[Comparison of efficacy of various methods of thyroglobulin measurements in differentiated thyroid cancer]. / Porównanie skutecznosci róznych metod oznaczania tyreoglobuliny jako markera zróznicowanego raka tarczycy.

Monitoring patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) by thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements requires selecting optimal methods used for detection of this marker. An increase the thyroglobulin concentration in serum is a predictor of tumor recurrence. All serum thyroglobulin assays can be falsified by presence of Tg autoantibodies, which are present in approximately 20% of DTC patients. The aim of this study was a comparison of the clinical utility of two different methods for determining serum Tg concentration in monitoring patients with DTC during thyroxine treatment. Tg concentration was measured in serum samples of 1530 patients with DTC during replacement thyroid hormone using two methods: fluoroimmunometric assay (IFMA) Wallac Delfia Thyroglobulin and immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) Brahms DYNOtest Tg-S. 1847 values of Tg concentration and recovery test detected between 1992 and 1995 years using IFMA methods and 1187 values of Tg and thyroglobulin autoantibodies concentration measured in 2000 year using IRMA methods were also included. The correlation between Tg values in all patients group wasn't good (r = 0.83; p < 0.05), but when we excluded patients with incorrect recovery test determined by IRMA, the correlation factor was higher (r = 0.94; p < 0.05). The estimation of Tg recovery test obtained in IRMA assay eliminated from monitoring only 3% patients with DTC, when IFMA assay excluded nearly 1/5 patients, whereas the estimation Tg autoantibodies 7% from all patients. The IRMA method is the most resistant to interference and allows to monitor a reliably greater group of patients with DTC during thyroxine treatment.

[Evaluation of bone density in women after thyroid cancer surgery and treatment with suppressive doses of L-thyroxine]. / Ocena gestosci kosci u kobiet po operacji raka tarczycy, leczonych supresyjnie L-tyroksyna.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the degree of bone resorption and incidence of osteoporosis in female postmenopausal patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated with suppressive doses of thyroxine. During the regular follow-up of women with differentiated thyroid cancer, densitometry of lumbar spine (L2-L4) and femoral head were performed. urine concentration of deoxypyridinoline and calcium-phosphate metabolism were also evaluated. Osteoporosis was diagnosed in 11% of patients, all without hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Mean bone density was significantly higher in patients treated with HRT. A decrease in bone mass was related to the duration of thyroxine therapy. The best results of bone mass density were obtained in patients on HRT and with short duration of thyroxine therapy. Deoxypiridinoline estimation did not exhibit significant differences between groups, however it was useful in the individual evaluation of bone resorption.

[Usefulness of the Visidex II (Ames) strip test for monitoring insulin therapy at home]. / Przydatnosc testu paskowego Visidex II firmy Ames do monitorowania insulinoterapii w warunkach domowych.

Blood glucose was determined with o-toluidine and Visidex II (Ames) in 234 adult diabetics. The highest conformity of the results in both techniques was achieved in the range of blood glucose concentrations 70-110 mg%. The authors are convinced that Visidex II may be valuable in monitoring of normoglycaemia during intensive therapy with insulin, eg. during pregnancy. In other ranges of blood glucose concentrations, the results of determinations with Visidex II are significantly higher than that of simultaneously carried out determinations with o-toluidine method. Therefore, a decision on taking an additional insulin injection should be very careful in case of hyperglycaemia determined with strip test Visidex II.

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in diagnosis of lymphomas.

TdT activities were determined on 29 specimens of mononuclear blood, bone marrow or lymph node cells from 18 patients with non Hodgkin's Lymphomas, 2 Hodgkin's patients and 3 patients with non neoplastic lymph nodes. The neoplastic cells were typed using tests detecting membrane markers (E, Em, SIg), and monoclonal antibodies (MoAb). In a group of 15 patients with Low Grade Malignant Lymphoma (L. lymphocytic, centrocytic and lymphoplasmocytic) 14 cases belonged to B cell phenotype lymphoma, with 3 cases among them with a moderate TdT activity. In one case of lymphocytic lymphoma the cells had the non T, non B, TdT+ characteristics. High TdT activity was observed in both examined patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma and in cells obtained from the lymph node of one Hodgkin's lymphoma case. Although our group was of heterogenic character, our investigations confirm the value of TdT as biochemical marker of immature lymphocytes and its usefulness for differential diagnosis of malignant lymphomas.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) activity in treating the blastic phase (bp) of chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL).

