Main description:

The Third Annual Symposium on Health Sciences attracted over 400 scientists from 15 countries. It was held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The theme of this meeting was "Thymic Hormones and Lymphokines: Basic Chem istry and Clinical Applications." The meeting emphasized the state of the art with regard to chemistry, mech anism of action, and clinical applications of thymic hormones and lymphokines. In addition to the five sessions, the chairmen of each session were asked to prepare a synthesis and overview of each of the sessions. Some of the chairmen used this time to summarize the new material presented while others addressed important areas of conflict and terminology. The chairmen of the plenary sessions prepared short summary papers which have been incorporated into this volume at the end of each major section. We also invited several of the scientists who took part in the poster presentations to submit short papers. In addition to the scientific sessions, there were two awards and lectures. One, the Abraham White Distinguished Science Award, was given to Dr. Robert C. Gallo, who gave the keynote lecture. He was recognized for his pioneering research and scientific contributions to our understanding of the regulation of hematopoietic cell differentiation and the role of viruses in the development of human leukemias.

Contents:

Opening Remarks-Human T-Cell Growth Factor, Growth of Human Neoplastic T Cells, and Human T-Cell Leukemia-Lymphoma Virus.- I-Thymic Hormones.- 1. Thymosins: Isolation, Structural Studies, and Biological Activities.- 2. Thymulin: New Biochemical Aspects.- 3. Use of Monoclonal Antibodies to Identify Antigens of Human Endocrine Thymic Epithelium.- 4. Abnormal Levels of Thymosin ?1 and the Destruction of the Thymus Gland in the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.- 5. Thymic Epithelial Injury in the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.- 6. Increased Thymosin Levels Associated with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.- 7. Thymosin ?4: Distribution and Biosynthesis in Vertebrate Cells and Tissues.- 8. The Finding and Significance of Spermidine and Spermine in Thymic Tissue and Extracts.- 9. Synthetic Small Thymic Peptides: An Immunoregulatory Concept.- 10. Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes Bear Markers for Thymosins (?1, ?7, ?4).- 11. Thymosin ?4 Is Present in a Subset of Oligodendrocytes in the Normal Human Brain.- 12. The Synthesis and Physical Properties of Thymosin ?1 and Its Analogs Prepared by Fragment Condensation.- 13. Immonocytochemical Localization of Thymosin and Thymopoietin in Human, Rat, and Murine Thymus.- 14. Thymus- and Spleen-Derived Immunosuppressive Peptides.- 15. Production of a Thymosin ?1-like Material by T-Cell Lymphomas.- 16. Purification and Characterization of an Immunoreactive Thymosin ?1 from Human Blood: Evidence for a Thymosin ?1 Carrier Protein.- I Summary-Thymic Hormones.- II-Lymphokines.- 17. Characterization of Immunoaffinity-Purified Human T-Cell Growth Factor from JURKAT Cells.- 18. The Use of Lymphoid Cells Expanded in IL-2 for the Adoptive Immunotherapy of Murine and Human Tumors.- 19. Biochemical and Biological Properties of Interleukin-3.- 20. Lymphotoxins, a Multicomponent Family of Effector Molecules: Purification of Human ?-Lymphotoxin from a Cloned Continuous Lymphoblastoid Cell Line IR 3.4 to Homogeneity.- 21. Chemical and Biological Properties of Human Lymphotoxin.- 22. T-Cell Growth Factor: Purification, Interaction with a Cellular Receptor, and in Vitro Synthesis.- 23. Demonstration and Characterization of Human Intracellular Interleukin-1.- 24. Silicic Acid Batch Adsorption Procedure for the Partial Purification of Interleukin-2 from Cultures of Primary Lymphocytes and Long-Term T-Cell Lines.