Antitumor Activity of D-Mannosamine In Vitro: Cytotoxic Effect Produced by Mannosamine in Combination with Free Fatty Acids on Human Leukemia T-Cell Lines

Cytotoxic effects of mannosamine and free fatty acids on humanmalignant T-lymphoid cell lines derived from patients with T-cellleukemia were investigated. The combination of mannosamine andan unsaturated fatty acid (oleate or linoleate) produced morestriking cytotoxic effects on malignant lymphoid cells thanon normal human lymphocytes. The amino sugars glucosamine ormannosamine in the combination caused a synergistic cytotoxiceffect, while the other carbohydrates (N-acetylmannosamine,N-acetylglucosamine, or mannose) had little effect. On the otherhand, the effect of saturated fatty acids (palmitate or stearate)in the same system was nil. An unsaturated fatty acid (oleate)caused an increase in lipid fluidity of the surface membranein MOLT-4 lymphoid cells, which possess higher lipid fluidityin combination with mannosamine, while saturated fatty acidshad no effect on the fluidity properties of the membrane lipids(even in the presence of mannosamine). The relationship betweenmannosamine and unsaturated fatty acids in cytolysis was discussed.     

Analysis of Cell Proliferation in Endoscopically Biopsied Specimens of Stomal Mucosa of the Gastric Remnant

Abstract: Carcinoma of the gastric remnant is thought to occur more commonly in the stomal than in the other areas, particularly following Billroth II surgery (BII). An attempt was made to determine the status of cell kinetics in the gastric remnant using endoscopically biopsied specimens, with assay of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle parameters. Fifty-two partially gastrectomized patients were studied. Significantly higher ODC activity was recognized in the stomal mucosa than in the greater curvature; this difference was especially pronounced for the group of BII patients. The S-phase cell percentage was also significantly higher in the stomal area than in the greater curvature; this was particularly so in the patients who had undergone BII 5 or more years prior to this study. Our results suggest that activation of cell proliferation is present in the stomal area of the gastric remnant following BII surgery. This activation increased with time following surgery. Activation of cell proliferation occurred in association with histological changes in the stomal glands, and may play a role in carcinogenesis within the gastric remnant.     

Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia following In Vitro Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies and with Complement: Analyses for Two Cases of Failure

Two children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receivedautologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) using remissionbone marrow treated in vitro with the monoclonal antibodies,CD24 (BA-1), CD9 (BA-2) and CD 10 (BA-3), and with rabbit complement. In one child with second remission ALL, hematopoietic recoveryafter BMT was prompt but, 81 days after BMT, isolated centralnervous system (CNS) relapse occurred. Bone marrow relapse developedthree months later, and she died 11 months after BMT. In patientswith CNS leukemia prior to BMT, as in the present case, moreintensive pretransplant CNS treatment and/or a conditioningregimen may reduce the risk of relapse. In the other patient, with primary refractory ALL in first remission,marrow reconstitution was slower. The patient developed interstitialpneumonitis with pleural effusion, and died 54 days after BMT.No infectious causes could be detected by culture or from serologicalstudies of the pleural effusion. The rationale for applying autologous BMT to children with secondremission ALL and first remission refractory ALL is discussed.     

'SERONEGATTVE' SJOGREN'S SYNDROME MANIFESTED AS A SUBSET OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

We determined the extent to which chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)patients with sicca symptoms fulfil the diagnostic criteriafor Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). Three sets of diagnosticcriteria for SS, formulated by the Japanese, Europeans and Fox,were used. One-third of the CFS patients with sicca symptomsfulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SS. However, they were‘seronegative’, differing from the ordinary primarySS. KEY WORDS: Chronic fatigue syndrome, Sj