More smooth-spored species of Inocybe (Agaricales, Ba sidiomycota): type studies and 12 new species from Europe.

Twelve new species of Inocybe (I. adorabilis, I. comis, I. demetris, I. filiana, I. galactica, I. morganae, I. othini, I. ovilla, I. proteica, I. somae, I. suryana and I. venerabilis) are described from Europe on the basis of detailed morphological and molecular investigation. A portrait of the recently described I. ianthinopes is given. All species are smooth-spored and some pruinose only in the apical part of the stipe, and some on entire length. The new species are compared to 24 type specimens (17 characterized by at least partial ITS sequence data), all of which are described and revised here. Epitypes were selected for two species, I. hirtella and I. sindonia. Based on our studies, we confirm that I. kuehneri and I. sindonia on one hand, and I. subalbidodisca and I. ochroalba on the other, are synonyms and furthermore suggest that I. abietis is synonymous with I. catalaunica, I. exilis with I. rufobrunnea, I. hirtellarum with I. mycenoides, I. lapidicola with I. deianae, I. ochraceolutea with I. sindonia, I. stangliana with I. pelargonium, I. subrubens with I. subhirtella and I. sulfovirescens with I. langei. All of the new species are supported by phylogenetic analyses. Among the 16 previously described species accepted here, 10 are represented by types in the phylogenetic analyses and five by own collections corresponding to the type. Two species, I. eutheloides (remaining doubtful) and I. pallidolutea are only treated morphologically. In summary, we describe as new or verify the taxonomic status and provide or corroborate morphological concepts for 37 smooth-spored species of Inocybe. Citation: Bandini D, Oertel B, Eberhardt U. 2022. More smooth-spored species of Inocybe (Agaricales, Basidiomycota): type studies and 12 new species from Europe. Persoonia 48: 91-149. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2022.48.03.

A phylogenetic approach to a global supraspecific taxonomy of Cortinarius (Agaricales) with an emphasis on the southern mycota.

A section-based taxonomy of Cortinarius, covering large parts of the temperate North and South Hemispheres, is presented. Thirty-seven previously described sections are reviewed, while another forty-two sections are proposed as new or as new combinations. Twenty additional clades are recovered but not formally described. Furthermore, six new or combined species names are introduced, and one species is neotypified. The structure is supported by morphological characters and molecular evidence, based on two (nrITS and nrLSU) and four (nrITS, nrLSU, rpb1 and rpb2) loci datasets and analysed by Maximum Likelihood methods (PhyML, RAxML). Altogether 789 Cortinarius samples were included in the study.

Advances in the knowledge of the Inocybe mixtilis group (Inocybaceae, Agaricomycetes), through molecular and morphological studies.

Inocybe mixtilis constitutes a complex of species characterized by nodulose-angulose spores, absence of cortina and a more or less bulbous marginate stipe that is not darkening when desiccated. In order to elucidate species limits within the I. mixtilis complex, an ITS-RPB2 phylogeny was performed and interpreted using morphological and ecological characters. Six supported clades were obtained in our analyses that correspond to I. mixtilis, I. subtrivialis, and four new species to science: I. ceskae, I. johannis-stanglii, I. nothomixtilis and I. occulta. Species within this complex can be morphologically recognized through a unique combination of morphological characters, such as the spore shape, cystidial length and shape, presence and development of the velipellis and pileus colour and viscidity. Nevertheless, those characters overlap, especially among I. mixtilis, I. ceskae and I. occulta, and intermediate collections are therefore more reliably identified through ITS-sequencing. Two species, I. ceskae and I. occulta are present in both North America and Europe, while the rest are so far only known in Europe, or Europe and Asia (I. mixtilis). All species, except I. johannis-stanglii, seem to be able to establish ectomycorrhizal association both with conifers and angiosperms. Descriptions, colour illustrations and a key to all known species in the I. mixtilis group are provided.

