RESUMEN

The role of prolactin (PRL) in the physiological regulation of the immune system and in hematopoiesis is well known. There is also evidence of the significance of PRL in several pathological conditions such as autoimmune diseases and some malignancies, e.g. colon and breast carcinomas and also B cell malignancies. Multiple myeloma is known as a B cell malignancy. It is the result of malignant transformation of a single clone of neoplastic plasma cells that synthesize abnormal amounts of monoclonal immunoglobulins or immunoglobulin fragments. In our present studies, the possible expression of PRL in bone marrow cells obtained from diagnosed multiple myeloma (17 cases) or nonmyeloma (5 cases) patients was examined by the method of immunocytochemistry. Samples obtained from those multiple myeloma patients (13 cases) who had not received chemotherapy for 6 months prior to these studies showed a positive immunocytochemical reaction for PRL. Bone marrow smears of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma who had received chemotherapy within 6 months of the study and also the smears of patients without diagnosed multiple myeloma failed to show a positive immune reaction for PRL. In the case of a patient who was examined prior to and also after a period of 3 months of chemotherapy, the PRL-immunopositive bone marrow cells had disappeared due to the treatment. According to the light microscopic analysis of the cell morphology, PRL-immunopositive cells in the bone marrow were mainly, but not exclusively, plasma cells. There was no correlation between the positive PRL staining of cells and the type of monoclonal immunoglobulin or the ratio of plasma cells detected in the bone marrow. Taken together, our results indicate a possible role of PRL in multiple myeloma. Further experiments are necessary to identify the prognostic value of PRL in multiple myeloma.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The role of prolactin in immunoregulation and normal hemopoiesis is well known. However, prolactin also seems to be involved in the pathomechanism of malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Elevated serum prolactin levels were reported in patients with malignant lymphoma, colon and breast carcinoma, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Recently we demonstrated prolactin immunostaining in bone marrow cells of patients with multiple myeloma. DESIGN AND METHODS: Serum prolactin levels of 56 patients with multiple myeloma, as well as serum beta(2)-microglobulin, and interleukin-6 concentrations were determined in this study. RESULTS: Patients with advanced disease showed a significant increase in serum prolactin concentration, while patients with a clinical stage of I and II, and also control patients had normal values. The concentration of serum beta(2)-microglobulin and interleukin-6 changed in parallel with that of serum prolactin in patients with multiple myeloma. Determining serum prolactin levels several times during the disease process in a given patient clearly showed that the prolactin concentration was increasing during the disease progression. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a role of prolactin in disease progression in multiple myeloma.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A unique opportunity arose to introduce the rare disease called mastocytosis as we had three patients with radically different clinical signs and disease progression. The authors would like to draw attention to the diagnostic problems that may emerge with this disease, as well as the diagnostic procedures are detailed. These problems, however, are dwarfed by the therapeutic difficulties faced by the clinicians. Complete remission with the present treatment opportunities may not be achieved, nevertheless, there are options to improve quality of life and to alleviate the symptoms that cause suffering to patients.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A 30-years-old woman developed an acute lymphoblastic leukemia 16 years after a successfully treated childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The developed second malignancy unexpectedly seemed identical to her previous malignant disease. That's why and because of the literature doesn't mention acute lymphoblastic leukemia as a second neoplasm after an acute lymphoblastic leukemia we considered the disease unusual late relaps of the original childhood malignancy.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Cytokines are pleiotropic peptides produced by lymphoid cells that play important roles in cellular proliferation and multiplication. Diminished or enhanced production or constitutive secretion of cytokines contributes to the aetiology and pathogenesis of several diseases. They are soluble mediators eliciting specific responses of different target cells of paracrine, autocrine and cascade systems of the organism. Their secretion is regulated at the molecular genetic level. Gene rearrangements of cytokines and their receptors have been demonstrated in several diseases. As means of specific or supportive therapy, cytokine treatment has been used both in neoplastic and other proliferative diseases. Lymphokines and interferons comprise the first, whereas colony stimulating factors and growth factors yield the second group of cytokines. Most scientific experience is with interferon-alpha. Its anti-viral mechanism of action has been extensively studied and clarified, whereas its antitumour effect is more obscure and is a result of many simultaneous biologic events.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)