Search

Patients suffering from adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are very ill and present most commonly with shortness of breath during physical activity, a pale complexion from anemia, a very low platelet count, the appearance of pinhead-sized red spots under the skin called petechiae, or prolonged bleeding from minor cuts and discomfort in the bones and joints. Fever in the absence of an obvious cause is common. Leukemic lymphoblasts may accumulate in the lymphatic system, and lymph nodes can be enlarged. We report a young adult male with a novel translocation in ALL, who had vague (uncertain) minimal symptoms and splenomegaly. The patient had a unique cytogenetic abnormality: 45,XY,der(9)t(9;12)(p24;q12),-12, which has not been previously described in ALL. This is categorized as a poor risk due to his failure to achieve complete remission after induction chemotherapy.

This work evaluates intercalation of tamoxifen (Tmx) in interlayer gallery of Na(+)-MMT (Montmorillonite, MMT) (Tmx-MMT), which is further compounded with poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) (Tmx-MMT/PCL, MPs), for oral chemotherapy of breast cancer. The X-ray diffraction patterns, thermal and spectroscopic analyses indicated the intercalation of Tmx into the MMT interlayer that stabilized in the longitudinal monolayer mode by electrostatic interaction. No significant change in structural and functional properties of Tmx was found in the MMT layers. In vitro study of drug release profiles showed controlled release pattern. The genotoxic effect of drug was in vitro evaluated in human lymphocyte cell culture by comet assay, and results indicated moderate reduction in DNA damage when pristine Tmx was intercalated with MMT and formulated in composites. The Tmx-MMT hybrid efficacy was also confirmed on HeLa and A549 cancer cells by in vitro cell viability assay. In vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) of formulated Tmx in rats was examined and the results showed that plasma Tmx levels were within therapeutic window as compared to pristine Tmx. Therefore, Tmx-MMT hybrid and microcomposite particles (MPs) can be of considerable value in chemotherapy of malignant neoplastic disease with reduced side effects. This study clearly indicated that MMT not only plays a role as a delivery matrix for drug, but also facilitates significant increase in the delivery proficiency., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report here the intercalation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an anticancer drug in interlayer gallery of Na(+) clay (Montmorillonite, MMT), with the assistance of biopolymer (chitosan, CS). The X-ray diffraction patterns, thermal and spectroscopic analyses indicated the drug intercalation into the clay interlayer space in support of CS and stabilized in the longitudinal monolayer by electrostatic interaction. In vitro drug release showed controlled release pattern. The genotoxic effect of drug was in vitro evaluated in human lymphocyte cell culture by comet assay, and results indicated significant reduction in DNA damage when drug was intercalated with clay and formulated in composites. The results of in vitro cell viability assay in cancer cells pointed at decreased toxicity of drug when encapsulated in Na(+)-clay plates than the pristine drug. In vivo pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, hepatotoxicity markers, e.g., SGPT and SGOT, and liver/testicular histology in rats showed plasma/tissue drug levels were within therapeutic window as compared to pristine drug. Therefore, drug-clay hybrid and composites can be of considerable value in chemotherapy of cancer with reduced side effects., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pre-operational health survey was conducted around Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) during 1991-92, just one year before the first Unit of KAPS commenced operation on September 3, 1992. Total seventeen villages were selected around KAPS, which were divided into four clusters. Total population was 14,976, of which 7540 were male and 7436 were female. Door to door 100% survey was conducted with the help of Medical doctor. Health survey was conducted specially to find out the prevalence of radiation related diseases such as congenital deformity, mental retardation, cataract, goiter (grade II & IV), reproductive disorders, and cancer, besides study of morbidity pattern and age and sex specific deaths. Results revealed that prevalent diseases pattern fell well within the range of natural incidences of diseases of rural population.

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes from 30 healthy donors aged from 5 to 65 years consisting of four groups, namely 5 (six males), 25 (six females), 45 (six males) and 65 years old (six males and six females), were exposed to a single adaptive dose of 0.01 Gy X-rays followed by a challenge dose of 2.0 Gy X-rays. All age groups responded with a significantly reduced incidence of chromatid and isochromatid breaks except Group 4 (65 years male and female groups), where adaptive and challenge doses did not significantly reduce chromatid and isochromatid breaks. Results indicate the possibility of an inducible chromosomal repair mechanism in human blood lymphocytes. It suggests that ageing could be a factor which abolishes the adaptive response.

A retrospective study of cancer was conducted in the region of South Gujarat particularly in Surat and its vicinity over a period of 6 years (1980-85) to determine type and frequency of occurrence of various malignancies. During this period 2358 new cancer cases were recorded. A total of 60 types of cancer have been detected and confirmed histopathologically. Oral, laryngeal and oesophageal malignancies were common in males. In females, cancer of breast formed the largest group followed by cancer of cervix. A comparative high rate of lung and testicular cancers was recorded in males. In females, cancers of ovary, stomach and lung were more common. In the present study, the incidence of leukaemias was recorded to be low as compared with other types of cancer. Lack of awareness and ignorance of the disease, addiction to tobacco and alcohol and increasing environmental pollution could be some of the factors responsible for higher incidence of cancers.

We have previously reported the isolation of the cytotoxic factors, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), from monocytes and lymphotoxin or TNF-beta, from an established human B lymphoblastoid cell line. In the current study, we examined the production of cytotoxic factors by primary lymphoid cells derived from patients with different malignancies and correlated it with the chromosomal abnormalities in producer cells. Lymphoid cell lines were established from 78 untreated patients with breast carcinoma, 2 with cervical carcinoma, 24 with colon carcinoma, 12 with prostate carcinoma, 3 with melanoma, and the remaining from asymptomatic family members. Lymphoid cells from all 119 patients and their asymptomatic family members constitutively produced as much as 240 units/ml of TNF-beta in vitro. In contrast, TNF-alpha was produced by lymphoid cells from only 6 patients; a related cytokine with similar biological properties to TNF-beta. Sixty-five of these 119 samples were also analyzed for chromosomal abnormalities by standard cytogenetic technique. The production of TNFs was accompanied with varying degrees of chromosomal abnormalities in the cells from all patients. These included both structural and numerical abnormalities. We also examined the direct effect of TNF-beta on the induction of chromosomal abnormalities in growing cultures of both T and B lymphocytes. Our preliminary results indicate that treatment of lymphocytes with this cytokine induced chromosomal rearrangements in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, we provide for the first time both indirect and direct evidence that a soluble mediator such as TNF-beta can induce chromosomal alterations commonly associated with different types of tumors.