Abstract: The present invention relates to novel methods for diagnosing benign prostatic diseases (BPD), such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, or glandular atrophy, in a male human patient without requiring a biopsy. The total prostate specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. If the patient has a total PSA level of between about 2.5 ng/ml and 10.0 ng/ml, then the free PSA level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. The proportion of free PSA to total PSA is calculated. If this proportion is equal to or greater than about 25%, then the patient is diagnosed as having BPD. Optionally, if the patient has a total PSA level of between 10.1 ng/ml and 20.0 ng/ml, then the free PSA level in the blood or serum of the patient can also be measured. The proportion of free PSA to total PSA is calculated. If this proportion is equal to or greater than about 25%, then the patient is diagnosed as having BPD.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel methods for diagnosing benign prostatic diseases (BPD), such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, or glandular atrophy, in a male human patient without requiring a biopsy. The total prostate specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. If the patient has a total PSA level of between about 2.5 ng/ml and 10.0 ng/ml, then the free PSA level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. The proportion of free PSA to total PSA is calculated. If this proportion is equal to or greater than about 25%, then the patient is diagnosed as having BPD. Optionally, if the patient has a total PSA level of between 10.1 ng/ml and 20.0 ng/ml, then the free PSA level in the blood or serum of the patient can also be measured. The proportion of free PSA to total PSA is calculated. If this proportion is equal to or greater than about 25%, then the patient is diagnosed as having BPD.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing prostatic adenocarcinoma (CAP) in a male human patient without requiring a biopsy. The total prostate specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. If the patient has a total PSA level of between 2.5 ng/ml and 20.0 ng/ml, then the free PSA level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. The proportion of free PSA to total PSA is calculated. If this proportion is less than about 7%, then the patient is diagnosed as having CAP. The present method can also be used on patients that have a total PSA of at least 10.1 ng/ml, but have also had a negative prostate biopsy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a male human patient without requiring a biopsy. The total prostate specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. If the patient has a total PSA level of between 2.5 ng/ml, (4.0 ng/ml for those 60 years or over), and 10.0 ng/ml, then the free PSA level in the blood or serum of the patient is measured. The proportion of free PSA to total PSA is calculated. If this proportion is equal to or greater than about 25%, then the patient is diagnosed as having BPH.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel methods for determining whether a patient is suitable for prostate surgery, including novel pathology reports and tissue samples. If a patient has a suspicious prostate, a needle biopsy is performed that enables one to map where a tissue anomaly lies with respect to a prostate sextant location, and how far it lies from the prostate capsule. The present method enables a physician to determine if a patient is suitable for prostate surgery, i.e., has at least one malignant tissue anomaly that has not penetrated or is not about to penetrate the prostate capsule. In a preferred form, the present method can enable the physician to determine if a nerve-sparing prostate surgery can be performed on a patient.

Abstract: This invention relates to an assembly for centrifugally separating lymphocytes and monocytes from the heavier phases in samples of human blood utilizing a liquid density gradient medium. The particular inventive subject matter concerns the use of novel partition means initially separating the liquid density gradient medium from the sample of blood and designs for such partition means.

Abstract: A substantially pure antigen found on normal and benign breast epithelial cell membranes and in breast cancer cells, fused cell hybrids which produce antibodies specific for such antigen, the monoclonal antibodies produced by such fused cell hybrids, a method for detecting the presence of breast cancer in a patient which is based on measuring the concentrations of one or more determinants of such antigen in a patient sample, and a method for either identifying those breast cancer patients whose tumors would respond to estrogen manipulation or determining prognosis based on the degree of differentiation, which method is based on measuring the concentration of an estrogen-modulated determinant of such antigen.

Abstract: This invention relates to an assembly for centrifugally separating lymphocytes and monocytes from the heavier phases in samples of human blood utilizing a liquid density gradient medium. The particular inventive subject matter concerns the use of novel partition means initially separating the liquid density gradient medium from the sample of blood and designs for such partition means.

Abstract: This invention is directed to means for inhibiting the apparent shift in the buoyant density of and/or to restore any loss in the buoyant density of the granulocytic white blood cells in a sample of blood, thereby insuring the quality of the separation of lymphocytes and monocytes from granulocytes in a blood sample. The invention comprises contacting a blood sample with a hypertonic fluid containing a low molecular weight organic or inorganic ionic substance and/or with an isotonic or hypertonic fluid containing a high molecular weight organic substance which may contain organic molecules having a lipophilic substituent in their structures and/or with a culture medium for blood cells. An integral part of the invention is an improved blood separation tube utilizing a gel-like substance having a specific gravity between 1.060-1.065 g/cm.sup.3 to significantly enhance the purity of cell separation, while providing acceptable cell yields.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method for reducing the mass of a tumor in animal tissue utilizing localized, magnetically-coupled, RF-induced hyperthermia. The method involves the implanting of a material in and/or closely adjacent to the tumor which is non-toxic to, and preferably inert to and compatible with, normal tissue and which has encapsulated therewithin ferromagnetic particles of such size, amount, composition, and ferromagnetism to develop a heating value of up to about one watt/gram, through essentially only hysteresis heating, under an applied field of about 20 but less than 200 oersteds at a frequency greater than 10 kilohertz and ranging up to about 600 kilohertz, or under an applied field of at least about 2000 oersteds and a frequency below about 40 hertz. Such heating value is sufficient to kill the tumor cells but muscle and nerve response of the animal body to the induced emf is minimized.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a noninvasive tumor treatment modality which results in a reduction of tumor mass and may lead to complete eradication of a tumor. The inventive method comprises localized magnetically-coupled, RF-induced hyperthermia mediated by a material which is non-toxic to and, preferably, compatible with animal tissue and has incorporated therewithin iron-containing crystals of such size, amount, composition, and magnetic properties to impart a coercive force of at least 200 oersteds to the material, and wherein the RF magnetic field has a frequency not in excess of about 10 kilohertz.

Abstract: Obtaining a virus subpopulation, useful in qualitative and quantitative biological assay procedures, of enhanced sensitivity toward host cells for the virus by contacting a virus population with an inanimate substrate having moieties which mimic host cell receptor sites for cell binding protein of the virus and recovering as said subpopulation the portion of the initial virus population which complexes with the substrate.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for isolating platelets, lymphocytes, and monocytes from anticoagulated blood. The method involves centrifuging at high force a sample of uncoagulated blood with a water-insoluble thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity between 1.065-1.077 g/cc for a length of time sufficient to cause the gel-like material to form a barrier between the platelets, lymphocytes, monocytes, and plasma fraction of the blood and the heavier blood cells. Thereafter, the plasma is withdrawn and the platelets, lymphocytes, and monocytes removed from above the barrier in a buffer solution. Where desired, the platelets can be separated from the lymphocytes and monocytes utilizing a similar process but wherein the water-insoluble thixotropic gel-like material has a specific gravity of less than about 1.055 g/cc.