Percentage Of Basal Cells Research Articles

Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Modified Erzhi Granules in the Treatment of Menopause-Related Vulvovaginal Atrophy.

Objective To evaluate the clinical therapeutic efficacy and safety of modified Erzhi granules (MEG) in patients with menopause-related vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA). Methods This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study comprised two groups, including the treatment and control groups. Patients receive MEG and placebo for 12 weeks, respectively. Vaginal health score (VHS), vaginitis score, vaginal maturation index (VMI), female sexual function index (FSFI), and modified Kupperman Index (modified KI) were used as efficacy endpoints and assessed at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks during administration, and 4 weeks after drug withdrawal. At baseline and 12 weeks, serum estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), pelvic ultrasound, breast ultrasound, and other safety parameters were measured, recording adverse events. Results At 12 weeks, VHS, percentage of superficial cells in the vaginal epithelium and FSFI were significantly increased, while vaginitis score, percentage of basal cells in the vaginal epithelium, and modified KI were significantly decreased in comparison with baseline and control group (all P<0.05); these differences persisted for up to 4 weeks after drug withdrawal. The placebo group showed no significant change during treatment compared with baseline values (p>0.05). Serum E2 and FSH levels, endometrial thickness, and breast thickness in all patients were within the normal ranges before and after treatment, with no serious adverse reactions observed. Conclusion MEG significantly alleviates menopause-related vulvovaginal atrophy, with no overt adverse effects on the endometrium, breast, hepatic, and renal functions.

Impact of new systemic oral and local, hormonal and non-hormonal treatments on genitourinary syndrome and Vulvo-Vaginal-Atrophy (VVA) through the menopausal transition: the right therapy in patients at risk

During the menopausal transition, women experience a number of symptoms due to declining estrogen levels, including vasomotor symptoms and vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA). Unlike vasomotor symptoms, vaginal dryness and dyspareunia, the main symptoms of VVA, typically worsen without treatment and can significantly impact the quality of life. Up to 60% of postmenopausal women may be affected by VVA, but many women unfortunately do not seek treatment due to embarrassment, cardiovascular and oncologic risk factor, or other factors. Therefore, local estrogen treatment is still controversial due to the systemic absorption of estradiol and its potential effects on the breast and endometrium.The fact that up to 26% of women using systemic hormonal therapy continue to experience symptoms of urogenital atrophy is sufficient reason to justify not recommending systemic hormonal therapy in women with vaginal symptoms only; many women initially require a combination of systemic and local estrogen therapy, especially when it is used at low doses.Intravaginal application of DHEA as an alternative treatment compared to local estrogen therapy. Intravaginal DHEA does not increase serum E2 levels and may be a better option for long term treatment of VVA as there is no increase in serum E2 levels with DHEA. Previous data have shown that intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA, prasterone) improved all the domains of sexual function, an effect most likely related to the local formation of androgens from DHEA.As the first non-hormonal alternative to estrogen-based products for this indication, the approval of ospemifene represents a significant milestone in postmenopausal women's health. Ospemifene is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor agonist/antagonist, also known as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which seems to be effective in genitourinary symptoms.There is now a new alternative to systemic hormone therapy with estrogen/gestagens. The tissue-selective estrogen complex (TSEC) which combines a SERM (bazedoxifene, BZA) with conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) is designed not only to improve menopausal symptoms but to prevent osteoporosis, while maintaining the benefits of estrogen therapy on vasomotor symptoms and vulvovaginal atrophy, but antagonizing stimulatory effects on the endometrium and mammary gland. The two studied doses of BZA/CEE (20 mg BZA + 0.425 mg CEE and 20 mg BZA + 0.625 mg CEE) have been shown to improve the percentage of superficial cells, reducing the percentage of basal cells. Thus, 20 mg BZA + 0.625 mg CEE reduces the severity of symptoms caused by atrophic vulvovaginitis by 56% and normalizes vaginal histology and pH. This efficacy persists for 2 years.Here we aim to evaluate current experimental and actual clinical strategies to achieve the main therapeutic goal for genitourinary syndrome and VVA in menopause which is the relief of symptoms, a better quality of life and women’ s health in menopausal women not eligible for Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Comparison of 34βE12 and P63 in 100 Consecutive Prostate Carcinoma Diagnosed by Needle Biopsies

