Optimal timing for collections of blood progenitor cells following induction chemotherapy and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor for autologous transplantation in advanced breast cancer.

Circulating progenitor cells collected during periods of rapid hematopoietic reconstitution can be used successfully as hematopoietic support for super-dose chemotherapy. A major problem for collection of peripheral blood progenitor cells has been determination of optimal time to start leukapheresis and of the adequate amount of progenitor cells. This study has demonstrated that an induction chemotherapy with augmented dosage of CEF (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil) in conjunction with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CM-CSF) successfully mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells in 15 patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Guanine nucleotide binding proteins mediate the chemotactic signal of transforming growth factor-beta 1 in rat IL-2 activated natural killer cells.

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 induced rat IL-2-activated natural killer (IANK) cell chemotaxis. Various doses of cholera toxin (CT) or pertussis toxin (PT) inhibited the activity of TGF-beta 1 suggesting a role for guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins. ADP-ribosylation assay showed that rat IANK cell membranes possess a 39 kDa PT substrate and two, 41 and 42 kDa, CT substrates.

Combination chemotherapy with teniposide (VM26) and carboplatin in small cell lung cancer.

Seventy patients with previously untreated histologically proven small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were treated with a combination of teniposide 60 mg/m2 intravenously (i.v.) on days 1 through 5 and carboplatin 400 mg/m2 i.

Port-a-caths in cancer patients.

We report on 91 patients with cancer who underwent the insertion of 89 venous and 4 hepatic arterial, implanted vascular ports (Port-a-caths) for periods of up to 33 months (total 1,525 patient-months). There were 1 fatal, 9 serious and 8 minor complications in 18 patients which are described and discussed. In this series, complications were more common in younger patients, and infection was rare.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 is chemotactic for interleukin-2-activated natural killer cells.

We examined the effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) on the in vitro motility of interleukin-2-activated natural killer (IANK) cells. Low doses of TGF-beta 1 (0.01 or 0.

IL-8 induces the locomotion of human IL-2-activated natural killer cells. Involvement of a guanine nucleotide binding (Go) protein.

The effect of IL-8 on the in vitro locomotion of human IL-2-activated natural killer (IANK) cells was studied. It was observed that IL-8 induces chemokinesis in these cells, as determined by their migration in modified Boyden chambers. Bacterial toxins such as cholera toxin or pertussis toxin inhibited IL-8-induced chemokinetic activity, suggesting the involvement of guanine nucleotide-binding (G) proteins in IL-8 signal transduction in these cells.

Sizes and sources of field placement error in routine irradiation for prostate cancer.

Discrepancies between prescribed and treated field edges have been measured from 76 film pairs taken on 29 patients being treated for prostate cancer. The distribution of field edge discrepancies is described by a standard deviation of 4.5 mm and has an average absolute value of 3.

An efficient approach to routine TL dosimetry.

A new labour-saving protocol for clinical dosimetric measurements based on the thermoluminescence (TL) of lithium fluoride is presented. The accuracy of dose measurements resulting from the application of this protocol is examined with particular emphasis on the linearity, reproducibility, and fading of TL response. It is shown that the technique described here is capable of yielding an accuracy of +/- 5% at the 95% confidence level for doses in excess of 1cGy.

On the field-size dependence of relative output from a linear accelerator.

The radiation output in air on the central axis of a linac photon beam has been modeled as the sum of two components. These are a point source representing radiation direct from the target and a distributed source representing scatter in the flattening filter and primary collimator. By fitting only two parameters, the ratio of the two components for a 20 x 20 field and a width parameter for the distributed source this semi-empirical model describes the relative outputs of square, symmetric rectangular, and asymmetric rectangular fields with an average error of 0.

Genomic organization of the putative human homeobox proto-oncogene HOX-11 (TCL-3) and its endogenous expression in T cells.

The HOX-11 (TCL-3) gene, which is abnormally expressed in the leukemic cells of some patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is a new member of the homeobox gene family. It is structurally altered by the t(10;14) chromosomal translocation, resulting in head-to-tail juxtaposition of HOX-11 with the T-cell receptor delta-chain gene. In order to understand the normal functions of HOX-11 and its role in T-cell leukemia, we have determined the exon-intron structure of the HOX-11 gene.

Teniposide (VM-26) and carboplatin as initial therapy for small cell lung cancer.

Forty-four patients with previously untreated histologically proven small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were treated with a combination of teniposide 60 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) on days 1 through 5 and carboplatin 400 mg/m2 IV on day 1 every 28 days for six courses. Patients with limited disease (LD) subsequently received prophylactic cranial and thoracic radiotherapy. Of the 44 patients, 40 were evaluable for response: 31 (78%) achieved an objective response; 9 of 18 patients (50%) with LD had a complete response (CR), with a partial response (PR) plus CR rate of 78%.

Induction of intracellular and plasma 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase by pentostatin.

Similar to interferon alpha, pentostatin is highly effective in hairy cell leukemia and moderately active in other chronic lymphoid malignancies. In ten patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and seven patients with other B-cell chronic leukemias (BCL), we have studied the intracellular 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2,5OAS) activity of the mononuclear cells before, 4 h, 24 h, and 48 h after pentostatin administration. In patients with HCL the median level of intracellular 2,5OAS increased 4.

S1 nuclease hypersensitive sites in an oligopurine/oligopyrimidine DNA from the t(10;14) breakpoint cluster region.

Recurring chromosomal translocations are frequently seen in cancers, especially in leukemias and lymphomas. The genes affected by these chromosomal translocations appear to play an important role in oncogenesis. The mechanism underlying the formation of chromosomal translocation is a subject under extensive study.

Cholera toxin inhibits interleukin-2-induced, but enhances pertussis toxin-induced T-cell proliferation: regulation by cyclic nucleotides.

To understand the signals transmitted by interleukin-2 (IL-2) during T-cell proliferation, the effect of this cytokine was compared to the bacterial product pertussis toxin (PT). Both IL-2 and PT induced the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into T cells. Cholera toxin (CT) inhibited IL-2-induced, but enhanced PT-induced T-cell proliferation.

The tcl-3 proto-oncogene altered by chromosomal translocation in T-cell leukemia codes for a homeobox protein.

The t(10;14)(q24;q11) chromosomal translocation found in malignant cells of 5-10% of patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) involves the T-cell receptor delta chain gene on chromosome 14 and a breakpoint cluster region on chromosome 10. The candidate proto-oncogene tcl-3, thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of t(10;14) T-ALL, was cloned and found to be elevated in expression in leukemic cells harboring the t(10;14) translocation. Sequence analysis revealed that tcl-3 is a new homeobox-containing gene.