A small yet comprehensive subset of human experimental pain models emerging from correlation analysis with a clinical quantitative sensory testing protocol in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Picturing the complexity of pain in human experimental settings has increased the predictivity for clinical pain but requires increasingly complex test batteries. This raises problems in studies in which time is objectively limited, for example by the course of action of an analgesic drug. We addressed the selection of a small yet comprehensive set of pain tests for the use in such a situation. METHOD: Nineteen different pain measures from 'classical' pain models (n = 9) and a clinically established QST-pain test battery (n = 10), were obtained from 72 healthy volunteers (34 men). The nonparametric correlation structure among the various pain measures was analysed using Ward clustering. RESULTS: Four clusters emerged, each consisting of highly correlated pain measures. The pain model groups emerged comprised (I) pain thresholds and tolerances to blunt pressure or electrical pain; (II) pain thresholds to thermal stimuli; (III) pain measures obtained following application of punctate mechanical, intranasal CO2 chemical or cutaneous laser heat stimuli; and (IV) detection thresholds to thermal stimuli. The first three clusters agreed with an immediate mechanistic interpretation as reflecting C-fibre mediated pain, thermal pain and Aδ-fibre mediated pain, respectively, whereas the last cluster contained non-painful measures and was disregarded. CONCLUSIONS: When basing a selection of a small comprehensive set of pain models on the assumption that highly correlated pain measures account for redundant results and therefore, one member of each group suffices an economic yet comprehensive pain study, results suggest inclusion of established C-fibre, Aδ-fibre mediated and thermal pain measures.

[Drug interactions in pain therapy]. / Arzneimittelinteraktionen in der Schmerztherapie.

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most common reasons for consulting a physician. Chronic pain patients often suffer from a variety of comorbidities, such as depression and anxiety and they are therefore often simultaneously treated with more than one drug. The probability of drug interactions increases with every additional drug. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic internet and literature search up to February 2015 was carried out. Systematic lists were included. In addition, the drug prescription information sheets were used and an internet search via Pubmed and google.com was carried out for drugs alone and in combination in order to find substance-specific interactions. RESULTS: A differentiation is made between pharmaceutical, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Pharmaceutical interactions are caused by chemical, physical or physicochemical incompatibility of drugs or adjuvants used. These can even occur outside the body and during concomitant administration via the same route. A pharmacodynamic interaction in pain management is for example the additive sedative effect of opioids and benzodiazepines when taken together. Pharmacokinetic interactions occur during the absorption, distribution, metabolism and in the elimination phases. CONCLUSION: Many drug interactions can be avoided by careful and continuous evaluation of pharmacotherapy and if necessary its adaptation; however, a sound knowledge of the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and the properties of currently used analgesics is necessary.

Cytochrome P450 epoxygenase dependence of opioid analgesia: fluconazole does not interfere with remifentanil-mediated analgesia in human subjects.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) inhibitors may reduce opioid analgesia by inhibiting CYP activity-dependent post-opioid receptor signaling pathways in the brain. This suggestion was predicated on observations of highly attenuated morphine antinociception in rodents after intracerebroventricular injection of fluconazole or carrying a neuron-specific deletion of the cytochrome P450 reductase. However, based on assessments of thermal and electrical pain tolerance, respiratory function, and side effects in 21 healthy volunteers, before and during steady-state concentrations of 1.5 and 3.0 ng/ml of remifentanil at the effect site (viz., the central nervous system), administration of 400 mg/day fluconazole for 8 days in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner failed to attenuate opioid effects. Although CYP inhibitors such as fluconazole are unlikely to attenuate remifentanil analgesia in humans, extrapolation of the findings to other opioids is premature because differences among opioid effects, such as ligand-selective biased signaling at opioid receptors, leave the possibility that CYP-dependent opioid signaling in the brain might be limited to morphine and may not extend to remifentanil.

Microcyclospora and Microcyclosporella: novel genera accommodating epiphytic fungi causing sooty blotch on apple.

