IL-1 is released by activated monocytes and is thought to be a key mediator of the host immune response. The availability of the purified and, more recently, recombinant IL-1 has allowed the characterization of other biological properties of this molecule. Thus, IL-1 is thought to have the same properties as hemopoietic 1, a growth factor that has been shown to act on primitive murine hemopoietic cells. Here we report that rIL-1 acts synergistically with granulocyte/macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) or granulocyte CSF in the stimulation of clonogenic cells from many patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Although IL-1 by itself has no effect on AML blasts, it can support colony formation under conditions where there is detectable production of endogenous GM-CSF. IL-1 also promotes the growth of multipotential progenitors from normal human bone marrow cells in the presence of GM-CSF. These observations support the hypothesis that in the hemopoietic system, IL-1 has a selective effect on primitive precursors.

Summary:We report a series of 37 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who received an allograft between 1990 and 2000 at our institution. Median age was 47 years, and nearly 70% of patients were Durie-Salmon stage III. A median of five cycles of chemotherapy were given before transplant, with a median interval between diagnosis and transplant of 9.3 months. We report a nonrelapse mortality rate of 22% with a median followup period of 40 months, whereas complete remission (CR) rate at 12 months is estimated at 57%. Treatment failure rate and overall survival at 40 months are estimated at 52% and 32%, respectively. The number of chemotherapy cycles prior to allotransplantation achieved borderline statistical significance as a poor prognosis factor for overall survival (P ‫؍‬ 0.05), while the presence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was significantly correlated with CR achievement (P ‫؍‬ 0.036). Our study confirms that early allografting in MM can yield toxicity rates significantly lower than those associated with historical cohorts, and supports the hypothesis that cumulative chemotoxicity has a negative influence on mortality and survival rates. More importantly, our study clearly demonstrates an association between cGVHD and CR and brings further evidence in favor of a graft-versus-myeloma effect. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 28, 841-848.

Docetaxel is an active agent in MBC. Its activity as a single agent is comparable to many combination chemotherapy regimens and is not affected by prior adjuvant chemotherapy. Studies are ongoing to improve its therapeutic index and to incorporate docetaxel in combination chemotherapy regimens.

is not yet known. Lod scores were calculated using the LINKAGE program.6 Breast cancer susceptibility was modelled as an autosomal dominant trait with incomplete penetrance. Men with breast cancer were assumed to be carriers of the BRCA2 mutation. Cancers at sites other than the breast were not used to define the individual phenotypes. The six CA repeat loci were analysed as systems of nine equally frequent alleles. ResultsThe pedigree and genetic analysis of this family are shown in the figure. The average age at diagnosis of the 19 female breast cancers was 46-9 years. Two cases of male breast cancer were diagnosed in brothers at ages 64 and 43.The two point lod score at the D13S289 locus was 3-67. This lod score is equivalent of odds of 4000 to one in favour of linkage, and corresponds to a posterior probability oflinkage of >99%. By inspection of the segregating haplotypes it is seen that both male cases of breast cancer and 14 female breast cancer cases carry all or part of the (5, 8, 6, 4, 6,