Inhibition of interleukin‐1°aL (IL‐1°aL) activity was detected in 7 of 41 serum samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These 7 sera inhibited not only IL‐1°aL–induced endothelial cell adherence to neutrophils, but also IL‐1°bT–induced endothelial cell adherence, although to a lesser extent. These sera showed no influence on tumor necrosis factor–induced endothelial cell adherence. No inhibitory activity was found in 40 sera from normal control subjects. Studies to further examine these effects included gel filtration analysis of 2 of the RA sera. The inhibitory activity was eluted near Mr 158 kd and above Mr 250 kd. Analysis by protein A affinity chromatography showed that IL‐1–inhibitory activity was present in protein A–binding fractions. Purified IgG (by DE‐52 column chromatography) from RA patients was found to be as potent an inhibitor as the protein A–binding fractions, which suggests that the major inhibitory activity in RA sera is attributable to IgG molecules. These purified IgG molecules also inhibited IL‐1–induced proliferation of mouse thymocytes but did not influence IL‐2–dependent proliferation of the CTLL‐2 murine T cell line. The 7 patients whose sera showed IL‐1–inhibitory activity had mild RA and low titers of rheumatoid factor. The findings, taken together, suggest a possible regulatory role of IL‐1–inhibitory IgG in RA disease activity.

We report a fetal autopsy case that was diagnosed with a mole coexistent with a live fetus at an early gestation and finally showed coexisting true hermaphroditism of 46,XX/46,XY mosaicism and partial hydatidiform mole, developing metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumors in the lungs of the mother. A 23-year-old Japanese female had a mole coexistent with a fetus and showed a high chorionic gonadotropin titer in urine and serum at 10 weeks of gestation. The fetus was interrupted for gestational toxicosis and genital bleeding at 20 weeks of gestation. A chromosome analysis demonstrated 46,XX and 46,XY mosaicism in both umbilical cord blood and mole samples. Intrapelvic organs contained a testis in the one gonad, and an ovotestis in the other gonad microscopically. The testis had seminiferous tubules containing primitive germ cells, immature Sertoli cells, and cytomegalic Leydig cells. The ovary in the ovotestis had numerous primitive germ cells and a few stromal cells. Cortical cytomegaly and medullary neuroblastoma in situ were seen in the adrenals. The placenta showed focal villous hydrops and focal trophoblast hyperplasia. The patient presented multiple metastatic pulmonary tumors at 1 month after the interruption, and was treated with chemotherapy for the clinical diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic tumor metastases. She responded well and is alive without any symptoms.

We report on a fetal autopsy case in which a congenital cervical immature teratoma was diagnosed. A 24-year-old Japanese woman had carried a male fetus that was aborted because of a cervical tumor at 20 weeks 5 days of gestation. The cervical tumor weighed 93 g and measured 7.5x5.5x5 cm. The soft tumor was encapsulated by a fibrous layer, was solid with small cysts on the cut surface, and showed a brain-like appearance. The tumor was composed of neoplastic cells derived from the three germ cell layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. The cells showed both immature and mature features. Small areas of thyroid tissue were detected in the cervical tumor. The left lobe of the thyroid gland was not observed, but the right lobe of the thyroid gland was present laterally between the trachea and the esophagus. Therefore, we concluded that the cervical tumor had arisen in the left lobe of the thyroid gland rather than from the soft tissue of the neck.

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