Conventional Microscopy (conventional + microscopy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


A Micro/Nanoscale Surface Mechanical Study on Morpho-Functional Changes in Multilineage-Differentiated Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE, Issue 5 2007
Serena Danti
Abstract In recent years MSCs have become a very attractive tool in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because of their ability to be committed along several lineages through chemical or physical stimuli. Nevertheless their therapeutic potential and plasticity are not yet totally understood. This report describes the use of AFM together with conventional microscopies to obtain mechanical information on cell surfaces and deposited extra cellular matrix molecules, after inducing the differentiation of human MSCs towards three typical mesoderm phenotypes. The aim is to correlate morphological, functional, and mechanical aspects of human MSCs to obtain a deeper understanding of their great potential. [source]


Detailed examination of lymph nodes improves prognostication in colorectal cancer

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 11 2010
Fania S. Doekhie
Abstract Up to 30% of stage II patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer (CRC) will develop disease recurrence. We evaluated whether examination of lymph nodes by multilevel sectioning and immunohistochemical staining can improve prognostication. Lymph nodes (n = 780) from 36 CRC patients who had developed disease recurrence (cases) and 72 patients who showed no recurrence of disease for at least 5 years (controls) were analyzed. Sections of 4 levels at 200-,m interval were immunohistochemically stained for cytokeratin expression. The first level was analyzed by conventional and automated microscopy, and the 3 following levels were analyzed by automated microscopy for the presence of tumor cells. Overall, cases showed more micrometastases (3 patients) than controls (1 patient). Analysis of a second level led to the additional detection of 1 patient with micrometastases (case) and 1 patient with macrometastasis (case). Examining more levels only led to additional isolated tumor cells, which were equally divided between cases and controls. Likewise, automated microscopy resulted only in detection of additional isolated tumor cells when compared with conventional microscopy. In multivariate analysis, micrometastases [odds ratio (OR) 26.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9,364.8, p = 0.015], T4 stage (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.4,16.7, p = 0.013) and number of lymph nodes (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8,1.0, p = 0.028) were independent predictors for disease recurrence. Lymph node analysis of 2 levels and immunohistochemical staining add to the detection of macrometastases and micrometastases in CRC. Micrometastases were found to be an independent predictor of disease recurrence. Isolated tumor cells were of no prognostic significance. [source]


Hydroxyethyl starch-induced itch: Relevance of light microscopic analysis of semi-thin sections and electron microscopy

JOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 3 2007
Stefanie Kamann
Summary Background: Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is widely used as a plasma substitute for improving microcirculation. A major side effect of HES is severe pruritus caused by HES deposits in the skin. Since specific changes are difficult to see in paraffin sections, electron microscopy is the golden standard technique in the diagnosis of HES-induced skin disease. Our aim was to compare electron microscopic search for HES deposits with other techniques. Patients and Methods: During the last ten years, we biopsied 21 patients suspected of having HES-induced pruritus. We compared conventional microscopy with hematoxylin & eosin and toluidine blue-stained paraffin sections, toluidine blue-stained glycide ether-embedded, semithin sections and transmission electron microscopy. Results: In 9 patients specific HES deposits could be found by evaluating toluidine blue stained semithin sections by light microscopy alone. In 6 of these cases electron microscopy was also done and confirmed the findings. In contrast, no specific findings due to HES deposits could be detected by conventional histology. Conclusions: If specific HES deposits are found in toluidine blue-stained, glycide ether-embedded semithin sections, electron microscopy is not required. [source]


Cardiovascular disease in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease is associated with up-regulation of markers of inflammation in cardiac microvessels and cardiomyocytes

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 3 2010
Cecilia Grundtman
Objective Various inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) are associated with increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate heart biopsy specimens obtained from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and compare markers of inflammation and endothelial cell activation in the cardiac and skeletal muscle of patients with and those without IRD. Methods Paired biopsy specimens of cardiac and skeletal muscle were obtained from 22 consecutive patients with IRD and 8 patients without IRD, all of whom were undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The biopsy specimens were evaluated in a blinded manner by conventional microscopy and digital image analysis for cell markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD68, CD163, and CD31), HLA (HLA,ABC, HLA,DR, and HLA,DQ), adhesion molecules (intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1), and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1,, interleukin-1,, and tumor necrosis factor). Results Patients with IRD had significantly higher expression of adhesion molecules, proinflammatory cytokines, and all classes of HLA on cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells but no increase on mononuclear cells in the myocardium compared with patients without IRD. Furthermore, cardiac muscle from patients with IRD displayed significantly higher local expression of inflammation and activation of cardiac microvessels compared with skeletal muscle from the same patients. Conclusion Patients with cardiovascular disease had increased expression of adhesion molecules, HLA, and proinflammatory cytokines in heart tissue, indicating local inflammation involving microvessels and cardiomyocytes that could play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The more pronounced changes in patients with IRD compared with patients without IRD might contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death in patients with IRD. [source]