Active-specific immunotherapy for melanoma

Twenty-five patients with metastatic melanoma were treated with a therapeutic vaccine ("theraccine") consisting of allogeneic melanoma lysates and a novel adjuvant, DETOX (Ribi ImmunoChem Research, Inc, Hamilton, MT). Each patient received 200 antigenic units (20 x 10(6) tumor cell equivalents) subcutaneously on weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Clinical responses included one complete remission, three partial remissions, and a long-term (17-month) stability. Two other patients had mixed responses, with partial remissions of numerous subcutaneous nodules. Sites of responsive disease included primarily the skin, but ileal, breast, and a liver metastasis also responded. Removal of residual lesions in patients with partial remissions, whose other lesions had disappeared during treatment, led to long disease-free survivals. The median duration of remission was 17 months, with four of the five responders alive for at least 24 months after treatment. An increase in precursors of cytolytic T cells (CTLs) correlated with clinical outcome, when complete, partial, and mixed responses and long-term stability were considered. The CTLs recognized melanoma-associated antigens on many cell lines, but not other types of tumor or normal lymphocytes. Skin-test reactivity to melanoma antigens and serum antibodies against the melanoma cells was unrelated to clinical response. Toxicity was minimal, restricted largely to minor soreness at the site of injection. Only five patients, four of whom were treated with repeated courses, developed severe granulomas. These results confirm that active-specific immunization with allogeneic lysates of melanoma administered with the adjuvant DETOX can induce immunity to melanoma, and can induce regressions of disease in a proportion of patients with metastatic disease with little toxicity.     

The Alkaloids of Melodinus acutiflorus. Rhyzicine N-Oxide

From the leaves of MELODINUS ACUTIFLORUS a new alkaloid, rhazicine N-oxide ( 2), and two known compounds, deacetylakuammiline ( 3) and 16- EPI-rhazinaline ( 4) were isolated. The structure of 2 was determined by spectral analysis and chemical correlation with rhazicine ( 1).     

VALUE AND LIMITATIONS OF SINUS NODE FUNCTION TE.ST BY ATRIAL PACING IN SICK SINUS SYNDROME DIAGNOSIS

In order to evaluate the significance of the sinus node function test by transvenous atrial pacing in the diagno,sis of sick sinus syndrome (SSS), sinus node recovery time (SRT), co]rrected sinus node recovery time (CSRT) and total atrio- sinus and sino-atrial conduction time (SACT) are observed in 69 patients including non-SSS group 39 cases and SSS group 30 cases. According to our data, we suggest criteria for sinus node dysfunction as follows. SRT>1,400 ms and/or A-V junctional esca.pe before sinus recovery and;or secondary pause, CSRT>560 ms. total SACT>300 ms. With l item abnormal, the false positive rat.e in the non-SSS group is 7.7c7。 and the false negative rate in the S.SS group 3.30i" with 2 items abnormal, the false positive rate in the non-SSS group Oi and the false negative rate in the SSS grOiup 6.7'70. Atropine test results are compared with that of atrial pacing, 95.8To and 84.2% are compatible with each other in these 2 groups. In order to cut the use of invasive technic to the minimum, we propose performing the atropine test first. Only in those with unexplainable test results should the trial pacing test. be resorted to..     

Human papillomaviruses and papillomatosis lesions of the female lower genital tract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are involved in the development of papillomatosis lesions of the lower female genital tract.Methods: A total of 616 biopsy specimens of genital papillomatous lesions (307 nodular and 309 papular types) from 598 patients were anaylyzed for the presence of HPV DNA sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These specimens were also examined by histopathological assessment for characteristic HPV-associated cytological changes, by immunohistochemical staining for HPV-associated antigen, and by electron microscopy for the presence of virions.Results: HPV DNA sequences were found in 97.9% (140 of 143 cases) and 1.1% (1 of 91 cases) of the nodular and papular papillomatosis cases tested, respectively. In 18 patients who had both types of papillomatosis lesions, HPV DNA was invariably found only in nodular tissues. HPV-associated antigen, koilocytosis, and virions were found in 53.6% (98 of 183 cases), 70.5% (129 of 183 cases), and 5.9% (5 of 85 cases) of nodular papillomatosis lesions tested, respectively.Conclusions: These data suggest that nodular papillomatosis was closely associated with HPV infection, but that papular papillomatosis of the lower female genital tract may have an etiology other than HPV infection.     

Solution of the discrete Plateau problem

We solve a discrete version of the classic Plateau problem, which asks for a minimal surface spanning a given curve. Our algorithm is based on a network-flow formulation that finds minimal slabs, intuitively corresponding to minimal "surfaces" of prescribed thickness. We let the slab thickness approach zero in order to obtain the desired minimal surface.     

Dead-time correction in dynamic radionuclide studies by computer

Several methods for the measurement of dead time and for evaluation of the dependencies required to correct dynamic studies for dead-time losses are described. Two program variants were written to produce time-activity curves in the selected areas of interest of the dynamic studies with computer's correction of dead-time losses; these variants are part of the system of programs for complex processing of scintigraphic studies set up for a Clincom instrument. The first variant performs correction on the basis of the registered count rate in the whole image, while the second variant makes use of the additional reference source positioned on the periphery of the camera visual field.     

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of nucleosides and nucleobases in Ganoderma spp. by HPLC-DAD-MS

A high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) analytical method was developed for detection of the nucleosides and nucleobases in two species of Lingzhi, the dried sporophore of Ganoderma lucidum and G. sinense. The method, combining advantages of both DAD and MS, was successfully used to qualitatively identify for six nucleosides namely, adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, inosine, thymidine, uridine and five nucleobases namely, adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, thymine and uracil in Lingzhi samples. Quantitative analyses showed that uridine was the most abundant nucleoside in these Lingzhi samples and the contents of nine target analytes were found to be different in pileus and stipes of the fruiting bodies and among the different species of G. spp. The established method might apply as an alternative approach for the quality assessment of Lingzhi.