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Biomedical subjects

P H Carstens

Publications and source records attributed to P H Carstens.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Contact between abluminal microvilli and collagen fibrils in metastatic adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma.

It can be difficult to differentiate between epithelial and mixed type mesothelioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma. To distinguish between the two, it has recently been suggested that the presence of abluminal microvilli making contact with collagen fibrils through discontinuities in the basal lamina was characteristic of mesothelioma but not of metastatic adenocarcinoma. This study presents three patients out of 39 who had adenocarcinoma metastatic to the pleural and abdominal cavities, in which direct contact was observed between abluminal microvilli and collagen fibrils. All 39 examples of mesothelioma which were also examined demonstrated this feature. This phenomenon should therefore not be used as a discriminator between mesothelioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma. An additional patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma in an axillary lymph node demonstrates that this phenomenon is not limited to the pleural or abdominal cavities.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Immunoreactivity in malignant mesotheliomas with antibodies to basement membrane components and their receptors.

Ten cases of malignant mesothelioma (MM), as diagnosed by clinical history and light and electron microscopy, were studied with polyclonal antibodies directed against the basement membrane-specific proteins, type IV collagen and laminin, as well as with monoclonal antibodies which recognize two epitopes of the laminin receptor (LR). All formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded mesothelioma tissues examined demonstrated intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity for the basement membrane proteins. Extracellular staining was minimal, analogous to the staining reactions observed in adenocarcinomas of the breast and lung, which on light microscopy mimicked the morphologic appearance of MM. Similarly, LRs were identified on MM cells by intense positive staining. Immunoreactivity was also evident on nonneoplastic mesothelioma and adenocarcinoma cells but with greater heterogeneity and less intensity. It may be concluded from these results that (a) malignant mesotheliomas have the ability to synthesize components of the basement membrane; (b) enhanced attachment to extracellular matrix by MM would be anticipated as laminin receptors are present in large numbers on the surface of mesothelioma cells; (c) the reason for lack of intensiveness by MM cells remains speculative; type IV-specific collagenase may play a role in regulating this function in these tumor cells.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Crystalline glomerular inclusions in multiple myeloma.

Prominent crystalline inclusions were noted in the glomeruli of a 57-year-old man with a 6-month history of swelling and pain in the hands, slight proteinuria, and elevated serum creatinine and BUN. The crystalline inclusions were most prominent in the visceral epithelium but were also noted in endothelial and mesangial cells, in the parietal epithelium, and in the epithelial cells of the proximal tubules. On electron microscopy the crystalline structures were of various geometric shapes but had no definite substructure. Immunofluorescence was negative. The patient was considered to have a hitherto undescribed metabolic disease. Several months later the patient underwent an operation for carpal tunnel syndrome and amyloid deposits, crystalline inclusions similar to those noted in the kidney were observed in the synovial tissue. Shortly after this the patient was found to have multiple myeloma of IgG, kappa type with Bence Jones proteinuria. Lymphoplasmacytic cells in the bone marrow contained the same crystalline inclusions noted in the kidney and synovium. This case therefore seems to represent a new and very rare form of glomerular involvement in multiple myeloma.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1986

An islet of Langerhans located within the epithelium of a human pancreatic duct.

An unusual structure resembling an islet of Langerhans was described in the pancreatic ductal epithelium of a presumably normal human male. Further studies to establish the identities of both islet and duct were performed. The original hematoxylin and eosin section served for histological description, as well as for nuclear volume analysis to characterize levels of beta cell polyploidy. The section was restained with Gomori's Chrome Alum Hematoxylin Phloxine to ascertain the presence of islet-like cells and to quantitate the ratio of beta- to non-beta cells. The section was then restained by the Feulgen technique to confirm proportionality between nuclear volume and DNA content. An apparently normal islet in the same section served as control. The combined observations were consistent with the interpretation that the structure is indeed an islet situated within the ductal epithelium. The almost complete absence of polyploid beta cells, however, and the high ratio of non-beta cells:beta cells suggested that it was a young islet. A similarly high proportion of non-beta cells in the control islet, as well as the frequent occurrence of ducts within, or in close proximity to, other islets, suggested that the entire islet organ was under some form of proliferative stimulus at time of resection. Alterations of the ductal epithelium and the secretory contents suggested that the duct was also in the process of transformation. Although the islet had apparently arisen within the ductal epithelium, the ultimate source of the progenitor cells could not be determined from these studies. The relationship of the ductal islet to other well known forms of islet regeneration is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Tubular carcinoma of the breast. A long term follow-up.

