Serum PSA and PAP measurements discriminating patients with prostate carcinoma from patients with nodular hyperplasia.

Prostatic specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) are the tumor markers for monitoring disease progression or improvement in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma. The clinical utility of PSA and PAP for early detection of prostate adenocarcinoma, however, requires distinction between prostate adenocarcinoma and prostate nodular hyperplasia. The serum PSA and PAP levels were measured in 20 men with histologically proven prostate adenocarcinoma and 28 men with histologically proven prostate nodular hyperplasia. Patients'' blood samples were collected 1 to 7 days prior to the prostate examination, which included a rectal digital examination, transurethral resection, cytoscopy, and prostate biopsy. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of positive and negative results for the discrimination of prostate adenocarcinoma from prostate nodular hyperplasia were 85%, 89%, 85%, and 29%, respectively, for serum PSA (cutoff level: 10 ng/mL) and 40%, 96%, 89%, and 69%, respectively, for serum PAP (cutoff level: 10 ng/mL). Results indicate that marked elevation of serum PSA suggests prostate adenocarcinoma and that serum PSA can discriminate prostate adenocarcinoma from prostate nodular hyperplasia better than serum PAP.     

Mouse hepatitis virus type 4 infection of primary glial cultures from genetically susceptible and resistant mice.

Mouse hepatitis virus type 4 infection of primary glial cultures, which consisted principally of astrocytes (marked by glial fibrillary acidic protein) from encephalitis-susceptible BALB/c or F1 (BALB/c x SJL/J) hybrid mice and resistant SJL/J mice, was studied. Primary neuron cultures from BALB/c and F1 hybrid mice were previously shown to be permissive and were destroyed within 5 days by infection with mouse hepatitis virus type 4, whereas neurons from SJL/J mice were fully resistant. In contrast, in the present study a chronic infection was established and maintained for up to 18 days in glial cultures from all three mouse strains. Infected SJL/J mouse glial cultures produced 10- to 50-fold less infectious virus and showed less cytopathic effect than did cultures from either infected BALB/c or F1 hybrid mice. Cytopathic effect was evident initially in cells from all three strains, and continued virus production occurred in the presence of limited additional cytopathic effect. These results were not due to the production of detectable levels of interferon. This study showed that SJL/J mouse primary glial cultures were permissive for mouse hepatitis virus type 4 infection whereas SJL/J primary neuron cultures were not, and that there was an early lytic phase of infection followed by chronic infection in all three strains.     

Expression of c-myc and c-fms oncogenes in trophoblastic cells in hydatidiform mole and normal human placenta.

AIMS: To compare the expression of c-myc and c-fms proto-oncogenes in the placenta and hydatidiform mole. METHODS: Twelve hydatidiform moles and six induced abortion cases were collected. c-myc and c-fms proto-oncogene expression was analysed by northern blot hybridisation and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The results of northern blot hybridisation analysis showed that c-fms was expressed more strongly in hydatidiform moles compared with normal placenta of similar gestational age. Moreover, c-fms mRNA concentrations increased with more advanced gestational age in moles but not in normal placentas. c-myc expression was very low in hydatidiform moles and normal placentas. Both oncogenes, however, had no direct correlation with the clinical course of the molar pregnancies. CONCLUSION: The difference in c-fms expression between hydatidiform moles and normal placentas suggests that c-fms may have a role in the development of molar pregnancies.     

Psychological screening and the success of donor insemination

In a previous case series, a psychologist‘s rating ofcouples’ emotional adjustment and readiness for donorinsemination was predictive of pregnancy rates. We attemptedto replicate this finding with an extended series of 120 consecutivecouples in which each spouse filled out questionnaires whenevaluated for donor insemination. The Stress and InfertilityQuestionnaire measured specific attitudes and anxieties aboutdonor insemination. The Brief Symptom Inventory assessed psychologicaldistress. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale measured marital happiness.A psychologist used these questionnaires to rate the couple‘soverall adjustment in regard to donor insemination. Those couplesrated as distressed had a session of psychological counselling.Outcome was reviewed at a mean of 20 months after evaluation,with categories of pregnancy, continuing donor insemination,failure to begin the programme, or dropped out. For the 120couples overall, psychological factors did not predict pregnancyoutcome. Younger age of the wife did predict higher pregnancyrates     

Do proficiency test results correlate with the work performance of screeners who screen Papanicolaou smears?

