Monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies against lymphoma-associated cold agglutinins.

Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies against purified cold agglutinins (CA) from lymphoma patients were screened by a cold hemagglutination inhibition test. Supernatants from positive clones were further tested against several purified CA and paraproteins of different immunoglobulin (Ig) classes. It was shown that most monoclonal antibodies raised by immunization with CA had reactivity against the constant region of IgM.

Effect of cytotoxic drugs on the function of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.

We measured the serum concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), its response to exogenic TSH-releasing hormone (TRH), as well as cortisol plasma levels before and after stimulation with adrenocorticotrophic hormone in 15 patients before, during and after a chemotherapeutic cycle. 3/6 patients receiving only cytotoxic drugs developed a marked suppression of the TSH response to TRH and 1 of these patients showed an impairment of the adrenal function under chemotherapy. This was also observed in 7/9 patients receiving both cytotoxic drugs and corticosteroids; however, the individual pattern of the impairment was quite variable.

Effect of neuraminidase treatment on serum reactivity to autologous leukemic blast cells.

The sera of 35 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) were tested for reactivity against cell surface antigens of autologous leukemic blast cells by protein A assay (PA), immune adherence assay (IA), and anti-C3 mixed hemadsorption assay (C3-MHA). Autologous serum reactivity was detectable by PA in four cases and by IA and C3-MHA in about half the patients. Autologous serum reactivity occurred more often in ALL than in ANLL.

T-lymphocyte subpopulations in Crohn's disease: definition by monoclonal antibodies.

Thirty-two patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 32 age- and sex-matched controls were studied for T lymphocytes and T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood, using monoclonal antibodies defining the helper/inducer and the suppressor/cytotoxic compartment. T cells were reduced in patients with CD (P less than 0.05), and this reduction was more pronounced in patients with active disease (P less than 0.

Natural antibodies to cell-surface antigens of human astrocytoma.

Sera of 200 non-transfused healthy male blood donors were tested for antibody reactivity to cell-surface antigens of cultured astrocytoma cells. Positive reactions were observed only rarely by protein-A assay (PA), in about half the cases by immune adherence assay (IA) and in nearly all cases by anti-C3 mixed hemadsorption assay (C3-MHA). In general, titers were low and only seven sera showed reactivity at 1:1,000.

Serologic analysis of nitrosourea-induced rat gliomas.

Inbred CDF rats (cesarean-delivered F344 rats) were immunized with either a nitrosourea-induced glioma EA-285 or its subline EA-285A and both with and without Corynebacterium parvum. A humoral immune response in syngeneic rats to the immunizing tumor was demonstrated with micromodifications of different rosette assays (immune adherence assay, protein-A assay, and anti-C3-mixed hemadsorption assay). Extensive absorption studies of two immune sera with the highest reactivity revealed two glioma-specific antigens (or two components of one antigen) on the cell surface of the cloned tumor subline.

Multicentre study on intensified remission induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

In a cooperative study at 13 centres in the Federal Republic of Germany, 213 adult patients with AML were treated for remission induction by a 9-day regimen consisting of cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin and thioguanine (TAD) according to previously described sequencing. Complete remission was achieved in 70% of all patients. Complete remission rate was 57% in the 49 patients 60 years of age and older and 74% in the 164 patients under 60 years.

T-lymphocyte subpopulations in rheumatoid arthritis. II. Definition by monoclonal antibodies.

Samples of peripheral blood of 27 patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 27 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were coded and studied for lymphocyte subpopulations. Monoclonal antibodies and indirect immunofluorescence were used to analyse subpopulations of purified T cells: OKT3 reacts selectively with all peripheral human T cells, OKT4 defines the helper/inducer subpopulation and OKT8 the suppressor/cytotoxic T cells. RA patients had a significantly lower relative lymphocyte count (p less than 0.

T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of patients with Crohn's disease.

Samples of peripheral blood from 26 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 26 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were tested simultaneously for B and T lymphocytes and T-lymphocyte subpopulations with receptors for IgM (TM) and IgG (TG). Patients with CD had reduced proportions of T lymphocytes, and this reduction showed a significant correlation to the CD activity index (r = -0.65, p less than 0.

Autologous antibodies to meningioma cell surface antigens.

Sera of 32 patients with meningioma were tested for reactivity to cell surface antigens of autologous meningioma cells with protein-A assay (PA), immune adherence assay (IA), and anti-C 3-mixed hemadsorption assay (C3-MHA). Antibodies against autologous meningioma could be detected in 6/32 patients by PA, in about half the patients by IA and in almost all patients by C3-MHA with titers ranging from 1:2 to 1:28. Only the serum reactivity detected by C3-MHA was high enough for analysis of the specificity of the reaction by absorption tests.

T-lymphocyte subpopulations in rheumatoid arthritis.

We studied 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 24 age- and sex-matched controls for lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a significantly lower relative lymphocyte count (p < 0.005) and a higher percentage of T lymphocytes bearing Fc-receptor for IgM (TM) (p < 0.

Comparison of multiple rosetting assays for detecting antibody reactivity of different immunoglobulin classes against surface antigens of benign and malignant tissue culture cells.

Four serological assays for detection of antibody reactivity against surface antigens of benign and malignant cells have been evaluated. In all four assays, antibody attached to the surface of a target cell is detected by a rosette of indicator red blood cells. Of the four assays (antibody mixed hemadsorption assay, immune adherence assay, anti-C3 mixed hemadsorption assay and protein A assay), the anti-C3 mixed hemadsorption assay showed highest sensitivity.

Tumor-specific antigens.

Based on autologous serological typing of cultured astrocytoma cells from 30 patients, three classes of surface antigens have been defined. Class I antigens are restricted to autologous astrocytoma cells. Class II antigens are shared by autologous as well as certain allogeneic tumors, but are not detected on normal cells.

Cell surface antigens of human renal cancer defined by autologous typing.

Sera from 28 patients with renal cancer were tested for reactivity with surface antigens of cultured autologous renal cancer cells. Four serological assays were used to survey sera for autologous antibody. Immune adherence, protein A, and C3-mixed hemadsorption assays detected reactivity in a high percentage of patients (80-100%), whereas mixed hemadsorption assays were negative with sera from all but one patient.

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in malignancies.

The leukocyte alklaine phosphatase (LAP) levels were determined in 183 patients with malignant diseases and 71 normal controls. The median LAP scores were 64 units (range 0 to 290) for the patients and 55 (range 2 to 158) for the controls, respectively, and no significant difference could be established. When analyzed according to primary malignancy, only in patients with Hodgkin's disease (n = 14) was the median value higher than normal (p less than 0.

Serological analysis of cell surface antigens of malignant human brain tumors.

Sera from 30 patients with astrocytoma were tested for antibody reacting with cell surface antigens of cultured autologous astrocytoma cells. Ten percent of the patients had antibody detectable by mixed hemadsorption assays, approximately 50% by immune adherence and protein A assays, and 100% by anti-C3-mixed hemadsorption assays. Absorption analysis of reactive sera with autologous, allogeneic, and xenogeneic cells permitted the definition of three classes of astrocytoma cell surface antigens.

Sensitive radioimmunoassay for thyrotropin by use of commercially available tracer and antibody.

The time course of the association and dissociation of radiolabeled thyrotropin with its antibody was studied. The binding is maximal after five days of incubation. The dissociation is much slower.