Early Stages of Hyaline Membrane Formation Detected in Alveolar Mouths in Diffuse Alveolar-Damage-Associated Diseases: A Detailed Immunohistochemical Study.

To study the early stages of hyaline membrane (HM) formation, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) was thoroughly investigated using immunohistochemical methods in 15 autopsy cases, which consisted of various types of interstitial pneumonias and pulmonary diseases derived from nonmalignant or malignant diseases. Alveolar mouths (AMs) that were presumed to be normal were ultrastructurally examined in detail, by using pulmonary tissues in the pneumothorax. It is interesting to note that during the initial stages of HM formation in AMs, fragmented eosinophilic masses were closely attached to AMs as irregular fragments or by a cap-like structure.

Clinicopathological findings of four cases of pure influenza virus A pneumonia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to perform clinicopathological evaluations of patients with pure influenza A virus pneumonia.

Methods: We performed clinicopathological analyses of four cases of pure influenza A virus pneumonia. Patients Among the four cases, three were caused by the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.

[Efficacy of three-dimensional computed tomography for evaluating airway tract involvement in patients with relapsing polychondritis].

The airway tract involvement is known to be one of the most important prognostic factors in patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP). Sequential evaluations of airway tract involvements are necessary, however, the insertion of flexible bronchoscope into the affected airway tract may exacerbate their airway tract stenosis. Three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) showed stenosis of the trachea and bilateral main bronchi in 2 patients with RP.

Immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopic studies of the localization of KL-6 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in presumably normal pulmonary tissue and in interstitial pneumonia.

To clarify the localization of KL-6 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in human lungs, immune reactions to antibodies to these factors were examined in detail at light and electron microscopic levels. Immunohistochemical investigation was performed in 17 cases of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), collagen vascular disease-associated interstitial pneumonias (CVD-IP), viral pneumonia, and bronchobronchioloectasis, as well as in 10 cases of presumably normal pulmonary tissue resected as a result of spontaneous pneumothorax. Immunohistochemical study revealed similar discontinuous linear or dome-shaped positive patterns restricted to type II alveolar cells in presumably normal tissue and only some regions of interstitial pneumonia.

Immunohistochemical distribution of SP-D, compared with that of SP-A and KL-6, in interstitial pneumonias.

The immunohistochemical distribution of SP-D was compared with that of SP-A and KL-6 using a monoclonal antibody in lung tissues of 15 cases of collagen vascular disease-associated interstitial pneumonia (CVD-IP), 4 cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP), and 6 cases of other diseases to determine their differences in distribution. In this study, the main targets were alveolar epithelial cells, especially those in the regenerating stage, as well as lymph vessels and stroma. The cytoplasm of type II alveolar epithelial cells and Clara cells was positive for SP-D, with sharp margins; interestingly, however, during the process of regeneration large positive cells were intermingled with relatively small negative cells, even in the same row of cells.

Expression of chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR4 in lymphocytes of idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Little is known about the role of chemokines and their receptors interaction, which are essential for recruitment of selective lymphocyte subsets during inflammation, in the pathogenesis of idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP). Recent studies have revealed Th1 and Th2 cells preferentially employ the chemokine receptors, CXCR3 and CCR4, respectively, in the process of accumulation into inflammatory sites. We evaluated the CXCR3 and CCR4 expression on infiltrated lymphocytes in lung tissues of 12 NSIP cases and 10 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) cases in our previous study.

Differing distributions of CXCR3- and CCR4-positive cells among types of interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular diseases.

Interstitial pneumonia (IP) is an important complication in collagen vascular diseases (CVDs). We examined the distribution of helper T cell subsets in lung biopsies of cases of IP associated with CVD (CVD-IP). The tissues from 27 CVD-IP patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 8 with polymyositis or dermatomyositis (PM/DM), and 8 with systemic sclerosis (SSc) were compared with those from 10 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in our previous study.

Non-specific interstitial pneumonia; as the first clinical presentation of various collagen vascular disorders.

Recently, we have experienced significant numbers of patients diagnosed with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) by open lung biopsy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The purpose of this work was to describe the clinical features of patients with collagen vascular disorders (CVD) presenting NSIP in the absence of systemic involvement. This study also involved a retrospective review of patients with CVD presenting clinical and pathological evidence of NSIP in the absence of systemic manifestations of CVD.

Idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia: as an "autoimmune interstitial pneumonia".

Recently, we have experienced significant number of patients diagnosed with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) by open lung biopsy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical and pathological features of idiopathic NSIP and NSIP associated with underlying diseases (mainly autoimmune disorders). Forty-six patients with histologically proven NSIP were retrospectively collected.

