Purpose: To determine the diagnostic value of MR imaging for tumors of the floor of the mouth and the effects of the tumors on the sublingual and submandibular glands.Material and Methods: Thirty-seven patients with proven squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth underwent MR imaging, including unenhanced T1-weighted, T2-weighted, dynamic, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. the appearance of the tumor and the sublingual and submandibular glands was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively.Results: All tumors demonstrated replacement of the normal signal intensity in the adjacent sublingual gland. Twenty-one patients (57%) had abnormal signal intensity of the submandibular gland without tumor invasion, presumably secondary to submandibular duct obstruction by the tumor. Unenhanced T1-weighted images provided high contrast between tumor and sublingual gland. Tumors limited within the gland were well detected on unenhanced T1-weighted images. Large tumors extending beyond the gland were well...
<i>Background:</i> Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) induced by Japanese cedar pollens is a serious problem in Japan. Omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, improves symptoms associated with SAR, but a study comprehensively investigating the clinical efficacy, safety and pharmacological effects of omalizumab re-treatment has not yet been conducted. <i>Methods:</i> The open-label, 12-week study was carried out in 34 patients who had been treated with omalizumab in the core study conducted in the previous Japanese cedar pollen season. The study plan including study period, efficacy and safety endpoints, as well as dose regimen, was designed to be the same as in the core study. Omalizumab was administered subcutaneously every 2 or 4 weeks based on the serum IgE level and body weight of each patient. <i>Results:</i> Time course changes in daily nasal symptom medication scores as well as in daily ocular symptom medication scores throughout the pollen period were comparable with those in the omalizumab group in the core study. Serum free IgE levels decreased to below the target level in all patients and were equal to those in the omalizumab group in the core study. The adverse reaction profiles were similar to those in the core study. In addition, the overall incidence of drug-related adverse events and injection site reactions in the re-treatment study did not increase compared with those in the omalizumab group in the core study. There were no serious adverse events, and no anti-omalizumab antibodies were detected. <i>Conclusion:</i> Omalizumab was effective and safe when consecutively readministered in the second Japanese cedar pollen season.
We examined the killing activity of transmigrated lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and their surface molecules associated with both transendothelial migration and cytotoxicity, using human umbilical vein-derived endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers on fibronectin with gelatin separating the upper chamber from the lower chamber. Migratory LAK cells were significantly more cytotoxic to Daudi target cells, expressed more LFA-1, and were more likely to be positive for CD2, compared to those LAK cells not adherent to the HUVEC monolayer. In contrast, in the absence of the HUVEC monolayer, there was no difference in LAK activity between migratory and non-adherent LAK cells. These results indicate that the interaction between LAK cells and the HUVEC monolayer allows selective migration of LAK cells with cytotoxic activity that is enhanced with respect to some surface molecules.
Adoptive immunotherapy was applied to 2 maxillary cancer cases and 1 lingual cancer case (squamous cell carcinoma). Peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained through leukapheresis were cultured for 3 days with allogeneic tumor cell line originated maxillary squamous cell carcinoma, and further incubated in recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) to generate allogeneic tumor and lymphokine activated killer (Allo-TLAK) cells. AlloTLAK cells were infused directly into the maxillary artery for the maxillary cancer cases and into the lingual artery for the lingual cancer case. Tumor staged as T3 of one maxillary cancer case completely disappeared after infusion of 4.5×109 AlloTLAK cells. Objective tumor regression was observed in the other maxillary cancer case after infusion of 2.74×109 AlloTLAK and 0.76×109 ATLAK cells. After completion of adoptive transfer of these cells, total maxillectomy was performed. Tumor size of lingual cancer was markedly reduced from T3 to T1 in clinical estimation after infusion of 2.9×109 AlloTLAK cells. This case underwent surgery to remove 1/3 of the tongue along with radical neck dissection. Surgically resected tissues of maxillary cancer and lingual cancer were histologically examined. They revealed tumor degenetration with infiltration of lymphocytes, scavenger macrophages. Side effects were minor. Such as, a slight fever and blood eosinophilia.
