Pathology and human immunodeficiency virus expression in placentas of seropositive women

The pathology of term placentas from seropositive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and seronegative women was investigated by routine histologic, immunocytochemical, and in situ hybridization techniques. Placentas were evaluated for evidence of villitis, chorioamnionitis, and funisitis. Membranes, trophoblast, and decidua were also examined by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal HIV p24 antibody. Twenty placentas were evaluated by combined immunochemical and in situ hybridization techniques, using a 35S-labeled RNA probe complementary to the 3' long terminal repeat and envelope region of HIV-1. HIV-seropositive placentas did not show significant villitis; however, the incidence of chorioamnionitis increased (P less than .01). HIV antigens and nucleic acids were identified in the trophoblast of 10% of the placentas that also showed chorionitis. Term HIV-positive placentas may show histologic changes that may or may not be directly related to the virus. Analysis of tissues from earlier gestational placentas may prove more informative in clarifying the mechanism of maternal-fetal HIV transmission.

Patterns of mRNA for epidermal growth factor receptor and keratin B-2 in normal cervical epithelium and in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

Patterns of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and keratin B-2 (KB2) mRNA localization were studied in samples of normal cervical squamous epithelium and in samples of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). 35S-Labeled EGFR and KB2 DNA probes were used for in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed tissue sections. Normal cervical squamous epithelium showed predominantly basal and parabasal expression of EGFR mRNA and suprabasal and midepithelial localization of KB2 mRNA. CIN lesions with moderate to severe dysplasia were generally characterized by continued expression of EGFR mRNA and decreased KB2 mRNA in midepithelial locations. Ratios of KB2 mRNA levels at the basal layer to KB2 mRNA levels at the midepithelial location were increased in moderate and severe dysplasia (CIN II and III) compared with normal epithelium (P less than .01). Ratios of EGFR mRNA levels at the midepithelial level to those of EGFR mRNA at the basal layer were increased in moderate to severe dysplasia compared with normal epithelium. These findings indicate a possible in vivo role of EGFR gene expression in normal and neoplastic proliferation and in prevention of differentiation of the cervical epithelium.

Ovarian adenocarcinomas express fms-complementary transcripts and fms antigen, often with coexpression of CSF-1

In earlier studies of oncogene expression in ovarian and endometrial neoplasms, the authors reported that high tumor levels of fms-complementary transcripts correlate with high histologic grade and advanced clinical stage presentations. In this communication, they pursue these initial clinicopathologic investigations to demonstrate by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry that malignant epithelial cells of 14 of 14 invasive adenocarcinomas of the ovary express fms-complementary transcripts. By Northern blotting and by reverse transcription, followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification, the authors also were able to demonstrate fms transcript expression in several ovarian and endometrial carcinoma-derived cell lines. Because about half (6/14) of the invasive adenocarcinoma specimens were shown to coexpress fms and colony-stimulating factor 1, the authors propose that the expression of this lymphohematopoietic cytokine and its receptor by ovarian adenocarcinomas could contribute to their proliferative and invasive characteristics in vivo.

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Evidence of Epstein-Barr virus infection and B-cell clonal selection without myc rearrangement

A case of lymphomatoid granulomatosis of lung that occurred in a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was studied by light microscope, electron microscope, cell surface markers, and Southern blot test. Clonal selection of two clones of B-cells was seen. Two clones were infected with Epstein-Barr virus. There was no c-myc rearrangement. Lymphomatoid granulomatosis in patients with AIDS may represent multiclonal selection of B-lymphocytes in association with Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Oncogene expression in vivo by ovarian adenocarcinomas and mixed-mullerian tumors

Six-micron paraffin sections of paraformaldehyde-fixed specimens of 24 ovarian benign and neoplastic specimens were assayed for tumor cell-specific oncogene expression by a sensitive, quantitative in situ hybridization technique with probes for 17 oncogenes, beta-actin, and E. coli beta-lactamase. In the benign, borderline, and invasive adenocarcinomas, multiple oncogenes, including neu, fes, fms, Ha-ras, trk, c-myc, fos, and PDGF-A chains, were expressed at significant levels relative to a housekeeping gene (beta-actin). In the mixed-Mullerian tumors, a rather different pattern of oncogene expression was observed, characterized primarily by expression of sis (PDGF-B chain). For the adenocarcinomas, statistical analysis demonstrated that expression of several genes (fms, neu, PDGF-A) was closely linked to others (c-fos, c-myc) known to have important roles in the control of cell proliferation, but only one gene, fms, correlated very strongly with clinicopathologic features (high FIGO histologic grade and high FIGO clinical stage) predictive of aggressive clinical behavior and poor outcome. The authors discuss the role that tumor epithelial cell expression of the fms gene product might play in the auto- and paracrine control of growth and dissemination of ovarian adenocarcinomas.

