bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pathogen derived elicitors: searching for receptors in plants
Authors: Montesano Marcos , Brader Günter , Palva E. Tapio 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYRecognition of potential pathogens is central to plants’ ability to defend themselves against harmful microbes. Plants are able to recognize pathogen‐derived molecules; elicitors that trigger a number of induced defences in plants. Microbial elicitors constitute a bewildering array of compounds including different oligosaccharides, lipids, peptides and proteins. Identifying the receptors for this vast array of elicitors is a major research challenge. Only in a very few cases has the cognate receptor for a particular elicitor been identified. Biochemical studies have resulted in the characterization of some elicitor binding proteins that may be part of the recognition complex. Transmembrane receptor‐like protein kinases (RLKs) constitute one of the most likely categories of receptors involved in pathogen perception. Some of these serine/threonine kinases have been identified as resistance or R genes, others as induced by pathogens or elicitors. One of the RLKs belonging to a leucine rich repeat (LRR) class of putative receptor kinases was recently identified as a receptor for bacterial flagellin, and the underlying signal pathway leading to activation of defence genes was elucidated. These and other recent studies have revealed intriguing similarities in elicitor recognition and defence signalling processes in plant and animal hosts suggesting a common evolutionary origin of eukaryotic defence mechanisms.
Review article: Consumer health information services*
Authors: KEMPSON ELAINE 
Published: March 2003

There has been a growing interest, in Britain and other countries, in the provision of cousumer health information services. Developments have taken place within a number of different disciplines, including health education, community work, advice work, nursing and librarianship.Services like the Lister Hospital Health Information Service, Wessex Region's Help for Health and the Royal Marsden patient education programme have shown what can be achieved when separate short‐term funds are made available. The evidence shows that, at the very least, the National Health Service should provide funds for a specialist consumer health information resource unit within each Regional Health Authority. This would support local health information initiatives through community groups, public libraries, community health councils, local hospitals and general hospitals, as well as acting as a specialist information centre to which these agencies could refer enquirers.
The value of structured abstracts in information retrieval from MEDLINE
Authors: BOOTH ANDREW , O'ROURKE ALAN J. 
Published: March 2003

Objective: To determine whether information retrieval might be enhanced by making each component of a structured abstract a separately searchable field.Design: Parallel searches on records arranged so that each abstract could either be searched in its entirety or as a collection of structured fields.Subjects: Records about cardiovascular disease downloaded from MEDLINE and tested against clinical questions derived from a concurrent survey of CD‐ROM use in three health science libraries.Intervention: The investigators identified terms used to structure abstracts on MEDLINE and imported the abstracts into an Idealist database prior to searching using keywords from clinical questions.Measurements and main results: recall and precision rates are given for each question in the ‘structured’ and the ‘unstructured’ set of records.Conclusions: Use of structured, rather than unstructured, abstracts improves precision at the expense of recall and places heavier demands upon the searcher's skill in choosing the correct fields within the abstract to search. Further investigation requires more accurate simulation of MEDLINE software that utilizes features such as MeSH terms, explode, facilities and delimiters.
Multiple polypoid lesions of primary mucosa‐associated lymphoid‐tissue lymphoma of colon
Authors: Yatabe  , Nakamura  , Nakamura  , Seto  , Ogura  , Kimura  , Kuhara  , Kobayashi  , Taniwaki  , Morishima  , Koshikawa  , Suchi  
Published: March 2003

Aims:This study was focused on unusual cases of mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma presenting with multiple polypoid lesions of the colon and rectum with a special reference to the differential diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma.Methods and results:The lesions of these five cases grossly showed a segmental distribution of nodular protrusions in three patients and of innumerable small polyps in two. These patterns of involvement simulated those of multiple lymphomatous polyposis, known as the gastrointestinal presentation of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and caused a differential diagnostic problem between MALT lymphoma and MCL, which have different prognostic and therapeutic implications. Their histological features are almost indistinguishable from each other, especially in the small biopsy specimens via endoscope. The most important procedure for their differentiation is cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry and its negative reaction provides strong indication of MALT lymphoma. Of interest, one case showed a rare karyotypic abnormality of t(11;18)(q21;q21), which has been reported specifically in MALT lymphoma.Conclusions:This study has indicated that the multiple polypoid lesions of the colon occur not only in MCL, but also in MALT lymphoma, making differential diagnosis between the two entities necessary, and cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry is indispensable for distinguishing between them.
Immunoperoxidase staining for cytokeratins 8 and 18 is very sensitive for detection of occult node metastasis of colorectal cancer: a comparison with genetic analysis of K‐ras
Authors: Sasaki  , Watanabe  , Jass  , Ajioka  , Kobayashi  , Hatakeyama  
Published: March 2003

