Fluorescent location of malignant cells in fine needle aspirates

Malignant cells in fine needle aspirates possess a cell surface protease which can be targeted with fluorescent affinity probes. Cells with active GB exhibit cell surface fluorescence when stained with such affinity probes. The nuclei of all cells on the slides can be counterstained with a nuclear fluorescent stain. Malignant cells are then located by their cell surface fluorescence and their diagnosis confirmed by examining their fluorescent nuclei. Normal cells and benign cells exhibit no cell surface fluorescence and can be ignored. This technique can be used to rapidly select cells of cytological interest in FNA samples obtained routinely and might be adapted for automated screening of FNA.

Acute inflammation effects on in vivo granulopoiesis: comparative studies in healthy and leukaemic mice

Mice undergoing an inflammatory reaction, induced by subcutaneous implantation of copper rods, elaborate two kinds of humoral stimulatory factors: the diffusible granulopoietic stimulator (DGS) that enhances diffusion chamber (DC) granulopoiesis, and the serum colony stimulating factor (CSF) that stimulates in vitro granulocyte-monocyte colony growth. We demonstrate here that mice suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are unable to augment the production of these humoral stimulatory factors when acute inflammation is induced. Moreover, our results show that increased levels of normal humoral stimulatory factors (DGS and CSF) do not influence the proliferation and/or the differentiation of leukaemic cells implanted in DC.