Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology最新文献

Pericardial cysts (PCs) or pleuropericardial cysts are rare congenital mediastinal lesions with an approximate incidence of one in 100 000 persons. Usually, they are asymptomatic, being incidentally discovered during a routine chest imaging examination or an autopsy exam. The study involved a retrospective evaluation of clinicopathological findings in a 6-year series of PCs, treated in the Clinic of Pulmonary Diseases, Iaşi, Romania. A group of five cases of PCs, four females and one male, were evaluated. All patients displayed different symptoms, such as dyspnea, chest pain, chronic cough, fatigue, palpitation, and epigastric pain. The cystic lesions were located in the right and left cardiophrenic angle, in four cases, and in the central mediastinum in a single case. The lesions had a fluid content and a maximum diameter that ranged between 35 and 95 mm. The microscopic examination of the surgical resection tissues revealed a thin connective tissue wall without any associated smooth muscle cells. The loose connective tissue band was lined by a layer of mesothelial cells with no cellular atypia, which displayed discrete papillary projections, in one case. Although PCs are rare incidental findings, they should be considered in differential diagnoses of mediastinal cysts, especially as they are associated with non-specific symptoms. Furthermore, considering the possibility of development of severe complications, PCs should be thoroughly explored for suitable patients' management.

Nowadays, the state-of-the-art discoveries in the field of delivery systems for therapeutic purposes have redefined the importance of biocompatible and biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanocomposites. The study aimed to obtain a biocomposite material, with improved properties of its constituents [zinc-boron (Zn-B) complex and PLGA], by a simple, cost-effective method. The water∕oil∕water double emulsion technique allowed the adjustment of the synthesis parameters, to maximize the degree of Zn-B complex encapsulation. The morphological aspects of the samples were established by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size distribution was determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Morphology was typical for PLGA, spherical one. Depending on the synthesis conditions, the obtained particles have diameters between 10-450 nm. Zeta potential (ZP) showed that the particles have electronegative surface charge, offering a favorable perspective on aggregation, flocculation, and dispersion phenomena. It was observed, applying the design of experiments, that the particles size increased with increasing amounts of PLGA and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), while ZP increased with higher PLGA and smaller PVA amounts in the formulation. The encapsulation efficiency was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography∕mass spectrometry (UHPLC∕MS). The in vitro assessment was performed using Vero CCL-81 epithelial cell line and the 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. Zn-B-PLGA biocomposite has promising characteristics and can be used for future biomedical applications.

This review article aimed to postulate the existence of a specific arterial injury having as its histological hallmark a collection of macrophages loaded with lipids in the intima of small-sized and medium-sized arteries causing narrowing or complete obstruction. The proposal is made that a series of previously described entities, such as ionizing radiation arteriopathy, acute atherosis (foam-cell decidual arteriopathy), transplant chronic arteriopathy of solid organ allografts, and intratumoral-associated foam-cell arteriopathy constitute different manifestations of the same basic morphological process identified as obliterative foam-cell arteriopathy (OFCA). OFCA is a local (single-organ) lesion in the aforementioned diverse processes with variable etiopathogenesis but converges in a single morphological marker. This arteriopathy is essentially an intimal disease. The processes in which the OFCA appears are known under a variety of names partly dependent on the location of the lesion. The basic unifying mechanism of the different entities is endothelial activation and dysfunction (local arterial endotheliopathy), preferably in small-sized or medium-sized arteries (100 to 500 μm in external diameter).

Currently, worldwide, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, is capsizing the medical system and turning the attention of the entire healthcare system through the many aspects it presents, both from a pathophysiological and from a semiological view, insufficiently studied aspects. With a high rate of morbidity and mortality, the COVID-19 pandemic was initially observed as a pathology leading to a severe acute respiratory syndrome, but over time gastrointestinal and hepatic manifestations have been reported. The study includes an analysis of 21 patients in the stage of the clinical disease of COVID-19 or in the stage of recovery, hospitalized in the Departments of General Surgery II or Gastroenterology, Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Craiova, Romania, with predominantly digestive symptoms, with the clinical expression of infectious enterocolitis, although stool culture was negative for pathogenic bacteria. The evolution of patients was influenced by the appearance of peritonitis through colonic necrosis or remission of clinical symptoms under empirical therapy.

