No abstract

Sixty-seven cases of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLA) in Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH) during the past 16 years were studied. For patients with extensive stage of disease, the mean survival time and 2-year survival rate were 7.2 months and 3.1% versus 13.4 months and 16.7% for patients with limited stage. A better prognosis was obtained by treatment with a combination of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Immunohistochemical studies were performed by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. The positive rates in descending order were bombesin (80%), synaptophysin (74.3%), neurofilament (68.6%), neuron-specific enolase (60%), low molecular weight cytokeratin (54.3%), high molecular weight cytokeratin (25.7%), chromogranin-A (22.9%), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (0). Seven cases were examined and found to be ultrastructure; only 3 cases were found to contain neurosecretory granules. We emphasize that electron microscopy is not necessary as a routine diagnostic procedure, while light microscopy should be employed whenever possible; the immunohistochemical study should be considered within this context.

A permanent human brain malignant glioma cell line, GBM8401/TSGH,NDMC, has been successfully established from a 31-year-old Chinese female with brain glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in monolayer culture and has been subcultured for more than 100 passages during 24 months in vitro. The tumor cell doubling time in vitro was approximately 38 hr. The tumorigenicity in athymic nude mice was observed; the tumor volume doubling time was approximately 4 days. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and 10-nm-diameter intermediate filaments were identified by immunohistochemical peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP), immunofluorescence assay, and transmission electron microscopic methods. The scanning electron microscope revealed numerous surface microvilli and various-sized blebs. Karyotypic analysis showed this malignant glioma cell line to be of human origin, near-diploid with a modal chromosome number of 48,XX.