Malignant melanoma in black Americans. A trend toward improved survival.

A search of patients seen at the Duke University Melanoma Clinic (Durham, NC) identified 79 black patients. Five- and 10-year survival was 35% and 26%, respectively. Patients presenting in the recent decade had less advanced disease, resulting in an improved 5-year survival of 49%.

Serum release of the creatine kinase tissue-specific isoforms MM3 and MB2 is simultaneous during myocardial reperfusion.

The release sequence of the creatine kinase MM and MB tissue-specific subforms after myocardial reperfusion was elucidated by computer-fitting serial enzyme data from 6 humans in whom coronary flow in the infarct-related artery was angiographically documented as initially zero, opening to normal after angioplasty. The model equation used demonstrated acceptable performance according to standard criteria including visual examination and statistical parameters. The model successfully described the sequential conversion of the MM3 and MB2 tissue isoforms to their respective MM2 and MM1, and MB1 isoforms.

Intercellular junctions and tumor behavior in lung cancer.

We examined the ultrastructure of 76 lung cancers and counted the number of intercellular junctions per area of tissue section. The total number of desmosomes, intermediate junctions, and tight junctions ranged from zero to 300 per 0.157 cm2 of tissue section area, and each type of carcinoma showed a considerable range in concentration of intercellular junctions.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis in the prostate.

A case of bone marrow myelofibrosis with extramedullary hematopoiesis in the prostate gland is described. This 75-year-old man had an 8-year history of myelofibrosis, massive hepatosplenomegaly, and progressive anemia and a 5-year history of bladder outlet obstruction symptomatology. Transurethral resection of prostate was performed, and light microscopic examination of the prostatic chips revealed a diffuse distribution of atypical megakaryocytes, immature granulocytes, and normoblasts in the prostatic stroma.

Mechanisms involved in angiotensin II induced increases in cardiac output in pithed rats.

This study was conducted to determine the mechanisms by which angiotensin II (Ang-II) acutely increases cardiac output. Pithed Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared for continuous measurement of cardiac output by electromagnetic flowmetry. Ang-II (31-1000 ng/kg, i.

Acral melanoma: a review of 185 patients with identification of prognostic variables.

One hundred eight-five patients with acral melanoma treated since 1972 were reviewed. These included 53 subungual lesions, 123 plantar lesions, and 9 palmar lesions. Eighty percent presented with stage I disease.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the oral cavity.

We report the clinical and pathologic features of a small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma arising in the oral cavity of a 63-year-old man. The tumor stained positively with neuron-specific enolase and had dense core granules ultrastructurally. Chemotherapy ordinarily given for pulmonary small cell carcinoma induced a clinical remission.

Intraglandular tumor extent and prognosis in prostatic carcinoma: application of a grid method to prostatectomy specimens.

The extent of tumor in prostatectomy specimens was determined by a grid method in 117 patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma. A plastic strip or ruler with squares of 3.0 mm was used, and the ratio of squares overlying carcinoma to the total number of squares overlying prostate tissue was calculated.

Relative increase in creatine kinase MB isoenzyme during reperfusion after myocardial infarction is method dependent.

We compared relative increases in creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.

Malignant melanoma arising during pregnancy. A study of 100 patients.

Melanoma is often diagnosed in young adults, a significant proportion of whom are women of child-bearing age. The prognosis of women diagnosed with melanoma during a pregnancy continues to be debated. One hundred patients, ages 19 to 40 years, have been identified who were pregnant at the time of diagnosis of their melanoma.

Loss of heterozygosity for genes on 11p and the clinical course of patients with lung carcinoma.

Forty-five primary human lung carcinomas were evaluated for the loss of heterozygosity for genes on the short end of chromosome 11. Of 40 evaluable heterozygous cases, loss of the 11p genes c-H-ras and insulin was documented in nine cases (22%). The clinical parameters investigated for each patient included the disease stage at presentation, the presence of metastatic disease in either bronchial or mediastinal lymph nodes, and the presence of positive parietal pleural margins in the surgically resected specimen.

Angiotensin augments epinephrine release in pithed rats fed a low-sodium diet.

In confirmation of previous studies, the amount of epinephrine released into blood during electrical stimulation of the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord in pithed rats on a low-sodium diet (0.01% sodium by weight of diet for 1 mo) was significantly greater than that observed in rats on a normal sodium diet (0.3% sodium by weight of diet).

Anorectal melanoma: clinical characteristics and results of surgical management in twenty-four patients.

Twenty-four patients with primary anorectal melanoma diagnosed since 1974 have been studied retrospectively. There was a predominance of women (2.4:1): Mean age was 64 years.

Characteristics of creatine kinase-MB and MB isoforms in serum after reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction.

Characteristics of CK-MB, the MB1 and MB2 isoforms, and the MB2/MB1 ratio are described in six acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients in whom the infarct-related artery was identified and, after intervention, normal coronary flow was re-established. After myocardial reperfusion, washout of CK-MB and the MB2 isoform occurred in parallel, with CK-MB peaking between 5.75 and 10.

Adaptive responses to sustained volume expansion in hyponatraemic rats.

Studies were carried out to evaluate adaptive responses to water retention in an experimental model of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD). Hyponatraemia was induced by continuous s.c.

Comparative study of systemic interferon alfa-nl and isotretinoin in the treatment of resistant condylomata acuminata.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of systemic interferon alfa-nl versus isotretinoin in the treatment of condylomata acuminata. Patients were randomly assigned interferon alfa-nl, 5 million units, subcutaneously daily for 2 weeks then twice weekly for 4 weeks, or isotretinoin, 1 mg/kg by mouth daily for 6 weeks. Seventeen otherwise healthy men with histologically confirmed condylomata acuminata refractory to standard treatment completed 6 study weeks.

Juvenile malignant melanoma.

Malignant melanoma in children and adolescents is a rare phenomenon. During a retrospective computer-aided chart review, 78 patients less than 20 years of age were identified who had the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. This accounted for 1.

Interferon alfa-2a in the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Twenty-two patients with Stages Ia to IVa cutaneous T cell lymphoma were entered into a controlled trial of interferon alfa-2a (Roferon-A). Patients initially received either 3 million IU interferon alfa-2a, or their dosage was escalated to 36 million IU intramuscularly daily for a 10-week induction period. At the end of induction, 14/22 (64%) of patients had an objective antitumor response: three patients had a complete response, ten patients had a partial response (greater than or equal to 50% resolution of clinical disease), and one patient had a minor response.

Attenuation of the pressor activity of endogenous vasoconstrictors by sodium nitroprusside in the pithed rat.

The present study characterized the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on the responsiveness of pithed rats to pressor stimuli. Intravenous infusions of SNP produced a dose-related inhibition of the pressor responses to stimulation of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord. The site at which SNP affected the vasoconstrictor response appeared to be post-junctional because norepinephrine responses were also attenuated, as were blood pressure increases to angiotensin II and vasopressin.