We rescreened Papanicolaou smear slides from 40,245 women, which had been examined by 81 cytology screeners, scored the screeners' work performance, and compared these scores with the results of the screeners' performance on glass slide and computer-based proficiency tests. All diagnoses (i.e., from the proficiency tests, the original slides, and the rescreened slides) were classified in the 4 diagnostic categories specified in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. The rescreening scores were standardized to account for different distributions of abnormalities in the proficiency tests and rescreened slides. We compared a standardized score with the proficiency test scores. Of the cases, 91% were categorized as normal, benign, or reactive changes when rescreened, and 98% of these agreed with the original diagnosis. Sixteen percent of low-grade and 15% of high-grade intraepithelial lesions were classified as normal. The rank correlation between the rescreening scores and both proficiency tests was 0.24 using a scoring scheme for cytotechnologists. The correlation between the rescreening and proficiency testing scores indicates that performance on a 10-slide test gives some indication of the true performance of screeners. The computer-based test shows promise as an alternative to the glass slide test but needs further development and validation.     

The complete sequence of the coding region of the ATM gene reveals similarity to cell cycle regulators in different species

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disorderinvolving cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, radiationsensitivity, and cancer predisposition. A-T heterozygotes aremoderately cancer prone. The A-T gene, designated ATM, was recentlyidentified in our laboratory by positional cloning, and a partialcDNA clone was found to encode a polypeptide with a PI-3 kinasedomain. We report here the molecular cloning of a cDNA contigspanning the complete open reading frame of the ATM gene. Thepredicted protein of 3056 amino acids shows significant sequencesimilarities to several large proteins in yeast, Drosophilaand mammals, all of which share the PI-3 kinase domain. Manyof these proteins are involved in the detection of DNA damageand the control of cell cycle progression. Mutations in theirgenes confer a variety of phenotypes with features similar tothose observed in human A-T cells. The complete sequence ofthe ATM gene product provides useful clues to the function ofthis protein, and furthers understanding of the pleiotropicnature of the A-T mutations.     

Sliding window dual gradient echo (SW-dGRE): T1 and proton resonance frequency (PRF) calibration for temperature imaging in polyacrylamide gel

The aim of the work is to evaluate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) thermometry sequence suitable for targeting of focused ultrasound (FUS) when used in vascular occlusion studies. A sliding window dual gradient echo (SW-dGRE) sequence was used. This sequence has the capability of monitoring both T1 relaxation and phase changes, which vary with temperature. Preliminary work involved quantification of the changes in T1 relaxation time with temperature and obtaining the PRF shift coefficient in polyacrylamide gel as it underwent an exothermic reaction during polymerization (avoiding the use of an external heat source). Temperature changes were visualized using thermal maps acquired with the sequence. For FUS guidance a thermal imaging technique is required with a temporal resolution <5 s, a spatial resolution of approximately 1 mm and a temperature resolution of approximately 5 degrees C. The sequence was optimized to improve the CNR (contrast to noise ratio) and SNR (signal to noise ratio) in the phase and magnitude images respectively. The PRF coefficient obtained for the polyacrylamide gel was -9.98 +/- 0.24 ppb degrees C(-1), whilst deltaT1 and temperature change were related by a proportionality factor, the T1 temperature coefficient, of 102.3 +/- 2.9 ms degrees C(-1). The sequence produces an image at every 1.4 s interval. In both magnitude and phase data, the in-plane resolution is +/- 1.2 mm and the temperature resolution is approximately 2 degrees C. The advantage of this sequence is that the temperature obtained from the magnitude data can be confirmed independently using the phase data and vice versa. Thus the sequence can essentially be crosschecked.     

Detection of highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5 (Eurasian lineage) using NASBA

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) is a technique that allows the rapid amplification of specific regions of nucleic acid obtained from a diverse range of sources. It is especially suitable for amplifying RNA sequences. A NASBA technique has been developed that allows the detection of avian influenza A subtype H5 from allantoic fluid harvested from inoculated chick embryos. The amplified viral RNA is detected by electrochemiluminescence. The NASBA technique described below is rapid and specific for the identification of influenza A subtype H5 viruses of the Eurasian lineage. More importantly, it can be used to distinguish highly pathogenic and low pathogenic strains of the H5 subtype.     

Antineuron specific enolase staining reactions in sarcomas and carcinomas: its lack of neuroendocrine specificity.

A commercially available polyclonal antiserum (Dakopatts) raised against bovine neuron specific enolase (NSE) was reacted with 197 sarcomas, 32 carcinomas, 11 carcinoid tumours and 20 malignant melanomas to assess its specificity for neuroendocrine tumours. All the tumours had been fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. Positive tumour cells were found in two of 11 squamous cell carcinomas, one of 11 adenocarcinomas, 10 of 10 oat cell carcinomas, 11 of 11 carcinoid tumours, 16 of 20 malignant melanomas, four of seven clear cell sarcomas, nine of 25 leiomyosarcomas, four of 22 rhabdomyosarcomas, one of seven angiosarcomas and one of 20 synovial sarcomas.