Gail Bryant

Multicentric Kaposi's sarcoma of the conjunctiva in a male homosexual with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A 38-year-old male homosexual with the new Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) had biopsy proven Kaposis sarcoma of the right palpebral conjunctiva, extraocular mucocutaneous areas, and lymph nodes. Histologically, the palpebral tumor was characterized by atypical spindle cell proliferation and multiple slit-like vessels. Staining for Factor VIII-related antigen was positive in the cytoplasm of some tumor cells. Electron microscopy disclosed Weibel-Palade bodies in cells lining scattered slit-like vascular channels. The palpebral tumor mass was relatively nonadherent to its surrounding tissues and thus its simple excision was noteworthy; despite the prominent vascularity of the tumor, minimal bleeding was associated with its surgical resection. Any patient with AIDS should have all mucosal surfaces routinely examined for the presence of Kaposis sarcoma lesions.

Radiolabeled monoclonal antibody B72.3 localization in metastatic lesions of colorectal cancer patients

We have previously demonstrated a high degree of selective binding of monoclonal antibody (MAb) B72.3 to carcinomas of the colon, ovary, and breast in contrast to normal adult tissues using in vitro assays. In this report we demonstrate selective tumor localization in colorectal cancer patients after intravenously administering 131I-labeled MAb B72.3 IgG. Radiolocalization Indices (RI) (i.e. cpm 131I-labeled MAb per gram of tumor vs cpm per gram of normal tissues), were obtained by direct analyses of biopsy materials. Using an RI of greater than or equal to 3 as a positive localization, tumor lesions in various sites from 17/20 patients scored positive. In eight of these patients, all tumor lesions demonstrated RIs of greater than 3, while in five patients RIs of some lesions were greater than 10 and as high as 30-46. Seventy percent (99/142) of the tumor lesions showed RIs of greater than 3, while only 12 of 210 histologically confirmed normal tissues examined showed RIs of greater than 3. These tissues were either adjacent to the tumor or the draining tumor masses or, as in the case of two patients, was caused by high levels of circulating immune complexes that deposited in the spleen. Positive scintigraphic images (confirmed at surgery) were observed in 14/27 patients. No toxicity or adverse reactions were observed with either MAb. These studies provide absolute quantitative analyses of the actual delivery of radiolabeled MAb to carcinoma lesions vs a wide range of adjacent and distal normal tissues and establishes the means for other diagnostic and potential therapeutic applications of this antibody alone, or in combinations with other monoclonal antibodies.

125I-Iodinated benzazepines bind to melanin: Implications for the noninvasive localization of pigmented melanomas

Both the 5-R and the 5-S enantiomers of [125I]2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-8-iodo-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepin- 7-ol bind to melanin. The interaction between the 5-R enantiomer and melanin permits visualization of melanomas in mice with a noninvasive imaging procedure. Two lines of evidence suggest that the interaction between iodinated ligands and melanin is not related to the D-1 dopamine receptor, a known target for the 5-R enantiomer: first, melanin binds both enantiomers of the 125I-iodinated benzazepine while the D-1 receptor binds only the 5-R enantiomer; second, the melanin binding site displays only a 5-fold difference in affinity towards the R- and S-enantiomers of SCH 23390 while the D-1 receptor displays a 100-fold difference in affinity towards these two molecules. Because both enantiomers of the iodinated benzazepine bind to a human pigmented melanoma, we propose that such compounds may be of use in the diagnosis of pigmented melanoma: in addition, we discuss the possible application of these molecules as a supplement to existing technology for the localization of pigmented melanomas.