Ethylene-regulation of fruit softening and softening-related genes in peach

To investigate the role of ethylene in peach fruit softening during ripening, stony hard peach fruit, in which ethylene production is suppressed during ripening, were treated with various concentrations of ethylene. There was no noticeable decrease in flesh firmness without ethylene treatment, while applied ethylene, in the range 0.1-100 microl l(-1), resulted in fruit softening. Furthermore, the fruit softened more rapidly when the applied ethylene concentration was higher. When ethylene treatment was interrupted, the degree of softening was greatly reduced. These results indicated that continuous ethylene treatment was required for the initiation and progression of fruit softening and that ethylene concentration is also an important factor in regulating the rate of softening. Eight genes, which putatively encode cell wall metabolism-related proteins, were investigated for mRNA accumulation patterns in the two different softening phenotypes of melting and stony hard peaches. All of the mRNAs investigated accumulated in fruit of the melting-flesh "Akatsuki" during ripening. By contrast, in the stony hard-flesh "Manami", the mRNAs for a putative endopolygalacturonase (PpPG), an alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase/beta-xylosidase (PpARF/XYL), and an expansin (PpExp3) showed either much lower levels or did not accumulate, and were identified as softening-related genes. Interruption of ethylene treatment indicated that these genes were regulated at the transcriptional level, and quickly responded to the presence or absence of ethylene before the softening response occurred, suggesting that ethylene directly regulates the transcription of these softening-related genes. These results suggested that cell wall metabolism, causing a rapid loss of firmness in peach fruit, may be controlled by ethylene at the transcriptional level.

Ethylene-regulation of fruit softening and softening-related genes in peach

To investigate the role of ethylene in peach fruit softening during ripening, stony hard peach fruit, in which ethylene production is suppressed during ripening, were treated with various concentrations of ethylene. There was no noticeable decrease in flesh firmness without ethylene treatment, while applied ethylene, in the range 0.1-100 microl l(-1), resulted in fruit softening. Furthermore, the fruit softened more rapidly when the applied ethylene concentration was higher. When ethylene treatment was interrupted, the degree of softening was greatly reduced. These results indicated that continuous ethylene treatment was required for the initiation and progression of fruit softening and that ethylene concentration is also an important factor in regulating the rate of softening. Eight genes, which putatively encode cell wall metabolism-related proteins, were investigated for mRNA accumulation patterns in the two different softening phenotypes of melting and stony hard peaches. All of the mRNAs investigated accumulated in fruit of the melting-flesh "Akatsuki" during ripening. By contrast, in the stony hard-flesh "Manami", the mRNAs for a putative endopolygalacturonase (PpPG), an alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase/beta-xylosidase (PpARF/XYL), and an expansin (PpExp3) showed either much lower levels or did not accumulate, and were identified as softening-related genes. Interruption of ethylene treatment indicated that these genes were regulated at the transcriptional level, and quickly responded to the presence or absence of ethylene before the softening response occurred, suggesting that ethylene directly regulates the transcription of these softening-related genes. These results suggested that cell wall metabolism, causing a rapid loss of firmness in peach fruit, may be controlled by ethylene at the transcriptional level.

Twin pregnancy consisting of 46, XY heterozygous complete mole coexisting with a live fetus

Complete hydatidiform mole and coexistent fetus (CMCF) is a rare occurrence and is associated with an increased risk of persistent gestational trophoblastic diseases. The aim of this study was to reveal a potential risk factor and to determine optimum management of CMCF cases. Molar tissues are cytogenetically divided into two types, homozygous and heterozygous. The molar tissue of our case showed a 46, XY heterozygous complete mole. Genomic DNA was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction using sets of unlabelled forward and Cy-5-labelled reverse primers for DNA marker loci. The patient developed persistent trophoblastic disease (PTD) with lung metastasis. Since 1980 there have been 13 reports (including our case) that cytogenetically revealed CMCF and clarified the clinical outcome. Nine of the 16 CMCF cases before 21 weeks of gestation and seven of the 12 CMCF cases after 22 weeks of gestation developed PTD. The incidence of PTD from CMCF was not related to the gestational age at termination or delivery. There were 10 case reports that analyzed the zygosity of a mole, heterozygous or homozygous. Two of six homozygous and three of four heterozygous moles in CMCF cases developed PTD. A heterozygous mole is thought to be a high risk factor for the incidence of PTD. Cytogenetic study is clinically useful for the optimum management of CMCF cases.

