Care of pentamadine ulcers in AIDS patients

Two cases of soft-tissue infection resulting from antibiotic therapy given AIDS patients are presented. Operative treatment resulted in a closed wound in one patient. In the other patient, who suffered from recurrent acute illnesses, nonoperative treatment resulted in slow wound contraction and epithelialization without secondary wound complications. Wound sepsis did not occur, despite the absence of normal immune function. Operation and additional hospitalization, with their attendant risks, were avoided.     

Structural confirmation of spiroelliptin from Iryanthera elliptica by synthesis

Spiroelliptin, a spiro[cyclohexadienone-1,1′-tetralin] from Iryanthera elliptica, was synthesized by a novel process which involved the catalytic hydrogenation of the appropriate chalcone. This and other spiro[methoxycyclobexadienone-1,1′-tetralin] derivatives, obtained by the same process or by the oxidative coupling of the appropriate 1,3-diarylpropanes, were used as models in the compilation of ¹H and ¹³C NMR data allowing the recognition of three such naturally occurring structural types.     

Hydroxylation of steroids with nonpolar side chains with 11 alpha-hydroxylase of Rhizopus nigricans

Steroids with nonpolar side chains with 2, 4 and 8 C atoms were used as substrates for the 11 alpha-hydroxylase of Rhizopus nigricans. Their bioconversion was compared to that of progesterone, which was found to be far the best substrate giving the highest total bioconversion. 3-keto-4-ene steroids with nonpolar side chains were converted to their hydroxylated products in a small yield or not at all. The absence of an oxygen function in the side chain did not affect the regio-specificity of the hydroxylation, but resulted in a much lower total bioconversion. The strong effect of the oxygen function and of the length of the side chain on hydroxylation with the 11 alpha-hydroxylase of Rhizopus nigricans was demonstrated.     

Variation in cyanogenesis in plants with season and insect pressure

Cyanogenesis of 800 plant specimens (108 species) growing on a sandy tract of land between the sea and an inner lagoon 400 m distant was found to increase with insect density and, hence, with distance from the seashore and seasonal variation towards summer.     

Immunotherapy of breast cancer,malignant melanoma,and acute leukemia with BCG: Prolongation of disease free interval and survival

Summary Results of immunotherapy with BCG in patients with malignant melanoma, breast cancer, and acute leukemia are described. The first study demonstrated that high doses of living BCG organisms (6×10⁸ viable units) delivered by scarification in the upper arms and legs prolonged the disease-free interval and survival of 52 malignant melanoma patients with regional lymph node metastases compared to 218 comparable surgical control patients. Patients with trunk and extremity, but not head and neck melanoma, benefited from BCG, suggesting the importance of the delivery of BCG into the tumor-involved lymphatics.The second study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of living BCG organisms by scarification in a group of adult acute leukemia patients after the cessation of chemotherapy. Thirty-seven patients had been in remission on intermittent chemotherapy for 12–24 months. Following late intensive consolidation chemotherapy, 7 consecutive patients received no further therapy and then 30 consecutive patients received BCG. Patients maintained on BCG have had a prolonged disease-free interval compared to those given on no further therapy (P=0.07) or compared to a group of similar patients maintained on chemotherapy alone (P=0.001). Similarly, the survival has been improved for patients maintained on BCG compared to those left unmaintained (P=0.009), or those maintained on chemotherapy (P=0.001).The principles of intermittent chemotherapy combined with BCG immunotherapy, first developed in patients with disseminated melanoma and acute myelogenous leukemia, have been confirmed in a series of patients with disseminated breast cancer. Forty-five patients treated with a combination of 5-FU, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) plus BCG by scarification showed prolongation of remission as well as survival compared to a comparable group of 44 patients treated with FAC chemotherapy without immunotherapy. Thus, 23/44 patients treated with FAC have died (median=14 months) compared to only 5/45 patients on FAC-BCG (median=12⁺ months), P=0.005. The limitations of BCG immunotherapy as well as speculations for future developments of immunotherapy are discussed.This work was supported by Contract No1-CB 33888 from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Bethesda, Maryland 20014. Drs. Gutterman and Mavligit are the recipients of Career Development Awards (Ca 71007-02 and CA 00130-01, respectively) from the National Institutes of Health, Education, and Welfare, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.     

(—)-Rubranine from Aniba rosaeodora

Aniba rosaeodora wood was shown to contain (—)-rubranine. An optically inactive form of this citrylidene-chalcone was previously considered to be an artifact of extraction. The constitution of rubranine was confirmed by pyrolysis and syntheses, involving previously reported pyridine-catalysed condensation of pinocembrin and citral, whereby novel intermediates were prepared, and the acid-catalysed condensation of pinocembrin with geraniol followed by oxidation.