No abstract

Fatty acids are required for the growth of Pityrosporum ovule (Bizzozero) Castellani et Chalmers ; myristate or palmitate satisfies this requirement. Oleate increases the crop of organism in a medium containing limiting concentrations of myristate or palmitate. When [ l-14C]-myristate was added to the medium the cells of P . ovale contained myristate, palmitate, stearate, oleate and linoleate with approximately the same molar specific radioactivity as myristate. Thus P. ovak can synthesize both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of higher molecular weight from myristate.

No abstract

Neoplastic growths seem to interfere with normal processes regulating the serum level of ceruloplasmin, a copper-containing oxidase, which accounts for 96% of serum copper. Normal catabolism of ceruloplasmin in the liver follows desialylation. However, in patients with tumors, ceruloplasmin may be resialylated at the tumor cell surface or in peripheral blood. Decreased catabolism due to resialylation of asialo-ceruloplasmin could account for the increased concentration of serum copper noted in patients with neoplasia.

Serum copper levels (SCL) and serum zinc levels (SZL) were evaluated in 19 patients with sarcomas, 12 of which were osteosarcomas a t various stages. Patients with primary or metastatic osteosarcoma h a d elevated SCL, whereas amputated osteosarcoma patients who were clinically tumor-free had nearly normal SCL. Patients with primary osteosarcoma had elevated SZL, those with metastases had depressed zinc levels, and amputated patients who were clinically tumor-free had nearly normal SZL. Thus, the ratio of SCL:SZL in metastatic osteosarcoma patients is higher than in patients with primary osteosarcoma. SCL a n d SZL are compared to clinical histories for selected patients. Patients with the more advanced disease and poorest prognoses had the most elevated SCL a n d highest SCL:SZL ratios. I t appears that the determination of SCL a n d SZL in osteosarcoma patients may be of value in prognosis and therapy evaluation; furthermore, the ratio of SCL:SZL may be useful in discriminating between patients with primary a n d metastatic osteosarcoma.