Non-lethal fungal infection could reduce aggression towards strangers in ants

Many parasites interfere with the behaviour of their hosts. In social animals, such as ants, parasitic interference can cause changes on the level of the individual and also on the level of the society. The ant-parasitic fungus Rickia wasmannii influences the behaviour of Myrmica ants by expanding the host's nestmate recognition template, thereby increasing the chance of the colony accepting infected non-nestmates. Infected ants consistently show an increase of the alkane tricosane (n-C23) in their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Although experimental application of single compounds often elicits aggression towards manipulated ants, we hypothesized that the increase of n-C23 might underlie the facilitated acceptance of infected non-nestmates. To test this, we mimicked fungal infection in M. scabrinodis by applying synthetic n-C23 to fresh ant corpses and observed the reaction of infected and uninfected workers to control and manipulated corpses. Infected ants appeared to be more peaceful towards infected but not uninfected non-nestmates. Adding n-C23 to uninfected corpses resulted in reduced aggression in uninfected ants. This supports the hypothesis that n-C23 acts as a 'pacifying' signal. Our study indicates that parasitic interference with the nestmate discrimination of host ants might eventually change colony structure by increasing genetic heterogeneity in infected colonies.

Absence of genetic isolation across highly fragmented landscape in the ant Temnothorax nigriceps

Background

Human activities, including changes in agricultural landscapes, often impact biodiversity through habitat fragmentation. This potentially reduces genetic exchange between previously connected populations. Using a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial markers, we investigated (i) genetic diversity and population structure at multiple spatial scales and (ii) colony genetic structure and queen mating frequency in the ant species Temnothorax nigriceps in a highly anthropized environment.

Results

Although the results highlighted genetic structure on a European spatial scale, they did not reveal an impact of fragmentation on a regional scale, and we did not observe any genetic population structure on a regional scale. Across all populations, regardless of their geographical location, colony structure suggested monogyny (a single queen per colony) and monandry (single mating). However, nestmates were more related than expected, indicating that large-scale dispersal does not fully prevent genetic isolation.

Conclusions

Despite living in fragmented patches of habitat, populations of Temnothorax nigriceps are apparently genetically not isolated at a regional scale. However, large-scale dispersal alone does not prevent genetic isolation. The ecological requirements of T. nigriceps may explain their resilience to habitat fragmentation by allowing them to survive in very small patches of suitable habitat. The deeper investigation of the diversity of functional habitats for this species should allow to appreciate better the mechanisms permitting this species to overcome the negative impacts of fragmentation.

Major Evolutionary Transitions in Social Insects, the Importance of Worker Sterility and Life History Trade-Offs

The evolution of eusociality in social insects, such as termites, ants, and some bees and wasps, has been regarded as a major evolutionary transition (MET). Yet, there is some debate whether all species qualify. Here, we argue that worker sterility is a decisive criterion to determine whether species have passed a MET (= superorganisms), or not. When workers are sterile, reproductive interests align among group members as individual fitness is transferred to the colony level. Division of labour among cooperating units is a major driver that favours the evolution of METs across all biological scales. Many METs are characterised by a differentiation into reproductive versus maintenance functions. In social insects, the queen specialises on reproduction while workers take over maintenance functions such as food provisioning. Such division of labour allows specialisation and it reshapes life history trade-offs among cooperating units. For instance, individuals within colonies of social insects can overcome the omnipresent fecundity/longevity trade-off, which limits reproductive success in organisms, when increased fecundity shortens lifespan. Social insect queens (particularly in superorganismal species) can reach adult lifespans of several decades and are among the most fecund terrestrial animals. The resulting enormous reproductive output may contribute to explain why some genera of social insects became so successful. Indeed, superorganismal ant lineages have more species than those that have not passed a MET. We conclude that the release from life history constraints at the individual level is a important, yet understudied, factor across METs to explain their evolutionary success.

Oxidative stress and senescence in social insects: a significant but inconsistent link?

The life-prolonging effects of antioxidants have long entered popular culture, but the scientific community still debates whether free radicals and the resulting oxidative stress negatively affect longevity. Social insects are intriguing models for analysing the relationship between oxidative stress and senescence because life histories differ vastly between long-lived reproductives and the genetically similar but short-lived workers. Here, we present the results of an experiment on the accumulation of oxidative damage to proteins, and a comparative analysis of the expression of 20 selected genes commonly involved in managing oxidative damage, across four species of social insects: a termite, two bees and an ant. Although the source of analysed tissue varied across the four species, our results suggest that oxidative stress is a significant factor in senescence and that its manifestation and antioxidant defenses differ among species, making it difficult to find general patterns. More detailed and controlled investigations on why responses to oxidative stress may differ across social species may lead to a better understanding of the relations between oxidative stress, antioxidants, social life history and senescence. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the mechanisms underpinning ageing and fecundity in social insects

