alpha-chymotrypsin and Hodgkin-Disease

Systemic enzymes (wobenzime and wobe-mugos) were approved, that had been prescribed as part of polychemotherapy to 24 patients with malignant lymphomas, who presented with large masses of lymphatic nodes poorly resorbable against the background of polychemotherapy and who were assigned for a high-total dose irradiation, which fact would undoubtedly entail sclerosing of adjacent intact tissues. The use of the enzymes made for the optimum realization of the polychemotherapy effect and permitted avoiding a good many of undesirable side events and complication thereof. The above systemic enzymes are well tolerated by patients; they induce no significant changes in the cellular composition or in blood biochemical indices.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Blood; Chymotrypsin; Combined Modality Therapy; Drug Combinations; Drug Evaluation; Female; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Hydrolases; Lymphoma; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreatic Extracts; Papain; Recurrence; Rutin; Thymus Extracts; Trypsin

In an immunohistochemical study of 26 biopsies from 24 patients with Hodgkin's disease a granular staining pattern for alpha-1-antitrypsin (alpha(1)AT) and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (alpha(1)ACT) was seen in Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and mononuclear Hodgkin's (H) cells in over half the cases. The pattern of staining for these antiproteases seen in RS and H cells has previously only been observed in normal and malignant cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage within the lymphoreticular system. A faintly granular evenly distributed staining for IgG was found in viable RS and H cells. This staining was associated with a similar distribution of both light chains but not J chain, suggesting that the immunoglobulin had not been synthesised by these cells but had been taken up from the extracellular environment. It is suggested that this uptake is an active process occurring in viable RS and H cells, possibly via Fcgamma receptors and further supports an origin from cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. IgA, IgD, albumin, fibrinogen, C1q, C4 and C3 were present in some cells, IgM was more rarely found and lysozyme was absent. The fact that cells staining for these serum proteins generally showed signs of degeneration and that the extent of staining correlated with the molecular weight, but not serum concentration, of the protein suggests that they are passively acquired by dead or dying cells and thus represent a separate phenomenon from IgG uptake. The function of IgG uptake and accumulation by RS cells and the alpha(1)AT and alpha(1)ACT markers may prove of use in identifying the macrophage subtype from which these cells are derived.

Topics: alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; Blood Proteins; Chymotrypsin; Histiocytes; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Immunoglobulins; Macrophages; Protease Inhibitors

Topics: Albumins; Antigens; Chymotrypsin; Cytoplasm; Histocytochemistry; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Immunoglobulin alpha-Chains; Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; Immunoglobulins; Muramidase; Plasma Cells

Vertical studies indicate that, in general, acute phase reactant proteins (APRP) reflect disease activity in both Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Longitudinal studies of the selected APRP profile demonstrate the following: 1. The stable profile is characteristic of remission. 2. Considerable elevation of APRPs coincides with relapsed disease. 3. An unstable profile is a feature of relapsing disease and may give early warning of relapse. 4. Patients responding inadequately to treatment frequently have unstable APRP profiles.

Topics: Adult; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; C-Reactive Protein; Chymotrypsin; Female; Glycoproteins; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Lymphoma; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Middle Aged; Orosomucoid