The musk rat (Ondatra zibethicus) as intermediate host of cestodes in the Netherlands.

An investigation on the presence of larval cestodes in musk rats (Ondatra zibethicus) was carried out in two regions of the Netherlands (east Groningen and south Limburg) where in a earlier study foxes with Echinococcus multilocularis were found. A total of 1726 musk rats were dissected (1200 in Groningen, 526 in Limburg). Larval stages of Taenia taeniaeformis were most frequently found (total 44.

EST sequencing of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus suggests a shift in gene expression during transition to the parasitic stages.

Expressed sequence tags from the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus were generated in order to identify anchor loci for comparative mapping between nematode genomes and candidate targets for future control measures. In total, 370 SL1 trans-spliced cDNAs from different developmental stages representing 195 different genes were partially sequenced. From these expressed sequence tags 50% were similar to genes with a known or predicted function and 19% were similar to nematode sequences with no ascribed function.

Nematode parasites of adult dairy cattle in the Netherlands.

Abomasa, blood samples and faecal samples for examination of nematode infections were collected from 125 dairy cows during the period November 1997-October 1998. Of these, 12 had no grazing history and were, therefore, excluded from this study. From the remaining 113, 88.

Transposon associated markers for the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus.

We have previously characterized a Tcl-like transposable element Hctcl, from the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Here we describe the genetic variation of Hctcl insertion sites in H. contortus populations differing in geographical origin, resistance to chemotherapeutics and level of inbreeding.

Dosimetric analysis of chimeric monoclonal antibody cMOv18 IgG in ovarian carcinoma patients after intraperitoneal and intravenous administration.

In this study the potential of intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intravenous (i.

Pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and biological effects of intravenously administered bispecific monoclonal antibody OC/TR F(ab')2 in ovarian carcinoma patients.

The bispecific monoclonal antibody (biMAb) OC/TR combines the anti-ovarian-cancer reactivity of the MOv18 monoclonal antibody (MAb) with the reactivity of an anti-CD3 MAb. Pre-clinical studies have indicated that this biMAb is able to redirect the cytolytic activity of T cells towards tumour cells, resulting in efficient tumour-cell lysis. To assess the clinical potential of systemic biMAb-based cancer therapy we initiated a study in ovarian-cancer patients.

Humoral anti-OV-TL 3 response after the intravenous administration of radiolabelled Fab' or F(ab')2 fragments in ovarian cancer patients.

The human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response was determined in the serum of patients suspected of having ovarian cancer who underwent radioimmunoscintigraphy with either 99Tcm-OV-TL 3 Fab' (n = 20) or 111In-DTPA-OV-TL 3 F(ab')2 (n = 73). Blood samples were collected prior to and at several time points post-intravenous injection. The detection of HAMA was performed with an in-house OV-TL 3 F(ab')2-based sandwich-type immunoradiometric assay (IRMA).

Tumour targeting of the anti-ovarian carcinoma x anti-CD3/TCR bispesific monoclonal antibody OC/TR and its parental MOv18 antibody in experimental ovarian cancer.

The anti-tumour x anti-T-cell bispecific monoclonal antibody (biMAb) OC/TR is a biologically produced biMAb combining the anti-ovarian carcinoma activity of the MOv18 MAb with anti-CD3/T-cell receptor (TCR) complex activity. In this study, the in vitro binding characteristics of the OC/TR biMAb and its tumour targeting potential in nude mice with Hela tumours was studied. Scatchard analysis revealed that the affinity constant of the biMAb was 7 times lower than the affinity of the parental MOv18 antibody.

Effect of the route of administration on the biodistribution of radioiodinated OV-TL 3 F(ab')2 in experimental ovarian cancer.

The effect of the route administration on the distribution of radioiodinated OV-TL 3 F(ab')2 was studied in Balb/c female mice with intraperitoneal or subcutaneous ovarian carcinoma xenografts. In the intraperitoneal tumour model in which both ascites and solid tumour deposits were present, intraperitoneal administration resulted in a lower estimated radiation dose to blood as compared with intravenous administration. In this model normalization to equal estimated radiation doses to blood for both routes of administration indicated that a twice as high estimated radiation dose can be guided to solid intraperitoneal tumour deposits following intraperitoneal administration.

Decreased kidney uptake of technetium-99m-labelled Fab' fragments in ovarian carcinoma bearing nude mice using a cleavable chelator.

A new 99mTc labelling method using a cleavable chelator, RP-1, was developed. In this study Balb/c mice with ovarian carcinoma xenografts received various Fab' fragments labelled with 99mTc either directly or via RP-1. Kidney uptake was significantly lower for the RP-1 linked conjugates.

Tumour detection and localization using 99Tcm-labelled OV-TL 3 Fab' in patients suspected of ovarian cancer.

Fab' fragments of the monoclonal antibody OV-TL 3, that recognizes an ovarian carcinoma-associated antigen (OA3), were labelled with 99Tcm using D-glucarate as a ligand. Twenty patients suspected of having primary or recurrent ovarian cancer received intravenously 1 mg of the Fab' labelled with 740 MBq 99Tcm. Both planar and single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) scintigraphy were performed up to 30 h after intravenous infusion.

Results of cyclophosphamide and cisplatin combination chemotherapy in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

An unselected group of 30 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, FIGO stage IIb-IV, was treated with cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2) both administered intravenously on a single day at a 3-weeks interval (CP). At a median follow-up time of 25 months this treatment had resulted in a remission rate of 73% and an estimated median overall survival time of 29 months, which resembles the results of prospective randomized trials. Major side-effects encountered in our patients were renal toxicity and neurotoxicity requiring termination of chemotherapy with CP in 9 patients.