The exceptional longevity of social insect queens despite their lifelong high fecundity remains poorly understood in ageing biology. To gain insights into the mechanisms that might underlie ageing in social insects, we compared gene expression patterns between young and old castes (both queens and workers) across different lineages of social insects (two termite, two bee and two ant species). After global analyses, we paid particular attention to genes of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signalling (IIS)/target of rapamycin (TOR)/juvenile hormone (JH) network, which is well known to regulate lifespan and the trade-off between reproduction and somatic maintenance in solitary insects. Our results reveal a major role of the downstream components and target genes of this network (e.g. JH signalling, vitellogenins, major royal jelly proteins and immune genes) in affecting ageing and the caste-specific physiology of social insects, but an apparently lesser role of the upstream IIS/TOR signalling components. Together with a growing appreciation of the importance of such downstream targets, this leads us to propose the TI-J-LiFe (TOR/IIS-JH-Lifespan and Fecundity) network as a conceptual framework for understanding the mechanisms of ageing and fecundity in social insects and beyond. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'

High impact of COVID-19 outbreak in a nursing home in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France, March to April 2020

Background

Elderly people in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to their age, the presence of comorbidities, and community living. On March 14, 2020, at the beginning of the first epidemic wave of COVID-19 in France, a cluster was reported in a nursing home in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. We monitored the outbreak as well as the infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented.

Methods

A confirmed case was defined as laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a resident or staff member present in the nursing home between March 7 and May 1, 2020; and a probable case as a person presenting an acute respiratory illness after contact with a confirmed case. Symptomatic inpatient residents and symptomatic staff members were systematically tested for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, two screening sessions were held on site.

Results

We identified 109 cases (98 confirmed, 11 probable). The attack rate was 66% among residents and 45% among staff. Half of all cases were identified during the screening sessions. One-quarter of cases had minor symptoms or were asymptomatic. The case fatality rate among residents was 29%. IPC measures were rapidly implemented such as the quarantine of residents, the reinforcement of staff personal protective equipment, and home quarantine of staff testing positive, which were supplemented in April by systematic controls at the entrance of the nursing home and the creation of additional staff break rooms.

Conclusions

This outbreak confirmed the considerable health impact of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a nursing home. In addition to the implementation of IPC measures, the early detection of cases through the screening of residents and staff is essential to identify asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases and limit the spread of the virus.

Lipid content influences division of labour in a clonal ant

The fat body, a major metabolic hub in insects, is involved in many functions, e.g. energy storage, nutrient sensing and immune response. In social insects, fat appears to play an additional role in division of labour between egg layers and workers, which specialize in non-reproductive tasks inside and outside their nest. For instance, reproductives are more resistant to starvation, and changes in fat content have been associated with the transition from inside to outside work or reproductive activities. However, most studies have been correlative and we still need to unravel the causal interrelationships between fat content and division of both reproductive and non-reproductive labour. Clonal ants, e.g. Platythyrea punctata, are ideal models for studying task partitioning without confounding variation in genotype and morphology. In this study, we examined the range of variation and flexibility of fat content throughout the lifespan of workers, the threshold of corpulence associated with foraging or reproduction and whether low fat content is a cause rather than a consequence of the transition to foraging. We found that lipid stores change with division of labour from corpulent to lean and, in reverted nurses, back to corpulent. In addition, our data show the presence of fat content thresholds that trigger the onset of foraging or egg-laying behaviour. Our study supports the view that mechanisms that regulate reproduction and foraging in solitary insects, in particular the nutritional status of individuals, have been co-opted to regulate division of labour in colonies of social insects.

Age-dependent release of and response to alarm pheromone in a ponerine ant

Social insect societies are characterized by division of labour and communication within the colony. The most frequent mode of communication is by chemical signals. In general, pheromones elicit specific responses in the receiver, although reactions may vary depending on the receiving individual's physiological or motivational state. For example, it has been shown that pheromones can elicit different responses in morphological worker castes. However, comparably little is known about such effects in worker castes of monomorphic species. Here, we comprehensively studied a monomorphic species showing age polyethism, the thelytokous ant Platythyrea punctata Our analyses revealed that the species' alarm pheromone consists of (S)-(-)-citronellal and (S)-(-)-actinidine, and is produced in the mandibular glands. Ants responded with increased movement activity and increasing ant density towards the pheromone source in whole-colony bioassays, confirming the alarming effect of these compounds. We found age classes to differ in their absolute pheromone content, in the propensity to release alarm pheromone upon disturbance and in their reaction towards the pheromone. Absolute amounts of pheromone content may differ simply because the biosynthesis of the pheromone begins only after adult eclosion. Nonetheless, our results indicate that this clonal species exhibits age-related polyethism in the emission of as well as in the response to its alarm pheromone.

