Synthesis of a peroxidase activity by the cells of hairy cell leukemia: a study by ultrastructural cytochemistry.

The nature of cells present in the blood, marrow, and spleen of patients with hairy cell leukemia is largely debated. These cells have been tentatively categorized on the basis of either monocytic or lymphocytic markers, and the accumulating data points to the fact that they share some characteristics of both cell types. Although hairy cells are known to lack myeloperoxidase-positive granules, present in normal human monocytes, we investigated the possible presence of other peroxidase activities differing from the granule-bound myeloperoxidase.

The blast crisis of chronic granulocytic leukaemia: megakaryoblastic nature of cells as revealed by the presence of platelet-peroxidase--a cytochemical ultrastructural study.

The origin of cells in the blast crisis of some cases of chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) remains controversial. Difficulties arise from the lack of cytochemical characteristics of differentiation. This report concerns the nature of cells in the blast crisis of a case of CGL in which blast cells exhibited an undifferentiated or lymphoid appearance by light and electron microscopy.

Development of anti-hLH antibodies after therapy with posterior pituitary extract.

This report describes the appearance of high affinity antibodies to human LH in a girl who had been treated for diabetes insipidus with injections of pitressin tannate, plus occasional nasal insufflations of posterior pituitary powder. Immunological studies indicated that the antibody was a 7S IgG directed against the beta subunit of LH, which is not species-specific. The demonstration of immunoassayable LH in a commercially available pitressin preparation strongly suggests that this patient was immunized by bovine or porcine LH.

Maternal serum estrogen and progesterone concentrations preceding normal labor.

Simultaneous measurement of serum concentrations of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and progesterone were carried out in multiple serial blood samples obtained during the last 3-10 weeks of pregnancy, labor, and the immediate postpartum period in 5 normal women. Estrogen and progesterone levels showed a small, but statistically significant diurnal variation during pregnancy. They did not change during labor; however, with the exception of E1 levels, all declined following delivery.

Hormonal changes in girls with precocious adrenarche: a possible role for estradiol or prolactin.

Serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone, DHA sulfate, estradiol, and prolactin in 20 girls with precocious adrenarche were compared with those of healthy girls of varying age and degrees of breast and sex hair development. Production of adrenal androgens, as reflected by serum DHA and DHA-sulfate concentrations, was significantly increased in PA above that in age-matched control subjects. Surprisingly, in spite of their lack of breast growth, the patients with PA also had serum estradiol levels that were higher than in the prepubertal girls and similar to those found in girls with both breast and pubic hair development.

Binding of antibodies to acetylcholine receptors in Electrophorus and Torpedo electroplax membranes.

Antisera against purified acetylcholine receptors from the electric tissues of Torpedo californica and of Electrophorus electricus were raised in rabbits. The antisera contain antibodies which bind to both autologous and heterologous receptors in solution as shown by an immunoprecipitation assay. Antibodies in both types of antisera bind specifically to the postjunctional membrane on the innervated surface of the intact electroplax from Electrophorus electric tissue as demonstrated by an indirect immunohistochemical procedure using horseradish peroxidase conjugated to anti-rabbit IgG.

Pituitary-ovarian relationships preceding the menopause. I. A cross-sectional study of serum follice-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, estradiol, and progesterone levels.

Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, estradiol, and progesterone concentrations were measured in 58 ovulating women in different age groups (20 to 29, 34 to 39, 40 to 44, and 45 to 50 years) at five- to seven-day intervals through a single menstrual cycle and in 18 postmenopausal women sampled weekly five to six times. The over-all hormone patterns were similar in four premenopausal groups. However, mean serum FSH levels increased with age and significantly higher concentrations were found in the 40 to 50 years group than in the 20 to 29 year group.

Studies on human sexual development. V. Concentrations of testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and progesterone in human amniotic fluid throughout gestation.

Concentrations of unconjugated testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (170HP) and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay in amniotic fluid (AF) specimens from normal pregnancies of 9-40 weeks gestation. In two-thirds of samples from pregnancies with male fetuses. AF testosterone exceeded the upper limit found in female samples, with minimal overlap in the 12-18 week period of gestation.

