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Relevance of IHD risk factors and hormone concentrations (insulin, estradiol, testosterone, prolactin, LH, FSH, TTH and hydrocortisone) to IHD incidence was studied in 1200 men. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that only a small number of hormonal indices are associated with main lipid and nonlipid risk factors. The relationships exist between systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and hydrocortisone, between TTH and total cholesterol, SAP and age, estradiol, testosterone and age. Significant independent associations were found between IHD prevalence and age (R = 0.140, 3 = 0.000), SAP (R = 0.130, P.0.001), HDLP cholesterol (R = -0.082, P = 0.007), height (R = -0.078, P = 0.010), insulin (R = 0.067, P = 0.035), standard deviation of estradiol from median value (R = 0.083, P = 0.017). The findings confirm a great role of high SAP in the development of IHD, a significant and independent association of high insulin levels with IHD prevalence, the presence of nonlinear relation of estradiol concentration to IHD occurrence in males.

The authors have assessed the effects of 7 metabolic and 5 neutral drugs and their combinations on the basal blood concentration of the growth hormone (GH) and on the sensitivity of GH-regulating centers to homeostatic glucose inhibition. No significant changes in GH basal level were revealed. Nacom and a combination of vitamins E and C reduced the threshold sensitivity to glucose inhibition of the GH, whereas miscleron and trental elevated this threshold sensitivity. A combination of butamid and nacom had the highest stimulatory effect on the cellular immunity and macrophagal function, that may be mediated by enhanced GH secretion. In subjects with the 'superior' (android) type of obesity GH basal concentration and its sensitivity to glucose inhibition were lower than in those with the 'inferior' (gynoid) type, this being true after the drug discontinuation.

In serum of some healthy women and patients with fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland antibodies to the cell membranes of adipocytes were detected. Interconnections between these antibodies and corresponding antigens in blood, on the one hand, and hormonal-metabolic status of probands, on the other hand, were observed. Possible autoimmune origin of phenomenon detected and its relation to the normal and pathological processes in adipose tissue are discussed.

Conversion of androgens (aromatization) to estrogens in lymphocytes of cancer patients and healthy subjects in vitro was discovered. Aromatase activity in lymphocytes was comparable to that of fat and breast tumor tissues. It was completely suppressed in one out of two breast cancer patients receiving orimeten (aminoglutethimide). The activity in large bowel cancer was lower than in adenoma patients; however, the two groups were not balanced for age.

Elevated blood prolactin level was identified in 80% of untreated patients with advanced (stage II-IV) cervical cancer whereas it was normal at the earlier (preinvasive) stage. Patients with stage I-A, II tumors revealed either increased or normal blood prolactin level. Patients with advanced cancer who had undergone irradiation and surgery, either alone or in combination, showed hyperprolactinemia as often as 94% of the time. Studies on pathogenesis of hyperprolactinemia and its role in tumor progression are currently conducted by the authors.

Phenformin was shown to inhibit the rate of the Ehrlich carcinoma cell growth both in solid and ascitic forms of the tumor. The effect of phenformin on the tumor was eliminated by a diet containing high level of fats. The supernatant from the 18-hour culture of splenic cells, obtained from carcinoma-bearing mice treated by phenformin, inhibited phagocytosis of normal macrophages to a less extent compared with tumor-bearing mice which were not given phenformin. A peritoneal exudate from these mice was less effective in suppressing normal macrophages adhesiveness compared with untreated tumor-bearing mice.

The literature data suggest the promotion of tumor cell implantation by chorionic gonadotropin. This hypothesis stimulated a study on the effect of antichorionic serum on the growth of Ehrlich solid carcinoma. An immune serum to chorionic gonadotropin obtained by immunization of rabbits was injected into mice with Ehrlich carcinoma transplanted under the skin of the back. Intramuscular injections of 0.1 ml were given twice a day for 14-21 days. A 45% inhibition of tumor growth (p less than 0.05) was observed after injection of serum with a high titer of antibodies to chorionic gonadotropin (1:10,000). It was matched by a much lower inhibition (21%), following injection of a low-titer serum (1:100). These results may be used as a rationale for development of an anahormone of chorionic gonadotropin for active immunization against chorionic gonadotropin.

