Expression and regulation of the Escherichia coli glutamate dehydrogenase gene (gdh) in Rhizobium japonicum

The glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) gene of Escherichia coli was transferred into an ammonium assimilation deficient mutant (Asm-) of Rhizobium japonicum (CJ9) using plasmid pRP301, a broad host range derivative of RP4. Exconjugants capable of growth on ammonia as sole N-source occurred at a frequency of 6.8 X 10(-6). Assimilatory GDH (NADP+) activity was detected in the strain carrying the E. coli gdh gene and the pattern of ammonia assimilation via GDH was similar to that of the Asm+ wild type strain. However, GDH mediated ammonia assimilation was not subject to regulation by L-glutamate. Nitrogenase activity was expressed ex planta in R. japonicum CJ9 harbouring the gdh gene, however, the presence of the gdh gene did not restore symbiotic effectiveness to the CJ9 Asm- strain in nodules. The gdh plasmid was maintained in approximately 90% of the isolates recovered from soybean nodules.

Tripotassium dicitrato-bismuthate tablets v liquid in the treatment of duodenal ulcers

Thirty-five patients with duodenal ulcers were treated with tripotassium dicitrato-bismuthate (TDB) in a double-blind, double-dummy endoscopically controlled trial. Healing rates were comparable in patients treated with either tablet or liquid, 74% and 72% at four weeks and 89% in both groups at eight weeks. It is concluded that the tablet formulation of TDB is as effective as the liquid in the treatment of acute duodenal ulceration.

Long-term results of jejunoileal bypass in the young

Between 1970 and 1975, 16 adolescent patients with a mean age of 17.8 years underwent jejunoileal bypass for exogenous morbid obesity. Their mean preoperative weight was 273.8 lbs. The total weight loss averaged 48 kg per patient. An extended evaluation process was instituted to determine the effectiveness of this procedure. Six of these parameters were the ponderal index (PI), body mass index, Broca's index, the per cent of ideal weight, complications, and diarrhea as a separate complication. A new formula was introduced to interpret weight loss as the percentage of excess pounds lost (PEPL). Three required reestablishment of normal intestinal continuity. There were no deaths in the group. Fifty and 69 per cent experienced excellent weight loss and postoperative PI respectively; excellent results were obtained in 27.5 per cent in both categories. In contrast, 50 per cent had a weight loss less than 100 lbs and 19 per cent a poor PI postoperatively; 13 per cent experienced poor results by both criteria. Linear growth in all patients continued along a normal curve, and their heights were above the mean.

Bronchial rupture as a complication of response to combination chemotherapy in metastatic testicular carcinoma

Chemotherapy for a metastatic germ cell tumor of the testis was complicated by a life-threatening bronchial rupture secondary to lysis of an endobronchial tumor. Subsequent chemotherapy was delayed because of this complication. Other pulmonary complications of chemotherapy-induced tumor lysis, including abscess formation, empyema and pneumothorax, are discussed.

Small cell carcinoma of the lung treated with irradiation and chemotherapy. Autopsy confirmation of long-term disease-free survival

A patient survived clinically disease free for 68 months following combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung. No evidence of tumor was found at autopsy. To our knowledge, this represents the first documentation by autopsy of a greater than five year disease-free survival following treatment of small cell cancer of the lung.

Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide versus hydroxyurea in advanced prostatic cancer. A randomized Southwest Oncology Group study

Over a 24-month period, the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) conducted a randomized prospective chemotherapeutic trial in 158 patients with advanced prostatic cancer. Patients were initially randomized to receive either a combination of Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (AC) or a single agent, hydroxyurea (H), and then crossed over to the other treatment on failure. Of the 137 evaluable patients, 43 (31%) had classically measurable metastatic disease in the lymph nodes, skin, chest, or liver. Focusing their efforts on this subset of patients with measurable disease, the authors of this report found the combination AC to have a superior response rate to the single agent, hydroxyurea. Objective response to AC was seen in 6 of 19 (32%) and in only one of 24 (4%) patients randomized to hydroxyurea (P = 0.06, Fisher's exact test). However, in the larger group of 137 evaluable patients, a survival advantage was not seen for those individuals treated with AC. Failure to demonstrate a survival advantage for an objectively superior drug combination would suggest the need for more active phase II agents in this disease.

