Postoperative cancer therapy for patients with carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus: an attempt of aggressive chemotherapy combined with proper nutritional support for patients with distant node metastasis

The prognosis of patients with advanced thoracic esophageal carcinoma is still poor. In general, patients having distant lymph-node metastasis do not survive for more than 3 years. Therefore, a new therapeutic regimen employing aggressive chemotherapy for these patients has been attempted. In this regimen, three kinds of anticancer drugs Pepleomycin, and twice as much as Adriamycin and Mitomycin of the conventional level for a short period of time are used. Eleven cases were treated with this chemotherapy under active enteral and parenteral nutritional support of 45 to 50 kcal/kg daily. Two patients over 70 years of age died of pneumonitis. Four patients with recurrence of cancer in the lungs, liver and cervical nodes died after 10, 12, 13 and 14 months following surgery, respectively. Five patients have been alive for more than 2 years. These results indicate that this therapy is more effective than other conventional therapies. It has been shown that aggressive chemotherapy combined with proper nutritional support is effective for patients with node metastasis.

Simple daily technique to calculate total and interim changes of daily O2 consumption and CO2 production in premature infants

A simple method to calculate oxygen consumption (VO2) and CO2 production (VCO2) over a 24-h period is described. VO2 and VCO2 were measured using flow-through technique and the total VO2 and VCO2 over a given period of time were determined from the area under the O2 and CO2 concentration-time curve of the mixed expired gas. The system was tested in vitro by burning 100% ethyl alcohol. The average error between measured and theoretical values for VO2 was 4.9% and for VCO2 was 4.7%. With a flow rate greater than 5340 ml/min through the system, the correlation coefficient between theoretical VO2 or VCO2 and measured VO2 or VCO2 was 0.99. The method was tested in vivo in 5 premature infants who were nursed under neutral thermal environment and received routine medical care. The results indicate that this simple method can be used to study the total and interim changes of daily VO2 and VCO2 in infants during their ongoing nursery care.

Cloning of adeno-associated virus into pBR322: rescue of intact virus from the recombinant plasmid in human cells

We have cloned intact duplex adeno-associated virus (AAV) DNA into the bacterial plasmid pBR322. The AAV genome could be rescued from the recombinant plasmid by transfection of the plasmid DNA into human cells with adenovirus 5 as helper. The efficiency of rescue from the plasmid was sufficiently high to produce yields of AAV DNA comparable to those observed after transfection with equal amounts of purified virion DNA. Thus, the recombinant plasmid itself may be a model for studying the rescue of a latent AAV viral infection. In addition, the efficient rescue of viable AAV from the recombinant plasmid should facilitate the genetic analysis of AAV. Finally, the results of an analysis of the DNA from rescued virions indicate that an inversion of the AAV terminal sequences occurred during replication.

Spontaneous antibody-secreting human blood lymphocytes detected with a protein A plaque assay

Spontaneous antibody-secreting lymphocytes in human peripheral blood were detected and counted by a protein A plaque assay. The level of plaque-forming cells (PFC) in peripheral blood was significantly higher in patients with immune disorders (per 10(6) lymphocytes: IgG PFC, 2,654 +/- 684; IgA PFC, 1,727 +/- 327; IgM PFC, 403 +/- 92) than in normal controls (per 10(6) lymphocytes: IgG PFC, 327 +/- 56; IgA PFC 633 +/- 128; IgM PFC, 215 +/- 105). There was no direct correlation between the PFC numbers of different Ig classes.

On a new continuous cell line (TM-1) derived from malignant melanoma

A continuous cell line of malignant melanoma has been established. The tumor specimen was obtained from a left axillary lymph node of a malignant melanoma originating in the abdominal skin of a 67-year-old woman. The cell line has been designated TM-1. Explant specimens showed positive dopa staining, but after 2 years and 4 months, or 60 generations of cell passage, the dopa staining is now weakly positive. Treatment with DBcAMP that causes marked morphological changes induces melanin production and lowers the proliferative ability of the cells. These changes were reversible. Transplantation of the cells to nude mice resulted in the formation of large tumors consisting of epithelioid cells and spindle cells. Morphologically, the majority of the cell population in vitro was polygonal epithelioid cells, but the cell passage produced a large number of spindle cells. The shape of the TM-1 cells was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Depending upon the culture conditions, either of these cell types could be predominated, indicating that both cells are of the same origin.

