Two cases of sleep-disordered breathing in climacteric

Abstract Two cases of sleep disordered-breathing in climacteric were reported. Polysomnography including esophageal pressure (Pes) measurement was performed. Case 1 was diagnosed as upper airway resistance syndrome. Case 2 was diagnosed as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, while many episodes of upper airway resistance also existed. Hormone replacement therapy improved clinical symptoms, and in case 1, Pes nadir was improved but incidence of arousals which was induced by breathing disturbances was not significantly changed. Sleep disordered-breathing should be suspected as a cause of sleep disorder even in females, especially in climacteric age. Pes measurement and evaluation of arousals is required. Hormone replacement therapy may release the upper airway resistance.     

Oil-Depot Type Bleomycin in the Treatment of Malignant Lymphoma in Comparison with Regular Bleomycin

Oil-depot type bleomycin was originally intended to take advantageof not only concentration-dependent action, but also the time-dependentaction of bleomycin to obtain more efficient tumor cell kill.In this study, the effects of oil-depot type bleomycin and regularbleomycin on 81 patients with malignant lymphoma were compared.Both oil-depot type bleomycin and regular bleomycin were equallyeffective against Hodgkin's disease, with a complete remissionrate of 60% (6/10) and 54.5% (6/11), respectively. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in advanced stages responded better tooil-depot type bleomycin [complete remission (CR); 35.2% (6/17)]than to regular bleomycin [CR: 10.5% (2/19)]. In addition, thepatients were more responsive to smaller doses of oil-depottype bleomycin than regular bleomycin. Eleven out of 12 (91.6%)patients who responded to oil-depot type bleomycin, went intocomplete remission before receiving 45 mg in total dosage ofbleomycin, while five out of 10 (50%) patients who respondedto regular bleomycin reached complete remission after 60 mgin total dosage was administered. The toxic manifestations of oil-depot type bleomycin were almostthe same in quality and quantity as regular bleomycin. However,the average total dose of oil-depot type bleomycin used wasalmost half of that of regular bleomycin. ^* Present address: Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Cancer ResearchInstitute, Tokyo, Japan. ^** Present address: National Nagoya Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.     

A Case of Heavy Chain Disease

The symptoms and clinical course in a patient suggested malignantlymphoma who was considered to be the tenth case of heavy chaindisease. Postmortem examination revealed that Hodgkin's diseaseof granulomatous type was the most likely diagnosis. Immunochemicaland pathological findings have been described. And the possibilityof the case being a secondary heavy chain disease was discussed.     

Cyclocytidine-A Phase I Study

Cyclocytidine (2, 2'-0-cyclocytidine) is a synthetic Ara C analogwhich is not deaminated by cytidinc deaminase. Excellent antitumoreffects of this compound against L1210 and other experimentaltumors have been reported recently. Two-to-six milligrams per kilogram weight of cyclocytidine,was injected into 10 patients mainly with hematological tumors. Acute toxic symptoms by cyclocytidine were remarkably less thanthat by Ara C. Peripheral blood cell counts dropped moderatelyand megaloblastosis was detected in all specimens collectedduring the cyclocytidine treatment. No significant biochemicaland biological changes were found. Good partial remission wasobserved in 2 cases of acute leukemia.     

Alteration of esophageal pressure in sleep-disordered breathing

Abstract We investigated the alteration of esophageal pressure (Pes) in 10 patients with upper-airway sleep-disordered breathing (UASDB) and the relationship among Pes, breathing patterns and EEG arousals. Increased negative Pes without apnea or hypopnea, appeared not only in upper airway resistance syndrome but also in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. This phenomenon produced frequent EEG microarousals leading to sleep fragmentation and daytime sleepiness. Moreover, increased negative Pes occasionally continued for more than 20 min without an EEG arousal, which might be considered to be one of the factors to cause complications of UASDB.     

Phase 1 Study of Aclacinomycin A

A phase 1 study of aclacinomycin A was performed in a seriesof 22 patients with incurable malignant tumors. AclacinomycinA was injected intravenously at a dose ranging from 15 to 70mg/m².The toxic reactions encountered were anorexia, nausea, vomiting,leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia, but they were mild and transient.A dose-toxicity relationship was mainly observed in thrombocytopeniaand leukocytopenia. Only the transient T wave depression wasobserved when 40 mg/m² of aclacinomycin A was given intravenously.The highest non-toxic single dose of aclacinomycin A might be70 mg/m².