No abstract

We assayed thymidylate synthase (TS) activity and performed flow-cytometric DNA analyses in fresh tumor tissues from 38 patients with ovarian cancer. TS activity was closely correlated with prognosis but was not related to age, clinical stage, histologic type or lymph node metastases. Patients with TS activity higher than 2.0 pmol/g tissue had significantly worse prognoses than those with lower levels (p < 0.01). Also, patients with DNA aneuploidy or high S-phase fractions ( > 20%) had worse prognoses than those with DNA diploidy or lower fractions. Results suggest that TS activity may be a good prognostic indicator in ovarian cancer.

We evaluated the effects of cisplatin on the cell kinetics, cytomorphological changes, and cleavage patterns of DNA in two lines of human ovarian carcinoma cells. KF-1 cells displayed a cell cycle arrest in the G₂M phase, while HMG cells displayed a transient cell accumulation in the S phase, without obvious G₂M arrest. Morphological changes characterized by condensation and fragmentation of chromatin, and DNA cleavage by oligonucleosome-sized DNA fragments were observed in the HMG cells but not in the KF-1 cells. The pattern of cell death in HMG cells was considered to be apoptosis, but that of KF-1 cells necrosis. These findings showed the different mechanisms of antitumor effect of cisplatin on human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, including cell kinetics and pattern of cell death.

Patients with the HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) require careful observation and expedient delivery. However, those who develop this syndrome peripartum do not always fulfill its diagnostic criteria before labor begins. We investigated the potential usefulness of liver and spleen CT evaluation in identifying such patients. Seven patients with this syndrome were studied by CT scanning on postpartum days 0–3 and again 3–4 weeks after delivery. Although 3 patients with severe thrombocytopenia had a reduced liver-spleen CT number ratio (< 1.1) and subsequent normalization, the remaining 4 with less severe thrombocytopenia demonstrated no CT changes. Thus, antepartum evaluation of liver and spleen by CT may not be sensitive enough to detect patients who develop HELLP syndrome during the peripartum period. Serial examination of platelet counts may be more useful than CT in detecting patients at risk for this peripartum syndrome.

To assess the utility of a latex agglutination test for Α-fetoprotein in vaginal fluid for diagnosing rupture of the fetal membranes, we tested 91 pregnant women, including 32 with an established rupture, 19 with no evidence of rupture and 40 with a suspected rupture. Results were compared with those of the pH indicator and the fern tests. The latex agglutination test had better sensitivity, specificity, or both, than the pH indicator and the fern tests. We conclude that the latex agglutination test is more accurate than either the pH indicator or the fern test for diagnosing premature rupture of fetal membranes.