thymic-factor--circulating and Melanoma

The effect of thymalin and epithalamin on dissemination of tumors treated by pulsed laser radiation was studied in C57B1 female mice bearing subcutaneously transplanted melanoma B16 and Lewis carcinoma. Radiation was delivered from TOC-1001 neodymium laser, wave-length of 1,060 nm, pulse duration--1 msec and fluence--350-400 J/cm2. Drug dosage was 1 mg. Thymalin and epithalamin treatment potentiated the preventive effect of laser radiation on tumor dissemination. Application of the said agents was followed by an increase in antibody-producing cells (as measured by Jerne's procedure) in the spleen of irradiated melanoma B16--bearing mice.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Combined Modality Therapy; Laser Therapy; Male; Melanoma; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Experimental; Peptides; Thymus Hormones; Time Factors

Thymic hormonal function, as assessed by thymic serum factor (FTS) titres, is reduced in melanoma. Correlation analysis was used to show dysfunctions of this gland to play an important role in the pathogenesis of changes occurring in cellular and humoral immune responses in tumor patients. The authors make a case for treatment with biologically active factors of the thymus or thymosin-like preparations as early as in T1 melanoma.

Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Immune System Diseases; Immunity, Cellular; Immunoglobulins; Male; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Rosette Formation; Skin Neoplasms; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymus Hormones

The analysis of correlations between levels of epiphyseal, hypophyseal, adrenocortical and gonadal hormones suggested functional disorders developing in these glands to be interdependent and account for dysfunction of the thymus and immune system in patients suffering malignant melanoma. The degree of relationship between pituitary-adrenal system and thymus function disorders increased with tumor size; it was more pronounced in males. The rationale for application of pineal gland preparations in melanoma patients aimed at combatting neuroendocrine disorders is discussed.

Topics: Endocrine Glands; Female; Hormones; Humans; Male; Melanoma; Skin Neoplasms; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymus Gland

Results are given of daily excretion levels of 6-oxymelatonin, thymic serum factor (FTS), and cortisol in the blood of 140 healthy subjects and 90 patients with skin melanoma, ranging from 20 to 49 years of age. Correlation factor (eta) was used for evaluating the correlation between the indices examined. Daily excretion of 6-oxymelatonin was found to decrease considerably in healthy men over 30 years of age, the extent of such reduction correlating with age (eta = 0.48 +/- 0.19, P less than 0.02). Similar correlation is absent in healthy women. There is an age-related reduction in FTS in both healthy women (eta = 0.63 +/- 0.13, P less than 0.001) and men (eta = 0.57 +/- 0.12 P less than 0.001), although in the latter this reduction occurs 10 years earlier (beginning at 30 years) and is more pronounced. Blood cortisol levels in healthy subjects increase with age, more notably in men than in women. Age-related changes in the content of the hormones under study are still more pronounced when patients of corresponding age groups develop neoplasms. Male patients from 20 to 29 and 30 to 49 years of age with melanoma show daily levels of 6-oxymelatonin excretion of 10.13 +/- 0.71 micrograms/24 hr and 11.70 +/- 1.26 micrograms/24 hr, respectively, while healthy men of the same age show much higher melatonin levels, i.e., 18.98 +/- 1.36 micrograms/24 hr and 15.46 +/- 1.13 micrograms/24 hr, respectively. Male melanoma patients aged 30 to 49 years have reduced log2 of FTS titers (as little as 1.44 +/- 0.23) compared to that of healthy, age-matched males (3.40 +/- 0.23, P less than 0.05). In female patients aged 20-39 years and 40-49 years, the log2 of FTS titers was 1.96 +/- 0.37 and 1.62 +/- 0.25, respectively, which is significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than values for healthy women of the same age (5.60 +/- 0.17 and 3.60 +/- 0.41). In melanoma male and female patients from 20 to 49 years of age, cortisol levels are significantly higher than the mean values for this hormone in age-matched healthy subjects, being 193.18 +/- 19.67 ng/ml and 135.43 +/- 14.36 ng/ml, respectively (with normal levels of 140.60 +/- 9.62 ng/ml and 101.03 +/- 8.61 ng/ml). The results of correlation analysis indicate that daily excretion values for 6-oxymelatonin in healthy subjects correlate with both FTS titers and cortisol content, while the latter two correlate with each other (P less than 0.05). Statistically significant correlation between the levels of all examined hormones was

Topics: Adrenal Cortex; Adult; Age Factors; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Melanoma; Melatonin; Menstrual Cycle; Middle Aged; Pineal Gland; Reference Values; Skin Neoplasms; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymus Hormones

Essential changes in the thymus functional condition and hypophyseal-adrenal system were revealed in patients with skin melanoma. The secretory activity of the thymus loosens, and there is a reduction of thymic hormone titer in blood. The increased levels of ACTH and hydrocortisone in blood indicate an enhanced activity of the hypophyseal-adrenal system under this pathology.

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Adult; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Skin Neoplasms; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymus Gland

Topics: Adult; Humans; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Rosette Formation; Skin Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymus Extracts; Thymus Gland

Conditions for the reproducible measurement of thymic hormonal effect on the functional activity of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were determined using a mixed lymphocyte-tumor culture assay. Three thymic hormonal preparations (thymopoietin, thymic humoral factor and TP-1) were tested by this assay and found to have a significant enhancing effect on the blastogenic response. Essential for the demonstration of the hormonal effect was the selection of suboptimal stimulation conditions, with the appropriate cell lines, including the number of stimulating cells and the time in culture. The most reproducible results were achieved when 1 x 10(5) PBL were co-cultured for 4 days with 1 x 10(4) mitomycin-C treated Raji lymphoma cells, after 1 h preincubation with one of the thymic preparations. However, strong enhancing effects of the thymic preparations could also be demonstrated with other tumor cel lines, especially IgR3 melanoma cells.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Burkitt Lymphoma; Carcinoma; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Colonic Neoplasms; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Melanoma; Thymic Factor, Circulating; Thymopoietins; Thymus Extracts; Thymus Hormones; Uterine Neoplasms