Intralymphatic infusion of interferon in patients with lymph nodal metastases from melanoma of the lower limbs.

In five patients with regional lymph nodal metastases from malignant melanoma of the lower limbs, intralymphatic infusion of interferon caused a complete remission in one patient and a partial remission in two others. The remaining two patients, in whom the massive neoplastic infiltration had obstructed the inflow of the drug in the tumoural seat, were unresponsive. Since the efficacy of interferon seems to be dose-dependent, intralymphatic infusion causes the accumulation of massive quantities of the drug in the tumoural seat, thus favouring its antiproliferative action.

Sequential treatment with interferon and chemotherapy of metastatic malignant melanoma. Total remission of cutaneous and visceral metastasis, but not of cerebral metastasis.

A woman 35 years of age suffering from cutaneous and visceral metastatic melanoma was treated with recombinant Interferon alpha 2b (rIFN alpha 2b) subcutaneously 3 X 10(6) U/m2 3 times a week for 3 months with no apparent effect on the course of the illness. Two months after IFN therapy the patient developed cerebral metastasis. A cycle of carmustine, 100 mg/day for 3 days, was given, and complete disappearance of the cutaneous and visceral, but not of the cerebral manifestations was observed. Two consolidation cycles based on vincristine, dacarbazine and lomustine were then administered. The patient died 26 months after beginning treatment with IFN and 18 months after chemotherapy for the cerebral metastasis. No trace of tumor at the cutaneous or visceral level was found at autopsy.

Interaction between beta-thalassaemia and Hb G Philadelphia associated with alpha-thalassaemia.

A man who did not produce and beta-chains did not suffer from a severe beta-thalassaemia. He was heterozygous for Hb G Philadelphia. It has been suggested that this haemoglobin variant was associated with alpha-thalassaemia and that interaction between alpha-thalassaemia and beta-thalassaemia decreased the imbalance of alpha/beta-globin biosynthesis and thereby the severity of the beta-thalassaemic disorder. Association of Hb G Philadelphia and alpha-thalassaemia in this man and his family is now demonstrated using bone marrow and reticulocytes of the propositus and one of his sons and reticulocytes only of another son.

Technique of lymphography in the rat.

Most the lymphatic system in the rat was directly observed in our experiment by radiological means. The lymphatics of the limbs were firstly revealed by subcutaneous injection of Patent Blue V. Lipiodol was used as radio-opaque compound injected by a micro-technique fully described by the authors.

Administration of antigen by intralymphatic route in the rat. II. Results in tumor active immunotherapy (delta). Preliminary report.

Tumor growth and survival time were followed in rats transplanted with Morris hepatoma 5123 and previously injected with a crude homogenate of the same tumor by the intradermic or intralymphatic route. Female rats treated by the intralymphatic route showed a longer survival time and impaired tumor growth. Male rats did not show any difference.

Administration of antigen by intralymphatic route in the rat I. Humoral response to soluble antigens. (delta). Preliminary report.

Male rats were immunized against bovine albumin injected by either intradermic or intralymphatic routes. A significantly higher number of animals treated by the latter route did respond, probably because antigens introduced by this route directly reach lymph nodes, by passing blood and tissue lytic enzymes.