Age-dependent changes in cuticular color and pteridine levels in a clonal ant

Social insects are emerging models for studying aging and the longevity/fecundity trade-off. Research on the demography of colonies and populations are hampered by the lack of reliable age markers. Here we investigate the suitability of cuticular pigmentation and pteridine fluorescence for age grading individuals of the clonal ant Platythyrea punctata. We found that both traits varied with age. Cuticular color darkened with individual's age until 25-30 days after hatching. For pteridine fluorescence, we found that P. punctata workers show a decrease in head pteridine levels over time until 70-80 days of age. Together with other markers, such as age-based behavior, cuticular coloration and pteridine fluorescence may help to estimate the age structure of colonies.

When invasive ants meet: effects of outbreeding on queen performance in the tramp ant Cardiocondyla itsukii

Most disturbed habitats in the tropics and subtropics harbor numerous species of invasive ants, and occasionally the same species has been introduced repeatedly from multiple geographical sources. We examined how experimental crossbreeding between sexuals from different populations affects the fitness of queens of the tramp ant Cardiocondyla itsukii, which is widely distributed in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Eggs laid by queens that mated with nestmate males had a higher hatching rate than eggs laid by queens mated to males from neighboring (Hawaii × Kauai) or distant introduced populations (Hawaii/Kauai × Okinawa). Furthermore, inbreeding queens had a longer lifespan and produced a less female-biased offspring sex ratio than queens from allopatric mating. This suggests that the genetic divergence between different source populations may already be so large that in case of multiple invasions eventual crossbreeding might negatively affect the fitness of tramp ants.

Stress and early experience underlie dominance status and division of labour in a clonal insect

Cooperation and division of labour are fundamental in the 'major transitions' in evolution. While the factors regulating cell differentiation in multi-cellular organisms are quite well understood, we are just beginning to unveil the mechanisms underlying individual specialization in cooperative groups of animals. Clonal ants allow the study of which factors influence task allocation without confounding variation in genotype and morphology. Here, we subjected larvae and freshly hatched workers of the clonal ant Platythyrea punctata to different rearing conditions and investigated how these manipulations affected division of labour among pairs of oppositely treated, same-aged clonemates. High rearing temperature, physical stress, injury and malnutrition increased the propensity of individuals to become subordinate foragers rather than dominant reproductives. This is reflected in changed gene regulation: early stages of division of labour were associated with different expression of genes involved in nutrient signalling pathways, metabolism and the phenotypic response to environmental stimuli. Many of these genes appear to be capable of responding to a broad range of stressors. They might link environmental stimuli to behavioural and phenotypic changes and could therefore be more broadly involved in caste differentiation in social insects. Our experiments also shed light on the causes of behavioural variation among genetically identical individuals.

The effects of fungal infection and physiological condition on the locomotory behaviour of the ant Myrmica scabrinodis

Parasite infection often results in alterations in host behaviour. These changes vary greatly in their magnitude, from slight shifts in the time spent by the host performing a given activity to the appearance of novel behaviours. The effects of parasites can differ with the age and the physiological condition of the host. Rickia wasmannii is an ectoparasitic fungal symbiont in Myrmica ants that covers the whole body surface of the host and reduces its lifespan. The fungus is present in both young and old individuals, making it an optimal subject for the study of age-related parasitic effects. We tested the effect of fungal infection on the locomotory activity of the Myrmica scabrinodis ant in different age categories. The fat content of workers was measured as a proxy for their physiological status. Based on our findings, old workers bore more thalli and were leaner than young individuals, while they tended to move at higher speeds and with a lower degree of meandering. Young individuals covered smaller distances, at slower speeds and with a higher degree of meandering. Contrary to our expectations, the infection intensity of R. wasmannii affected neither the fat content nor the locomotory activity of ant workers. However, the two age classes seem to have different strategies with regards to the relationship between fat content and distance covered. Our results suggest that characteristics of locomotory activity differ between the age classes in many respects, and are also influenced by their physiological status, but parasitism by R. wasmannii does not seem to have a straightforward effect on any of the variables studied.

Facultative social insects can provide insights into the reversal of the longevity/fecundity trade-off across the eusocial insects

In eusocial insects, reversal of the fecundity/longevity trade-off and extreme differences in life histories between castes of the same species garner scientific and public interest. Facultative social species at the threshold of sociality, in which individuals are socially plastic, provide an excellent opportunity to understand the causes and mechanisms underlying this reversal in life history trade-off associated with eusociality. We briefly present the ultimate factors favoring sociality and the association between fecundity and longevity in facultative eusocial insects, including kin selection and disposable soma, as well as proximate mechanisms observed in such species, such as differences in hormone titers and functions. Potential genetic underpinnings of lifespan and fecundity differences between castes are discussed and future research directions are proposed.

