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The late results in the treatment of 43 patients (adults) with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are represented. Steroid treatment proved to be excellent and well-efficient in 20% of all cases and splenectomy in 70% of all cases. The good, but temporary increase of thrombocytes observed after the preceding steroid medication and the thrombocytosis after splenectomy can be explained as a favourable prognostic sign for a lasting success after the operation.

Blood plasma samples from patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) or potential preleukaemia and from control subjects were tested for antibodies to the viruses HL-23 and BILN by membrane immunofluorescence. Of 15 patients with untreated AML, three, each having a low peripheral leucocyte count at the time of sampling, had detectable antibodies. Antibodies were present in the plasma of 5 out of 8 AML patients being in remission as a result of chemotherapy. In these cases, the antibody levels significantly exceeded those demonstrated in the untreated cases. Of 12 patients with potential preleukaemia, five proved to be positive. Of the 7 antibody-negative patients, four developed manifest leukaemia within 12-18 months after the first testing. The results are suggestive of a favourable prognostic role of the presence of the antibodies under study. In the majority of the antibody-positive AML and potential preleukameia cases antibodies were detectable to both components of the HL-23 virus. Of 30 control subjects, three had demonstrable antibodies to the BILN virus.

The cytochemical features of blast cells were studied in 45 patients with blastic phase of chronic granulocytic leukaemia. Various degrees of Sudan black B positivity was characteristic of myeloblastic transformation (23 patients), while in the medullary blast cells of nine patients with myelomonocytic transformation the alpha-naphthyl-acetate esterase showed intensive activity. In two cases the demonstrability of beta-thromboglobulin and factor VIII-related antigen in blast cells showing otherwise PAS, acid phosphatase and alpha-naphthyl-acetate esterase activity referred to megakaryocytic transformation. In six patients with lymphoid blast crisis proliferation of the Sudan negative blast cells with different granular PAS, acid phosphatase and/or beta-glucuronidase positivity was demonstrated. In five cases the cytochemical findings of leukaemic cells indicated biphenotypic and mixed transformation, respectively.

Clinical experiences on seven patients suffering from hairy cell leukaemia are presented. The disease was most often identified at age above 50 and was more frequent in men. Splenomegaly and infiltration of bone marrow or spleen with tartrat resistant acid phosphatase positive lymphoid cells were detected in all cases. Splenectomy resulted complete clinical remission in six and partial remission in one patient. Two patients have died. The mean survival time is five years. The surviving patients are in good clinical remission.

Leukocytes from patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia were examined for antigens related to the p30 polypeptides of baboon endogenous virus (BaEV) and gibbon ape leukaemia virus (GaLV). Samples from patients with the quiescent phase of the disease proved to be negative or contained p30 of BaEV as the only viral antigen. In cases of blastoid crisis or acceleration, an antigen related to p30 of GaLV could be detected. In 5 of 6 patients, acceleration or blastoid crisis was preceded by expression of GaLV p30.

The plasma antithrombin III level was measured in term and premature newborns within the first 24 h of life; in addition to the authors', own immunological method utilizing rate nephelometry the assays of Laurell and Kabi Coatest were used. Antithrombin III concentration showed a linear correlation with the degree of maturity, in accordance with previous data. The lowest values were found in premature babies affected by idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome who later developed pulmonary haemorrhage. At all gestational ages the antithrombin III functional index was lower than 1.0, indicating antithrombin III consumption. Since both concentration and activity of antithrombin III are low in prematures, they are at an increased risk for coagulopathies, hence substitution therapy is indicated. Measurement of antithrombin III by rate nephelometry can also be used for following changes in inhibitor concentration.

Blood plasma interferon (IFN) of patients with acute myeloid (AML) and chronic granulocytic (CGL) and with acute and chronic lymphoid leukaemia (ALL and CLL) was measured by bioassay and characterized by neutralization with anti-human-IFN-alpha treatment. Elevated IFN-alpha level (60-125 IU/ml) was found in the quiescent phase of CGL as compared to the control samples (15 +/- 10 IU/ml). No significant differences could be found between plasma IFN of patients suffering from the blastic crisis of CGL and control persons. Analogous results were obtained in experiments with plasmas of AML patients, regardless the stage of the disease. Elevated IFN-alpha production (60-100 IU/ml) was found in patients being in the remission phase of T-cell ALL but only in one case in the progressive phase of the disease. No significant elevation of plasma IFN level was demonstrated in patients with O-cell ALL and B-cell CLL, as compared to the control samples.

The expression of oncoviral p30 polypeptides and onc gene-specific proteins has been examined in different human lymphoid malignancies. The distribution of antigen(s) related to the p30 of BaEV lacked any specificity. Antigen(s) related to the main core polypeptide of GaLV could be detected mainly in B- and O-cell malignancies. The myc-encoded protein was translated at higher levels in malignant than in normal lymphoid cells. An active src gene was identified in three acute lymphoid leukaemias and in one non-Hodgkin lymphoma of T-cell origin. Human DNAs coding oncoviral antigens or onc gene-specific proteins could be transfected into NIH 3T3 cells. These data suggest that the synergistic effect of the myc and src genes would operate in malignant transformation of some progenitors of T-cell lineage.