Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in early and stable phase of the disease: Long-term results of a randomized trial

Abstract: In 1982 the IGCI CLL cooperative group decided to investigate the usefulness of treating, at diagnosis B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in early and stable phase of the disease. From January 1982 to December 1986, 148 patients were randomized either to receive immediate treatment with chlorambucil (CLB) or to defer therapy to the time of progression. The early and stable phase of the disease was defined by a total tumor mass (TTM) score < 9, the absence of anemia or thrombocytopenia and a doubling time > 12 months. The main end-point of the study was survival. At the last evaluation in April 1993, after a median follow-up of 75 months, no significant difference was found in overall survival between early vs. deferred treatment patients from every cause of death as well as from death due to CLL-related causes only. The same results were obtained when the patients in more favorable stages, such as Binet stage A and TTM < 4.5, were considered. Interestingly, the incidence of epithelial cancer was similar in the two groups. Early treatment was associated with a significantly better response and a lower progression rate. From this long-term experience, it can be concluded that immediate chemotherapy with CLB is not beneficial for CLL patients in early and stable phase of the disease in terms of survival.     

肾病患儿免疫细胞对肾小球上皮细胞合成基质的影响

目的为了明确免疫细胞对肾小球上皮细胞（ｇｌｏｍｅｒｕｌａｒｅｐｉｔｈｅｌｉａｌｃｅｌＧＥＣ）合成功能的直接作用。方法应用肾小球细胞体外培养，同位素掺入及放射免疫技术，以总胶原，层粘连蛋白，Ⅲ型前胶原及Ⅳ型胶原的合成为观察指标，动态研究了不同病理类型原发性肾病综合征（ＩＮＳ）患儿外周血单个核细胞（ｐｅｒｉｐｈｅｒａｌｂｌｏｏｄｍｏｎｏｎｕｃｌｅａｒｃｅｌＰＢＭＣ）对ＧＥＣ生物功能的影响。结果（１）肾病极期未经激素治疗组（未治组）ＰＢＭＣ上清明显促进了ＧＥＣ合成层粘连蛋白；（２）未治ＰＢＭＣ上清抑制了ＧＥＣ合成总胶原；（３）未治组ＰＢＭＣ上清促进了Ⅲ型前胶原的合成，而对Ⅳ型胶原的合成无明显影响；（４）肾病患儿ＰＢＭＣ的上述作用与是否足量激素治疗有关，而与尿蛋白能否阴转、肾组织病理类型、肾病临床类型等无直线相关关系。结论原发性肾病患儿循环免疫细胞可影响ＧＥＣ合成细胞外基质的功能。免疫细胞的这种活性可被激素治疗改变。     

育龄期妇女输卵管结扎后上皮细胞超微结构的改变

应用扫描电镜观察9位育龄期妇女正常和结扎后的输卵管上皮。结果表明:在输卵管结扎疤痕两侧各0.5cm处,粘膜上皮细胞的纤毛大量扭曲和粘连,局部上皮纤毛和微绒毛脱落,细胞形态不规则,而在距输卵管结扎疤痕两侧各1.0cm处,上皮细胞的纤毛和微绒毛形态和结构均正常。表明输卵管结扎后上皮的超微结构变化,使卵细胞输送功能丧失,可能是输卵管复通术后不孕的重要原因。因此,施行输卵管复通术时,输卵管疤痕切除的范围应不少于疤痕两侧各0.5cm,以提高输卵管复通率。此外,发现输卵管小孔仅位于输卵管积水处粘膜的分泌细胞间,可能与输卵管浆膜下毛细淋巴管相沟通,与引流输卵管积水有关。在输卵管积水处粘膜的表面纤毛细胞的纤毛大量脱落,微绒毛增生,许多纤毛细胞转变为分泌细胞。提出了形成输卵管积水新的发病机理。     

NCOA5通过调控上皮间质转化促进卵巢癌细胞的侵袭转移能力

目的 研究核受体共激活因子5 (NCOA5)对卵巢癌细胞侵袭和转移能力的作用及分子机制。方法 常规培养卵巢癌细胞株SKOV-3、A2780、OC3、HO-8910和正常卵巢上皮细胞系IOSE80,Western blot检测各细胞中NCOA5蛋白的表达水平。选取高表达NCOA5的卵巢癌细胞SKOV-3 和A2780,各分为si-NC组、si-NCOA5组,并分别转染NC siRNA和NCOA5 siRNA。Boyden实验检测各组细胞侵袭能力,Transwell实验检测各组细胞转移能力,Western blot检测各组细胞上皮间质转（EMT）相关蛋白E-cadherin、N-cadherin、vimentin和Slug蛋白的表达水平。结果 Western blot结果显示NCOA5在卵巢癌细胞中的表达显著上调(P<0.05)。在SKOV-3和A2780细胞中干扰NCOA5的表达均显著抑制卵巢癌细胞侵袭和转移能力 (P<0.05),并促进EMT相关蛋白E-cadherin的表达,抑制细胞中EMT相关蛋白N-cadherin、vimentin和Slug蛋白的表达(P<0.05)。结论 NCOA5促进卵巢癌侵袭转移能力,具有作为卵巢癌新型预后生物标志物和治疗分子靶点的潜力。     

