The effect of T-lymphocyte 'clonality' on the calculated hprt mutation frequency occurring in vivo in humans.

The frequency of 6-thioguanine resistant (TGr) mutant T-lymphocytes arising in vivo in humans can be quantified with a cell cloning assay. However, the in vivo proliferation of T-lymphocytes that may include TGr mutant cells can distort the relationship between mutation events and the resulting frequency of mutant cells. The T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement pattern of T-cell colonies can be used as an independent measure of clonality.

Paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis. Dramatic response to chemotherapy alone.

Neurologic paraneoplastic syndromes are usually a debilitating and untreatable manifestation of malignancy. The case is presented of a woman with severe paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis that was characterized predominantly by cerebellar degeneration associated with small cell lung cancer, both of which responded rapidly to cytotoxic chemotherapy alone. She is alive with some neurologic residua but no signs of recurrent cancer more than 2 years after diagnosis.

Acute pancreatitis complicating therapy of Hodgkin disease: a case report.

Acute pancreatitis developed in a young woman with disseminated Hodgkin disease coincident with cytotoxic treatment. Despite concerns about possible drug-related causes, chemotherapy was continued without further gastrointestinal consequences. This case indicates that pancreatitis need not necessarily alter therapeutic plans for Hodgkin disease.