The modulatory impact of recombinant human interleukin-6 on the immune system of cancer patients.

To investigate the immunomodulatory impact of low-dose recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6), we examined 15 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma or malignant melanoma receiving rhIL-6 as an antitumor agent in a phase II trial. RhIL-6 (150 micrograms) was administered subcutaneously (s.c.

Mechanistic options of erythropoietin-stimulated erythropoiesis.

The in vivo mechanism of hematopoietic growth factor-induced cell multiplication is in debate. Several options can be examined: 1) growth factors can reduce the cycling time of their dividing target cells, 2) growth factors can add extra cell divisions within the differentiation pathway, 3) the combination of the first two possibilities, and 4) growth factors can prevent premature cell death (apoptosis) from occurring in the absence of the stimulating factor. We studied these options in vitro and in vivo in the murine erythroid pathway.

Clonal chronic lymphocytic leukaemia-like B lymphocytes in the blood of patients with cutaneous T-cell disorders.

A population of B cells with characteristics of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia was found in the peripheral blood of four patients who presented with cutaneous infiltration of atypical CD4+ T cells with cerebriform nuclei. The B cells had a low density of immunoglobulin on their surface membrane, expressed CD5-positivity, and showed monoclonality based on the restriction to either kappa or lambda light chains. In one patient with tumourous pleiomorphic CD4+CD30- T-cell lymphoma of the skin, it was the first manifestation of a concomitant B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of low-grade malignancy.

In vitro evaluation of a high-efficiency leukocyte adherence filter.

In view of the currently available data, prevention of alloimmunization requires filters with higher efficiency to achieve a reduction in the number of leukocytes below 10 million per transfusion. Two versions (Pall PL-100 and PL-50) of the new generation leukocyte-depletion filters were studied. Single donor (SDPC)- and pooled multiple donor (MDPC) platelets were run in parallel.

Cell kinetic behaviour of a synchronized population of erythroid precursor cells in vitro.

Erythropoiesis in vitro was studied with practically pure erythroid progenitor cells: CFU-E (colony-forming-units-erythroid). The isolation of CFU-e from spleens of thiamphenicol pretreated anaemic mice with the combined methods of centrifugal elutriation and Percoll density gradient centrifugation was monitored by flow cytometry. The ultimate CFU-e preparation with a density of 1.