Cystic spinal dysraphism of the cervical and upper thoracic region

Background: Cystic dysraphic lesions of the cervical and upper thoracic region are rare and only a few series have been published about the topic. These malformations can be divided into categories that include both myelocystoceles and the so-called cervical meningoceles or myelomeningoceles. Methods: A retrospective study of 18 patients was conducted. Results: in 17 patients a squamous or a cicatricial epithelium of variable thickness covered the dome of the lesions, while the base was covered with full-thickness skin. in one case the skin was entirely normal. Four patients displayed associated CNS malformations and three more had systemic congenital anomalies. All patients underwent surgical exploration and the length of time between birth and surgery ranged from 6 h to 9 months. the most frequent surgical finding, seen in 14 patients, was a stalk connecting the dorsal surface of the spinal cord to the cyst. in three patients the findings were consistent with myelocystocele. Only in one case was a true meningocele found. Hydrocephalus and Chiari II malformation were not as consistently associated as in myelomeningoceles. Neurological signs and symptoms were not so marked as in myelomeningoceles and were found in the follow-up of four patients. in two of them there was a non-progressive deficit, probably expressing an imperceptible involvement of the nervous system in the first year of life. the histopathological findings were of three types: neuroglial stalks, fibrovascular stalks and myelocystoceles. Conclusions: Cystic dysraphisms of the cervical and upper thoracic region differ clinically and structurally from meningomyelocele and have a more favorable outcome. We believe that these malformations have not been properly labeled and propose a classification based on the structures found inside the cyst.Oswaldo Cruz Fdn, MS Fiocruz, Fernandes Figueira Inst, Dept Pediat Surg,Sect Pediat Neurosurg, BR-22250020 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Sect Pediat Neurosurg, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Sect Pediat Neurosurg, BR-05403000 São Paulo, BrazilOswaldo Cruz Fdn, MS Fiocruz, Fernandes Figueira Inst, Dept Pathol, BR-22250020 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCT Scan Ctr Diagnost, BR-22211230 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Sect Pediat Neurosurg, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Hepatocyte growth factor stimulates invasion across reconstituted basement membranes by a new human small intestinal cell line

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a protein growth factor whose pleiotropic effects on epithelial cells include the stimulation of motility, mitosis and tubulogenesis. These responses are mediated by the cell surface tyrosine kinase receptor c-met. Because both the cytokine and receptor are found in the gastrointestinal tract, we have studied the effects of HGF/SF on transformed gut epithelial cells which express c-met. Here we describe the response of a new transformed human jejunal epithelioid cell line (HIE-7) to HGF/SF. Morphologically HIE-7 cells are immature. Their epithelial lineage was confirmed by reactivity with the epithelial specific antibodies AE1/AE3, Cam 5.2, Ber-EP4 and anti-EMA and is consistent with their expression of c-met mRNA and protein. In addition, electron microscopic analysis revealed the presence of primitive junctions and rudimentary microvilli, but features of polarization were absent. When grown on reconstituted basement membranes, HIE-7 cells formed closely associated multicellular cord-like structures adjacent to acellular spaces. However, the cells did not mature structurally, form lumen-like structures or express disaccharidase mRNA, even in the presence of recombinant HGF (rHGF). On the other hand, rHGF induced HIE-7 cells to scatter and stimulated their rapid migration in a modified wound assay. To determine whether the motogenic effect caused by rHGF is associated with HIE-7 cell invasiveness across reconstituted basement membranes, a Boyden chamber chemoinvasion assay was performed. rHGF stimulated a 10-fold increase in the number of HIE-7 cells that crossed the basement membrane barrier, while only stimulating a small increase in chemotaxis across a collagen IV matrix, suggesting that the cytokine activates matrix penetration by these cells. rHGF also stimulated the invasion of basement membranes by an undifferentiated rat intestinal cell line (IEC-6) and by two human colon cancer cell lines which are poorly differentiated (DLD-1 and SW 948). In contrast, two moderately well differentiated colon cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and HT-29) did not manifest an invasive response when exposed to rHGF. These results suggest that HGF/SF may play a significant role in the invasive behavior of anaplastic and poorly differentiated gut epithelial tumors