[The intravesical administration of BCG vaccine in treating recurrent superficial bladder cancer]. / Vnutripuzyrnoe vvedenie vaktsiny BTsZh pri lechenii retsidiva poverkhnostnogo raka mochevogo puzyria.

The authors consider general immunological effects of intravesical BCG vaccine as an independent method of immunotherapy of superficial cancer of the bladder (CB). 27 patients (15 males and 12 females, mean age 57 years) with a recurrence of superficial CB (T1-2N0M0) were treated. The patients had undergone transurethral or transvesical bladder resection and combined therapy. Intravesical immunotherapy of CB recurrence with BCG vaccine induced persistent changes in the immune system: stimulate lymphocyte activity and phagocytic activity of neutrophils, T-cell function, normalizes function of endogenic suppressors, increases the amount of IgM and CIC. Repeat courses of the vaccine maintain the above immunological effects for a long time.

[The immune homeostasis of patients with prostatic cancer on hormonal chemotherapy, radiation treatment and immunological action]. / Immunnyi gomeostaz bol'nykh rakom predstatel'noi zhelezy pri gormonokhimioterapii, luchevom lechenii i immunovozdeistvii.

The trial covered 58 patients with prostatic cancer aged 50-79. Before treatment these patients exhibited weak proliferative response of T-cells to PHA, increased number of T-suppressors/killers, enhanced suppressive influence of regulatory cells. Hormone chemotherapy produced immunodepressive and immunomodulating effects (normalization of the count of T-suppressors/killers and their function). Subsequent radiotherapy on the prostatic region (total dose 60 Gy) worsened immunodepression. Efficacy of placental suspension and levamisol depends on the treatment stage at which the latter were used: during hormone chemotherapy the addition of the suspension and levamisol corrects its immunodepressive effects, in subsequent radiotherapy immunodeficiency greatly increased.

[The immunomodulating action of bestatin in the combined therapy of bladder cancer patients]. / Immunomoduliruiushchee deistvie bestatina pri kompleksnoi terapii bol'nykh rakom mochevogo puzyria.

A beneficial effect of bestatin used as adjuvant in the course of chemo- and radiotherapy of local cancer of the bladder manifested itself as a reduction of postradiation immunosuppression: increased count of T mu-helper/inductors and T gamma-suppressors/killers, enhancement of neutrophil phagocytic activity. Bestatin recovers radiation-impaired immune system by inhibition of T gamma-suppressor killers and their precursors generation, of endogenic regulators suppressive activity, normalization of T-lymphocyte and natural killer activity, stimulation of B-lymphocyte recovery.

[Distant radiotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Distantsionnaia luchevaia terapiia pri revmatoidnom artrite.

During an open controlled study of 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (resistant forms) their lymph nodes were irradiated at a dose of 7.5 Gy. Clinical improvement, including reduced morning rigidity, the number of inflamed joints, and Riccis index, was noted shortly after therapy and 6 mos. after irradiation in 50% of the patients. Immunosuppression and moderate lymphopenia were noted in all of them. Of the side-effects there was nausea that disappeared without additional treatment. A conclusion has been made that irradiation of the lymph nodes at a total dose of 7.5 Gy is equally effective but less toxic than irradiation of 20 Gy.

[Osteogenic sarcoma in children: clinico-immunological correlations]. / Osteogennaia sarkoma u detei: kliniko-immunologicheskie paralleli.

Initial immunologic status in children suffering osteogenic sarcoma was retrospectively evaluated versus such parameters as site and extent of tumor, and clinical course. A complex of disorders in the immunologic system was established in osteogenic sarcoma patients. Such characteristics as levels of active, theophylline--sensitive and levamisole--reactivated T-cells were found clinically valuable and prognostically significant. These parameters may betray response of high- and low-affinity E-receptors of lymphocytes to serum factors of tumor growth.

[The immunomodulating action of combined therapy together with local UHF hyperthermia in osteogenic sarcoma in children]. / Immunomoduliruiushchee deistvie kombinirovannoi terapii v sochetanii s lokal'noi UVCh-gipertermiei pri osteogennoi sarkome u detei.

The paper is concerned with immunological evaluation of different stages of combined therapy with local UHF hyperthermia in children with osteogenic sarcoma. Combined therapy (polychemo- and radiotherapy) was shown to cause a decrease in the number of immunocompetent cells, to enhance imbalance of immunoregulatory T-lymphocytes, to weaken T-lymphocyte function on PHA; immunosuppressive action of combined therapy did not depend on a tumor site. The incorporation of UHF-hyperthermia in the therapeutic scheme weakened the manifestations of secondary immunodeficiency, got back to normal the structure of T-lymphocyte population. A favorable immunomodulating effect of hyperthermia was more frequently observed in patients with crural bone tumors. The effect of hyperthermia was revealed after direct influence of thermotherapy but it was absent in continuation of combined treatment.