Synergistic effect of recombinant interleukin-2 on the inhibition of growth of adenocarcinoma 755 by mitomycin

The increase in life-span (ILS) of tumor-bearing mice caused by recombinant interleukin-2 (RIL-2) was studied in the solid tumor adenocarcinoma 755 system. With long-term treatment (Days 5-12), RIL-2 (10(5) U/mouse) showed a weak effect (24% ILS), but short-term RIL-2 treatment (Days 5-8 or 9-12) had hardly any effect. Mitomycin, at 2 mg/kg (maximum nontoxic dose), caused 35% ILS with Days 5-8 treatment and only 12% ILS with Days 9-12 treatment. Sequential treatment with mitomycin (Days 5-8) and RIL-2 (Days 9-12) markedly enhanced antitumor activity (88% ILS). This value is significantly greater than that of mitomycin alone or RIL-2 alone (P less than 0.01). Furthermore, mitomycin followed by RIL-2 markedly augmented killing activity of spleen cells that are cytotoxic in vitro. These results indicate that RIL-2 markedly affects the inhibition of growth of a tumor treated with an antitumor agent.     

Malignant lymphoma occurring subsequent to autoimmune disease]

The authors report six cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (3B-cell type, one T-cell type, one non-T non-B cell type, one unclassified type) occurring subsequently to autoimmune diseases. The patients were females aged 43 to 70 (median 61). Rheumatoid arthritis was most frequent as the preceding autoimmune disease, and the intervals from the onset of an autoimmune disease to that of NHL were 10 to 36 years (median 20). Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia was seen in 4 cases, lymphocytopenia in 3 cases, and conversion to negative PPD reaction in 2 cases. Only one patient had been given corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive agents may not contribute much to the development of lymphoma in patients with autoimmune diseases.     

The non immunogenicity of CALLA in leukemic children

The sera from 55 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with active immunotherapy were examined for the presence of antibodies against common ALL antigen (CALLA). A solid phase indirect radioimmunometric assay (IRA) was developed which enabled the detection of anti-CALLA antibody in patients' sera, utilizing the ability of affinity-purified CALLA to bind Ricinus communis agglutinin and anti-CALLA antibody simultaneously. Using IRA, anti-CALLA antibody activity could not be detected in a majority of patients. We concluded that the patients did not raise comparable antibodies against CALLA, indicating this antigen is not immunogenic for ALL patients.     

Lipid analysis of normal dermis and hypertrophic scars

Hypertrophic scars (HS) are a consequence of abnormal wound healing. We examined fatty acids that are contained within, and participate in, every reaction through the membrane; then, we analyzed the percentage composition of the fatty acids in deepithelialized normal dermis (ND) and HS. In vivo HS samples were obtained from six patients undergoing surgical excision, and ND samples from five patients undergoing skin grafting surgery for excess. In vitro, cultured fibroblasts from HS and ND were also analyzed. The percentage composition of fatty acids extracted from all the samples was analyzed. In vivo, arachidonic acid (20:4) was significantly more abundant in HS than in ND, in the phospholipids from both whole tissue and cell membranes. In vitro, there were no significant differences among ND, HS, and 10% fetal calf serum. The results suggest that HS formation does not necessarily involve simple excess of 20:4; however, there are considerable differences in the percentage composition of 20:4 between ND and HS. Arachidonic acid probably participates in the formation and maintenance of HS, whereas in vitro cultured fibroblasts are affected largely by fetal calf serum.     

The infeasibility of using ten-ring irradiated grafts for tracheal allotransplantation even with omentopexy

In our previous study, we demonstrated that high-dose ⁶⁰Co irradiation was able to prevent rejection of canine tracheal allografts. To determine the maximum possible length of these grafts, in the present study we attempted to transplant five-ring and ten-ring tracheal allografts in two groups of five dogs each. Either five or ten rings were excised from donor tracheas and irradiated with 100,000 cGy of ⁶⁰Co. The irradiated tracheal grafts were transplanted to replace either five- or ten-ring sections of the mediastinal tracheas removed from the recipient dogs. The grafts were covered with omental pedicles and no immunosuppressants were used. Graft incorporation was achieved in four of the five dogs in the five-ring group, and three of these dogs survived for more than 700 days. However, four of the five animals in the ten-ring group died from tracheostenosis accompanied by ischemia within 3 weeks. These findings demonstrate the impossibility of performing ten-ring tracheal allotransplantation using irradiated grafts, even with omentopexy.     

