Biomedical subjects

F C Ho

Publications and source records attributed to F C Ho.

76 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Presence of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in nasal lymphomas of B and 'T' cell type.

We studied 12 tumours from 11 Chinese patients with primary nasal lymphoma for presence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA, using Southern-blot analysis. These results were correlated with immunophenotype and T-cell receptor (TcR) or immunoglobulin gene rearrangement patterns. EBV DNA was detected in all nine tumours with a 'T' phenotype, in both primary and secondary sites. When the structure of the viral genomic termini was studied using the EcoRI-Dhet probe, a single clonal episomal band was demonstrated in five tumour samples, with one other case showing a biclonal pattern. However, none of these cases showed clonal rearrangement of TcR beta chain gene, and TcR gamma rearrangement was found only in one. The lineage of these phenotypic 'T' lymphomas therefore require further studies for confirmation. Two out of three B-lymphomas were also EBV DNA+; clonal EBV DNA was found in one. Their B-lineage was confirmed by detection of clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements. The association of EBV with an increasing number of lymphomas of different types highlights the need for continued study into its role in oncogenesis.

Blotting, Southern↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intensive chemotherapy for peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

Forty-two patients with previously untreated peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) were treated with an intensive chemotherapy protocol. Either the BACOP or the m-BACOD regimen was used for induction. Patients achieving complete clinical remission after three courses were given intensive consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy similar to the L10/L17M protocol designed by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Group for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma. There were 27 (64 per cent) males and 15 (36 per cent) females. The median age was 54 years (mean 53, range 15 to 68). Seven of them (17 per cent) had stage I disease, four (10 per cent) stage II, seven (17 per cent) stage III and 24 (57 per cent) stage IV. Eighteen patients (43 per cent) had B symptoms and four (10 per cent) had bulky disease. According to the Working Formulation, the histology was diffuse mixed in 16 patients (38 per cent), diffuse large cell in 18 (43 per cent), diffuse immunoblastic in four (10 per cent) and unclassifiable in four (10 per cent). According to a modified Japanese Lymphoma Study Group's classification, the histology in 24 patients (57 per cent) was the pleomorphic type, in 13 (31 per cent) immunoblastic-lymphadenopathy-like (IBL-like), and in five (12 per cent) unclassifiable. The overall complete remission rate was 67 per cent. Twenty-five per cent of the complete responders relapsed and the DFS of the CR patients was 62 per cent at three years. The overall survival of all patients at three years was 52 per cent. Patients with stage I, II and III disease had significantly better CR rate (100 per cent versus 42 per cent, p = 0.001) and overall survival (82 per cent versus 35 per cent at three years, p = 0.01) than those with stage IV disease but the relapse rate and DFS of CR patients were similar. This study shows that the prognosis of patients with PTCL can be improved by intensive therapy.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic factors for primary gastrointestinal lymphoma.

The gastrointestinal tract is a common primary extranodal site for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. There is however no uniform consensus on its pathological classification, clinical staging system and management. This paper reports the experience in the management of 425 Chinese patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma in Hong Kong from January 1975 to June 1993. There were 230 (54 per cent) males and 195 (46 per cent) females. Their median age was 53 years. The primary sites were: the esophagus in three (1 per cent), stomach in 238 (56 per cent), small intestine in 131 (31 per cent) and large intestine in 53 (12 per cent). According to the Working Formulation, there were 20 (4.7 per cent) small lymphocytic, 10 (2.4 per cent) follicular small cleaved cell, 15 (3.5 per cent) follicular mixed, five (1.2 per cent) follicular large cell, 40 (9.4 per cent) diffuse small cleaved cell, 50 (12 per cent) diffuse mixed, 181 (43 per cent) diffuse large cell, 30 (7.1 per cent) immunoblastic, five (1.2 per cent) lymphoblastic, 10 (2.4 per cent) diffuse small non-cleaved cell and 50 (14 per cent) unclassifiable lymphoma. Immunophenotyping was performed in 199 (47 per cent) patients: 90 per cent B-cell, 7 per cent T-cell and 3 per cent uncertain. According to a Manchester system, 81 (19 per cent) patients had stage I disease, 44 (10 per cent) stage II, 85 (20 per cent) stage III and 215 (51 per cent) stage IV. B symptoms were present in 275 (65 per cent) patients and bulky disease in 104 (25 per cent). Surgery followed by chemotherapy was the mainstay of treatment. Of the 408 patients treated, 63 per cent had a complete remission with relapse rate of 42 per cent. For those with complete remission, 47 per cent were free from disease at 5 years. The overall median survival of all patients was 45 per cent at 5 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that significant independent prognostic factors predicting better survival were young age of < 60 years, low grade histology, stage I and II disease and absence of bulky tumour. For gastric lymphoma, aggressive surgery did not significantly improve their outcome. Chemotherapy appears to play an important role in the management of gastrointestinal lymphoma. Better classification of the primary gastrointestinal lymphoma and more refined stratification of the patients according to the prognostic variables may allow individualization of treatment. Prospective randomized studies are essential to define the relative roles of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic marriage and divorce in Hawaii.

A comparison of intra- and inter-ethnic divorce rates in Hawaii showed that inter-ethnic marriages resulted in a higher proportion of divorces than did intra-ethnic marriages when the marriage data used had to do with all marriages occurring in Hawaii. However, a sizeable portion of marriages in Hawaii are of nonresidents who, if they divorce, probably divorce elsewhere. Nonresident marriages are chiefly intra-ethnic marriages of Caucasians. When examining the proportions of divorces to resident marriages, within-group marriages are more at risk than inter-ethnic marriages. As in prior research, persons who marry members of other racial/ethnic groups tend to marry persons from groups with income levels similar to their own. As in previous reports, some cross-ethnic combinations appeared more at risk for divorce than did others. Group income appeared to be a predictor of risk. When considering only resident marriages as related to divorces, those marriages in which the bride was from a higher income group than the groom were at a significantly greater risk for divorce than marriage in which the bride came from an income group lower than that of the groom.

Divorce↗