Long-term survival after hormonal therapy for stage D prostatic cancer.

Hormonal therapy occasionally produces long-term survival of men with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate. To identify which patients will benefit for long intervals a retrospective analysis was done on 56 men with stage D carcinoma of the prostate treated between 1963 and 1968. Of this group 5 patients lived longer than 10 years. We were unable to identify clinical or pathologic characteristics that would have indicated which patients would have done well.     

Demonstration of Papillomavirus Antigen in Paraffin Sections of Laryngeal Papillomas

A papillomavirus antigen has been identified in tissue sections of laryngeal papillomata removed at endoscopic operations. The demonstration of the papillomavirus antigen was achieved using the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase test of Sternberger after a broadly cross-reactive rabbit antiserum to the papillomavirus capsid antigen was incubated with the tissue sections. The antigen was detected in specimens from 7 of 15 patients with juvenile-onset laryngeal papillomas, but could not be demonstrated in the specimens from 6 patients with adult-onset papillomas. In all, 73 biopsy specimens from 21 patients were selected for study; 18% (11/61) of the sections from the juvenile-onset patients and 0% (0/12) of the sections from the adult-onset patient specimens exhibited the papillomavirus antigen. The presence of the virus antigen did not correlate with the stage of disease, nor with the duration or severity of the illness. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Desmoid tumor of the larynx complicating pregnancy: a case report

Desmoid tumors are locally invasive fibrous neoplasms that arise from musculoaponeurotic structures. We report the first case of a desmoid tumor of the larynx complicating pregnancy. At 21 weeks' gestation fiberoptic and indirect otolaryngologic examination of the patient's larynx revealed a submucosal tumor involving the left true vocal cord, ventricle of the larynx, and false vocal cord. Histopathologic examination revealed areas of extensive fibrosis intermixed with degenerated vocal cord skeletal muscle. Despite a subtotal excisional biopsy, growth of the desmoid tumor continued during pregnancy. Endoscopic evaluation 9 weeks post partum revealed complete regression of the tumor.     

Streptococcus viridans intra-amniotic infection associated with antecedent cunnilingus

Introduction of bacteria into the amniotic cavity has been associated with oral sex through an ascending infectious route. Previous reports have implicated both Capnocytophaga and Fusobacterium nucleatum via this process. We report a case of Streptococcus viridans intra-amniotic infection occurring at 25 weeks' gestation. Patient questioning revealed a close temporal relationship between the onset of symptoms and previous episodes of cunnilingus. The diagnosis of subclinical bacterial colonization of the amniotic fluid should be considered in patients presenting with preterm labour and no apparent aetiology. A history of recent cunnilingus may be associated with the presence of Streptococcus viridans in the amniotic fluid.     

Enterovesical fistula complicating pregnancy. A case report

BACKGROUND: Enterovesical fistula is a rare cause of recurrent urinary tract infections. This condition is unusual in young people as common etiologies include diverticular disease and cancer. When an enterovesical fistula occurs in women of childbearing age, Crohn's disease is a likely cause. To our knowledge, enterovesical fistula complicating pregnancy has not been reported before. CASE: A pregnant woman with recurrent urinary tract infections was evaluated. Cystoscopy was suggestive of an enterovesical fistula, which was confirmed by charcoaluria following oral charcoal administration. The prenatal course was complicated by two episodes of hemorrhagic cystitis despite antibiotic prophylaxis. The patient had an uncomplicated term spontaneous vaginal delivery. An upper gastrointestinal series performed postpartum was suggestive of Crohn's disease and confirmed an enterovesical fistula. Surgical repair was successfully performed three months following delivery, revealing Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: Enterovesical fistula may be an unusual cause of recurrent urinary tract infections in pregnancy. In this case, enterovesical fistula was the presenting symptom of Crohn's disease.     

v-Ha-ras oncogene insertion: a model for tumor progression of human small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) manifests a range of phenotypes in culture that may be important in understanding its relationship to non-SCLCs and to tumor progression events in patients. Most SCLC-derived cell lines, termed "classic" SCLC lines, have properties similar to SCLC tumors in patients, including high expression of neuroendocrine markers and low c-myc oncogene expression. A significant number of SCLC lines characterized as "biochemical or morphologic variant" SCLC lines have decreased levels of endocrine differentiation markers associated with increased proliferative indices, amplification of the c-myc oncogene, and growth patterns and biochemical markers more typical of non-SCLCs. To delineate further the relationships between these phenotypes and the molecular events involved, we have inserted the v-Ha-ras gene in SCLC cell lines with (biochemical variant) and without (classic) an amplified c-myc gene. These two SCLC subtypes had markedly different phenotypic responses to similar levels of expression of v-Ha-ras RNA. No biochemical or morphologic changes were observed in classic SCLC cells. In contrast, in biochemical variant SCLC cells, v-Ha-ras expression induced features typical of large cell undifferentiated lung carcinoma, including adherent monolayer growth patterns, increased cloning efficiency, increased levels of non-SCLC cell markers, ultrastructural characteristics and an acquired resistance to polyamine depletion typical of large cell carcinoma, but not SCLC, in vitro. Expression of v-Ha-ras in biochemical variant SCLC cells directly demonstrates that important transitions can occur between phenotypes of human lung cancer cells and that these may play a critical role in tumor progression events in patients. The findings provide a model system to study molecular events involved in tumor progression steps within a series of related tumor types.     

On the action of nifedipine under conditions of variable stimulation patterns and [Ca2+]0 in guinea-pig atrium

Summary The effect of nifedipine is studied in perfused isolated guinea-pig left atrium at a temperature of 37° C and a stimulation rate between 60 and 240/min. Rhythmical stimulation at 240/min was interrupted by interposed stimulus intervals (test intervals) in a range of 0.1–4 s. The pressure amplitudes developed during subsequent test contractions rise up to a maximum with increasing test intervals. This time course is described as restitution in contractile response.A preliminary report of this study has already been presented to the 45th meeting of the Deutsche Physiologische Gesellschaft, Wien, September 1975 (Pflügers Arch., Suppl. 359, R24, 1975)     

Nodal activity around Kupffer's vesicle depends on the T-box transcription factors Notail and Spadetail and on Notch signaling.

The node, or its zebrafish equivalent, Kupffers Vesicle (KV), is thought to generate laterality cues through cilia-dependent signaling. An interaction between Nodal ligands and Nodal antagonists around the node/KV is also required. Here we investigate whether loss of Brachyury/Notail or Tbx16/Spadetail disrupts the balance of Nodal ligands (Southpaw) and antagonists (Charon) around Kupffers Vesicle. Reduction of Spadetail or Notail disrupts expression of southpaw in the perinodal domains flanking Kupffers Vesicle. Similar to what was published for Notail, we find Spadetail is also required for expression of charon. We present evidence for the model that Notail has a direct role in regulating the charon promoter. In particular, a flanking genomic region with putative Notail binding sites can drive KV expression of a reporter in a Notail-dependent fashion. This region also contains motifs for CSL/RBP-J/Su(H). Consistent with this, we find charon expression is strongly Notch-dependent whereas perinodal southpaw expression is not.