Establishment and characterization of a steroidogenic human granulosa-like tumor cell line, KGN, that expresses functional follicle-stimulating hormone receptor

We established a steroidogenic human ovarian granulosa-like tumor cell line, designated KGN, from a patient with invasive ovarian granulosa cell carcinoma. KGN had a relatively long population doubling time of about 46.4 h and had an abnormal karyotype of 45,XX, 7q-, -22. A steroid analysis of the cultured medium by RIA performed 5 yr after the initiation of culture showed that KGN was able to secrete pregnenolone and progesterone, and both dramatically increased after stimulation with (Bu)(2)cAMP. However, little or no secretion of 17alpha-hydroxylated steroids, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, or estradiol was observed. The aromatase activity of KGN was relatively high and was further stimulated by (Bu)(2)cAMP or FSH. These findings showed a pattern similar to that of steroidogenesis in human granulosa cells, thus allowing analysis of naturally occurring steroidogenesis in human granulosa cells. Fas-mediated apoptosis of KGN was also observed, which mimicked the physiological regulation of apoptosis in normal human granulosa cells. Based on these findings, this cell line is considered to be a very useful model for understanding the regulation of steroidogenesis, cell growth, and apoptosis in human granulosa cells.

Cellular characteristics of Arias-Stella reaction in ectopic pregnancy. Immunocytochemical studies with epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin

OBJECTIVE

Endometrial cytology in nine cases of ectopic pregnancy was examined in order to elucidate the cellular characteristics of the Arias-Stella reaction and decidual change.

STUDY DESIGN

The cellular findings of epithelial and stromal cells were compared with histologic findings in each case. Furthermore, the immunocytochemical reactivity of each type of cell cluster-epithelial cells without atypia, epithelial cells with atypia, deep stromal cells and sheetlike stromal cells-to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) or vimentin was investigated and compared with cytologic findings in smears stained with Papanicolaou stain.

RESULTS

The distribution of each type of cell cluster correlated fairly well with the histologic findings on the endometrium. Immunocytochemical examination revealed that EMA expression coincided with cell origin identified by Papanicolaou stain. Epithelial cells with atypia, probably corresponding to the Arias-Stella reaction, frequently showed positive reactivity to antivimentin antibody as well as anti-EMA antibody. Endometrial stromal cells usually indicated negative reactivity to anti-EMA antibody. Deep stromal cells expressed vimentin, but sheetlike stromal cells, thought to be decidual cells, infrequently expressed vimentin.

CONCLUSION

The Arias-Stella reaction may be the result of the regenerating and proliferating activity of endometrial glands. It is still controversial whether sheet-like stromal cells are identical to decidual cells.

[The follow-up of trophoblastic disease by using an hCG-CTP enzyme immunoassay]

In the management of a chorionic disease, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is the most reliable tumor marker. However, hCG has a low titer, so that it cannot be strictly distinguished from the human luteinizing hormone (hLH) by the traditional method that uses a hemagglutinin reaction (HAR) or by a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Recently, however, the detection of the beta-COOH-terminal peptide of hCG (hCG-CTP) by an enzyme immunoassay has made it possible to clearly distinguish hCG from hLH, and from April, 1987 to December, 1989, 13 trophoblastic diseases have been managed using this new technique. Results have shown that human chorionic gonadotropin-CTP, when compared to other methods of measurement, is the most sensitive tumor marker and as it is the most accurate, it should be used in careful follow-up observations of a chorionic disease.

Placental site trophoblastic tumor: immunohistochemical and nuclear DNA study

A rare case of placentae site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) studied by immunohistochemistry and nuclear DNA analysis is reported. The patient, a 24-year-old Japanese female, complained of amenorrhea. Dilatation and curettage revealed a small specimen that contained trophoblastic cells and caused intractable bleeding. Pelvic sonography revealed a 5-cm mass in the posterior uterine wall with multiple cystic lesions of several sizes. The cystic lesions were shown to be dilated vessels by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Serum beta-hCG (beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin) was 3.7 ng/ml. Total abdominal hysterectomy revealed a well-circumscribed, yellow, soft mass in the posterior uterine wall. Microscopic findings were consistent with PSTT and the mitotic count was extremely low. Immunohistochemically, most of the tumor cells were intensely stained with human placental lactogen, whereas few were stained with human chorionic gonadotropin. The nuclear DNA content of the trophoblastic cells showed a sharp peak at the triploid range coexistent with a few cells of higher ploidy. This is the first report of sonographic findings and nuclear DNA analysis by spot cytometry in a case of PSTT.

