No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

VITAMIN B J 2 AND NITROGEN BALANCEfrom one patient immediately before injection of the nitrogen mustard, 5 minutes after injection but before tourniquets were released, 2 minutes after tourniquets were released, and 3 hours after treatment was completed. KO significant change occurred. The titers, in the order in which the specimens were taken, were 0.0058 ml, 0.0061 ml, 0.0060 ml, and 0.0062 i d per 50% hemolysis unit.This study indicates that in the neoplastic diseases studied there is no consistent deviation of complement activity from normal. although greater variability may occur than in normals. In a series of patients vith various infectious diseases, Ecker ct d. ( 6 ) had similar findings. These workers, however. found frequent high complement titers in streptococcus and pneumococcus infections. and frequent low titers in meningo-COCCLIS meningitis, which differences they felt to be significant. Dulaney ( 5 ) has reported frequent low complement titers in malaria. Ecker c.t a!.(6) reported a possible relationship of complement to severity of illness and serum protein concentration, but no relation to fever or leukocytosis. In the present work serum proteins were not studied, but there was no apparent relation between complement titer and extensiveness of disease, fever, de- DisczIssioiz.gree of debility, leukocyte count, or transfusions.The results of the present in vitro experiments with nitrogen mustard and human complement are in general agreement with the results reported with guinea pig complement by Watkins and Wormall(1). The absence of any change in complement titer following clinical use of nijtrogen mustard is what would be expected from a consideration of the in ztitro studies: since the concentrations of mustard attained in patients are far below those which destroyed complement in vitro.Conclusions. The mean serum complement titers of patients with various neoplastic diseases did not differ significantly from that for normal adults. The range of complement values was greater among cancer patients than among normals, but the erratic titers did not appear to be related to clinical status. No depression of human complement titer was observed following the clinical use of nitrogen mustard and x-ray in maximal dosage. Human complement is inactivated by high concentrations of nitrogen mustard in vitro, but not by concentrations in the range which is achieved in clinical usage.

No abstract