Biomedical subjects

T A Shiftan

Publications and source records attributed to T A Shiftan.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Treated ovarian cancer: comparison of MR imaging with serum CA-125 level and physical examination--a longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can demonstrate clinically occult tumors in women with treated ovarian cancer and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of MR imaging, serum CA-125 (ovarian cancer antigen) level, and physical examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1992 to 1997, a longitudinal study comparing MR imaging findings, CA-125 values, and physical examination results with eventual clinical outcome in 69 women with treated ovarian cancer was performed. Tumor presence was determined with surgery, by an elevated CA-125 value, or with follow-up of patients longitudinally to assess for tumor recurrence. Absence of tumor was accepted with a disease-free interval of at least 2 years. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 39 patients in clinical remission with a normal CA-125 level and physical examination result had subclinical tumor proved at laparotomy or clinical follow-up. Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging correctly demonstrated residual tumor in 20 of 23 patients. In all 69 patients, MR images had a 91% sensitivity, 87% specificity, 90% accuracy, and 72% negative predictive value and were superior to serum CA-125 level (53%, 94%, 63%, and 38%, respectively) (P < .001) and physical examination (26%, 94%, 43%, and 29%, respectively) (P < .001) in the depiction of residual tumor. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging is a valuable clinical tool in patients with ovarian cancer. An abnormal MR examination with a normal CA-125 value is a strong indication of residual or recurrent tumor.

CA-125 Antigen↗

PubMed1995

Interleukin-2 gene therapy in a patient with glioblastoma.

A patient with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who had failed conventional therapy was treated with IL-2 gene therapy. The patient received 10 subcutaneous immunizations with autologous tumor cells and fibroblasts genetically modified to secrete IL-2 by retroviral gene transfer. An antitumor immune response mediated in part by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells was demonstrated with the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan performed 4 weeks after the highest treatment dose revealed marked tumor necrosis. These results support the evaluation of this form of IL-2 gene therapy in additional patients with glioblastoma.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed1979

Hodgkin's disease and anergy.

The clinical, pathologic, and immunologic features unique to Hodgkin's disease can be explained by the following hypothesis. A viral transformation of a lymph node cell leads to proliferation of tumor cells and the generation of an immune response consisting of lymphokine production, B cell activation and concomitant suppression of further T cell activation, but ineffective cellular cytotoxicity against the tumor cells. The result of this interaction would be chronic infiltration around the transformed cells, increased immunoglobulin synthesis, and anergy. Failure to destroy the target cells would result in chronicity of these features and progressive disease.

B-Lymphocytes↗

PubMed1978

The circulating "atypical" lymphocyte.

Atypical lymphocytes have been observed in the peripheral blood of patients in a large number of clinical situations, including immune reactions to transplantation and immunization, collagen diseases and other autoimmune disorders, malignant disease, drug reactions, and infectious mononucleosis, as well as other bacterial and viral infections. These cells are readily identified by their increased size and the presence of active DNA synthesis. In morphology, they closely resemble lymphocytes transformed into blasts by exposure to mitogens or antigens in vitro. They vary in morphologic detail as well as surface marker characteristics, indicating that they comprise a heterogeneous mixture of cell types. These data suggest that atypical lymphocytes may represent a polyclonal immune response to antigenic stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation and depressed cellular immunity in Hodgkin's disease.

Patients with Hodgkin's disease have increased numbers of spontaneously proliferating circulating lymphocytes. In order to test the relationship between this phenomenon and the in vitro mitogenic response, both spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation and the response to stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin were quantified. In addition, the proliferating lymphocytes were identified autoradiographically and characterized for the presence of lymphocyte surface markers and monocyte markers. Spontaneous thymidine incorporation by lymphocytes from patients with Hodgkin's disease was increased compared with normal controls, and the phytohaemagglutinin response was depressed. A significant inverse relationship was demonstrated between the spontaneous thymidine incorporation on day 0 and the phytohaemagglutinin response on day 3 (P is less than 0.01). The activated lymphocytes were heterogeneous with respect to both morphology and surface markers. These data suggest that the circulating proliferating lymphocytes in Hodgkin's disease are reactive cells and that the quantitative depression in cellular immunity demonstrable in these patients may be related to this chronic reactivity.

Adult↗