Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D C Bodenham.
The history, organisation, and present pattern of training in plastic surgery in the United Kingdom are outlined and suggestions made for its future development.
E rosette-forming (T) lymphocytes and surface immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes were estimated in 85 patients with malignant melanoma. The melanoma patient group had lower mean levels of T lymphocytes and higher mean levels of immunoglobulin-bearing (? B) lymphocytes than did normal subjects. The absolute and percentage depressions of T-cell levels in the melanoma patients were stage-related, as was the depression of total lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte levels. The T lymphopenia in the melanoma patients could, in vitro, be partially abolished by fetal calf serum (as used in many E rosetting methods), and could be totally abolished by thymosin fraction 5 (Hoffmann-La Roche) at optimum concentration. In view of the ability of thymosin to restore T cells to normal levels in all of the T-lymphopenic patients, a clinical trial of this hormone in selected melanoma patients of all stages appears to be warranted.
A preliminary analysis of a controlled trial of BCG immunotherapy as an adjunct to surgery in the treatment of primary malignant melanoma has been carried out. The length of follow-up varied from 5 years to 6 months. No obvious benefit from BCG immunotherapy has been found so far. On the other hand the treatment is painful with an appreciable morbidity. Skin tests for delayed hypersensitivity have shown no recognisable differences in patients treated with surgery and those who also had BCG, or in the pattern of responses in those who developed recurrences and those who did not. In view of these early findings trial entry has been closed.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Thirteen patients have been immunized with their own irradiated melanoma cells on one or more occasions. Following these autografts tumour-specific cytotoxic antibodies were produced, the longest response lasting 14 days. This procedure had no apparent effect on the course of the disease in these patients.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biopsy specimens and sera were obtained from 103 melanoma patients. Autoantibodies were demonstrated by (1) complement-dependent cytotoxicity of autologous melanoma cells in short-term culture; (2) complement-dependent inhibition of ribonucleic acid synthesis; (3) immunofluorescent staining of the cytoplasm of killed melanoma cells and of the surface membrane of viable melanoma cells. Over one-third of the sera studied had antibodies to autologous melanoma cells. Although for technical reasons all three tests could not be performed with the cells from every melanoma, whenever multiple testing was possible there was complete concordance. The autoantibodies were virtually confined to patients in whom the disease was not widely disseminated, and over 80% of such patients had positive sera. In a limited number of patients who have been followed autoantibodies disappeared as the disease progressed to become widely disseminated. Two patients with generalized disease developed autoantibodies following inoculation by their own irradiated tumour cells.TWO TYPES OF AUTOANTIBODIES WERE RECOGNIZED: one, active against antigen(s) in the cell surface membrane, was specific for each tumour-that is, only the autologous serum reacted-and was concerned in the cytotoxic activity; the other reacted with cytoplasmic antigens which appeared to be present in most or all melanoma cells.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.