Merrill C. Johnson

Solitary Abnormalities in Bone Scans of Patients with Extraosseous Malignancies

The incidence and significance of solitary bone scan abnormalities were assessed in a study of 1,129 consecutive patients with extraskeletal primary malignancies. Solitary abnormalities were encountered in 172 cases (15%). The etiology of the scan abnormality was established in 90 of the 172 cases; 58 (64%) were due to metastatic disease, and 32 (36%) were secondary to a benign process. A significant percentage of solitary scan abnormalities is due to benign disease processes, even in patients with proved extraosseous malignancies.

Cellular and humoral factors governing canine mixed lymphocyte cultures after renal transplantation: II. Cellular

Mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) reactivity has been followed in dogs before, during, and after rejection of heterotopically transplanted kidney allografts. During the time of active rejection, there was a loss of cellular reactivity in recipient (R) peripheral blood which could be ascribed to entrapment of immunoreactive cells in the rejecting kidneys. In this period, lymphocytes removed from blood draining the allograft had diminished MLC reactivity when compared to samples obtained from normal venous and arterial blood. Lymphocytes recovered from the rejecting organ demonstrated an accelerated MLC responsiveness to stimulating donor (D) lymphocytes at a time when lymphocytes from peripheral blood had diminished reactivity. Similar reactivity with kidney lymphocytes was also seen using stimulating lymphocytes of indifferent (I) dogs. Following rejection, when MLC responsiveness returned, a state of increased immunity could be demonstrated by an acceleration in the onset of reactivity after incubation in culture for shorter time periods.

The Sensitivity and Specificity of 99mTc-Sulfur Colloid Liver Imaging in Diffuse Hepatocellular Disease

The sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-sulfur colloid liver-spleen imaging in diffuse hepatocellular disease and the significance of image patterns found in these diseases are presented. By visually quantifying the image alterations found in biopsy-proven cases of diffuse hepatocellular disease and analyzing the correlation between the histological diagnosis and the quantified image alteration (individually and by groups), the 99mTc-sulfur colloid liver-spleen image was found to be highly sensitive (83%). Relative discriminatory values were derived for each image finding and a specific image pattern was found in cirrhosis.

Detection of Extraosseous Metastases from Osteosarcoma with 99mTc-Polyphosphate Bone Scanning

Two cases of osteosarcoma of the femur are presented. In both patients, bone scans confirmed the presence of pulmonary metastases. 99mTc-polyphosphate (TcPP) localizes in the extraskeletal pulmonary metastases, including some not demonstrated radiographically. Thus the TcPP scan is a valuable adjunct in the staging and therapeutic planning of patients with primary malignant bone tumors.

Cellular and humoral factors governing canine mixed lymphocyte cultures after renal transplantation: III. Further studies with antibody

Further studies have been performed on the unidirectional mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) in dogs after renal transplantation. A high sensitivity of this assay as a test for antibody was demonstrated. Specific inhibitory activity against donor cells was found in recipient sera beginning 5 days after transplantation and was also present in eluates obtained from rejecting kidneys removed at this time. No cytotoxic antibody was found in the serum or eluates at this time using the microcytotoxicity test. The duration of serum MLC inhibitory activity (in months) correlated with the time in days (2–14) that the allograft was allowed to remain in the recipient. Absorption with donor spleen cells removed MLC inhibitory activity. Finally, a discriminatory test for the presence of blocking antibody in contrast to cytotoxic antibody is described.

Variations in Rabbit Antimouse Lymphocyte Sera Due to Strain Differences and “Nonthymic” Lymphocytes

Summary Heterologous antimouse lymphocyte sera were evoked by injecting rabbits with normal mouse thymuses and lymph nodes (ATS and ALS), as well as lymph nodes of mice thymectomized and X-irradiated, and then immunized with typhoid-paratyphoid vaccine (NTALS). Antisera were raised against C57BL/6, Ajax, and C3H inbred mouse strains. The effects were tested on skin allograft survival and peripheral lymphocyte counts. Allograft survival was more prolonged in recipients injected with antisera raised against the donor strains, while peripheral lymphocyte counts were more depressed if the antisera were directed against the recipient strains. While there was minimal prolongation of allograft survival if NTALS was raised against the donor strain, there were no effects of NTALS in any other strain combination, and no significant depression of the lymphocyte counts. Leukoagglutinin titers of ALS, ATS, and NTALS were equal when tested against mouse lymph node lymphocytes. It is suggested that enhancement could have been a factor in the prolongation of allograft survival when antisera were directed against the donor strain.