Ten new cases of so-called lipid-secreting carcinomas of the breast are presented. Histopathologic analysis suggests three different microscopical patterns which are all characterized by abundant intracytoplasmic neutral fat deposits. Review of the literature yielded only 15 well-documented cases. Diagnostic problems are emphasized, with special regard to the secretory differentiation of normal and neoplastic mammary cells.

Cervical cancer prevention is expected to be achieved by vaccination of girls 2-3 years before sexual debut, and cervical smear cytology follow-up. The existing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines target the low-risk 6 and 11, and the high-risk 16 and 18 subtypes, the most common agents of ano-genital pre-invasive and invasive lesions. We conducted the review by searching PubMed using the terms “HPV,” “HPV subtypes,” “developing world,” and “HPV-vaccine” to retrieve articles published between 2000 and 2011. We focused on studies that were relevant to the developing world. The proposed vaccination policy is currently unachievable in the developing world because of the cost of the vaccine, the lack of adequate cytology and follow-up infrastructures. Moreover, the subtypes of HPV involved in cervical pathology, their associations, and natural history (clearance and persistence rates) differ from the industrialized world. Therefore, the current bivalent and quadrivalent anti-HPV vaccines are unlikely to achieve their target in the developing world. It follows from published data that there is an obligation of the pharmaceutical industry and of the public-health policy makers not to embark on mass vaccination campaigns without thorough information and investigation of the local relevance.

Normal human breast tissue explants were cultured in a synthetic basic medium with and without additives. The mean daily glucose uptake per explant was measured under six basic conditions. Our results show that glucose uptake is strongly related to the glucose concentration of the medium. On the other hand insulin does not affect significantly glucose uptake in vitro, but does enhance mitotic activity. These findings support a role for insulin in promoting D.N.A. synthesis rather than in controlling glucose metabolism of human mammary tissue in vitro.

A study has been made on the selective influence of the ovarian steroids, estradiol and progesterone, on three distinct parts of cultured, explanted human adult resting mammary tissue: lobules, interlobular and large ducts. The addition of estradiol elicited the highest stimulation of 3H-thymidine incorporation in large ducts. When progesterone was added DNA synthesis occurred mainly in interlobular ducts. The isolated action of both steroids on lobules was quantitatively comparable, but the time sequence of DNA synthesis was different. The possible significance of these findings is discussed.

A group of 65 IUD users was studied during a period of 165 years of use, with a mean of 2.6 ± 1.7 years per woman. The main complaint which differed significantly from the 120 controls was the occurrence of spotting in 33.8% of IUD users. Normal endometrial mucosae were found in 36.9% of IUD users and 38.7% of controls. Chronic endometritis was evidenced in 35.4% of IUD users versus 12.5% of controls; the former were asymptomatic in 25.0% of the cases. 39.1 % of them had normal endometrial synchrony. Chronic endometritis occurred 2.2 ± 1.3 years after insertion of the device. Endometritis was always symptomatic in controls; only 13.3% of them exhibited endometrial synchrony. The fundamental mechanism(s) responsible for the contraceptive efficiency of intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD) remains a subject of controversy and a field of investigation. The most recent studies are essentially directed towards the biochemical analysis of uterine fluid [1]. Nevertheless, the presence of an inflammatory process, either morphologically or biochemically detectable, seems to be one of the fundamental modifications induced by the IUD. Since a certain reluctance to use IUDs has been observed in some countries, which has been ascribed mainly to contradictory reports on the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women wearing such devices [2], we found it interesting to intend to objectivate and reevaluate the influence of IUD on chronic aspecific endometritis, a possible precursor state of salpingitis and PID.

Objective: To investigate the clinical relevance of scoring Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) expression by Human Herpes Virus-8 (HHV-8) latency-associated nuclear antigen 1 (LANA 1) in the early (early patch and plaque) and late (nodular) stages. Methods:We applied a combined intensity weighted histoscore and a categorized score to 235 early patch, plaque and nodular stages, and compared our results with published data. Results:The mean individual scores were significantly lower in the early patch stage compared to the plaque and nodular stages. There was no significant difference in the mean individual scores between the plaque and nodular stage. There was a wide overlap in distribution of histoscore between the three stages. Conclusion:Since treatment modalities are not based on the histological stage nor on the histoscore, KSHV histoscoring appears not to be a useful biomarker of the severity of the disease.