BACKGROUND: Eotaxin, a CC chemokine specific for eosinophils, is implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma recruiting eosinophils into the airways. Theophylline has been used for the treatment of asthma and rece was proposed to have an anti-inflammatory action. The aim of this study is to examine whether theophylline may inhibit the eosinophilic airway inflammation by reducing the expression of eotaxin. METHODS: The expression of eotaxin mRNA was assessed by Northern analysis in A549 cells 4 h after stimulation with TNF-α or IL-1β And then, theophylline was added to A549 cells stimulated with 0.1 ng/ml IL-1β. RESULTS: Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL TNF-α as compared with β-action were 7%, 22%, 28%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates induced by 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 ng/ml IL-1β as compared with β-action, were 10%, 42%, 63%, 72%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 µM dexamethasone induced by 10 ng/mL TNF-α, as compared with β-action were 27%, 18%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 mM dexamethasone induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1β, as compared with β -action, were 43%, 47%, 12%, 8%, respectively. Eotaxin mRNA expression rates after the addition of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mM theophylline induced by 0.1 ng/mL IL-1β, as compared with β-action, were 48%, 40%, 33%, 22%, 16%, 14%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that theophylline may reduce eosinophil infiltration of the airway at least in part by reducing the expression of eotaxin under the conditions of these experiments.
Asthma ; Dexamethasone ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells* ; Inflammation ; RNA, Messenger* ; Theophylline*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Measles*

PURPOSE: The prognosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) in elderly patients seems to be poorer than that in patients aged less than 60 years. This may be due to the lower tolerance for combination chemotherapy in the elderly. Aggressive combination chemo-therapy, which is the treatment of choice in intermediate and high grade NHL of adulthood, may be associated with unpredictab1y severe and lethal toxicity and worsened quality of life in the elderly. We investigated the treatment responses, toxicities and prognostic factors of NHL in elderly patients treated with combination chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated 116 elderly (>60 yrs) patients with NHL between January 1986 and June 1996 with adriamycin-containing regimens, such as CHOP (cyclo- phosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone), BACOP (bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone), and mBACOP (methotrexate, bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone). Patients in this study ranged from 60 to 81 (median 67) years of age. Fifty-five percent of patients were in stage I or II and the rest (45%) were in stage III or IV. The histologic grade was predominantly (91%) of intermediate and high grade type. RESULTS: The treatment responses were complete (CR) in 55% and partial (PR) in 25%. The median durstion of CR was 32 (3-132) months. The CR rate was significantly higher in patients treated with RDI (relative dose intensity) > 75% than that in the patients treated with RDI < 75% (p 0.003), but there was no significant difference in CR rate between treatment regimens (p-0.38). At a median follow up of 48-months (range, 12 to 132 months), the estimated 5-year ovetall survival was 46%. Ann Arbor Stage (I, II vs III, IV), ECOG performance (0-1 vs 2-3), RDI (>75% vs <75%) and the treatment response were important prognostic factors in the univariate analysis, and the treament response (CR vs non-CR) was the only independent prognostic parameter in the multivariate analysis. The most frequent and severe toxicity associated with chemotherapy was infection with or without neutropenia. The rate of severe infection was significantly decreased in the patients supported with G/GM-CSF but not in the dose-reduction group (RDI<75% vs >75%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that achievement of the CR after combination chemotherpy is the most important prognostic factor in the elderly patients with NHL. Suboptimal chemotherapy (RDI<75%) reduced the complete remission rate without reducing the likelihood of developing severe toxicities. Optimal chemotherapy with supportive cares involving the use of hematopoietic growth factors may be needed to improve the treatment response and the survival in the elderly patients with aggressive NHL.
Aged ; Bleomycin ; Cyclophosphamide ; Dimethoate ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutropenia ; Prognosis* ; Quality of Life ; Vincristine

No abstract available.
Humans ; Interleukin-2* ; Leukemia*

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune*

No abstract available.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency* ; Iron*

No abstract available.
Blood Viscosity* ; Paraproteinemias* ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma*

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic*

No abstract available.
Leukemia*

A 64-year-old male was admitted due to weight loss of 5kg during a month. Chest X-ray showed two large, lobulated masses on both lower lobe. Chest CT showed ill-defined, multilobulated mass on left lower lobe and r-regular, relatively homogenous mass with air-bronchogram on right lower lobe. Left lower lobectomy and right lower lobectomy was performed sequentially with three months intervaL Microscopic findings showed squamous cell carcinoma of both mass. It was thought that this patient had synchronous double primary lung cancer.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Weight Loss