myelin-basic-protein and Lymphoma

Immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase (peroxidase-antiperoxidase, PAP) techniques for the demonstration of neural and non-neural cell markers are contributing greatly to increase the diagnostic accuracy of difficult tumors of the central nervous system. Well characterized nervous system markers include glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein, the three protein subunits of neurofilaments, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), myelin basic protein, and S-100 protein. The most important and reliable of these is GFA protein, which is widely in use for the immunohistochemical diagnosis of tumors of the glioma group. Its many practical applications are reviewed and illustrated. Other neural markers, in particular the specificity of NSE and S-100 protein, need to be critically evaluated. Problems related to the immunohistochemical diagnosis of central neuroepithelial tumors of putative neuroblastic origin remain complex and still need to be resolved. Non-neural markers, such as vimentin, desmin, cytokeratins, Factor VIII, alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and immunoglobulins have well defined, although more restricted, applications in surgical neuropathology.

Topics: alpha-Fetoproteins; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antigens; Carcinoma; Central Nervous System Diseases; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Cytoskeleton; Desmin; Factor VIII; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immune Sera; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Immunoglobulins; Intermediate Filament Proteins; Keratins; Lymphoma; Medical Oncology; Meningeal Neoplasms; Myelin Basic Protein; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Neurology; Oligodendroglia; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; S100 Proteins; Sarcoma; Vascular Diseases; Vimentin; von Willebrand Factor

Naive LEW rats and animals that have recovered from active or adoptive EAE contain a subset of T cells that inhibit EAE in secondary recipients and are lytic for MBP-reactive T cell lines in culture. Here we explore various features of these regulatory T cell populations (RTC) with respect to (1) their frequency in animals following immunization with syngeneic MBP-reactive cell lines, (2) their ability to inhibit proliferative responses by MBP-reactive cell lines in culture, (3) their ability to lyse MBP-specific target cells, and especially (4) their prolonged expression of high levels of FasL following activation in culture correlating with their lytic effects on A20, a FasL-sensitive mouse lymphoma cell line. Inhibition studies indicate that mAbs specific for MHC class I and MHC class II molecules inhibit lysis of syngeneic MBP-reactive target T cells, soluble Fas protein shows some inhibition, but none of these agents inhibits the lytic effects of activated RTC on the A20 cell line.

Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Fas Ligand Protein; fas Receptor; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma; Membrane Glycoproteins; Mice; Myelin Basic Protein; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; T-Lymphocytes; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Topics: Female; Humans; Lymphoma; Methotrexate; Middle Aged; Myelin Basic Protein; Nervous System Diseases

A nine-year-old boy with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma inadvertantly received 54 times the standard dose of intrathecal methotrexate (650 mg vs 12 mg). He sustained an immediate and subsequently fatal necrotizing leukoencephalopathy despite an early cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchange, intravenous leucovorin and dexamethasone, and supportive care. Following the CSF exchange which removed 78% of the administered dose of methotrexate, the CSF and serum methotrexate levels were 50-100-fold higher than seen following standard therapy. A slightly prolonged CSF methotrexate half-life suggested a decreased rate of clearance of methotrexate from the CSF, either due to saturation or destruction of the transport mechanisms. CSF levels of myelin basic protein and serum levels of lactic dehydrogenase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and uric acid were all markedly increased, suggesting both white and grey matter necrosis.

Topics: Blood Chemical Analysis; Child; Glucose; Humans; Injections, Spinal; Kinetics; Lymphoma; Male; Methotrexate; Myelin Basic Protein

