Comparison of the efficacy of different doses of Ukrain in the combined treatment of breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of different Ukrain doses in the combined treatment of 75 patients with breast cancer. The patients were divided into three groups: groups I and II (25 patients each) were treated with 50 mg and 100 mg of Ukrain, respectively, before surgery; group III (25 patients) served as control (without Ukrain treatment). Clinical observations, biochemical, hormonal and immunologic indices indicated that both doses of Ukrain had a similar beneficial effect on patient outcome and may be indicated in the presurgical treatment of patients with breast cancer.

Ukrain: a novel antitumor drug.

A review of the recent literature on the new anticancer drug Ukrain is provided herein. We review Ukrain, a thiophosphate derivative of alkaloids from Chelidonium majus L., its capacity to exert selective cytotoxic and cytostatic effects on tumor cells, simultaneously acting as an immune response modifier, its good tolerance and lack of side effects even after long-term application, perspectives of the application of this drug in oncology.

Ukrain therapy of stage T1N0M0 bladder cancer patients.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of Ukrain as a new treatment modality in 28 patients with stage T1N0M0 bladder cancer. The tumor dimensions varied from 0.5 x 0.5 cm to 3 x 4 cm. The first group (nine patients) was treated with a total dose of 100 mg Ukrain, the second group (10 patients) received 200 mg Ukrain, and the third group (nine patients) was treated with 300 mg Ukrain. In all patients Ukrain was administered i.v. at a dose of 10 mg per day. In the patients from the second and third group each course of treatment, consisting of 10 injections, was followed by 14 days of no treatment. Ukrain, at a total dose from 100-300 mg as neoadjuvant therapy in patients with T1N0M0 bladder cancer, resulted in either complete or partial regression of tumors in 60.7 +/- 9.2% of cases. The best treatment regime included three courses of Ukrain at 2-week intervals.

Influence of Ukrain on patients with surgically treated breast cancer (introductory remarks).

Studies were undertaken to evaluate the influence of Ukrain on the postoperative period in patients with breast cancer. The group under Ukrain medication was comprised of 10 patients in stage T1-3NO-1MO. The control group was comprised of 22 patients in the same clinical and laboratory staging as those treated with Ukrain in the first year of postoperative follow-up metastatic lymph nodes were observed in one patient from the control group. It is planned to enlarge the groups and to continue the observation up to the third year to obtain reliable and more statistically significant data.

Influence of Ukrain on breast cancer.

The influence of Ukrain on breast cancer was studied in ten women and monitored in each patient by clinical examination, mammography, ultrasonography, histopathology and immunofluorescence in the tissue material obtained after radical mastectomy performed ten days after discontinuation of the treatment. Observations accumulated during the study and analytical data support the view that Ukrain, by changing the antigenic expression of malignant cells, make them recognizable for the immune system which rejects them in a host-versus graft manner.

Influence of Ukrain on patients with surgically treated breast cancer. Part I. Clinical and laboratory parameters.

Studies were undertaken to evaluate the influence of Ukrain on clinical and laboratory parameters in ten patients with breast cancer treated with the drug in the preoperative phase. The control group was composed of eight patients of similar age and advancement of the disease who did not receive Ukrain before mastectomy. Data from the present studies indicate that the drug is distinctly helpful from the surgical viewpoint by increasing tumour hardness and enlargement of metastatic lymph nodes. Furthermore, treatment with it is fully safe, with no side effects or allergic reactions.

Influence of Ukrain on patients with surgically treated breast cancer. Part II. Hormonal profile.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of Ukrain on the hormonal status of ten patients with breast cancer, treated in the preoperative phase by Ukrain. A control group consisted of eight patients of similar age and advancement of the disease, who did not receive the drug before mastectomy. The data were compared to those obtained in ten healthy women of similar age. The results indicate that Ukrain only slightly influences the hormonal dynamics and its destructive mode of action on neoplastic tissue does not significantly affect hormonal activities.

Influence of Ukrain on patients with surgically treated breast cancer. Part III. The immune system.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of Ukrain on immune parameters in ten patients with breast cancer, treated with the drug in the preoperative phase. The control group consisted of eight patients of similar age and advancement of the disease, who did not receive Ukrain before mastectomy. The data were compared with the parameters obtained in 15 healthy blood donors. It was found that treatment with Ukrain distinctly regulates cellular and, slightly, humoral immunity, non-specific immunity and also complement activity.

Influence of Ukrain on patients with surgically treated breast cancer. Part IV. Electromicroscopic and cytochemical evaluation.

The present studies were undertaken to evaluate by light and by electron microscopy the influence of Ukrain on the morphology of breast cancer. The studies were carried out on material obtained from ten patients with breast cancer, treated preoperatively with Ukrain. Control material for the studies was obtained from patients of similar age and advancement of the disease, who did not receive Ukrain. The data obtained in the present studies indicate that Ukrain is responsible for severe changes in morphology of tumour cells. Histological examination by both light and electron microscopy revealed cells characteristic of those undergoing apoptosis. The stromal changes of the tumour were characterized by intensive proliferation of the connective tissue accompanied by an immune reaction expressed by mononuclear infiltrates.

