggest that early alterations in GSP reported in some other proteinuric disorders may be of pathogenetic significance rather than simply a reflection of changes in epithelial cell morphology secondary to proteinuria. In this experimental model of membranous nephropathy, immunofluorescence was more sensitive than electron microscopy in the early detection of immune deposits.

Animals

Experimental glomerulonephritis in the guinea pig. II. Ultrastructural lesions of the basement membrane associated with proteinuria.

Humoral immune processes mediate alterations in glomerular basement membrane (GBM) permeability by two mechanisms. One requires complement and polymorphonuclear leukocytes and the second is complement- and polymorphonuclear leukocyte-independent. The structural basis for enhanced GBM permeability induced by anti-GBM antibody is not clear. Experimental anti-GBM glomerulopathy was induced in guinea pigs by immunization with human GBM in complete Freund's adjuvant. Control animals received injections of complete Freund's adjuvant alone. Light, immunofluorescent, and electron microscopic studies were done on eight heavily proteinuric animals, four immunized nonproteinuric animals, three controls, and two normal animals. All animals that received injections of GBM had intense linear deposits of gamma2 anti-GBM antibody. Complement deposition was not demonstrable in vivo, and anti-GBM antibody deposits did not fix complement in vitro. Histologic abnormalities in proteinuric animals were confined to the GBM, which was of variable density and had a characteristic beaded thickening, with numerous areas of electron lucency most prominent in the outer aspect of GBM in peripheral portions of capillary loops. The inner margin and endothelium were normal. Ultrastructural tracer studies with ferritin demonstrated increased permeability confined to portions of GBM demonstrating ultrastructural lesions. The urine protein excreted by animals with ultrastructural GBM lesions was largely albumin. The absence of complement deposition accompanying anti-GBM antibody deposits in vivo and the unique GBM lesion in this model differ from the findings in nephritis induced by most heterologous nephrotoxic antibodies and suggest that GBM injury in this model is mediated by autologous antibody through complement-independent mechanisms. The selective proteinuria and ultrastructural lesions suggest a derangement in glomerular permeability functionally localized to the epithelial side of the GBM and could reflect an antibody-mediated abnormality in GBM biosynthesis.

Animals