Nonpuerperal galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia. Clinical findings, endocrine features and therapeutic responses in 56 cases.

The clinical and endocrine features, and the responses to different treatment modalities, were examined in 56 patients with galactorrhea and/or hyperprolactinemia after a two month to six year follow-up period. A pituitary adenoma was diagnosed in 17 patients. A prolactin-cell adenoma was identified histologically in eight patients.

Surface features of Sezary cells: A scanning electron microscopy study of 5 cases.

The surface features of circulating cells from 5 patients with typical Sezary's Syndrome (SS) are described using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Sezary cells prepared by different methods, with and without prior fixation in cell suspension, showed similar surface architectures. SS cells were mostly spherical and moderate to markedly villous in appearance, and in this respect, resembled the majority of circulating lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

[The presence of an endogenous peroxidase activity in hairy cell leukemia cells].

Mononuclear cells from hairy cell leukemia have been studied in three cases by ultrastructural immunocytochemistry. Cells have fairly detectable surface immunoglobulins, without monoclonal distribution however. In addition these cells have a peroxidatic activity which is revealed in the perinuclear space and strands of endoplasmic reticulum.

Studies on human sexual development. IV. Fetal pituitary and serum, and amniotic fluid concentrations of prolactin.

Prolactin concentrations were measured in 161 amniotic fluid specimens from 8-40 weeks fetal age and the levels compared with those observed in 45 fetal and neonatal cord sera and in 42 fetal pituitary specimens. Amniotic fluid prolactin levels rose steeply between 12-16 weeks gestation, and then declined to term; the calculated total amniotic fluid content of prolactin showed a similar pattern, but the peak was later, at about 26 weeks gestation. Amniotic fluid concentrations consistently exceeded fetal serum prolactin levels, even during the last trimester, when fetal serum and pituitary levels were highest.

Antigen site distribution among weak A' red cell populations. A study of A3, Ax and Aend variants.

The distribution of the A receptors was studied among 'agglutinated' and 'free' populations of A variant RBC (A3, AX, Aend) known to be either partially or weakly agglutinated by human anti-A reagents. Following separation of the red cell populations and disaggregation of the clumps by mild treatment with soluble blood group substances, it was shown after appropriate controls, that among A3 ARBC, the 'agglutinated' RBC have at least five times as 'free' RBC, these latter however being strongly A positive. The differences between the A antigenic content of the AX RBC were less pronounced.

[Chemotherapy-radiotherapy association in the treatment of localized forms of Hodgkin's disease. Prognosis of polychemotherapy after three trials of M.O.P.P].

63 patients with Hodgkin disease of limited extent (I, II, III) are treated with two protocols: extended field irradiation versus chemotherapy (M.O.P.

Sex steroid production by the human fetus: its role in morphogenesis and control by gonadotropins.

Normal male genital differentiation requires fetal testicular secretion of both testosterone and the nonsteroidal müllerian-inhibitory factor. It appears that secretion of testosterone, at least during the critical period of differentiation, occurs in response to stimulation by CG, although pituitary LG may influence Leydig cell function in later fetal life. To date, there is no evidence to support a similar endocrine function for the fetal ovary in female genital differentiation.

Lytic enzymes in the autolysis of filamentous fungi.

The degrees of autolysis attained by five different genera of filamentous fungi during an incubation period of 60 days, under the same culture conditions were: 87.3% for Penicillium oxalicum; 65.9% for Neurospora crassa; 62.

[Morphologic criteria of surface studies by electron microscopy and classification of lymphoproliferative syndromes. Critical study].

Surface associated immunoglobulins (s.Ig) have been detected on human lymphocytes, in normal individuals and in disease, by an immunoelectron microscopic method using peroxidase-labeled antibodies. Experiments have been carried out on fixed cell suspensions, in order to avoid membrane alterations induced by anti-immunoglobulin antibodies.