Combination of standard cytology and immunocytology with BL2-10D1 monoclonal antibody for monitoring-treated bladder cancer patients.

Monoclonal antibody BL2-10D1 directed against a tumor-associated antigen of bladder carcinoma was used for monitoring 11 intravesically treated patients. Thirty-three bladder washout specimens were used for standard cytology and immunological staining. Prior to treatment, 9 of 11 cytologic specimens examined with standard cytology were found to be positive. Using BL2-10D1 alone, only 6 were positive but 1 patient negative with standard cytology was positive with the antibody and corresponded to a positive histological control. Thus, before treatment, an increase in positive rate was observed using the combination of the 2 methods from 82 to 91%. At the end of treatment, 9 washout specimens remained positive with standard cytology, whereas 1 case negative in standard cytology was positive in immunocytology. Thus, the positive rate increased from 82 to 91%. One month after the end of treatment, of 11 washout specimens tested, 3 false-negative standard cytologies and 4 false-negative immunocytologies were shown. However, used in combination, the two methods lead to an increase in positive rate from 67 to 89%. In view of these results, BL2-10D1 may be considered as a useful reagent in combination with the standard cytology for the confirmation of the presence of tumor cells before and after immunotherapy.

[Exploration of fetal erythropoiesis]. / Exploration de l'érythropoïèse foetale.

Rat embryos (8-14 days) were fixed, included and cut. Others in all cases from the same litter, were crushed on smears, in toto or after dissection. A comparative study of the two types of samples is necessary to obtain good results. Primitive erythropoietic stem cells seem to arise by the extra-endothelial way in the yolk sac mesodermic layer. They disappear when blood islands are connected to the vascular net. Primitive red cells, Perls-positive, are always intravascular in hepatic buds, normoblasts always extravascular. When grown on a medium containing hematopoietic factors, primitive (megaloblastic) cells remain megaloblastic and mature, as do the (normoblastic) definitive red cells. On a poor culture medium (Parker 199) normoblasts do not become megaloblastic. The two series, yolk sac primitive and hepatic definitive red cells, seem to proceed from individual cellular clones.

[Toxico-pharmacological study of lyophilized sodium nitroprusside (SNP)]. / Etude toxico-pharmacologique du nitroprussiate de sodium lyophilisé (NPS).

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) shows a strong hypotensive activity not only in normotensive animals but also in the presence of experimentally induced arterial hypertension. Its use in intravenous perfusion produces the rapid induction of arterial hypotension lasting or only slightly exceeding the time of its administration. Most investigators consider this hypotensive activity related to the fall in peripheral resistance, as is supported by the considerable fall in diastolic blood pressure. However, an effect of SNP on heart function cannot be ruled out. After four weeks' treatment at dosages corresponding to one tenth of the LD 50, no local or general toxicity could be demonstrated.

[Study on teratogenic effect of ultrasonics. I. Effect on pregnant mice]. / Recherche d'un effet tératogène des ultrasons. I. Essais sur la souris gestante

An experimental study in pregnant mice shows no statistically significative teratogenic influence of ultrasounds.