Papers by Christine Betts
Journal of Clinical Pathology, Dec 1, 1976
SyNopsIs A primary oat-cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is described with an adjacent squamous ca... more SyNopsIs A primary oat-cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is described with an adjacent squamous carcinoma, both parts having characteristic ultrastructure. The origin of this mixed tumour is discussed together with the literature on oesophageal carcinomas having an oat-cell pattern. 1073 copyright.
Diagnostic value of silver-stained interphasic nucleolar organizer regions in breast tumors
Ultrastructural Pathology, 1990
Seventy-six specimens of normal breast tissue and benign and malignant breast lesions were studie... more Seventy-six specimens of normal breast tissue and benign and malignant breast lesions were studied to assess the mean area occupied by silver-stained proteins of the nucleolar organizer regions (MNORA) of the nucleolus. The assessment was performed with a computer-assisted image analyzer. The results indicate that only 30% of malignant lesions have a MNORA value greater than that of normal breast tissue or benign lesions. On the other hand, MNORA values of ductal carcinoma in situ were significantly greater than those of epitheliosis (papillomatosis). MNORA values were also significantly different in grade I and grade III invasive ductal carcinomas, the latter exhibiting the highest MNORA values of all the cases observed. Evaluation of MNORA values may therefore help in differentiating benign epithelial proliferations from ductal carcinomas in situ. Furthermore, because there is evidence that MNORA values are indicative of the cell duplication rate, MNORA values may ultimately be considered an objective prognostic parameter in addition to grading for invasive ductal carcinomas.
Cytogenetic analysis of myoepithelial cell carcinoma of salivary gland
Archiv Fur Pathologische Anatomie Und Physiologie Und Fur Klinische Medicin, Feb 1, 2004
Myoepithelial cell carcinoma (MCC) of the salivary gland is a rare entity. Here, we describe the ... more Myoepithelial cell carcinoma (MCC) of the salivary gland is a rare entity. Here, we describe the karyotype of MCC. The patient was a 53-year-old man, with a rapidly growing lesion of the palate. Despite complete surgical excision, radio- and chemotherapy, the lesion rapidly harboured local and distant metastases leading to the death of the patient, 4 months after the diagnosis. On histological and ultrastructural examination, the primary tumour and the related metastases were composed of oval and spindle cells, with features of myoepithelial cell differentiation reported in the literature. Cytogenetic analysis showed a composite karyotype in the primary tumour: 45-46,XY, +3[cp3]/ 44-45,XY, -17[cp4]/ 46,XY[5]. The lymph-node metastasis was near-triploid and showed a complex karyotype. Our cytogenetic data differ from those described in benign or slowly growing salivary gland tumours showing myoepithelial cell differentiation. It is suggested that highly aggressive tumours might follow a different pathway of malignant transformation.
Archiv Fur Pathologische Anatomie Und Physiologie Und Fur Klinische Medicin, Jun 28, 2003
Fig. 1 This T1-weighted axial magnetic resonance imaging sequence following gadolinium administra... more Fig. 1 This T1-weighted axial magnetic resonance imaging sequence following gadolinium administration shows a contrastenhanced "dumbbell-shaped" tumour of the cerebellopontine angle that extends to the Meckel's cave and cavernous sinus
Ultrastructural changes in �-cells of pancreatic islets in a-amanitin-poisoned Mice
Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathology, 1978
Strumal carcinoid of the ovary: an immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study
Tumori, Jan 30, 1983
A case of strumal carcinoid of the ovary is reported. The follicles contained T4-immunoreactive s... more A case of strumal carcinoid of the ovary is reported. The follicles contained T4-immunoreactive substance, whereas the carcinoid component of the tumor had a trabecular structure and showed argyrophilic elements. Pancreatic-polypeptide and enteroglucagon were localized in these cells by an immunocytochemical method. The same cells displayed small electron-dense endocrine-like granules. A common precursor for the thyroid and carcinoid components is postulated.
Oat cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Report of a case
Tumori, Jan 31, 1981
A case of primary oat cell carcinoma of the esophagus is described. The oat cell pattern appeared... more A case of primary oat cell carcinoma of the esophagus is described. The oat cell pattern appeared intermingled with small areas of squamous carcinoma. The origin of this mixed tumor is discussed together with the literature on esophageal carcinomas with an oat cell pattern.
