Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression after short-term, high-dose glucocorticoid therapy in children with asthma.

Short-term, high-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy is often required for control of acute asthma episodes in children. To evaluate possible hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression after such therapy, we studied 11 children with just asymptomatic asthma before and at 3 and 10 days after completion of a five-day course of prednisone (up to 2 mg/kg/day in divided doses, maximum dose = 60 mg/day). HPA axis responsiveness was tested by measuring plasma corticosteroid levels before and after insulin-induced hypoglycemia.

Biochemical characterization of a monoclonal antibody to the H type-2 antigen: comparison to other ABH antibodies.

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to the ABH blood group antigens were tested for their specificity to glycoproteins with ABH activity on immunoblots of solubilized erythrocyte membranes. Immunoblots were stained with monoclonal antibody G10 to the H type-2 carbohydrate structure or with commercially prepared monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to A, B, and H blood group antigens. G10 antibody specifically stained antigens in the regions that contain the erythrocyte membrane bands 3 and 4.

Monoclonal antibody (G10) to a common antigen of human squamous cell carcinoma: binding of the antibody to the H type 2 blood group determinant.

The IgM monoclonal antibody G10 was raised against the human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line UM-SCC-1. In initial screening against cultured cells, G10 bound to 2 SCC lines (UM-SCC-1 and UM-SCC-13) and 1 pancreatic carcinoma line (UM-PAd-1) but not to cultured fibroblasts (WI-38), ovarian carcinoma cells (SK-OV-3), or malignant melanoma cells (SK-MEL-28 and MeWo). In subsequent tests against cultured cell lines, G10 gave positive reactions with 30 of 33 SCC lines but only 4 of 29 non-SCC lines.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis complicated by hemorrhage, diagnosed by computerized tomography scan.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis complicated by a perirenal hematoma was diagnosed by computerized tomography. The computerized tomography scan was normal 3 months previously. Computerized tomography may be the procedure of choice to diagnose and stage emphysematous pyelonephritis.

DNA content of human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. Analysis by flow cytometry and chromosome enumeration.

Fifteen squamous cell carcinoma cell lines derived from nine patients were examined for DNA content by flow cytometry and chromosome counts. Using human peripheral blood leukocytes and nucleated trout and chicken red blood cells as standards, the DNA indexes of the squamous cell carcinoma cell lines were found to range from 1.1 to 3.

Turner syndrome resulting from partial deletion of Y chromosome short arm: localization of male determinants.

Chromosome studies performed because of the possibility of Turner syndrome in an infant girl with pedal edema and mild neck webbing revealed an XY karyotype. Subsequent exploratory laparotomy showed dysplastic ovaries with nests of germ cells with the morphologic features of gonadoblastoma. Repeat chromosome studies from peripheral blood using high-resolution techniques, and also from skin and ovarian fibroblasts, showed an XY karyotype but with a partial deletion of the Y short arm, which was not detected with standard techniques.

In vitro sensitivity and resistance of cultured human squamous carcinoma cells to cis-platinum and methotrexate.

To determine whether resistance to chemotherapy in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma stems from biochemical mechanisms and to assess the potential usefulness of new anticarcinogens, an in vitro test would be highly desirable. In the past 4 years our laboratory has developed methodology to establish squamous carcinoma cell lines in tissue culture from patients with squamous cancer of the head and neck. We used some of these lines to compare the in vitro effects of methotrexate on squamous carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, and melanoma cells.

Relative preference and adaptiveness of behavioral blame for observers of rape victims.

Observers viewed one of nine dramatized videotaped interviews of a rape victim describing her rape. Information in the interview varied the prudence of the victim's behavior (careful, careless, no information provided) and the respectability of her character (good, bad, no information provided). Behavioral blame was significantly greater than characterological blame when the victim was careless or when no information was provided about behavior, regardless of the victim's character.

UM-SCP-1, a new human cell line derived from a prostatic squamous cell carcinoma.

A permanent cell line (UM-SCP-1) has been established from a primary squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate. UM-SCP-1 has been passaged 40 times and has been in culture for 22 months. The doubling time of this aneuploid cell line is approximately 36 hr.

Wilms' tumor-aniridia association: segregation of affected chromosome in somatic cell hybrids, identification of cell surface antigen associated with deleted area, and regional mapping of c-Ha-ras-1 oncogene, insulin gene, and beta-globin gene.

