Involved field radiation, fractionated total body irradiation, high dose cyclophosphamide, and autologous bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of malignant lymphomas

We report the results of intensive therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in 23 patients with malignant lymphoma (eight Hodgkin's disease and 15 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) who failed primary therapy. All patients had evidence of disease prior to transplant therapy: 10 had never achieved a complete remission and 13 were in relapse. The preparative regimen included involved field radiation followed by fractionated total body irradiation and high dose cyclophosphamide. A complete remission was achieved in 15 patients, 11 of whom continue in unmaintained complete remission from 27 to 72 months after BMT (median follow-up of 52 months). Of the remaining patients, five did not achieve a complete remission and three died of early toxicity. The event-free survival of the entire group is 47%. Disease status at the time of BMT was significantly correlated with patient outcome. The event-free survival of 13 patients in whom there was no objective evidence of tumor growth on conventional dose therapy was 77% compared with only 10% in patients with tumors progressing on conventional dose therapy (p less than 0.002). All six patients transplanted in untreated relapse continue in unmaintained remission, suggesting that debulking chemotherapy may not be necessary before BMT. Alternative approaches are needed in patients whose tumors progress on conventional dose therapy.     

Biochemical characterization of the protective membrane glycoprotein GP46/M-2 of Leishmania amazonensis.

Biochemical features of the immunologically protective, membrane glycoprotein GP46/M-2 of Leishmania amazonensis have been investigated. The protein appears to have a single carbohydrate side chain of approximately 3 kDa, representing 7% of the mass of the mature GP46/M-2 protein. Experiments removing this carbohydrate side chain from GP46/M-2 indicate that the carbohydrate is not involved in the epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody, M-2. As this monoclonal antibody recognizes a species-specific epitope, these data suggest that this determinant is defined by the polypeptide portion of the molecule. Studies employing the VSG-lipase as well as anti-CRD antibody clearly indicate that the molecule is anchored to the surface membrane of the promastigote via a phosphatidylinositol-linked lipid anchor. Neither the carbohydrate side chain nor the lipid anchor appear to be responsible for the apparent refractoriness of this protein to protease digestion, suggesting that properties of the polypeptide itself may be responsible. These data are discussed in terms of recent DNA-derived protein sequence of the GP46/M-2.     

荧光原位杂交技术分析人结肠菌群方法研究

建立荧光原位杂交技术分析人体内结肠菌群的方法。取受试者新鲜粪便 ,选用 5种特异性的 16SrRNA寡核苷酸探针 ,检测粪便样本收集后的保存时间、温度 ,离心条件及样本固定液存放时间对杂交计数结果的影响。结果建立最佳实验条件为 :粪便样本收集后应尽快在 4℃下保存 ,放置时间不要超过 12小时即作处理 ;样本的适宜离心条件为 70 0g 2分钟 ;样本用多聚甲醛固定后在 - 80℃下存放时间不要超过 5个月。该方法具有较好的稳定性 ,可以有效地检出个体之间结肠菌群的差异。