Ergonomics of load transport in the seed harvesting ant Messor barbarus: morphology influences transportation method and efficiency

We studied in the field the load transport behavior of workers of the polymorphic Mediterranean seed harvester ant Messor barbarus Individual ants used two different methods to transport food items: carrying and dragging. The probability of dragging instead of carrying varied significantly with both the mass of the item transported and its linear dimension. Moreover, the values of item mass and length at which dragging began to occur increased with increasing size of the workers. However, larger ants began dragging at decreasing values of the relative mass represented by the items transported, which reflects different biomechanical constraints resulting from allometric relationships between the different parts of their body. Transport rate was significantly higher in large ants but varied in the same way for workers of different sizes with the relative mass of the item transported. Nevertheless, although large ants were individually more efficient than small ants in transporting food items, the relative transport rate, defined as the ratio of transport rate to the mass of the ant, was higher for small ants than for large ants. Colonies should thus have a greater benefit in investing in small ants than in large ants for the transport of food items. This may explain why the proportion of large ants is so small on the foraging columns of M. barbarus and why large ants are most often employed in colonies for tasks other than transporting food items.

The Effect of Trail Pheromone and Path Confinement on Learning of Complex Routes in the Ant Lasius niger

Route learning is key to the survival of many central place foragers, such as bees and many ants. For ants which lay pheromone trails, the presence of a trail may act as an important source of information about whether an error has been made. The presence of trail pheromone has been demonstrated to support route learning, and the effect of pheromones on route choice have been reported to persist even after the pheromones have been removed. This could be explained in two ways: the pheromone may constrain the ants onto the correct route, thus preventing errors and aiding learning. Alternatively, the pheromones may act as a ‘reassurance’, signalling that the learner is on the right path and that learning the path is worthwhile. Here, we disentangle pheromone presence from route confinement in order to test these hypotheses, using the ant Lasius niger as a model. Unexpectedly, we did not find any evidence that pheromones support route learning. Indeed, there was no evidence that ants confined to the correct route learned at all. Thus, while we cannot support the ‘reassurance’ hypothesis, we can rule out the ‘confinement’ hypothesis. Other findings, such as a reduction in pheromone deposition in the presence of trail pheromones, are remarkably consistent with previous experiments. As previously reported, ants which make errors on their outward journey upregulate pheromone deposition on their return. Surprisingly, ants which would go on to make an error down-regulate pheromone deposition on their outward journey, hinting at a capacity for ants to gauge the quality of their own memories.

Avoid mistakes when choosing a new home: Nest choice and adoption of Leptothorax ant queens

In ants, mating and colony founding are critical steps in the life of ant queens. Outside of their nests, young queens are exposed to intense predation. Therefore, they are expected to have evolved behavior to accurately and quickly locate a nesting place. However, data on the early life history of female reproductives are still lacking. Leptothorax gredleri is a suitable model organism to study the behavior of young queens. Reproductives can be reared under artificial conditions and readily mate in the laboratory. After mating, L. gredleri queens have the options to found solitarily, seek adoption into another colony, or return into their natal nest. In this study, we investigated the decision-making processes of female sexuals before and after mating. In particular, we tested whether female sexuals use chemical cues to find their way back to the nest, studied if they prefer their own nest over other nesting sites and followed the adoption dynamics of mated queens over 8 weeks (plus hibernation and spring). We showed that female sexuals and freshly mated queens spent more time on substrate previously used by workers from their own colony and from another colony than on a blank substrate. This discriminatory capability of queens appears to be lost in old, reproductive queens. Nest choice experiments showed that female sexuals and freshly mated queens can distinguish their own nest while old mated queens do not. When reintroduced in their maternal colony, young queens were readily adopted, but a few weeks later aggression against young queens led to their emigration from the maternal nest and eventually also death.

A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Andorra

Within the last decade, checklists of the ant fauna of several European countries have been published or updated. Nevertheless, no ant checklists have hitherto been published for the principality of Andorra, a small landlocked country located in the eastern part of the Pyrenees. This work presents a critical list of the ant species of Andorra based on a review of the literature and on the biological material we collected during several field campaigns conducted in Andorra since the year 2005. Seventy-five species belonging to 21 genera of Formicidae were recorded. Nine species were recorded for the first time in Andorra: Aphaenogaster gibbosa (Latreille, 1798), Camponotus lateralis (Olivier, 1792), Camponotus piceus (Leach, 1825), Formica exsecta Nylander, 1846, Lasius piliferus Seifert, 1992, Tapinoma madeirense Forel, 1895, Temnothorax lichtensteini (Bondroit, 1918), Temnothorax niger (Forel, 1894), Temnothorax nigriceps (Mayr, 1855). The most speciose genera were Formica Linnaeus, 1758 and Temnothorax Forel, 1890 with 14 and 12 species, respectively. The ant fauna of Andorra is mostly dominated by Central European species (some are typical cold climate specialists); however species belonging to the Mediterranean ant fauna were also found. This can be explained by the particular geographic situation of Andorra which is characterized by a high mountain Mediterranean climate.

