An experimental model for predicting the synergism of hyperthermia with cytostatics.

A simple prediction test for a combination of hyperthermia and chemotherapy checked on three experimental tumors and cells of the normal murine thymus is described. The testing procedure is based on checking the incorporation of labeled 125I 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine into the DNA of tested cells affected solely by the enhanced temperature or by the cytostatic itself, or by a combination of both agents. The statistical analysis of repeated results demonstrated the reproducibility of the test. Testing of the potentiation effect of different non-cytostatic substances with enhanced temperatures also gave results corresponding to findings of other authors, performed in vivo or by the use of other techniques. Thus, this simple method is recommended for a screening, before considering the individual use of the combination of hyperthermia and chemotherapy in patients.

Retrospective study in 430 patients with Hodgkin's disease (1965-1974).

The authors from 11 institutions in the Czech Socialist Republic, grouped into a Complex Rationalisation Brigade for the diagnosis and therapy of the malignant lymphogranuloma, present results of a retrospective study in 430 patients with Hodgkin's disease. The results were obtained after the data treatment on a digital computer and concern with a general characteristic of the group of patients, that involved 57,2% men and 42,8% women with a peak of the age distribution between 20 and 30 years and a second peak between 60 and 70 years. In the clinical data there is an analysis of the rate of occurring the lesion in particular groups of nodes, where the nodes of mediastinum and of the neck were involved most frequently. In the therapeutic procedures the radiotherapy, cytostatic therapy and their combination are evaluated. The 5-year survival in the whole group is of 41%. Out of this, in the first five years of the period of interest and in the second five years, the numbers of the surviving patients were of 33 and 47% respectively. In the Tables, there are complete remissions, mean times of the remission and longest time of the remission for different methods of the therapy. When evaluating the relapse of the disease, it was possible to observe not only the dependence on the total time of irradiation but also on the time distribution of the dose. The patients with involved nodes above the diaphragm have a better prognosis than those with lesions of nodes in the subdiaphragm region.

Significance of biochemical markers in Morbus Hodgkin.

Statistically significant changes of the values of biochemical tests can be utilized in complex clinical and laboratory diagnosis and in appreciating the status of the disease in Hodgkin's lymphomas. Considering the increasing number of biochemical tests and their common nonspecificity, urgent necessity appears to verify their importance in malignant diseases. The authors analyzed 2626 biochemical examinations in 39 patients with M. Hodgkin. The results were evaluated in untreated patients, in patients in remission with and without BCG vaccination, in relapse, in the course of successful and unsuccessful therapy and the contribution of individual laboratory tests for the diagnosis and the course of the disease was verified. Suitable for the diagnosis are those tests which do not deviate from physiological limits in the sense either of the increase (alpha 2-, beta-, gamma-globulins and transaminases) or the decrease (albumins and albumin-globulin quotient). Statistically insignificant were the changes of the values of total protein, alpha1-globulins, N-urea, thymol turbidity reaction, cholesterol, phosphatases and lactate dehydrogenase. The results presented can be an aid for the clinician in the choice of individual biochemical markers.

Dependence of the postirradiation lymphopenia and hypersegmentation of neutrophil nuclei on the therapeutic irradiation exposure in patients with breast carcinoma--some ways of its use for biological detection of irradiation.

In the work, changes are presented of the numbers of lymphocytes and hypersegmented neutrophils after therapeutic irradiation of women after mastectomy. The values found were evaluated statistically by the decision method. It was found that in the course of irradiation the lymphopenia and increase in the number of neutrophils with hypersegmented cellular nuclei occurred. This contraversory course of the values showed an increasing tendency with increasing exposure. An attempt was made, whether the values found could serve for the biological detection if irradiation, when completing the response of the organism to irradiation based on changes of one parameter by a response from changes of second parameter examined. The values were used as training material for the statistical decision method. The results are represented in the from of a diagram for reading off the magnitude of the damage in practice by stimultaneous evaluation of both parameters. A further approach is shown in the biological dosimetry by simultaneous examination of several independent paramters statistically treated by a suitable method.

Scintigraphic methods in the diagnosis of M. Hodgkin.

The authors examined 40 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma suspected from the localization of the process in mediastinum. They used X-ray investigation, radioisotope lung perfusion, radiogold-colloid lymphography and 67Ga-citrate scintigraphy. They found that, when the disease was diagnosed, X-ray examinations including tomography and lung perfusion gave reliable information in only half the cases whereas the other two nuclear medical methods showed positive results in 88% and 82%, respectively. In the diagnosis of relapse, the yield of these former methods was substantially higher, between 82--90%.

Immunoglobin levels in patients with Hodgkin's disease.

The authors examined a course of immunoglobulin values (IgA, IgG, IgM) in 40 patients with the Hodgkin's disease and repeatedly in 11 healthy persons. In the patients they followed the levels of the immunoglobulins during the disease, up to 5 years. In untreated patients there were statistically significant increased IgA levels and insignificant increase of IgG. In the course of remission the immunoglobulin values were normalized. The radiotherapy did not affect significantly the value of immunoglobulins, the combined chemotherapy (COPP) led to a drop of this level. The levels of immunoglobulins are recovered after chemotherapy in the case of successful treatment. In terms of the prognosis the authors consider as unfavorable high increase in the immunoglobulin levels in untreated patients and their rapid drop during the chemotherapy. They observed an average preterminal drop of the IgA by 27%, IgG by 23% and IgM by 44% with respect to controls.