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Behcet's disease is a systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology which usually occurs as a trait of symptoms: aphatous stomatitis, genital ulcerations and eye disease. Characteristic manifestations are frequent: erythema nodosum, arthralgias, arthritis, myalgias, phlebothrombosis and nervous system disorders as well as disorders of other organs and systems. Behcet's disease was discovered in 1937 for the first time by dermatovenerologist Hulusi Behcet (1889 - 1948) after whom it was named Behcet's disease or Behcet's syndrome. At the beginning of the disease the diagnosis is uncertain because of different schedule of certain manifestations and a long period up to the full clinical picture manifestation. As it is well known, the main changes occur at the buccal mucosa in a form of a recidivant aphthous and herpetiformis lesions. Genital ulcerations are present in 64 to 87% of patients. Changes which occur on eyes may be present in 28 - 80% of patients and may dominate the clinical picture. The skin is affected in about 50% of patients. Manifestations on joints occur at major joints of the lower limbs. Sometimes gastrointestinal manifestations occur as enterocolitis and ulcerous colitis. Nervous system lesions have poor prognosis. The treatment involves: acute exacerbations with multisystemic manifestations by utilization of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressive preparations. Corticosteroids are used in severe cases.

Juvenile chronic arthritis is a descriptive term for a group of illnesses pertaining to children characterized by nonsuppurative inflammation of joints having a chronic course. The term is rather new and comes from a meeting of scientists of the European Society of Rheumatologists (EULAR) and the World Health Organization (WHO), 1977 in Oslo. The cause of illness is unknown. There are numerous theories about the role of viruses, bacteria and other noxae which most often could not be established. The prevalence of the disease is about 1%, but the incidence is unknown. The clinical picture of the juvenile arthritis is very variable. Depending on the way of onset three subtypes can be differed: 1. systemic; 2. polyarticular; 3. mono (oligo) articular. These subtypes show not only which the clinical symptoms at the beginning of the disease are, but also, to a certain extent, what the development, course and the prognosis of the disease will be like.

The paper deals with results of investigation on therapy efficiency of tiaprophenic acid (Turganil, Jugoremedia) in the group of 1240 outpatients and hospitalized patients. It was an open clinical experiment, the drug has been applied for six months approximately, and the group consisted of patients with inflammatory, degenerative and outjoint rheumatism and other systemic diseases of the connective tissue. Favorable therapy effects occurred in all investigated groups, being in harmony with other authors' data, while drug tolerance was relatively good.

Incubation with estramustine phosphate for 24 h inhibited DNA, RNA and protein synthesis in primary cultures of human kidney, mammary, prostatic, cervical and endometrial carcinoma. Not only the presence, but also the concentration of oestrogen receptors correlated with estramustine phosphate effects on tumour cell proliferation.

Phenomenon of spontaneous regression of cancer indicates that recovery from malignant disease can happen without the application of any so far known therapeutic treatment. The most of the self-cured patients have undergone surgical operation which did not eliminate entire tumor or did not affect malignant tissue at all. Furthermore, regression or reversion of tumors (transformation of tumor cells into normal, nonmalignant cells) can be achieved in plants or amphibia after exposure of tumor cells to the influence of normal, regenerating tissue. Thus, it seems that during tissue regeneration certain local changes in tissue happen (synthesis of some regulatory growth factors) which induce dying of tumor cells or modify main features of malignant cells. Previously we have studied growth of murine malignant tumors in regenerating tissue of liver and skin. Obtained results indicated that under the influence of regenerating tissue anaplasia of fibrosarcoma decreases, as well as do pigmentation and the incidence of live cells in melanoma B16 tissue. Thus, it is obvious that mechanism of regenerating tissue growth control, which can also change characteristics of tumor cells, exists in mammalia, too. In order to analyse whether the same homeostatic mechanism is responsible for the phenomenon of spontaneous regression of human cancer, we have analysed the growth of melanoma B16 in back limb of nonoperated and sham or partially hepatectomized mice. Regeneration of skin and abdominal wall tissue in sham hepatectomized animals slowed down tumor growth, while liver regeneration completely inhibited tumor progression. Tumor growth inhibition was result of tumor tissue necrosis which developed around blood vessels. However, the structure and integrity of blood vessels themselves was normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A clinical picture of secondary amyloidosis, a rare complication of juvenile chronic arthritis in adults, is presented. This is the most severe complication which occupies the first place as the cause of death. Its frequency ranges from 1% in USA and Australia to 18% in Poland, but in majority of European countries it accounts for 7-8%. On the average, it occurs after 8-10 years from the onset of joint inflammation. First clinical symptoms are as follows: abdominal pains sometimes with diarrhea, labby edemas in the lower leg, hypertensions and enlargement of the liver and the spleen. Clinical picture of juvenile chronic arthritis with secondary amyloidosis is also presented.

The effect of estramustine phosphate (Estracyt) on the growth of murine aplastic mammary carcinoma, Ehrlich carcinoma, melanoma B-16, and five cell lines: L929 (mouse fibroblasts), BHK (baby hamster kidney), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), HEp-2 (human laryngeal carcinoma), and K562 (human granulocytic leukemia) was investigated. In vivo, estramustine phosphate inhibits the growth of aplastic mammary carcinoma and Ehrlich carcinoma, but has no effect on melanoma B-16. In cultured aplastic mammary carcinoma, estramustine phosphate decreased the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA. This drug inhibits the population growth of L929, BHK, HEp-2, and K562 cultures, but stimulates the growth of HeLa cells. We conclude that estramustine phosphate retards the growth of various cells, and that studies of other potential fields of application of the drug (aside from prostatic carcinoma) is justified.