Use of a cDNA-based sequencing method to determine the status of the p53 gene in primary breast cancers yielded better prognostic information than IHC performed with the Pab 1801 monoclonal antibody.

c-erbB-2 protein overexpression may have a predictive value with regard to adjuvant therapy in node-positive patients, for whom adjuvant tamoxifen with radiotherapy appears insufficient in the presence of c-erbB-2 overexpression. Combination of conventional and newer tumor markers may identify patients with a worse prognosis within groups with a generally favorable prognosis.

The present investigation demonstrates that CDKN2A germline gene mutations were observed in 7.8% of the 64 Swedish melanoma kindreds that each included at least two first-degree relatives with melanoma and dysplastic nevus syndrome. No CDKN2A exon 1beta or CDKN2B mutations were identified. The critical genes responsible for the inheritance of a susceptibility to develop melanoma among family members in this population have yet to be identified.

SummaryEighty‐two children with food sensitivity were followed‐up for 2‐5 years. Most children showed a decreasing sensitivity and the clinical course of food allergy seemed to reflect the course of the humoral immune responses to the offending foods. The occurrence of IgE‐ and IgG‐antibodies parallelled in most cases. However, an early, high IgG/IgE food antibody ratio seemed to be a good prognostic sign, indicating a possible blocking capacity of IgG‐antibodies.

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The peptic fragments F(ab')2 and Fc" of human polyclonal IgE were tested by the SpA-IgE radioimmunoassay for interaction with protein A from Staphylococcus aureus. The Fab'2 epsilon fragment but not the Fc" epsilon fragment retained the ability to react with protein A. IgG preparations from different species were tested for ther capacity to inhibit the reaction between 125I-IgE and protein A. IgG preparations from man and the dog, pig, guinea-pig and rhesus monkey were all potent inhibitors whereas those from the rabbit, rat, sheep, horse, cow, goat and mouse were very poor inhibitors. The inhibition of the binding of 125I-IgE to protein A by Fab'2 gamma fragments, but not by Fc gamma fragments, suggests a novel type of interaction of protein A with immunoglobulins.

An IgG type of antibody directed against IgE has been studied in serum from healthy and allergic individuals. The technique used is based on adsorption of the IgG fraction in serum to protein A-Sepharose followed by reacting any specific antibody with ¹²⁵I-IgE. The anti-IgE antibodies were partially blocked by endogenous IgE, indicating the presence of IgE-containing immune complexes in serum. Heating of serum to 56 °C disrupted the immune complexes, thereby facilitating the detection of anti-IgE antibodies. The antibodies were essentially directed against the heat-labile Dε2 antigen. Significantly raised (p < 0.001) levels of anti-IgE antibodies were found in patients suffering from allergic asthma, as compared with non-allergic blood donors.

Mutational analyses of the p53 gene, using cDNA sequencing in colorectal cancer, provide useful prognostic information. In addition, cDNA sequencing gives better prognostic information than IHC assessment of p53 protein overexpression.