Permanent genetic resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 December 2011-31 January 2012

This article documents the addition of 473 microsatellite marker loci and 71 pairs of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Barteria fistulosa, Bombus morio, Galaxias platei, Hematodinium perezi, Macrocentrus cingulum Brischke (a.k.a. M. abdominalis Fab., M. grandii Goidanich or M. gifuensis Ashmead), Micropogonias furnieri, Nerita melanotragus, Nilaparvata lugens Stål, Sciaenops ocellatus, Scomber scombrus, Spodoptera frugiperda and Turdus lherminieri. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Barteria dewevrei, Barteria nigritana, Barteria solida, Cynoscion acoupa, Cynoscion jamaicensis, Cynoscion leiarchus, Cynoscion nebulosus, Cynoscion striatus, Cynoscion virescens, Macrodon ancylodon, Menticirrhus americanus, Nilaparvata muiri and Umbrina canosai. This article also documents the addition of 116 sequencing primer pairs for Dicentrarchus labrax.

Effect of fipronil on side-specific antennal tactile learning in the honeybee

In the honeybee, the conditioning of the proboscis extension response using tactile antennal stimulations is well suited for studying the side-specificity of learning including the possible bilateral transfer of memory traces in the brain, and the role of inhibitory networks. A tactile stimulus was presented to one antenna in association with a sucrose reward to the proboscis. The other antenna was either not stimulated (A+/0 training), stimulated with a non-reinforced tactile stimulus B (A+/B- training) or stimulated with B reinforced with sucrose to the proboscis (A+/B+ training). Memory tests performed 3 and 24h after training showed in all situations that a tactile stimulus learnt on one side was only retrieved ipsilaterally, indicating no bilateral transfer of information. In all these groups, we investigated the effect of the phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil by applying a sublethal dose (0.5 ng/bee) on the thorax 15 min before training. This treatment decreased acquisition success and the subsequent memory performances were lowered but the distribution of responses to the tactile stimuli between sides was not affected. These results underline the role of the inhibitory networks targeted by fipronil on tactile learning and memory processes.

Does substrate coarseness matter for foraging ants? An experiment with Lasius niger (Hymenoptera; Formicidae)

We investigated whether workers of the ant species Lasius niger are able to sense and discriminate the coarseness of the substrate on which they walk. First, we studied the way in which substrate coarseness affects the ants' locomotory behaviour. Second, we investigated the spontaneous preference of ants for substrates of different coarseness. And third, we tested with a differential conditioning procedure the ants' capacity to learn to associate a given coarseness with a food reward. The locomotory behaviour of ants differed according to substrate coarseness: ants moved significantly faster and had more sinuous trajectories on a fine than on a coarse substrate. No spontaneous preference for a substrate of a given coarseness was observed and, even after 20 successive conditioning trials, there was little evidence of the effect of experience on substrate coarseness discrimination. Overall however, ants trained on fine sand made significantly more correct choice than those trained on coarse sand. We discuss these results and argue that in L. niger substrate coarseness may be more important at the collective level, by interacting with the chemical properties of the pheromone trail used in mass recruitment to food source, than at the individual level.

[Conjunctival in situ carcinoma in a patient with Waldenström's disease]

A 73-year-old male patient was treated for conjunctival in situ carcinoma invading the cornea of his right eye. The patient had been previously operated on for two corneoconjunctival lesions on the same eye (one was a pterygium, the other was simple epithelial hyperplasia) and was regularly followed for a systemic lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma (Waldenström's disease). After a corneoconjunctival excision of the tumor, the histological analysis was performed and established the diagnosis of in situ carcinoma. The tumor recurred a few months later and radiation therapy was then given. No recurrence was observed after this latter treatment.

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma with or without plasmacytic differentiation

We report a series of 31 cases of splenic marginal zone lymphomas with an enlarged spleen and a multimicronodular macroscopic pattern. Two groups, A and B, were distinguished based on the presence (A) or absence (B) of a lymphoplasmacytic component with monoclonal immunoglobulin expression in the cytoplasm. There were no differences between the groups as far as age, sex, spleen weight, and progression. The only difference was the presence in group A of a monoclonal serum component and autoimmune disorders, particularly autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In most cases in which a liver and/or bone marrow biopsy was performed, lymphomatous infiltration was detected. Seven cases had a seric monoclonal IgM of 5 g/L or more and liver or bone marrow infiltration, corresponding to the definition of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Lymphoma cells had a monocytoid, centrocytoid and, in group A, lymphoplasmacytic morphology. The lymphomatous cells were positive for CD20, CD45 RA, and bcl-2. They expressed IgD in 9 cases, partially in 6, and were negative for IgD in 9 of the 24 cases studied. Progression seems to be slow, with a long survival. Three patients presented with transformation into a large B-cell lymphoma, which was responsible for death in two patients.