A member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, the heparin-binding EGF (HB-EGF) is expressed in the uteri of both humans and mice during the implantation process. To study the effects of HB-EGF on adhesion stage, we developed an in vitro implantation model employing Ishikawa cell line and JAR cell line, which may attach to Ishikawa cells. For 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours, co-cultures of JAR spheroids grown on Ishikawa monolayers were treated with 1, 10, and 100 ng∕mL doses of HB-EGF. Using immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis, the effects of HB-EGF on the protein expressions of E-cadherin, Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4 (ErbB4), and integrin ανβ3 in Ishikawa and JAR cells were examined semi-quantitatively and quantitatively. Ultrastructural changes of in vitro implantation model were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. We revealed that HB-EGF influenced trophoblast cell adhesion to endometrial cells by upregulating the expression of the proteins ErbB4 and trophoblastic integrin ανβ3. Decrease in trophoblastic E-cadherin expression and increase in endometrial E-cadherin expression were demonstrated accompanying morphological variations in cells required for the invasion. We discovered ultrastructurally that Ishikawa cells acquired uterodome-like appearance, including the organelles, when 10 and 100 ng∕mL dosages of HB-EGF were administered for 12 and 24 hours. However, following additional hours of adhesion and invasion, their intercellular spaces enlarged. The trafficking of vesicular transport was enhanced by JAR spheroids. We therefore discovered that in this implantation paradigm, HB-EGF may enhance the receptivity of Ishikawa cells and the adherence of JAR cells.

Incidental prostate carcinoma (iPC) is a subject of debate concerning its definition, incidence, biology, diagnosis, staging, and treatment. The present study aimed to assess the incidence and main clinical-morphological characteristics of iPC identified in radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP) specimens over a 5-year period. Using the database of the Urology and Pathology Departments, we identified all patients with bladder carcinomas (BCs) who underwent RCP within a 5-year frame time. We selected only those patients with synchronous BC and prostate carcinoma (PC). The following parameters were analyzed for these patients: age, type of bladder and prostate tumor, degree of differentiation, pathological stage, and other prognostic parameters. We identified 91 men with bladder tumors treated by RCP among whom 43, aged between 53 and 84 years (mean age: 69.2 years), presented synchronous PC. iPC was more prevalent in older individuals (>65 years: 30 patients, 69.8%), with only six out of the 43 (12.8%) patients with iPC being aged ≤60 years. All iPC cases were conventional adenocarcinoma. Well-differentiated prostate adenocarcinomas (grade group 1) predominated (65.1%). Among the 43 iPCs, 16 (37.2%) were clinically significant PCs. iPC is frequently identified in patients with BC when inclusion and evaluation of all or most of the prostate tissue are performed. Although more than half of iPCs were well-differentiated tumors confined to the prostate, a significant number of cases met the criteria of clinically significant PC. All men over the age of 50 who are candidates for RCP, should undergo evaluation through serum prostate specific antigen determination.

Background: Meningiomas are the most common primary neoplasms of the central nervous system in adults, arising from the arachnoid cap cells. Thus, grade 2 meningiomas are situated on the border between benignity and malignancy. Among the many prognostic factors that have been investigated in these tumors, bone invasion is one of them.

Objective: The aim of our study was to identify whether bone invasion influences tumor recurrence and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with atypical meningiomas (AMs).

Patients, materials and methods: Out of 81 patients with AMs followed over a period of five years, we identified nine patients with bone invasion. We analyzed their demographic, clinical, imaging, and pathological characteristics, such as age, gender, radiological aspects, morphological features, extent of resection, recurrence rate, and PFS over a follow-up period of 60 months. Bone invasion was determined based on preoperative, surgical, and pathological reports.

