Assessment of host immune status during progressive growth and after excision of DNA virus (simian virus 40) tumors in hamsters: comparison of tumor-specific and tumor-unrelated parameters of immune responsiveness.

The kinetics of cell-mediated immunity to simian virus 40 (SV40) tumor-specific transplantation antigen (TSTA) were compared to the kinetics of tumor-unrelated parameters of immune responsiveness in the assessment of the immune statuses of inbred MHA/SsLAK hamsters during the course of progressive syngeneic SV40 tumor growth and after tumor excision. With the use of the tumor cell neutralization test in vivo and the macrophage migration inhibition assay in vitro, specific cellular immunity to SV40 TSTA was detected by 4 days after tumor cell inoculation, when the tumor was small. This tumor-specific immune response was no longer detected at 7 days after tumor cell inoculation, when the tumor had reached a mean diameter of 12.5 mm, but it returned by 14 days after surgical excision of the tumor. The patterns of host responsiveness to mitogens in spleen cells derived from tumor-bearing animals or from tumor-excised animals generally showed little or no correlation with the kinetics of tumor-specific cellular immunity. The kinetics of the humoral immune response to murine erythrocytes, as determined by hemagglutination assays, correlated much more closely with the kinetics of tumor-specific immunity than did the responses to mitogens. IgG antibody (T-dependent) responses were more affected by progressive tumor growth than were IgM antibody (T-independent) responses. The data suggest that results of tests with the use of tumor-unrelated parameters of immune responsiveness for the assessment of the immune status of cancer patients should be interpreted with caution.     

Kaposi's sarcoma of the penis.

The 11th case of Kaposi's sarcoma of the glans penis is reported. Aetiology and treatment are discussed and evidence adduced to support a conservative surgical approach by local excision, supplemented if necessary by low dosage irradiation and possibly methotrexate infusion.     

Principal components analysis as an aid to classification of renal dynamic studies

Four hundred renal dynamic studies obtained using ^99mTc-(Sn) DTPA were classified clinically into four classes (normal, pre-renal lesion, intrarenal lesion and urinary tract obstruction). Principal components analysis was then applied to the kidney activity/time curves and yielded good class separation using only three components. The separation of normal and obstructed or damaged kidneys using only the first component was better than that obtained using the calculated mean transit time.     

Clinical manifestations and functional outcomes in children with eosinophilic cystitis

PURPOSE: Eosinophilic cystitis is a rare disorder, with fewer than 30 pediatric cases reported in the literature. We describe our experience with pediatric eosinophilic cystitis during a 20-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four children referred to our institution were subsequently diagnosed with eosinophilic cystitis between 1984 and 2004. A retrospective chart review was performed to assess clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. RESULTS: Mean patient age at presentation was 10.8 years (range 5 to 18) and male-to-female ratio was 3:1. All 4 patients presented with irritative urinary symptoms, including 3 with dysuria and/or gross hematuria and 2 with urinary frequency, lower abdominal pain and/or a concomitant urinary tract infection. Allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, etc) were present in 3 patients, and a formal allergen skin test was positive in 2 of those tested. A bladder mass mimicking malignancy was documented in 2 patients. Three patients had symptom resolution with conservative treatment, while 1 had development of an unremitting tumefactive process that eventually required partial cystectomy and bladder augmentation. CONCLUSIONS: Eosinophilic cystitis is a rare condition with a wide range of clinical manifestations. Children can present with a bladder mass mimicking sarcoma, underscoring the need for biopsy before diagnosis and treatment of a presumed oncological process. The condition usually follows a benign course, although unremitting progression remains a possibility.     

Incidence of herpes zoster, 1997-2002

We estimated age-specific herpes zoster (HZ) incidence rates in the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Health Plan (KPNW) during 1997-2002 and tested for secular trends and differences between residents of two states with different varicella vaccine coverage rates. The cumulative proportions of 2-year-olds vaccinated increased from 35% in 1997 to 85% in 2002 in Oregon, and from 25% in 1997 to 82% in 2002 in Washington. Age-specific HZ incidence rates in KPNW during 1997-2002 were compared with published rates in the Harvard Community Health Plan (HCHP) during 1990-1992. The overall HZ incidence rate in KPNW during 1997-2002 (369/100,000 person-years) was slightly higher than HCHP's 1990-1992 rate when adjusted for age differences. For children 6-14 years old, KPNW's rates (182 for females, 123 for males) were more than three times HCHP's rates (54 for females, 39 for males). This increase appears to be associated with increased exposure of children to oral corticosteroids. The percentage of KPNW children exposed to oral corticosteroids increased from 2.2% in 1991 to 3.6% in 2002. Oregon residents had slightly higher steroid exposure rates during 1997-2002 than Washington residents. There were significant increases in HZ incidence rates in Oregon and Washington during 1997-2002 among children aged 10-17 years, associated with increased exposure to oral steroids.