High level expression of fms proto-oncogene mRNA is observed in clinically aggressive human endometrial adenocarcinomas

Six micron paraffin sections of paraformaldehyde-fixed endometrial currettings of 21 benign and neoplastic endometrial specimens were assayed for tumor cell-specific oncogene expression by in situ hybridization with probes for six oncogenes, beta-actin, and the E. coli plasmid pBR322. In the benign hyperplasias and invasive adenocarcinomas, multiple oncogenes, including erbB, fms, c-myc, and Ki-ras were expressed at significant levels. For the adenocarcinomas, statistical analysis demonstrated that high levels of expression of fms-complementary mRNA correlated strongly with clinicopathologic features (high FIGO histologic grade, high FIGO clinical stage, deep myometrial penetration) predictive of aggressive clinical behavior and poor outcome. The authors discuss the role which M-CSF receptor (the fms gene product) and locally-produced M-CSF may play in the development of the observed aggressively-malignant phenotypes. They also propose that pre-hysterectomy assay of fms gene expression in endometrial currettings in FIGO Stage I patients might be clinically useful to help identify preoperatively those patients with deep myometrial penetration or other locoregional spread.

Estrogen and progestin receptors in an ovarian ependymoma

Ovarian neoplasms of the pure neuroectodermal type, although quite rare, have recently been described. Lesions of similar histology in the central nervous system have previously been shown to contain estrogen and progestin receptors. A patient with a pure ovarian ependymoma is presented. The tissue was rich in estrogen and progestin receptor protein, containing 17 femtomoles of estrogen receptor per milligram cytosol protein and 80 femtomoles of progestin receptor per milligram cytosol protein. The case is used to illustrate the possible influence of hormonal manipulation in the management of this rare gynecologic neoplasm.

Comparative virulence and immunogenicity of the Towne strain and a nonattenuated strain of cytomegalovirus

The Towne strain cytomegalovirus and a low-passage strain, Toledo-1, were compared for virulence and immunogenicity in healthy adult male subjects to determine the suitability of the Towne strain for vaccination. Five seropositive subjects who received the Toledo-1 strain developed infections ranging in severity from laboratory abnormalities to mild mononucleosis syndromes (mean incubation, 4.7 weeks). None of the four seronegative subjects receiving the Towne strain developed systemic infection, but all developed delayed local reactions at the injection sites. All subjects developed cytotoxic lymphocyte responses specific to cytomegalovirus, usually HLA-restricted, but these were of greater magnitude and duration in the Toledo-1 recipients. The latter also developed natural killer cell and interferon responses, atypical lymphocytosis, inversion of helper/suppressor cell ratios, and depressed responses to T-cell mitogens, none of which occurred in Towne strain recipients. The results further substantiate the avirulence and immunogenicity of the Towne strain cytomegalovirus.

Detection of B cell antibodies in renal transplant recipients

A retrospective study for the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies was performed on sera collected from 119 kidney graft recipients. Sera that had been collected on days 12 to 19 post-transplant were tested for cytotoxic reactions against a panel of human peripheral blood lymphocytes from 60 unrelated donors and 37 to 47 cultured human lymphoid cell lines (LCL). Forty-nine sera were negative against peripheral blood lymphocytes but contained cytotoxic antibody against cells on the LCL panel. Several sera were tested on E rosette-purified peripheral blood lymphocyte B cells and T cells from five donors whose LCL had also been tested. LCL appeared to be more sensitive to cytotoxic reactions than their B cell counterparts and may identify additional specificities which may not be related to the B cell alloantigenic system. Mixed lymphocyte culture blocking experiments were carried out against all combinations of these five cells. Some sera showed reactions of identity for B cells and LCL, and blocked the appropriate stimulator cells in mixed lymphocyte culture. Two sera that were positive for LCL but negative for B cell blocked only responder cells in the mixed lymphocyte culture.