Treatment of rats with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (SDMH) with the doze of 21 mg/kg per body weight once a week during four weeks caused the decrease of biogenic amine level, particularly, of dopamine in the hypothalamus, the decrease of glucose tolerance, the increase of the blood level of insulin and triglycerides. According to the previously achieved data SDMH causes the elevation of the hypothalamic threshold of sensitivity to the inhibitory action of estrogens. At the same time SDMH provides considerable suppression of lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin and lipopolisaccharide, the decrease of the level of antibody produced against sheep erythrocytes, and the decrease of phagocytic activity of macrophages. Thus SDMH provides the syndrome of intensified aging. Recently our laboratory achieved the data, that antidiabetic drug-phenformin-improves cell-mediated immunity indices and the activity of phagocytosis in middle-aged subjects, as well as in patients with atherosclerosis and cancer (Vopr. Oncol., 1976, N 2, p. 13). On the basis of these findings phenformin (2 mg/day per os) was administered in rats in combination with SDMH. This resulted in restoration of all the abovementioned immunologic indices. It may be suggested that SDMH causes metabolic immunodepression, similar to the immunodepression, inherent to normal aging, pregnancy, stress and specific age-associated pathology--diseases of compensation (Vopr. Oncol., 1976, N 8, p. 3). If immunodepression is one of the components of cancerogenesis, then the elimination of metabolic immunodepression, which arises in course of normal aging or under the influence of cehmical cancerogens, can provide an anticancerogenic prophylactic effect.

According to the recent conceptions the ecological harmful factors are the main causes producing the cancer appearance, especially of the age-dependent elevation of its incidence. It is known that the key element of cancer prevention is a decrease or removal of exogenous carcinogens. Such a way can lead to the decrease of the cancer incidence in the young and middle aged persons and to the increase of the cancer frequency in the old age, i.e. to the increase of the cancer incidence in population on the whole, because metabolic conditions promoting the cancer appearance in an organism regularly appear in the process of aging. These conditions arise as a by-product of the organism developmental programme. New approaches to the cancer prevention are considered as based on principles of the ontogenetic prevention.

On the example of diabetes mellitus there was shown a close interrelationship between the blood lymphocytes and monocytes function, on the one hand, and the disturbances of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism--on the other hand. Patients were examined both during the decompensated stage of diabetes and during the compensated one as a result of treatment. A reduction of lipid and 11-oxycorticosteroid level, a rise in T-lymphocyte percentage, an increase of the lymphocyte blasttransformation reaction, and of lysosomal and phagocytic activity of monocytes followed the treatment.

The daily s. c. injections of 0.58 gamma of stilbestrol to young hemicastrated rats suppressed compensatory hypertrophy (COH), but did not influence COH in old rats. Administration of succinate (i. p. per os or into the 3d brain ventricle) or of glutamate (per os) to old rats restored estogen suppression of COH.

The data obtained previously at our laboratory have evidenced that pineal polypeptide factors enhance the sensitivity of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal complex to the inhibiting action of glucocorticoids and estrogens and show an antistressor effect and the capacity to decrease the level of insulin and triglycerides in the experiment, and also suppress the growth of transplantable mammary gland cancer. In view of this, the pineal polypeptide extract was employed in a patient with reduced indices of cellular immunity. A restoration of indices of blasttransformation reaction induced by phytohemagglutinin, an increased number of rosette-forming cells and an improved response to dinitrochlorobenzene skin test were noted.

Based on the conceptions of the relationship between energy and adaptation-immunological systems a number of hormone-metabolic indices were compared with immune reactivity as evidenced by skin tests and rosette-formation reaction. It is shown that lowering of immunological indices in oncological patients is associated with a decreased sensitivity of dexametasone suppression of cortisol, an increased concentration of 11-oxycorticosteroids in blood, a higher level of triglycerides, cholestrol, beta-lipoproteins and less glucose tolerance. The use of phenformin during 3 months in patients with atherosclerosis resulted in a considerable increase of the index of phytohemagglutinin stimulated blasttransformation of lymphocytes and rosette-formation reaction. This effect was associated with normalization of lipid metabolism indices.

