IgG Fc sialylation is regulated during the germinal center reaction following immunization with different adjuvants.

Background: Effector functions of IgG Abs are regulated by their Fc N-glycosylation pattern. IgG Fc glycans that lack galactose and terminal sialic acid residues correlate with the severity of inflammatory (auto)immune disorders and have also been linked to protection against viral infection and discussed in the context of vaccine-induced protection. In contrast, sialylated IgG Abs have shown immunosuppressive effects.

Sialylated Autoantigen-Reactive IgG Antibodies Attenuate Disease Development in Autoimmune Mouse Models of Lupus Nephritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Pro- and anti-inflammatory effector functions of IgG antibodies (Abs) depend on their subclass and Fc glycosylation pattern. Accumulation of non-galactosylated (agalactosylated; G0) IgG Abs in the serum of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients reflects severity of the diseases. In contrast, sialylated IgG Abs are responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of the intravenous immunoglobulin (pooled human serum IgG from healthy donors), administered in high doses (2 g/kg) to treat autoimmune patients.

Differentiation of benign from malignant focal splenic lesions using sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble contrast-enhanced pulse-inversion sonography.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether sonographic characterization of focal splenic lesions could be improved by using low mechanical index pulse-inversion sonography after sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble injection.

Materials And Methods: One hundred forty-seven splenic lesions (68 benign, 79 malignant) in 147 patients (81 men, 66 women; mean age, 51 years) underwent baseline gray-scale sonography and sulfur hexafluoride-enhanced low-acoustic-power pulse-inversion sonography (mechanical index < 0.1).

A systematic review on the clinical benefit and role of radiofrequency ablation as treatment of colorectal liver metastases.

Aim: To evaluate the role of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLMs).

Method: A PubMed literature search for original articles published until August 2008 was performed. Studies with 40 patients, 18 month median follow-up and reported 3 year overall survival (OS) rates after RFA of CLM were selected for analysis.

Irinotecan combined with infusional 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid or capecitabine plus celecoxib or placebo in the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. EORTC study 40015.

Background: The study aimed to demonstrate the noninferiority of capecitabine to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/folinic acid (FA), in relation to progression-free survival (PFS) after first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and the benefit of adding celecoxib (C) to irinotecan/fluoropyrimidine regimens compared with placebo (P).

Patients And Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive FOLFIRI: irinotecan (180 mg/m(2) i.v.

Percutanous and intraoperative ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumours.

Purpose: Ultrasonography (US)-guided Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is increasingly used to treat liver tumours. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary patient selection on clinical results.

Materials And Methods: From January 2002 to December 2004, 69 consecutive patients with malignant hepatic tumours were presented to our clinic for RFA-treatment.

Prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized phase III study with orally administered budesonide for prevention of irinotecan (CPT-11)-induced diarrhea in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Background: Unpredictable and severe diarrhea (NCI grade > or =3) remains a life-threatening adverse event in patients treated with irinotecan (CPT-11). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orally administered budesonide for prevention of CPT-11-induced delayed diarrhea in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 56 patients with advanced colorectal cancer receiving CPT-11 therapy (125 mg/m2 once weekly) were enrolled in this multicenter trial.

[Mucocele of the appendix. Incidental sonographic discovery and laparoscopic resection].

History And Admission Findings: A 76-year-old currently asymptomatic man was admitted for routine sonography of the abdomen. 15 years he had had intermittently symptomatic cholecystolithiasis. 25 years before a colon contrast showed a normal coecum but no filling of the appendix.

Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation: a new treatment option after failure to stop severe acute upper gastrointestinal tumor bleeding using endoscopic techniques.

Endoscopy is well established as the primary approach in cases of severe acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Although endoscopic techniques can achieve hemostasis in up to 95% of instances, not all sources of bleeding seen at endoscopy can be managed endoscopically. Massive and diffuse bleeding from locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma is not usually self-limit-ing and is often refractory to endoscopic treatment.

[Progressive paralysis caused by radiation-induced cervical malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor].

Unlabelled: HISTORY AND DIAGNOSIS: A 59-year old engineer was admitted to the hospital because of pain in his right collar region and the onset of incomplete paresis of the right arm. Magnetic resonance tomography displayed an advanced tumour arising from the right paravertebral soft tissue. Histological examination revealed a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST).

Reliability of lymphoma classification in bone marrow trephines.

The aim of this study was to test and establish the accuracy and reliability of lymphoma classification in bone marrow trephines according to the new World Health Organization (WHO) classification by considering predominantly the morphology and immunophenotype. Therefore, we retrospectively compared lymphoma diagnoses, rendered exclusively on bone marrow trephines without knowledge of lymph node diagnosis in 124 patients, with the results of the reference centres that had reviewed lymph node (n = 90) or extranodal biopsies (n = 34). The overall concordance rate was higher than 85% and 91%, respectively, when patients with discordant malignancy grades were excluded.