- 25. TCGF (IL-2) Receptor (Tac Antigen) on ATL and Non-ATL Leukemic Cells.- II Summary-Chemistry and Biological Activity of Lymphokines.- III-Mechanism of Action and Immune Regulation.- 26. Lymphocyte Proliferation, Lymphokine Production, and Lymphocyte Receptors in Aging.- 27. Augmentation of Antibody Synthesis in Vitro by Thymosin Fraction 5: The Influence of Age.- 28. The Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies to Lymphokines.- 29. Modulatory Interactions between the Central Nervous System and the Immune System: A Role for Thymosin and Lymphokines.- 30. Effects of Thymic Peptides on Hypothalamic-Pituitary Function.- 31. Biochemistry of Lymphokine Action on Macrophages: Modulation of Macrophage Superoxide Production by Lymphokine.- 32. Modulation of Macrophage Phenotypes by Migration Inhibitory Factors.- 33. The Anticancer Action of Lymphotoxin.- 34. Pituitary Responses to Acute Administration of Thymosin and to Thymectomy in Prepubertal Primates.- 35. Expression of T-Cell Markers on Chicken Bone Marrow Precursor Cells Incubated with an Avian Thymic Hormone.- 36. Transferrin Receptor Induction in Mitogen-Stimulated Human T Lymphocytes Is Required for DNA Synthesis and Cell Division and Is Regulated by Interleukin-2 (TCGF).- III-Chairman's Essay: The Relationship of Terminology to Conceptualization.- IV-Pharmacology and in Vivo Action.- 37. Phase I Trial of Intravenous Lymphokine MAF.- 38. Interaction of Thymic Hormones with Prostaglandins.- 39. A Small-Molecular-Weight Growth Inhibitory Factor (SGIF) in Stationary-Phase Supernatants of Tissue Cultures: A Preliminary Report.- 40. Efficacy of Thymosin ?1 in Animal Models.- 41. The in Vivo Effect of Thymosin on Cell-Mediated Immunity.- 42. Effect of Thymosin ?1 on Immunoregulatory T Lymphocytes.- 43. Treatment of the Diabetic, Autoimmune db/db Mouse with Thymosin.- 44. Role of Thymosin Fraction 5 in Host Defenses to Leukemia in Nutritionally Stressed Mice.- 45. Tumor Growth, Interleukins, and Immune Complexes.- 46. Interleukin-3 Production and Action in Tumor-Bearing Hosts.- 47. Lymphokine-Mediated Enhancement of Antibody Formation by Leukemic Cells.- IV Summary-Pharmacology and in Vivo Actions.- V-Clinical Applications.- 48. A Phase I Trial of Immune Interferon: A Preliminary Report.- 49. The Response of Tumor-Bearing Patients to the Injection of Lymphoid Cell Line Lymphokine.- 50. Clinical Studies of Lymphoid Cell Lymphokines in 102 Patients with Malignant Solid Tumors.- 51. Regulation of T-Cell Proliferation by Interleukin-2 in Male Homosexuals with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.- 52. Incorporation of Porcine Thymic Peptides into the Treatment of Fulminant Viral Hepatitis.- 53. Use of Porcine Thymic Immunomodulator in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B.- 54. Biological Properties and Clinical Use of Calf Thymus Extract TFX-Polfa.- 55. Role of Thymostimulin (TP-1) as an Immunomodulator in Hodgkin's Disease.- 56. Thymosin Fraction 5 Treatment of Patients with Cellular Immunodeficiency Disorders.- 57. Effect of Thymosin on in Vitro Immune Function in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.- 58. Phase I Trial Using Thymosin Fraction 5 in Renal Cancer: NCOG Report.- 59. Clinical Aspects of Thymulin (FTS).- 60. An Evaluation of Two Different Schedules of Synthetic Thymosin ?1 Administration in Patients with Lung Cancer: Preliminary Results.- 61. Effect of Thymosin Fraction 5 on Purine Enzymes and Surface Markers in Lymphocytes from Normal Individuals and Homosexuals with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.- 62. Demonstration of a Block at an Early Stage of T-Cell Differentiation in Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease.- V Summary-Clinical Applications.- Participants.