Aims-To evaluate the ability of four rapid DNA extraction methods to provide DNA for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from routinely fixed, paraffin wax embedded archival tissues. Methods-Eighteen blocks of various tissues, 18 blocks of cervical cancer specimens, and nine blocks of B cell lymphomas were investigated. Both normal and biopsy specimen sized tissues were studied. DNA was extracted using four methods: boiling for 20 minutes in distilled water; boiling for 20 minutes in 5% Chelex-100 resin solution; 3-hour proteinase K digestion; and 3-hour proteinase K digestion, followed by boiling in 5% Chelex-100. As the simple 20 minute boiling method in 5% Chelex-100 solution requires minimal manipulation and time, it could be useful, especially in the routine processing of large amounts of material.

The effects of neonatal thymectomy on insulitis in non-obese diabetes (NOD) mice, which suffer from destruction of B cells in the pancreas, were studied histopathologically. Complete neonatal thymectomy reduced the incidence of insulitis in NOD mice, from 100% to 53% in males and from 100% to 69% in females at day 60; and from 100% to 44% in males and from 100% to 54% in females at day 100. The results suggest that the pathogenesis of insulitis in NOD mice may depend on an autoimmune mechanism related to the thymus, through which destruction of B cells in the pancreatic islets is mediated. NOD mice can therefore be useful as an animal model for studying the autoimmune etiology of type I diabetes in humans.

Summary Increase of serum IgE with frequent localization of IgE in the germinal centres, mast cell hyperplasia in lymph nodes and changes of specific granules in the infiltrated eosinophils, such as roughness of the matrix and appearance of tubular structures together with fusing and disappearance of the core, were demonstrated in eosinophilic granuloma of the soft tissue, so‐called Kimura's disease, in association with increase of anti‐Candida IgE antibody. It is suggested that this disease may be due to atopic allergy to Candida albicans.

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Background. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified not only in anogenital carcinomas, but also in malignancies of other organs, including bronchogenic carcinomas. Previous studies reporting detection of these viruses in lung cancers used mainly in situ hybridization. The authors applied the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for investigating the occurrence of HPV in bronchial neoplasms. Methods. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues of 40 squamous and 7 large cell lung cancers were examined. PCR was done with consensus primers, capable of detecting HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 52b, and 58. Results. None of the 47 samples contained any of the examined HPV types. Conclusions. Because the squamous and large cell cancer cases were found not to be associated with HPV infection, this study does not support the potential role of these viruses in the development of lung cancers. Cancer 1994; 73:2740–4.