Distribution of CXCR3- or CCR4-positive cells in interstitial pneumonia associated with primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) occasionally develop interstitial pneumonia (SS-IP), the prognosis of which is less grave compared with that of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We examined distribution of helper T-cell subsets in open lung biopsy specimens from seven patients with SS-IP and, for comparison, ten patients with IPF. The expression of CXCR3 and CCR4, chemokine receptors associated in vitro with Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively, was analyzed in the mononuclear infiltrate using immunohistochemistry.

High molecular weight vimentin complex is formed after proteolytic digestion of vimentin by caspase-3: detection by sera of patients with interstitial pneumonia.

In a previous study, we demonstrated anti-vimentin antibodies in sera of patients with interstitial pneumonia. We hypothesized that antibodies in sera might detect vimentin fragments formed during the process of apoptosis. To prove this, recombinant human vimentin was digested by recombinant human caspase-3 or caspase-8.

Transforming growth factor beta1 gene polymorphism in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To determine whether transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) gene DNA polymorphism is associated with pathogenesis in the fibrosis of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Eighty-seven Japanese patients with SSc including 30 with diffuse type and 57 with limited type together with 110 unrelated controls were investigated. Pulmonary fibrosis was determined in 34 SSc patients using high-resolution chest computed tomography.

Regression of esophageal papillomatous polyposis caused by high-risk type human papilloma virus.

Esophageal squamous papilloma is an uncommon benign squamous epithelial polypoid tumor and is usually identified as a solitary lesion in the lower esophagus. Chronic mucosal irritation and infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) are two proposed etiologies. However, the natural history of esophageal squamous papilloma is unknown, and whether it can develop to esophageal cancer is also controversial.

Myofibroblasts proliferation of idiopathic and collagen vascular disorders associated nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) has been recognized as a separate histological classification of interstitial lung disease. Similar features are found not only in idiopathic NSIP, but also in NSIP associated with collagen vascular disorder (CVD-NSIP). We examined the clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and prognosis of 13 cases of idiopathic NSIP and 11 cases of CVD-NSIP.

Immunohistochemical characterisation of pulmonary hyaline membrane in various types of interstitial pneumonia.

Aims: Hyaline membrane (HM) in diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) pattern is frequently detected in the acute stage of interstitial pneumonia (IP). To determine the exact nature of HM, we investigated immunohistochemically 25 cases of HM-containing IP.

Methods: The cases examined using various kinds of antibodies were four cases associated with rheumatoid arthritis, five with usual interstitial pneumonia, two with dermatomyositis, five with viral infection, one case with progressive systemic sclerosis and eight cases caused by other agents.

The distribution and number of Leu-7 (CD57) positive cells in lung tissue from patients with pulmonary fibrosis.

Leu-7 positive lymphocytes, including natural killer cells, play an important role in the immune system's surveillance function to prevent the development of cancer. The incidence of lung cancer is significantly high in patients with end-stage pulmonary fibrosis. We hypothesized that the number of Leu-7 positive cells may be decreased in areas of severe pulmonary fibrosis.

A study on intraalveolar exudates in acute mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Pathologic features of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection (M. pneumonia) are generally non-specific, and the literature regarding the pathologic features of M. pneumonia with intraalveolar exudates is limited.

[Recurrence of thymoma accompanied with hypogammaglobulinemia 20 years after surgery: a case report].

We reported a case of recurrence of localized thymoma accompanied with hypogammaglobulinemia (Good's syndrome) 20 years after surgery. A 74-year-old man was admitted to this hospital because of mediastinal tumor and chronic pulmonary infection. He had been thymectomised at the age of 55 because of spindle cell thymoma.

[Adenocarcinoma of the lung with skeletal muscle metastasis, resulting in death due to myocardial metastasis: a case report].

A 57-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of multiple subcutaneous masses with pain, mild dyspnea, and bloody sputum. He had been asymptomatic until one month earlier, when he began to have a dry cough and myalgia of the right forearm. A chest radiograph showed cardiomegaly.

[Successful use of immunosuppressive agents for the treatment of progressive rheumatoid interstitial lung disease: a case report].

Interstitial pneumonia (IP) is sometimes a fatal complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We describe a patient with progressive rheumatoid interstitial pneumonia, who responded to intravenous intermittent cyclophosphamide (IV-CY) and cyclosporine (CsA). A 62-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis was admitted to this hospital because of dyspnea.