Combination chemotherapy for advanced sarcomas of bone and mesothelioma utilizing rubidazone and DTIC: a Southwest Oncology Group Study

Twenty-three patients with disseminated bony sarcoma and 23 patients with malignant mesothelioma were evaluable in a Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) clinical trial utilizing rubidazone and DTIC. One partial remission (PR) was observed in a previously untreated patient with metastatic Ewing's sarcoma. One patient with giant cell tumor of bone had an improvement, short of PR. Thirteen patients with osteogenic sarcoma and 23 with malignant mesothelioma had no response to this combination of drugs. The major toxic effects of therapy included nausea, vomiting, and myelosuppression, especially leukopenia; no cardiac toxicity was noted. We conclude that the combination of rubidazone and DTIC is inactive in bony sarcoma and mesothelioma.

Bovine cystic ovarian disease: hereditary relationships and case study

Cystic ovarian disease (COD) was studied in a closed 300-cow dairy herd, using Dairy Herd Improvement Association and individual health records for a 7-year period (1974-1980). There were 2,112 calvings by 649 cows during the period. Cysts were found in 130 cows. Of the 649 cows that calved, 110 (16.9%) produced at least 1 daughter in which COD developed. Two bulls sired 17.6% of the daughters with COD, which was more than anticipated inasmuch as they sired only 11.6% of all daughters (P less than 0.05). These bulls were removed from the breeding program in an attempt to reduce code in the herd.

Combination chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and BCG immunotherapy in limited small-cell carcinoma of the lung: a Southwest Oncology Group Study

From November 1976 to March 1979 the Southwest Oncology Group treated 298 patients with limited (disease confined to the chest and encompassed by one radiotherapy port) small-cell carcinoma of the lung with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy with or without BCG immunotherapy. Two induction chemotherapy programs were utilized: (1) cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, fluorouracil; or (2) cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine. Patients received 4500 rads of radiation therapy to the bulk primary tumor and 3000 rads to whole brain followed by maintenance chemotherapy. One-half of all the patients were randomized to receive one vial (5 x 10(8)) of high viability Pasteur BCG by scarification technique given on days 8 and 15 of each 21--28 day treatment cycle. Increased granulocytopenia accompanied the addition of BCG immunotherapy. Patients receiving BCG achieved a response rate of 49% vs. those patients not receiving BCG of 44% (P = 0.579). Median response duration was 40 weeks for the BCG arms and 38 weeks for the arms without BCG; survival was no different, 42 weeks for the BCG arms vs. 50 weeks for the arms without BCG. In patients who responded to therapy and survived longer than one year, those who continued to receive BCG therapy demonstrated a slight, yet significant, survival benefit over those patients not receiving BCG (93 weeks vs. 81 weeks, P = 0.03). It appears that BCG immunotherapy has no beneficial effect on response rate, duration of response, or survival in programs using chemotherapy and radiotherapy for control of limited small-cell carcinoma of the lung except in this small group of long-term survivors.

Detection of a serum DNA-binding protein associated with cancer

An accompanying report describes the purification and partial characterization of a unique DNA-binding protein (Mr 64,000; pI 5.9) that is present in human sera. This report gives the results of assays of sera from patients for the bleomycin inhibitor protein (BIP) using the Pseudomonas bacteriophage covalently closed circular DNA fluorescence technique standardized for DNA breakage induced by bleomycin. The results of the BIP assays were expressed by values of specific activity of inhibition. One arbitrary unit of inhibitory activity was defined as equivalent to the amount of serum protein required to cause 50% inhibition of DNA degradation using standard conditions of the DNA breakage assay. The mean values of specific activity of inhibition (SAI) for groups of healthy individuals (n = 26), patients with nonmalignant diseases (n = 33), and patients with malignant diseases (n = 83) were 12.60 +/- 4.69 (S.E.), 12.53 +/- 3.17, and 2.40 +/- 0.84 units/mg, respectively. Mean SAI values for patients with cancers of various types were: solid tumors (n = 46), 2.44 +/- 0.86; leukemias (n = 24), 2.59 +/- 0.96; and lymphomas (n = 18), 2.07 +/- 0.64. The decrease in BIP activity was not correlated with sex, age, or prior chemotherapy. Mean SAI values of male (n = 29) and female (n = 59) patients with cancer were 2.61 +/- 0.87 and 2.30 +/- 0.83 units/mg, respectively. Mean SAI values for different age groups were: 0 to 40 years (n = 21), 2.05 +/- 0.68 units/mg; 41 to 70 years (n = 56), 2.59 +/- 0.68 units/mg; and greater than 70 years (n = 11), 2.12 +/- 0.67 units/mg. Cancer patients with and without prior chemotherapy had mean SAI values of 2.97 +/- 0.85 (n = 23) and 2.20 +/- 0.86 units/mg (n = 65), respectively. Linear regression analysis comparing SAI values and serum protein levels showed no correlation (r = 0.21). These results suggest the decrease of the BIP is associated with malignant disease. Additional controlled studies are required before the significance of this association can be adequately assessed.

