Asbestos-associated neoplasms of B cell lineage.

Three different neoplasms of B cell lineage, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, immunoglobulin A (IgA) myeloma and immunoglobulin G (IgG) myeloma were detected in three patients who had heavy occupational exposure to asbestos dust. Two of the patients had coexistent pulmonary asbestosis, whereas the third patient had a pleural mesothelioma subsequent to his initial presentation with myeloma. Defective cell-mediated immunity and hyperactivity of B cell function have previously been noted in patients with asbestosis. We suggest the possibility that these asbestos-related immunologic derangements may predispose to the development of immunoproliferative and lymphoproliferative neoplasms, since such tumors have been observed in a variety of other settings, characterized by protracted hyperactivity of the immune system.

Metastasis-induced acute pancreatitis in small cell bronchogenic carcinoma.

Despite frequent metastatic involvement of the pancreas at postmortem examination in patients with small cell lung cancer, clinically observed pancreatitis due to metastatic pancreatic tumor rarely has been reported. This communication describes three cases of clinical acute pancreatitis occurring in a consecutive series of 40 patients with oat cell lung cancer. This complication may appear either as the initial manifestation of the neoplasm or during a recrudescent phase of the malignant growth. The diagnosis should be suspected in the presence of the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic features of acute pancreatitis in patients with known small cell carcinoma of the lung, especially if there is evidence of progression of the neoplastic disease elsewhere and no response to conservative medical management. Aggressive treatment with polychemotherapy can produce rapid clinical improvement and useful prolongation of survival.

Osteoblastic bone metastasis in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

The authors describe a case of osteoblastic metastasis in a patient with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome resulting from the presence of a pancreatic tumor, which they believe is the first such case documented. Following a total gastectomy for hyperacidity in a 53-year-old woman, a gradually enlarging liver was treated with steptozotocin. Radiation therapy to the areas of bony metastases resulted in complete alleviation of pain.

Pigment protein complex from gonyaulax.

A water-soluble peridinin-chlorophyll-protein complex from the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra was found to have a molecular weight of about 38,000. The complex could be disrupted by digestion with proteolytic enzymes. No electron transfer was observed when the complex was irradiated.