Treatment of advanced ovarian malignancy with chemoimmunotherapy using autologous tumor and Corynebacterium parvum.

Fourteen patients with advanced ovarian epithelial carcinoma were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The chemotherapy consisted of either melphalan or a combination of adriamycin, cytoxan, and cisplatin. The immunotherapy consisted of the injection of autologous radiation-attenuated tumor and Corynebacterium parvum. No significant toxicity occurred as a result of the immunotherapy, and there was no evidence of tumor growth at the sites of injection. The autologous tumor skin test showed prognostic value. Skin testing with C parvum was of less prognostic value than tumor. All other studies of immunologic status, including T- and B-cell enumeration and blastogenic responsiveness of the patients' lymphocytes to autologous tumor and mitogens, were of no prognostic value.

The treatment of erythroblastosis with promethazine hydrochloride.

Seventy-two patients with Rh erythroblastosis were treated with promethazine hydrochloride (P-HCl) during a seven-year period. Compared to the pregnancy outcome of the immediately preceding pregnancies, we have found a significant decrease in perinatal mortality and exchange transfusions. No significant toxicity from P-HCl treatment has been noted, and none of these patients developed preeclampsia.

A long-term follow-up of passively immunologically sterilized rats.

PIP: In an earlier study with rats it was shown that rabbit and antihuman placental lactogen induced a marked intrauterine inflammatory response with destruction of fetal tissues. In 18 rats remaining from that study autopsies performed 5-20 months after treatment revealed 1) enlarged uteri, 2) increase in collagen, 3) metaplasia of the glands lining the uterine cavity, 4) dilated and cystic glands (uterine), 5) subepithelial neutrophils, 6) mucification of the glandular tissue, 7) inflammatory cells of the subepithelial region, and 8) a similar proportion of control and experimental animals with basophilic or chromophobe adenomas of the pituitary. While 3 controls developed mammary carcinoma, none of the experimental animals did. None of the experimental animals gave birth although they were impregnated repeatedly.^ieng

An immunologic method of pregnancy destruction and contraception.

PIP: To determine the importance of placental lactogen in pregnancy, 45 of 205 inbred Buffalo rats studied were injected with an antibody against human placental lactogen (HPL) produced in rabbits. 100 rats were studied simultaneously as untreated controls, 40 rats were injected intraperitoneally with .5 ml. of anti-HSA, and 20 rats were injected intraperitoneally with .5 ml. of NRS as treated controls. All rats were mated and pregnancies were determined by the presence of sperm in vaginal washes. All of the control groups produced normal litters, while none of the rats injected with anti-HPL delivered. Examination on Day 27 of pregnancy revealed that implantation apparently had taken place, followed by deterioration and destruction of the fetal tissue. 20 of these anti-HPL treated rats were followed after treatment and normal estrous cycle did recur. Some of these rats continued to be impregnated by males for up to 11 months, but no pregnancies occurred. The absolute antipregnancy effect of this treatment is highly significant, and the continuing long-term antiimplantation effect is surprising. It is concluded that the evidence supports the universality among animals of placental lactogen as an integral part of successful pregnancy, and that further research may develop an immunological contraceptive technique with this antibody.^ieng