The blastic cell phenotypes of 26 cases of CGL in blastic phase were estimated and the patients were treated with different schemes. The following methods of typisation of the blast cells were used: cytochemical stainings (POX, Sudan B, PAS, nonspecific esterase), estimation of TdT activity, and in 11 patients the testing with monoclonal antibodies of VI series. Using these methods 10 patients (38%) with lymphoid form of the blastic phase, 11 (43%) with the myeloid type and 5 patients (19%) with undifferentiated type were diagnosed. In the group of lymphoblastic type a longer survival time and complete remissions were observed. High TdT activity in blastic cells did correspond with favourable response to Vincristin and Prednison. The introduction of TdT assessment into the diagnosis of CGL allows the cells to be classified more precisely, thus helping in defining the prognosis and in the choice of treatment programme.

[Terminal DNA nucleotidyltransferase in blastic crisis in myelocytic leukemia]. / Koncowa transferaza dezoksynukleotydowa (TdT) w przelomie blastycznym przewleklej bialaczki szpikowej.

The importance of determination of the activity of TdT is discussed in the light of a case of chronic myeloid leukaemia in a patient aged 55 years in whom after 4 years from the onset of the disease blastic crisis developed. High TdT activity was correlated with other features of blastic crisis of lymphoid character and with good response to vincristine and prednisone. This enzyme which is a valuable marker of lymphoblasts can predict also blastic crisis and give cues as to proper treatment.

[DNA polymerase in the microsomal fraction of the myeloblasts of chickens infected with avian myeloblastosis virus]. / Polimeraza DNA z frakcji mikrosomalnej mieloblastów kurczat zakazonych wirusem ptasiej mieloblastozy.

Only one DNA polymerase is present in the microsomal fraction of the cells producing AMV. Chromatographically purified enzyme shows the properties of revertase, that is it transcribes in DNA the information encoded in natural RNA. The enzyme possesses identical chromatographic characteristics and the same template specificity as the enzyme isolated from pure AMV virus. Thus the virus enzyme and the cellular DNA polymerase from the microsomal fraction cannot be differentiated on the basis of certain properties.

DNA polymerase from Gross murine leukemia.

DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) from Gross virus was characterized with regard to template specificity. Changes in pH in the reaction medium in vitro exert a varying influence on this enzyme's activity depending on the template used.

Thymus-dependent cytokinetics in transplantable leukemia of AKR mice.

Perinatally thymectomized AKR mice inoculated i.v. with acute lymphoblastic T-cell leukemia (TAL) demonstrated, as compared to controls, an accelerated passage of injected cells through the lungs. Later in disease they also exhibited an especially intense infiltration of liver and spleen by leukemic blasts proliferating at a slow rate the big majority of cells being in the G0 + G1-phase. The thymus controls the proliferation and the traffic of leukemic cells in the recipient.

[Revertase in myeloblasts of chickens infected with avian myeloblastosis virus]. / Rewertaza w mieloblastach kurczat zakazonych wirusem ptasiej mieloblastozy.

Revertase present in the myeloblasts of chickens infected with avian myeloblastosis virus failed to synthetise DNA in vitro on the endogenous viral template. Enzyme inhibitors were not blocking this synthesis. It was rather impaired by incompletness of viral RNA in immature virus particles.

