Growth fraction in human brain tumors defined by the monoclonal antibody Ki-67

Summary The monoclonal antibody Ki-67, which reacts with cells in the active part of the cell cycle, was used to evaluate immunocytochemically the growth fraction in 22 primary brain neoplasms. The percentage of labelled cells reflected the histological grade of malignancy of each neoplasms. High percentage of Ki-67-positive cells were observed in one choroid plexus carcinoma (60%), one primary melanoma of meninges (40%), three medulloblastomas (40%–50%), one anaplastic astrocytoma and six glioblastomas (10%–40%). One ependymoma had 7% positive cells. Rare positive cells (1%) were present in one pilocytic astrocytoma and one ganglioglioma. Except one negative case, the meningiomas (five cases) had values of positivity ranging from 1% to 6%. Two acoustic schwannomas were negative. These results suggest that immunocytochemical staining with the Ki-67 may be a useful method for measuring the growth fraction in brain neoplasms.Supported in part by Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro and Ministero Italiano della Pubblica Istruzione     

Narrowband UVB therapy for vitiligo: does the repigmentation last?

BACKGROUND: Since 1997, a number of trials have shown promising results in treating generalized vitiligo with narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) both in adults and children. However, there is little knowledge concerning the duration and permanency of the treatment-induced repigmentation. OBJECTIVE: Our main objective was to perform a follow-up trial of successfully treated patients receiving narrowband UVB for generalized vitiligo. METHODS: We have investigated to what degree the treatment-induced repigmentation remains stable for up to 2 years post-treatment. We performed an initial open trial including 31 patients with generalized vitiligo. They received narrowband UVB thrice weekly for up to 12 months. Patients experiencing > 75% repigmentation were defined responders and were included in the follow-up trial. Responders were followed every 6 months for up to 2 years after cessation of treatment. We observed the pigmentation status and registered any changes indicating loss of pigmentation and relapse. RESULTS: Eleven of the 31 treated patients were included in the follow-up trial. Six patients had relapse and five patients had stable response 24 months after cessation of treatment. Four out of six relapses were within 6 months post-treatment. CONCLUSION: In our study population of 31 patients with generalized vitiligo, five patients (16%) experienced > 75% stable repigmentation 2 years after cessation of a treatment programme of up to 1 years narrowband UVB therapy.     

Ongoing pregnancies after intracytoplasmic injection using cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa

We report two clinical pregnancies occurring after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using cryopreserved spermatozoa obtained from testicular biopsy, made in two different infertility situations in our clinic. The first patient showed a secretory azoospermia associated with elevated serum follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) level and spermiogenesis maturation arrest. The second patient was affected by azoospermia resulting from bilateral epididymal obstruction. Spermatozoa present in the wet preparation of testicular biopsy made on the day of scrotal exploration were cryopreserved within the testicular tissue for both men. Intracytoplasmic injections were performed at a later date, using spermatozoa prepared from frozen-thawed tissues. In each case, three embryos were obtained and transferred in utero. The transfers resulted in a twin pregnancy for the first case, and in a singleton pregnancy for the second. Living foetuses were seen in the ultrasound scan at the 7th week and both pregnancies are proceeding to date beyond 30 weeks without complications.      

Binding potency of paroxetine analogues for the 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake complex.

The in-vitro inhibition constants (Ki) of 14 structural analogues of the potent 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-uptake inhibitor paroxetine were determined to assess the structure-affinity relationship of these derivatives. A goal of these studies was to determine those positions on paroxetine which could be derivatized without significantly decreasing the affinity of the drug for the binding site, so that radiolabels such as [18F]fluoroalkyl groups might be appended for future in-vivo imaging studies of the 5-HT uptake system. Using the methyl moiety as a steric probe for these studies, it was found that the rank order of potency of various methyl-substituted paroxetine analogues for inhibiting the binding of [3H]paroxetine to the 5-HT re-uptake site was: 4'-approximately equal to 3'-approximately equal to 2'- > 2'-approximately equal to 1- > 5'- > 6'-methyl. The in-vitro equipotent molar ratios (EPMR, Ki(analogue)/Ki(paroxetine)) of the analogues were determined, and the EPMRs of the 4'-, 3'-, and 2'-methyl derivatives were 1.9, 2.2 and 2.2, respectively. The 4'- and 2'-fluoromethyl and -fluoroethyl analogues were synthesized, and the EPMRs of the 4'- and 2'-fluoromethyl derivatives were determined to be 2.0 and 3.5, and those of the 4'- and 2'-fluoroethyl analogues were 5.2 and 6.2, respectively. The 2'-fluoromethyl analogue was unstable in aqueous solutions, and it is not a promising ligand for in-vivo studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)