Hypophosphatemic oncogenic osteomalacia: report of three new cases
Tumori, Jan 31, 1988
Three cases of connective tissue tumors causing hypophosphatemic osteomalacia are reported and th... more Three cases of connective tissue tumors causing hypophosphatemic osteomalacia are reported and the literature is reviewed. In two of our patients the tumors were completely excised with total disappearance of the symptoms. In one case a total excision was not possible and the symptoms of this patient have not completely disappeared. The substance responsible for the syndrome has not been identified yet, but probably interferes with vitamin D renal hydroxylation, thus causing osteomalacia. As more than 30 per cent of cases of this condition have been reported in the last 5 years, it is suggested that these tumors are more frequent than previously believed.
Pretibial dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: a recessively inherited COL7A1 splice site mutation affecting procollagen VII processing
British Journal of …, 1999
Pretibial epidermolysis bullosa (PEB) is a rare form of localized epidermolysis bullosa dystrophi... more Pretibial epidermolysis bullosa (PEB) is a rare form of localized epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica (EBD), a heterogeneous group of inherited, blistering diseases characterized by scarring, loss of dermal-epidermal adhesion and altered anchoring fibrils (AF). Mutations in the type VII collagen gene (COL7A1) underlie EBD and in a dominant PEB family a glycine substitution mutation has been identified. We report a 33-year-old man affected by PEB showing abnormal AF and reduced immunostaining for type VII collagen. Mutation search in the COL7A1 gene revealed a 14 bp deletion in the 115 exon-intron boundary (33563del14), which resulted in the in-frame skipping of exon 115 with elimination of 29 amino acids from the pro-alpha1(VII) polypeptide chain. As a consequence, procollagen VII failed to be processed to mature collagen VII and accumulated at the dermal-epidermal junction, as revealed by immunofluorescence staining using a NC-2 domain-specific antibody. The proband's father was a clinically unaffected heterozygous carrier of mutation 33563del14, whereas the maternal pathogenetic mutation has still not been identified. This represents the first report of a recessive deletion mutation in PEB and extends the range of EBD phenotypes associated with mutation 33563del14.
Selective lesions of acinar pancreatic cells in rats poisoned with abrin. A morphological and biochemical study
Virchows Archiv. B, Cell pathology including molecular pathology, Jan 4, 1979
Rats poisoned with abrin (2.5 micrograms/100 g body weight) died within 36 h with severe necrosis... more Rats poisoned with abrin (2.5 micrograms/100 g body weight) died within 36 h with severe necrosis of acinar pancreatic cells. Incorporation in vivo of labelled amino acids into pancreatic protein was greatly impaired 6 h after poisoning. Microsomes isolated from the pancreas of poisoned rats at 6 h had a reduced capacity for protein synthesis in vitro. Incorporation in vivo of orotic acid into pancreatic RNA was decreased 12 h after poisoning.
Necrobiotic Xanthogranuloma Without Periorbital Involvement: An Ultrastructural Investigation
Ultrastructural Pathology, 2001
A case of necrobiotic xanthogranuloma without typical periorbital involvement is described at the... more A case of necrobiotic xanthogranuloma without typical periorbital involvement is described at the ultrastructural level. The patient, a 58-year-old Italian man, presented in 1995 with a brief history of nodulo-papular lesions commencing on the lower limbs, and mild paraproteinemia. During 6 years of follow-up, anemia, neutropenia with marked lymphopenia, and increased ESR were found, while serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased from hyper to hypo values. Systemic diseases, such as diabetes, malignancy, or extracutaneous lesions, often associated with NXG, have not developed. Conventional histology was distinctive for NXG, and immunohistochemistry confirmed that dermal histiocytes were not of Langerhans cell lineage. At ultrastructure, regeneration and degeneration ("regen-degen") features were observed in some individual deep dermal histiocytes, which have not been previously documented in the literature. Identification of giant histiocytes showing 'regen-degen'' aspects might prove to be a useful ultrastructural diagnostic marker for NXG.
Myoepithelial Cells in Lobular Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast: A Parallel Immunocytochemical and Ultrastructural Study
Ultrastructural Pathology, 1981
The distribution and morphology of myoepithelial cells in one case of normal breast and in 4 case... more The distribution and morphology of myoepithelial cells in one case of normal breast and in 4 cases of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) were studed by immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence with anti-actin antisera and by electron microscopy. The actin-rich cells appeared to lay flattened on the basement membrane, or perpendicular to it, or appeared dislodged toward the center of the neoplastic ductules in the different cases. It is proposed that the presence of actin-rich cells inside the neoplastic aggregates represents a process of colonization of lobular carcinoma by myoepithelial cells dislodged from the basement membrane; a differentiation of some neoplastic cells toward myoepithelial elements might also be taken into consideration. The features here described could identify a preinvasive stage of LCIS.
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Papers by Christine Betts