[The acid-base equilibrium during mouse lymphoblastic leukemia]. / Das Säure-Basen-Gleichgewicht im Verlauf lymphoblastischer Leukämien der Maus

In transplantable and in spontaneous lymphoblastic mouse leukemia blood pH, PCO2, TCO2 and BB were examined. Spontaneous Gross-leukemia in AKR mice was found to develop in its final phase respiratory acidosis. Transplantable (TAL) leukemia of AKR mice presents from the onset a tendency toward respiratory acidosis. "L-1210"-leukemia, on the contrary, was shown to alcalise the recipients during the first 8 days after inoculation, later on it can bring about an acidosis. The pH-deviations in "L-1210"-leukemia display a respiratory character in syngeneic DBA/2J recipients, whereas in semiallogeneic recipients the observed changes are metabolic or mixt in nature. This finding strongly argues for the importance of histocompatibility. Intranodally inoculated animals distinctly differ in their parameters in comparison to intravenously and intraperitoneally recipients, hence, an important role of the tissular-milieu which is put first in contact with the leukemic factor must be concluded.

[The effect of exogenous alkalization on cytokinetics and on the survival rate of mice with lymphoblastic leukemia]. / Der Einfluss exogener Alkalisierung auf zytokinetische Vorgänge und die Uberlebensrate von Mäusen mit lymphoblastischer Leukämie

In mice vaccinated with two forms of lymphoblastic leukaemia and alkalized with intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate, the survival rate, the extent of leukaemic infiltration and the proliferative capacity of cells in the bone-marrow, thymus, spleen, lymphnodes, liver and lungs were investigated. The survival rate in the TAL leukaemia of the AKR stem producing an endogenous acidosis could be significantly prolonged in a statistical way by alkalization. Yet an accelerated expiring rate could be observed after exogenous alkalization in L-1210 leukaemia of the DBA/2J stem producing an endogenous alkalosis. By means of cytological and impulse-cytophotometrical investigations the exogenous alkalization of both forms of leukaemia could be proved to have a direct bearing on the proliferative kinetics. In TAL leukaemia the leukaemic proliferation was inhibited by the exogenously involved correction of the acid-base balance; in the L-1210 leukaemia, however, the pH disturbances were enhanced, thus accelerating the leukaemic proliferation. Consequently, the disturbances of the acid base balance seem to be an essential cofactor in the leukaemia genesis. The exogenous direction of the acid-base balance may be important as a means of treating leukaemia.

Multiple immune serum injections in prevention of murine "L-1210" leukemia growth.

Adult BDF1 and DBA/2J mice were inoculated i.p. with "L-1210" leukemia cells and then received i.p. control or immune sera raised in C27B1/6 and BALB/c mice. Undiluted sera were administered in single or multiple doses ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 ml/mouse on day 0., resp. 0., 2-4, and 7. In BDF1 hybrids permanent survivals (greater than 150 days) and distinct prolongation of the mean survival time (MST) after multiple injections were observed. However, normal serum derived from non-immunized C57B1/6 donors was also demonstrated to provide protection when injected three times. In DBA/2J recipients no permanent survivals were observed. In this mouse strain control sera proved ineffective. On the contrary, immune sera enabled the recipients to survive longer and this prolongation proved to be statistically significant (p less than 0.02). Partial natural immunity against "L-1210" leukemia in BDF1 hybrids must be, therefore, postulated. It is probably due to H-2-locus incompatibility versus "L-1210" cells, inherited from the C57B1/6 ancetor-line. Unknown factors which are present in normal serum seem to potientiate this natural resistance. In compatible DBA/2J mice normal serum constituents were ineffective, on the other hand, however, the effectiveness of specific immune factors directed against target cells of the tumor could be demonstrated in them

[A case of atypical myeloblasts; a RNA leukemia]. / Un cas de myélose aiguë atypique: une leucémie arn

In a 53-year-old female patient, a tumor localized in the nasopharyngeal cavity together with hematologic features of acute paramyeloblastic leukemia were observed. More than 70% blast cells contained giant intracytoplasmic inclusions which have been found to be strongly pyroninophilic. The electron-microscopic study revealed big agglomerations of ribosomal RNA inside of pseudofibrillar structures of the cytoplasma. The possibility of a new nosological entity should be envisaged.