The frequency of bronchial carcinoma has increased significantly during the last five years. The prognosis depends very much on early diagnosis. With non-invasive methods the diagnosis can often not be certified and the dignity of a tumor can often not be judged preoperatively. With the EMT a differentiation between malignant and non-malignant pulmonary diseases is possible. The EMT is an in vitro cancer test to detect specific sensitised lymphocytes. After incubation with the encephalitogenic factor (EF) lymphocytes of patients with malignant diseases release a factor that slows the mobility of tanned and sulphosalicylic-acid stabilised sheep erythrocytes (ETS) in an electrical field. 96 patients with pulmonary diseases were checked; all malignant pulmonary diseases but one showed an inhibition of the ETS mobility, while the controls showed an acceleration; in the groups with benign pulmonary diseases most patients showed an acceleration, only in sarcoidosis in four out of twelve patients a slight ETS inhibition was registered. The differences between both groups are significant (p less than 0.001). The EMT differentiates reliably in malignant and non-malignant diseases. False-negative results are obtained during radiation and chemotherapy. In connection with other diagnostic aids the EMT is a valuable diagnostic method, by which the early cancer detection can be improved and the prognosis of the patients bettered significantly.

Topics: Animals; Bronchial Neoplasms; Diagnosis, Differential; Electrophoresis; Erythrocytes; Humans; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Myelin Basic Protein; Neoplasm Metastasis; Sarcoidosis; Sheep

A modified electrophoretic mobility (EM) test was performed in 150 children to examine their lymphocyte sensitization to myelin basic protein (encephalitogenic factor). Measurements in the cytopherometer were facilitated by using devitalized sheep erythrocytes as indicator particles instead of macrophages. A significant decrease in EM was found in 29/30 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and in 67/75 children with solid tumours, thus giving a false negative rate in malignant disease of 9/105=8-6%, as compared to 6 false positives among 45 children with non-malignant disorders; 5 of the later "false/positive" 6 patients had autoimmune disease. Results of the EM test in the children with leukaemia were compared with those in 9 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 2 with Hodgkin's disease at different stages, but no striking change was seen between different diseases, or after cessation of long-term immunosuppressive chemotherapy. Percentage of "slowing" ranged from 4 to 30%. These results indicate that patients with lymphoid malignancies still have lymphocytes which had been sensitized by a common antigen of the malignant cell clone at the beginning of the disease. The EM test, furthermore, could serve as an additional diagnostic aid in differentiating benign from malignant masses in the abdomen, extremities or intracranial disease.

Topics: Abdominal Neoplasms; Acute Disease; Antigens; Child; Electrophoresis; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Myelin Basic Protein; Neoplasms

Lymphocyte sensitization to myelin basic protein (encephalitogenic factor, EF) was determined in 193 children by measuring the electrophoretic mobility of indicator particles which had been incubated with the supernatant of the lymphocyte-antigen (EF) mixture. A significant decrease in electrophoretic migration time was found in 77 of 85 children with malignant tumours localized in brain, abdomen and extremities, in 36 of 38 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (all except one in hematological remission), and in all 17 patients with lymphoma, in contrast to only 1 of 10 healthy children and 14 of 48 patients with non-malignant disorders. 10 of these 14 "false positive" patients, however, had auto-immune diseases. Thus, with false negative and false positive rates of less than 10%, this test could be of diagnostic help in patients with suspected malignant or auto-immune disease. Two examples of preoperative application of the EM-test are demonstrated.

Topics: Abdominal Neoplasms; Adolescent; Age Factors; Autoimmune Diseases; Brain Neoplasms; Cell Movement; Child; Electrophoresis; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Myelin Basic Protein; Neoplasms

The specific lymphocyte sensitization of patients with malignant diseases against a basic protein, isolated from human brain, was studied by the lymphocyte migration inhibition technique. A sensitization of lymphocytes of cancer patients against this encephalitogenic factor (EF) was first reported by FIELD and CASPARY in 1970. Their test system was the Macrophage-Electrophoretic-Mobility-Test (MEMT). In 17 out of 18 patients with malignant disease we found a specific inhibition or enhancement of the migration area of lymphocytes more than 15%.

Topics: Carcinoma, Bronchogenic; Cell Migration Inhibition; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoma; Macrophages; Male; Melanoma; Myelin Basic Protein; Neoplasms; Stomach Neoplasms