Recent studies have found a wide range of ascomycetes to be associated with sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) blemishes on the surfaces of pomaceous fruits, specifically apples. Based on collections of such fungi from apple orchards in Germany and Slovenia we introduce two novel genera according to analyses of morphological characters and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences (large subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions). Microcyclosporella is represented by a single species, M. mali, and is presently known from Germany and Slovenia. Microcyclosporella is Pseudocercosporella-like in morphology, but genetically and morphologically distinct from Pseudocercosporella s.str., for which an epitype is designated based on a fresh collection of P. bakeri from Laos. Furthermore, Pseudocercosporella is shown to be paraphyletic within the Capnodiales. Microcyclospora gen. nov. is Pseudocercospora-like in morphology, but is genetically and morphologically distinct from Pseudocercospora s.str., which is based on P. vitis. Three species, Microcyclospora malicola, M. pomicola (both collected in Germany), and M. tardicrescens (collected in Slovenia) are described. Finally, a new species of Devriesia, D. pseudoamericana, is described from pome fruit surfaces collected in Germany. Devriesia is shown to be paraphyletic, and to represent several lineages of which only Devriesia s.str. is thermotolerant. Further collections are required, however, before the latter generic complex can be resolved.

Selective antagonism of opioid-induced ventilatory depression by an ampakine molecule in humans without loss of opioid analgesia.

Ventilatory depression is a significant risk associated with the use of opioids. We assessed whether opioid-induced ventilatory depression can be selectively antagonized by an ampakine without reduction of analgesia. In 16 healthy men, after a single oral dose of 1,500 mg of the ampakine CX717, a target concentration of 100 ng/ml alfentanil decreased the respiratory frequency by only 2.9 +/- 33.4% as compared with 25.6 +/- 27.9% during placebo coadministration (P < 0.01).Blood oxygenation and the ventilatory response to hypercapnic challenge also showed significantly smaller decreases with CX717 than with placebo. In contrast, CX717 did not affect alfentanil-induced analgesia in either electrical or heat-based experimental models of pain. Both ventilatory depression and analgesia were reversed with 1.6 mg of naloxone. These results support the use of ampakines as selective antidotes in humans to counter opioid-induced ventilatory depression without affecting opioid-mediated analgesia.

Differential opioid action on sensory and affective cerebral pain processing.

Low doses of morphine, the most commonly used opioid analgesic, have been shown to significantly reduce the affective but not the sensory intensive dimension of pain. This suggests differential dose-response relationships of opioid analgesia on the sensory and affective components of pain. We investigated the effects of different alfentanil plasma concentration levels (0, 19.6+/-2.7, 47.2+/-7.6, and 76.6+/-11.3 ng/ml) on pain-related brain activation achieved by short pulses of gaseous CO(2) delivered to the nasal mucosa, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a 3.0 T MRI scanner in 16 non-carriers and 9 homozygous carriers of the mu-opioid receptor gene variant OPRM1 118A>G. Increasing opioid concentrations had differential effects in brain regions processing the sensory and affective dimensions of pain. In brain regions associated with the processing of the sensory intensity of pain (primary and secondary somatosensory cortices, posterior insular cortex), activation decreased linearly in relation to alfentanil concentrations, which was significantly less pronounced in OPRM1 118G carriers. In contrast, in brain regions known to process the affective dimension of pain (parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, anterior insula), pain-related activation disappeared at the lowest alfentanil dose, without genotype differences.

The partial 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptor agonist buspirone does not antagonize morphine-induced respiratory depression in humans.

Based on experiments in rats, serotonin receptor 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(1A) agonists have been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy for the selective treatment of opioid-induced respiratory depression. We investigated the clinical applicability of this principle in healthy volunteers. Twelve subjects received 0.43 mg/kg morphine (30 mg for 70 kg body weight) administered intravenously (i.v.) over approximately 2 h. At the start of the morphine infusion, they received in a randomized, double-blind cross-over design 60 mg p.o. buspirone or placebo. Respiratory depression (hypercapnic challenge) and pain (electrical stimuli: 5 Hz sinus 0-20 mA; chemical stimuli: 200 ms gaseous CO(2) pulses applied to the nasal mucosa) were assessed at baseline, at the end of the morphine infusion, and a third time after antagonizing the opioid effects by i.v. administration of 2 mg naloxone. The linear relationship between the minute ventilation and the CO(2) concentration in the inspired air of 1.07+/-0.27 l/mm Hg CO(2) at baseline conditions became shallower (0.45+/-0.23 l/mm Hg CO(2)) after morphine administration (P<0.001), indicating respiratory depression, which was significantly reversed by naloxone (0.95+/-0.43 l/mm Hg CO(2); P=0.001). Co-administration of buspirone had no effect on morphine-induced respiratory depression (slope 0.45+/-0.23 l/mm Hg CO(2) under morphine plus placebo versus 0.38+/-0.25 l/mm Hg CO(2) under morphine plus buspirone; P=0.7). Significant morphine-induced analgesia was observed in both pain models and was reversed by naloxone but unaffected by buspirone. Buspirone significantly increased the nausea induced by morphine (P=0.011). Oral co-administration of a high dose of the clinically available 5-HT(1A) agonist buspirone cannot be advised as a remedy for opioid-induced respiratory depression. This is indicated by its lack of anti-respiratory depressive effects and by the buspirone-associated increase of morphine-induced nausea.