Results: Out of the nine patients with bone invasion, four had convexity meningiomas, four had parasagittal meningiomas and one had a falcine meningioma. Regarding tumor recurrence∕progression, most patients (n=6) recurred within the first 24 months after surgery. Our study showed that the early recurrence/progression of tumor (at 12 months) correlated with extensive presence of malignancy criteria, especially with the presence of 15-18 mitoses∕10 high-power fields, as well as with large foci of spontaneous necrosis, but also with tumor bone infiltration, extensive bone lamellae destruction, and tumor infiltration of adjacent muscle with its atrophy due to tumor compression. Patients with bone invasion had a PFS of 29.3 months, compared to patients without invasion who had a higher PFS (49.3 months). Significant statistical associations were observed between bone invasion and tumor recurrence (p=0.002) and PFS (p=0.004).

Conclusions: Our study emphasizes the importance of a thorough histopathological examination of the surgical specimen, which can provide significant data for the assessment of the progression of an AM [World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2] with bone invasion. AM infiltration in adjacent bone and muscle increases the rate of tumor recurrence and decreases PFS over a follow-up period of 60 months.

Background and objectives: The purpose of our study was to obtain and characterize carrier systems in different sizes that can affect oral absorption, since the mechanisms of liposome absorption are not yet fully understood. From stomach to the small intestine, liposomes can be gradually destroyed. Understanding the factors that affect oral absorption leads to developing safe and effective nanosystems to improve the oral delivery of therapeutics.

Materials and methods: We determined the efficiency of the absorption of small and large liposomes at the level of gingival mucosa, heart, liver, testicles, kidneys, and lungs, using frozen-section fluorescence microscopy, on rat tissues after liposomes administration. A number of 36 male rats were divided in four groups: control groups, A and C, consisted of six rats each and did not receive liposomes; two other groups, B and D, were the experimental ones, and consisted of 12 male rats each. The animals received small liposomes (75-76 nm) and large liposomes (80-87 nm), respectively, administered either by endogastric tube or intraperitoneal injection. After 24 hours, the animals were sacrificed, and we harvested the organs. We performed frozen sections and analyzed them with fluorescence microscopy.

Results: The frozen sections obtained from all organs revealed a higher absorption level of small liposomes in the testicles, liver, and gum, while the large liposomes had a greater affinity for the liver, with variations dependent on the route of administration.

Conclusions: Frozen-section fluorescence microscopy is a reliable technique for visualization of liposome absorption. Based on the size of these nanosystems, we revealed significant absorption for small liposomes in testicles, liver, heart, and gum, and for large liposomes mainly in the liver, compared with the control groups. The study advocates for the usage of liposomes for medical purposes, based on their absorption proprieties.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) represents a type of cancer that usually arises on the skin and very rarely in other organs. KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) commonly arises in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Laryngeal involvement of KS is very rare. Our study comprised of three cases with laryngeal KS. All cases were solved through surgical excision of the tumor. Histopathological and immunohistochemistry examinations revealed laryngeal KS. Laryngeal KS should be managed through surgical resection, followed by oncological treatment.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare mesenchymal tumor that is quite aggressive and prone to recurrence and metastasis. Most SFTs are benign, but the identification of the histological features that define the dedifferentiation of SFTs can predict the aggressiveness of the tumor and the presence of a reserved prognosis. We present a rare case of conventional SFTs with features of malignancy and highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties related to this case. Computed tomography aspect suggested a possible gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Surgical intervention was performed through median laparotomy and a tumor of approximately 15∕12 cm was found, developed from the level of the right retroperitoneal space, and pushing anteriorly the ascending colon, cecum, and terminal ileum. The immunohistochemical aspect correlated with the histopathological one suggests a SFT most likely malignant. In conclusion, the early diagnosis of SFTs is essential in establishing an appropriate treatment. Immunohistochemistry is indispensable in establishing the diagnosis of SFTs.