Browsing by Subject "Lactoferrin"

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    Immunohistochemical evidence of lactoferrin in hepatic biopsies of patients with viral or cryptogenetic chronic liver disease
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2002) Tuccari, G.; Villari, D.; Giuffre, G.; Simone, A.; Squadrito, G.; Raimondo, G.; Barresi, G.
    Lactoferrin (Lf) expression has been immunohistochemically investigated in 117 formalinfixed paraffin-embedded liver bioptic samples obtained from an equal number of patients affected by chronic hepatitis (HCV=76; HBV=17; HBV+HDV=14; cryptogenetic=10); in addition, 10 autoptic specimens of normal liver were studied as control. The Lf immunoreactivity was evaluated by an intensitydistribution (ID) score. The Lf immunoexpression was observed in 88 out of 117 (75%) cases of chronic hepatitis; interestingly, all liver specimens from HBV hepatitis showed a constant Lf reactivity with the highest ID-score, whereas the evidence of Lf was encountered in 54/76 (71.1%) HCV as well as in 11/14 (78.6%) HDV chronic hepatitis, thus documenting a variable degree of Lf immunostaining in relation to different viruses. Moreover, in 6/10 (60%) cases of cryptogenetic hepatitis Lf immunoexpression was documented, whereas all normal liver controls were unreactive. In HCV specimens, the Lf nuclear immunoreactivity appeared to increase with the progression of the disease, with a greater expression in genotype 1. In contrast, no relationship among Lf ID-scores and different stages or grades of HBV, HDV or cryptogenetic hepatitis was encountered. This fact may suggest a role for Lf as an unspecific defensive agent in chronic inflammatory liver diseases, similarly to that elsewhere reported in other inflammatory tissue injuries.
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    lron binding proteins in gallbladder carcinomas An immunocytochemical investigation
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 1997) Tuccari, G.; Rossiello, R.; Barresi, G.
    By immunohistochemistry, the presence of major iron-binding proteins (lactoferrin, transferrin, ferritin) has been investigated in adenocarcinomas (27 cases), adenosquamous carcinoma (1 case), undifferentiated sarcomatoid carcinoma (1 case) and mucinous adenocarcinomas (3 cases) of the gallbladder; 10 samples of chronic lithyasic cholecystitis, 4 adenomyomas and 6 tubulo-villous adenomas have also been studied. In a variable share of adenocarcinomas, a positive immunoreactivity for iron-binding antisera was encountered in the cytoplasm, while tubulo-villous adenomas, adenomyomas and the normal epithelium of the gallbladder were generally unreactive. In carcinomatous lesions, the staining intensity was variable between different cases or individual tumour cells. The production of these iron-binding proteins in the gallbladder carcinoma in itself could be related to a greater availability of iron for metabolic processes in the neoplastic cell; alternatively, the cytoplasmic localization of these substances in carcinomatous elements may be a consequence of a defective or impaired function of iron-binding receptors with a modified degree of transmembranous iron transfer.
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    Morphological heterogeneity of myeloperoxidasepositive granules in normal circulating neutrophils, an ultrastructural study by cryosection
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 1998) Saito, N.; Sato, F.; Asaka, M.; Takemori, N.; Kohgo, Y.
    Ultrastructural localization of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the granules of human circulating neutrophils was examined by cryosection. On careful comparison with the morphological characteristics of the granules by conventional transmission electron microscopic study, large MPO-positive granules were divided into five types by immunocryoultramicrotomy using monoclonal antibody. Double staining of MP0 and lactoferrin (or lysozyme) was also performed. Lactoferrin was generally detected in MPO-negative granules. Lysozyme immunostaining was present in MPO-positive and -negative granules. These data may suggest different functions among large MPO-positive granules of human circulating neutrophils.