[Viscumin modulates neutrophil respiratory burst, caused by a chemotactic peptide].

The ability of viscum at different concentrations to modulate the respiratory burst in neutrophils, induced by the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine was studied. This does not exclude the possibility that viscum can interact with the receptor of this peptide. The analysis of the primary structure of viscum revealed elements structurally analogous to the chemotactic peptide.

Medico-genetic and cytogenetic study of a family with high predisposition to malignant disease in gastro-intestinal tract.

In a family consisting of 48 persons with high predisposition to familial stomach cancer (SCr), SCr was diagnosed in 8 persons (I-2; II-1,3,4; III-1,2,3,4). Moreover, one woman (III-8) had bilateral breast cancer and two (proband: IV-1 and her father's cousin: III-10) chronic gastritis. The proband, her father's cousin, his sister (III-11) and the proband's sister (IV-2) were examined clinically and cytogenetically (with the metaphase method on blood lymphocytes with G-banding of chromosome 21: (p12-pter) in 100% of cells on the basis of chromosomal instability; besides, the complex translocation in chromosome 2 in 4% of cells and the increase of q-arm of chromosome 21 was found in 2% of cells.

Biomarkers for individual susceptibility to carcinogenic agents: excretion and carcinogenic risk of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites.

In rats exposed to a single intraperitoneal dose of 200 mg/kg of the environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BP) in sunflower oil, significant individual variations in excretion of the BP activation (BP-7,8-diol) and deactivation (3-OH-BP) derivatives were found. Most rats developed peritoneal sarcomas. Only the levels of BP-7,8-diol excreted in the urine correlated directly with the latency of tumor formation.