To clarify the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia with giant follicles (RHGF) among Japanese, 14 patients were studied. The subjects consisted of 9 ...males and 5 females, ranging in age from 9 to 61 years, with a mean age of 30 years and a median age of 24 years. None of the patients exhibited systemic symptoms. The affected lymph nodes were located in the head and neck area except in 1 case. At the time of lymph node biopsy, 1 patient was diagnosed as having acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) and 2 patients had a recent history of acute IM. One each with myelogenous leukemia or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma had a history of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. There were no recurrences during follow-up periods ranging from 3 to 50 months. Histologically, 14 lesions were characterized by numerous enlarged, coalescing lymphoid follicles with distortion rather than effacement of the lymph node architecture. By in situ hybridization, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genomes were demonstrated in 5 (36%) of 14 cases. The present study indicates that a portion of RHGF appears to represent a histologic finding of acute IM. Moreover, as previously stated, RHGF should be differentiated from follicular lymphoma, particularly the floral variant.
Among systemic rheumatic diseases (SRDs), lymphadenopathy is frequently found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated ...lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs) may occur in patients following methotrexate therapy for RA and dermatomyositis (DM). However, little is known about the distribution of EBV in reactive LPDs in patients with SRDs who had no history of methotrexate therapy. We analyzed 49 such patients (SLE=25, RA=23, DM=1) for the presence and distribution of EBV+ cells using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNA (EBER) specific in situ hybridization. A positive signal for EBERs was identified in 9 (SLE=5, RA=4) (18%) of 49 cases, and 3 main distribution patterns of EBER+ cells could be delineated: pattern A, more than 500 EBER-positive cells were located in the germinal centers as well as interfollicular area (SLE=2); pattern B, EBER + cells were located in a few germinal centers (RA=2); and pattern C, up to 100 EBER+ cells were located in the interfollicular area (SLE=3, RA=2). Recent EBV infection may be a cause of lymph node lesion in only 2 cases of patients with pattern A. However, the pathognomonic significance of pattern B and pattern C EBER+ cell distribution patterns still remains unclear. Our study indicates that the underlying immune deficits of patients with SRDs may also play an important role in the development of EBV-associated LPDs in SRDs, as previously suggested by several authors.
There are a few reports on the treatment of nonunited tibial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) avulsion fractures. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of nonunited tibial ACL avulsion ...fracture 30 years after injury. A 36-year-old woman injured her knee during a road traffic accident 30 years ago. Since then, she had persistent knee instability that was left untreated. She presented to our clinic because of knee pain she had been experiencing for a week. Radiography and computed tomography revealed tibial ACL avulsion fracture nonunions. Screw fixation with arthroscopy was performed, and bone fusion was obtained. The knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score improved from 24 points preoperatively to 83 points postoperatively. The nonunion of intercondylar eminence fractures of the tibia, even up to 30 years after the initial injury, can be treated by osteosynthesis with arthroscopy.
Histologically, the marginal zone pattern of the lymph node is characterized by lymphoid follicles with three distinct layers. The inner layer is composed of follicular center zones, the middle layer ...of darkly stained mantle zones, and the outer layer of marginal zones. However, the marginal zone pattern is rarely seen in reactive lymph nodes except for mesenteric lymph nodes. We describe the clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical and genotypic findings of six cases of reactive follicular hyperplasia exhibiting the marginal zone pattern. The patients comprised three males and three females (age range 24 to 63 years; medium 56 years). Follow‐up data were obtained from five patients. None of them developed malignant lymphomas during the follow‐up period of from 5 to 204 months (median 68 months). Histologically, the lesion was characterized by numerous lymphoid follicles and partial distortion of lymph node structure. Varying degrees of progressive transformation of the germinal center (PTGC) were noted in the four cases. The marginal zone pattern was observed in some or most of the lymphoid follicles including PTGC. The marginal zone B cells were small to medium‐sized lymphocytes with round or slightly indented nuclei and a broad rim of pale cytoplasm. Some of them had a monocytoid appearance. They were CD20+, CD79a+, sIgM+/−, sIgD−, CD5−, CD10−, CD21−, CD23−, CD43−, CD45RO−, Bcl‐6−, cyclin D1−, EMA− and p53−. A portion of them were Bcl‐2 positive. Occasional large lymphoid cells with round or indented nuclei and moderate amounts of cytoplasm were observed in the marginal zone in four cases. These large lymphoid cells were usually CD20 positive, but Bcl‐6 negative. A small number of them contained polytypic intracytoplasmic immunoglobulins. The polytypic nature of B lymphocytes was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction. Recognition of unusual marginal zone hyperplasia in reactive lymph node lesions is important to avoid confusion with nodal involvement in various low‐grade B cell lymphomas presenting a marginal zone distribution pattern.
We investigated the relationships among Factor VII coagulant activity (FVIIc), genetic polymorphisms of Factor VII (FVII) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in 380 unrelated Japanese individuals (mean ...64 years) who underwent coronary angiography and whose cholesterol levels were within normal range. CAD subjects were defined as those in whom one of the three major coronary arteries showed >50% narrowing after nitroglycerin administration. FVIIc was measured and the following polymorphisms of FVII were determined: R353Q polymorphism (M1, M2 alleles), −323 0/10 bp polymorphism (0, 10 alleles), hypervariable region 4 of intron 7 (HVR4; H5, H6, H7 alleles). FVIIc was slightly lower in M1M2/M2M2 than M1M1 (89.5±8.9%, 93.4±17.8%). Those with M2 and/or 10 allele have less chance of developing CAD (M2: OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.18–0.69, 10: OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.26–0.97). However, both alleles did not associate with myocardial infarction (MI). HVR4 was unrelated with CAD, nor with MI. In conclusion, M2 and/or 10 allele has protective effects on the developing CAD in individuals with a normal cholesterol level.
Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression in the rabbit retina was evaluated in the ischemia-reperfusion model. Ischemia was induced by increasing the pressure in the anterior chamber, and the retinas ...were collected 1 or 12 h after reperfusion. HSP70 expression was examined by Western blot, confocal laser scanning microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. Western blot showed that HSP70 was significantly increased in the retina 12 h after reperfusion, compared with normal control or 1 h after reperfusion. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that HSP70 was constitutive in Müller cells and that its expression was increased 12 h after reperfusion. Electron microscopy showed that glycogen-like granules were significantly decreased with prominent endoplasmic reticulum 1 h after reperfusion. Twelve hours after reperfusion, however, the density of glycogen-like granules was restored, and immunoelectron microscopy indicated that HSP70 was associated with the organelles of the Müller cells. Taken together, these data suggest that HSP70 in Müller cells plays a role in accommodation to stress.
