ABSTRACT
First generation shock wave sources have been proved to disintegrate gallstones effectively, but they require the immersion of the patient's body in a tank of water. A recently developed second generation shock wave source (Siemens-Lithostar, Erlangen, FRG) generates shock waves electromagnetically. It presents several novel features. In particular the waterbath can be omitted and due to lower shock wave pressure general anaesthesia is not required. In vitro studies showed that 36 out of 38 gallstones (11-30 mm in diameter) could be disintegrated. Two concrements resisting lithotripsy were pure white cholesterol stones. Independent of shape, size, and composition (cholesterol or pigment) the maximum diameter of remaining fragments after lithotripsy was between 1 and 8 mm. For sufficient disintegration precise focusing (+/- 1 cm) of the stones and maximum power of the shock wave generator were required.
Subject(s)
Cholelithiasis/therapy , Lithotripsy/methods , Cholelithiasis/analysis , Cholelithiasis/pathology , Electromagnetic Phenomena , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Circulating immune complexes were determined in patients with lung cancer by the C1q deviation test and by column chromatography on Sepharose 6 B. Immune complexes could be demonstrated by the two different methods in 50--80% of patients' sera at the time of diagnosis. Patients with extended disease had more immune complexes than patients with limited disease. Serial determinations showed a good correlation between immune complex levels and clinical course of disease. The size of the immune complexes present in patients' sera was determined by sucrose density ultracentrifugation and by column chromatography in the region between 10 S and 30 S. Furthermore in this study no inhibition of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity by circulating immune complexes could be seen.
Subject(s)
Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity , Antigen-Antibody Complex , Lung Neoplasms/immunology , Centrifugation, Density Gradient , Chromatography, Agarose , Complement Fixation Tests , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Lung Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Immune complexes could be isolated from sera of 7 patients with oat-cell carcinoma of the lung, but not from 5 normal controls, using zonal ultracentrifugation. After ultracentrifugation, fractions containing macromolecular IgG were absorbed on a protein A-sepharose column and the immune complexes were eluted and dissociated by glycin-HCl buffer at pH 3.5. The eluates were tested for the presence of tumour-associated proteins as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), non-specific crossreacting antigen (NCA), alpha2 pregnancy associated antigen (alpha2PAG) and isoferritin. Whereas none of these tumour-associated antigens could be demonstrated, an ACTH-like activity was detected in the immune-complex fractions of 4 patients with oat-cell carcinoma, by radioimmuno- and bioassay. Polyacrylamide electrophoresis of an immune-complex fraction from a patient with Cushing syndrome showed ACTH-like activities, with mol. wt of 110,000, 75,000, 30,000 and less than 20,000 (all glycoproteins) indicating the presence of different subfractions of big ACTH.
