Idiopathic scoliosis--new surgical methods or search for the reasons.

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is a deformity of the spine whose aetiology is unknown despite of extensive clinical and basic research work. The significance of this disease lies in the consequences of a spine deformity (deformation of the chest, compromise of the cardio-pulmonar function, compression of the neurological elements, severe somatic and psychological sufferings). According to statistical data, one third of the idiopathic scoliotic cases progress and need surgical intervention.

Special features of childhood and juvenile thyroid carcinomas.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 36 patients who underwent surgery for childhood or juvenile thyroid cancers and who were regularly followed up during the course of 30 years. The biological properties and late prognosis of these patients were assessed, and the clinical and morphological characteristics of the tumors were examined. The distribution of the DNA content in the tumor cells was compared with that in adult tumor cells, and the results of cytogenetic tests performed on mothers operated on for thyroid tumors and their children are also discussed.

Translocation 8;21 associated with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in a Down syndrome child.

A boy with Down syndrome who developed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL/M2) at the age of 40 months is presented. Chromosomal analysis of cultured peripheral blood cells without mitogen revealed a constitutional abnormality, trisomy 21, associated with the acquired chromosome change t(8;21)(q22;q22).

Hydrolysis of raffinose and stachyose in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) flour, using α-galactosidase fromAspergillus niger.

Filamentous fungi, isolated from the enriched surface of garden soil, were screened for α-galactosidase production after growing on wheat-bran/carbohydrate substrate. One isolate,Aspergillus niger, had the highest enzyme activity (5.1×10(-2) units/mg protein) at pH 5.

Autocrine regulation of murine B lymphocyte growth by an IgM antibody.

Culture supernatants of LPS-stimulated murine B lymphocytes are able to inhibit the growth of freshly isolated splenic B cells via an IgM antibody. The binding specificity of this IgM is not yet defined, but appears to be a B lymphocyte surface structure distinct from membrane immunoglobulin, MHC class II antigen, transferrin and Fc gamma receptors, and B220. The regulatory autoantibody allows the normal progression of early, but not late steps in the cycle of polyclonally-stimulated B lymphocytes and does not affect the increased antigen-presenting capacity of activated B cells.

Burkitt's lymphoma with 3;14 and 2;8 translocations simultaneously.

Burkitt's lymphoma of a ten-year-old boy with specific 8;14 and variant 2;8 translocations is reported. The post mortem diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma was based on histological picture and the cytogenetic findings of the tumor biopsy. The child died four days after clinical admission.

[Cytogenetic studies in Wilm's tumor].

Chromosome analysis was on tumor cells and peripheral lymphocytes from three cases with Wilms' tumor (WT) carried out. In one of them WT was associated with aniridia, in the other two cases WT developed without any congenital malformations. Deletion in the short arm of chromosome 11 [del(11)(p13)] was found in the tumor cells such as lymphocytes in the patient with aniridia--WT association.

[A case of hybrid acute leukemia in a a child].

Hybrid acute leukaemia is characterized by the presence of lymphoid and myeloid markers in a single cell or in different blast cell subpopulations of the same patient. Authors report on a case of a 14-yr-old girl with hybrid acute leukaemia. Immunofluorescent analysis revealed CD 14, CD 10, CD 19 and HLA-DR antigens in the cell suspension isolated from peripheral blood of the patient.

Cytogenetic analyses of three papillary carcinomas and a follicular adenoma of the thyroid.

Cytogenetic data of three papillary carcinomas and a follicular adenoma using direct preparations or cell cultures or both after 7 to 60 days in vitro are presented. Although karyotype of the follicular adenoma proved completely normal, in each of the three papillary carcinomas a modal chromosome number in the diploid range and a deleted 11q were observed. In case 1 the del(11)(q23) was associated with rearrangement of chromosome 1 and other marker chromosomes.

Prognostic value of chromosome aberrations in childhood acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL).

Cytogenetic analyses were performed on 43 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) before starting the therapy. Evaluable metaphases were obtained in 26 cases (60.46 %).

Abnormalities of chromosome 1 in relation to human malignant diseases.

Chromosome 1 is known to often be involved in various malignant diseases. Its numerical and structural aberrations have been observed in chronic and acute leukemias and solid tumors as well. Recently five protooncogenes have been assigned to the long and short arms of chromosome 1.

[Clinical significance of chromosome number deviations in myelodysplastic syndromes and in acute non-lymphoid leukemia].

The cytogenetic data of 77 patients (47 adults and 30 children) with myelodysplastic syndromes and acute non-lymphoid leukemia are evaluated with regard to the morphological types of leukemia and prognosis. The groups of the adult patients were found to be different in the frequency and types of non-random chromosome aberrations. In patients with secondary leukemias and mutagen-related leukemias the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities was higher than in those with the idiopathic form of the disease.

Cytogenetic investigations on children with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.

Cytogenetic data from 30 children with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) are evaluated in connection with patient's age, morphological type of leukemia and prognosis. In 20 out of 30 patients clonal chromosome aberrations were found. The frequency of chromosome aberrations and the prognostic parameters in the various morphological and age groups proved to be different and no direct relationship could be found in a given group between the frequency of aberrations and the prognosis.

Expression of myeloid differentiation antigens on myeloblasts in bone marrow of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Bone marrow myeloblasts in 15 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes were quantitated with monoclonal antibodies using the immunoalkaline phosphatase technique. Positive blasts were identified in 7 of the 15 cases with at least one of three antibodies reactive with acute myelomonocytic leukaemic cells (PMN-6, PMN-29, AML 2-23) which were non-reactive with normal myeloblasts. In 5 of these cases increased PM-81 positivity was associated with expression of at least one of the other antigens (PM-81 antibody reacts with all types of acute myeloid leukaemic cells and a certain percentage of normal myeloblasts).

Transplantation of chemically induced mouse leukaemia into newborn F344 rats.

Chemically induced lymphoid mouse leukaemia was successfully transplanted into newborn F344 rats. The developing rat-leukaemia contained not only donor cells but donor and recipient cells, or only recipient cells.

The significance of x-ray examinations of limb musculature in neuromuscular diseases with special regard to childhood diseases.

On the basis of examinations performed on 29 children suffering from various muscular diseases, the authors give a detailed discussion of the application, indication and advantages of muscles x-rays in diagnosing neuromuscular diseases. With the help of x-rays of the musculature an inside view can be obtained in vivo, in a non-invasive manner, of structural changes in the muscles, and the progress of the disease can be followed up objectively. The method opens up new possibilities of diagnosis and promotes a more thorough knowledge of the pathological processes.