Phase I evaluation of succinylated Acinetobacter glutaminase-asparaginase in adults

Succinylated Acinetobacter glutaminase-asparaginase (SAGA) has broader antitumor activity than Escherichia coli L-asparaginase in experimental systems; moreover, drug resistance does not develop in tumor cell lines initially sensitive to this enzyme. We have investigated the pharmacology and toxicology of SAGA after both single-dose and serial daily dose injections in 20 adult patients. Glutaminase activity in plasma after i.v. injection of single doses did not follow simple first-order kinetics (half-life during the initial 24 hr was 21 +/- 9 hr. A linear relation was observed between increasing doses of SAGA and resultant levels of plasma enzyme activity and blood glutamate. Assay of whole blood which had been deproteinized immediately following phlebotomy showed that single doses of SAGA lowered glutamine only transiently to nondetectable levels; serial daily doses were required to achieve and maintain continuous glutamine depletion. Reversible depression of the central nervous system, ranging from encephalopathy to coma, occurred in a dose-related manner and was dose limiting. Other prominent reactions included respiratory alkalosis, hyperglycemia, nausea, and vomiting. Transient antitumor effects were noted in two patients with solid tumors and in two patients with leukemia. SAGA causes considerable neurotoxicity in adults which requires close patient monitoring. Phase II studies in leukemic patients are in progress.

Childhood CML in blastic stage: an analysis of cell markers and cell kinetics

The clinical course of Ph+CML and their terminal blastic stage is described in the following case histories. During blastic phase, cell surface markers, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) activity, and flow cytometric measurements were used or determination of the blast cell phenotype which was undifferentiated by morphological and cytochemical criteria. A high proportion of blast cells expressed Fc receptors for IgG, TdT activity was normal in both children and RNA measurements of single cells flow cytometry showed a high RNA content in the majority of blasts. These findings are compatible with the phenotype seen in the myelomonocytic leukemias. Flow cytometry appears to be a useful adjunct to immunological methods and TdT activity for the rapid characterization of CML in blastic phase.

Neurilemmoma of the vagus nerve

A case of neurilemmoma of the cervical portion of the vagus nerve is reported to illustrate its common presentation as a lateral neck swelling often mistaken for more common neck lesions. Recognition of its vagal origin, followed by careful meticulous surgery is imperative for preservation of ipsilateral vocal cord mobility.

Serum immunoglobulin levels in childhood Hodgkin's disease. Effect of splenectomy and long-term follow-up

Children with Hodgkin's disease had significantly elevated serum IgG and IgA levels but normal IgM and IgD levels when compared with healthy age- and sex-matched controls. The increased serum IgG and IgA levels occurred in all four clinical stages of Hodgkin's disease but were not related to histologic cell type. Following staging splenectomy, serum IgG, IgA, and IgD levels fell by 20% in patients who recieved radiation therapy then returned to preoperative levels; by contrast, serum IgM levels fell by 50% and remained there for at least 36 months. Patients who received chemotherapy had a persistent decline in serum levels of all immunoglobulin classes by at least 40%. Thus, staging splenectomy per se appears to be at least partly responsible for the postoperative decline in serum IgM levels and this effect is enchanced by aggressive treatment of the Hodgkin's disease.

Circulating immune complexes, complement and complement component levels in childhood Hodgkin's disease

Serum levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) assayed by the Raji cell radioimmunoassay, total haemolytic complement (TCH50), Clq and C3 were correlated with clinical stage, histological type, age, sex and treatment of eighty-six children with Hodgkin's disease over a period of 4 years. Most significant findings were the changes of levels of CIC, TCH50, Clq and C3 during disease activity and following treatment. Significant perturbations were also seen in association with relapse. Levels of C and CIC were significantly elevated (P less than 0.001) at the time of diagnosis prior to splenectomy and/or any treatment. In the group before treatment, 81 percent of CIC levels were above 16 micrograms/ml with a maximum value of 1120 micrograms/ml. During treatment 33 percent were still above normal with a maximum of 320 micrograms/ml. Within 1 year after cessation of treatment, 37 percent also remained above normal levels with a maximum of 240 micrograms/ml. At relapse prior to treatment, 63 percent were again elevated with a maximum of 1280 micrograms/ml. The most significant difference on TCH50 levels relates to treatment periods. Sera of patients with active disease who are previously untreated show elevation of TCH50 levels (P less than 0.001) (average 127 CH50 mu/ml. During and after treatment eht TCH50 levels drop to 96 and 102 CH50 mu/ml, as compared to normal control of 100 CH50 mu/ml. In sera of patients at the first, second or third relapse, the combined TCH50 levels are significantly different from controls and across treatment periods (P less than 0.005).

