A phase II study with teniposide (VM26) in patients with progressed or relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Sixteen patients with advanced small cell lung cancer who relapsed or progressed under first-line therapy, were treated with second-line chemotherapy consisting of: teniposide, 60 mg/m2, i.v. days 1-5, every 3 weeks until further progression.

Immunohistochemical characterization and distribution of Langerhans cells in normal epithelium of the uterine cervix.

Langerhans cells (LCs) were shown up in normal cervical tissue obtained from 32 women whose age ranged from 25 to 68 years, using immunohistological methods. LCs were detected in metaplastic and native squamous epithelium of the cervix; they were positive to Dako-LC and OKDR antibodies and those located in the basal-suprabasal epithelial layers were also OKT6-positive. The density of the LCs was higher during the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle.

Immunocytochemistry of anaplastic carcinoma of thyroid gland.

Twelve anaplastic thyroid carcinomas were investigated with a panel of antibodies. The squamoid and giant cell anaplastic carcinomas showed coexpression of cytokeratin and vimentin in 66% of the cases. Reactivity for A-1-AT and A-1-ACT antiserum appeared when the spindle cell component became prevalent.

A retrospective study of antibodies against basement membrane antigens (type IV collagen and laminin) in patients with primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon.

Antibodies against type IV collagen were detected in the sera of 21% of patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP) and 68% of patients with systemic sclerosis. Sera from 25% of the PRP patients and 48% of systemic sclerosis patients displayed antibodies to laminin. Eighty percent of the patients with PRP and antibodies to basement membrane antigens developed additional serologic or clinical manifestations, whereas only 16% of patients with PRP and no anti-basement membrane antibodies developed such manifestations.

[Spontaneous pneumothorax: surgical aspects].

The authors illustrate the cases of spontaneous pneumothorax observed in their institute along with the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. In accord with the experience of others as reported in the literature, they stress the importance of a precise, immediate diagnosis for the purposes of adopting the treatment of choice: in the presence of closed, partial forms a conservative approach is to be preferred, whereas in open and/or hypertensive cases an aspirative thoracic drainage must be provided without delay. Aggressive surgical treatment, with resection of the bullous lesions responsible for bronchopleural fistulas, will resolve the condition and should be implemented after a reasonable waiting period with aspirative drainage, or even, electively, in the first instance, in the presence of multiple relapses.

[A case of malignant pancreatic apudoma producer of serotonin and pancreatic polypeptide].

Taking as their starting point the observation of a pancreatic malignant endocrine neoplasm with mixed production of serotonin and pancreatic polypeptide, the authors go on to review the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic apudomas. The possibility of performing an extempore intraoperative histological examination makes it possible to obtain a correct diagnosis of endocrine neoplasm and thus to proceed with surgery which could not be contemplated in adenocarcinomatous forms at an equivalent stage. Chemotherapy may then provide additional therapeutic possibilities, using specific markers for malignancies of the APUD system in order to detect possible recurrences.

[Intraoperative prevention of pulmonary embolism from neoplastic caval thrombosis secondary to renal tumors].

The authors analyze diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic influence of caval neoplastic thrombosis in management of renal cell carcinoma. They describe, for the first time, the utilization of De Weese caval clip to prevent intraoperative pulmonary embolism secondary to surgical manipulations.

Significance of free testosterone assay in comparison with traditional R.I.A. androgens in diagnosis of androgens excess.

In 35 women, 16-32 years old (average age 24) affected by hirsutism associated to menstrual disorders as oligomenorrhea or secondary amenorrhea, the real utility of testosterone's free fraction assay (FT) in comparison with conventional hormonal assays has been valued. The free testosterone (FT) resulted the most frequently elevated hormone (69%). The analysis of the different groups shows a good sensitivity and specificity of FT assay in some conditions as PCOD, but it is not so sensitive and specific in other conditions as secondary amenorrhea.

Endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis.

A case of subacute bacterial endocarditis was caused by Cardiobacterium hominis in a 55-year-old man who had a history of rheumatic fever. A survey of the literature showed few reports dealing with the isolation of these organisms from human sources. Microbiologically, the chief distinguishing features of C.

[Campylobacter pyloridis and gastritis: endoscopic, histological and microbiological correlations].

Biopsy specimens from antral mucosa in 65 consecutive patients presenting for gastroscopy were assessed histologically and microbiologically for the presence of C. pyloridis. Spiral bacteria were found in 63% of cases by Warthin-Starry silver stain and in 72% by culture on blood agar plates with Skirrow's antibiotic supplement.

An immunohistochemical study in thyroid cancer.

Follicular, papillary, anaplastic and medullary cancers of the thyroid were investigated using immunohistochemical methods. The following antibodies were used: anti-S-100, antineuron-specific enolase (NSE), antikeratin, antithyroglobulin, anticalcitonin, anticarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), antiepithelial membrane antigen (EMA); the following hormones were also tested in the medullary carcinoma: gastrin, ACTH and serotonin. Papillary and follicular carcinoma in particular reacted with anti-S-100 and anti-NSE; the anaplastic neoplasia reacted with anti-S-100 (25%), anti-NSE (12%), antikeratin (12%), antithyroglobulin (12%), anti-CEA (37%) and anti-EMA (37%).

[Dexamethasone and its role in the prolactin secretion after TRH].

In 5 normal women plasma prolactin concentration after microg. 200 of TRH has been evaluated under treatment with mg 0.75/6h for three days of dexamethasone.