Dose-dependent effect of etoposide in combination with busulfan plus cyclophosphamide as conditioning for stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of two different etoposide (VP-16) dosages (30 or 45 mg/kg) in combination with busulfan/cyclophosphamide as conditioning therapy followed by stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 90 patients with AML received either 30 mg/kg (n = 60) or 45 mg/kg (n = 30) etoposide in combination with busulfan (16 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg). The stem cell source was allogeneic related bone marrow (BM) (n = 53), allogeneic unrelated BM (n = 5), allogeneic unrelated peripheral blood (PBSC) (n = 2), syngeneic BM (n = 2), autologous BM purged (n = 9) or unpurged (n = 9), autologous PBSC (n = 10). Fifty-six patients (62%) were in first CR, 26 (29%) were > first CR, and eight (9%) were transplanted in relapse.

ASHAP--an effective salvage therapy for recurrent and refractory malignant lymphomas.

Background: This study was performed to examine the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of adriamycin (ADR), methylprednisolone (solumedrol), cytarabine (Ara-C), and cisplatin (CDDP) in patients with recurrent and refractory malignant lymphomas.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-five patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) (n=14) or non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) (n = 51) were enrolled in the study. The ASHAP therapy consisted of ADR (40 mg/m2 by continuous infusion (CI) over 96 h), methylprednisolone (500 mg i.

High dose chemotherapy with busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide as conditioning regimen for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission.

We explored the combination of busulfan/cyclophosphamide/etoposide as conditioning regimen prior to bone marrow transplantation in 31 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission. The preparative regimen consisted of 16 mg/kg busulfan, 30-60 mg/kg VP-16, and 120 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. With a median follow-up of 30.

Intensified conditioning regimen in bone marrow transplantation for Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We investigated an intensified conditioning regimen including fractionated total body irradiation (12 Gy), etoposide (30-45 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg), followed by autologous (n = 5), allo-related (n = 13) or allo-unrelated (n = 6) bone marrow (n = 22) or peripheral stem cell (n = 2) transplantation in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. One patient received busulfan (16 mg/kg) instead of TBI. Nineteen patients were transplanted in 1CR, two in 2CR, one in 1PR and two in relapse.

Treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma with a combination of fluorouracil and recombinant interferon alfa-2b: preliminary data of a phase II study.

From March 1990 to January 1991 52 previously untreated patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma were enrolled in a phase II study with the combination of interferon alfa-2b and fluorouracil (5-FU). 5-FU 750 mg/m2 per day was administered as continuous infusion for 5 days, then weekly in a dose of 750 mg/m2 as IV push injection starting on day 15. Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A, ESSEX Pharma) 9 x 10(6) units was given subcutaneously three times per week.

Phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil and recombinant interferon alfa-2B in metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

Between February 1990 and April 1991, 59 previously untreated patients with progressive and/or symptomatic metastatic colorectal carcinoma were enrolled in a phase II study of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and interferon alfa-2b (IFN-alpha). 5-FU 750 mg/m2/day was administered as continuous infusion for 5 days, then weekly in a dose of 750 mg/m2 as intravenous push injection starting on day 15. IFN-alpha 9 MU was given subcutaneously three times a week.

[The manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis].

Seven weeks after a generalized cerebral seizure a 27-year-old woman from Ghana developed nausea, vomiting and weight loss, gradually increasing over two weeks. Cranial computed tomography revealed several hyperdense formations with extensive associated oedema and a midline shift. Among extensive biochemical tests only a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 24/50 mm and leukopenia of 2,600/microliters (with normal differential count) were notable.

[Myocardial infarcts within the scope of 5-fluorouracil therapy].

A young man without heart disease with a metastatic carcinoma of the pancreas received a 5-Fluorouracil therapy (25 mg per kilogram body weight/24 h by continuous infusion over a period of 5 days). Approximately 56 h after beginning of the first cycle of therapy (after 36 h of the second cycle) he complained of severe chest pain, which did not respond to nitrates, improved after application of opioids, and subsided definitely after termination of the 5-FU infusion. During the periods of pain, the ECG and the creatine kinase were normal.

IgE myelomatosis. Presentation of a new case and summary of literature.

This paper describes a case of IgE (kappa) myeloma in a 39 year old female patient who has been observed for a period of eight years to the present. The findings and the course of disease in this patient were compared with 18 other case reports published since the discovery of IgE in 1966. In contrast to myelomas of other immunoglobulin classes, patients with IgE myelomas are somewhat younger and anaemia and hyperproteinaemia are more pronounced.