Non-necrotizing autoimmune myopathy with pipestem type capillaries - a light and electron microscopic study.

We report on 7 cases of a nonnecrotizing type of autoimmune myopathy found in suspected connective tissue disease and related disorders. In muscle biopsy, these cases showed myopathic alterations characterized by irregular outlines of muscle fibers in cross and longitudinal section nearly or totally lacking inflammatory cell infiltrations or macrophages and no necroses of myofibers. They revealed deposition of immunoglobulins and of collagen IV antibodies attached to fiber surface.

Non-tau based neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease -- an immunocytochemical and quantitative study in the supragranular layers of the middle temporal neocortex.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), cortical neurons develop neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau. The neurons eventually die. There are some hints that cortical neurons may also degenerate without the development of cytoskeletal changes.

Correlation between amplification of the gene for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), data from preoperative proton-MR-spectroscopy (1HMRS) and histomorphometric data of glioblastomas.

Objective: To investigate a correlation between preoperative data from proton-MR-spectroscopy (1HMRS), genomic alterations (epidermal growth growth factor receptor [EGFR] gene amplification) and histomorphometric data from glioblastomas.

Study Design: In surgical specimens from 18 patients with glioblastomas, the degree of amplification of the gene for EGFR was determined in the region with the largest Ki-67 proliferation index by differential polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlation between degree of EGFR gene amplification and choline and total creatine (CHO/TCR) ratio, indicating increased membrane turnover.

Variations of the ultrastructure of neuronal lipofuscin during childhood and adolescence in the human Ammon's horn.

The ultrastructure of lipofuscin (Lf) was studied in hippocampal and neocortical neurons of children and youngsters between 3 months and 24 years of age. As a standard, regions CA1 and CA4 of Ammon's horn and the gyrus centralis anterior of the left hemisphere were examined, and the ratio of the two components of Lf, the pigment part, and the usually droplet-like lipid part was looked at. Few and small granules with typical linear structures in the pigment part and little lipid droplets were found as early as at the age of 3 months in all brain regions.

Genetic, sex, and diet effects on body weight and obesity in the Berlin Fat Mouse Inbred lines.

Mouse lines long-term selected for high fatness offer the possibility to identify individual genes involved in the development of obesity. The Berlin Fat Mouse (BFM) line has been selected for low protein content and afterward for high fatness. Three Berlin Fat Mouse Inbred (BFMI) lines, which are derivates of the selection line BFM and an unselected control line (C57BL/6; B6) were systematically phenotyped between 3 and 20 wk.