P63, a homologue of p53, was recently identified as a useful basal cell-specific marker. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of p63 with the widely used high-molecular-weight keratin 34betaE12 for the diagnosis of prostate carcinoma in needle biopsies. We selected 100 consecutive prostate carcinoma diagnosed by needle biopsies with an adequate number of cancerous glands on the slide. We chose 1 representative hematoxylin and eosin-stained slide from each case and gave it a Gleason score. The same paraffin block was retrieved for 34betaE12 and p63 stains. We compared staining patterns of 34betaE12 and p63 on both malignant glands and benign glands and recorded basal cell density (percentage of basal cells with positive staining in the benign glands). The cases were divided into 3 groups according to the Gleason score: 5 to 6 (31 cases), 7 (46 cases), and 8 to 10 (23 cases). In 20 cases, focal and patchy staining in a basal cell distribution in malignant glands (range, 1%-20%; mean, 6.6%) was demonstrated (19 by both stains and 1 by 34betaE12 only). In 1 case with a Gleason score of 9, the cancer cells, not the basal cells, were stained focally by p63 but not by 34betaE12. Higher-grade tumors demonstrated higher numbers of malignant glands with basal cell staining (1.65% for Gleason 7, 1.26% for Gleason 8-10, compared with 0.42% for Gleason 5-6). The overall specificity of the absence of basal cell staining in the malignant glands for 34betaE12 and p63 was 98.63% and 98.60%, respectively. In 17 cases, both stains revealed total absence of basal cell staining in some benign glands (range, 1%-10%; mean, 3.5%). The overall sensitivity in identifying basal cells in benign glands was 99.48% and 99.44% for 34beta12 and p63, respectively. Basal cell density was higher for 34betaE12 in comparison with p63 (92% vs. 87%). For diagnosing prostate carcinoma in the needle biopsies, p63 is as specific and sensitive Hospital as 34betaE12 and therefore can be used as a complementary basal cell-specific stain for 34betaE12 in difficult cases.

Usefulness of basal cell cocktail (34betaE12 + p63) in the diagnosis of atypical prostate glandular proliferations.

We evaluated the diagnostic usefulness of the 34betaE12-p63 cocktail, compared with 34betaE12 and p63 used alone, in 34 prostate needle biopsy (NBXs) and 3 transurethral resection specimens containing atypical glandular proliferations and in 18 NBXs containing unequivocal prostate carcinoma (PCa). Staining intensity; percentage of basal cells staining in benign, atypical, and malignant glands; number of benign glands lacking basal cell staining; and staining variance were analyzed. All NBXs with unequivocal PCa were negative with all 3 markers. Diagnoses were as follows for the atypical cases after staining for the 3 markers: PCa, 9; postatrophic hyperplasia, 12; high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), 5; atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, 6; benign atypical proliferations, 4; and HGPIN with adjacent small atypical acinar proliferation suggestive of PCa, 1. The cocktail demonstrated consistently strong staining intensity and improved basal cell staining in morphologically benign and benign atypical glands compared with p63 and 34betaE12 alone; it had the smallest staining variance compared with 34betaE12 (F < 0.0001) and p63 (F = 0.31), although its advantage for resolving individual atypical cases was limited compared with 34betaE12 and p63 alone. Of 37 atypical cases, 1 (3%) additionally was resolved as benign using the cocktail and p63. Because the diagnosis of PCa is supported by lack of basal cell staining, the immunohistochemical analysis with highest possible sensitivity and lowest possible variability is critical to ensure that a negative reaction is true. The cocktail provides a simple, cost-effective improvement in basal cell immunohistochemical analysis of difficult prostate lesions.

Flow-cytometric characterization of normal versus psoriatic epidermis using improved cell separation methodology.

Recently a new approach for epidermal cell characterization was developed: three-parameter flow cytometrical analysis of pure and complete epidermal cell suspensions prepared from punch biopsies followed by dermoepidermal separation by thermolysin. The aim of the present communication is the comparison between psoriatic lesional skin and normal skin using this new approach with respect to the percentage of suprabasal keratinocytes (keratin 10+ cells), mesenchymal cells, including the infiltrate cells (vimentin+ cells) and the percentage of basal cells in SG2 M phase, in order to validate this methodology in studies on psoriatic skin. Punch biopsies were taken from 7 healthy volunteers and in 7 psoriatic patients 4 biopsies were taken in each of them from comparable lesions. The present study reconfirmed that the percentage of basal keratinocytes in psoriasis was increased and the percentage of keratin 10+ cells was substantially decreased as compared to normal skin. The new methodology revealed data with a narrow range. In psoriatic lesional skin the intra individual variation was less compared to the inter individual variation.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (cyclin) expression in normal and abnormal cervical squamous epithelia.