Defective cell migration in an ovarian cancer cell line is associated with impaired urokinase-induced tyrosine phosphorylation

The urokinase receptor (u-PAR), a protein anchored to cell membrane by a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol, plays a central role in cancer cell invasion and metastasis by binding urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA), thereby facilitating plasminogen activation. Plasmin can promote cell migration either directly or by activating metalloproteinases that degrade some of the components of the extra cellular matrix. However, the IGR-OV1-Adria cell line contains the u-PAR but does not migrate even in the presence of exogenous u-PA, although the parental IGR-OV1 cell line migrates normally in the presence of u-PA. We therefore investigated the role of cell signalling for u-PA induced cell locomotion. We show that cell migration induced by u-PA-u-PAR complex is always associated with tyrosine kinase activation for the following reasons: (1) the blockade of the u-PAR by a chimeric molecule (albumin-ATF) inhibits not only the u-PA-induced cell migration, but also the signalling in IGR-OV1 line; (2) the binding of u-PA to u-PAR on non-migrating IGR-OV1-Adria cells was not associated with tyrosine kinase activation; (3) the inhibition of tyrosine kinase also blocked cell migration of IGR-OV1. Therefore tyrosine kinase activation seems to be essential for the u-PA-induced cell locomotion possibly by the formation of a complex u-PAR-u-PA with a protein whose transmembrane domain can ensure cell signalling. Thus, IGR-OV1 and IGR-OV1-Adria cell lines represent a good model for the analysis of the mechanism of u-PA-u-PAR-induced cell locomotion.

Mediastinal infusion of epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil. A complication of totally implantable central venous systems. Report of a case

Perforation of the wall of the superior vena cava by a central venous catheter is reported. The resultant inadvertent infusion of 5-fluorouracil and epirubicin caused a severe acute inflammatory reaction in the right-lobe bronchus, mediastinal infiltration and pleural and pericardial effusions. The patient recovered but has residual mild oesophageal dysfunction.

Peripheral-T-cell lymphoma with hemophagocytic histiocytosis localised to the bone marrow associated with inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone

A patient with high fever, loss of weight and profound pancytopenia is reported. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with hemophagocytosis was diagnosed. Bone marrow was the only localisation of the lymphoma. At presentation there were (i) a coagulopathy consistent with hemophagocytic histiocytosis (ii) the features of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). These different abnormalities disappeared after chemotherapy and reappeared during each of the 2 periods of disease progression. The patient died 6 months after diagnosis without ever achieving complete remission. As far as we are aware this is the first case report of T-cell lymphoma with hemophagocytic syndrome localised to the bone marrow and associated with SIADH.

Full-term pregnancy with embryos from donated oocytes in a 36-year-old woman allografted for chronic myeloid leukemia

We report the first case of full-term pregnancy arising from donated oocytes in a 36-year-old woman with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), 6 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) following total body irradiation (TBI) (12 Gy) and cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg. The first attempt at implantation with her own cryopreserved ovocytes was unsuccessful. Thereafter, she became pregnant after donated oocyte implantation using estradiol and progesterone support replacing the defective ovarian function. The baby was normal. Unfortunately, 6 months later, she relapsed in chronic phase of CML.

The plasminogen-activation system in ovarian tumors

We studied the plasminogen activation system in tumor tissue by measuring the antigen level of the 2 plasminogen activators, tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase-type (U-PA) and their inhibitors, plasminogen-activator inhibitors type-I (PAI-I) and type-2 (PAI-2) in the tissue extracts of 43 human benign and malignant ovarian tumors. U-PA levels were significantly higher in malignant than in benign tumors. In addition, U-PA antigen levels were higher in the metastatic tissue of advanced disease (FIGO stage III) than in the primary localized tumor (FIGO stage I/II). Also PAI-I concentrations tended to be higher in malignant than in benign tumors, but this difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, t-PA levels were lower in metastatic than in non-metastatic tumors, whereas PAI-2 levels were unrelated to the stage of ovarian malignancy. These results were integrated in a plasminogen-activation-dependent malignancy index (U-PA x PAI-I/t-PA). This index distinguished the different groups of benign ovarian tumors, localized and metastatic ovarian carcinomas better than U-PA levels. It could be useful as a prognostic indicator in ovarian cancer.