Cytologic, histologic, DNA ploidy and electron microscopic analyses of a case of vulvar Paget's disease

The cells in a case of multifocal vulvar Paget's disease were studied by cytology, histology, ploidy analysis and electron microscopy. The Paget cells in smears were seen in an isolated or a sheetlike arrangement. The cells had peripherally located nuclei, prominent nucleoli and unevenly distributed melanin granules of various sizes in their cytoplasms. The histologic sections contained multifocal microscopic lesions that were larger than the macroscopic lesion. Paget cells in the histologic sections demonstrated positive cytoplasmic staining with the periodic acid-Schiff, Alcian blue, mucin, glandular cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen reactions. The nuclear DNA histogram of the Paget cells in the cytologic smears showed a polyploid pattern, with a sharp peak at 4c; the cells in sheets had a ploidy level between 2c and 4c while a few of the isolated cells had a ploidy level that extended past 8c. Various nuclear DNA patterns were observed in the histologic samples; a recurrent lesion was later found in an area adjacent to the primary lesions that had higher ploidy levels. Ultrastructurally, the Paget cells contained lysosomes and tiny electron-dense secretory granules in their cytoplasms, suggestive of a glandular cell origin. These findings suggest that Paget cells may be derived from the secretory portion of sweat glands.

[Cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin combination chemotherapy in a stage IV pure endodermal sinus tumor of the ovary--a case report of a long-term survival]

Discussed is a case of a stage IV pure endodermal sinus tumor (EST) of the ovary that was treated with a PVB protocol following cytoreductive surgery. The serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) dosage before treatment was 83,546 ng/ml, and a complete clinical response was achieved with the disappearance of pleural effusions, ascites, and normalization of the serum AFP. A second-look laparotomy was substituted by serial AFP determinations and the patient remained free of disease for two years. Recently, complete remissions and long term survivals of patients with a stage I-II disease have been reported, though a prolonged or a complete remission of a stage IV EST of the ovary is still a rarity.

[A primary malignant lymphoma of the vulva--a case report]

Malignant lymphoma is a rare entity in the neoplasms of the female genital tract, and thus a case of malignant lymphoma of the vulva is reported in this paper. On admission, the patient, a 37-year-old, Japanese female, had complained of vulvar swelling and pain that had persisted for one month. Stage IV tumors were noted in the vulva and bladder and a histological diagnosis indicated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with diffuse, large cell and B cell types, according to the classification of the Lymphoma Study Group. The patient thus was treated with CH* OP therapy, which consisted of Cyclophosphamide, Aclarubicin Vincristine (Oncovin), and Prednine , and given brain irradiation. Unfortunately her condition has rapidly deteriorated during the 5 months since her admission.

Cytologic findings in endometrial hyperplasia

The cytologic findings in 15 endometrial hyperplasias were compared with those of normal endometrium and well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma. Differences in tumor diathesis, hypercellularity, uneven internuclear distance, severe piling up of nuclei, anisokaryosis, nuclear size and macronucleoli were the main cytologic findings that were noted among the three conditions. These features varied in the different types of endometrial hyperplasia. It is not clear that these cytologic findings can be used to cytologically diagnose endometrial hyperplasia because some of the findings involve subjective judgments by different cytologists. Further studies on larger series of cases will be necessary to establish the cytologic criteria for the correct interpretation of endometrial abnormalities.

Prophylactic chemotherapy for hydatidiform mole. Five to 15 years follow-up

The effectiveness of the prophylactic chemotherapy was evaluated in 420 patients with molar pregnancy. All patients were followed for 5 to 15 years after the evacuation. Twenty-two (7.5%) of 293 patients with prophylactic chemotherapy and 23 (18.1%) of 127 patients without prophylactic chemotherapy (control) developed secondary trophoblastic disease. The prophylactic chemotherapy could reduce the occurrence of secondary trophoblastic disease. In these secondary trophoblastic diseases, 5 (22.7%) of 22 patients in the prophylactic chemotherapy group and 5 (21.7%) of 23 in the control had metastatic trophoblastic disease. Choriocarcinoma after the molar pregnancy developed in two patients (0.7%) of the prophylactic chemotherapy group and two (1.6%) of the control. Prophylactic chemotherapy did not eliminate the occurrence of choriocarcinoma. The complication of the prophylactic chemotherapy was seen in 27.3% of the patients. Neither severe complication nor death were related to the toxicity.

