Ancylostoma caninum: intestinal pigment granules.
Electron microscopy, histochemical, and autoradiographic techniques were employed to study the nature and possible function of the intestinal pigment granules of Ancylostoma caninum. Each pigment granule normally consists of two parts: a core and an outer shell. The core material is extractable by sodium hydroxide, while the shell is resistant. Starvation of the worm resulted in changes of pigment granules. These changes include diffusion of the core material through the porous shell, lamellar formation of the core, and finally degeneration of the core into small particles of 100 to 200 A in diameter. Histochemical studies indicate the presence of a specific protein with incorporated iron. The latter is derived from host hemoglobin, as evidenced by autoradiography.
We report a patient with an overlap of relapsing polychondritis and Behcet disease whose cartilaginous inflammation and genital lesions were refractory to corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, but fully remitted with the tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor, infliximab. We believe this case represents the first report of a response to a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor in a patient with mouth and genital ulcerations with inflamed cartilage syndrome.