[In vitro formation of fibroblast colony-forming units in the bone marrow of patients with solid malignant tumors]

The number of bone marrow fibroblast colony-forming cells (CFU-F) were studied in twelve healthy donors, four colon (CP) and nine lung cancer patients (LP). A liquid culture system has been used to characterize human bone marrow CFU-F. The results showed any recognizable CFU-F in three patients with colon cancer and in two patients of the other group. One of the four CP and five of the nine LP presented a CFU-F value of 17 and 2, 8, 22, 29, 32, respectively compared to 65 from normal subjects. Two LP reached normal CFU-F values (normal range = 33-191). These data support the conclusion that the 84.6% of these solid tumor cancer patients study produced less number of proliferative status of fibroblast colony-forming cells.

Early prognostic factors for disability in multiple sclerosis, a European multicenter study

The effects of initial clinical variables on short-term prognosis are analyzed in a cross-sectional study of 574 multiple sclerosis patients from 7 centers in 5 European countries. Patients with a primary progressive course had a 2.3 higher mean disability score (EDSS) than the primary remittent group after a mean duration of disease of 6.6 years. High age at onset was associated with a primary progressive course, and was also related to increased risk of a rapid shift to a secondary progressive course. Among the remittent patients without a secondary progressive course a high age at onset was significantly correlated to a higher disability score. In the whole remittent group the presence of pyramidal and cerebellar symptoms at onset predicted both a high disability score and a rapid shift to a secondary progression, while the effect was reverse for sensory and visual symptoms. No difference between the sexes was found.

Prevalence of juvenile periodontitis in Chile

The aim of this survey was to study the prevalence of juvenile periodontitis in schoolchildren aged 15-19 years in Santiago, Chile. A random sample of 2500 schoolchildren (1318 male, 1182 female) that represented the full range of different socio-economic strata and ethnic groups seen in the population of Santiago, was used. Initially, the children were screened clinically at school by assessment of probing depths around the incisors and first molars with a WHO 621 pattern probe. Children with 2 or more teeth with 5.5 mm or deeper pockets were invited for a radiographic examination comprising bitewing radiographs of molars, and periapical radiographs of incisors. Any subject with 2 mm or more alveolar bone loss was invited for a full clinical and radiographic examination. After screening, 27 subjects had a tentative diagnosis of juvenile periodontitis. 4 of these refused radiographic examination and only accepted a thorough clinical examination. 23 subjects presented themselves for the radiographic and complete clinical examination. Of the 27 subjects selected for detailed examination, 8 subjects (7 female, and 1 male) were diagnosed as having juvenile periodontitis. There was an overall prevalence of juvenile periodontitis of 0.32% with 95% confidence, which gives a range of +/- 0.10%. When prevalence was assessed by socio-economic status, juvenile periodontitis was found more commonly in low socio-economic group. The results of the current study suggest that in Chile, there might be a relationship between socio-economic status and prevalence of juvenile periodontitis, and that this disease is more frequent in women.

[Active and inactive forms of cerebral cysticercosis. Study of 10 cases]

Ten cases of neuro-cysticercosis attended in our hospital over the last five years are presented. Six patients presented non-active parenchymatous calcifications of which four manifested epilepsy, one dementia caused by hydrocephalus and one other was asymptomatic. Two patients presented active intraparenchymatous cysts with a clinic of epilepsy. One patient presenting cisternal -ventricular-parenchymal involvement and another with ependymal -meningeal-parenchymal involvement, both suffered of psychiatric alterations. Ataxia and pyramidal deficits. The two patients with active parenchymal form were treated with Praziquantel obtaining a complete cyst remission (normal cranial Ot scan, in one case normal NMR) and neurological clinical symptoms. Two more patients treated with Praziquantel suffering ventricular and meningeal ependymal involvement presented little or no response to this treatment.

[Relationship between surface HLA-DR expression and NBT reduction in monocytes in patients with colorectal cancer]

The expression of HLA-DR antigens and their capacity to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) have been evaluated in monocytes (Mo) from 28 patients with colorectal carcinoma (CCa) before antineoplastic treatment as well as in 29 normal control (NC). Simultaneously, circulating immune complexes (CIC) levels were studied in both groups. The results were expressed as the media of percentages. They show a decrease of Mo bearing HLA-DR (p less than 0.001 vs NC) and increase of MO with capacity to reduce NBT (p less than 0.001 vs NC). An increase of CIC levels in CCa compared to the NC (p less than 0.001) was also observed. We can postulate that the decrease in HLA-DR expression could be caused by the increase of toxic oxygen intermediates whose production was induced by CIC or tumoral antigens adherence.

The effect of RU486 on transport, development and implantation of mouse embryos

Pregnancy was interrupted in Swiss-Rockefeller mice by a single subcutaneous injection of the antiprogesterone RU486 given postcoitally. A dose of 0.1 mg/animal injected on day 1, produced partial inhibition of pregnancy, a notable delay in embryonic development and a slight retention of embryos in the oviducts. When the same dose was injected on day 2, 3 or 4, no implantation sites were seen at autopsy performed on day 12 of pregnancy. Treatment with 0.5 or 1 mg/animal on day 1 produced the loss of a large proportion of the embryos from the genital tract by day 4 of pregnancy and suppressed implantation completely. These observations indicate that preimplantation phenomena in mice are highly dependent on progesterone action.

Circulating immune complexes in breast and lung cancer, before and after chemotherapy

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) levels were evaluated in two groups of cancerous patients to try to correlate CIC levels, tumor stage and chemotherapy received. There were 40 patients with Lung Cancer (LC) clinical stages III and IV; 60 patients with Breast Cancer (BC) stages II, III and IV and 38 normal controls. LC patients showed significant increase in CIC values before, during and after treatment as compared to controls, without any difference among groups under different treatment combinations and tumor stage. Stage II BC patients showed decreased CIC levels during treatment (p less than 0.01 vs initial value). This decrease was maintained after treatment (p less than 0.02). Stage III BC patients showed different behaviour according to treatment: those who only received chemotherapy (ADM + CTX) showed no significant differences during treatment, and those treated with ADM + CTX and megestol acetate (MA) displayed decreased CIC levels after treatment (p less than 0.05) reaching similar control values. Stage IV patients treated with ADM + CTX + MA returned to normal CIC values during treatment. These results proved that combined treatment of chemotherapy and hormone therapy diminished CIC levels in BC patients, while therapy given to LC patients did not present any modifications.

Heterogeneity of hereditary methaemoglobinaemia: a study of 4 Cuban families with NADH-Methaemoglobin reductase deficiency including a new variant (Santiago de Cuba variant)

NADH-methaemoglobin reductase deficiency has been found in 4 Cuban families; 3 subjects carried the mild form of the deficiency while in 2 sibs of the fourth family the deficiency was associated with neurological involvement. The parents in this family were consanguinous and the sibs were shown to be homozygous for a new fast electrophoretic variant. It was named Diaphorase Santiago de Cuba.