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We examined body size, litter size and evidence for Bergmann's and Rensch's rules among eight closely related viviparous Phrynocephalus ( Agamidae) lineages from the Qinghai- Xizang ( Tibetan) Plateau. Mean snout-vent length and (relative) abdomen length was greater in females than males, whereas absolute and relative mean head size, fore - and hindlimb length was larger in males. These patterns suggest that body size may reflect sexual evolutionary conservatism. The lizards are smaller at higher elevations or in colder climates, representing the converse of Bergmann's rule. Absolute differences in female body size among taxa are not equal to the male differences among taxa. This results in a slope less than one when male size is regressed on female size, which allows rejection of Rensch's rule for this group. The female body size elevation-related cline was steeper than the corresponding male cline. Litter sizes were both smaller and less variable at higher elevations. These elevational clines remained after application of phylogenetic comparative methods, indicating that ecological processes play a more important role than phylogeny in shaping patterns of size and reproductive variation in these lizards. It is suggested that seasonal activity and temperature are important environmental factors that contribute to the converse Bergmann's cline, while fecundity selection in females and sex-specific differential-plasticity likely explain why patterns do not conform to Rensch's rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Grap2 and cyclin-D interacting protein (GCIP) is a putative tumour suppressor in human cancer. The aim was to investigate its prognostic significance in human breast carcinoma. Methods and results: Immunohistochemical analysis of breast carcinoma specimens from 107 female patients was performed. Decreased cytoplasmic expression of GCIP was detected in breast carcinomas compared with normal ductal epithelium ( P < 0.001). Higher GCIP scores were observed in patients with lower histological grade, mucinous carcinomas and better clinical outcome ( P < 0.05). Disease-free survival was significantly longer in patients with high GCIP scores than in those with low GCIP scores ( P = 0.010). However, GCIP expression was independent of the status of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Her-2/neu and cancer stage. Moreover, in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those with higher GCIP scores showed potentially more reduction of tumour size compared with those with lower GCIP scores (borderline significance, P = 0.053). Conclusions: The current data provide evidence that decreased expression of GCIP in vivo is present in human breast carcinoma and indicate that GCIP is a potential indicator of good prognosis. In patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it may also have predictive value for the chemotherapeutic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Psoriasis is common in childhood. The aim of this study was to present the clinical and epidemiological profile of childhood psoriasis in China. Methods A total of 277 childhood psoriasis patients younger than 16 years old were enrolled. Statistical analysis and heritability were performed using EPI INFO 6.0,spss 10.0 and Falconer's method. Results The median age was 11 years. The male : female ratio was 1 : 1.13. The median age of onset was 10 years. Of the patients, 48.7% had previous episodes of psoriasis. Of the 277 children with psoriasis, 68.6% had plaque-type psoriasis, 28.9% had guttate psoriasis, 1.1% presented pustular forms of psoriasis and 1.4% had erythroderma. The extensor surface of the extremities was the most frequently affected site in our patients, followed by the appearance of lesions on the scalp. A positive family history of psoriasis was found in 34.3% patients. The prevalence of psoriasis in first- and second-degree relatives was 7.0% and 1.0%, respectively. The heritability of psoriasis in first- and second-degree relatives was 72.67% and 55.18%, respectively. Conclusion Our epidemiologic studies offer the information about Han Chinese distribution, which provide clues to describe psoriasis in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follicular dendritic cell tumours are very rare neoplasms that often occur in lymph nodes. We report here a case in the colon, a hitherto unreported site, in a 37-year-old female. The differentiation from gastrointestinal stromal tumour is emphasized. The tumour was tan, elastic and solid with surface ulceration. Microscopically, it was composed of oval to spindle tumour cells with syncytial cytoplasm arranged in fascicular and whorled patterns. There were many infiltrating lymphocytes. The histological appearance resembled gastrointestinal stromal tumour, thymoma or meningioma. Distinct from the stromal tumour, the lymph node was also involved by the tumour. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells were positive for CD21, CD35 and CD68, but negative for cytokeratin, CD34, smooth muscle actin, desmin, S100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen, leukocyte common antigen, HMB-45 and c-kit. In-situ hybridization study was negative for Epstein–Barr virus RNA sequences. Ultrastructurally, the tumour cells possessed cytoplasmic processes joined by desmosomes. This entity should be considered in the list of differential diagnoses for gastrointestinal stromal tumour. The lymph node metastasis and immunohistochemical features are of value for identification of this rare neoplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution pattern of certain monosaccharides in the epithelial cells of the hamster buccal pouch was studied during carcinoma development induced by 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzathrancene (DMBA). An avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) immunohistochemical technique with high affinity biotinylated lectins was employed to identify monosaccharides. Lectins used in this experiment included Concanavalin A (Con A), for identifying mannose or glucose, Ricinus communis agglutinin I(RCA-I), for identifying galactose, and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I(UEA-I), for identifying fucose. The results show that in normal buccal pouch epithelial cells, fuctose or galactose were concentrated predominantly on the cellular membrane, while mannose and glucose were distributed in the cytoplasm. In the epithelial cells undergoing neoplastic transformation induced by DMBA, most cells showed decreased staining of the above-mentioned monosaccharides, while in other areas the cells were heavily stained. However, the most striking change which occurred was that galactose and fucose shifted from the cellular membrane to the intracytoplasmic area during the malignant transformation. Thus, the changes of anatomic location and intensity of staining of monosaccharides in the buccal pouch epithelium may be used as a criteria for early histochemical diagnosis of malignant transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a nuclear protein synthesized in the late G1 and S phase of the cell cycle which can be detected immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tissue as a useful marker for the proliferating fraction of cells in tissue specimens. Thirty-eight cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were studied in groups according to clinical staging and histological grading (UICC system), these included 5 cases of T1, 13 cases of T2, and 20 cases of T3, and 19 cases of Gl, 12 cases of G2, and 7 cases of G3. The mean percentage of PCNA positively stained tumor cells in this series was 29.2. The mean percentages of PCNA-positive cells in each stage and grade were: T1 (13.7%), T2 (24.4%), and T3 (34.3%); GI (30.5%), G2 (24.8%), and G3 (33.2%). The results indicate that the percentage of PCNA positively stained tumor cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma was significantly greater when tumor size was larger than 2 cm (T1 versus T2/T3). However, there was no significant difference between T2 and T3. There was no correlation between the number of PCNA- stained tumor cells and histological grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tie-2, angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), ephrin-B2 and Eph-B4 are all important vascular morphogenesis factors which exhibit their functions in angiogenesis and blood vessel remodeling in embryonic stage. However, their roles in post-natal inflammatory angiogenesis are still unclear. Pyogenic granuloma is a benign inflammatory lesion that mostly occurs on the gingiva of females with high levels of steroid hormones. Prominent capillary growth in hyperplastic granulation tissue is characteristic histopathologically in pyogenic granuloma. The purpose of this study was to detect and compare the expressions of Tie-2, Ang-1, Ang-2, ephrin-B2 and Eph-B4 among pyogenic granuloma on human gingiva, gingiva diagnosed with periodontitis and healthy gingiva by immunohistochemistry. The immunostaining revealed that all of the endothelial cells and some mesenchymal cells expressed Tie-2. The cells which expressed Ang-1 and Ang-2 were mainly macrophage- or monocyte-like mesenchymal cells and smooth muscle cells surrounding blood vessels. The expression of ephrin-B2 and Eph-B4 was not exclusively limited to the endothelial cells of arteries and veins, respectively, as in mice embryo. Eph-B4 was expressed in the endothelial cells of newly budding capillaries and venules while ephrin-B2 was expressed in macrophage-like mesenchymal cells. Some of the ephrin-B2 positive cells were in direct contact with endothelial cells. The statistical analysis demonstrated that all of the five factors were upregulated in pyogenic granuloma compared to healthy gingiva. In conclusion, the 5 polypeptides mentioned above may play important roles in the process of adult inflammatory neovascularization, especially in pyogenic granuloma. It is highly plausible that most of the new capillaries in inflammatory angiogenesis originated from venules instead of arterioles.

Sixty squamous cell carcinomas of tongue and buccal mucosa were examined for expression of p53 protein by using an immunohistochemical technique improved by an antigen retrieval method. Twenty-seven (45%) tumors demonstrated strongly positive staining. Thirteen of p53-positive tumors (48%) also exhibited overexpression of p53 in immediately adjoining hyperplastic or pre-malignant epithelium. All 22 metastatic lymph nodes and 18 local recurrent lesions (except two) had an identical p53 immunophenotype to their corresponding primary sites. Mitotic indices were significantly higher in p53-positive tumors (P < 0.01); however, no association of PCNA scores with p53 expression was found (P > 0.1). There was no correlation between p53 overexpression and tumor grade, size and staging, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, and early local recurrence. Overexpression of p53 was found to be relatively higher, although not statistically significant, in nonsmokers than in heavy smokers (66.7% vs. 42.9%), and in nonbetel-quid chewers than in heavy chewers (62.5% vs. 34.2%). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that inactivation of p53 protein may occur in the early phases of oral tumorigenesis. It may not be a useful prognostic marker but could possibly be used for risk assessment and surveillance of local recurrence.