ABSTRACT
Immunotherapy of bladder cancer with non specific immunostimulants, such as bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), has been shown to significantly reduce tumor recurrences, and, when applied through intravesical BCG instillation to induce the regression of some established tumors, including carcinomas "in situ" and even some invasive tumors. Since in other tumors, namely melanomas, BCG has been proved to be most successful when infected directly into the tumor, intralesional therapy with BCG (1.5 x 10 BCG weekly for four weeks) has been applied in 20 patients affected by bladder cancer (T1 - T2). The local reaction has induced substantial reduction of the tumor mass and, in some cases, (four) total disappearance of the tumor. On the sixteen patients without total disappearance of the tumor, TUR was applied. The successive follow-up of these patients offer at present the following figures: 3 out of the four patients with remission after BCG alone are disease-free after 26-30 months, whereas one has developed after 18 months a papilloma surgically removed; 15 out of the sixteen patients treated with BCG followed by TUR are disease-free after 26-30 months. These data, compared with literature findings, support the idea that intratumoral BCG instillation of bladder cancer permits a longer disease-free period than other therapeutical approaches.
Subject(s)
BCG Vaccine/therapeutic use , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , BCG Vaccine/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/pathology , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
It has been shown that, after oral administration of thymomodulin (Leucotrofina, Ellem Industria Farmaceutica SpA, Milan, Italy) nude mice show in their sera inductive activity on null cells, as measured by the Thy 1.2 antigen bioassay. The appearance of thymic hormone-like activity, as measured by the rosette inhibition assay, was investigated after oral administration of thymomodulin in elderly humans, who show no detectable levels of FTS ("facteur thymique sérique") in their serum. In human subjects over 70 years old, thymomodulin administration induced the appearance of FTS-like activity which reached maximum level at 2-6 h, was maintained for up to 12 h and disappeared by the 48th hour. By using different thymomodulin doses (80, 160, 320, 640, 800 mg) in a single administration, a dose-dependent effect appeared to exist: the higher the dose, the longer the maintenance of FTS levels. These data suggest that oral administration of thymomodulin induces, in humans, the appearance in the serum of substances with a modulating effect on the maturation of T-cells, and that the intestinal absorption of thymomodulin is efficient also in advanced age.
Subject(s)
Thymus Extracts/pharmacokinetics , Administration, Oral , Aged , Animals , Female , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Thymectomy , Thymus Extracts/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Parts of rat lung tissue have been examined by means of a scanning electron microscope after either chemical or physical fixage. Chemical fixage produces retraction on the tissue structures and the alveoles appear of irregular shape. Physical fixage gives the possibility to observe lung morphology without distorsions; details reproduced are in this case very clear and in a shape which appears very close to the original conditions.
Subject(s)
Lung/anatomy & histology , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Animals , Histological Techniques , RatsSubject(s)
Closing Volume , Lung Diseases, Obstructive/diagnosis , Lung Volume Measurements , Adult , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The effect of citidin-diphosphocholine and of phospholipids treatments on the elastic properties as well as on the washing liquid physical-chemical properties of rat lungs is studied. Significant increase of the compliance and decrease of the tendency to collapse of the airways are observed after treatment with citidin-diphosphocholine.
