A pilot study of autologous cancer cell vaccination and cellular immunotherapy using anti-CD3 stimulated lymphocytes in patients with recurrent grade III/IV astrocytoma.

The study objectives were to determine; (1) whether activated T cells could be generated from peripheral blood of patients immunized with their own cancer cells, (2) whether adoptive transfer of the activated T cells to patients had toxic effects and (3) whether the infused cells produced clinical responses. Study patients had recurrent, surgically accessible grade III/IV astrocytomas. The patients were tapered off steroids after total surgical resection and immunized with autologous cancer cells plus Bacillus, Calmette and Guerin (BCG).

Immune rejection of intracerebral gliomas using lymphocytes from glioma-bearing rats.

Naturally occurring malignancies do not induce immune responses against cancer antigens. Is the lack of an immune response caused by an antigen presentation defect or by induced antigen-specific immune suppression? The current study was performed to determine whether a progressing intracerebral malignancy affects production of peripheral autologous glioma antigen-specific immune responses. Peripheral immunization of both glioma-bearing and non-glioma-bearing animals with cancer cells and adjuvant generated similar levels of glioma antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity.

Autologous tumor cell vaccination combined with adoptive cellular immunotherapy in patients with grade III/IV astrocytoma.

Brain tumors are highly resistant to treatment. Their diffuse infiltrative nature and the relative inaccessibility of the brain to blood and lymph are barriers to surgical and cytotoxic treatments alike. Preclinical animal studies demonstrated that intravenously administered tumor antigen-specific T lymphocytes will reject tumors growing in the brain.

Continuous intraoperative electromyographic recording during spinal surgery.

One hundred fifty patients underwent spinal surgery for radiculopathy; of these, 120 underwent lumbar surgery and 30 had cervical operations. All of the surgeries were performed to alleviate symptoms due to disc herniation, spondylosis, or both. During the surgical procedures continuous intraoperative electromyograph recordings were taken from the muscle corresponding to the involved nerve root.

Primary meningeal extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma: case report.

A 25-year-old man presented with a suspected right-sided subdural hematoma after a skiing accident. A large hemorrhagic mass was found and was evacuated. Histological studies demonstrated a highly cellular neoplasm with extensive hemorrhage.

Generation of cytotoxic immune responses during the progression of a rat glioma.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for tumor-associated antigens are produced by exposing animals to tumor cells and stimulating lymphocytes from animals immunized in vitro with tumor cells and small amounts of interleukin-2 (IL-2). This study was designed to determine whether a fast-growing immunogenic avian sarcoma virus-induced glioma produces primed cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors during its progression. Lymphocytes from intracerebral glioma-bearing rats generally failed to proliferate in vitro in response to immunization with tumor cells and IL-2 and, when proliferative responses were observed, the lymphocytes were not cytotoxic for glioma cells.

Generation of cellular immune responses against a glioma-associated antigen(s).

The study demonstrated that RT2, a highly malignant anaplastic glioma, expresses antigens that make it susceptible to in vivo adoptive immunotherapy with cytotoxic T lymphocyte-containing immune cell populations. Rats were immunized with irradiated RT2 tumor cells and the adjuvant C. parvum.

Antitumor activity against established intracerebral gliomas exhibited by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, but not by lymphokine-activated killer cells.

Specific immune responses against malignant brain tumors have been difficult to demonstrate. Moreover, immunotherapy has met with little success, despite using lymphocytes with high levels of cytotoxicity against brain tumor cells. Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells that nonspecifically kill brain tumor cells are produced by stimulating resting precursors with high concentrations of interleukin-2 (IL-2).

Successful treatment of a malignant rat glioma with cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Brain tumors are highly resistant to therapy. Their diffuse infiltrative nature and the relative inaccessibility of brain tissue to blood and lymph are barriers to surgical and cytotoxic treatments alike. The purpose of this study was to produce immune cells specifically reactive with an anaplastic rat glioma (RT2) and determine whether those cells could affect tumor progression in the brain.

Generation of cytotoxic immune responses against a rat glioma by in vivo priming and secondary in vitro stimulation with tumor cells.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to most antigens are generated by in vivo priming and secondary stimulation with antigen in vitro. The present studies were designed to determine whether that strategy could be used to stimulate development of CTL against brain tumors. Rats were primed with one of two tumors, RT2, an astrocytoma, or 9L, a gliosarcoma, and Corynebacterium parvum.

A cerebrospinal fluid glucose biosensor for diabetes mellitus.

A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose biosensor is introduced. The biosensor is a polarimeter that measures the rotation of plane polarized light proportional to glucose concentration. Preliminary in vitro studies revealed a linear response with good sensitivity over a range of glucose solutions (0-400 mg/dl).

Osteomyelitis of the skull base.

Three cases of osteomyelitis of the skull base with associated problems in diagnosis and therapy are discussed. Patients with atypical skull base osteomyelitis are difficult to diagnose as they have no ear abnormalities, but they often develop multiple cranial nerve deficits mimicking symptoms of a posterior fossa mass. We conclude that computed tomographic scans, magnetic resonance imaging studies, bone scans indium-labeled white blood cell scans, and gallium scans are useful in making the diagnosis.

Hematocrit monitor.

The purpose of this study is to determine experimentally the optimal incident visible wavelength and light detector angle that yields the maximal change in optical density between an arterial or venous Hct of 20% and 40%. A universal monochromator allows incident wave-lengths in 8-nm increments over the visible range to be selected for the incident beam and a motorized shuttle allows the two samples (Hct 20% and 40%) to be placed reproducibly between the incident beam and photodiode detector. Runs performed with the light detector at a 30 degree, 90 degree, and 180 degree angle from the incident light beam revealed the greatest change in optical density between an Hct of 20% and 40% to occur at 624 nm and 90 degrees independent of sample cell configuration, light source profile, or light detector profile.

Experimental study of chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. I. Inhibition of protein and amino acid losses by single amino acids.

A successful dog model of the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patient was developed. These preparations were employed in initial studies of the effects of single amino acid-containing dialysis solutions on the losses of protein and amino acids into the dialysate. A decrease of about 40% in the loss of total amino acids into the dialysate was observed when DL-serine-containing dialysis solutions were employed.

Effects of verapamil on renin and aldosterone in the dog and rat.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of calcium channel blockade on renin secretion and plasma aldosterone. Verapamil infusion (0.004 mg X kg-1 X min-1) into the renal artery of uninephrectomized dogs with an intact kidney resulted in significant increases (P less than 0.

Cerebral vascular response to moderate blood loss: modification by hypertension.

To study the effect of non-hypotensive hemorrhage on cerebral blood flow in normo- and hypertensive states, chloralose anesthetized cats were subjected to graded blood loss (5 ml/kg) every 30 min. Cerebral blood flow was measured using radiolabelled microspheres or H2 clearance. Hypertension was produced by infusion of phenylephrine to a diastolic blood pressure of 100 mm Hg.

cerebellar oligodendroglioma in a child.

Oligodendrogliomas occur primarily in the cerebral hemispheres of adults. A rare case of an oligodendroglioma in the cerebellum of a child is presented. The tendency for oligodendroglioma to metastasize through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is reviewed and emphasized.