Giardiasis: analysis of histological changes in biopsy specimens of 80 patients

Article Abstract:

Giardiasis is an infection caused by the flagellated, protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia). Although it is probably the most common intestinal parasite, illness caused by G. lamblia may present with or without definite symptoms. No clinical or laboratory tests are contributory to the diagnosis. Instead, diagnosis of G. lamblia infection is confirmed by visual demonstration of the trophozoites in fecal or duodenal specimens. In infected individuals, several duodenal tissue changes have been demonstrated histologically, but the variability and small number of cases studied make broadly applicable infection criteria and characteristics difficult to assign. To provide more information about histological changes, duodenal biopsy tissue from 80 patients diagnosed with G. lamblia infection between 1986 and 1988 was examined. Duodenal biopsy specimens were also obtained from 80 randomly selected patients and used as controls. Tissue sections were routinely stained with hematoxylin and eosin. If additional clarification was required, sections were stained with Giemsa stain. Morphologically the parasite is teardrop-shaped, has two large nuclei, four pairs of flagella and a ventral disc. Examination of the stained slides revealed light colonization by Giardia trophozoites in 25 percent of the infected patients, intermediate colonization in 41 percent, and heavy colonization in 34 percent. In 76 percent of the positive cases, the parasite was identified in all of the duodenal biopsy specimens. The findings also showed that the parasites are homogeneously distributed throughout the duodenal tissue. Structural and cellular changes did not appear to vary significantly or specifically between the cases of G. lamblia and the controls. Despite the lack of histological changes, infection may be easily diagnosed by examining duodenal biopsy specimens for G. lamblia. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Diagnosis, Identification and classification, Giardia, Biopsy, Giardia lamblia, Giardiasis, Duodenum

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Prognostic value of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in gastric carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Gastric carcinoma (cancer of the stomach) is a commonly occurring cancer with a low survival rate. A molecule associated with gastric carcinoma, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), can be used as an indicator of patient survival. The presence of this molecule is detected on biopsied cancerous tissue using an antibody molecule, which specifically reacts with PCNA. Tumor tissue samples taken during gastrectomy (stomach surgery) from 93 patients with gastric carcinoma were evaluated. Analysis revealed that the level of reactivity with the PCNA molecules did not correlate with other established criteria, such as tumor stage and the presence of metastasized tumor cells (cancer cells that originate from another location) in the lymph nodes. However, the level of PCNA correlated with how fast the tumor cells were dividing and the survival of the patients. Patients with tumors with low levels of PCNA had a greater rates of survival compared with patients with tumors with high levels of PCNA. It is concluded that the measurement of PCNA levels can be used as a prognostic indicator of gastric carcinomas. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Prognosis, Stomach cancer, Tumor antigens

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Review: assessment of cell proliferation in histological material

Article Abstract:

Current ideas regarding cellular proliferation and its regulation, and the advantages and disadvantages of histological techniques and detection methods are reviewed. Methods for the assessment of cellular proliferation are described, including: (1) mitoses; (2) DNA content, including tritiated thymidine labelling, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, and flow cytometry; (3) immunohistochemical methods; and (4) identification of nuclear organizer regions. The questions of quantitation and its assessment are addressed. The importance of being able to distinguish the rate of cellular proliferation from the state of cellular proliferation is discussed. Suggestions for additional required investigations are offered. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Cell proliferation

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