Phylogenetic relationships of European Phlegmacium species (Cortinarius, Agaricales).

Phylogenetic relationships of 54 European Phlegmacium species, including members of most of the sections of classical systematics, were studied, integrating macro-, micromorphological and chemical characters of the basidiomes, as well as molecular phylogenetic analysis of nuclear rDNA sequences. Microscopical structures of the basidiomes were studied by light microscopy. Basidiospore morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Internal-transcribed spacers (ITS 1 and 2, including the 5.8S) and the D1/D2 (LSU) regions of nuclear rDNA were sequenced and analyzed with a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. Many subgroups detected by the molecular analysis are related to groups known from classical systematical concepts. Among others, these subgroups were significantly supported: i) a group containing most of the members of section Fulvi ss. Brandrud and the species Cortinarius arcuatorum, C. dibaphus and C. multiformis; ii) a group comprising taxa of section Calochroi ss. Brandrud and the species C. fulvocitrinus and C. osmophorus; iii) a group containing species of section Glaucopodes ss. Brandrud and C. caerulescens; iv) a group including members of section Phlegmacioides ss. Brandrud; v) a group that includes the species C. cephalixus, C. nanceiensis and C. mussivus. Stipe shape, color of flesh, pigment contents, KOH reaction on pileipellis and gelatinous layer, degree of development of a gelatinous layer on the pileipellis, and pileipellis structure were useful characters in delimiting subgroups in Phlegmacium, while basidiospore morphology was significant at species level. With the exception of C. glaucopus, C. infractus and C. scaurus, ITS and D1/D2 sequences obtained from collections of the same species from different geographical origins showed very little variation. Our molecular and morphological analyses suggest revisions of the traditional concepts of the subgenus Phlegmacium in Europe.

Detection of small numbers of cells characteristic for haematological disorders in peripheral blood (the deep diff).

We studied cytocentrifuge preparations of peripheral blood mononuclear leucocytes in haematological patients with nondiagnostic white cell differential counts. This approach (the 'deep diff') enabled the detection of small numbers of diagnostically significant cells in a majority of patients. We found ringed sideroblasts in 5/7 patients with sideroblastic anaemia and megaloblasts in 9/10 patients with megaloblastic anaemia. We observed centrocytes in seven patients with follicular lymphoma, mantle cells in five patients with mantle cell lymphoma and marginal zone cells in five patients with nodal marginal zone lymphoma. We detected small percentages of lymphoma cells in cytospins of mononuclear leucocytes in 12 patients with large B-cell lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. The deep diff was nondiagnostic in 5/6 patients with hairy cell leukaemia and in 9/10 patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma. In these cases, there were insufficient cells to detect light chain restriction. Increased counts of leukaemic cells were found in 12/13 patients with acute leukaemia with < 3% blasts in the conventional white cell differential. Increased blasts were also observed in six patients with refractory anaemia with excess of blasts (RAEB). Decreased blasts were found in five patients with aplastic anaemia and in nine patients with bone marrow aplasia after intensive chemotherapy. Increased plasma cell counts were observed in 13/14 patients with advanced plasma cell myeloma. We conclude that the 'deep diff', augmented by immunocytochemistry, may be useful in the diagnosis of haematological disorders.

Detection of small numbers of immature cells in the blood of healthy subjects.