Incubation of monocytes with adriamycin increases secretion of hepatocyte stimulating factor for fibrinogen biosynthesis

This work provides evidence that the production by monocytes of hepatocyte stimulating factor(s) for fibrinogen biosynthesis was dramatically increased when monocytes were exposed to Adriamycin. This effect was related to an increased production of leukaemia inhibiting factor (LIF), a cytokine known to stimulate fibrinogen biosynthesis by hepatic cells. Adriamycin also induces an increase in membrane-associated urokinase on monocytes. These results are consistent with the clinical observation in patients with ovarian cancer that when the CA-125 tumour marker decreases during chemotherapy, an increased level of D-dimer is a marker of good prognosis.

D-dimer and CA 125 levels in patients with ovarian cancer during antineoplastic therapy. Prognostic significance for the success of anti-cancer treatment

In patients with ovarian cancer before they receive chemotherapy, the level of fibrin degradation products (D-dimer), is correlated with the tumor load. In this study, the evolution of D-dimer was compared in patients receiving antineoplastic therapy with the evolution of the disease. The patients could be classified into three groups. In Group 1 (nine patients), both plasma CA 125 (a tumor-associated antigen) and D-dimer remained elevated; the prognosis was always poor. In Group 2 (eight patients), CA 125 and D-dimer decreased simultaneously, complete remission was observed in two patients, and significant residual tumor was observed in the others. In Group 3 (nine patients), despite an important decrease in CA 125, D-dimer remained elevated during therapy. In this group, complete remission was observed in six patients, and three others showed a large decrease in their tumor load. The combination of a decrease in CA 125 levels with a continuous enhanced level of D-dimer during chemotherapy identified a subgroup of patients with a favorable prognosis.

Large anaplastic cell Ki-1 positive malignant lymphoma with peculiar endocytotic vacuoles

Unusual intracytoplasmic inclusions are occasionally seen in some variants of malignant lymphoma. We report here a case of large anaplastic cell malignant lymphoma with peculiar vacuoles of probable endocytotic origin. Immunological findings demonstrated the characteristics of activated cells typical of a large anaplastic cell Ki-1 positive lymphoma. The tumour cells exhibited a phenotype of peripheral helper-inducer T-cells. The intracytoplasmic vacuoles were positive with the T surface marker antibodies. Ultrastructurally, these inclusions were closely related to the microvesicle-containing vacuoles reported in signet ring cell lymphomas of B or T cell lineage. The mechanism of cytoplasmic vacuole formation is discussed. An endocytotic origin is possible. The resemblance to the "capping" phenomenon in small lymphocytes is stressed.

[Peripheral T-cell malignant lymphomas. Clinical, morphologic and developmental features in 22 cases]

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) represent a new subset of malignant lymphomas, which demonstrates a marked morphological, immunological and clinical diversity. They seem to have a worse prognosis globally than B-cell lymphomas. The main clinical characteristics and outcome of PTCL are analysed in this series of 22 cases. The majority of patients had an advanced disease (stages III and IV; 55 percent) and constitutional symptoms (59 percent) at presentation; extranodal localizations were particularly frequent (41 percent). Three patients presented with isolated or predominant spleen enlargement and fever. According to the updated Kiel classification, there were 7 low-grade PTCL and 15 high-grade PTCL. Phenotypic analysis on fresh frozen tissue was available in 16 cases, showing a predominant helper/inducer phenotype (CD4+, CD8-). The complete remission rate was 76 percent for the whole population, but the median of global survival was only 40 months. The few patients who received radiation therapy and subsequently relapsed did not relapse in the irradiated fields, which suggests that radiotherapy might be included in the therapeutic strategy, the best modalities of which remain to be defined.

Histopathological study of bone marrow biopsies in 30 cases of T-cell lymphoma with clinical, biological and survival correlations

Forty-five bone marrow (BM) biopsies have been studied in 30 T-cell malignant lymphoma (ML). According to the updated Kiel classification, these ML comprised 12 low grade ML and 18 high grade ML. BM involvement was not significantly more frequent in low grade ML (41.6 per cent) than in high grade (33.3 per cent). This involvement was discovered in 85 per cent of the cases at the time of diagnosis. A correlation was found between BM and other visceral localizations for histological type in all cases. Infiltrates principally showed a nodular pattern in low grade and a diffuse pattern in high grade ML. Hematopoietic hyperplastic reaction was frequent (66.6 per cent) not correlated to involvement. Clinical staging showed extensive spreading. Our patients had an overall median survival of 40 months, worse in high grade ML (median: 19 months) than in low grade ML (41 months) but not statistically different (p = 0.25). Extranodal localizations are a significant criteria for poor prognosis (p = 0.018). Among them, BM involvement appears to be the most significant criteria (Cox model, p = 0.006). Patients with BM localization had a median survival of 9 months contrasting with 40 months in patients without BM localization (p = 0.007). Thus, BM biopsy is useful for the diagnosis of patients with T-ML and essential to establish the prognosis.

