Elevated plasma levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist are associated with decreased cellular BCL-2 oncoprotein expression in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Plasma IL-1Ra levels and cellular BCL-2 oncoprotein expression were measured in a total of forty blood samples obtained from twenty-eight B-CLL patients and four healthy subjects. High IL-1Ra plasma levels (as defined by mean + three times standard deviation of normal controls) were observed in eleven samples (ten patients) which showed a significantly decreased cellular expression of BCL-2 protein (14.7 +/- 16.

Expression of proliferation associated antigens and detection of numerical chromosome aberrations in primary human liver tumours: relevance to tumour characteristics and prognosis.

Aims: To assess cell proliferation and the presence of numerical chromosome aberrations involving chromosomes 1 and 8 in benign and malignant liver tumours.

Methods: Cell proliferation was studied immunohistochemically in paraffin wax embedded material from 62 primary liver tumours (20 hepatocellular carcinomas, 16 cholangiocellular carcinomas, 15 liver cell adenomas, 11 focal nodular hyperplasias), and the results were compared with histological characteristics and clinical data. Copy numbers of chromosomes 1 and 8 were assessed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with satellite probes in fresh tumour material.

Value of fluorescence in situ hybridization for detecting the bcr/abl gene fusion in interphase cells of routine bone marrow specimens.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a new technique that allows demonstrating of the bcr/abl gene fusion in bone marrow cells of patients with Philadelphia translocation (Ph)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this study, bone marrow samples of 150 patients were investigated routinely by interphase FISH, cytogenetics, and bone marrow histopathology. In 20 patients with reactive hyperplasia of the granulopoiesis and normal karyotypes, FISH revealed nonspecific bcr/abl fusion signals at a mean frequency of 2.

Applications of single-color and double-color oligonucleotide primed in situ labeling in cytology.

Interphase cytogenetics is mostly performed with use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), using long DNA probes of several hundred or thousand base pairs in length. Recently, oligonucleotide primed in situ labeling (PRINS) was established for staining centromeres and telomeres of chromosomes in metaphase spreads by Taq-polymerase-mediated incorporation of labeled nucleotides. We investigated the use of PRINS in intact interphase cells of various cytologic preparations, targeting chromosomes 1, 8, and 9.

Detection of karyotype changes in interphase cells: oligonucleotide-primed in situ labelling versus fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Interphase cytogenetics is a rapidly developing technique which is usually performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Recently, oligonucleotide-primed in situ synthesis (PRINS) has become established as a method of labelling centromeric regions of chromosomes in metaphase spreads. We tested the suitability of PRINS in detecting the exact copy number of chromosomes 1, 3, 7 and 8 in intact interphase cells of 17 cytological preparations derived from normal and neoplastic tissues.