The isolation and amino acid/sugar composition of human fibroblastoid interferon

Human fibroblastoid interferon produced from an established human cell line was purified by controlled-pore glass and concanavalin A-Sepharose column chromatography followed by preparative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The purification procedure provided a 10% recovery of pure interferon with good reproducibility. The purified protein was homogeneous with respect to its molecular weight of 20,000 and net electrical charge at pH 2.5. Interferon of high specific activity of 5 x 10(8) units/mg of protein was directly demonstrated in the polyacrylamide gel before staining with Coomassie brilliant blue. Parallel purification of a sham-induced interferon preparation did not yield an equivalent product indicating the purified interferon is not derived from uninduced cells or from the fetal calf serum of the tissue culture growth medium. Pure interferon was radioiodinated by Bolton-Hunter reagent. Amino acid analysis of the pure preparation shows interferon to be a leucine-rich glycoprotein containing a high percentage of glutamic/glutamine residues and that disulfide bridges(s) are important for its biological activity.

Phase I evaluation of piperazinedione in patients with advanced cancer

The effects of iv administered piperazinedione were studied in 28 evaluable adult and eight evaluable pediatric patients with advanced cancer. Piperazinedione produced predictable myelosuppression of moderate degree at dosages of 3--3.5 mg/m2/day X 5 days by iv injection. When given in this manner, nausea and vomiting did not occur. Single iv doses of 10--15 mg/m2 produced mild-to-moderate nausea and vomiting and mild myelosuppression. Thrombocytopenia was more severe than leukopenia in both schedules. The drug produced comparable dose-related effects in adults and children. Although no therapeutic response was observed in the adults, a partial remission of 6 months' duration was seen in one child with Hodgkin's disease.

Purification and in vitro labeling of interferon from a human fibroblastoid cell line

Interferon was produced from a clonal human fibroblastoid line. This cell line was derived from an established fibroblastoid culture treated with ethylmethane sulfonate and is capable of producing higher amounts human interferon than primary human fibroblast cultures. The interferon produced from this cell line was purified by concanavalin A and phenyl-Sepharose column chromatography followed by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified interferon was then labeled with [125I]-iodine, with [3H]5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl-chloride and with sodium [3H]borohydride after periodate oxidation. An appreciable amount of biological activity was retained after both tritium labelings but not after iodination. When subjected to electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate all three radioactive interferon preparations comigrated with the purified interferon preparation as a single protein component with a molecular weight of 19,000. Both purified and radioactive preparations were also shown to migrate with the antiviral activity in polyacrylamide gels in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The specific activity of purified interferon preparations ranged from 2 X 10(8) to 10 X 10(8) units/mg of protein.

Chemical modifications of tyrosyl residue(s) and action of human-fibroblast interferon

Partially purified and purified human fibroblastoid interferon were iodinated and nitrated under experimental conditions in which the most likely amino acyl residue modified was tyrosine(s). The modification resulted in a loss of human interferon activity suggesting that tyrosyl residue(s) is associated with the antiviral action of human interferon.

Suggested models of ecotaxopathy in lymphoreticular malignancy. A role for iron-binding proteins in the control of lymphoid cell migration

In the present paper we apply the "ecotaxis hypothesis" to the analysis of lymphocyte distribution in Hodgkin's disease and other forms of lymphoid malignancy. The results lead us to consider the possiblity that metal-binding proteins, namely ferritin, transferrin and lactoferrin, play a role in lymphocyte ecotaxopahty. It is suggested that in Hodgkin's disease, a failure of lymph node and spleen monocytes to handle iron normally could explain most of the hematologic, immunologic, pathologic, and epidemiologic features of the disease.

Ecotaxis: the principle and its application to the study of Hodgkin's disease

A study of the function, characterization and distribution of T and B lymphocytes in five children with Hodgkin's disease is presented. The results, indicating that lymphocyte depletion in the peripheral blood does not necessarily reflect an overall lack of circulating lymphocytes, are presented to demonstrate that failure of ecotaxis (normal lymphocyte migration and distribution) can occur in man. The underlying reasons for such failure and their relevance to the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease are discussed.

