Presence of serum carbonic anhydrase autoantibodies in patients relapsed after autologous stem cell transplantation indicates an improved prognosis

Here we report patients with Hodgkin's disease and multiple myeloma, who relapsed/progressed after high dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. In patients who developed aplastic anemia type syndrome, spontaneous tumor regression was observed and concomitantly high titers of serum autoantibodies were found. In order to identify the antibody specificity, two-dimensional electrophoresis, blotting and immunoreactions were used to analyze the peripheral blood stem cell extract with autoantibodies containing serum. The unique protein spot visualized exclusively by serum of patients with aplastic anemia type syndrome was identified as carbonic anhydrase I (CA I, accession No. P00915 and Q7M316) by means of mass spectrometry. The specificity of autoantibodies was confirmed by reaction with commercial CAs I, II, IX and XII. Immunoreaction in Western blots with these CA isoforms differed in sera obtained from patients with various types of the disease. Sera of Hodgkin's disease patients reacted with CA I, II and XII; sera of multiple myeloma patients reacted with the CA I, II, XII and IX. Patients developing and/or possessing CA autoantibodies had a significant survival benefit over those who did not develop CA anhydrase autoantibodies. Possible relevance of the presence of CA autoantibodies and clinical outcome is discussed.     

Role of 3′-end of viral genome in tumor heteroinduction by the avian sarcoma virus

Transformation defective virus was derived by restriction endonuclease cleavage from a clone of the avian sarcoma virus Schmidt-Ruppin strain, strongly oncogenic for rats. The transfection experiments of chicken cells by digested proviral DNA gave rise to transformation defective virus. The td virus was possible to recover in vivo in chickens. The tumors obtained after a long latent period contained the sarcoma virus which was able to transform chicken cells in vitro and to induce tumors in chickens. All viruses, parental, td- and recovered were of D subgroup specificity. The tumor induction experiments in rats have shown that the recovery of viral genome deletion in td mutant by cellular sequences was not enough to regain the oncogenicity for rats. The results stressed the importance of 3-end sequences of the virus genome, probably the sequences in C region for heteroinduction ability of the avian sarcoma virus.     

Suppression of the avian sarcoma virus genome in 8-azaquanine-resistant, transformed, hamster cells.

The avian sarcoma virus genome (Schmidt-Ruppin strain) in transformed hamster cells resistant to 8-azaquanine [Ha(SR)AG-50] was strongly suppressed. The suppression was genetically stable and could not be overcome by attempts at induction with 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine. Fusion of hamster cells, which had suppressed virus genome, with chicken Rous-associated virus (RAV-1)-preinfected cells easily rescued the sarcoma virus. The rescued virus had envelope properties of RAV-1, as determined by viral interference, virus neutralization, and plating on genetically resistant chicken cells. By repeatedly cloning the rescued virus, we determined that virus recombined in the rescue experiment and that the recombinant virus had the envelope properties of helper virus used for its rescue. Cells with suppressed avian sarcoma virus genome were suitable for preparation of different recombinant viruses.     

Oncocytic carcinoma of the parotid gland

BACKGROUND: Oncocytic carcinoma is a rare tumor of major salivary glands. Despite being described 5 decades ago, not much is known about these rare tumors. Histochemical or electron microscopic confirmation of the oncocytic nature of the tumor cell is needed for differential diagnosis. The main treatment modality is surgery with or without adjuvant radiotherapy. Malignant oncocytomas have the potential risk of developing distant metastases and demand long term follow-up after therapy. CASE REPORT: A 58-year old man presented with a recurrent mass in the left parotid gland with a prior diagnosis of monomorphic adenoma in the same localization which had been treated by tumor excision in July 2002. Left superficial parotidectomy followed by radiotherapy into tumor bed and upper neck were carried out in September 2004. To date, he has had no evidence of recurrence for 14 months. CONCLUSION: For an accurate approach in the management of patients, oncocytic adenocarcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lesions of the parotid gland, most of which are benign.     

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma with extensive nodular skin metastases: a case report

Skin metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare clinical finding. The most common form of appearance is a few solitary skin nodules. However, massive and extensive nodular dissemination or diffuse dermal lymphatic infiltration is extremely rare. We here present a case of a 40-year-old man with widespread nodular skin metastases from undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.     

