Soft tissue sarcoma and military service in Vietnam: a case-control study

A case-control study was conducted in men who were of draftable age during the Vietnam conflict to examine the association of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) with military service in Vietnam as well as other host and environmental risk factors. A total of 217 STS cases selected from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology were compared to 599 controls for Vietnam service, occupational and nonoccupational exposure to various chemicals, occupational history, medical history, and life-style (smoking, alcohol, coffee, etc.). Military service information was verified by a review of the patient's military personnel records. Other information was ascertained from a telephone interview with either subjects or their next of kin. Cases and controls were stratified on the basis of the hospital type (civilian, Veterans Administration, and military); the Mantel-Haenszel estimate of the odds ratio (OR), adjusted for the effects of the stratification variable, was calculated. Vietnam veterans in general did not have an increased risk of STS when compared to those men who had never been in Vietnam (OR, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-1.36). Subgroups of Vietnam veterans who had higher estimated opportunities for Agent Orange exposure seemed to be at greater risk of STSs when their counterparts in Vietnam were taken as a reference group. However, this risk was not statistically significant.

Characterization of a B cell-derived growth-enhancing factor produced by a human B cell line established from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

A human B cell line, TKS-1, which was established from the peripheral blood of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, was found to spontaneously produce a factor which enhances the activity of interleukin 1 (IL-1). This factor, designated B cell-derived growth-enhancing factor (BGEF), enhanced IL-1-induced proliferation of peanut agglutinin nonagglutinated thymocytes. BGEF also enhanced IL-1-induced production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) by both thymocytes and a human T cell clone, HSB.2 C5B2. BGEF alone did not induce the production of IL-2. BGEF failed to induce proliferation of the IL-2-dependent T cell clone, and did not enhance its response to IL-2. The activity of BGEF was not blocked by antisera against human IL-1-alpha or human IL-1-beta. Gel filtration analysis revealed that BGEF has a m.w. of 60,000 to 65,000 in its native state. We concluded that BGEF differed from IL-1 and IL-2, but is a novel factor produced by TKS-1 cells. In addition, we found that partially purified B cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis produced factors which enhanced the activity of IL-1.

Characterization of a B cell-derived growth-enhancing factor produced by a human B cell line established from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

A human B cell line, TKS-1, which was established from the peripheral blood of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, was found to spontaneously produce a factor which enhances the activity of interleukin 1 (IL-1). This factor, designated B cell-derived growth-enhancing factor (BGEF), enhanced IL-1-induced proliferation of peanut agglutinin nonagglutinated thymocytes. BGEF also enhanced IL-1-induced production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) by both thymocytes and a human T cell clone, HSB.2 C5B2. BGEF alone did not induce the production of IL-2. BGEF failed to induce proliferation of the IL-2-dependent T cell clone, and did not enhance its response to IL-2. The activity of BGEF was not blocked by antisera against human IL-1-alpha or human IL-1-beta. Gel filtration analysis revealed that BGEF has a m.w. of 60,000 to 65,000 in its native state. We concluded that BGEF differed from IL-1 and IL-2, but is a novel factor produced by TKS-1 cells. In addition, we found that partially purified B cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis produced factors which enhanced the activity of IL-1.

Cerebral blindness and encephalopathy with cyclosporin A toxicity

We observed acute cerebral blindness and encephalopathy complicating cyclosporin A (CyA) toxicity in a 5-year-old transplantation patient. Serum CyA level was 1,704 ng/ml (normal, less than 300 ng/ml). Additional neurologic complications of CyA toxicity will be reviewed.

Aberration of monokine production and monocyte subset in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

We measured the production of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and prostaglandin by adherent cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Compared to normal subjects, IL-1 production in the patients was lower but prostaglandin E1 production was higher. Furthermore, examination of monocyte subsets in patients with SLE using monoclonal anti-monocyte/granulocyte antibodies disclosed abnormal expression of membrane antigens on monocytes. It is speculated that aberration of monocyte function is related to impaired monokine production and that membrane antigens play a role in immunodysregulation in patients with SLE.

Effect of simultaneously ingested milk on phenytoin bioavailability

Adverse gastrointestinal symptoms from milk may reduce the bioavailability of phenytoin. In a prospective crossover study, we studied the effect of simultaneous ingestion of phenytoin and milk in 12 patients with partial epilepsy and no adverse gastrointestinal symptoms. Serum phenytoin levels were measured at the start of the study and after 2 weeks. Patients then switched regimens, and a third phenytoin level was determined 2 weeks later. Serum phenytoin levels were similar for patients taking phenytoin with either milk or water.

Phenytoin binding and renal transplantation

Limited data are available on the effect of renal transplantation on the abnormal phenytoin (PHT) binding found in uremic patients. We studied PHT binding before and after transplantation in eight patients. Return of PHT binding to normal correlated well with recovery of renal function. Correlations with serum albumin and free fatty acid levels were also studied.

[Clinical effects in 1136 cases of Beijing silicon rubber IUD and its effect on the endometrium]

Beijing Silicon Rubber IUD was designed by Xuan Wu Hospital and Beijing Silicon Rubber Manufacturing Research Institute in 1980. Animal experiments of the silicon rubber were done, and toxic effect studied before clinical use. 1136 cases were reported at the end of 12 months by 6 hospitals in Beijing. The followup rate was 93.75%. Life table of 12 months showed the cumulative continuation rate of the IUD was 82.45%, pregnancy rate 4.5%, expulsion rate 8.49%, removal for medical cause 3.9%, and removal for personal reasons 0.64%. Among the side effects, menstrual irregularity was 5.03%, blood discharge 6.35%, dysmenorrhea 11.95%, backache 31.1%, and leucorrhea 18.12%. Menstrual blood loss was measured in 30 cases before and after 1, 2, 3 months of insertion. The mean blood loss before insertion was 51.96 ml (51.71 +or- 15.95), while 1 month after insertion it was 62.9 ml (70.59 +or- 26.81), 2 months after insertion 71 ml, and 3 months after insertion 75 ml. The morphological endometrial change as compared with that by induced stainless steel ring is not much heavier especially in regard to glandular and stromal changes. The endometrial cytologic count of white cells of the IUD group (34 cases) in comparison with that of the control group (36 cases) was about twice as much in number. As Moyer reported, the endometrial cell count of IUD cases was about 6-10 times that of control cases. The authors consider that the cellular reaction of this IUD is not much greater than that of other types of IUDs.

Limits of artificial selection under unbalanced mating systems

The influence of unbalanced mating systems - factorial mating (FM) and random loss of families after a full diallel crossing (RS) - on the ultimate probability of gene fixation (u(Π)) and the time required to fix or lose a gene (t(Π)) are investigated. The average u(Π) of these systems is smaller than that of random mating, and the range of u(Π) for a given initial parental genotype combination is very large (close to one for most initial genotypic combinations). The average u(Π) of different parental genotypic combinations of a given gene frequency are different. These systems accelerate the t(Π).