Estradiol increases the production of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in MCF7 and T47D human breast cancer cell lines

alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin (Achy) is an antiprotease of the acute inflammation phase, which is also released by MCF7 human breast cancer cells in culture. Using a fluorimetric assay with the synthetic substrate L-Seryl-L-Tyrosyl-2-N-naphthylamide, we have shown that a medium conditioned by MCF7 cells treated by estradiol inhibits the activity of alpha-chymotrypsin. This inhibition increased when physiological concentrations of estradiol were added to the cells for 2 days. It was due to an increased production of Achy and not to a direct effect of estradiol on alpha-chymotrypsin activity as shown by double immunoprecipitation with an antiserum against human alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. An increased accumulation by estradiol of an antigen located in the cytoplasm of MCF7 cells, which was revealed by immunoperoxidase staining with antibodies to Achy, also indicated that estradiol increased the production of Achy in these cells. Similar immunostaining was observed in a breast cancer tissue. Most of the estrogen regulated 60-68 kDa protein secreted by T47D cells (Chalbos et al. (1982) J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 55, 276-283) was also specifically immunoprecipitated by the antibodies to Achy. Thus, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is the first protein to be identified which is induced by estradiol and secreted by breast cancer cells.     

Skin electrical resistance does not change following infraclavicular block

Peripheral nerve blocks are common and effective means for anesthesia for limb surgery. The evaluation of the success of a peripheral blockade is based on the loss of sensation, with no objective means of detecting a successful block. The autonomic innervation to the upper extremity, which controls both the vascular tone and the activity of sweat glands, is supplied by nerve fibers accompanying the somatic nerve fibers. Previous studies have shown changes in both skin temperature and electrical resistance of the skin following brachial plexus block. We studied 20 patients undergoing hand surgery under infraclavicular brachial plexus block. The electrical resistance of the skin on the palmar aspect of the forearm was continuously recorded on the block arm and on the contralateral arm using a commercial skin resistance monitor. No statistically significant change in the electrical resistance of the skin was observed during 20 minutes after placement of the block. These results strongly suggest that the electrical resistance of the skin cannot be used to predict a successful infraclavicular block.     

Detection of membrane and soluble interleukin-6 receptor in lymphoid malignancies

Summary. We studied the membrane expression of the gp80 chain of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) by quantitative flow cytometry in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and leukaemic centrocytic lymphoma using a panel of seven monoclonal antibodies. IL-6R was detected in 18/26 CLL cases and 4/7 lymphoma cases, with a mean antigen density <3000 molecules/cell. Multiple labelling experiments confirmed the IL-6R expression by neoplastic cells. Specific mRNA was found by RT-PCR in neoplastic cells. A specific ELISA test was designed using two anti-IL-6 receptor MAbs to measure the serum soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R) in CLL (n = 48), B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; n = 40), and monoclonal gammopathy (MG; n = 32). SIL-6R was higher in CLL (170±12.6ng/ml) in NHL (160 ± 12ng/ml) and MG patients (183±23ng/ml) than in age-matched controls (100 ±5.6 ng/ml; P < 0.001) and higher in high-grade than low-grade NHL. No correlation was noted with a previous treatment. Among CLL cases the patients classified as stage B according to the Binet's staging of the disease had the highest sIL-6R values, thus suggesting a link with tumour cell mass.