The use of thalidomide in chronic refractory graft versus host disease.

Background: Chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) is a serious complication of allogenic bone marrow transplantation. As prednisone and ciclosporine A are not always effective in its treatment, we investigated the value of thalidomide.

Methods: We describe the results of thalidomide in 12 patients with chronic prednison/ciclosporin A refractory GvHD seen in our clinic since 1991.

Flow cytometric analysis of consecutive lymph node samples from patients with Hodgkin's disease: reproducible within one biopsy?

In Hodgkin's disease DNA aneuploidy is not a prognostic factor. However, the prognostic significance of DNA content in Hodgkin's disease may be missed by either intratumor DNA heterogeneity or DNA analysis of limited samples. For flow cytometry usually one section of 40-60 microns is used for the analysis.

Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase increases (+/-)-anti-benzo [a]pyrene diolepoxide-induced micronuclei formation and p53 accumulation in isolated human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

In response to DNA damage, in particular DNA strand breaks, the proposed roles for normal tumour suppressor protein p53 are to increase the period of time available for DNA repair prior to replication, or to direct damaged cells into programmed cell-death. Since treatment of mammalian cells with (+/-)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide [(+/-)-anti-BPDE] --a mixture of metabolites comprising the most reactive (+)-anti-enantiomer of the full environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene--has been shown to result in induction of DNA repair processes and consequently in DNA strand break formation, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether p53 accumulation is induced in (+/-)-anti-BPDE-treated phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Both immunocytochemical and immunoblot analysis indicated that treatment of PBLs with (+/-)-anti-BPDE results in p53 accumulation.

The value of skull radiography in patients with head trauma.

This study assesses the value of skull X-ray after a skull fracture for predicting intracranial hematoma. Patients with a skull injury were divided into three risk groups, based on the history and examination findings. The records of 1218 patients were studied.

P53 as a marker of the malignant cell in Hodgkin's disease.

Background: The p53 gene has a tumor-suppressor function. The mutated gene encodes for a protein which has a longer half-life than the normal p53 protein. This enables the detection of the mutated p53 protein by immunohistochemistry.

Multidrug resistance mediated by P-glycoprotein in haematological malignancies.

The phenomenon that a tumour, resistant to a cytotoxic drug, is also resistant to a large number of other drugs used in cancer chemotherapy, is called multidrug resistance. A transmembrane protein, known as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), is involved in this resistance pattern. P-gp is able to pump large, lipophilic molecules out of the cell.

[Is skull radiography indicated in patients with head injuries?].

The value of the radiographic finding of a skull fracture in predicting intracranial haematoma is assessed in this study. Patients with a skull injury can be divided into three risk groups, based on the history and examination findings. The low-risk group includes patients who are asymptomatic or have scalp haematoma, lacerations, headache or dizziness.

Effect of antioxidants on hyperoxia-induced chromosomal breakage in Chinese hamster ovary cells: protection by carnosine.

We have studied the effect of various compounds, known as antioxidants, on the level of hyperoxia (80-90% O2)-induced chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells: ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, carnosine, imidazole-4-acetic acid, glutathione monoethylester, N-acetylcysteine and ethoxyquin. Carnosine (beta-alanyl-histidine) appeared to be the only compound that reduced chromosomal breakage. The effect was also present in cultures post-treated with caffeine (at 2.