Aims:Recent reports suggest that genetic examination of K‐ras or p53 mutation is more sensitive for the detection of occult lymph node metastasis in colorectal carcinomas than conventional examination by haematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining or immunohistochemistry for gene products. The aim of this study was, first, to define the microscopic characteristics of metastatic cancer cells in lymph nodes stained by the anti‐cytokeratin antibody CAM5.2 for cytokeratins 8 and 18, and, second, to compare the detection rate of occult lymph node metastasis for immunohistochemical vs genetic methods.Methods and results: K‐ras mutations were first examined in primary tumours of seven cases which showed distant metastasis or local recurrence within 5 years of the initial surgery in spite of the original reporting of no lymph node metastasis by routine H & E staining. K‐ras mutations were positive in three cases in primary tumours and lymph nodes, and the remaining four primary tumours were negative for p53 mutation as well as K‐ras mutation. Therefore, genetic analysis of occult lymph node metastasis was uninformative, but occult metastasis was detected by cytokeratin staining in two of these four cases. Comparative study of cytokeratin‐positive cells was performed on each of the 43 lymph nodes from three cases with K‐ras mutations. Cancer cells were detected in 28 of the 43 lymph nodes (65.1%) by cytokeratin staining and in 10 of the 43 corresponding lymph nodes (23.3%) by genetic analysis. Artefactual contamination by cancer cells was present in eight of the 28 cytokeratin positive lymph nodes, and three of the eight nodes were genetically positive.Conclusions:This study suggests that cytokeratin immunohistochemistry is more sensitive and specific for the detection of occult lymph node metastasis than genetic diagnosis by K‐ras mutation in cases with genetic alterations as well as in cases without them.
Value of histochemical stains for copper in the diagnosis of Wilson's disease
Authors: Pilloni L , Lecca S , Van Eyken P , Flore C , Demelia L , Pilleri G , Nurchi A M , Farci A M G , Ambu R , Callea F , Faa G 
Published: March 2003

Aims: The histochemical demonstration of hepatic copper is important in the diagnosis of Wilson's disease (WD). Conflicting results have been published with regard to the ability of different histochemical methods to demonstrate copper storage in the liver. Therefore, we evaluated the diagnostic value of three available histochemical methods in a large series of patients affected by WD.Methods and resultsSeventy‐nine consecutive liver needle biopsies, from 74 patients, 39 males and 35 females, aged 4–60 years (mean age 28.5 years) were stained with orcein, rhodanine and using Timm's method. On the basis of the histological picture, liver biopsies were subdivided into three groups: group A, steatosis; group B, interface hepatitis; group C, chronic hepatitis with bridging fibrosis and/or cirrhosis. In group A, 30.4% of the cases were positive using Timm's method, vs 13.2% using the rhodanine and 17.5% using the orcein method. In group B, Timm's method was positive in 40.1% while rhodanine and orcein showed positivity in 26.7%. In group C, the Timm's method stained 58.6%, rhodanine 36.6% and orcein 29.3% positively.ConclusionsOur data show that: (1) Timm's silver stain is the most sensitive method for the demonstration of copper in all cases of WD; (2) rhodanine and orcein have minor value in the diagnosis of WD, especially in the early stages of the disease; (3) to increase the diagnostic value of histochemistry for copper multiple histochemical stains in serial sections are required; and (4) although hepatic copper concentration is highest in the early stages of WD, the histochemical demonstration fails in a large number of cases.
Xanthogranulomatous cystitis associated with malignant neoplasms of the bladder
Authors: Bates A W , Fegan A W , Baithun S I 
Published: March 2003

