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Local oedema in the rat hind paw is induced by subplantar injection of a 1% suspension of carrageenin. An assay procedure for the analysis of inhibitory effects of drugs on this inflammatory process is described. The results obtained with a single oral dose of 14 antirheumatic drugs (3 steroids and 11 non-steroids) and of 49 substances without established clinical antirheumatic value are reported. Only 8 compounds were found to be completely devoid of anti-carrageenin activity. Others were active at dose levels producing striking behavioural, autonomic or toxic effects. All clinically established antirheumatic substances were active in the carrageenin test at non-toxic doses producing no obvious behavioural or autonomic effects and data on dose-response relationship of these compounds are presented. It is concluded that the assay in its present form is an acceptable preliminary screening test for antirheumatic activity.

Complement levels (CH50, C3, C4 and C1q) were determined in sera of 90 healthy subjects and 200 cancer patients. Complement levels of cancer patients were significantly higher than those of the healthy subjects, but there was a stage-linked increase of complement levels. Patients in remission had nearly normal complement levels, but patients with local tumor had increased complement levels, and a further increase was observed in patients with distant metastases. Treatment of these patients with radiotherapy or cytostatic drugs lowered the complement levels. At the terminal phase of the disease we also noted a drop in complement levels.

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