Expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3/4 and NY-ESO-1 cancer-testis antigens in fetal testis.

Immunohistochemical expression of MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3/4 and NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1 cancer testis antigens (CTA) was assessed in 24 fetal testes from 15th to 36th week of gestation. Three monoclonal antibodies were used for immunohistochemical staining: 77B recognizing MAGE-A1, 57B recognizing multiple MAGE-A CTA, and D8.38 recognizing NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1. Expression of MAGE-A1 was not observed in fetal testis samples, whereas multi-MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1 specific reagents stained pro-spermatogonia in all samples with different expression levels during the period of fetal development observed. Significant expression of MAGE-A3/4 and almost continuous expression of NY-ESO-1 in fetal testes after 22nd week of gestation suggested their important role in the development of sex cords and pro-spermatogonia in particular.

Immunocompetence in non-seminomatous testicular cancer patients before any treatment and one year after completion of therapy.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of immunocompetence in non-seminomatous testicular cancer (NSTC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the peripheral blood of 43 patients with NSTC, lymphocyte subsets, lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens, NK cell activity as well as neutrophil and monocyte phagocytic functions were studied. RESULTS: The proportion and number of T- and B- lymphocytes, lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens as well as neutrophil and monocyte phagocytic functions were equal in patients with localized disease and in those with metastatic disease and they not differ from those in controls. The NK cell number and NK cell activity, however, were significantly impaired in both patient groups. The patients with metastatic disease had a lower NK cell activity than those with localized disease. One year after the completion of anticancer treatment, the NK cell number and cytotoxic activity recovered in both groups of patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that patients with NSTC are primarily deficient in NK cell number and their cytotoxic function influence the host's ability to control the proliferation and spread of tumor cells.

[Guidelines for antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections]. / Smjernice antimikrobnog lijecenja i profilakse infekcija mokracnog sustava.

Recommendations for antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis of urinary tract infections (UTI) have been made according to the results of investigation of resistance of the most frequent causative agents of UTI to antimicrobial drugs. This investigation has been conducted for the past seven years by the Committee for monitoring bacterial resistance to antibiotics in the Republic of Croatia, with consensus of eight professional societies of the Croatian Medical Association. Uncomplicated cystitis is treated 1, 3, or 7 days, complicated 7 days, pyelonephritis 10-14 days, and complicated UTI 7 to 14 days, rarely longer. For the treatment of cystitis fluorokinolons, nitrofurantoin, betalactam antibiotics, and in the fields of lower resistance trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazol are being used. Single treatment with fluorokinolons is administered to otherwise healthy young women with normal urinary tract in whom cystitis symptoms have been present for less than 7 days. Empiric antimicrobial treatment of pyelonephritis, recurrent and all complicated UTI must be reviewed after urine culture finding is obtained. In the treatment of bacterial prostatitis and febrile UTI in males, the drug of first choice is ciprofloxacin. Asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB) is treated in pregnant women, newborns, preschool children with urinary tract abnormalities, before invasive urologic and gynecologic procedures, in kidney transplant recipients, and in the first days of short term urinary bladder catheterization. Recommendations for the treatment of AB in patients with diabetes mellitus have been controversial in the past two years. Antimicrobial prophylaxis is administered mostly one hour prior to the diagnostic or therapeutic invasive urological procedure, using selected antimicrobial agents.

Lymphocyte subsets, lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens, NK cell activity and neutrophil and monocyte phagocytic functions in patients with bladder carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of immunocompetence in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 34 untreated patients with bladder TCC, lymphocyte subsets were measured together with lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens, NK cell activity and neutrophil and monocyte phagocytic functions. The data obtained were correlated with both the tumor spread and the grade. RESULTS: In patients with superficial carcinoma, the proportion of CD4+ cells, the reactivity of lymphocytes to mitogens and NK cell activity was significantly lower than in controls. In patients with invasive disease, the CD4/CD8 ratio, lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens and NK cell activity was significantly diminished when compared with the controls and with patients with superficial carcinoma. Neutrophil and monocyte killing was significantly lower than in controls. Patients with high-grade tumors had a significantly lower CD4/CD8 ratio and lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens than patients with low-grade tumors. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate gross immunological abnormalities in TCC patients which correlate with stage and grade of tumor.