Repair of skin defect after extensive resection for penile cancer: report of two cases, and clinical observation of patients with penile cancer at Mie University hospital]

Case 1: A 48-year-old male with stage 4 penile cancer is reported. We used peplomycin (PEP) and cisplatinum (CDDP) for preoperative chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was effective. Radical surgery with bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy was done and skin defect was covered with a skin flap. Case 2: A 61-year-old male with stage 4 penile cancer underwent radical surgery after modified MBD therapy with methotrexate (MTX), PEP and CDDP. Emasculation with skin resection and inguinal and pelvic lymphadenectomy were performed. The skin defect was deep and wide. It was covered with a glacilis myocutaneous skin flap. Distal end of the flap became necrotic. It was covered with tensor fascia lata myocutaneous flap. Seventeen patients with penile cancer were treated between 1972 and 1990 at Mie University Hospital. Nine patients were in stage 1, 4 stage 2, 1 stage 3, 3 stage 4. Treatment consisted of surgery (3), surgery+chemotherapy (10), surgery+chemotherapy+irradiation (2), chemotherapy+irradiation (1), and surgery+irradiation(1). Cancer death was observed in 2 cases (stage 2), 2 patients died of other diseases, 10 are alive, and 3 patients were lost to follow up.     

Clinical study on low body temperature in health subjects

During last year, 931 men aged 51.0 +/- 9.5 years participated in our hospital's 3-day health screening. Their axillary temperature were taken 3 times per day (twice each, at 6:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.) during their 3-day stay and the mean axillary temperature was determined for each subject. In 72 among all subjects, the mean axillary temperature was below 36 degrees C. These 72 subjects were classified as low-temperature individuals with normal temperature below 36 degrees C. This study was designed to compare low-temperature subjects with mean axillary temperature, on various factors, such as age, degree of obesity, liver function, renal function, lipids, electrolytes, and biochemical data (blood glucose, serum amylase, and CPK). This study also included seasonal changes in these low-temperature subjects. The following results were obtained. 1) Age was most closely related to low-axillary temperature, and the degree of obesity (modified Broca-Katsura method) had second significant relation. The low-axillary temperature was in common in subjects over 60 years and was also common in obese subjects, regardless of their age. 2) No seasonal effect was observed with low-temperature subjects. 3) Only the age and the degree of obesity (modified Broca-Katsura method) showed negative correlation independently with the mean axillary temperature. (For age, the correlation coefficient was Y = -0.006539X + 36.491, while for obesity it was Y = -0.004536X + 36.203.) Therefore the older and the more obese the subjects, the lower the mean axillary temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of zinc and other divalent metals on deoxyribonucleic acid binding and hormone-binding activity of human alpha 1 thyroid hormone receptor expressed in Escherichia coli

Full-length human thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 (hTR alpha 1) was expressed in Escherichia coli using a T7 expression system. While present in large amounts, the receptor was highly enriched in the insoluble fraction after cell lysis. We describe here the successful solubilization and refolding of the expressed receptor in a functional form in the presence of Zn2+. Using a DNA-cellulose binding assay and gel shift assay, we found that treatment of expressed receptor with 1 mM EDTA in the denaturing agent (5 M guanidine-HCl) results in the formation of aporeceptor that does not specifically recognize target DNA, while it does retain T3-binding activity. This aporeceptor recovered DNA-binding activity by adding Zn2+ during refolding. Zinc-induced restoration of DNA-binding activity occurred in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, once recovered, this DNA-binding activity persisted without Zn2+, even in the presence of 1 mM EDTA. These data indicate that the hTR alpha 1 molecule has a high affinity for Zn2+, and this metal coordination is essential for proper folding of TR protein into its native active structure.