We have identified a cDNA from a human phytohemagglutinin-activated lymphoblast library encoding a protein that binds 125

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The adulteration of extra virgin olive oil with cheaper oils is a major problem in the olive oil market. In this study, near-infrared, mid-infrared, and Raman spectroscopic techniques were used to quantify the amount of olive pomace oil adulteration in extra virgin olive oil. The concentration of olive pomace oil in extra virgin olive oil was in the range between 0 and 100% in 5% increments by weight. Of the methods studied, Fourier transform-Raman spectroscopy gave the highest correlation with a correlation coefficient of 0.997 and a standard error of prediction of 1.72%. The spectroscopic techniques have the potential to become a tool for rapid determination of adulteration in extra virgin olive oil, because they are easy to use and cost-effective.Paper no. J9873 in JAOCS 78, 889-895 (September 2001).

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Twenty-five patients with stage IV melanoma were immunized with the mouse anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody (mAb) MK2-23 (2 mg per injection), which bears the internal image of the determinant defined by anti-HMW-MAA mAb 763.74. Two patients were inevaluable, since they did not complete 4 weeks of therapy. Only 14 patients developed antibodies that were shown by serological and immunochemical assays to recognize the same or spatially close determinant as the anti-HMW-MAA mAb 763.74 and to express the idiotope dermed by mAb MK2-23 in their antigen-combining sites. Side effects that are likely to be caused by bacillus Calmette-Guirin present in the immunogen consisted of erythema, induration, and ulceration at the sites of the injections. Occasionally, patients complained of flu-like symptoms, arthralgias, and myalgias. Three of the patients who developed anti-HMW-MAA antibodies achieved a partial response. It consisted of a decrease in the size of metastatic lesions and lasted 52 weeks in 1 patient and 93 weeks in the other 2 patients. Survival of the 14 patients who developed anti-HMW-MAA antibodies was significantly (P = 0.0003) longer than that of the 9 patients without detectable humoral anti-HMW-MAA immunity development. In the multivariate analysis, such an association between development of anti-HMW-MAA antibodies and survival prolongation was still significant (P = 0.001) after adjustment for difference in performance status, the only confounding factor found to be significantly related to survival. Lastly, a significant (P = 0.03 by likelihood ratio test) interaction between anti-HMW-MAA antibodies and patients' performance status was found, since the prolongation of survival associated with anti-HMW-MAA antibodies was more marked in patients with a performance status of s70% than in those with a higher one. These results suggest that anti-idiotypic mAb MK2-23 may represent a useful immunogen to implement active specific immunotherapy in patients with melanoma.The identification with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of human MAA that meet most, if not all, the criteria to be used as targets for immunotherapy (1-3) has stimulated interest in the development and application of immunotherapeutic approaches to melanoma. In the area of active specific immunotherapy, one immunogen is represented by anti-idiotypic mAb (i.e., antibodies to determinants on the variable region of anti-MAA antibodies, which bear the internal image of MAA (KLH) and mixed with bacillus CalmetteGudrin (BCG) has been used as an immunogen, since conjugation to a carrier and administration with an adjuvant have been shown to greatly enhance the immunogenicity of mAb MK2-23 in animal model systems (11).