Use of monoclonal antibody B72.3 as a marker of metastatic carcinoma cells in neoplastic effusions.

The value of monoclonal antibody B72.3 as a diagnostic discriminator between mesothelioma and carcinoma cells in malignant effusions was assessed using the ABC method in a series of cell blocks prepared from centrifuged fluids. These were obtained from either pleural or peritoneal neoplastic effusions in patients with histologically verified malignant mesothelioma (n:10) or carcinoma (n:20). Reactivity with MAb B72.3 in at least 10% or more of tumour cells was found in 16 (80%) out of 20 metastatic carcinoma, whereas 2 mesotheliomas displayed positive immunostaining in less than 5% and approximately 20% of the malignant cells respectively. Reactive mesothelial cells were consistently non-immunostained. These results suggest that B72.3 positivity in greater than 10% of tumour cells is certainly indicative, but not absolutely diagnostic, of a metastatic origin of malignant effusions.

Triazine herbicides and ovarian epithelial neoplasms.

The possible role of a class of herbicides, triazines, in ovarian carcinogenesis has been evaluated in a population-based case-referent study. The trade names reported by the study subjects, and the type of cultivation in which they worked, were used for the assessment of exposure. Women previously exposed to triazines showed a significant relative risk of 2.7 for ovarian neoplasms. Although none of the doses could be quantified for the study subjects, two risk trends in favor of the plausibility of the association were found: the first by duration and the second by probability of exposure. The population representativity of the study and the comparability of information between the cases and referents suggest the lack of any major bias in the results. Triazine-related risk remained consistent when the analysis was restricted to farmers and when the exposure to other herbicides and to other types of cultivation were considered. Unexposed farmers had the same risk as unexposed nonfarmers.