Retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma.

Twelve cases of retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma or mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in women have been reported in the literature. We report an additional case. The histogenesis of mucinous cystadenomas and mucinous cystadenocarcinomas in the retroperitoneum is not clear, but that these lesions may arise from teratomas, ectopic supernumerary or accessory ovaries, or coelomic metaplasia has been suggested.

Immunotherapeutic studies of different clonal lines of herpesvirus-induced fibrosarcoma in a syngeneic rat.

Transformation of White Buffalo rat embryonic cells by dye-light-inactivated herpesvirus type 2 resulted in the development of two clones of transformed cells (G2 and rat fibrosarcoma) with significantly different tumorigenic capabilities. The G2 cell line was initially nontumorigenic, while the rat fibrosarcoma line was very highly tumorigenic in rats. These significant differences in transformed cell clones from the same initial culture offered an opportunity to study aspects of the immunobiology of oncogenicity.

A digoxin-like immunoreactive substance in preeclampsia.

A study has been undertaken of levels of an endogenous substance which immunologically cross reacts with digoxin and may be the putative natriuretic hormone. The possibility that this substance may play a role in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia has been studied by measuring the plasma concentrations in clinically healthy and preeclamptic pregnant patients. A significant difference (p less than 0.

Lymphocyte subpopulations in normal and preeclampsia pregnancies.

We have made an effort to determine whether or not there is any change in subpopulations of lymphocytes in normally pregnant and preeclamptic pregnancies using monoclonal antibody markers. Eleven normally pregnant and ten women with preeclampsia were studied, both during the third trimester and again two months postpartum, and compared to eleven age-matched nonpregnant women. Mononuclear cells were isolated from heparinized venous blood.

Treatment of advanced ovarian malignancy with chemoimmunotherapy using autologous tumor and Corynebacterium parvum.

Fourteen patients with advanced ovarian epithelial carcinoma were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The chemotherapy consisted of either melphalan or a combination of adriamycin, cytoxan, and cisplatin. The immunotherapy consisted of the injection of autologous radiation-attenuated tumor and Corynebacterium parvum.

Lymphocyte cyclic AMP levels antepartum and postpartum as an indirect assessment of the immune system during pregnancy.

The literature dealing with the immunological state of the pregnant woman has been conflicting. The concentrations and activity of a number of hormones and proteins which modify lymphocytic activity have been measured both in vivo and in vitro during pregnancy. Most of the differences between reported studies can be reconciled to technical or experimental variations.

The treatment of erythroblastosis with promethazine hydrochloride.

Seventy-two patients with Rh erythroblastosis were treated with promethazine hydrochloride (P-HCl) during a seven-year period. Compared to the pregnancy outcome of the immediately preceding pregnancies, we have found a significant decrease in perinatal mortality and exchange transfusions. No significant toxicity from P-HCl treatment has been noted, and none of these patients developed preeclampsia.

Chemotherapy of advanced ovarian epithelial carcinoma with melphalan and levamisole: a pilot study of the Gynecologic Oncology Group.

Twenty-three patients with Stage III, Stage IV, or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer were treated with a combination of melphalan and levamisole to determine a tolerable dosage schedule, possible adverse effects, and a general estimate of response rate and duration. In seven patients with measurable disease there were four complete responses (57%) with a median duration of 75 weeks. Two of the complete responders have had negative second-look laparotomies while the other two patients have had subsequent progression.

Uterine and peripheral blood concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin and human placental lactogen.

One hypothesis is that two placental protein hormones (human placental lactogen and human chorionic gonadotropin) are effective immunosuppressive agents that prevents the rejection of a fetus because of their very high concentrations. In patients undergoing elective repeat cesarean sections at term, we measured the concentrations of these hormones in blood obtained simultaneously from draining ovarian veins and peripheral veins, and found no significant differences.

Evaluation of the shake test to predict respiratory distress syndrome.

An analysis of the relationship of amniotic fluid shake test titers and the subsequent fetal lung maturity as evinced by the development of the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has been conducted. Over a four-year period, 131 amniotic fluid samples were tested within 48 hours of delivery. RDS was diagnosed in 16 infants.

Studies of lymphocyte populations in pre-eclampsia-eclampsia.

The possibility that the etiology of toxemia might be immunologic has been held for over 70 years. In the past decade, numerous studies have been instituted in attempts to verify the possible role of the immune system in this disease. The present study was undertaken as a probe to determine if a gross difference in the numbers of T and B cell lymphocyte populations might exist between pre-eclamptic and normally pregnant women.

A clinical evaluation of the "roll-over test" for pregnancy-induced hypertension.

A study of the capability of the roll-over test to predict pregnancy-induced hypertension was undertaken using our private patients. Sixty primigravid and 60 multigravid patients were studied between the twenty-eighth and thirty-second week of gestations. These patients were chosen at random by one of our two nurses who conducted all these studies.

The effect of active immunity against placental proteins on pregnancy in monkeys.

Squirrel monkeys were actively immunized against human placental lactogen (HPL) and/or an extract of human placental tissue, or squirrel monkey placenta. Only half of the monkeys immunized with HPL developed a detectable antibody titer to HPL prior to the subsequent mating season. During the subsequent breeding season, the pregnancy rate was cut in half.

Phagocytosis and erythroblastosis. I. Modification of the neonatal response by promethazine hydrochloride.

Phagocytic cells were obtained from children at ages comparable to those at which the disease is most commonly seen during pregnancy. The effect of P-HCl on the phagocytic action of these cells on opsonized red blood cells was studied in vitro.

Purification of naturally occurring antibody to human placental lactogen by affinity chromatography.

Antibodies against human placental lactogen (HPL) were isolated from maternal postpartum sera and nonpregnant female sera by the technique of immunoadsorption (or affinity chromatography). HPL was linked to Sepharose gel by cyanogen bromide activation and the resultant chromatographic resin was used in a repetitive column procedure to absorb and fractionate naturally occurring antibodies to HPL. The antibody to HPL was concentrated after elution from the column with a chaotropic ion, and tested for immunologic acitivity.