Gestational trophoblastic disease in women aged 50 or more

Twenty cases of gestational trophoblastic disease in women aged 50 or more are reported. The lesions were 7 hydatidiform mole (35%), 8 invasive mole (40%), and 5 choriocarcinoma (25%). The most common presenting symptom was abnormal vaginal bleeding. Three choriocarcinoma patients were postmenopausal and all of them had choriocarcinoma. None of the patients with hydatidiform mole or invasive mole died of the disease, but 4 of 5 choriocarcinoma patients died of the disease. Because of the high rate (56.3%) of malignant sequelae after molar evacuation, a primary hysterectomy for the treatment of hydatidiform mole in this age group is recommended. It is important to maintain a high level of suspicion for the diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease in the elderly women.

A quantitative study of nuclear DNA of trophoblastic cells: proliferation kinetics

The nuclear DNA contents of labeled and unlabeled nuclei of trophoblastic cells of 8 normal pregnancies, 2 missed abortions, and 14 cases of trophoblastic diseases were measured by Feulgen-DNA cytofluorometry combined with autoradiography. Syncytiotroblasts were rarely labeled and were considered to be inactive with regard to cell proliferation. Most of the labeled cells were cytotrophoblasts. The predominantly labeled cells ranged between 2 and 4C in cases of normal pregnancy and missed abortion, and a shift to a higher ploidy was seen in the more grave trophoblastic disease. From the point of cellular proliferation kinetics of trophoblastic cells, it is presumed that the cells in cases of normal pregnancy and type I hydatidiform mole are in the 2C cell cycle and in type II hydatidiform mole and in invasive mole there are heterogeneous cell populations, most of which are in the 2C cell cycle while the remaining are undergoing polyploidization or aneuploidization. In choriocarcinoma, the cells are not in the 2C cell cycle and also are probably undergoing polyploidization or aneuploidization in the hyper-4C area.

A quantitative study of nuclear DNA of trophoblastic cells analysis of nuclear DNA distribution and clinical outcome of hydatidiform mole

Microspectrophotometric measurements of the nuclear DNA contents of Feulgen-stained trophoblastic cells were made in the cases of 54 normal pregnancies, 10 missed abortions, 118 hydatidiform moles, 11 invasive moles, and 9 choriocarcinomas. The position of the main peak and the range of nuclear DNA distribution correlated well with the severity of the trophoblastic disease. A statistically significant correlation was found between the position of the main peak and the occurrence of secondary trophoblastic disease from hydatidiform mole. Histological grading of hydatidiform mole did not show a good correlation with regard to the occurrence of secondary trophoblastic disease from hydatidiform mole.

Cytologic findings of ascites from patients with ovarian dysgerminoma

The cytomorphologic observations of ascites from three patients with ovarian dysgerminomas are presented. As compared with those in adenocarcinoma, the cytologic findings in this rare malignant ovarian tumor showed more cells lying isolated or in sheetlike arrangements, fewer cells with discrete cytoplasmic vacuoles, less frequent thickening of the nuclear membrane and more frequent multinucleolation.

Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix metastatic from primary stomach cancer. Cytologic findings in six cases

The cytologic features of six cases of stomach cancer metastatic to the uterine cervix are presented. Atypical cells were found in cytology samples from four patients. Fewer atypical cells, larger cellular and nuclear areas, more discrete vacuoles, increased frequencies of thickening of the nuclear membrane and more coarsely granular chromatin patterns were the characteristic cytologic findings of metastatic cervical adenocarcinoma as compared with primary endocervical adenocarcinoma.

[Immunochemotherapy of resectable lung cancer--a preliminary study on a comparison of the control, levamisole, and OK-432]

We conducted a prospectively controlled study of adjuvant immunochemotherapy for resectable lung cancer in 37 cases of the control group, in 34 cases of levamisole group and in 40 cases of OK-432 group. No significant difference was noted in patient characteristics of age, sex, histological type, stage, cure rate, etc. The survival rates were calculated by Kaplan and Meier method. Survival curves were measured by generalized Wilcoxon test and Cox-Mantel test. When the levamisole group and the control group were compared in terms of survival rate, a significant increase of survival curves of patients treated with levamisole was observed in surgicopathological stage III + IV and relative curative operation groups (p less than 0.05). The survival rate of levamisole group was higher than that of OK-432 group in patients of surgicopathological stage III and III + IV (p less than 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between OK-432 group and the control group, when in survival rates.