Aims: Two cases of xanthogranulomatous cystitis in conjunction with malignant neoplasms of the bladder are described.Methods and resultsA partial gastrectomy specimen from a 55‐year‐old man showed a urachal adenocarcinoma partly surrounded by a large xanthogranulomatous inflammatory mass. Multiple resections of the locally recurring tumour over the subsequent 10 years did not show further xanthogranulomatous changes. In the second case, a 76‐year‐old woman, a focus of xanthogranulomatous cystitis was present near a moderately differentiated transitional‐cell carcinoma of the vesico‐ureteric junction.ConclusionsXanthogranulomatous inflammation is associated with malignant neoplasms in the bladder, as it is in the kidney and extra‐urinary sites, as well as with benign neoplasms and non‐neoplastic conditions such as urachal diverticula. The presence of a concomitant neoplasm should therefore be considered when the diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous cystitis is made.
Granulomatous inflammation in sigmoid diverticulitis: two diseases or one?
Authors: Burroughs S H , Bowrey D J , Morris‐Stiff G J , Williams G T 
Published: March 2003

AimsHistological appearances indistinguishable from Crohn's disease have been described in patients undergoing sigmoid colectomy for complicated diverticular disease. To investigate whether this finding represents coincidental dual pathology or merely a granulomatous colitis confined to the diverticular segment, we undertook clinical follow‐up of affected patients.Methods and resultsEight patients (median age 64 years, four males) whose sigmoid colectomy specimens showed acute diverticulitis and granulomatous inflammation were identified. All had a pre‐operative diagnosis of diverticular disease and no previous evidence of Crohn's disease. Non‐caseating epithelioid granulomas, unrelated to foreign material and usually unrelated to inflamed diverticula were present in the bowel wall of seven cases and in the regional lymph nodes of five. Three had granulomatous vasculitis and two had granulomas in ‘background’ mucosa. Mural lymphoid aggregates were identified in all cases. However, fissuring ulcers distinct from inflamed diverticula were not identified. On median follow‐up of 51 months (range 18–112 months) none of the patients developed evidence of chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Three had died from unrelated causes.ConclusionsGranulomatous inflammation appears to be part of a spectrum of sigmoid diverticulitis. In this setting, caution should be exercised to avoid an inappropriate diagnosis of Crohn's disease.
Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma: a study of five cases emphasizing diagnostic criteria
Authors: Eyden B P , Manson C , Banerjee S S , Roberts I S D , Harris M 
Published: March 2003

AimsTo study the clinical and histopathological features of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma, and to define diagnostic criteria for this uncommon soft‐tissue tumour.Methods and resultsStandard histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques were applied to five tumours from head and neck, chest wall and groin. Tumours consisted of groups of monomorphic rounded/epithelioid cells surrounded by a prominent collagenous stroma. Tumour cells showed positive vimentin staining but were negative for other markers. They contained prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum and a large Golgi apparatus which in one case was producing collagen secretion granules, an ultrastructural marker for collagen production. Three patients had medium to long‐term survival (3–7 years). Of these, one was disease‐free for 3 years, and two experienced multiple recurrences: one of the latter died of metastatic disease.ConclusionCriteria for diagnosing this uncommon tumour include: small to medium cell size, clear or pale cytoplasm, cellular arrangement in cords and strands, dense collagenous stroma; vimentin staining; rough endoplasmic reticulum and a Golgi apparatus producing, in well preserved examples, collagen secretion granules. The paper emphasizes the value of electron microscopy, supporting an appropriate histological picture and immunophenotype, in identifying these relatively low‐grade sarcomas.
Diagnostic markers in paediatric medulloblastoma: a Paediatric Oncology Group Study
Authors: McLendon  , Friedman  , Fuchs  , Kun  , Bigner  
Published: March 2003

