Macrophage size determinations in the diagnosis of tuberculous effusions

This study investigated the usefulness of macrophage size determinations in lymphocyte-rich pleural effusions to improve the cytologic diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. The size of pleural macrophages was analyzed by quantitative morphometric planimetry in 18 effusions due to tuberculosis, 21 effusions following radiotherapy for malignant disease and 10 effusions due to congestive heart failure. Macrophages were identified and clearly separated from mesothelial cells by latex phagocytosis and immunostaining with the monoclonal antibody My4 (CD14). The mean macrophage area (+/- standard deviation) in tuberculous effusions (92 +/- 14 sq micron) was significantly smaller than in postradiation (141 +/- 28 sq micron) and heart-failure effusions (154 +/- 22 sq micron) (P less than .0001). There was also a smaller ratio of mesothelial cells in tuberculous effusions (0.5 +/- 0.9%) in comparison with effusions following radiotherapy (4 +/- 5%) or congestive heart failure (10 +/- 12%). In summary, this study demonstrated some cytomorphologic parameters that may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of tuberculous effusions.     

The oxygen effect on transcription inhibition in yeast

No oxygen effect is found if X-ray-induced inhibition of ribosomal RNA synthesis in yeast is assessed immediately after exposure. A 20-h liquid holding period, however, leads to a differential recovery in diploid cells which is markedly greater after irradiation in nitrogen. Haploid yeast exhibits a much smaller recovery and does not show any significant difference between exposures in air or nitrogen.     

Analysis of adenomatous structures in histopathology

A new idea of structure analysis in histopathology based upon first-order and third-order structures is presented. Networks formed by single cells and by tubulopapillary formations in adenomatous tissue were analyzed. The algorithm applied is based on the neighborhood conditions defined by O'Callaghan, using graph theory procedures. Twenty cases each of healthy colon mucosa, tubulovillous adenomas and highly to moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas of colon plus ten cases of mesotheliomas and ten cases of adenocarcinomas metastatic to the pleura were analyzed. Statistically significant differences were found in the cyclomatic number of neighboring elements. Classification of specimens of colon mucosa using discriminant analysis yielded correct results in 85% of the 20 cases. All ten cases of metastatic adenocarcinoma and nine of the ten cases of mesothelioma were also correctly classified by the same procedure. A trial of prospective diagnostic assistance in routine histology based upon these cases gave correct classification of three mesotheliomas and of two adenocarcinomas. The procedures are now being used successfully in the routine diagnosis of pleural epithelial/biphasic mesothelioma and of pleuritis carcinomatosa.