Fusion of an auxotrophic mutant hamster cell with the skin fibroblasts of a child with the Wilms' tumor-aniridia association produced clones which, on the one hand, contained the child's normal chromosome 11 and, on the other, the chromosome 11 with the 11p13 deletion associated with the syndrome. Both hybrids were positive for human LDH-A by enzymatic assay. Clones containing the normal human chromosome 11 were killed by a cytotoxic monoclonal antibody to a cell surface antigen previously mapped to the 11p13----11pter region of chromosome 11.

Steroid hormone receptors in human squamous carcinoma cell lines.

Specific estrogen, progesterone and androgen receptors were determined in 19 well-characterized squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines. Ten of the lines were derived from patients with SCC of the larynx and nine were from patients with SCC originating in other areas of the head and neck. Estrogen receptors (ER) were found in seven of 10 cell lines derived from squamous cancers of the larynx (70%) but in only one of the nine SCC cell lines from sites other than larynx.

Antibodies to human squamous cell carcinoma.

We are studying membrane antigens of human squamous cell cancer with the use of naturally occurring autologous antibodies from patients' sera, along with a set of other serologic reagents and monoclonal antibodies raised against cultured squamous cell lines. Twenty-eight squamous cell carcinoma cell lines have been established in our laboratory from tissues obtained from 23 patients. Antibody reactivity has been found against the autologous tumor cell line in 13 of 23 patients.

Further studies on a hybrid cell-surface antigen associated with human chromosome 11 using a monoclonal antibody.

A monoclonal antibody has been obtained that recognizes an antigen encoded by human chromosome 11. We present evidence that this monoclonal antibody recognizes the same or a similar antigenic activity as that previously called a1. Genetic information necessary for a1 expression and recognition by the monoclonal antibody both map to 11p13 leads to 11pter.

Factors affecting the growth of head and neck squamous carcinoma cell lines.

Cell plating density influences the growth pattern of human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines in culture. SCC lines were used to study factors responsible for these effects. Experiments in which the medium was changed daily or in which conditioned medium was used showed that the growth-supporting factors were not found in the media.

Ultrastructural and functional studies of cilia from patients with asthma, aspirin intolerance, and nasal polyps.

"Triad" asthmatics often have sinus disease, nasal polyps, and obstructive airways disease. This presentation is reminiscent of the symptoms of persons afflicted with various forms of ciliary dyskinesia. Therefore, we examined tissues from seven "triad" asthmatic patients for ciliary structural or functional abnormalities.

DNA synthesis in rat heart cells after injury and the regeneration of myocardia.

The regenerative responses of the myocardia of post-natal rats of different age groups (1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks old) to an injury made by a clinical electricator were studied. DNA synthesis and the ultrastructural organization of the cardiac myocytes of the injured myocardia were examined for an evaluation of the potential for regeneration of the developing myocardia. The maximum labeling index of cardiac myocytes was observed in 1-week-old rats showing 8% labeled myocytes 3 days after injury as opposed to 3.

Human squamous cell carcinoma. Establishment and characterization of new permanent cell lines.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common of human cancers, and yet because it is poorly represented by cultured cell lines, little is known about the characteristic cell biology and the cell-surface antigenic phenotypes of such tumors. To develop a continuously available source of squamous cell carcinoma for repeated and reproducible serologic analysis and for better understanding of its biologic characteristics, tissue culture methods and nude mice were used to establish new cell lines of squamous carcinoma. Special media, serum supplements from several sources, and methods of handling fresh tissue specimens were all examined as a means of improving the survival of tumor cell lines.

Management of neonatal urinary ascites.

Four cases of neonatal urinary ascites are added to the previous reported 46 cases. Three are males with posterior urethral valves, and one is a female whose bladder was ruptured during traumatic breech extraction. The renal site of urine extravasation was verified by retrograde pyelogram in one instance and operative exploration in another.

Genetically appropriate expression of HLA and DR (IA) alloantigens on human melanoma cell lines.

Studies of the expression of HLA and DR alloantigens on cultured human melanoma cells in comparison with those expressed on peripheral lymphocytes and B-cells derived from the same patients have shown that the HLA-A,B, and C locus antigens expressed on the cultured tumor cells were consistent with those expected from the typing of peripheral blood lymphocytes. One melanoma cell line failed to express all the HLA antigens expected from donor typing. All five of the lines tested also expressed DR antigens and in three instances these could be demonstrated to have genetically consistent allotypes.