Disease markers
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Despite advances in therapy, ovarian cancer remains the most deadly of the gynecological cancers. Less than 30% of women with advanced stage disease survive long-term. When diagnosed in stage I, up to 90% of patients can be cured with conventional surgery and chemotherapy. ⋯ Sensitivity of serum assays might be enhanced by utilizing a panel of biomarkers. Candidate biomarkers have been discovered through empirical development of monoclonal antibodies, studies of gene expression, cloning of gene families and proteomic techniques. The development of technologies that measure multiple serum markers simultaneously, linked to the creation of statistical methods that enhance sensitivity without sacrificing specificity hold great promise.
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Following an extensive series of studies in nude mice with human xenografts a pilot scale clinical trial of antibody directed enzyme prodrug therapy has been initiated. The principle is to activate a relatively inert prodrug to an active cytotoxin by a tumour located enzyme. In the first stage of the study a prodrug para-N-(mono-2-chloroethyl monomesyl)-aminobenzoyl glutamic acid was administered to six patients with advanced colorectal cancer in a dose escalating protocol. ⋯ Two patients received higher doses which resulted in myelosuppression and temporary regression of advanced disease. No complications resulted from administration of the antibody-enzyme complex or enzyme inactivating antibody. The myelosuppression is attributable to the relatively long half-life of the active drug formed from the prodrug used in the present study.
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In a series of 123 sarcoidosis patients (inhabitants of Moravia), frequencies of 15 HLA-A, 31 HLA-B, and 7 HLA-C antigens have been found. (Control group consisted of 500 healthy persons from the same region.) A subgroup of 46 patients was examined in order to determine a frequency of 10 HLA-DR antigens. (Control group consisted of 146 persons.) A positive association was proved between sarcoidosis and the HLA-B8 and B13 antigens (RR = 2.8 and RR = 3.1, respectively). A frequency of B8B13 heterozygotes was highly significant (RR = 8.5). The observed antigen genotype frequencies may be explained by the hypothesis of 2 HLA-linked disposing genes.