[Regulation of proliferation of stromal fibroblasts with methylprednisolone in cultures in vitro]. / Reguliatsiia proliferatsii stromal'nykh fibroblastov metilprednizolonom v kul'turakh in vitro.

The effect of methylprednisolone [MP) in the concentration 10(-7) M on cloning capacity and proliferative potential of splenic and medullary stromal fibroblast precursors was studied in hematologically normal children. Medullary fibroblast culturing was performed according to A. Ya. Fridenstein method, splenic fibroblast culturing by an original procedure proposed by the authors. MP stimulated proliferation of human marrow clonogenic fibroblasts more profoundly than a xenogenic feeder could do. A successive introduction of MP and the feeder gives no rise to synergism, while their simultaneous application induces a blocking effect. Basing on these findings it is suggested that MP and the feeder compete for the same receptors on the adhesive cells of the explant. Splenic fibroblasts proved sensitive to neither xenogenic feeder nor to MP in concentration 10(-7) M.

[Results of treatment of acute leukemia in children using intensive therapy programs]. / Rezul'taty lecheniia ostrykh leikozov u detei s ispol'zovaniem programm intensivnoi terapii.

The authors report the results of the treatment according to the programs BFM-ALL-90 and BFM-AML-83 and 87. A total of 110 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 35 with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) were treated with remission rate 94.5% and 74.5%, respectively. Under programmed treatment of ALL the recurrences occurred in 12.2% against 46% of the cases in nonprogrammed treatment. 2-year survival made up 75% and 47.3%, respectively. Among AML cases there were frequently prognostically unfavorable ones and patients with neuroleukemia this dictating the necessity of the treatment intensification and irradiation of the skull in AML. Improvement of adjuvant therapy is a must in advance of acute leukemia treatment.

[Comparative effectiveness of treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children using protocols BFM NHL-90 and non-programmed courses based on the ACOP regimen]. / Sravnitel'naia éffektivnost' lecheniia nekhodzhkinskikh limfom u detei po protokolam BFM NHL-90 i nonprogrammnym kursam na osnove rezhima ATsOP.

170 NHL children aged 1-14 [mean age 6] have been treated for the last 5 years. The diagnostic examination included the disease history, physical examination, bone marrow cytology, tumor histology (all patients), immunophenotyping (17 cases), x-ray and sonography of the chest and abdomen. According to the International NHL staging system, 35% of the patients had NHL stage II, 65% stage III or IV. The study entered 71 patients who underwent additional lactate dehydrogenase test, CT-scanning. 44 of them received nonprogrammed therapy on the basis of ACOP (group I), 27 patients were treated according to BFM-NHL-90 for B-, non-B- and large-cell anaplastic lymphomas (group II). The efficiency of the methods did not differ for patients at stage IIR. At the II NR stage complete remission (CR) was up to 41% in the group I and 60% in the group II. 50% of the children from group I and 20% from the group II were resistant to treatment. All the group I patients developed relapses, none got relapses in the group II. CR was observed in 64% and 78% of patients from group I and II, respectively, who had NHL stage III and IV. Relapses occurred in 41% and 14%, respectively. CCR was in 22% in the group I and in 67% of the group II patients. Effectiveness of B-NHL treatment according to BFM protocols was higher than in other types of NHL as to the number of relapses and frequency of CCR: the latter was 76% compared to 50% of non-B-NHL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[The effect of polychemotherapy on hemopoiesis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children]. / Vlianie polikhimioterapii na gemopoéz pri ostrom limfoblastnom leikoze u detei.

Bone marrow granulocytic-macrophagal precursors (GMP) and fibroblastic precursors (FP) were measured in 235 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) receiving polychemotherapy (PCT) in progression of the disease. A total of 408 culture investigations were conducted. PCT proved to exert different effects on hemopoiesis during the first acute ALL period and remission. In the former period the target for PCT were blast cells, the course of induction therapy increased the number of GMP, FP and early granulocytic cells. In recurrent ALL the sensitivity of GMP to PCT grew, while FP remained intact. PCT performed in remission resulted in gradual suppression of granulocytopoiesis, GMP beginning from the second remission year. The treatment discontinuation on remission year 3-5 produced enhancement of granulocytosis by all parameters.