C4d as a diagnostic tool in membranous nephropathy.

Introduction: membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. The diagnosis is based on typical findings observed using electron microscope (EM) and immunofluorescence (IF) studies. On some occasions, tissues are only available for analysis using an optical microscope (OM); in these cases, it can be difficult to differentiate between MN and minimal change disease (MCD).

Tumor necrosis factor-α-secreting CD16+ antigen presenting cells are effectively removed by granulocytapheresis in ulcerative colitis patients.

Background And Aim: In human blood, two main subsets of antigen-presenting-cells (APCs) have been described: plasmocytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) which are further subdivided in CD11c-mDC and CD16-mDC DC. In ulcerative colitis patients (UC) peripheral blood APCs express significant levels of the activation and lack immature-tolerogeneic APCs. Adacolumn selective granulocytapheresis (GCAP) has been associated with clinical efficacy in patients with UC.

Darbepoetin-α treatment enhances glomerular regenerative process in the Thy-1 glomerulonephritis model.

Recent studies have demonstrated that erythropoietin (EPO) and its analogs induce cytoprotective effects on many nonerythroid cells. In this study, we examined whether darbepoetin-α might prevent glomerular lesions in the Thy-1.1 model of glomerulonephritis (Thy-1-GN).

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with follicular T-cell markers.

Introduction: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) in western countries are uncommon tumors with unfavorable prognosis. They may be subclassified as anaplastic large-cell lymphomas (ALCLs), angioimmunoblastic-T-cell lymphomas (AITLs), or unspecified peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs-U). It has recently been demonstrated that AITLs originate from germinal center follicular helper T cells (TFH), whereas the normal counterparts of other PTCLs remain essentially unknown.

Aberrant Bcl6 protein expression in mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma is routinely considered as a Bcl6-negative B-cell lymphoma carrying the translocation t(11;14). Here we describe a series of five Bcl6-positive mantle cell lymphoma cases, including three classic and two blastoid variants. The proliferative index of these cases, measured with the Ki-67 antibody, was slightly higher than in Bcl6-negative mantle cell lymphoma cases (32.

Sclerosing adenosis of the prostate. Histologic features in needle biopsy specimens.

Sclerosing adenosis of the prostate is a pseudoneoplastic lesion that can mimic prostate cancer. Because the lesion is more common in the transition zone, which is only rarely sampled in needle biopsy, it is uncommon to see examples of this lesion in biopsy specimens. Because sampling of the transition zone of the prostate is likely to become more frequent, practicing surgical pathologists must be aware of the morphologic features of sclerosing adenosis of the prostate in needle biopsy specimens, in order to avoid misinterpretation of sclerosing adenosis of the prostate, a benign lesion, as prostate adenocarcinoma.