Histological Features

The characteristic pathological feature of HP is the presence of poorly formed bronchiolocentric granulomas with an interstitial pneumonitis mostly composed of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophages (80) (Fig. 5A, B). However, in HP provoked by NTM, exuberant non-necrotizing well-formed granulomas are usually found (81). 

A number of bronchiolar alterations have been described including proliferative bronchiolitis obhterans in FLD (82), peribronchiolar inflammation/ fibrosis with smooth muscle hypertrophy, and extrinsic narrowing of the small airways in pigeon breeder s disease (83), and less frequently, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP)-like lesions (84). 

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Table 15.1. Clinical and histological features of intrinsic (chronological) and extrinsic (photoaging) aging ...

The bDNA assay was used to study the clinical impact of coinfection and the effects of interferon-a and ribavirin therapy of HGV/GBV-C RNA levels in patients chronically infected with both HGV/GBV-C and HCV (Lau et al, 1997 Martinot et al., 1997 McHutchinson et al., 1997). There were no differences in the clinical, biochemical, or histological features of the coinfected patients compared with those infected with HCV alone. Interferon-a treatment caused a marked but usually transient reduction in serum levels of HGV/GBV-C RNA, and ribavirin caused a modest reduction of viral load of 0.5 to 1 log10. 

Traditional markers of prognosis in cancer have relied on histological features such as tumor size and grade and whether or not local lymph nodes have metastasis. While these histological variables have been widely used over the years in assessing patient outcome, none is ideal. 

Neuroanatomical and neuropathological basis of Alzheimer s disease Histological features of Alzheimer s disease include neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (Boiler and Duyckaerts 1997). Neuritic plaques are composed of extracellular deposits of j8-amyloid protein and apolipoprotein E and are found primarily in neocortex. j8-amyloid is derived from an amyloid precursor protein, and is suspected to be a chief causal factor in Alzheimer s disease pathology (Samuel et al. 1997). Neurofibrillary tangles are clusters of protein fibers found in the cell body and composed of tau protein, which normally serves as a cytoskeletal element. Neurofibrillary tangles progress from entorhinal cortex to hippocampus, and then to neocortical areas. 

In a chronic inhalation study conducted by NTP (1982), carcinogenic end points were nasal tumors in rats and mice and pulmonary tumors in mice (see Section 2.2.1.8). A nonneoplastic lesion of epithelial hyperplasia occurring throughout the respiratory tract was a prominent histologic feature in the 1,2-dibromoethane-exposed mice. 

Diagnosed on the basis of unique histological features. Elevated alkaline phosphatase activity. Fish-scale appearance of bone under the microscope... 

There are three main histological features characteristic of Alzheimer s disease ... 

Examination of thin sections prepared from microsamples of organic materials such as wood, parchment, textile, paper, ivory, horn, or leather enables the recognition of anatomical and histological features characteristic of the type of organic material or botanical specie. 

Gordon EM, Chan MT, Geraldino N, Lopez FF, et al. 2007. Le morte du tumour Histological features of tumor destruction in chemo-resistant cancers following intravenous infusions of pathotropic nanoparticles bearing therapeutic genes. Int J Oncol. 30 1297-1307. 

Breast tumors that develop in HRT users have prog-nostically favorable histological features, but it is unclear if this is the case for both short-term and long-term use. In 2000 women aged over 55 years with invasive breast cancer diagnosed over 7 years short-term users of HRT (5 years or less) were about 50% less likely to develop poorly differentiated breast tumors or node-positive tumors than non-users (177). Longer term users of HRT were also less likely to develop poorly differentiated tumors, but the incidence of node-positive tumors was not reduced compared with controls. Tumor size was not significantly related to the duration of treatment. 

Two well-documented cases of uterine carcinosarcoma have been reported in elderly women after 6 and 7 years of tamoxifen treatment (101). At laparotomy, a heterologous malignant mixed Mullerian tumor with peritoneal spread was found in each case and rapidly proved fatal large uterine polyps with special histological features may represent an intermediate step in the formation of such tumors (102). 

A possible relationship with Darier s disease has long been postulated. Although initially viewed as distinct entities, AKV and DD, especially in its acral form, have been considered as related disorders by several authors, even by Hopf and Darier themselves (Panja, 1977). In support of AKV being part of the DD spectrum is the description of the co-occurrence of AKV and DD in the same patient (Hafner and Vakilzadeh, 1997 Piskin et al., 2004) or in affected members of the same family (Herndon and Wilson, 1966). In addition, it is notable that 50% of DD patients have acral warty papules and that patients with histological changes of AKV have been reported to develop typical histological features of DD (Penrod et al., 1960 Waisman, 1960). 

Histologically, the disease is characterized by a loss of adhesion between suprabasal keratinocytes (acantholysis) and abnormal keratinisation (dyskeratosis) of the epidermis. In HHD, acantholysis is the most prominent histological feature while in the clinically related Darier disease (OMIM 124200), dyskeratosis is much more apparent. Ultrastructural analysis of acantholytic cells reveals perinuclear aggregates of keratin filaments that have retracted from desmosomes (Harada et al., 1994 Hashimoto et al., 1995 Metze et al., 1996). 

Pathologically, FTD is heterogeneous some cases may show tau- or ubiquitin-positive inclusions, or rarely they may lack distinctive histological features. Sensitive methods for detecting tau abnormalities and ubiquitin are essential in the neuropathological evaluation of FTD (Josephs, 2007). 

Buadu, L.D., Murakami, J., Murayama, S., et al. (1997) Patterns of peripheral enhancement in breast masses correlation of findings on contrast mediiun enhanced MRI with histologic features and tumor angiogenesis. Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography, 21, 421 30. 

Matsubayashi, R., Matsuo, Y., Edakuni, G, et al. (2000) Breast masses with peripheral rim enhancement on dynamic contrast-enhanced MR images correlation of MR findings with histologic features and expression of growth factors. Radiology, 217, 841-848. 

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