Pathogenicity for rats of a strain of chicken sarcoma virus

The RBI rat tumor, induced with cell suspensions from chicken sarcoma B77, is pathogenic for chicks as well as for rats. Cell suspensions from RBI tumors induced sarcomas in 100 percent of inoculated chicks. Cell suspensions of this chicken sarcoma induced early RBA sarcomas in 50 percent of 171 rats. Most of these rats died within 4 weeks after inoculation. The early tumors regressed in 15 of the 85 tumor-bearing rats, and the animals died of cystic hemorrhagic disease. The sarcoma was induced in 9 animals within 50 to 70 days after inoculation, and cystic hemorrhagic disease developed in 117. None of the 171 rats remained free from either tumor or cyst and only 12 survived for 3 months or longer. The tumors induced in rats were transplantable into rats and after transplantation of early-appearing tumors, tumors and cysts developed. Virus strongly infective in chicks was demonstrated by cell-free filtrates and virus preparations from RBI and RBA rat sarcomas induced by chicken sarcoma cells. Cell suspensions from the wall of small cysts induced tumors in chicks and cystic hemorrhagic disease and tumors in rats.     

Modifications of hybridoma technology which improve the yield of monoclonal antibody producing cells

Several modifications at various stages of the standard hybridoma technique were found to increase the yield of monoclonal antibody-producing cells. Lymphocytes obtained from draining lymph nodes of mice immunized over a 10 day period with antigen injected into the foot pads were used for cell fusion. Preincubation of myeloma cells with lymphocytes in the presence of 0.25% polyethylene glycol at 37 degrees C for 90 min increased the yield of antibody-secreting hybrid colonies ten times. The use of conditioned medium from cultivated rat thymocytes ('lymphokines') as a supplement to cultivation medium made it unnecessary to use feeder cells, and increased the growth rate of the hybridomas. No change of the culture fluid was needed during the time which was necessary to grow up the cells to be tested for monoclonal antibody production. By a combination of the described procedures, the time required from the start of immunization to the screening for positive hybridomas was shortened to 23 days.     

Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm: Skin and Bone Marrow Infiltration of Three Cases and the Review of the Literature

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a distinct and rare neoplastic entity and was classified as a subgroup of acute myeloblastic leukemia by the WHO in 2008. The median survival of patients was 15.2 months in a large case series. Allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation has been recommended by some reports because of the disease’s poor prognosis. We present three patients who presented with both skin and bone marrow infiltration. A 57-year-old man, a 62-year-old woman, a 64-year-old man were admitted to our outpatient clinic because of skin lesions. All of the patient’s had bone marrow infiltration with positivity of the CD4, CD56, and CD123 staining. Survival of the patient’s were 42, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Two of the patients who presented as blastic form didn’t respond to any chemotherapy. BPDCN is a difficult disease to diagnosis and manage. CD4, CD56, CD123, CD303, and T cell leukemia/lymphoma 1. Cutaneous lesions can present as isolated nodules, macules, and disseminated macules and nodules. Positivities are crucial to the diagnosis of the disease in histological examination. Bone marrow infiltration or disease relapse at presentation were related to poor prognosis. Complete immunocytochemical staining must be performed for all patients who have cutaneous lesions with or without blood count abnormalities. Bone marrow (allogeneic or autologous) transplantation should be considered at the first remission.     

Antigen capture assay for detection of bovine leukemia virus proteins by monoclonal antibodies.

A capture monoclonal antibody-based assay has been established for detecting the p24 core protein and the gp51 envelope glycoprotein of bovine leukemia virus (BLV). This assay is rapid, highly sensitive and specific. Viral antigens in test samples were identified using mouse monoclonal antibody-coated or microtiter plates by adding labeled monoclonal antibodies with different epitope specificities. The choice of an appropriate epitope specificity for the specificity of monoclonal antibodies was important for optimal performance of the assay. Results of this assay were in agreement with the syncytia induction assay routinely used for detecting BLV production by cells in vitro. The sensitivity of monoclonal antibody assay was 0.5 ng/ml for p24 and 1.25 ng/ml for gp51, respectively. The specificity was demonstrated by immunoblotting. The assay can be performed in a few hours, is simple, and is comparable with more time-consuming assays with regard to sensitivity and specificity.