Malignant Cells In Effusions Research Articles

Flow cytometric identification of cancer cells in effusions with Ca1 monoclonal antibody.

The fluorescence of cells from 42 pleural and peritoneal effusions stained with Ca1 monoclonal antibody (Ca1MA) was studied by flow cytometry. In 14 of 17 malignant effusions a significantly higher intensity of fluorescence was observed in samples exposed to Ca1MA when compared with controls. There was no increase of fluorescence intensity in 25 benign effusions. The method failed in three malignant effusions: one due to endometrial carcinoma and two to malignant lymphoma. The sensitivity of the method was tested in experimental samples with a known percentage of malignant cells. The positive fluorescence with Ca1MA was detected in samples containing 0.1% of carcinoma cells. Flow cytometry with Ca1MA can be a relatively simple method of identification of malignant cells in effusions.

Clinical application of monoclonal antibodies to small cell lung cancer.

Monoclonal antibodies to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were produced by fusion of P3X63/AgU1 mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized against intact cells of SCLC tumors grown in BALB/c athymic nude mice. The antibody TFS-2 demonstrated "pancarcinoma" reactivity showing binding to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and carcinomas derived from other organs such as stomach, pancreas, and colon. This antibody failed to react with a variety of normal tissues including lung, bone marrow, spleen, stomach, colon, and pancreas. TFS-2 showed complement-mediated cytolysis of target cells. TFS-2 had no significant effects on hematopoietic stem cells. This antibody will serve as a powerful tool for the in vitro removal of tumor cells from bone marrow, thus facilitating high-dose chemotherapy of SCLC with autologous bone marrow transplantation. In contrast, TFS-4 monoclonal antibody reacted specifically with SCLC but not with NSCLS tumors. This antibody can distinguish SCLC from NSCLC tumors in histologic diagnosis at transbronchial biopsy, and in cytological identification of tumor cells in malignant effusion, and in infiltrated bone marrow. Radiolabeled TSF-4 specifically accumulated into SCLC tumors that were implanted subcutaneously into athymic nude mice. Thus, the antibody will be useful not only for diagnosis of lung cancer but also for targeting anti-tumor agents.

A study on the mesothelial cell kinetics in pleural effusions by DNA cytophotometry and autoradiography with tritiated thymidine.

On 34 samples of pleural fluid a cell kinetic study of mesothelial cells was carried out by Feulgen-DNA cytophotometry and the autoradiographic estimation of 3H-thymidine uptake. The generation time of mesothelial cells in malignant effusions was found to be shorter than in non-malignant ones, thought he cellular activity for both effusions was essentially the same. Furthermore, with the development of complicating pleuritis from the early stage to the fibrino-fibrous stage, the appearance rate of 3H-thymidine labeled and activated mesothelial cells in the DNA synthetic phase changed quite differently in both effusions. The differences were thought to be due to neoplastic invasion itself or inflammatory reactions to the neoplastic growth.