[Clinical trial of cisplatin in the treatment of ovarian carcinoma]

Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum) was administered to 20 patients with histologically proven ovarian cancer. Ten of 20 patients were evaluable. They consisted of 1 patient by single use and 9 by combined use. The dose of cisplatin in single administration was 50 mg/m2, and the schedule for combined administration was as follows: cisplatin (50mg/m2, i.v. day 1), adriamycin (40 mg/m2, i.v. day 1), cyclophosphamide (350 mg/m2, i.v. day 1) and 5-FU (350 mg/m2, i.v. day 1-5). This was repeated every three weeks. The side effects of cisplatin and in its combination use were relatively severe. All of 20 patients showed severe nausea and vomiting, but fortunately there were no signs of hepatotoxicity, bone marrow or renal impairments during these courses. As the result, according to the response criteria of Koyama-Saito's group, out of 10 evaluable patients, the response rate consisting of partial and complete responses was 50% (CR: 3 cases, RP: 2 cases). It is shown that cisplatin is effective and useful in chemotherapy for the patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of uriniferous perirenal pseudocyst

A child with a traumatic uriniferous perirenal pseudocyst was presented. The diagnosis was not made by routine radiological studies, but ultrasound examination demonstrated a perirenal fluid accumulation clearly. The usefulness of the ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of this condition was emphasized. The characteristic finding in ultrasonogram consists of a hydronephrotic kidney and its invagination into the echolucent mass. When perirenal cystic lesions are demonstrated by ultrasound, the junctional zone between the cyst and kidney should be carefully checked for signs of invagination of the kidney into the cyst.

Leucocyte myosin and its location in the cell

The intracellular location of the binding site of antibody against purified myosin prepared from equine leucocytes was investigated in neutrophils and lymphocytes by electron microscopy using peroxidase-labelled antibody method. The myosin extracted from equine leucocytes could bind skeletal muscle F-actin and the formed complex showed the biophysical and biochemical properties and electron microscopic appearance of actomyosin. On immunodiffusion, the leucocyte myosin formed a single precipitin line with its antibody prepared in rabbits. The antibody also formed single precipitin lines with myosins from lymphocytes and thrombocytes, fusing with each other. The antibody against the leucocyte myosin did not react with myosins from skeletal or arterial smooth muscle. The specificity of the antibody was further established by determination of K+-EDTA-activated ATPase activity remained in the supernate of antigen-antibody mixture. Under electron microscope, the intracellular immunoreactive products of peroxidase labelled antibody were found in cytoplasm of neutrophils and lymphocytes incubated with antibody against leucocyte myosin, but not in neutrophils or lymphocytes treated with IgG from normal rabbits.

INHERITANCE OF THE ALLELOMORPHS OF THE Rh GENE IN CANADIANS OF JAPANESE RACE: A STUDY OF 65 FAMILIES

The blood of 129 parents and 182 children was tested by the four anti-Rh sera, anti-D, anti-C, anti-E, and anti-c (or anti-Rho, -Rh′, -Rh″, and -Hr′). The data obtained were in agreement with R. A. Fisher's hypothesis of the allelic Rh genes. No exceptions to expected results were found.