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A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of indomethacin on orthostatic hypotension in Parkinsonism. Twelve elderly patients participated and the drug was given in two-ways--as an intravenous infusion of 50 mg over 30 minutes and by mouth 50 mg thrice daily for six days. Results were assessed by measuring the degree of hypotension on standing, response to the cold pressor test, and forearm blood flow (by strain-gauge plethysmography). Indomethacin significantly reduced the fall in blood pressure on standing (P less than 0:001) and lessened or reversed orthostatic symptoms. Furthermore, there was an enhanced response to the cold pressor test and a reduction in forearm blood flow. These findings suggest that indomethacin has a positive effect on systemic vascular resistance.

The cellular immune response of 58 patients affected by cervical cancer was evaluated with the aim of investigating abnormalities in T-cell populations. Subjects were divided into three groups: severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ, microinvasive carcinoma, and invasive carcinoma. T cells were assessed by a spontaneous rosette formation test with sheep red blood cells and by reactivity with specific monoclonal antibodies of OKT series (OKT4 and OKT8 positive lymphocytes). A significant T-cell depression was observed in all patient groups; the lowest T-cell level was observed in group (b), which revealed an inverted OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio too. The results support the hypothesis that cell-mediated immunity is a key factor in premalignant status and in the early development of cervical cancer.

In ten angina patients responding with a myocardial anaerobic metabolic pattern to isoproterenol infusion, a new beta-blocking agent, bunitrolol, was effective in normalizing the myocardial lactate extraction ratio. The correlation with lipid metabolism was also interesting because beta-blocker action reduced significantly arterial non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) level as well as myocardial NEFA extraction. The metabolic behavior suggests the effectiveness of bunitrolol in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

From January 1978 to June 1979, 29 selected, previously untreated patients with unfavorable histology of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (12 DPDL, 7 DM, 9 DH and 1 DU) were submitted to the combination chemotherapy CHOP (cyclophosphamide, 750 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1; adriamycin, 50 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1; vincristine, 1.4 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1, and prednisone, 100 mg p.o. on day 1 through 5) every 21 days. Eighteen patients were in early stage (I or II) and 11 of them were also submitted to involved field radiotherapy (60Co), immediately before (stage I) or during (stage II) the chemotherapy, with a mean dosage of 4,500 rad. The remaining 11 patients were in advanced stage (III or IV) of disease and were treated with chemotherapy alone. We obtained 20 complete remissions (68%), 8 partial remissions (28%) and 1 no response (4%) to therapy. Sixteen of 18 patients (89%) in early stages and 4 of 11 patients (36%) in advanced stages achieved a complete remission. The bone marrow toxicity of the chemotherapy was moderate. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were frequent but well controlled by the support therapy. The actuarial survival rate of patients, after 18 months of follow-up, is 41% (40% in complete remission). The patients who achieved a complete remission are alive and 65% of them still relapse free. We believe that the combination chemotherapy CHOP improves the complete remission rate as well as the survival of patients with unfavorable histology of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

From April 1981 to May 1984, 23 patients with advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were treated with CEOP (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) or OEPP (vincristine, epirubicin, procarbazine, and prednisone) combination chemotherapy. CR was achieved in 58% and PR in 31% of the patients, giving an overall response rate of 89%. Nine of 15 (60%) previously untreated patients with unfavorable histology obtained a CR and 5 a PR. Median relapse-free survival was 33 months; median overall survival has not yet been reached, and the probability of survival for CRs was 91% after 54 months of follow-up. Acute toxicity was quite acceptable, and chronic cardiac toxicity was detected in 6 patients only. In conclusion, epirubicin used in combination chemotherapies induced durable remissions and prolonged survivals in advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

We studied urinary excretion levels of neopterin in 30 cancer patients affected by non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease and multiple myeloma compared to 30 healthy subjects. Mean value of neopterin excretion in cancer patients (576.01 +/- 620.37) appeared significantly increased (p less than 0.001) compared to normal controls (134.40 +/- 41.65). A neopterin excretion above the upper normal limit was observed in 23/28 (82%) patients with active disease. A trend to an increased urinary level of neopterin with more advanced stage was observed, namely in patients with bone marrow involvement and constitutional symptoms. We suggest that the evaluation of urinary neopterin levels may be of value in the diagnosis and follow-up of hematologic malignancies.