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Anatomical evaluation of oral microcirculation: capillary characteristics associated with sex or age group.
2009
Abstract Background There are various types of oral mucosa specific to different parts of the mouth and each of these has a unique histological structure. The variations in the epithelial structure are consistently related to observable differences in the underlying microcirculation: i.e. differences in the course, conformation, and density of capillaries. The aim of this research has been to investigate oral microcirculatory differences between men and women as well as between various age groups, in order to map the oral mucosa, and to highlight changes occurring during aging. Methods A total of 45 healthy subjects were enrolled for this study (12 men and 33 women; mean age 60.37; range 30…
Increased acetylcholine levels in skin biopsies of patients with atopic dermatitis.
2003
Recent experimental evidence indicates that non-neuronal acetylcholine is involved in the regulation of basic cell functions. Here we investigated the cholinergic system in the skin of healthy volunteers and patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). The synthesizing enzyme, choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT), was studied by anti-ChAT immunohistochemistry and enzyme assay. Skin biopsies taken from healthy volunteers and from AD patients were separated into the 2 mm superfical (epidermis and upper dermis) and 3 mm underlying portion (deeper dermis and subcutis). ChAT enzyme activity was detected in homogenized skin and subcutaneous fat (about 13 nmol/mg protein/h). ChAT immunoreactivity was express…
Proteinase-3 mRNA expressed by glomerular epithelial cells correlates with crescent formation in Wegener's granulomatosis
2000
Proteinase-3 mRNA expressed by glomerular epithelial cells correlates with crescent formation in Wegener's granulomatosis. Background Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is characterized by systemic vasculitis with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) and circulating autoantibodies directed against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA). Proteinase 3 (PR-3), a neutral serine proteinase in neutrophils implicated in the growth control of myeloid cells, has been identified as the target antigen for ANCA in WG. Since the kidneys are frequently involved in WG, we studied the in situ expression of PR-3 by renal parenchymal cells. Methods We assessed the expression of PR-3 in kidney biopsies of 15 patien…
The effect of cigar smoking on the lingual microcirculation
2005
The aim of this study was to analyze the lingual microcirculation in vivo and to evaluate the effects on it of cigar smoking, using computerized videocapillaroscopy. Twenty-five healthy nonsmokers and 25 healthy smokers were examined. For each subject we evaluated the visibility, course, tortuosity, and any images characteristic of capillary loops, as well as the possible presence of microhemorrhages, the average caliber of the capillary loops, and the number of capillary loops visible per square millimeter. The investigation of the lingual mucosa revealed capillary loops with a course parallel to the surface. In smokers, capillary loops had a smaller caliber (P < 0.001) and there was a hig…
Microvascular injury and repair in acute human bacterial pyelonephritis.
1987
Acute inflammatory cell-capillary endothelial cell interactions, related to injury and repair, were investigated light and electron microscopically in acute human bacterial pyelonephritis. In inflammatory infiltrate-adjacent microvessels, the small capillaries were completely occluded by leukocyte plugs and the large capillaries were densely filled with acute inflammatory cells adhering to the endothelium. Severe damage to small and large capillaries was observed around endothelium adherent, degranulated neutrophil granulocytes containing phagocytosed bacteria. There were spaces in the endothelium, degradation of the vascular basement membrane, of the perivascular interstitial matrix and of…
Ultrastructural study on human lung in alveolitis versus pulmonary fibrosis
1993
Lung specimens of 21 patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease were examined. The present ultrastructural study outlines the topography and distribution of inflammatory changes in the interstitium, endothelium, and in pneumocytes and phagocytes. Alveolitis is characterized by marked regenerative activity of type II pneumocytes (cuboid metaplasia), intraluminal macrophage accumulation, endothelial swelling, multilamination of the endothelial basement membrane, pericapillary edema, and primarily by cellular infiltrates in the interstitial space. The most prominent feature of the interstitium in pulmonary fibrosis is the lack of immunoinflammatory cells. In some areas there is a marked a…
Evaluation of labial microvessels in Sjogren syndrome: A videocapillaroscopic study
2008
Summary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune rheumatic disease characterized by a progressive lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands, especially salivary and lachrymal ones, leading to xerostomia, parotid gland enlargement, and xerophtalmia. SS may occur alone (primary) or in association with almost any of the autoimmune rheumatic diseases (secondary), the most frequent being rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study is to describe the capillaroscopic pattern of the labial mucosa in patients with SS. Methods A total of 20 patients affected by SS and 20 healthy controls were examined. The patients with conditions that compromise microcirculation, such as diabetes, hypertens…
Modifications of interdental papilla microcirculation: A possible cause of periodontal disease in Hashimoto's thyroiditis?
2007
Summary Background Hypothyroidism is defined by a decrease in thyroid hormone production and thyroid gland function. The aim of the present research has been to evaluate the morphologic interdental papilla microcirculation of patients suffering from Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and to evaluate a possible correlation with the associated periodontal disease. Methods Fifteen healthy subjects and 15 patients suffering from HT were examined. The patients who showed conditions known to compromise microcirculation, such as diabetes, hypertension and pharmacological treatments, were not included in the group of healthy patients. All patients were non-smokers. Gingival capillaroscopy was used to inves…
Microvascular Characteristics of the Human Interdental Papilla
2007
The aim of this study was to observe the microcirculation characteristics of the human interdental papilla in healthy patients in vivo. Twenty healthy patients were examined. Capillaroscopy was used to investigate the characteristics of microcirculation of the human periodontal mucosa. Visibility, course, tortuosity, as well as the average caliber of the capillary loops and the number of visible capillary loops per square millimeter were evaluated for each patient. The investigation of gingival mucosa revealed capillary loops with a course both parallel and perpendicular to the surface. Our study has pointed out that capillaroscopy is a reliable method to study periodontal microcirculation …
Pipestem capillaries in necrotizing myopathy revisited.
2012
Pipestem-capillaries in necrotizing myopathy, have been reported as a feature of a distinct type of myopathy. Here, we analyze four muscle biopsy specimens from patients exhibiting endomysial fibrosis associated with pipestem capillaries using histological and electronmicroscopic techniques. However, only one case displayed all of the originally described features, including necrotic fibres, capillary thickening and lack of a significant lymphocytic inflammation, while one case exhibited striking capillary pathology with minimal necrosis and absence of inflammation, and the other two cases were accompanied by additional pathological features. These data support the existence of a microangio…