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Predictive significance of lymphoid infiltration (LI) at the boundary of tumor and intact tissue was evaluated as well as the effect of Fas-receptor (Fas) and Fas-ligand (FasL) melanoma cell expression and lymphoid infiltrate generation, on the one hand, and end results on the other. Samples of melanoma tissues from 283 patients given combined and complex treatment were examined by a single morphologist. Immunohistochemical analysis was done on paraffin-embedded bioptates from 61 patients with marked LI or without it, to assess Fas and FasL expression. Actuarial specific 5-year survival for LI(+++) was 86.7 +/- 5.6%, LI(++)--69.1 +/- 5.8%, LI(+)--45.4 +/- 5.3% +/- and LI(-)--45.9 +/- 5.9%. Most tumors were grade III-IV: more than half of them--up to 4 mm thick. Five-year survival among patients with tumors of the former group was 78.9 +/- 8.4%, 73.3 +/- 6.19%, 46.4 +/- 6.3% and 55.9 +/- 7.7%, respectively, while the latter group--90.4 +/- 5.3%, 70.9 +/- 7.1%, 65.0 +/- 6.9% and 69.7 +/- 8.0%, respectively. All samples from primary skin melanoma expressed Fas and FasL in 60.7%. No significant effect of FasL expression by tumor cells on LI generation and 5-year survival was observed.

The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy as a component of complex treatment for skin melanoma and that of combined treatment alone was compared. 502 patients were given combined treatment including intensive preoperative irradiation of primary foci (STD-19Gy, TTD-50 Gy, 5 days), their extended excision with or without lymphadenectomy and postoperative irradiation of regional lymph nodes. Combined treatment was administered to 124 patients; additional adjuvant chemotherapy--5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, vincristine and cyclophosphamide (4 components)--200; neo- and adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and doxorubicin (2 components)--106; cisplatin, doxorubicin and dacarbazine (3 components)--29. Forty-three patients receiving individualized chemotherapy were not included in the study. None of the 502 patients showed local recurrence. Five-year actuarial survival in combined treatment group was 69.2 +/- 4.4% (M +/- m), 4-component therapy--58.2 +/- 3.6%, 2 components--68.7 +/- 4.9% and 3 components--80.0 +/- 8.3% (p0.2); 5-year recurrence-free survival- 68.1 +/- 4.4%, 57.5 +/- 3.6%; 63.1 +/- 5.0% and 60.9 +/- 10.0% respectively. No significant differences were found as far as a correlation was concerned between actuarial survival and recurrence-free one, on the one hand, and tumor stage, depth and extent of invasion, on the other. Hence, no beneficial effect of said adjuvant chemotherapeutic measures on combined treatment for locally-advanced skin melanoma was found.

Data on 373 patients treated for cutaneous melanoma were evaluated to test a hypothesis whether there is a correlation between mechanism of protection from ultraviolet radiation and gender. Cutaneous melanoma of the extremities was identified in 63.2% of females and 26.6% of males (p0.001) versus 26.1% and 54.0%, respectively, with tumors of the trunk (p0.001). Five-year survival in women was 80.8% versus 76.9% in men in the first group (p0.2) and 59.5% and 50.0% , respectively, in the second one (p0.2). Hence, the correlation was concerned with tumor site rather than gender.

Two zones, exhibiting glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity, were identified in lysates of thrombocytes from healthy persons by means of polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis; amount of the zones was increased up to 7 during the preinfarction period and up to II within the acute period myocardial infarction, three zones were found at the postinfarction period. Temperature optimum of the enzyme activity from thrombocytes was near 50 degrees in both the healthy persons and in the patients with acute myocardial infarction. After preincubation of G6PD within 10 min at 40 degrees and 60 degrees the enzymatic activity was similarly decreased by (50-55% and 85-90%, respectively, in thrombocyte preparations from healthy persons and from the patients with myocardial infarction.

Ratios of activities of oxidative and nonoxidative enzymes involved in the pentose phosphate pathway of carbohydrate metabolism were altered in blood plasma and cells of the patients with systemic impairments of connective tissue. In rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus the enzymatic activity was increased in blood plasma and cells, while the most distinct activation of the enzymes was found in granulocytes. In systemic sclerodermia total activity of the enzymes involved in metabolism of pentose phosphates in granulocytes exceeded 2.6-fold their values under conditions of normal state, whereas activities of the other enzymes studied remained near normal values. Calculation of ratios (mu value) between activities of the pathway oxidative and nonoxidative enzymes showed that the mu value was increased 2.7-fold in rheumatoid arthritis, while this value was decreased in lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerodermia 4.2- and 2-fold, respectively. The mu values, calculated on the basis of estimation of total activity of dehydrogenases from pentose phosphate pathway and total pentose phosphate metabolizing activity, might serve as a convenient diagnostic criterion for estimation of the ratio between activities of oxidative and nonoxidative enzymes involved in pentose phosphate pathway in granulocytes used for differential diagnosis of systemic impairments of connective tissue (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerodermia).

Treatment with roxicam, rengasil and flugalin tended significantly to normalize the activity of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism pentosophosphate pathway in the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The dynamics of the change in the activity of enzymes of pentose phosphate pathway in the blood of patients with systemic connective tissue diseases against the background of treatment with roxicam, rengasil and flugalin is the enzymological criterion in assessing efficacy of pharmacological correction of the inflammatory process in the diseases.

Brain benign tumors /hypophyseal adenoma, meningeoma/ caused definite effects on the enzymes of pentosephosphate pathway in blood of patients. Distinct decrease in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase /G6PD/ activity was observed in erythrocytes of patients with adenoma of hypophysis as compared with a control group; transketolase /TK/ activity was unaltered. In blood of patients with brain meningeomas the G6PD was activated by 8% and TK - by 36%. Within the first day after resection of the tumors activity of the enzymes was distinctly increased; it remained markedly higher than the enzymatic activity before the operation within all the periods studied /5-7 days and 10-15 days after the operation/.

The data on 216 cases of cancer of the thoracic part of the esophagus treated by radiation are presented. The course of treatment was completed in 169 patients only. Two modalities of Co-60 teletherapy were employed. Complete regression of tumor was slightly more frequent in patients who were exposed to split-course radiation at two weeks' intervals than in those receiving a continuous course (22 +/- 4 and 33 +/- 6%, respectively). A five-year disease-free survival after a full course totalling a NSD of 60-70 Gy was registered in 14%.

A study was made of the content of prostaglandins E, A, F2 alpha and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) in the blood plasma and urine of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and healthy persons. The levels of plasma and urine prostaglandins and MDA were significantly elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and in systemic scleroderma they did not differ from those in normal. The ratio of pressor and depressor prostaglandins in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis did not change, and in systemic scleroderma there was a strong shift to pressor prostaglandins. Change in the content and ratio of prostaglandins and MDA in systemic diseases of connective tissue was suggestive of differences of pathogenetic effects of these mediators in some diseases of this group.