The aim of this study is to provide a long-term follow-up of patients with tubular carcinoma and to investigate whether the separation of the mixed type of tubular carcinoma, tubular component more than 75%, from invasive ductal carcinoma with a major tubular component (ductal carcinoma MTC), tubular component 50 to 75%, is supported by long term follow-up. For this study 388 consecutive breast carcinomas were selected from the files of the Department of Pathology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Denmark for the years: 1956-59. Twenty tubular carcinomas were found and 16 ductal carcinomas MTC were also identified. For each patient with tubular carcinoma and ductal carcinoma MTC, two controls with ductal carcinoma NOS were selected. The patients in these four groups were followed until 1 April 1982. None of the patients were lost to follow-up. Among the 20 patients with tubular carcinoma, 10 died within this period compared to 37 of the 40 controls. Of the 16 patients with ductal carcinoma MTC, 15 died compared to 29 of the 32 controls. The difference in Kaplan-Meier survival curves between the tubular carcinomas and their controls is highly significant. There is no significant difference between ductal carcinomas MTC and their controls. These findings are not changed significantly when 5, 10, and 20 year survival rates are corrected for expected survival. This study demonstrates long-term survival for patients with tubular carcinoma as compared to ductal carcinoma NOS. There is no difference in long-term survival between ductal carcinoma MTC, tubular component between 50 and 75%, and ductal carcinoma NOS. It therefore seems appropriate to set 75% tubular component as a reasonable cut-off point for the mixed type of tubular carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1985

Electron-dense deposits in extraglomerular vascular structures in IgA nephropathy. A retrospective study.

24 renal biopsies from 23 patients with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) were examined. This retrospective ultrastructural study focused on extraglomerular vascular structures since information about these structures in IgA nephropathy is lacking. Electron-dense deposits were observed in arterioles in 8 out of 18 biopsies (44%), in which arterioles were available for electron microscopic examination. Deposits were absent in peritubular capillaries and in all arteries. The presence of deposits had no correlation with the patient's blood pressure. The electron-dense deposits represent additional evidence that IgA nephropathy is a monosymptomatic form of a systemic disease that is mediated by circulating immune complexes of heterogeneous origin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Morphological changes in Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense following inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis in vivo.

The effect of alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) treatment on the morphology of African trypanosomes was investigated. For this purpose inbred mice were immunosuppressed and infected with a clone of the protozoan blood parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. The mice were then treated with DFMO, an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, which inhibits polyamine synthesis. DFMO treatment in the absence of host immunity resulted in arrest of cytokinesis of the trypanosomes and many binucleated cells could be seen in blood smears. If mice were infected with a highly virulent trypanosome clone (ETat 1.10), which does not normally transform from long slender (LS) to short stumpy (SS) forms, DFMO treatment caused SS transformation to occur on days 3-4. This morphological SS transformation was substantiated by the presence of diaphorase activity and nuclear and mitochondrial changes. The results suggest a possible involvement of polyamines in the transformation from LS to SS forms.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Primary malignant melanomas of the lung and adrenal.

Malignant melanoma originating outside the skin, juxtacutaneous mucous membranes, eyes, and leptomeninges is a very rare neoplasm. Two such primary visceral malignant melanomas from the lung and adrenal are described in detail.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1983

Cell wall-DNA association in Bacillus subtilis.

Autolysis of cell walls of Bacillus subtilis 168 resulted in solubilization of wall-associated DNA. Most of the DNA was solubilized only in the later stages of autolysis. Solubilization of up to 70% of the wall by autolysins resulted in only 25 to 30% solubilization of wall-associated DNA. When the wall fragments remaining after 70% autolysis were analyzed by electron microscopy, it was observed that the preparations were highly enriched for completed septa, or poles. Partial autolysis at pH 5.2 or pH 8.6, both of which reflect hydrogen ion levels that permit either N-acetylglucosaminidase or N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, but not both, to act, gave rise to enrichment of cell poles. When walls were incubated with subtilisin, DNase, or RNase, release of DNA (or DNA fragments) was accelerated. Density gradient centrifugation patterns of lysates of cells pulse-labeled with N-[3H]acetylglucosamine and then chased revealed that a small, but significant, proportion of the radioactivity sedimented to a density position equivalent to that of DNA-membrane complexes. Because the pulse-chase sequence enriched for radioactivity in cell poles, the results suggest that at least some molecules from polar cell walls have an affinity for DNA-membrane complexes. We suggest that DNA binds strongly, possibly via a DNA-membrane complex, to cell poles of B. subtilis. The results provide support for a view offered previously (Koch et al., FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 12:201-208, 1981) that some special structure in or very near the poles of gram-positive bacilli is involved in the segregation of DNA during cell division.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1981

Polyploidy in islets of normal and diabetic humans.

