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Biomedical subjects

D Catovsky

Publications and source records attributed to D Catovsky.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Immunoreactive calcitonin in leukaemia.

A radioimmunoassay was used to measure concentrations of immunoreactive human calcitonin (HCT) in plasma and leucocytes from patients with various leukaemic and myeloproliferative disorders. Plasma immunoreactive HCT concentrations were increased in 32 out of 33 patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) and in all eight patients with acute myeloid leukamia (AML) at presentation or in relapse. Out of 11 patients with other myeloproliferative disorders, eight had increased plasma immunoreactive HCT concentrations. Buffy-coat-cell extracts and culture media from peripheral leucocytes of patients with CGL also contained increased immunoreactive HCT concentrations. In contrast, plasma from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and AML in remission had low or undetectable immunoreactive HCT concentrations. Increased plasma and cellular concentrations of immunoreactive HCT may be a consequence of abnormal proliferation of myeloid cells and might prove to be valuable in predicting relapse in patients with myeloid leukaemias.

Calcitonin↗
PubMed1979

Hairy-cell leukaemia with polyarteritis nodosa.

In four patients a systemic vasculitis similar to polyarteritis nodosa developed within 2 years of the onset of hairy-cell leukaemia. Arteriographic studies in two patients revealed microaneurysms, and biopsy specimens in three patients revealed a vasculitis affecting medium-sized vessels. Blood neutrophilia and neutrophilic vascular infiltrate were absent. One patient had circulating immune complexes. Two patients responded to corticosteroids alone, one required cyclophosphamide as well as steroids, and one improved without chemotherapy. The association of vasculitis with hairy-cell leukaemia may provide insight into the pathogenesis of arteritis.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Cryopreserved peripheral blood cells functioning as autografts in patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia in transformation.

Six patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) in transformation were treated with cytotoxic drugs or cytotoxic drugs plus total body irradiation, followed by infusion of reconstituted autologous peripheral blood cells that had been collected from them at diagnosis and stored in liquid nitrogen for up to 58 months. In four cases the blood and bone-marrow appearances were rapidly restored to those of typical chronic-phase disease. In three of these patients transformation recurred at 74, 32, and 26 weeks respectively. One patient was still in second chronic phase at eight weeks. One of the patients who entered a second transformation was restored to a third chronic phase by further treatment with cytotoxic drugs and a second autograft. Cryopreserved autologous blood cells may thus restore some patients with CGL in transformation to chronic-phase disease and so may help to prolong life.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Alkaline phosphatase in human lymphocyte subpopulations.

The levels of membrane alkaline phosphatase have been measured on different lymphocyte fractions from human peripheral blood separated on bovine serum albumin discontinuous gradients. The peak in enzyme activity was observed in a non-T-, non-B-cell fraction, rich in "null" lymphocytes; the lowest values were found in the fraction with the highest proportion of T-cells.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1979

Clinical staging and immunological findings in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Several immunological markers were tested in 52 untreated cases of chronic lymphocyte leukemia (CLL) to see whether their frequency differed according to the clinical stage in Rai's system. The leukemic cells in all cases had B-cell features as shown by monoclonal immunoglobulins on the cell surface (SmIg) and/or a high percentage of mouse RBC (M)-rosettes. Of the two B-cell markers, the M-rosette test was the more consistently positive. The frequency of these markers did not correlate with clinical staging. The percentage of T-lymphocytes, low in all cases, was found to correlate inversely with the lymphocyte counts, which were higher in advanced stages. The absolute number of T-lymphocytes was above normal in most cases, but did not relat to staging. At least one of the serum Ig, most commonly IgA, was decreased in 87% of cases. Low Ig were slightly less common in Stages 0-I than in advanced stages (II-IV). The above features were also examined in two groups of CLL patients: with stable (9) or progressive (16) disease. The only difference observed between the two groups was that surface IgM only was present in 1 of the 9 stable cases as compared to 9 of the 16 progressive ones. Our findings do not support the suggestions that surface IgM is a feature of a benign form of CLL or that the absolute number of T-lymphocytes correlates with prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Pneumatosis coli in adult acute myeloid leukaemia.

Three cases of pneumatosis coli (PC) in adult patients with acute myeloid leukaemia seen over the last five years in Hammersmith Hospital are reported. Although definite conclusions are impossible, we suggest that that pneumatosis could be due to damage to the bowel mucosa as a result of the disease or the treatment. The literature is reviewed and discussed in an inconclusive attempt to discover the source of the gas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

'Prolymphocytoid' transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

We report clinical, morphological and surface marker studies on seven patients with the common type of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) whose disease underwent an insidious though progressive change in character with increasing refractoriness to treatment. This transformation was accompanied by the appearance of a population of immature-appearing cells in the peripheral blood which resembled prolymphocytes, both at light and electron microscopy. The characteristic morphological feature was the presence of two distinct populations of cells, the typical CLL lymphocytes and the 'prolymphocytoid' cells. These cells retained the surface characteristics of CLL, i.e. the information of mouse RBC rosettes and sparse surface-bound immunoglobulin. This transformation can be distinguished by morphological and surface marker criteria from acute leukaemia occurring in CCL, Richter's syndrome and prolymphocytic leukaemia. The recognition of this group of CLL patients may add a new prognostic index to CLL and may help plan subsequent trials for the treatment of the disease.

Aged↗