The changing management of childhood Hodgkin's disease

Between 1929 and September 1974, 211 children under 15 years of age with biopsy-proven Hodgkin's disease were treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. For analysis these patients were placed into three historical groups which displayed the most marked changes in diagnostic workup and therapy. They are as follows: Pre-1959-80 patients with "clinical" staging, local field radiation therapy, palliative chemotherapy; 1960-1969-86 patients with lymphangiographic staging, extended field radiation therapy, palliative chemotherapy; 1970-September 1974-45 patients with "contemporary" staging, including laparotomy, involved field radiation therapy, and/or multiple drug chemotherapy. Twenty-seven children with Stage IV disease at diagnosis or those with recurrent disease received this multiple drug regimen. This consisted of Adriamycin, followed by combined prednisone, procarbazine, and vincristine, then cyclophosphamide. Drug cycles were repeated every 3-4 months for a period of about 24 months. Twenty-five achieved remission, 20 complete and 5 partial. The median duration of complete remission was 18 plus months. This multidisciplinary management of Hodgkin's disease has shown early, encouraging results. Longer followup is needed to determine that this improvement in survival will persist into adulthood.

Multidisciplinary treatment of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in children

Twenty-nine children under 15 years of age with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma were treated according to a multidisciplinary protocol (T-2). The protocol consisted of surgical removal of the tumor if possible, followed by chemotherapy, and also with radiation therapy in patients with gross or microscopic residual disease. Radiation therapy was given in the 4500-7000 rads range. The chemotherapy consisted of cycles of sequential administration of dactinomycin, Adriamycin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide, with obligatory periods of rest. The drug therapy was continued for 2 years. Following surgery, clinicopathologic staging of the disease revealed 10 patients with no residual disease (I-A), 5 with microscopic residual disease (I-B), 5 with unresectable tumors (II), 6 with unresectable tumors plus regional lymph node involvement (III), and 3 with disseminated tumors (IV). Twenty-four (82%) of the patients (20 Stages I-II, 4 Stage III) are alive with no evidence of disease for 4 plus to 42 plus months. These results are superior to those achieved between 1960-1970 among 108 children treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The rationale for multiple drug chemotherapy in the treatment of osteogenic sarcoma

Based on our prior experience in treating children with metastatic osteogenic sarcoma, a multidrug regimen was developed. Nine children with evaluable osteogenic sarcoma were treated with vincristine 1.5 mg/m2 on day 1, highdose methotrexate 200-300 mg/kg i.v. on day 2, with p.o. citrovorum factor "rescue" 9 mg every 6 hours x 12, followed in 2 weeks by cyclophosphamide 40 mg/kg i.v., then 2 weeks later Adriamycin 1.5 mg/kg/day x 2; in 2 weeks cyclophosphamide was repeated. After a 2-week rest, the 56-day cycle was repeated for a total period of 1 year. Oropharyngeal mucositis was the most frequent severe manifestation of gastrointestinal toxicity. Hematologic depression was mild to severe. Nine patients with clinically evaluable osteogenic sarcoma and no previous chemotherapeutic treatment were treated with this regimen. One patient had only a transient shrinkage in tumor mass, and one patient had no progression of multiple pulmonary and bone metastases for 16 months while on therapy. Of the remaining seven patients, all had clinically significant responses with tumor regression demonstrated for from 5 to 20+ months. Four of these patients (three presenting with primary tumor and pulmonary metastases) demonstrated regression of their primary tumor. In an attempt to increase the cure rate in osteogenic sarcoma, chemotherapy that has proven to be effective against metastatic osteogenic sarcoma should now be employed as prophylactic therapy, after amputation, at cancer treatment centers where it can be safely and effectively administered.

Usefulness of Serum Lipase, Esterase, and Amylase Estimation in the Diagnosis of Pancreatitis—a Comparison

Sera of 19 individuals with clinically established pancreatitis were analyzed for lipase activity on emulsion-type and aqueous substrates. Serum amylase concentrations were compared. Results obtained on the first and subsequent days of hospitalization clearly indicated that methods for lipase determination in which an emulsion-type substrate is used are of the greatest aid in diagnosing pancreatitis (90 to 92% of patients with pancreatitis had supranormal results). Amylase determinations were nearly as useful as an index (78% correlation), but "lipase" values obtained with methods in which aqueous substrates are used had limited clinical usefulness (29 and 32% correlation). Serum lipase elevations in cases of pancreatitis were generally greater than amylase elevations, with some exceptions. Serum lipase should be determined with a method in which emulsion-type substrates are used. Lipase and amylase values supplement one another.