This study was designed as a pilot project to determine whether the increased polyploidization of pancreatic B cells in diabetic mice reported from our laboratory is also characteristic of human diabetes. Nuclei of hematoxylin and eosin stained islets cells were traced by camera lucida and their volumes determined by semiautomatic particle size analysis. Previous studies have confirmed that nuclear volume can be used as an index of polyploidy, since, in mouse and human islets, the nuclear DNA content is directly proportional to the nuclear volume. Five insulin independent and three insulin dependent human diabetic patients and their age and sex matched controls were studied. The percentages of polyploid nuclei in insulin independent diabetic islets were elevated significantly over those in control subjects in four of five cases; the exception was an 85 year old male who was diagnosed as a diabetic only two months prior to death. Of the three insulin dependent diabetics, one, whose islets appeared otherwise normal, had a significantly greater percentage of polyploid nuclei than the controls; the other two, whose islets were markedly hyalinized, exhibited percentages of polyploid nuclei within normal ranges. The implications of relative percentages of polyploid nuclei in normal and diabetic islets and the possible relationship with previous studies of genetically diabetic mice are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Perineural glands in normal and hyperplastic prostates.

Serial sections from 1 block of either a normal or hyperplastic prostate demonstrated at least 2 foci of perineural invasion in 7 of 8 consecutive autopsies. In addition to the perineural invasion a close relationship was found among nerves, glandular epithelium and vascular structures in all 8 autopsies. Although there are differences between the epithelium in perineural invasion in carcinoma and in normal or hyperplastic prostates perineural invasion can no longer be regarded as unequivocal evidence of malignancy.

Humans↗
PubMed1980

Renal amyloidosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A renal biopsy of a patient who had systemic lupus erythematosus and proteinuria revealed the presence of both amyloidosis and lupus glomerulonephropathy. The association between secondary amyloidosis and systemic lupus erythematosus has only been reported in four previous cases. The significance of this association is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Duodenal carcinoid with cytoplasmic whorls of microfilaments.

A unique ultrastructural feature in a duodenal carcinoid is described, viz., large juxtanuclear accumulations of microfilaments arranged in whorls. Similar microfilaments are found in the D1 cell of the gastro-entero-pancreatic endocrine system. Apparently identical whorl-like accumulations of filaments have been previously described in bronchial cells of animals treated with nitrosamines and in human giant cell carcinoma of the lung. We suggest that the D1 cell is the cell of origin for the described carcinoid as well as for the above-mentioned tumours of the lung.

Carcinoid Tumor↗
PubMed1978

Tubular carcinoma of the breast. A study of frequency.

Tubular carcinoma of the breast is a recognizable histologic type of invasive mammary carcinoma, characterized by infrequent axillary lymph nodal metastases and an excellent prognosis. Of all carcinomas of the breast diagnosed in 1974 in the Louisville area, 42, or 10.3% were of the tubular variety. This is in contrast to the previously expressed opinion that tubular carcinoma is rare. Three histologic types of tubular carcinoma are described. Strict criteria for diagnosis of the mixed type are recommended.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1976

Malignant fibrillo-caveolated cell carcinoma of the human intestinal tract.

The ultrastructural features of a peculiar midgut carcinoid, containing cytoplasmic filaments, fibrils, and caveolae, are presented. Because of the morphologic similarities between the tumor cells and the recently described intestinal caveolated cell, it is proposed that the cells of the reported carcinoid represent the malignant counterpart of this new type of cell. The name suggested for this variant of a tumor of the enterochromaffin group of intestinal endocrine cells is malignant fibrillocaveolated cell carcinoma.

Carcinoid Tumor↗
PubMed1975

Late changes of irreversible post-partum renal failure.

The clinico-pathological data from a patient with irreversible post-partum renal failure (IPRF) are presented. The electron microscopy of the late changes are described for the first time and consists of: 1. Thickening of the basement membrane. 2. Interposition of mesangial cells and matrix between the thickened basement membrane and the endothelial cell encircling the periphery of the tuft. 3. Multiplication of basal lamina material between mesangial cells and endothelial cells. 4. Proliferation of endothelial cells. All of the above changes tend to obliterate the glomerular tufts and transform the vascular lumina into slit-like spaces. They explain morphologically why most patients with IPRF terminate in chronic renal failure, if they survive the early changes. The late occurring hypertension is regarded as a secondary stimulation of the renin-angiotension system caused by partial or complete occlusion of arteries and arterioles.

Adult↗