Biomedicine / [publiee pour l'A.A.I.C.I.G.]最新文献

Levels of immunologically reactive insulin (IRI), growth hormone (GH), thyroxine, cortisol and ACTH in sera of patients with various haematological malignancies were determined. IRI and GH levels were increased in 80% of the patients regardless of the type of disease. IRI was more elevated in relapse than in remission. Cytostatic treatment returned IRI serum levels to normal. Thyroxine, ACTH and cortisol in serum were higher in only two percent of the patient with haematological malignancies.

Eleven biopsies from 9 patients with Burkitt's lymphoma were tested for their sensitivity to the cell multiplication inhibitory activity of interferon. Three were resistant to interferon while 8 were sensitive to various degrees. Different biopsies from the same patient did not differ in interferon sensitivity. These results indicate that Burkitt's lymphoma cells might be resistant to interferon already in vivo as previously shown for some derived cell lines tested in vitro. The results imply an inverse relationship between patient survival and interferon sensitivity of the tumor cells.

Bone marrow cells from 4 LPS-immunized rabbits were cultured in liquid media for 10 weeks and anti-LPS direct plaque-forming cells were enumerated periodically. Plaque-forming cells decreased for the first 2-4 weeks then increased without addition of LPS. This increase in the number of plaque-forming cells might be ascribed to the differentiation of committed precursors and/or the proliferation of plaque-forming cells.

In 68 pregnant women, blood samples were obtained at 12, 20, 25, 29, 32 and 36 weeks. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was measured in 10 of them, who developed "pregnancy induced hypertension" ("PIH") and in 10 normal pregnant women, matched with the hypertensive patients for age, parity and body weight. Towards the end of pregnancy, PRA showed a tendency to increase in the "PIH" group, and to decrease in the control group. However, these variations were not statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the two groups, except for the last measurement, obtained at the 36th week of gestation. At this time, PRA was more elevated in the PIH group. We conclude that PRA measurements early in pregnancy are of no value in predicting if women are going to develop PIH.

Tumor cells from five human neoplastic effusions were successfully cloned in soft agar and their sensitivity to anticancer drugs was tested. Three patients were resistant in vitro and were found to be resistant in vivo to the same drugs. Two patients were sensitive in vitro and were found to be sensitive in vivo to the same drugs.

Serum activities of alkaline deoxyribonuclease were assayed in 61 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, 23 with oral keratosis (a possible premalignant lesion), and 48 matched controls. The activity of alkaline deoxyribonuclease was significantly greater in patients with oral cancer than in either those with oral keratosis, or controls. The activities of deoxyribonucleases in keratosis were greater than in controls but not at a significant difference.

A two-step method separating granulocytes and mononuclear cells from a single sample of 10 ml human blood is described. The technique combines a Ficoll-Hypaque treatment and a sedimentation in a Polyvinylic alcohol medium. This method (FHP) is then compared to the Ficoll-Hypaque-Dextran procedure. The FHP method requires approximately 2 h to be carried out and results in the preparation of granulocytes (greater than 99% purity) with high yield (40.7 % +/- 9.1). The cell viability exceeds 95%. Moreover the enzymic and phagocytic properties of polymorphonuclear cells are preserved after isolation. This method is then applied to study the influence of periodate treatment on nonspecific phagocytosis. In contrast with monocytes, we observed no decrease of phagocytic process.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was assayed both in serum (SACE) and in bronchoalveolar fluid lavage (LACE) in 14 healthy controls and in 45 patients with sarcoidosis with mediastinal and pulmonary involvement. Concentration of SACE was 4466 +/- 2202 U x 100 ml-1 (mean +/- SD) in sarcoidosis and 2470 +/- 547 U x 100 ml-1 (chi +/- SD) in sarcoidosis and 2470 +/- 547 U . 100 ml-1 in controls. Concentrations of LACE were 65.2 +/- 48.4 U . 100 ml-1 and 21.1 +/- 14.7 U . 100 ml-1 respectively in sarcoidosis and in controls. These results are in favor of an intraalveolar secretion of ACE in sarcoidosis. LACE could be a better criterium than SACE for the evaluation of the pulmonary activity of sarcoidosis.

The effect of perorally administered tetracycline, chloramphenicol and streptomycin, antibiotics known as inhibitors of protein synthesis, on the iron absorption in mice was examined. Tetracycline caused a marked decrease in iron absorption observed shortly after its administration. On the other hand, both chloramphenicol and streptomycin caused a marked increase in iron absorption. There was no difference between results when bivalent or trivalent iron was given. The possible mechanisms for the explanation of the effect of these antibiotics on iron transfer through the small intestine mucosa are discussed.

The activity of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, a lysosomal enzyme concerned with the degradation of glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides, in plasma, conjunctiva, thigh muscle and kidney cortex of normal Swiss Albino and genetically diabetic KK mice of 20, 40, 70, 180 and 360 days of age was determined. The enzyme activity was significantly lower in the tissues of the KK mice of 180 and/or 360 days of age when compared with age-matched Swiss Albino mice. This lower enzyme activity was considered to be a reflection of the changes in the glycoprotein and basement membrane metabolism of these tissues.