Phase II evaluation of merbarone in renal cell carcinoma

Summary The Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) studied the response rate and toxicity of merbarone (1,000 mg/m² IV continuous infusion days 1–5, q 21 days) in patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Among 36 eligible patients, there was one partial response for a response rate of 3% (95% C.I. 0.1–15%). There were no mixed responses. There were no treatment related deaths or adverse drug reactions. Significant anemia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia were observed. Mild to moderate degrees of malaise/fatigue/lethargy, dizziness/vertigo, hyperglycemia, creatinine increase, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, pedal edema, dyspnea, and granulocytopenia were noted. Merbarone does not have significant activity as a single agent in advanced renal cell carcinoma.     

Desmoplastic malignant melanoma presenting with orbital involvement

Desmoplastic malignant melanoma (DMM) is a rare variant of spindle cell melanoma. We report a case of DMM of the forehead secondarily involving the orbit. The diagnosis was based on light microscopic features, including prominent peripheral cell nest formation and spindle cell fascicles in densely collagenous stroma. Immunohistochemical studies showed strong uniform staining for S100 antigen throughout the tumour. It was negative for HMB 45, smooth muscle actin, desmin, cytokeratins and Type IV collagen. Electron microscopy showed neither melanosomes nor myelin figures. The clinical and histological characteristics of desmoplastic malignant melanoma, and its differential diagnosis of malignant schwannoma, are discussed. DMM has a poor prognosis, since it tends to invade deeply, recur locally and metastasise readily.     

大气中不同粒径颗粒物诱导人羊膜FL细胞UDS的研究

本研究以诱导人羊膜细胞ＵＤＳ为指标，对太原市大气不同粒径的颗粒物提取液进行了致突变性检验，结果表明，不同粒径颗粒物的提取液均可产生一定的遗传毒性，尤以３．３μｍ以下的颗粒物的遗传毒性较强。     

饮用淦河温泉下游河水对儿童健康的影响

长期饮用淦河温泉下游河水可使儿童头发中硒与硫的含量高出正常（指饮用自来水的）儿童约４倍，呈现高硫高硒体征，此体征儿童心率较慢，窦性心率不齐者增多，心房去极电位升高，心室去极和复极电位下降，Ｓ－Ｔ段移位例数和移位幅度均增加，心电图中的这些变化均在允许范围之内，但有些已接近病理边缘。红细胞数和血红蛋白量均略低于正常儿童。     

Human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells express functional corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors

In human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) produces a marked and rapid increase of adenylate cyclase activity. The concentration of the peptide producing half-maximal stimulation is 60 nM. The effect of CRH is significantly antagonized by the specific CRH receptor antagonist alpha-helical CHR 9-41 and is mimicked by sauvagine and urotensin I, two peptides displaying sequence homology with CRH. These results demonstrate the presence of functional CRH receptors in human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells and suggest that this cell line may be a suitable model in which to study the action of CRH on human retinal cell function.     

No evidence for an altered mRNA expression or protein level of haematopoietic cell phosphatase in CD34+ bone marrow progenitor cells or mature peripheral blood cells in polycythaemia vera

Abstract: Polycythaemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by haematopoietic progenitor cells being hypersensitive to cytokines such as erythropoietin, interleukin-3, stem cell factor and insulin-like growth factor 1, which results in an increased production of mature blood cells. The pathogenetic cellular mechanism(s) behind this hypersensitivity to cytokines is unknown, but the number of cytokine receptors and the interaction between ligand and receptor are normal in PV. Interest has therefore focused on post-receptor mechanism(s). Haematopoietic cell phosphatase (HCP) is an intracellular tyrosine phosphatase that has been demonstrated to regulate proliferative signals negatively induced by the cytokines mentioned above. Moreover, motheaten mice that genetically lack HCP have an increased amount of erythroid progenitors that are hypersensitive to Epo, and patients with familial polycythaemia have been shown to exhibit a mutation of the Epo receptor gene that includes the docking site for HCP. We therefore studied mRNA expression of HCP in pure populations of CD34⁺ cells, granulocytes, platelets and lymphocytes from patients with PV, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) or essential thrombocythemia (ET), as well as healthy controls. Using a polymerase chain reaction analysis employing specific primers for HCP, we failed to detect any abnormalities of HCP expression in PV in any of the cell populations that were examined. Moreover, HCP mRNA expression was similar in ET and CML compared to controls. Finally, Western blot analysis revealed a normal HCP protein content in PV granulocytes and platelets. We therefore conclude that neither an impaired expression of the HCP gene nor a defect in HCP protein synthesis is present in PV, and does not seem to play a role in the aetiology of this disorder.     

P53基因突变、人乳头瘤病毒16，18型感染与肺鳞癌发病的关系

应用单链构象多态性分析多聚酶链反应ＥＢ染色法（ＰＣＲ－ＳＳＣＰ－ＥＢ）对４０例肺癌组织标本的Ｐ５３基因序列５～８外显子突变进行分析，同时应用ＰＣＲ方法检测上述标本及１８例肺良性疾病组织标本中ＨＰＶ１６、１８型ＤＮＡ相关序列，旨在分析二者在肺鳞癌发病中的作用及相互关系，并就肺鳞癌与Ｐ５３基因结构和功能异常的关系进行初步探讨。     

Anti-Oxidative Therapy with Oral Dapsone Improved HCV Antibody Positive Annular Elastolytic Giant Cell Granuloma

A 72-year-old fisherman who was positive for the HCV antibody developed an annular, erythematous, infiltrated lesions on sun-exposed areas. The lesions were diagnosed as annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma both clinically and histologically. Topical corticosteroid and cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen for several months failed to improve the lesions. We then started dapsone, a known anti-oxidant, at 50 mg/day. A month later, the margins of the erythematous lesions faded, and the infiltration gradually decreased. No recurrence has been observed for one year after the start of the therapy. Anti-oxidative therapy appears to be effective for annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma and could be an alternate therapy for refractory granulomatous disease.     

子宫颈上皮不典型增生与宫颈癌细胞超微结构的观察比较

光镜和电镜观察慢性宫颈炎上皮不典型增生42例,宫颈癌21例,正常对照7例。上皮不典型增生之一是位于深部的储备细胞增生,细胞的核质比大,细胞器少,分化较低。鳞状上皮不典型增生细胞特点是核质比增大,核形不整,核膜内陷,细胞器增多,桥粒和张力原纤维减少。鳞癌细胞的核质比更大,核膜内褶深,细胞器更多,桥粒和张力原纤维很少或消失,分化低的癌细胞尤明显。粘液性腺癌腺上皮深部可见储备细胞转化的癌细胞。     

高原地区小儿病毒性心肌炎T细胞亚群检测及临床意义

本文对２８例小儿病毒性心肌炎患者进行了Ｔ细胞检测，发现患儿外周血Ｔ细胞亚群有明显改变。提示：小儿病毒性心肌炎患者均有不同程度的一过性细胞免疫功能低下。而体液免疫功能正常，我们在临床给与一般治疗的同时，佐以胸腺因子治疗，明显改善症状，取得良好疗效。