Kaolin-acetone extracts from the urine of patients with cancer of the prostatic gland and uterine neck were found to contain much less quantity of antigonadotropic factor than corresponding substances from the urine of control groups of males and females. This evidences a decreased function of the epiphysis in these groups of tumor patients. Acetic acid extract from cattle epiphyses inhibits the growth of transplantable tumor of mice strain RSM.

Blood concentrations of total cholesterol, cholesterol of very high density lipoproteins (alpha-cholesterol), triglycerides, beta-lipoproteins and 11-hydroxycorticosteroids were studied in 560 patients with rectal, colon, lung, ovarian, breast and endometrial cancer as well as in 238 controls. Patients with breast and rectal cancer were examined before and repeatedly after operation (every 6-12 months within 4-5 years). The blood concentration of total cholesterol was found to be elevated in breast cancer patients and controls with fibroadenomatosis and decreased in females with ovarian cancer and males with lung cancer. The level of blood alpha-cholesterol was decreased in males with all tumor localizations under study and in females with ovarian and rectal cancer. The concentration of triglycerides was increased in women patients only. Three possible causes of dyslipidemia in cancer patients are discussed: its development before tumor manifestation, the effect of tumor on the metabolic status of the host and the role of emotional stress in the increase of triglycerides level in the blood of primary cancer patients.

It is suggested that the transforming protein (type pp60) induce "insulinization" of the cell membrane. It is mostly due to this effect that the cell sensitivity to insulin and insulin-like factors of the body internal medium is enhanced, which in turn results in the increased glucosa transport into cell. The transforming protein is also supposed to increase the activity of the glycolysis key enzymes by phosphorylating them. The presence of these two effects seems to be sufficient enough to explain "the biochemical behaviour" of the cancerous cell.

Female rats were treated with buformin, phenytoin, polypeptide pineal extract, L-DOPA or buformin combined with L-DOPA during 3 weeks before intravenous injections of DMBA (1.5 mg 6 times with one-week intervals) over a period of carcinogen injections and after it till the animals' death. The overall tumour incidence in the control group was 97%, while in buformin, phenytoin, pineal extract, L-DOPA and buformin + L-DOPA treated groups it amounted to 55, 71, 80, 50 and 62%, respectively (P < 0.05). The incidence of mammary adenocarcinoma amounted to 81, 36, 55, 26, 25 and 19%, respectively (P < 0.05). The mechanisms of the similar effects the drugs belonging to different classes produce on chemical carcinogenesis are discussed.

Estradiol-17 beta was injected into the 3rd ventricle of hemiovariectomized rats to study the sensitivity of the hypothalamic sexual centre. In aged (14--16-month-old) rats the dose of estradiol required for suppression of the compensatory ovarian hypertrophy by 50 and 100 per cent was 4--5 times greater than in young (3-month-old) rats. The results obtained suggest the age-associated increase of the threshold sensitivity of the tonic region of the hypothalamic sexual centre to estrogen suppression. These data can be used for the interpretation of the mechanism of both the age-associated elevation of gonadotropin secretion, and of the reproductive function.

A direct correlation between steroid hormone receptor level, tumor differentiation and pathogenetic pattern of tumor was established in 49 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Dynamics of tamoxifen-induced changes in progesterone receptor level proved an important criterion of hormone dependence of endometrial tumor.

The rats aged 1, 3, 12 and 15 months were intravenously injected with 10,000 of the rhabdomyosarcoma cells. 3 weeks following the injection multiple tumour clones were observed in the lungs of experimental animals, the rats aged 1 and 15 months showing a significantly greater tumour yield than those aged 3 and 12 months. The level of the mitogenic and somatomedin activity increased both in the blood serum and in the lung tissue, the activity varying with the number of tumour clones. Rhabdomyosarcoma cells, probably, synthesize and release growth factors into the blood.

