The results of treatments applied to 142 patients with breast carcinoma stage III, in the Oncology Service from 1965 to 1974 are as follows: successive cycles of treatments were applied: irradiation ...with X-rays of 280 Kv-20 mA for ulcerated tumors or Cobalt 60 for non-ulcerated tumors, using a dose of 5,500 rad in eight weeks. Subsequently, in cases of residual neoplasia, mastectomy was used or an extra dose of 1,500 to 3,000 rad. Later, at the first sign of the spread of carcinoma, hormonal therapy was given and then chemotherapy. Survival rate after five years was as follows: 41.54% of patients survived and 58.45% died from the cancer.
The presence of hepatitis C virus antibodies was studied in 64 patients with non alcoholic liver disease and found in 11 (17%). The greater frequency of positive antibodies was found among patients ...with cryptogenetic liver disease, specially those without serum auto-antibodies (32%). The antibody was unusually found (0 to 11%) in non alcoholic liver diseases of other etiologies. It is concluded that hepatitis C virus chronic infections may be the etiology of an important number of non alcoholic chronic liver diseases.
Presentation of results obtained in 171 evaluable patients from a series of 181, presenting surface vesical cancer in Tis, Ta and T1 stages, treated with 3 different dosages of endovesical BCG as ...prophylaxis for tumour relapse: a) high dose, 100 to 120 mg, 72 patients; b) intermediate dose, 20 to 50 mg, 39 patients; and, c) minidose of 1 mg, 60 patients. Complications and adverse reactions were seen to be dose-dependent, also percentage of patients free of disease both after treatment and following addition of retreatment in several patients was similar in all the dosages used. It is thus concluded that endovesical BCG 1 mg, would be an optimal dosage for the prophylaxis of surface vesical cancer relapse.
An evaluation of the information obtained by percutaneous liver biopsy performed with Travenol Tru-cut ("Tru-cut"), Menghini's 1.9 and 1.6 needles, was done using cadavers. All needles used had a ...similar, low number of "failures". Recognition of diffuse liver lesions, excluding fibrosis, was very high regardless of the needle used. Identification of cirrhosis was significantly more frequent in biopsies performed with the Tru-cut needle.
Sea urchin sperm respond to egg factors with changes in the ionic permeability of their plasma membrane. It has been previously shown that plasma membranes isolated preferentially from sea urchin ...sperm flagella respond to egg jelly increasing their Ca2+ and Na+ uptake (Darszon et al. (1984) Eur. J. Biochem. 144, 515-522). However, the egg jelly induced acrosome reaction occurs in the sperm head, and there is evidence for an heterogeneous distribution of plasma membrane components within the various regions of this cell. We here report a method for purifying sperm head membranes using positively charged beads according to Jacobson (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 471, 331-335). Under the transmission electron microscope these membranes appeared homogeneous and apparently free of internal membranes. The yield of the preparation was 0.9% of the total protein in the sperm homogenate. The preparation contained less than 5% of the mitochondrial marker cytochrome oxidase, and 10% of the total DNA/mg protein. Surface labeling with 125I indicated a 2.5-3-fold enrichment in specific activity of the head membranes with respect to whole sperm. The SDS band pattern and the lipid composition of this preparation were different from those of isolated flagellar membranes. Phosphatidylcholine was higher in the head membranes, while phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine were lower. The head membranes displayed a 1.7-2.3-fold higher Ca2+-ATPase activity and a 2.5-fold lower Na+/K+-ATPase activity, than the flagellar membranes. These results are consistent with a heterogeneous distribution of membrane components along the sea urchin sperm plasma membranes. Isolated head membranes sonicated in the presence of soybean phospholipid liposomes responded to egg jelly with a species-specific increase in Ca2+ and Na+ uptake. As in whole sperm, Ca2+ uptake was inhibited by the Ca2+ channel blocker nisoldipine. A close analog of this compound, 3Hnitrendipine, binds with high affinity to head membranes in a saturable, reversible manner, showing a Kd and Bmax of 31 nM and 5.3 pmol/mg protein, respectively.
