Effects of type-I and -II interferons on 90K antigen expression in ovarian carcinoma cells

Antigen 90K is produced by several tumor-cell lines and by patients with cancer. Its function has not yet been clarified, although recent reports suggest that it plays a role in the tumor—host relationship—for example by stimulation of natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer-cell activity. Previous studies have indicated that 90K expression may be under the influence of interferon-α. Here, we provide evidence that both interferon-α and -γ can enhance the secretion of 90K and augment the level of specific mRNA expression in 3 ovarian carcinoma cell lines (OVCAR-3, HTB-77 and SKOV-6). However, interferon-γ leads to depletion of cellular 90K whereas interferon-α increases both secreted and cellular 90K levels. In equimolar concentrations, Interferon-α was always superior to interferon-γ in augmenting 90K protein or mRNA levels. Combinations of TNF with interferon-γ were highly synergistic both in reducing cell proliferation and in increasing 90K secretion and mRNA expression. This synergism was seen to a lesser extent with interferon-α.     

Prognostic factors in childhood ependymomas

Between 1975 and 1989, 45 children with newly diagnosed intracranial ependymomas were treated at the authors' institution. Patients were managed with aggressive surgical resection, followed by postoperative CT or MRI scans to evaluate the extent of resection. Most patients received involved-field radiation therapy, however 10 were treated with craniospinal axis irradiation for disseminated disease, or malignant histology. Beginning in 1983, all patients were also treated with adjuvant chemotherapy with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU), vincristine, and cisplatinum. Four patients died in the immediate postoperative period for an operative mortality of 8.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival for the remaining 41 patients was 36%. Tumor location had little effect on survival, as the 5-year PFS for supratentorial tumors was 26%, compared with 40% for the posterior fossa lesions (ns). Neither histologic degree of malignancy, nor use of adjuvant chemotherapy impacted on survival. The extent of surgical resection, as determined by operative reports and postoperative imaging studies, was a major determinant of outcome, as patients with total or near-total resections experienced a 5-year PFS of 60%, compared with 21% for children with partial resection or biopsy (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that the use of adjuvant chemotherapy with CCNU, vincristine, and cisplatinum does not improve progression-free survival in childhood ependymoma, and that the extent of surgical resection is a major determinant of outcome in this disease.     

The Marfan syndrome —analysis of growth and cardiovascular manifestation

Forty-eight children and adolescents (mean age 10.5 years, range 1.25-18 years) with clinical evidence of Marfan syndrome were studied. Height and weight percentiles were established. Cardiac dimensions and morphology were studied by M-mode and 2D-echocardiography. At diagnosis left atrial and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were within normal limits except in a few adolescent patients. Interventricular septum was thickened in about 20% and aortic diameter increased in 56% of the patients. An additional 13% of patients developed aortic dilation during the study period. At diagnosis regression analysis revealed a significant (P less than 0.05) correlation of the aortic diameter, septal thickness and the posterior left ventricular wall thickness and body surface area. Follow up studies of 19 patients allowed documentation of the development of aortic root dilation.     

不育或流产患者抗精子及抗附睾的人单克隆抗体制备

我们用ＥＢ病毒转化法从免疫性不育或流产患者的淋巴细胞中制备了一批抗精子和抗附睾的人单克隆抗体。抗精子抗体与全精子、精子头、精子尾、赤道部或核后部反应；抗附睾抗体与附睾基细胞或纤毛区反应。这些来源于不育患者淋巴细胞的抗体具有抗生育效应的可能性较大，对人体具有副作用的可能性相对较小。其中抗附睾基细胞抗体的作用区段与精子在附睾内成熟的区段相一致，这种抗体对基细胞的功能及其在生殖过程中的作用均有特殊的研究价值。     

肿瘤抑制基因p53在卵巢移行细胞癌中的过度表达

采用单克隆本免疫组化技术，对３２例卵巢称行细胞癌组织进行肿瘤抑制基因Ｐ５３表达的检测，分析Ｐ５３过度表达与卵巢移行细胞癌预后诸因素间的相关性。结果：卵巢移行细胞癌Ｐ５３表达率为４１％。     

Lower levels of urinary 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]-quinoxaline (MeIQx) in humans with higher CYP1A2 activity

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), such as 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline(MeIQx), are metabolically activated by cytochrome P4501A2 (CYP1A2)and N-acetyltransferase (NAT2). We examined the relationshipbetween CYP1A2 and NAT2 activity and the excretion of totalunconjugated MeIQx in 66 healthy subjects. The subjects atea controlled diet for 7 days containing lean ground beef cookedat low temperature. On day 8, they were tested for CYP1A2 andNAT2 activity by caffeine phenotyping. On the evening of day8, subjects consumed lean ground beef cooked at high temperaturecontaining 9.0 ng of MeIQx/g of meat. The subjects ate 3.1–4.0g meat/ kg body wt. Twelve-hour urine samples were collectedand MeIQx was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Using linear regression analyses, we found that higher CYP1A2activity was associated with lower levels of total unconjugatedMeIQx in the urine (P = 0.008) when adjusted for amount of meateaten, while NAT2 activity showed no relationship with the latter.This suggests that a greater percentage of MeIQx is convertedto metabolites such as the N-hydroxy derivative when CYP1A2activity is higher. This finding supports the concept that inter-individualvariation in CYP1A2 activity may be relevant for cancers associatedwith exposure to HAAs.