Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-IV as a histochemical marker of differential diagnosis of large cell anaplastic CD30+-lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease

Using histochemical methods, we studied distribution of dipeptidylaminopeptidase-IV (DPP-IV) in tumor cells of 16 patients with non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas (NHL) including B-cell NHL (10 cases), pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma (1 case), CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of T-cell (1 case) and ALCL of null-cell type (4 cases) and of 13 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). The results indicate that tumour cells of pleomorphic T-cell NHL and ALCL of T- and null-cell type showed DPP-IV activity. In contrast, no DPP-IV activity was seen in the tumor cells of B-cell NHL (lymphocytic, centroblastic/centrocytic, centroblastic, immunoblastic), in Berezovsky-Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin's cells of different HD variants. These results demonstrate that difference in DPP-IV activity between tumor cells of ALCL and HD may be diagnostically important for separation of ALCL from HD and moreover may be used in verification of the borderline between HD-like ALCL and ALCL-like HD. It is possible that DPP-IV activity contributes to pathogenesis of ALCL and may determine clinical behaviour of this NHL being involved in autocrine and paracrine regulation of tumor cell growth of ALCL.     

Glucose-6-phosphatase and age: biochemical and histochemical studies

Glucose-6-phosphatase catalyzes the final reactions in both gluconeogenesis and glycolysis. It occurs mainly in glycogenic tissues, such as the liver, where it plays an important role in the synthesis of glucose, a carbohydrate essential for tissue functioning. The effect of age on liver glucose-6-phosphatase activity was evaluated in male Wistar rats treated with mixed function oxidase system (MFO) inducers. The rats were divided into the following age groups: 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 20 and 28 months of age. Glucose-6-phosphatase activity was evaluated biochemically and histochemically. Biochemical glucose-6-phosphatase activity increased up to the 20th month of rat life and then decreased rapidly. A similar tendency was observed in inducer-treated groups, though only dexamethasone stimulated this enzyme activity in all age groups studied. Histochemical glucose-6-phosphatase activity was strongest in the periportal zones. Glucose-6-phosphatase activity decreased significantly at month 8 and then it increased significantly until month 20. In the oldest age group, glucose-6-phosphatase activity decreased again. On histochemical analysis, the inducers used variably affected glucose-6-phosphatase activity.     

Serum tyrosine in children with phenylketonuria and mild hyperphenylalaninemia

Serum tyrosine concentration, Phe/Tyr scores and psychomotor/mental development scores were analysed in 32 children with phenylketonuria (PKU) and 39 with mild hyperphenylalaninaemia. Observation period included the first 6 years of life. Tendency to tyrosine deficiency was observed; stronger in dietary treated PKU patients than in those with mild hyperphenylalaninaemia. Statistically significant differences between patient groups were found only in 3 and 6 years old children (lower tyrosine values in PKU patients). It was observed that evaluation of Phe/Tyr score value might be usefull in differentiation between PKU and mild hyperphenylalaninaemia. Moreover, the above score may help in the evaluation of hypo- and hyperalimentation state in the course of dietary treatment. The level of tyrosine deficiency in the analysed patient groups did not influence their normal intellectual development.     

Phenotypic variability in P. vivax with short- and long-term incubation period

The combined transmission of P. vivax phenotypes was studied. The phenotypes were determined by the duration of a latent parasitic development stage by comparing the intervals from first manifestations of malaria with short- and long-term incubations to its relapse. The study used data on 2493 patients treated with chloroquine (900 mg base for adults) alone at follow-ups in the North-Eastern Delhi (India) in 1988-1992. The combined transmission of P. vivax phenotypes was shown to differ in malaria with short- and long-term incubation. The P. vivax phenotype with manifestations on an average a year following infection in patients with mainly short-term incubation malaria and that with manifestations on an average year and a half after infection in a group of patients with primary long-term incubation malaria were significantly more frequently. Long-term incubation malaria shows simultaneously a larger number of phenotypes than does short-term incubation one. Patients with long-term incubation malaria display a combination of 2 phenotypes (6%) significantly less frequently than that of 3 different phenotypes or more (17%). The similar combinations were observed in the equal number of patients with short-term incubation malaria (7%).     

Sensitivity of malaria mosquito larvae to bacterial insecticides in relation to handling

The conditions for cultivation of malaria mosquito larvae were found to exert a great impact on their sensitivity to bactoculicide. Elevating keeping temperatures for An. sacharovi and An. pulcherrimus by 10-11 degrees C causes 2-4-fold increases in LC50. There are virtually no impacts of larval population during their development or temperature-population density relationships. Ten-fold increases in larval population density under which An. stephensi larvae have been grown result in 3-fold decreases in LC50. There are no impacts of temperatures and temperature-population density relationships either. There are also great larval species-specific differences in their sensitivity to bactoculicide.     

Tanfelam: synthesis, study of ovicidal activity, and acute toxicity

The papers describes the synthesis of N-(2-piperidinoethyl)-N-tosyl-n-anisidine (Tanfelam) which showed a 100% ovicidal activity when tested by the Harada and Mori methods (in vitro inhibited N.brasiliensis hatching and development test). Tanfelam has been transferred for in-depth tests.     

Acarine disease of bees (acariasis) in Poland during 1973 to 1975

Acariasis is on the list B of the Office of International Epizootics. Epizootiological bulletins of the Veterinary Department in the Ministry of Agriculture of Poland were studied and occurrence of acariasis was noted. Acarine disease of bees during 1973 to 1975 in Poland was noted only in some voivodeships. Acariasis was diagnosed every year in voivodeships: Katowice, Kraków, Lublin, Opole, Wroc?aw and Zielona Góra (South Poland).