Shamai Giler

Ferritin-bearing lymphocytes and T-cell levels in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer

SummaryPeripheral blood lymphocytes bearing surface ferritin and thymus-dependent lymphocyte (T cell) levels were determined in 15 breast cancer patients in stage I–II, 5 in stage III, 10 with benign breast disease, 4 with Thalassaemia, and 25 normal controls. The results of this study demonstrate that a subpopulation of lymphocytes (16.6%) bearing surface ferritin was found in patients with breast cancer in stage I–II. None were demonstrated in patients with either benign breast disease, or with Thalassaemia, the latter known to have high serum ferritin levels, and almost none (1.7%) in normal individuals. A significant decrease in the percentage of ERFC as compared with the percentage of T cells, determined with anti-T cell antiserum (P<0.01), was observed in patients with breast cancer in stage I–II. Yet, the mean T-cell percentage in this group of patients was significantly higher than the mean percentage of T cells in normal controls (P<0.01). In patients with benign breast disease, the percentage of T cells corresponded to the percentage of ERFC and did not significantly differ from those in normals. Stage III breast cancer patients seem to constitute a biologically distinct group, since the ferritin-positive lymphocyte subpopulation disappeared and the percentage of ERFC and T cells returned to the values of normal controls.Overnight incubation of lymphocytes from patients exhibiting a ferritin-positive lymphocyte subpopulation in culture media containing 20% FCS resulted in the removal of ferritin from the surface of the cells and in restoration of the percentage of ERFC.

Carbon Dioxide Laser Surgery

With the development of suitable instrumentation, engineered to fulfil the requirements of the clinical surgeon and designed to meet the physical conditions prevailing in the operating theater, laser surgery has advanced rapidly in the past few years. There are signs of even more rapid progress and general acceptance as its application and advantages are demonstrated in more and more fields of surgery.

CIRCULATING T CELL SUBSET WITH A REVERSIBLE E-ROSSETTING CAPACITY IN BREAST CANCER AND ITS ROLE IN CELL MEDIATED IMMUNITY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the circulation of a T cell subset with a reversible E-rossetting capacity in breast cancer and its role in cell-mediated immunity. Human peripheral blood T lymphocytes can be identified by their ability to form rossettes with sheep erythrocytes (ERFC) as well as by the expression of human T lymphocyte antigen. Tumor-bearing patients tend to have lower percentage of ERFC than patients with no evidence of the disease. A significant decrease in the percentage of ERFC as compared to cells expressing HTLA antigens in breast cancer patients in stages I–II is demonstrated in the chapter. The non-rossetting HTLA+ T cell subpopulation bears ferritin on the cell surface. The depression of E-rossette formation could be reversed by treatment of the patients cells with papain or following their incubation with FCS.

The CO2 Laser in Dermatologic Surgery

In recent years, we have used the CO2 laser for the ambulatory treatment of various cutaneous lesions. The following is a classified list of lesions diagnosed clinically or histologically and treated accordingly.