Ovarian sex cord tumor with annular tubules

Summary The clinicopathologic features of three new cases of ovarian sex cord tumors with annular tubules are presented, thereby increasing to 23 the number of the published cases in the world literature. These three observations, along with another one which was previously published, were found in the files of the Institute of Pathology of the University of Lausanne from 1939 to 1978. Forty-seven granulosa cell tumors and eight Sertoli and/or Leydig cell tumors of the ovary were found during the same 40-year period. The patients were 48, 64 and 71 years of age. No sign of the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome was noticed in the three patients. All three tumors caused metrorrhagias as a cardinal sign. They were bulky, unilateral and were formed by solid tissue with cystic spaces. Histologically, the most characteristic pattern consisted of simple and complex tubular structures as described by Scully in 1970. Two patients, in which the mitotic indexes of the tumors were lower than 5 mitoses per 10 HPF, died without evidence of a recurrence 36 and 37 years after surgical ablation of the tumor. The third patient, whose neoplasm featured fewer well differentiated tubular structures than the two previous ones and had a mitotic index of over 70 mitoses per 10 HPF, died from massive abdominal recurrence after 5 years and 5 months.The author thanks Prof. L. Ozzello, Dr. R. Cordey, Dr. R. Dayal, Dr. E. de Meuron, Dr. B. Morand, Dr. L. de Preux, Dr. J. Roggo and Dr. B. Winistorfer for their precious collaboration. The skillful technical assistance of Mrs. S. Burki and Mr. A. Saugy is gratefully acknowledged.     

Differential regulation of cytokine genes in gingival epithelial cells challenged by Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis

IL-8 mRNA in human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) is up-regulated by Fusobacterium nucleatum, and up-/down-regulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis in a complex interaction in the early stages (< or = 4 h) after infection. The mechanisms involved in this regulation in response to F. nucleatum and/or P. gingivalis infection, and identification of co-regulated cytokine genes, are the focus of this investigation. Heat, formalin or protease treatment of F. nucleatum cells attenuated the IL-8 mRNA up-regulation. NF-kappaB, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 and MAPK kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathways were involved in IL-8 mRNA induction by F. nucleatum. Pretreatment of P. gingivalis with heat, formalin or protease enhanced IL-8 mRNA induction. NF-kappaB, MARK p38, and MEK/ERK pathways were also involved in this induction. In contrast, down-regulation of IL-8 mRNA by P. gingivalis involved MEK/ERK, but not NF-kappaB or MAPK p38 pathways. cDNA arrays analysis revealed that mRNA down-regulation by P. gingivalis is a specific reaction that only a number of genes, e.g. IL-1beta, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein-2alpha, and migration inhibitory factor-related protein-14, are affected based on examination of 278 cytokine/receptor genes. These data indicate that F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis trigger specific and differential gene regulation pathways in HGECs.     

IL-18 Receptor Expression on Epithelial Cells is Upregulated by TNF Alpha

IL-18 is a multifunctional cytokine that augments both innate and acquired immunity and potentiates Th1 and Th2 reactions. We studied the expression of IL-18 receptor (IL-18R) on renal and respiratory epithelial cell lines. Both cell lines upregulated IL-18R mRNA and IL-18R membrane expression in response to TNF alpha and other proinflammatory cytokines. The function of IL-18R was confirmed by induction of IL-8 release from epithelial cells in response to recombinant IL-18. Epithelial cells may represent an important target for IL-18, mainly under inflammatory conditions associated with TNF alpha release.     

Interferon Gamma Alters the Phenotype of Rat Thymic Epithelial Cells in Culture and Increases Interleukin-6 Production

Rat thymic epithelial cells (TEC) in long-term culture were characterized by anticytokeratin monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and electron microscopy. Phenotypic analysis performed by a large panel of mAbs showed that the highest percentage of these cells was of the subcapsular/medullary type. Recombinant rat interferon (IFN)-gamma up-regulated class-I and class-II MHC expression by TEC in culture as confirmed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, but did not significantly alter other cell markers. TEC supernatants of IFN-gamma- treated cultures showed higher interleukin-6 (IL-6) activity, compared to the control, as determined by proliferation of the IL-6-sensitive B9-cell line. Increased IL-6 activity was probably not a consequence of increased TEC number in IFN-gammatreated cultures because IFN did not significantly stimulate TEC proliferation in vitro. In contrast, IL-6 significantly stimulated TEC proliferation, indicating that this cytokine is not only a regulatory molecule for T-cell proliferation, but could also be an autocrine growth factor for thymic epithelium.