Amino acids and their derivatives in blood plasma of patients with breast cancer treated with Ukrain. Part V.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of Ukrain on the free amino acids pool in blood plasma in ten patients with breast cancer, treated in the preoperative phase with the drug. The control group consisted of five patients of similar age and advancement of the disease, who did not receive Ukrain before mastectomy. The data obtained from these studies indicate that Ukrain positively influences the metabolism of amino acids and their derivatives. The most characteristic changes were increase of proline, taurine and glutamic acid.

Amino acids and their derivatives in tumour tissue from patients with breast cancer treated with Ukrain. Part VI.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of Ukrain on the amino acids pool and their derivatives in tumour tissue of ten patients with breast cancer, treated in the preoperative phase with Ukrain. The control group consisted of five patients of similar age and advancement of the disease, who did not receive Ukrain. The data obtained indicate that Ukrain influences cancerous tissue, as demonstrated at the level of amino acids. The most characteristic changes observed in cancerous tissue after treatment with Ukrain were increases in the levels of proline, taurine and glutamic acid.

Synergic influence of Ukrain and protoporphyrin amino acid conjugates on human malignant cell lines.

Simultaneous cytotoxicity of Ukrain and protoporphyrin amino-acid derivatives was tested on four malignant cell lines and the cytotoxic effect after laser irradiation was compared with cytotoxicity of Ukrain and protoporphyrin amino-acid derivatives applied on similar cell lines separately. It was found that Ukrain and protoporphyrin amino-acid derivatives act synergistically as cytotoxic substances on the malignant cell lines.

Potential therapeutic efficacy of Ukrain (NSC 631570) in AIDS patients with Kaposi's sarcoma.

In this study two case reports are presented of therapy with Ukrain, a semi-synthetic thiophosphoric acid compound of alkaloids isolated from Chelidonium majus L, for the treatment of AIDS patients with Kaposi's sarcoma. Ukrain was injected i.v. in the dose of 5 mg every other day for a total of 10 injections. During treatment the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions diminished in size, showed decolouration and no lesion appeared in the 30-day interval after the beginning of treatment. Both patients tolerated Ukrain well and showed an improved immunohaematological status: an increase in total leukocytes, T-lymphocytes and T-suppressor numbers. In one case T-helper lymphocytes were also increased. Future investigations are necessary for the evaluation of Ukrain efficacy in the treatment of this type of patients.

Ukrain both as an anti cancer and immunoregulatory agent.

Thirty six stage III cancer patients were treated with Ukrain, a semisynthetic drug derived from Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids conjugated with thiophosphoric acid. The drug was injected intravenously every second day in a dose of 10 mg per injection. Each patient received 300 mg of the drug (30 injections). The cytostatic effect of Ukrain was monitored clinically and by ultrasonography (USG) and computer tomography (CT), as well as by determination of CEA and CA-125 in the sera of patients with rectal and ovarian cancers, respectively. The influence of Ukrain on immune parameters was evaluated by monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to CD2, CD4, CD8 and CD22. The influence of Ukrain on immune parameters in cancer patients was matched with its effect on these parameters in 20 healthy volunteer controls. The results obtained indicate that Ukrain, in a concentration not cytostatic in normal cells, is cytostatic for malignant ones, and may suppress the growth of cancer. The compound also has immunoregulatory properties, regulating the T lymphocyte subsets.

Measles virus matrix protein detected by immune fluorescence with monoclonal antibodies in the brain of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Brain materials from four cases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis were examined by immune fluorescence with monoclonal antibodies against five structural components of measles virus. All five antigens including the matrix component were present in the brain tissues of all cases. A defective Vero cell-associated virus isolate from one of the cases produced all of the structural components except the matrix protein.

Immunotherapy of chronic active viral hepatitis B with propionibacterium granulosum.

12 HBsAg-positive patients with chronic active hepatitis B were treated monthly with cell walls (5 or 10 mg) of Propionibacterium granulosum KP-45 (PG) intravenously administered for a period of 6-10 months. The clinical state was evaluated according to an arbitrary 6-grade scale based on serum biochemical tests, HBV markers and the morphology of liver biopsy samples. Intravenous administration of PG was well tolerated, and no serious side effects were observed. All patients exhibited complete or partial normalization of biochemical parameters and HB5AG and DNA-polymerase levels were decreasing after 6 months of therapy. Prior to treatment, HBeAG was detected in 9 patients, in 4 of whom seroconversion occurred with appearance of anti-HBeAg. Excellent results were seen in 3 patients and beneficial results in a further 3 patients; signs of improvement were seen in 5 patients, and only one patient did not react in a clearly positive way. In 11 of these patients, before and during treatment, isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes were investigated for their ability to show rosette E formation, their reactivity to phytomitogens (PHA, ConA), and their suppressor T lymphocyte activity. In five patients interferon levels were investigated.