Development and characterization of a monoclonal antibody to human embryonal carcinoma

A monoclonal anti-testicular carcinoma antibody was obtained via the somatic cell fusion technique by immunization of BALB/c mice with freshly prepared single cell suspension from a patient with testicular embryonal carcinoma with choriocarcinoma components. The hybridoma supernates were screened against the testicular carcinoma cells used in the immunization as well as normal mononuclear white blood cells isolated from the same patient. An antibody (5F9) was selected which bound to fresh tumor cells from two patients with embryonal testicular carcinoma and failed to bind to fresh tumor cells from 24 patients (2 seminoma, 2 melanoma, 3 neck, 2 esophageal, 1 ovarian, 3 colon, 1 prostate, 2 breast, 1 liposarcoma, 3 endometrial, 1 kidney, 1 adrenal, 1 larynx and 1 bladder tumors) or cell suspensions prepared from normal liver, lung, spleen, ovary, testes, kidney, red blood cells or white blood cells. The antibody was tested for its binding to several well established cancer cell lines, and was found to bind to the BeWo human choriocarcinoma and two human embryonal carcinoma cell lines. The antibody did not react with 22 other cell lines or with hCG. The antibody was labeled with 131I and injected into nude mice bearing BeWo tumors and evaluated for tumor localization by performing whole body scans with a gamma camera 5 days later. Six mice injected with the antibody showed positive tumor localization without the need for background subtraction while six mice injected with MOPC-21, a murine myeloma immunoglobulin, demonstrated much less tumor localization. Tissue distribution studies performed after scanning showed specific tumor localization (8:1 tumor: muscle) for the monoclonal antibody and no specific localization for MOPC-21. This antibody thus has selective reactivity with the surface of tumor cells from embryonal carcinoma (testicle) and choriocarcinoma both in vitro and in vivo.     

Systemic necrotizing vasculitis associated with childhood sarcoidosis

Childhood sarcoidosis is a rare disorder with protean manifestations. The case of a child with prolonged fever, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, and systemic necrotizing vasculitis manifesting as fever, rash and skin infarctions, digital pregangrene, and foot drop is reported. This is the first case of systemic necrotizing vasculitis reported in sarcoidosis. The fulminant course of the disease required treatment with intravenous pulsed cyclophosphamide and high doses of corticosteroids. The spectrum of vasculitis in childhood and adult sarcoidosis is reviewed.     

INTERFERONS IN ONCOLOGY

SUMMARY The interferons are natural glycoproteins secreted in response to various stimuli, including viral infection. They have antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects on different target cell populations. Since recombinant human interferons have become available, they have been tested in a wide range of malignancies. They are well established in the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia, chronic myelogenous leukaemia and multiple myeloma. Although they have documented activity against lymphoma, melanoma, renal cell cancer and carcinoid tumours, their role in the treatment of these tumours is less clear. In the common solid tumours, such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer, the use of interferons remains experimental. Here we will summarise their practice applications in oncology, using randomised studies where available to establish their place in multi-modality treatment. We will not discuss their use as antiviral or immunomodulating agents in viral and autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis or after organ transplantation.     

Albumin adsorption on alkyl chain derivatized polyurethanes. II. The effect of alkyl chain length

Linear alkyl chains containing 2, 10 and 18 carbon atoms were grafted to 10% of the urethane nitrogens in a polyether-polyurethane. The polyurethane was synthesized from methylene bis(p-phenyl isocyanate), 1,4-butanediol, and polytetramethylene oxide of 1000 molecular weight in a molar ratio of 3/2/1. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance optics were used to study the adsorption of 5.0 mg/ml human serum albumin (HSA) at 37 degrees C to the derivatized and non-derivatized polymers. Both delipidized HSA and HSA containing 6.5 mol stearic acid per mol of albumin were used to study the effect of chain length upon the initial adsorption rate, the total amount adsorbed in 1 h, and the desorption rate. The initial adsorption rates revealed that non-specific adsorption was similar upon all four polymers. An increase in initial adsorption rate upon the C-18 derivatized polymer was attributed to a specific binding interaction between the HSA and the grafted alkyl chains. The conformational stability of the HSA also affected the adsorption rate. The total amount adsorbed after 1 h decreased as the alkyl chain length increased from 2 to 18 methylene groups. The desorption rate decreased in magnitude as the alkyl chain length increased from C-2 to C-18. These results support a hypothesis that alkyl chain length influences the interaction between albumin and an alkylated polymer system.