Combined immunocell therapy using activated lymphocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells for malignant melanoma.

Background: The beneficial effects of immunocell therapy, using either activated lymphocytes (ALs) or dendritic cells (DCs), in the treatment of melanoma has been demonstrated. DCs are professional antigen-presenting cells that induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes against tumor cells. DC therapy may be promising when combined with ALs.

[The disorder of vitamin D metabolism in patients with liver cirrhosis].

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is often associated with osteomalacia and osteoporosis. Since it has been shown that serum levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D) are reduced in LC, defective hepatic hydroxylation of vitamin D has been postulated to be responsible for the low serum 25-OH-D levels and skeletal demineralization. This study was designed, therefore, to determine serum 25-OH-D and 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2-D levels in patients with LC.

Carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoplacental alkaline phosphatase in gastric carcinoma metastatic to the liver.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and carcinoplacental alkaline phosphatase (CPALP) were detected simultaneously in the sera and body fluids of two male patients with gastric carcinoma matestatic to the liver. At autopsy, widely disseminated gastric cancer of Borrmann III type with liver metastases was revealed in both bases. Histologically, they were moderately differentiated tubular and papillary adenocarcinomas with marked cellular atypia and necrosis.

The localization of the Australia antigen in the liver by immunofluorescence.

The localization of Australia antigen in the liver by the fluorescent antibody technique (direct method) has been studied. Specific fluorescence was observed in the cytoplasm of liver cells. Two distribution patterns of fluorescent-positive cells, namely, a diffuse fluorescence in the liver lobules and a spotty distribution of fluorescent-positive cells, were observed.