AIMS: To determine the frequency of immature haemopoietic cells in the peripheral blood of healthy persons. METHODS: Cytocentrifuge preparations were made using mononuclear leucocytes separated by a Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient. The slides were stained by May-Grünwald-Giemsa. The combination with immunoperoxidase technique allowed immunotyping of uncommon blood cells. RESULTS: Blast cells expressing the progenitor cell marker CD34 represented 0.11 (0.06) per cent (mean (SD)) of the total mononuclear leucocyte count; these were the haemopoietic progenitor cells in the peripheral blood. Dark blue cells expressing CD38, CD45, HLA-DR, CD4, CD11a, CD29, CD49d, CD50, and CD54 represented 0.30 (0.21) per cent of the mononuclear leucocytes; most of these cells did not express T, B, NK, myelomonocytic, progenitor cell, proliferation, activation, blood dendritic cell, or follicular dendritic cell markers. These were dendritic cell precursors in the peripheral blood. Very small numbers of cells expressing CD83 were found. Blast-like cells expressing CD45, HLA-DR, CD11a, and CD50 represented 0.15 (0.10) per cent of the mononuclear leucocytes; morphology and immunotyping supported the conclusion that these cells were poorly differentiated monocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Morphological investigation of mononuclear leucocytes in peripheral blood of healthy persons can be used to detect small numbers of blasts, dark blue cells, and blast-like cells. The immunoperoxidase technique can then be used for immunotyping of these cells. This simple method may be helpful in diagnosing haematological disorders.

Immunotyping of blasts in human bone marrow.

The diagnostic potential of immunocytochemical investigation of human bone marrow has not been fully realized due to difficulties in morphological identifying of immunostained cells. We used an indirect immunoperoxidase technique after May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining for simultaneous morphological and immunocytochemical analysis of blasts in human bone marrow. Six healthy bone marrow donors were investigated. Most blasts I expressed CD34, CD38 and HLA-DR. Expression of c-kit (CD117) was observed on 42 +/- 9% of blasts I. Granulocytomonocytopoietic character was demonstrated by expression of CD13 (33 +/- 15%) and CD45RA (23 +/- 10%) and erythropoietic character was demonstrated by expression of CD36 (22 +/- 8%) and CD45RO (30 +/- 11%). A very low proportion of blasts I were Thy-1 and CD61 positive; 34 +/- 6% of blasts I expressed CD22, representing B lymphoid committed progenitors. CD3, CD15, and glycophorin A expression was not detected. Blasts II and III and proerythroblasts did not show CD34 positivity. We conclude that blasts I are morphologically identifiable cells with a high percentage of CD34, CD38, and HLA-DR positivity. They are a pool of committed progenitor cells for erythropoiesis, granulocytomonocytopoiesis, megakaryocytopoiesis, and B cell development. Blast II and proerythroblast represent the first morphologically identifiable cells of granulocytopoiesis and erythropoiesis.

CD 34 immunotyping of blasts in myelodysplasia.

We studied the expression of the hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen CD 34 in six patients with refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB), five patients with RAEB in transformation (RAEB-T), and seven patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Immunocytochemical labeling of bone marrow cells was performed by an indirect immunoperoxidase method with preservation of morphological details. The cells were stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa, photographed, destained, and immunolabeled by the immunoperoxidase technique. We found 1.5 +/- 0.5% blasts and 0.8 +/- 0.4% CD 34+ blasts in normal bone marrow. The CD 34 positivity of blasts was 53 +/- 9%. The patients with RAEB showed 1.7 +/- 1.4% CD 34+ blasts. The CD 34 positivity of blasts (11.8 +/- 5.6%) was lower than in normal bone marrow. The patients with RAEB-T had a higher percentage of CD 34+ blasts (7.3 +/- 3.4) and a higher CD 34 positivity of blasts (28.2 +/- 14.6%) than patients with RAEB. The CMML patients showed a percentage of CD 34+ blasts and a CD 34 positivity of blasts in the range of RAEB. We found an increase of promonocytes (PMC) in 5/7 patients. In some patients the PMC were CD 34 positive. Our results indicate that the increase of blasts in REAB is related to CD 34-negative blasts. With progression to RAEB-T the percentage of CD 34-positive blasts increased. Some of the CMML patients also showed a population of CD 34-positive PMC. A clone of undifferentiated CD 34-positive cells is characteristic for patients with these types of myelodysplasia.

Fluorenone-azomethines, a novel class of microtubule inhibitors that specifically affect cell proliferation.

