Elevated serum levels of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain in aortic dissection: Discussion of two cases

1997 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. v. Kodolitsch ◽  
C.A. Nienaber ◽  
T. Suzuki ◽  
R. Nagai ◽  
Y. Yazaki ◽  
...  
Medicina ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Buivydaitė ◽  
Vaida Semėnaitė ◽  
Julija Braždžionytė ◽  
Andrius Macas

Aortic dissection is an acute lesion of the aortic wall accompanied by separation of the media due to rupture or intramural hematoma. The incidence rate of aortic dissection is 5 to 30 cases per million people a year. Acute aortic dissection is a highly lethal cardiovascular emergency with an incidence of 2000 new cases per year in the United States and 3000 in Europe. The mortality rate of aortic dissection is 3.2/100 000 per year. In case of sudden death of nonhospitalized patients, aortic dissection was proved in 1.5% of necropsy cases. Most of patients die within 48 hours after admission or 1.4% per each hour. The main clinical manifestations of aortic dissection are acute myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism, acute heart failure, acute pancreatitis, mesenteries thrombosis, which mislead the physician. The main measure, which might reduce the mortality, is early diagnosis of aortic dissection. The standard diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms and verification by instrumental (imaging) methods. An alternative mean for diagnosis of aortic dissection might be the determination of concentration of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain protein in blood serum, the peak of which is found after 3 hours after the onset of pain. Normal value of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain protein concentration is 2.5 mg/L, while in case of aortic dissection it exceeds 22.4 mg/L. This diagnostic method has not been introduced in Lithuania yet.


2002 ◽  
Vol 126 (10) ◽  
pp. 1179-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea K. Bruecks ◽  
Martin J. Trotter

Abstract Background.—The histopathologic features of dermatofibroma vary remarkably, and this diversity may occasionally cause problems in differentiating between benign and malignant mesenchymal lesions, including smooth muscle neoplasms. Immunohistochemical stains are sometimes necessary to clarify the histogenesis of a lesion. Objective.—To evaluate dermatofibromas for expression of desmin and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SM-MHC) antigens, which are commonly used as evidence of smooth muscle differentiation. Methods.—We studied 100 consecutive cases of dermatofibroma using hematoxylin-eosin–stained sections and immunoperoxidase staining with antibodies against desmin, SM-MHC, and smooth muscle actin. Results.—We found focal positivity for desmin in 9 cases, and in 2 of these cases, at least 10% of lesional cells showed strong expression. We found focal staining for SM-MHC in 10 cases, and in 2 of these cases, at least 10% of the lesional cells were positive. Regions positive for desmin and/or SM-MHC did not show definite histologic features of myogenous differentiation on hematoxylin-eosin–stained sections. All dermatofibromas expressing desmin and SM-MHC were also strongly positive for smooth muscle actin. Conclusions.—About 10% of dermatofibromas show focal expression of desmin and SM-MHC, and this expression may be present in up to 10% to 15% of lesional cells. Thus, in dermal spindle cell lesions, focal expression of these muscle antigens, like that of smooth muscle actin, is not diagnostic of a smooth muscle tumor.


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