The declining prevalence of leprosy has not been matched by a declining incidence. Widespread adoption of multiple drug therapy (MDT) in closely monitored control programmes has not prevented transmission of Mycobacterium leprae. Despite the rarity of lepromatous patients, most of those living in endemic areas have immunological evidence of exposure to M. leprae. This paradox could be explained...

Pig immunoglobulins The pig immunoglobulin system has now been well characterized and has been the subject of two recent reviews (Bourne, 1971a; Porter & Allen, 1972). Three immunoglobulin classes are recognized which on the basis of their physicochemical properties and antigenic relationships may be regarded as analogous to human IgG, IgM and IgA. Some of the properties of pig immunoglobulins ...

Pig immunoglobulins The pig immunoglobulin system has now been well characterized and has been the subject of two recent reviews (Bourne, 1971a; Porter & Allen, 1972). Three immunoglobulin classes are recognized which on the basis of their physicochemical properties and antigenic relationships may be regarded as analogous to human IgG, IgM and IgA. Some of the properties of pig immunoglobulins ...

Mast cells (MCs) are metachromatic cells that originate from multipotential hemopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Two distinct populations of MCs have been characterized: mucosal MCs are tryptase-positive while mast cells in skin contain tryptase and chymase. We now show that a sub-population of MCs is highly immunoreactive for thymosin beta4, as revealed by immunohistochemical analyses of...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Surgeons must be aware of risk factors for strictures before performing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), to enable early interventions to prevent severe strictures. METHODS This study was a single-center retrospective study. We reviewed the clinical data of patients who has undergone gastric ESD from January 2007 to December 2012. RESULTS Among the 3,819 patients who ...

The exact mechanism by which Entamoeba histolytica disrupts the human colonic epithelium and invades the mucosa has yet to be clearly elucidated. E. histolytica produces a diverse array of putative virulent factors such as glycosidase, cysteine proteinases and amebapore that can modulate and/or disrupt epithelial barrier functions. However, it is currently thought that E. histolytica produces n...

Normal human premenopausal cervical tissue has been used to derive primary cell populations and to establish ex vivo organ culture systems to study infections with herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 or HSV-2) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Infection with either HSV-1 or HSV-2 rapidly induced multinuclear giant cell formation and widespread damage in mucosal epithelial cells. Subseque...

Reinke's edema is a benign disease of the human vocal fold, which mainly affects the sub-epithelial layer of the vocal fold. Microscopic observations show a strongly oedematous epithelium with loosened intercellular junctions, a disruption of the extracellular connections between mucosal epithelium and connective tissue, closely adherent to the thyroarytenoid muscle. Thickening of the basal lay...