Primary intestinal lymphoma of Ki-1 large cell anaplastic type with mesenteric lymph node and spleen involvement in a renal transplant recipient

A laparotomy performed for an occlusive syndrome, disclosed the presence of an ileal lymphoma in a renal graft recipient, 17 years after a first renal transplant. Mesenteric lymph node and spleen involvement were associated. The morphology of the large cells, the type of infiltration of the lymph node simulating metastatic carcinoma or malignant histiocytosis were highly suggestive of a new type of high grade malignancy lymphoma recently described which is called 'large cell anaplastic ML'. The immunolabelling study confirmed this diagnosis, demonstrating the following phenotype CD4, CD25 (TAC), CD30 (Ki-1), OKT 9 (transferrin receptor), EMA and HLA DR positivity. The tumour cells were negative for the other T, B and histiomonocytic markers. This case, of a large cell anaplastic Ki-1 positive lymphoma, expressing CD4, in a renal graft recipient shows that high grade ML in such patients are not all of the B cell type.

Relationship of histological subtypes to prognosis in early stage Hodgkin's disease: a review of 312 cases in a controlled clinical trial. The Groupe Pierre et Marie Curie

To assess the prognostic significance of a newer histologic classification of Hodgkin's disease (HD), microscope slides from the time of diagnosis of 312 clinical stage IA or B, IIA or B and IIIA patients were reviewed in 1987, 6-10 years after their participation in a radiochemotherapeutic trial (1976-1982). Overall, the diagnostic reproducibility of the Rye classification by the same pathologist was confirmed. However, a new analysis showed an improvement in the differential diagnosis between HD and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) by the identification of 24 NHL (8%) amongst the patients originally diagnosed as HD. Most of the NHL identified on review had been classified originally as mixed cellularity. On review, none of the new histological subtypes of HD was significant for prognosis of relapse-free survival or overall survival. Only identification of NHL was shown to have an independent prognostic value on relapse rate (P = 0.012) and on overall survival (P = 0.10). It is concluded that diagnosis of HD by itself remains, in 1988, the sole histologic factor influencing the prognosis of these patients.

Malignant lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with prominent splenomegaly (primary lymphoma of the spleen)

Eleven patients (age range 51-65 years) presenting with primary splenic lymphoma of lymphoplasmacytic type are described, together with detailed histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings. The subclassification of this type of lymphoma is considered, and the prognosis discussed.

Three cases of preleukemic myelodysplastic disorders with the same translocation t(1;3)

The same translocation, t(1;3)(p36;q21), was observed in three patients with a preleukemic syndrome presenting as a myelodysplastic disorder. It was the only chromosomal abnormality in two patients; and the third patient had 12p- and 15q- as additional abnormalities. The three cases evolved into acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.

Extended versus involved fields irradiation combined with MOPP chemotherapy in early clinical stages of Hodgkin's disease

From 1976 to 1981, 335 patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease, clinical stages I, II, and IIIA, have been treated by MOPP (nitrogen mustard, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) chemotherapy, three to six cycles according to the prognostic factors, combined with radiotherapy. Irradiation was always performed after the first three cycles of chemotherapy, and was randomized between extensive radiotherapy, ie, mantle and paraaortic areas for supradiaphragmatic presentations, and radiotherapy restricted to the involved areas. No significant difference was observed between the two randomized branches for the disease-free survival (86% after six years in the involved field branch v 90% in the extended field branch), and none for the overall survival. Most of the relapses occurred in nonirradiated areas in the first group, and in irradiated areas in the second. Relapses were especially frequent in the IIE stages with pulmonary extension; extranodal relapses occurred with osseous and cutaneous localizations. Two cases of secondary leukemia were observed after three- or six-cycle MOPP plus radiotherapy limited to the involved areas.

A new set of monoclonal antibodies against acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Six monoclonal antibodies produced by immunization of Balb/c mice with common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (cALL) cells were tested against various types of normal and malignant tissues. ALB1 and ALB2 are directed to the cALL antigen (CALLA gp100); ALB6 recognizes a determinant of p24; ALB7, ALB8 and ALB9 have a pattern of reactivity similar to Ba1. None of these antibodies specifically identify cALL but they should be useful tools for diagnosis or depletion of bone marrow in autologous therapy in transplantation. In addition, the example of ALB6 which acts as a platelet aggregating agent, suggests that the study of other cell systems expressing the antigens associated with cALL may shed light on the function of these antigens and subsequently on the physiopathology of the leukemic cells.