A novel fetal sequence patogenesis resulting in oral meningoencephalocele.

Objectives: To analyze a rare triad of intracranial fetal pathologies and clinical study of the novel defined sequence pathogenesis based on prenatal and postmortem findings.

Methods: Complex multidisciplinary clinical analysis and review of up-to-date literature.

Results: In an 18-gestational-week fetus the screening ultrasound scan resembled the semilobar type of holoprosencephaly and oral tumor.

Serum ceruloplasmin and copper levels in patients with primary brain tumors.

Serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels are known to increase in several malignancies such as osteosarcomas, some gastrointestinal tumors, and lung cancer. In this study serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels in 40 patients with primary brain tumors were studied. Both parameters were increased in sera of patients with tumors in comparison with healthy subjects or patients with non-tumorous neurological diseases.

Inhibition of bovine heart adenosine deaminase activity by some pyrimidine analogues.

Some pyrimidine analogues--especially 6-azauridine and 5-azacytidine at a final concentration of 1 mmol dm-3--significantly depressed adenosine deaminase activity isolated and purified from bovine heart. Both the above mentioned azapyrimidine nucleosides were effective competitive inhibitors of this enzyme. The inhibitory effect of some clinically used pyrimidine analogues may be of importance for explanation of their mechanisms of action on the cell metabolism.

Adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase activities in peripheral blood cells of patients with neoplastic diseases. I. Bronchogenic carcinoma.

By means of sensitive and specific radiochromatographic methods the activities of adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase in peripheral blood cells of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were estimated. It has been shown that purine nucleoside phosphorylase activity was two- to three-fold higher in lymphocytes of patients with epidermoid as well as other types of bronchogenic carcinoma in comparison with a group of healthy individuals. Adenosine deaminase activity in lymphocytes was elevated only in the group of patient with nonepidermoid carcinoma.