Expression of Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was evaluated in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded normal and abnormal cervical squamous epithelia using immunoperoxidase stains and PC10 monoclonal antibody to PCNA. PCNA was exclusively expressed in the parabasal and basal layers of normal ectocervix and a similar pattern was seen in nine of the 11 cases with squamous metaplasia. Examples of cervical dysplasia showed expression in higher layers of cervical epithelium, corresponding to the degree of dysplasia. Increased staining was seen in condylomas and markedly reduced staining with atrophy. The percentage of basal cells that stained increased progressively from atrophic to normal, to condylomatous, to dysplastic epithelia. Proliferative activity can be satisfactorily assessed in formalin-fixed cervical epithelia using PC10 PCNA antibody. This assessment can be of potential diagnostic use in difficult cases.

Cell proliferative activity of epidermal keratinocytes in hair discs.

To clarify the differences in epidermal keratinocyte proliferative activity and in postnatal developmental changes of this activity between the hair discs and the interfollicular epidermis, the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the nuclei of the basal cells was measured by autoradiography, and the percentages of basal cells thus labelled were calculated. This percentage was higher in hair discs than in interfollicular epidermis at all stages examined. The percentage of labelled basal cells in the hair discs was 10% up to 15 days after birth, decreasing to about 6% from 20 days postnatally. These results suggest that the degree of cell proliferation in the hair disc epidermis differs from that in the surrounding epidermis and that changes in proliferative activity during the postnatal developmental stages are well correlated with the morphogenesis of the hair discs.

The Epidermal Cell which Selectively Adheres to a Collagen Substrate is the Basal Cell

In order to determine whether a specific subpopulation of epidermal cells selectively attaches to collagen substrates in vitro, epidermal cell suspensions, obtained by trypsinization of guinea pig skin, were incubated on type I or type IV collagen-coated glass cover slips. It was noted, morphologically and by electronic volume measurements, that small round cells, as opposed to the larger angulated flat cells, adhered to the collagen substrates. To further characterize the attached cells, the percentage of basal cells was determined in the attached cell population and in the initial epidermal cell suspension. Basal cells were identified by indirect immunofluorescence in 2 ways: (1) by the presence of pemphigoid antigen and (2) by the absence of upper cytoplasmic antigen, which is present in all keratinocytes except the basal cells. Whereas in the initial guinea pig epidermal cell suspensions about 50% of the cells were basal cells using either of these 2 criteria, 86-97% of the cells which adhered to the collagen substrates were basal cells. Human basal cells, as defined by pemphigoid antigen, also selectively adhered to the collagen substrates.

Mitostatic action of vinblastine sulphate on oral epithelia of hamsters

Abstract. Vinblastine sulphate at doses of 1 mg. 2 mg and 4 mg/kg body weight were administered intraperitoneally to 30 golden hamsters that were sacrificed after 1/2, 1, 2, 4 and 8 hours. The percentage of basal cells in each phase of mitosis was computed from epithelium of the cheek pouch, palate and tongue at the various time intervals. It was found that vinblastine at a dose of 4 mg/kg body weight produced total metaphase block in these epithelia from 1 hour after administration for at least 8 hours. The drug did not affect the rate of entry of basal cells into mitosis.

Mitostatic action of vinblastine sulphate on oral epithelia of hamsters

Abstract. Vinblastine sulphate at doses of 1 mg, 2 mg and 4 mg/kg body weight were administered intraperitoneally to 30 golden hamsters that were sacrificed after 1/2, 1, 2, 4 and 8 hours. The percentage of basal cells in each phase of mitosis was computed from epithelium of the cheek pouch, palate and tongue at the various time intervals. It was found that vinblastine at a dose of 4 mg/kg body weight produced total metaphase block in these epithelia from 1 hour after administration for at least 8 hours. The drug did not affect the rate of entry of basal cells into mitosis.