Macrophage migration inhibitory factor protein and mRNA expression in cutaneous melanocytic tumours.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a widely expressed cytokine involved in various biological processes. Although MIF's functions in cancer have not been completely elucidated, its expression has usually been correlated with tumour progression and aggressiveness, and it is currently discussed as a new promising target for novel therapies. Recent studies seem to confirm its active role in melanoma pathobiology; however, its expression has not yet been extensively studied in melanocytic tumours.

Spleen depletion in neonatal sepsis and chorioamnionitis.

Neonatal sepsis and chorioamnionitis induce morphologic modifications and shrinkage of the thymus. We show fetal and neonatal morphologic modifications of the spleen in the same autopsy subjects as previously used to describe thymus shrinkage, including 10 preterm or full-term neonates who died of proven sepsis within 48 hours after birth and 20 fetuses spontaneously aborted because of extensive ascending chorioamnionitis. Control subjects included 10 fetuses from induced termination of pregnancy and 10 neonates who died suddenly during the perinatal period without evidence of chorioamnionitis.

Nerve growth factor expression in human dystrophic muscles.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that is expressed during muscle development and is also capable of favoring muscle regeneration in experimental studies. The presence of NGF in muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, has never been fully explored. By means of immunohistochemistry, we show that regenerating muscle fibers from such patients consistently express NGF, as do myofibroblasts and mast cells.

Expression of RB2/p130 tumor-suppressor gene in AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: implications for disease pathogenesis.

In this study we examined 21 cases of AIDS-related lymphomas for genomic organization and expression of RB2/p130 oncosuppressor gene and compared the results with the proliferative features of these neoplasms. We found no mutations in the RB2/p130 gene and unusually high percentages of cells expressing nuclear pRb2/p130 in tumors with a high proliferative activity, such as AIDS-related lymphomas. These findings might suggest that a molecular mechanism usually observed in viral-linked oncogenesis could be involved.