The effects of various azomethine derivatives on microtubule (MT) assembly in vitro as well as on cell proliferation, cell shape, and the cytoskeleton of some cultured murine cell lines were studied. 3 of them, the alpha-diphenylene-N-(p-[bis-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-amino]-phenyl)-nit rone (DHPN), alpha-diphenylene-N-(p-[N-(hydroxyethyl)-N-(gamma-hydroxypropyl)- amino]-phenyl)-nitrone, and alpha-diphenylene-N-(p-diethylaminophenyl)-nitrone, strongly inhibit the assembly of microtubules (MTs) in vitro (50% inhibition at 4 to 7 mumol/l). The same compounds are also able to disrupt preformed microtubules. Moreover, they were found to inhibit proliferation of leukaemia L 1210, melanoma B16 K, fibroblast L 929, and embryo fibroblast cells down to 1 to 10 mumol/l, completely. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that DHPN, used as a representative of the active azomethines, causes a reversible destruction of the microtubule part of the cytoskeleton. Apparently resulting from microtubule disruption, the intermediate filament system collapsed whereas the microfilament system remained unaffected. The results indicate that the antiproliferative action of the azomethines is based, at least partially, on their ability to attack microtubules.

Cytologic and immunocytologic studies of peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

Lymph node aspirates from 18 peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTLs) were analyzed. Cytologic and immunocytologic studies were performed on Cytospin preparations using the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase method with a panel of monoclonal antibodies (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19 and CD30). The cytologic diagnosis was confirmed by histologic investigation. Nine lymph node aspirates from patients with Lennert's lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic (AILD)-type PTL and pleomorphic small-cell-type PTL were composed predominantly of small-to-intermediate-sized lymphocytes. An admixture of plasma cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes with an irregular nucleus, granula in the cytoplasm or abundant cytoplasm was also seen. Nine lymph node aspirates from patients with T-immunoblastic lymphoma, pleomorphic large-cell-type PTL and large-cell anaplastic (Ki-1+) lymphoma showed marked cytologic heterogeneity. Immunocytologic investigation of the aspirates using the antibodies CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19 and CD30 was helpful for the differentiation of PTLs from reactive lymphadenopathy and other malignant lymphomas. A strong predominance of CD3+ cells was found in only seven cases. The aspirates expressed a helper/inducer phenotype in 11 cases and a suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype in 4 cases. A T-cell phenotype not corresponding to the normal T-cell phenotype was found in nine cases. In 15 of the 18 cases, the number of CD19+ cells was found to be less than 15%. The large cells of the large-cell anaplastic (Ki-1+) lymphoma expressed the antigens CD30 and CD45 and were negative for CD15. These findings indicate that immunocytologic studies can be used in improving the cytologic diagnosis of PTLs.

Immunocytochemical analysis of lymph node aspirates in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Thirty four patients positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who had lymphadenopathy were investigated using fine needle aspiration. Cytological analysis included immunocytochemical investigation with the alkaline phosphatase-antialkaline phosphatase (APAAP) method. All patients had confirmation of cytological diagnosis by lymph node biopsy. Fifteen aspirates with follicular hyperplasia were evaluated. Eleven patients showed B cell predominance. The B cell population did not show light chain restriction. Ten patients with B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (five with Burkitt's lymphoma and five with B cell immunoblastic lymphoma) were investigated. Nine out of 10 cases were monoclonal with respect to their light chain determinants; only one case with Burkitt's lymphoma with partial lymph node metastasis did not show light chain restriction. The cytological diagnosis included two mycobacterial infections and four cystic lesions. Histological investigation was necessary to diagnose the extent of lymph node disease caused by Kaposi's sarcoma. These findings indicate that the immunocytological investigation of lymph node aspirates is useful for evaluating lymphadenopathy in HIV positive patients.

Influence of 1,4-benzoquinone derivatives and azomethines on microtubule formation in vitro and experimental leukemias.

Using two groups of substances (derivatives of 1,4-benzoquinone and azomethines) it was compared their effect on the microtubule formation in vitro and on experimental leukemias. 9 from the 28 substances tested acted cancerostatically, 4 substances inhibited microtubule assembly. 3 compounds (fluorenoneazomethines) revealed both effects.