AimsWe have reviewed immunohistochemically 17 paediatric medulloblastomas in order to determine if correlations exist that might be useful in subclassifying these tumours.Methods and resultsThe patient group included 11 children who had died (mean survival 13 months) and six still alive (followed for up to 10 years). Ten tumours were diffuse and six were nodular (one biopsy had only perivascular tumour). Of the 10 diffuse tumours, three were desmoplastic; of the six nodular tumours, all six were desmoplastic. All 17 tumours were synaptophysin‐reactive; three nodular tumours were glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐reactive in the nodules (two of three S100‐reactive tumours were also GFAP‐reactive). MIB‐1 labelling indices (LI) ranged from 5 to 80%. Six tumours exhibited at least 1% LI against Tp53 (Mab D07 and/or Mab 1801). Eight cases were 100% bcl2‐reactive with nine cases having an LI <80% (‘low labelling’). All nine ‘low labelling’ bcl2 cases were TP53 non‐reactive; all six Tp53‐reactive cases were bcl2 100% reactive. Six of 10 patients with diffuse medulloblastomas survived 18 months or less while four of 10 are alive up to 10 years. In contrast, five of six patients with nodular neoplasms died within 48 months of diagnosis with one patient followed up for less than 1 year.ConclusionsImmunohistochemistry is a useful adjunct in characterizing subsets of paediatric medulloblastomas and confirms that larger co‐operative studies may be fruitful in identifying a prognostic utility of a combined histochemical/immunohistochemical analysis on these tumours.
Molecular genetic analysis of non‐astrocytic gliomas
Authors: Tong  , Ng H‐K , Pang  , Hui  , Ko  , Lee  
Published: March 2003

AimsOligodendroglial tumours follow genetic pathways different from but overlapping with those of astrocytic tumours. The aim of this study was to examine whether major genetic events such as loss of chromosome 10 and p53 mutation found in astrocytic gliomas are also involved in the development and anaplastic transformation of non‐astrocytic gliomas and to correlate the findings with histopathological subtypes of these tumours.Methods and resultsSixty‐one formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded oligodendroglial and ependymal tumours (16 oligodendrogliomas, 12 anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, seven oligoastrocytomas, 24 ependymomas and two anaplastic ependymomas) were examined for allelic deletions on chromosome 10q23 and 10q25–26 regions, mutations of PTEN/MMAC1 and p53, MDM2 gene amplification and apoptosis. The frequencies of allelic deletions at marker D10S2491 (which mapped within PTEN/MMAC1) and between markers D10S209 and D10S587 (where DMBT1 was located) were found to be < 30% in both types of non‐astrocytic gliomas. High frequency of allelic deletions was detected at marker D10S215 (80%) at the proximal 10q23 region in both oligodendroglial and ependymal tumours and between markers D10S216 (42%) and D10S169 (67%) at distal 10q25–26 region in oligodendroglial tumours. No mutations of PTEN/MMAC1 were found. p53 mutations were detected in three oligoastrocytomas and one ependymoma; three out of five mutations were found in exon 4. MDM2 gene amplification was found in one ependymoma harbouring wild‐type p53. The apoptotic index was lower in p53‐mutated tumours than in tumours with wild‐type p53.ConclusionThe telomeric end of chromosome 10q could be involved in the development and anaplastic transformation of oligodendroglial tumours. Mutations of PTEN/MMAC1 and p53, amplification of the MDM2 gene and allelic loss on chromosome 10q do not play a major part in the pathogenesis or anaplastic transformation of oligodendrogliomas and ependymal tumours.
Gastric cryptosporidiosis: correlation between intensity of infection and histological alterations
Authors: Rivasi  , Rossi  , Righi  , Pozio  
Published: March 2003