Identification of T-lymphocytes in human renal allografts and urine by the fluorescent antibody technique using anti-human T-lymphocyte serum (AHTS)

Immunopathological investigations of the small round cells infiltrating into the tissues of human renal allografts and also those in urinary sediments were performed, using anti-human T-lymphocyte serum (AHTS). AHTS made from ALS is highly specific for T cells, but not for B cells. Tissues obtained by needle biopsy were examined by immunofluorescent staining and conventional histopathological methods. Urinary sediments were obtained from centrifugated fresh urine. Sediments were checked by immunofluorescent and Giemsa staining. Fluorescent positive cells were seen in the interstitial tissues and occasionally in renal glomeruli. Clustered cell-debris in the lumen of renal tubules was also stained by AHTS. In the urinary sediments, about a half of the lymphoic cells were stained by AHTS. The relationship between lymphocyturia and numerous infiltrating cells in the grafts during the rejection crisis has not been clarified. In this experiments, we tried to identify the detailed process of excretion of T cells to urine from renal tissues, using immunopathological methods.

Reactive lymphocyte blastogenesis in canine renal transplantation

Reactive lymphocyte blastogenesis was investigated by 3H-thymidine uptake of peripheral lymphocytes. Canine renal allotransplantations were performed in 19 dogs, which were divided into three groups by different immunosuppressive therapies. The first group, not treated with any immunosuppressants, showed the highest 3H-thymidine uptake, but the third group, treated with prednisolone (1.5 mg/kg/day) and azathioprine (4 mg/kg/day), did not show remarkable 3H-thymidine uptake except for 2 dogs which died of severe acute rejection. Single use of prednisolone (second group) was less effective in suppression of blastogenesis compared with the combined use of azathioprine and prednisolone. In addition to these experiments, the effects of surgical operation, blood transfusion, and infection on lymphocyte blastogenesis were investigated. Renal autotransplantation did not produce remarkable blastogenesis, but blood transfusion and infection caused strong lymphocyte blastogenesis. Periodical increases of 3H-thymidine uptake were observed in the infected animal.

Quantitative studies o the activities of anti-human tonsil sera and anti-human spleen sera against B lymphocyte

Anti-human B lymphocyte serum (AHBS) was obtained by absorbing rabbit anti-human tonsil serum (ATOS) or rabbit anti-human spleen serum (ASPS) with human red cells, liver, neutrophils, thymocytes and glutaraldehyde insolubilized human serum. Specificities of AHBS were checked by the cytotoxicity test, inhibition test of EAC-rosetting and inhibition of PWM responses. Raji cells of Burkitt's lymphoma originating from B-cells and acknowledged as non-immunoglobulin bearing on the cell surface were stained with AHBS according to the immunofluorescent technique. ATOS showed a higher cytotoxic titer against peripheral B-cells and inhibited EAC-rosetting stronger than ASPS did. On the other hand, macrophages in peripheral blood, Kupffer cells in the liver and certain cells of the thymus-medulla were stained with ASPA, but not with ATOS, even after intensively absorbing ASPS with thymocytes.

Some properties of rabbit anti-human thymus serum

A highly specific anti-human T lymphocyte serum (AHTS) was obtained by sequentially absorbing rabbit anti-human thymocyte serum (ATS) with human red cells, neutrophils, Burkitt's lymphoma cells (Daudi cells), liver, kidney and glutaraldehyde insolubilized human serum. The immunofluorescent staining revealed that the basement membrane of human renal glomeruli reacts with AHTS before being absorbed with kidney. Specificities of AHTS were studied by the cytotoxicity test, inhibition of PHA responses, inhibition of E-resulting and immunofluorescent staining.

The effect of oxisuran on differential inhibition of cell-mediated immunity

Oxisuran, 2-[(methylsulfinyl) acetyl] pyridine suppressed allogeneic skin graft rejection in rats. In PHA responses and one way mixed lymphocyte culture, suppression of cell-mediated immunity was indicated. However, little inhibition of PFCs was observed with Oxisuran, and unlike Azathioprine or Neocarzinostatin, Oxisuran did not concomitantly suppress antibody-producing system in rats. These data suggest that selective suppression of cell-mediated immunological responses by Oxisuran is possible in rats, and Oxisuran may be a better immunosuppressant for clinical organ transplantation.