Intercellular canaliculi in eccrine sweat glands: an immunoperoxidase study.

Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique, both epithelial membrane antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen were identified within the ducts and secretory coils of the eccrine sweat gland. Antibodies to epithelial membrane antigen stained the intercellular canaliculi of the secretory coils, as did those antisera to CEA which showed activity against normal cross-reacting antigen (CEX, NCA). Those without such activity showed minimal or no staining of intercellular canaliculi.

Familial primary cutaneous amyloidosis.

Primary cutaneous amyloidosis is uncommon in Europeans. A British family is described in which an extremely rare variant was inherited as an autosomal dominant. The subtlety of physical signs in this family contrasted with the severity of the associated pruritus.

Spurious hypertension in the obese patient. Effect of sphygmomanometer cuff size on prevalence of hypertension.

We used standard, large adult, and thigh-size cuffs in random order to take BPs in 470 patients. The prevalences of definite high BP [( HBP]), greater than or equal to 160/95 mm Hg) and borderline HBP [( BHBP ], greater than or equal to 140/90 less than 160/95 mm Hg) were the same with all three cuffs in patients with an arm circumference less than 35 cm, a body mass index less than 34, and a weight of less than 95 kg. The large adult and thigh cuffs did not underestimate the prevalence of HBP in these nonobese patients.

Eosinophil infiltration in keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

The incidence of tissue eosinophilia in keratoacanthoma and in early and late cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin has been studied. Eosinophil infiltration of over 10 cells per high power field was found in 80 cases, and was not related to the size, site or aetiology of the lesions in which it was present. In cases where diagnostic difficulty arises between keratoacanthoma and well differentiated, keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, if tissue eosinophilia is present the lesion is more likely to be malignant.

Loss of membrane B2 microglobulin in eccrine porocarcinoma. Its association with the histopathologic and clinical criteria of malignancy.

A sensitive immunoperoxidase method employs a new chicken anti-B2-microglobulin (B2M) antibody for use on paraffin sections. The method demonstrates the loss of B2M from the cell membranes of malignant eccrine poromas , and this is correlated with the histopathologic and clinical criteria of malignancy.

Epithelial markers in primary skin cancer: an immunoperoxidase study of the distribution of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in 65 primary skin carcinomas.

Sixty-five primary malignant skin tumours have been stained for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) using rabbit polyclonal affinity-purified antibodies and an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. The tumours consisted of 15 invasive squamous carcinomas, 23 basal cell carcinomas, 16 malignant eccrine poromas (porocarcinomas), and 11 sebaceous carcinomas. The basal cell carcinomas were negative for CEA and EMA except where there was keratotic or sebaceous differentiation.

Estrogen stimulates von Willebrand factor production by cultured endothelial cells.

Monolayers of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were exposed to 17 beta-estradiol and compared to control cultures with respect to levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF) released into the media after 3-5 days of incubation. The amount of functional vWF activity was assessed by ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation and by a radioreceptor platelet assay. vWF antigen was quantitated by immunoassay.

Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum in a patient with normal enzyme activities.

A 34-year-old man is described with angiokeratoma corporis diffusum. This eruption was once thought to be diagnostic of Anderson-Fabry disease; however, recent studies have shown that it may also occur in the enzyme disorders fucosidosis and sialidosis. In our patient with widespread angiokeratomas, the results of enzyme studies were normal, and there were no systemic problems or significant family history.

Characterization of thrombin binding to alpha 2-macroglobulin.

The formation and structural characteristics of the human alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M)-thrombin complex were studied by intrinsic protein fluorescence, sulfhydryl group titration, electrophoresis in denaturing and nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel systems, and in macromolecular inhibitor assays. The interaction between alpha 2M and thrombin was also assessed by comparison of sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoretic patterns of peptides produced by Staphylococcus aureus V-8 proteinase digests of denatured alpha 2M-125I-thrombin and alpha 2M-125I-trypsin complexes. In experiments measuring fluorescence changes and sulfhydryl group exposure caused by methylamine, we found that thrombin produced its maximum effects at a mole ratio of approximately 1.

Penile verrucous carcinoma.

Eleven patients with verrucous carcinoma of the penis are presented. The age range was from 41 to 80 years with a mean of 59 years. The pathological features of these tumours are described and the aetiology of penile verrucous carcinoma is discussed.

The effects of fibrinogen and its cleavage products on the kinetics of plasminogen activation by urokinase and subsequent plasmin activity.

The effects of fibrinogen and its plasmic cleavage fragments on the activation of Glu-, Lys-, and Val442- plasminogen by urokinase were investigated. A possible explanation for the large variations in the published steady state parameters for Glu-plasminogen activation is the undetected formation of Lys-plasminogen and its subsequent more rapid activation to plasmin. When Lys-plasminogen formation was avoided, the Km for Glu-plasminogen activation by urokinase was 2.

Verrucous carcinoma of the penis (Buschke-Lowenstein tumour): a clinico-pathological study.

The variant of squamous carcinoma of the penis known as verrucous carcinoma is an uncommon but distinct clinical and pathological condition which has a significantly better prognosis than the more common infiltrative type. We report seven cases from a continuing larger study of the disease and discuss the clinical features, the histological criteria for diagnosis and the methods of treatment available.

Comparison of thrombin and ristocetin in the interaction between von Willebrand factor and platelets.

It is known that the antibiotic ristocetin exposes the platelet membrane receptor for factor VIII/von Willebrand glycoprotein (FVIII/vWF). Recent reports suggest that low concentrations of thrombin also cause platelet membrane receptors to become available for FVIII/vWF. As a consequence, the suspicion has been raised that thrombin provides similar or equivalent activity in vivo to that observed for ristocetin under in vitro conditions.

BP control. Improvement in a university medical clinic by use of a physician's associate.

Many hypertensive patients, especially those in outpatient clinics at large teaching hospitals, do not achieve BP control. We incorporated a physician's associate into an existing house staff medical clinic and evaluated whether this improved BP control. In patients with moderate or severe hypertension, BP control was achieved in 56% of patients observed by both the physician's associate and the house staff and in 32% of patients observed solely by house staff.

Proteolytic activity of alpha 2-macroglobulin-enzyme complexes toward human factor VIII/von Willebrand factor.

The low level of enzymatic activity of certain alpha 2-macroglobulin-proteinase complexes could be important to the function of factor VIII/von Willebrand glycoprotein since it is especially sensitive to proteolytic cleavage. To test this possibility, complexes of alpha 2-macroglobulin with plasmin, trypsin, and thrombin were formed in at least a 2:1 molar ratio of alpha 2-macroglobulin:proteinase and tested for effects on the factor VIII procoagulant activity of the factor VIII/von Willebrand glycoprotein. Neither the alpha 2-macroglobulin-trypsin complex nor the alpha 2-macroglobulin-plasmin complex affected factor VIII procoagulant activity.