Long-term clinical remission of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia using alternative treatment option: cottonseed oil (gossypol).

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) results from the accumulation of malignant immunologically incompetent lymphocytes. A routine full blood count of a single patient revealed that he had CLL. The daily intake of 700ml of fresh bovine milk resulted in a decrease in the lymphocyte count from 85.5x10(9)/l to 12.5x10(9)/l over a period of 5 years. The aim was to establish which constituent(s) in milk would be responsible for the decline of the lymphocyte count. It was found that the higher vitamin D constituent in the milk, the lower the lymphocyte count. Whilst the milk from large dairy farms which use supplements in the feed in order to increase milk production, considerably decreased the lymphocyte count, the milk from small dairy farms, which do not supplement, had hardly any effect. The present study indicates that gossypol in cottonseed cake and oil are potentially responsible for the decrease in white blood cell count. It appears that gossypol is a very powerful anti-neoplastic agent. Free gossypol (Fig. 1) is a toxic phenolic compound which becomes detoxified in ruminants by binding to milk proteins, but gossypol is still an active inhibitor of tumour growth in the excreted milk.

Haemoglobin estimation--reliability of the copper sulphate specific gravity v. the cyanmethaemoglobin colorimetric method.

Automated colorimetric and copper sulphate (4 solutions with different specific gravities) methods were used to examine 218 blood specimens. The correlation between the two was high (r = 0.82)--proving that the copper sulphate method is reliable for haemoglobin screening. Copper sulphate gives better results in the higher haemoglobin region, which includes the majority of healthy people. In the lower haemoglobin region this method generally gives lower results than the cyanmethaemoglobin method. Copper sulphate is also by far the cheapest means currently available for mass screening.

IgD multiple myeloma. A case report.

A patient with a fracture of the left femur was investigated for suspected multiple myeloma. Serum total proteins, protein electrophoresis, and immunoglobulin G, A and M levels were within normal limits. Bence Jones proteinuria of the lambda type was present. Subsequent investigations revealed the presence of IgD myeloma.

Unusual presentation of multiple myeloma. A report of 2 cases.

The diagnosis of multiple myeloma (overt plasma cell dyscrasia) is usually not considered in patients under 30 years of age. Furthermore, multiple myeloma with coexistent megaloblastic and iron deficiency anaemia is very uncommon. Within 6 months we encountered 2 patients under 30 years of age who had multiple myeloma, one with advanced secondary amyloidosis and the other with severe megaloblastic and iron deficiency anaemia.

Biclonal gammopathy. A case report.

The presence of two or more monoclonal proteins in serum due to the malignant proliferation of more than one clone of B lymphocytes is uncommon. A patient with raised levels of both immunoglobulin G and M is presented and some clinical and laboratory features are shown.

Serum trace elements and vitamin A in leprosy subtypes.

Serum zinc, copper, iron, and vitamin A levels were determined in patients with leprosy and healthy controls. Leprosy patients were classified according to the Ridley and Jopling classification and divided into two main groups as follows: tuberculoid, which consisted mainly of borderline tuberculoid patients and lepromatous, which consisted of borderline lepromatous and true lepromatous patients. The lepromatous group was found to have significantly lower serum levels of zinc and iron and elevated levels of copper. Vitamin A levels were also significantly lower in the lepromatous groups than in the tuberculoid group. Furthermore, the true lepromatous vitamin A determinations were significantly lower than those of the borderline lepromatous patients. The mechanism of these alterations in trace elements is probably due to a redistribution of these metals from the blood to various tissues; brought about by the release of leucocyte endogenous mediators by continuing phagocytosis of tissue macrophages in the lepromatous group of patients.

Vitamin A in the treatment of menorrhagia.

Hypovitaminosis A was found to be an important cause of menorrhagia, and a statistically significant difference between the fasting serum vitamin A values of healthy controls and patients with menorrhagia was noted. Vitamin A is a co-factor of 3 beta-dehydrogenase in steroidogenesis and deficiencies of this vitamin may result in impaired enzyme activity. The level of endogenous 17 beta-oestradiol appears to be elevated with vitamin A therapy, and menorrhagia was alleviated in more than 92% of patients.

A comparison of pregnancy tests.

An evaluation in terms of performance and cost was made of the Planotest, Pregnex, Gravindex, Prepurex, Planosec, Quick Test and Dap Test pregnancy test kits. It was found that Pregnex was the most accurate, but that it was expensive. Planotest, Gravindex and Prepurex were identical as far as results were concerned and they were comparable in price. In terms of readability, Gravindex, Pregnex and Prepurex were considered the easiest. Because many pregnancy test kits are available, we thought it desirable to compare these kits in terms of cost and performance.