Pulmonary cytopathology of former asbestos workers. Report of the first year

Five hundred fifty-four workers, 84% of whom are chronic cigarette smokers, have been examined during the past year with emphasis on the role of sputum cytopathology in the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer. Of the 554, 232 (42%) have shown squamous metaplasia, 44 (8%), mild to moderate atypias, 18 (3.2%), severe atypias, and two (0.4%), squamous carcinoma. Both of the carcinomas were in x-ray negative, cytopathology-positive elderly cigarette smokers. Ferruginous bodies have been found in the sputa of 187 (33%) workers. Ferruginous bodies in the sputum do not appear to be a marker for severe atypias; rather, their presence correlates best with duration and extent of industrial exposure to asbestos.     

Cerebrospinal fluid findings in asymptomatic patients with reactive serum fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption tests

It is common to examine the cerebrospinal fluid in untreated or inadequately treated asymptomatic patients with a reactive serum fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test before initiating antibiotic therapy for syphilis. This prospective study evaluated the usefulness of such examination. Four hundred thirty-two patients over 40 years old, reporting for annual physical examination, had a serum FTA-ABS test. Thirty-seven (8.6%) patients and 2 of 4 spouses were reactive repeatedly. Of the 39 patients with reactive tests, 7 had a history of penicillin therapy for syphilis, 5 had received heavy metal therapy, and 27 had no history of syphilis. These 39 patients had a neurological examination, serum VDRL, Treponema pallidum immobilization (TPI), and repeat FTA-ABS tests by two other laboratories. The TPI test was reactive in 30 (77%). Four had nonspecific neurological signs. Routine CSF examination (cells, total protein, VDRL, glucose, IgG%) on 30 patients with a history of inadequate treatment had a low diagnostic yield. Two patients had an unexplained total protein elevation (57 and 61 mg/dl) and 1 had a mildly increased IgG% (15%). All cell counts, VDRL tests, and glucose levels were normal. Agarose electrophoresis demonstrated one or more CSF immunoglobulin bands in 10 (36%) of 28 patients, possibly representing an immunological marker of past or latent central nervous system infection.     

Grain growth and secondary recrystallization in iron

The effect of impurities and of slight deformations as factors modifying the kinetics of normal grain growth after primary recrystallization in pure iron is investigated. Samples of pure iron and Armco iron, each with or without a content of precipitated oxides, were examined.Inclusions inhibit grain growth up to high temperatures, whilst the influence of strain depends on its amount: very low deformations (2%) generally block grain growth; for deformations around 5%, secondary recrystallization takes place; higher deformations (10%) accelerate the early stages of growth, leading to not very large final grain dimensions. 2.0% elongation has been found to be, in our conditions, the critical strain limit for secondary recrystallization.     

Oocyte donation: does a previous attempt affect a subsequent attempt?

Epidermal infiltration by neoplastic CD4+ T cells is a characteristic histologic feature of early stage mycosis fungoides, the most common type of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). The mechanisms involved in epidermotropism are unknown. It has been suggested that the CXC chemokines IL-8 and interferon-gamma inducible protein 10 (IP-10) may play a role, but evidence that these chemokines are produced within the epidermis in epidermotropic CTCL is lacking. In this study skin biopsies from 17 CTCL patients, including 12 mycosis fungoides, four pleomorphic CTCL, and one CD8+ CTCL, were investigated for epidermal IL-8 and IP-10 mRNA expression by RNA in situ hybridization. In addition, the expression of monokine induced by gamma-interferon (Mig) mRNA, a CXC chemokine closely related to IP-10, was studied as well. The expression of IL-8 receptors A and B (CXCR1 and CXCR2, respectively) was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The results were correlated with the number and phenotype of epidermotropic T cells. Epidermal expression of IP-10 and Mig mRNA was detected in 10 of 11 and seven of 11 epidermotropic CTCL, respectively, but not in five nonepidermotropic CTCL biopsies or normal human skin. Epidermal IP-10 and Mig mRNA expression correlated with epidermal infiltration of CD4+ T cells, but not of CD8+ T cells. IL-8 mRNA was demonstrated in the epidermis of only two of 15 CTCL biopsies, and was associated, in both cases, with accumulation of neutrophils. Consistently, immunostaining of the (intraepidermal) T cells with antibodies against CXCR1 and CXCR2 was not observed. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that IP-10, and to a lesser extent Mig, but not IL-8 is involved in the preferential infiltration of neoplastic CD4+ T cells in CTCL.