AimsA retrospective study was carried out to determine the histopathological alterations of the gastric mucosa associated with the presence of Cryptosporidium parasites in the stomach.Methods and resultsGastric biopsies from eight patients with AIDS and cryptosporidiosis were reviewed. Most individuals were males (7/8, mean age 34.7 years) intravenous drug users (6/8), with very low peripheral blood CD4 lymphocyte counts (< 150/mm3; mean 56/mm3). Endoscopic examination showed no significant mucosal abnormalities in half of the individuals; inflammation was observed in the other four individuals and was associated with erosions in two cases. The lesions observed (reactive changes, oedema, erosions, etc.) are not pathognomonic, since they are seen in most common acute and chronic gastrititis of various aetiologies (toxic, infectious, mechanical). The histological examination showed Cryptosporidium parasites in the antrum–pylorus of all examined persons, whereas only two of them had parasites in the corpus. Modifications of histological features consisted mostly of hyperplastic reactive changes of the gland epithelial and inflammation in the connective tissue of the lamina propria. No clear correlation was found between endoscopy and histological findings, whereas a close correlation between intensity of the infection and degree of histological alterations was observed.ConclusionThese findings suggest that, in individuals with AIDS, cryptosporidiosis and severe immunodepression, upper endoscopy with random gastric biopsies should be performed, even in the absence of endoscopically appreciable lesions. The diagnosis of gastric cryptosporidiosis has to rely on histological findings, and pathologists must be aware of the fact that Cryptosporidium parasites are mainly found in areas showing reactive hyperplasia.
Basaloid squamous carcinoma of the oesophagus: a distinct neoplasm with multipotential differentiation
Authors: Cho  , Jang  , Lee  , Zo  
Published: March 2003

AimsBasaloid squamous carcinoma (BSC) is an uncommon variant of squamous cell carcinoma, with its prevalent sites being the hypopharynx, tongue base and larynx. In the oesophagus, BSC is rarer than in the head and neck region. This study was aimed to document the clinicopathological features of BSCs of the oesophagus, and to present their relative incidence and immunohistochemical findings.Methods and resultsEighteen cases of BSC of the oesophagus, comprising 3.6% of 502 oesophageal carcinomas, were reviewed for their pathological and clinical features, and examined for the immunohistochemical expression of neuroendocrine markers, cytokeratins, p53, pRb and bcl‐2. Oesophageal basaloid squamous carcinomas tended to be biphasic or multiphasic carcinomas, most commonly with basaloid and squamous components (eight cases), or with additional adenocarcinoma (three cases) or with small cell carcinoma (two cases). Each component was microscopically clearly distinguishable from the others, and metastasized separately, chiefly the basaloid component. The remaining five cases were apparently pure basaloid carcinomas, being characterized by lobules and nests of monotonous round undifferentiated cells with frequent comedo necrosis. They resembled, but were differentiated from, the small cell carcinoma on the basis of neuroendocrine markers and cytokeratin expression. p53, pRb and bcl‐2 oncoprotein, which are known to normally present in the basal/parabasal cells of the oesophageal epithelium, were detected in 40–50% of cases, with a heterogeneous expression pattern. The patients were all male, with the age ranging 47–74 years (median 57) and presented at variable stages. The plotted 3 years survival rate was 51%, and the immunohistochemical expression of p53, pRb and bcl‐2 was not related to the survival of the patients.ConclusionBasaloid squamous carcinoma of the oesophagus is a peculiar neoplasm with a capacity of multidirectional differentiation, often with heterogeneous oncogene expression, probably reflecting the pluripotential stem cell origin.
Warthin‐like tumour of the thyroid gland: RET/PTC expression indicates it is a variant of papillary carcinoma
Authors: D'antonio A , De Chiara A , Santoro M , Chiappetta G , Losito N S 
Published: March 2003

AimsThree cases with features of so‐called ‘Warthin‐like tumour’ of the thyroid (WaLTT) are described, in order to evaluate its relationship with papillary carcinoma (PC).Methods and resultsWe performed an histological and immunohistochemical study with emphasis on RET/PTC expression. The most striking features are represented by marked lymphocytic infiltration in the stalks of papillae and by oxyphilic metaplasia of epithelium, resembling Warthin tumour of the salivary gland. In all cases, we found nuclear features reminiscent of PC. The neoplastic cells were strongly positive for Leu M1 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), less for thyroglobulin and negative for calcitonin. The lymphocytic infiltrate was composed of a mixed population of B and T‐cells with sparse S100‐positive Langerhans cells. An interesting finding was the strong positivity with the antibody against RET/PTC.ConclusionAll clinicopathological data along with the presence of the extensive lymphocytic infiltrate could imply a more favourable prognosis. The expression of RET/PTC fusion gene adds support to the hypothesis that this tumour is a variant of PC, probably related to the oncocytic variant of PC.