Body weight and ABO blood types: Are AB females heavier?

Four samples from widely separated and culturally distinct populations—U.S. college students, Mennonites, Egyptian villagers, and Brazilian migrants—are examined for evidence of a relationship between ABO blood type and body weight. Overall, the results do not support the existence of such a relationship, although they do offer further support to the possibility that females of AB blood type are consistently the heaviest phenotype. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Identification and characterization of a differentiation-specific antigen on normal and malignant murine erythroid cells

Rauscher murine erythroleukemia cells grow continuously in vitro and undergo terminal differentiation in response to the physiological inducer erythropoietin. In the course of this developmental process they express many erythroid-specific markers. In order to investigate the expression of cell surface determinants during Rauscher cell differentiation we generated monoclonal antibodies to uninduced cells. Using an anti-Rauscher cell monoclonal antibody, we have identified a cell surface determinant, designated ERY-1, that is present on normal murine erythroid cells. This determinant is apparently absent from the early progenitor BFU-E, but is present on the more mature progenitors CFU-E and CFC-E. It disappears during erythroid maturation and is absent from the mature erythrocyte. This pattern of ERY-1 expression is exhibited with remarkable fidelity during the erythropoietin-induced differentiation of Rauscher cells. Such differentiation-specific expression of the ERY-1 determinant suggests that it may play a functional role in erythropoiesis.     

Phase II evaluation of diaziquone (CI-904, AZQ) in the treatment of human malignant glioma

Summary Diaziquone, a new alkylating agent which crosses the blood brain barrier, has shown a 20% response rate in phase II studies in heavily pretreated patients. We have treated 23 patients at our institution as part of a multicentric phase II European trial of diaziquone. All had histologically proven malignant glioma unequivocally progressing on CT scan. Prior therapy had consisted of surgical excision (13 patients), cobalt radiotherapy to CNS (13 patients), and chemotherapy with nitrosourea derivatives (11 patients). Six patients had no prior therapy. Median age was 42 years (range 22–69) and performance status was 3+ or better. They were treated with monthly courses of diaziquone 5.5 mg/m² I.V. (10 min.) × 5 days. Dosage adjustments were made according to leucocyte and platelet nadirs. Thrombocytopenia was the dose limiting toxicity. Very mild gastrointestinal toxicity was observed. One patient developed hemolytic anemia. One complete response (clinical and CT scan), 7 partial clinical responses (3: > 50%, 4: 25–50%), and 1 disease stabilization (<25%) were documented. The longest response has now lasted over 26 months. These preliminary results show that chemotherapy with diaziquone can achieve a response rate as high as 35% in malignant glioma even in patients previously treated with a chemotherapy regimen including a nitrosourea (four of the seven objective responses were seen in such patients). Diaziquone is well tolerated and deserves further study in the management of malignant glioma. Address for offprints: Dr J Maral, Medical Oncology Service, Hôpital de la Salpetriere, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France