Interleukin-2/interferon-α2a/13-retinoic acid-based chemoimmunotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma: results of a prospectively randomised trial of the German Cooperative Renal Carcinoma Chemoimmunotherapy Group (DGCIN)

We performed a prospectively randomised clinical trial to compare the efficacy of four subcutaneous interleukin-2-(sc-IL-2) and sc interferon-α2a (sc-IFN-α2a)-based outpatient regimens in 379 patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Patients with lung metastases, an erythrocyte sedimentation rate ⩽70 mm h−1 and neutrophil counts ⩽6000 μl−1 (group I) were randomised to arm A: sc-IL-2, sc-IFN-α2a, peroral 13-cis-retinoic acid (po-13cRA) (n=78), or arm B: arm A plus inhaled-IL-2 (n=65). All others (group II) were randomised to arm C: arm A plus intravenous 5-fluorouracil (iv-5-FU) (n=116), or arm D: arm A plus po-Capecitabine (n=120). Median overall survival (OS) was 22 months (arm A; 3-year OS: 29.7%) and 18 months (arm B; 3-year OS: 29.2%) in group I, and 18 months (arm C; 3-year OS: 25.7%) and 16 months (arm D; 3-year OS: 32.6%) in group II. There were no statistically significant differences in OS, progression-free survival, and objective response between arms A and B, and between arms C and D, respectively. Given the known therapeutic efficacy of sc-IL-2/sc-INF-α2a/po-13cRA-based outpatient chemoimmunotherapies, our results did not establish survival advantages in favour of po-Capecitabine vs iv-5-FU, and in favour of short-term inhaled-IL-2 in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma receiving systemic cytokines

Sperm storage and duration of fertility in female ostriches (Struthio camelus)

CITATION: Malecki, I. A. 2004. Sperm storage and duration of fertility in female ostriches (Struthio camelus). South African Journal of Animal Science, 34(3):158-165.The original publication is available at https://www.sasas.co.zaIn two experiments, one carried in South Africa and the other in Western Australia, the duration of sperm storage and the fertile period following separation of sexes were investigated by egg break-out and by counting the sperm in the perivitelline membrane (spermOPVL) above the germinal disc (GD) region. Fertilisation status was determined by the appearance of the GD. The perivitelline membrane above the GD was collected to count sperm under fluorescence following staining with 4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenyindole (DAPI). In both experiments, after the males were removed, the rate of lay declined by about 50% within a week. Following separation, spermOPVL were detected for up to four weeks and fertilised eggs were laid for nearly the same duration. The loss of sperm followed an approximately logarithmic function and sperm numbers declined at rates similar to that of the turkey. Since the duration of sperm storage was longer than indicated by clutch duration, ostrich clutch size might be larger than reported or female ostriches might store sperm for up to two clutches. Fertilisation rate in ostrich eggs is high because most eggs contain excessive numbers of sperm and very low numbers of sperm appear sufficient to achieve fertilisation.https://www.sasas.co.za/journals/sperm-storage-and-duration-of-fertility-in-female-ostriches-struthio-camelus/Publisher's versio