Treatment for primary refractory Hodgkin's disease: a comparison of high-dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT with conventional therapy.

Our previously published study showed promising results of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with primary resistant Hodgkin's disease (HD). Probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 3 years were 55 and 36%, respectively. The present study was undertaken to compare these results with conventionally treated patients and thus evaluate therapeutic options. Retrospective data on 76 adult patients who underwent ASCT were matched with 76 conventionally treated patients from 17 centers. Comparison of clinical characteristics in both groups showed that ASCT patients were younger (24 vs 31.5 years, P=0.001), more frequently presented with 'B' symptoms (P=0.03) and that more patients treated with chemotherapy (CT) had elevated LDH (P=0.03). In univariate analyses, bulky disease (P=0.0043) and complete resistance to standard CT (P=0.051) were found to be risk factors for OS. In a multivariate survival analysis only bulky disease was found to an independent prognostic factor (P=0.005). There was no difference in survival between the treatment groups with 5 years OS 33.7 (CI: 23-46) in the ASCT group and 35.6% (CI: 25-50) for the CT group (P=0.92). We conclude that ASCT is not superior to standard CT for treatment of patients with primary refractory HD.

N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and beta-galactosidase in the leukocytes, serum and urine of healthy subjects and patients with immunocytoma.

The activity of GlcNAc-ase, GlcUA-ase and Gal-ase was determined in the leukocytes serum and urine of 23 patients with M. M., 11 patients with other neoplasms including 9 with lymphoreticular proliferative processes without associated monoclonal gammapathy. The range of normal enzyme activity was established in the investigations carried out in 45 health subjects. In the group of patients with M. M. without complications. normal activity of GlcNAc-ase, GlcUA-ase and Gal-ase was found in the leukocytes. In the group of patients with white blood cell count below 2.5 g/l and in cases after long-term treatment with Alkeran the activity of GlcNAc-ase and GlcUA-ase in the leukocytes was reduced. In the patients with M. M. the activity of GlcNAc-ase was raised in the serum and urine, and this activity was higher in cases with longer duration of the disease and more advanced pathological process. The patients with M-IgG protein showed a higher GlcNAc-ase activity in the serum and urine than those with protein M-IgA. A higher activity of GlcNAc-ase in the serum and urine than those with protein M-IgGK than in those with M-IgG gamma. In patients with M. M with renal complications the urinary activity of GlcNAc-ase was higher than in patients with M. M. without renal complications. In CLL the activity of GlcNAc-ase was found to be decreased in the leukocytes and raised in the urine. In patients with Hodgkin's disease the activity of the studied enzymes was raised in leukocytes while the results of their determinations in serum and urine were equivocal.

Lysozyme in the serum, urine and peripheral blood leukocytes in patients with immunocytoma.

Lysozyme activity was determined in the serum, urine and leukocytes of 53 patients with immunocytoma and 24 patients with lymphoproliferative syndromes without associated monoclonal gammapathy. In patients with multiple myeloma the frequency of low serum lysozyme activity and high leukocyte lysozyme activity was higher. In the cases with renal failure, lysozyme activity was raised in serum and urine, and the 24-hour urinary lysozyme excretion was increased. In 7 patients with increased urinary lysozyme excretion no clinical or laboratory evidence of renal complications was found. Relative monocytosis in peripheral blood was observed in half of the cases of multiple myeloma, and in these patients also in about half of the cases the lysozyme activity was raised in the leukocytes and urine, and the 24-hour urinary lysozyme excretion was increased. In patients with Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia the frequency of low serum lysozyme activity was increased.

Radiological evidence of lymphatic drainage of bone marrow cavity in long bones.

Injection of Lipiodol UF into the distal epiphyses of tibia and femur in the dog was followed within several minutes by visualization of lymphatics draining the bone. Some of the radioopaque material was retained in the bone marrow cavity and tiny lymph vessels originating in that area could be seen. Contrast medium filled also the popliteal lymph node. The problem of migration of bone marrow lymphocytes through the lymphatics to the regional lymph nodes is discussed.

Cancer therapy based on a mechanism of action for controlling the immune system and the resulting patent portfolio.

Despite decades of research, current cancer therapies extend survival but often do not actually cure the disease. Immune cell based therapy is described here that can eliminate tumor cells without the toxicity associated with chemotherapy or allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT). Allogeneic BMT has beneficial graft vs. tumor (GVT) effects but accompanied by the undesirable graft vs. host disease (GVHD). The mechanism described here relates to generating the Mirror Effect™ that elicits a host vs. tumor (HVT) effect along with a non-toxic host vs. graft (HVG) response. The HVT effect generated by inducing the Mirror Effect™ in a host is effective in cancer therapy, as well as other diseases. The patent strategy, employed for successful patent prosecution related to the elucidation of the Mirror Effect™, is also discussed.

Diagnostic value of lysozyme activity estimation in the feces of infants with acute diarrhoea.

The activity of lysozyme in feces was estimated in a control group of 50 healthy infants and in a group of 152 infants with acute diarrhoea. All infants investigated were artificially nourished. In the latter group the activity of lysozyme was estimated twice: a) at the beginning of clinically active phase of the disease and (b) in the convalescence period immediately after withdrawal of clinical symptoms. The range of normal values was 14.9--77.0 (average 44.0) of egg-white lysozyme units/g dry feces. In acute diarrhoea the activity of lysozyme in feces was found to be elevated in 72.4% of cases in the first determinations and in an additional 7.6% of cases in the second determination (i.e. a total of 80% of cases in both determinations). The average elevations of lysozyme activity in the feces and the dynamics of their normalization after withdrawal of clinical symptoms were generally related to the severity of the disease.

A rare localization of Hodgkin's disease in the breast--a case report.

In this paper we present a rare localization of Hodgkin's disease--in the breast. An awareness of such unusual clinical presentation of Hodgkin's disease is important to prevent a delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) in the treatment of anemia of nodular sclerosis type Hodgkin's disease--a preliminary report.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of recombinant human erythropoetin (r-HuEPO) treatment in patients suffering from anemia in the course of Hodgkin's disease (HD). 6 patients suffering from HD (4 of nodular sclerosis type II (NS II) and 2 of nodular sclerosis type I (NS I)) were treated with r-HuEPO for 10 weeks. All patients suffering from the NS II of HD exhibited an increase in the level of Hb by more than 2 g/dl after 10 weeks of r-HuEPO therapy whereas patients suffering from the NS I subtype of HD did not benefit from such treatment.

[Effect of alcohol on the development of biochemical and morphologic findings of liver damage in the rabbit]. / Experimentelle Untersuchungen über den Einfluss des Alkohols auf die Entwicklung der biochemischen und morphologischen Befunde einer Leberschädigung beim Kaninchen.

Ethanol 48% was applied to the experimental model in 3 examined groups of rabbits in different periods of administration and differentiated daily doses on order to investigate the influence of ethanol upon the formation of morphological and biochemical indices of the liver lesion. Biochemical investigations were carried out on 3 and 7 day of the experiment and repeated at week by intervalls. All the animals were dissected and morphological examinations of the liver were carried out. Total analysis of the results obtained of the biochemical and morphological examinations of the liver in 3 analysed groups of animals proved that the biochemical index of postalcoholic lesion of the liver was a rise in guanase activity, and not in activity aminotransferases. In the investigations of fat balance, however the increase of triglycerides and cholesterol was observed. Morphological examinations showed post-alcoholic lesions of the liver, especially intensified in animals under longlasting alcohol influence, but in reducted doses.