Developmental changes of adenocarcinoma-associated antigen.

The occurrence and serum concentrations of adenocarcinoma-associated antigen (ACAA) were studied during the fetal period of life, in newborns and in their mothers. The mean concentrations were significantly higher in fetal, newborn and maternal sera when compared with the mean concentration of ACAA in healthy, nonpregnant adults. Thus, ACAA appears to show fetospecific features as is known for other oncofetal proteins. ACAA should be recognized not only as a potential tumor marker, but also as a normal protein constituent of human serum.

Ontogeny of pancreatic oncofetal antigen.

Serum concentration of pancreatic oncofetal antigen (POA) was determined in human fetuses, newborns and pregnant women. The mean fetal concentration of POA (mean = 5.27 micrograms/ml) changed very little with gestational age. Also, only a weak correlation was found between POA concentration of newborns (mean = 5.15 micrograms/ml) and their birth weight. It appears that between the 19th and 40th weeks of gestation POA exhibits no fetospecific features, i.e. POA concentration did not exceed significantly the concentration of nonpregnant adults (mean = 6.10 micrograms/ml). A number of pathophysiological variables was correlated with POA concentrations of newborns. The most striking statistical differences were found between American black and white newborns and adults; the mean concentration of POA in sera of black full-term newborns was 5.38 micrograms/ml as compared to white newborns, where the mean concentration was 3.58 micrograms/ml. Similarly, black mothers had a mean concentration (mean = 12.21 micrograms/ml) significantly greater than white mothers (mean = 5.62 micrograms/ml).

Altered T-lymphocyte subsets in severe sepsis.

To investigate the immune response of surgical patients to injury and sepsis, we measured total lymphocyte counts and T-cell subsets in five nonseptic and 17 septic subjects. Total lymphocyte and T-cell levels declined to similar degrees following injury or sepsis and did not appear to be of value as prognostic indicators. However, analysis of T-cell subsets in septic patients indicated that survivors exhibited normal T-cell subpopulations as well as helper to suppressor cell ratios. Nonsurvivors generally exhibited a selective depression of helper (OKT4) T-cells and the resultant degree of helper to suppressor ratio decline was directly related to mortality. A helper to suppressor ratio (OKT4/T8) below 0.6 was uniformly associated with a fatal outcome. Finally, a small subgroup of septic nonsurviving patients exhibited a selective depression of suppressor (OKT8) lymphocytes which also appeared to carry an unfavorable prognosis. These data indicate that T-lymphocyte subpopulation analysis is a useful predictor of hospital course.

Pancreatic oncofetal antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen in breast and colon carcinoma.

Pancreatic oncofetal antigen (POA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were determined in plasma of 195 patients with breast cancer and 90 patients with colon carcinoma. Increased levels of POA and CEA were seen in 19.0 and 25.6% of patients with breast cancer, respectively. Some but not all patients showed an increase in both markers. The incidence of abnormal concentrations of POA and CEA increased with the progress of the disease. POA appears to be a useful marker in breast cancer, especially in patients who have normal CEA levels. On the other hand, colon carcinoma patients showed increased POA concentrations considerably less frequently than CEA levels.

Altered immunologic function and nitrogen metabolism associated with depression of plasma growth hormone.

The specific role of endogenous growth hormone in regulating nitrogen metabolism during surgical stress and infection remains unclear. We have studied splanchnic amino acid uptake and plasma concentrations in patient groups exhibiting growth hormone hypersecretion or relative growth hormone depression in response to stress. Splanchnic amino acid uptake was similar in both groups although plasma levels were significantly higher in the presence of depressed growth hormone production suggesting increased net peripheral proteolysis. In association with this latter observation. T lymphocyte subset analysis revealed a greater incidence of depressed helper to suppressor cell ratios in the presence of depressed growth hormone suggesting a greater impairment of cellular immunity.

Curvularia lunata in experimental phaeohyphomycosis.

Curvularia lunata strain SP, isolated from a disseminated human infection, infected normal mice, but three other strains of C. lunata and one each of C. pallescens and C. spicifera did not. The SP strain was recovered in cultures from, and hyphal filaments were observed in, abscesses in the liver and spleen of experimentally infected mice. All strains of Curvularia infected mice treated with 400 rads X-irradiation and 10.0 mg cortisone, but at 400 rads and 5.0 mg only two strains of C. lunata (SP and Ghosh) and C. pallescens and C. spicifera infected mice. At 200 rads and 10.0 mg, C. lunata Sp, C. pallescens and C. spicifera; and at 200 rads and 5.0 mg, only C. lunata SP and C. pallescens caused infection. After X-irradiation (200 or 400 rads) or cortisone (5.0 or 10.0 mg) alone only C. lunata SP caused infections in mice.