To understand the origins and function of the human germ cell lineage and to identify germ cell-specific markers we have isolated a human ortholog of the Drosophila gene vasa. The gene was mapped to human chromosome 5q (near the centromere) by radiation hybrid mapping. We show by Northern analysis of fetal and adult tissues that expression of the human VASA gene is restricted to the ovary and testis and is undetectable in somatic tissues. We generated polyclonal antibodies that bind to the VASA protein in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and characterized VASA protein expression in human germ cells at various stages of development. The VASA protein is cytoplasmic and expressed in migratory primordial germ cells in the region of the gonadal ridge. VASA protein is present in fetal and adult gonadal germ cells in both males and females and is most abundant in spermatocytes and mature oocytes. The gene we have isolated is thus a highly specific marker of germ cells and should be useful for studies of human germ cell determination and function.gametogenesis ͉ DEAD box RNA helicase

HBO may act through inhibiting pulmonary iNOS expression to attenuate LPS-induced acute lung injury in septic rats. Furthermore, this HBO attenuation of iNOS expression involves HO-1 induction.

This article is to determine the clinical significance and underlying pathology among patients with atypical glandular cells (AGC) identified during cervical Papanicolau (Pap) smear screening. AGC slides were searched from 51,412 computerized files of the cytology laboratory of Mackay Memorial Hospital during a 29-month period. The results of clinical evaluations were reviewed and an experienced gynecologic cytopathologist who was not involved in the original cytologic diagnosis and was not aware of the clinical results of the follow-up examinations rechecked all AGC slides. We used the z score to determine whether different results were achieved after the gynecologic cytopathologist rechecked the slides. We further analyzed all slides with different cytologic diagnoses and compared results with the histologic diagnoses. Forty-nine cases were initially identified as AGC. Among these, 29 were reviewed and identified as AGC again, and the result of biopsies revealed that they were all chronic cervicitis, ie, negative for malignancy or premalignancy. The other 20 cases were reviewed and diagnosed as non-AGC. Among the results of cytologic examinations, seven had inflammation, two had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), ten had high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and one had adenocarcinoma. The results of histologic diagnosis included eight cases with normal tissue, two with CIN grade 1, eight with high-grade CIN, one with microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma, and one with adenocarcinoma. Histologic results revealed 20.4%1 (10/49) and 50% 1(10/20) at initial cytologic diagnosis of AGC and expert-reviewed non-AGC, respectively, which were finally at least high-grade CIN. According to the gynecologic cytopathologist's diagnosis, 59.2%1 (29/49) of cases would have eliminated unnecessary histologically diagnostic procedures. In conclusion, clinicians should be careful about the significance of the cytologic diagnosis of AGC, because there may actually be an underlying pathology, which can be identified by a pathologist who is an expert in gynecologic cytopathology. The interobserver variation in diagnosing AGC favors specialized training in gynecologic cytopathology. In addition, prompt diagnostic interventions, including colposcopy, endocervical curettage, and/or endometrial biopsy, should be performed after confirmation of the diagnosis of non-AGC by an experienced gynecologic cytopathologist.