Human herpes virus 8 (Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus) and malignant lymphoproliferations in France: a molecular study of 250 cases including two AIDS-associated body cavity based lymphomas.

The new human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) was recently detected in cases of body cavity based lymphoma (BCBL), a rare B cell lymphoma, mostly AIDS-associated. We investigated for HHV8 DNA sequences a series of 250 B or T cell lymphoproliferative malignancies, as seen in France, including 126 leukemias and 124 lymphomas (232 non-AIDS-associated and 18 AIDS-associated tumors). HHV8 sequences were detected in only three patients. The first two were homosexual males, HIV-infected since 1985 who suffered from a BCBL initially characterized in one case by a pleural lymphomatous effusion and a peritoneal one in the other case. A high level of HHV8 copies was detected in the tumoral cells of these two BCBL. In contrast, in the third positive patient who had an AIDS-associated immunoblastic lymphoma, the HHV8 sequences level was quite low. In the two BCBL patients, the HHV8-infected clonal B cells had a large immunoblastic feature with an indeterminate phenotype and were also infected by Epstein-Barr virus. In one BCBL case, a semiquantitative PCR analysis revealed that the HHV8 sequences were much more abundant in the effusion tumor cells than in the cutaneous Kaposi's biopsy while no HHV8 sequence was detectable in the peripheral blood lymphocytes. This study reports HHV8-associated BCBL in European AIDS patients and confirms that HHV8 is present at a high copy number in the tumoral B cells of this malignancy. Furthermore, HHV8 does not seem to play a pathogenic role in any of the other T or B malignant lymphoid neoplasias studied so far. This study also stresses the necessity for quantification studies in interpretation of a positive PCR analysis for HHV8 sequences, especially in patients at risk for HIV infection or Kaposi's sarcoma.

CD1 stimulation of human T cell lines induces a rapid increase in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and the production of IL-2.

The effect of a battery of CD1 mAb on intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and IL-2 production has been examined on different T cell lines in this study. Both 0249F and NU-T2 two CD1b specific mAb tested, induced a rapid increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration on HPBALL T cells whereas only one (L161) among three different CD1c mAb (L161, 10C3, and M241) produced a similar effect. In contrast the addition of four different CD1a mAb directed against two different epitopic groups of this molecule were uneffective in modifying the intracellular Ca2+. Both L161 and 0249F also induced a comparable increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration on MOLT 4 and JURKAT, two other T cell lines of similar phenotype. The effect of L161 mAb on the IL-2 production of the IL-2 producing T cell line JURKAT was also examined. The association of the latter with PMA strongly induced the production of IL-2 on this cell model while either L161 or PMA alone had no effect. Although the natural ligand and the function of CD1 molecules are still unknown, the accumulation of these data strongly suggest that CD1b and CD1c might represent two activatory pathways for immature T cells operating before the classical CD2 and CD3 activation pathways.

[Stage I and II Hodgkin's disease with enlarged mediastinum in adults. Apropos of 24 cases]. / Maladie de Hodgkin stade I et II à gros médiastin de l'adulte. A propos de 24 cas.

We have reported a retrospective study on 24 cases of supra-diaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease Stage I and II, with massive mediastinal invasion, followed from January 1981 to October 1986 and treated first with chemotherapy and then supra-diaphragmatic mantle type radiotherapy up to a dose of 40 Gy in 20 sessions and over 26 days; inverted irradiation was given to the aorto-lumbar region and the spleen up to a dose of 30 Gy in 15 sessions over 19 days. Supplementary irradiation to the superior mediastinum on average 10 Gy in five sessions over five days was given in two cases and five Gy in three sessions over three days in four cases. After initial chemotherapy there appeared to be a complete remission in 29% (7 out of 24), there was a partial remission in 71% (17 out of 24), of which one gave a 25% response, two a 50% response and 14 gave a response of greater than 80%. After radiotherapy the remission rate appeared complete in 96% (23 out of 24). The overall survival was 90% (19 out of 21) with a mean follow up of 45 months (range 8-78 months) with a complete remission level of 85.5% (18 out of 21). For the 13 cases followed for five years the overall survival level and the level of survival in complete remission was 84.5% (11 out of 13) and 77% (10 out of 13) respectively. We have seen symptomatic post radiotherapy pneumonia. The association of chemo and radiotherapy in this limited series of patients has enabled us to obtain a satisfying duration of remission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Half-body irradiation and drug-resistant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Apropos of 9 cases]. / Irradiation hémicorporelle et lymphomes non hodgkiniens chimiorésistants. A propos de 9 cas.

Nine patients, aged 19 to 57 years (mean: 37 years) with non hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) secondarily resistant to chemotherapy (8 stages CS IV involving the bone marrow and 1 stage III) were studied. Histologic forms according to the Lennert classification were as follow: 1 nodular centrocytic which developed into a diffuse centroblastic, 3 diffuse immunoblastic, 4 diffuse centrocytic-centroblastic, and 1 T cell lymphoblastic. The nine patients were managed by external irradiation of the lower half of the body (LHBI), followed six weeks later by irradiation of the upper half of the body (UHBI). A single dose of 8.00 Gy in 7 cases and 6.00 Gy in 2 cases was delivered. Three patients developed severe medullary aplasia. Each of these patients had received 8.00 Gy and been given a course of chemotherapy between the two radiation sessions. The aplasia was fatal in two patients. Overall apparent clinical remission rate was 5/9, with one iatrogenic death at 3.5 months; one lost to follow-up after 8 months; for three other cases, the duration of apparent complete remission was 15, 22 and 36 months. One patient was alive in partial remission 30 months after irradiation. Three patients who failed to respond to treatment, were died between 4 and 11 months.

[Non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the head and neck, stages I and II. Apropos 35 cases]. / Lymphomes non hodgkiniens de la tête et du cou, stades I et II. A propos de 35 cas.

35 cases of non-Hodgkin malignant lymphomas of head and neck, stages I and II. All were treated in Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, by radiotherapy alone or combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with or without surgery. The authors discuss the prognostic and therapeutic aspects.