It was shown that an uptake of the labeled STH in the mammary tissue of mice C3H is twice as that as in mice C57Bl, and by 40% higher than in mice CC57Br. In mammary tumors of mice C3H the label uptake was 30% higher than in mammary glands without any visible tumor. These facts may evidence that the hormone of growth take part in providing the conditions which contribute to the origination and development of mammary gland tumors.

Investigations of over 300 oncological patients and 120 healthy individuals have evidenced a considerable increase in the frequency of detecting antibodies to thyreoglobulin (in the titre 1/80 and higher) in patients with cancer of the breast, sigmoid and stomach in females and a tendency to such increase in cancer of the uterine body, and a number of other localizations.

The basal level of the androgenic and glucocorticoid hormones excretion and the level of blood glucocorticoids were studied in 237 females (52--control group, 185--cervical cancer patients) depending on the age and the ovarian function state. Also, the threshold of sensitivity of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal function complex was estimated by a dexametazone test. Healthy females were shown with progressive ageing to have a relative preponderance of glucocorticoid hormones over androgenous ones, which is also observed in cervical cancer irrespective of age group. With ageing in healthy females the threshold of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal complex sensitivity is raised, whereas in cervical cancer patients an increased threshold of the sensitivity is observed in younger age groups and is more manifest. The increased threshold of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal complex sensitivity seems to be one of the mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of such unfavourable hormonal shift (a relative predominance of glucocorticoid hormones over androgenic ones), which in its turn play a significant part in tumors origination and development.

Weekly administrations of SDMH to female rats were shown to decrease the tolerance to glucose loading, to increase the cholesterol, triglyceride and insulin levels in serum. Antidiabetic biguanide phenoformin decreases the multiplicity of SDMH-induced colon cancers and decreases their mean square value. The normalizing influence of phenoformin on the cancrophilia syndrome is suggested to be the main factor of its antitumor effect

The paper is concerned with the results of hormonal studies on virus hepatitis in 84 children aged 2 to 14, of them 28 had a mild form of disease, 50--medium grave and 6--a severe form of disease. A study was made of the blood content of ACTH, STH, TSH, cortisol, aldosterone, T3, T4, prolactin, and alpha-fetoprotein. The hormones were determined by a radioimmunoassay using Sorin kits (France). A considerable increase in the blood content of ACTH, cortisol, aldosterone and a moderate increase in STH, TSH and T4 concentrations were noted at the height of virus hepatitis. The above changes were interpreted as a result of combined manifestation of a stress reaction and a decrease in the catabolism of some liver hormones. An assumption has been made of a possibility of the effect of late hormonal shifts on the outcome of virus hepatitis of development of chronic hepatitis.

Survival was evaluated in 121 patients with breast cancer and 114 with colorectal tumors versus overweight, body surface, preoperative blood-cholesterol level, cholesterol fraction profile and blood-triglyceride and -11-hydroxycorticosteroid levels. Survival was assessed by actuarial method. In breast cancer patients, prognosis inversely correlated with overweight and preoperative blood-cholesterol level whereas in colorectal cancer--with preoperative blood-triglyceride level, and--in males--with those of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids. The prognostic significance of cancrophilia factors in cancer as well as differences in said significance for colorectal and breast tumors are discussed.

The study was conducted on 40 patients previously operated upon radically for cancer of the mammary gland, uterine body, lung and colon. All patients were explored and treated during 2-14 months. As evidenced by the data obtained, biguanides proved to be mostly effective with regard to normalization of an excessive weight in oncological patients and an impared tolerance to glucose, whereas myscleron-in cases of hyperlipemia with marked hypercholesterinemia, diphenin - in a concomitant excessive production of corticosteroids. Moreover, the pharmacological drugs concerned were shown to influence also the production of gonadotropic, steroid and thyroid hormones.

Additional non-specific therapy including levamisole and other drugs was tested in 20 patients with esophageal cancer. Complex (immuno- and chemoradiation) treatment brought immune response, lipid metabolism and cortisol level to normal, which in most cases, was in correlation with the clinical effect of therapy.