Hepatoma presenting as a retro-orbital metastasis

Patients with hepatomas who present primarily with symptoms of metastatic disease are rare. A case is described of a patient whose initial manifestation of disease was related to a retro-orbital mass. The literature concerning orbital metastases is reviewed.

Hepatoma presenting as a retro-orbital metastasis

Patients with hepatomas who present primarily with symptoms of metastatic disease are rare. A case is described of a patient whose initial manifestation of disease was related to a retro-orbital mass. The literature concerning orbital metastases is reviewed.

Cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) in advanced soft tissue and bony sarcomas: a Southwest Oncology Group Study

cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) (DDP), at a dose of 15 mg/m2/day x 5 consecutive days, was administered to 68 evaluable patients with metastatic soft tissue and bony sarcomas. All patients, except one, had received extensive prior chemotherapy and had had progressive disease at the start of the study. Responses observed included one complete response in a patient with mesothelioma and three partial responses in patients with soft tissue sarcomas (7%). No responses were seen in 18 patients with bony sarcomas. Significant leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in less than 20% of evaluable courses, although two patients manifested life-threatening leukopenia (less than 1000 cells/microliter) and three had life-threatening thrombocytopenia (less than 24,000 cells/microliter). Nephrotoxicity was noted in less than 25% of evaluable courses. Nausea and/or vomiting was recorded in 55% of evaluable courses. DDP is considered to be marginally active in the secondary treatment of metastatic sarcomas at this dose and schedule. Further studies of DDP in mesothelioma are indicated.

ACTH-secreting carcinoma of the breast

We report a case of ACTH-secreting carcinoma of the breast. Membrane-bound secretory granules were seen within the cancer cells electron microscopically. Cytoplasmic granules reacting immunochemically to anti-ACTH antisera were seen on light microscopy. Breast cancers have been shown to secrete calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, and norepinephrine in addition to ACTH. This suggests either the presence of neuroendocrine cells in the breast as a source of such neoplasms, as in the lung, or genomic derepression during neoplastic transformation.

Asynchrony of erythroblast maturation induced by riboflavin deficiency

Ultrastructural studies indicate that galactoflavin-induced riboflavin deficiency induces asynchrony of rat erythroblast maturation. During the latter stages of maturation erythroblasts retain significantly larger numbers of ribosomes as compared to control cells. Nucleoli are not evident in erythroblasts whose nuclei indicate cells in the latter stages of development. Membrane whorls develop within the mitochondria of plasma cells, eosinophils and neutrophils during the fifth week of riboflavin deficiency. No further evidence of degeneration was noted among additional cell organelles.

Lack of effect of riboflavin deficiency on vitamin B12-related metabolic pathways and fatty acid synthesis

The neurological sequelae of riboflavin deficiency posed the possibility that this tissue injury was mediated by defective vitamin B12 function due to the requirement for riboflavin-dependent oxidoreductase systems in B12 coenzyme synthesis and function. Studies of the B12-dependent enzymatic reactions (5-methyltetrahydrofolic-homocysteine methyltransferase and methylmalonyl coenzyme A mutase) in a fiboflavin-deficient rat model documented normal B12 activity in liver and neural tissue. In addition, examination of neural lipids and separation and analysis of neural fatty acids failed to reveal the increased odd chain fatty acids characteristically seen in the B12-deficient state. Thus, the neural tissue sequelae of riboflavin deficiency do not appear to relate to B12 coenzyme function.

Oral fluorouracil therapy of hepatoma

Oral fluorouracil was administered weekly to 12 consecutive patients with unresectable hepatoma. Six patients showed an objective response with a significant increase in survival duration compared to nonresponders and to untreated patients. The clinical features of these cases are discussed, along with details of therapy, and possible reasons for the encouraging results noted with this treatment regimen.