A stochastic model for dual label experiments: an analysis of the heterogeneity of S phase duration.

We develop a statistical approach for the study of S phase duration in experiments using sequential pulses of two thymidine analogues. Cell entrance into S phase is assumed to follow a possibly nonhomogeneous Poisson process, and the duration in S phase independently follows an unspecified distribution, thus allowing the possibility of variable S phase duration times for cells. Several conclusions regarding experimental design considerations are reached.

[Cytokines in uveal melanoma. Original title: uveal melanoma cytokines].

Cytokines may be important in both the pathophysiology an ocular morbidity associated with treated and untreated uveal melanomas. In this study we used message amplification phenotyping to identify cytokines present in uveal melanoma samples. A number of cytokines were noted that have been associated with tumor progression, neovascularization, and inflammation in other malignancies.

Alteration of human conjunctival epithelial proliferation.

We used in vitro bromodeoxyuridine to analyze the labeling indexes of conjunctival cells in several external eye diseases. Patients with superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis, squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva, drug-induced pseudopemphigoid, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome had increased conjunctival DNA synthesis.

Infiltrating lymphocytes and antigen expression in uveal melanoma.

Monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry were used to study lymphocyte, monocyte and tumor cell antigen expression in uveal melanoma. Forty-one melanomas were studied after various forms of treatment. An antimelanoma antibody, 13A3E, stained 81.

Cytomorphometry of uveal melanoma. Comparison of fine needle aspiration biopsy samples with histologic sections.

A number of approaches are being investigated to increase the prognostic accuracy for uveal melanoma patients; the standard deviation of nucleolar area measurements and the DNA content appear to correlate better with survival than do classic histologic parameters. The utility of performing cytomorphometric measurements on fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy samples was prospectively analyzed for 24 eyes containing uveal melanomas that were examined with both 25-gauge FNA biopsy and standard histologic techniques. "Masked" analysis of the cellular composition of the 24 cases showed the presence or absence of epithelioid cells to be accurately predicted on the FNA samples in all cases.