Analytical study of repair cells

To establish the differential diagnosis of repair cells from malignant cells, 624 repair cells from 11 cases, 547 cells derived from 8 adenocarcinomas and 593 cells from 8 squamous-cell carcinomas were analyzed, with stress on the morphology of the nucleoli. Such planimetric data as mean cellular areas, mean nuclear areas, mean nucleolar areas, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios and nucleolar-nuclear ratios were fairly similar among the three cell groups. However, the even distribution of nucleoli in the nuclei, the decrease in C-type nucleoli and nucleoli consistently linked with nucleolus-associated chromatin were noted to be reliable criteria for the diagnosis of repair cells along with such well-known morphologic characteristics as the sheetlike arrangement of repair cells, the lack of isolated forms, the finely granular chromatin pattern and the round, smooth nuclear configuration with a thin nuclear membrane.

[Over diagnosis of the biopsy: from the analysis of the extirpated uterus after radical hysterectomy (author's transl)]

From January, 1973 to December, 1980, 396 cases of cervical cancer were treated with radical hysterectomy under the diagnoses of stage Ib, IIa and IIb. Precise postoperative pathological examinations about the extirpated uterus revealed that 63 of them had only early invasive cancer or less advanced lesions though they had been considered as frank invasive cancer by preoperatively performed biopsies. The major causes of the misinterpretations were, 1) misjudging the glandular involvements as frank invasive lesions, or 2) misjudging the tangentially sectioned lesions of the bulky outgrowth as frank invasions. Furthermore, it is sometimes difficult to identify the invasive lesions in the biopsy specimens whether they are early invasive or frank invasive. Colposcopic and cytological examinations were simultaneously performed to each cases. Either cytology or colposcopy did not suggest frank invasions in 44.2% of cases. Both of them did not suggest frank invasions in 37.2% of cases. At least, cone biopsy should have been performed to identify the degree of invasions of these 37.2% cases. The authors emphasize that the directed biopsies are not always accurate to diagnose the early invasions, and one should use colposcopy, cytology and directed biopsy to make an accurate diagnosis.

[Histological grading of hydatidiform mole (author's transl)]

This study was performed to seek possibility of selecting the high risk group in the patients with hydatidiform mole at its delivery. The histologic specimens from 83 patients with hydatidiform mole were reviewed and classified by modified Hertig's grading. Lymphocyte count of peripheral blood was also studied as an immunological index. I. There were 36 Grade I cases, 16 Grade IIa, 23 Grade IIb, and 8 Grade III cases. Two subsequent destructive moles were found from the patients with Grade I, three from Grade IIb, and two from Grade III respectively. The incidence of developing subsequent destructive mole was 6% in Grade I, 8% in Grade II, and 25% in Grade III. II. There was no correlation between histological grading and patients age nor weeks in gestation. When the ratio of syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast was considered, most of Grade II or III cases were obtained from those in whom the cytotrophoblast prevailed over syncytiotrophoblast. III. The patients with lymphocyte less than 1500/mm3 in their peripheral blood were apt to take abnormal clinical course comparing to those with lymphocyte more than 1501/mm3. The more accurate prediction of clinical course was suggested by combination of histological grading and lymphocyte count.

Nuclear DNA content of trophoblastic tumors

The nuclear DNA content of trophoblasts was measured in 25 cases of normal pregnancy, 46 cases with hydatidiform mole, ten cases with destructive mole and six cases of chorionepithelioma (choriocarcinoma). In normal pregnancy, DNA distribution in syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts showed a sharp peak at the diploid region, although a few cytotrophoblasts with increased DNA content were observed in the first trimester. In chorionepithelioma the DNA content of the trophoblastic cells showed extremely wide distribution without any special peak. In destructive mole, although a wide distribution was observed, the sharp peak was usually noted at the diploid range. Cases with hydatidiform mole were divided into two categories according to the DNA distribution patterns. Type I showed the patterns similar to the first trimester of normal pregnancy and type II resembled the patterns of destructive mole. In hydatidiform mole of type II, subsequent progress towards destructive mole was frequently encountered.