muramidase and Cicatrix

Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease caused by ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, where repeated infections and chronic inflammation can ultimately result in scarring, trichiasis and blindness. While scarring is thought to be mediated by a dysregulated immune response, the kinetics of cytokines and antimicrobial proteins in the tear film have not yet been characterised.. Pooled tears from a Gambian cohort and Tanzanian cohort were semi-quantitatively screened using a Proteome Profiler Array to identify cytokines differentially regulated in disease. Based on this screen and previous literature, ten cytokines (CXCL1, IP-10, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-1RA, IL-1α and PDGF), lysozyme and lactoferrin were assayed in the Tanzanian cohort by multiplex cytokine assay and ELISA. Finally, CXCL1, IP-10, IL-8, lysozyme and lactoferrin were longitudinally profiled in the Gambian cohort by multiplex cytokine assay and ELISA.. In the Tanzanian cohort, IL-8 was significantly increased in those with clinically inapparent infection (p = 0.0086). Lysozyme, IL-10 and chemokines CXCL1 and IL-8 were increased in scarring (p = 0.016, 0.046, 0.016, and 0.037). CXCL1, IP-10, IL-8, lysozyme and lactoferrin were longitudinally profiled over the course of infection in a Gambian cohort study, with evidence of an inflammatory response both before, during and after detectable infection. CXCL1, IL-8 and IP-10 were higher in the second infection episode relative to the first (p = 0.0012, 0.044, and 0.04).. These findings suggest that the ocular immune system responds prior to and continues to respond after detectable C. trachomatis infection, possibly due to a positive feedback loop inducing immune activation. Levels of CXC chemokines in successive infection episodes were increased, which may offer an explanation as to why repeated infections are a risk factor for scarring.

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Chemokine CXCL10; Cicatrix; Cohort Studies; Cytokines; Humans; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-8; Lactoferrin; Muramidase; Trachoma

We present a case of proliferative fasciitis arising adjacent to an operative scar of the right lower leg of a patient with chronic lymphatic leukemia, diabetes mellitus, and multiple subcutaneous angiolipomas. A 61-year old man had a hard mass in his right lower leg that had rapidly increased in size in the past 10 days. The mass was microscopically composed of a dense proliferation of spindle cells forming interlacing fascicles admixed with an inflammatory infiltrate of lymphocytes and eosionphils, focal hemorrhage, and myxomatous change as typically seen in nodular fasciitis as well as many characteristic ganglion cell-like giant cells. Immunohistochemically, most of the spindle-shaped cells were positive for vimentin and alpha-actin, whereas the ganglion cell-like giant cells were positive for vimentin and negative for alpha-actin and lysozyme. We suggest that the main component cells of proliferative fasciitis are fibroblastic in nature, many of which are myofibroblasts in large part, whereas the ganglion cell-like giant cells are related more closely to fibroblasts rather than histiocytes or pericytes. Additionally, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) stain revealed that many of the fibroblastic cells showed high proliferative activity, especially in the hypercellular areas, although there was no significant difference in PCNA staining between the focus traumatized by the needle biopsy and the nontraumatized areas.

Topics: Actins; Angiolipoma; Biopsy, Needle; Cell Division; Cicatrix; Coloring Agents; Diabetes Mellitus; Eosinophils; Fasciitis; Fibroblasts; Giant Cells; Hemorrhage; Histiocytes; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Leg Dermatoses; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; Skin Neoplasms; Vimentin