Familial biliary atresia.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Buzzi.
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The authors report the case of a patient undergoing gynecological surgery to the presence of a right ovarian mass with a maximum of diameter of 23 cm which was found to be a secondary tumour. Histologically analysis showed that this mass was the metastasis of a tumour of intestinal origin, a finding that was then confirmed by flow cytometry. The authors draw attention to the need for patients with suspected ovarian tumour to undergo preoperative diagnostic tests to evaluate the possibility of neoplastic pathology in the gastrointestinal tract in order to optimise surgery and antiblastic treatment.
BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with enhanced gastric epithelial-cell proliferation, which is thought to be involved in its apparent carcinogenicity. This hyperproliferation is believed to be related to the inflammatory effects of the bacterium. The role of Helicobacter pylori in gastric epithelial apoptosis, however, is less clear. AIM: We attempted to identify the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on apoptosis in the gastric epithelium and its possible relation to epithelial-cell proliferation and mucosal inflammation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied cell proliferation (via bromodeoxyuridine labelling), apoptosis (using in situ TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling of DNA strand breaks) and mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cell infiltrates (computer-assisted image analysis) in gastric antral biopsies obtained from 37 gastritis patients (20 Helicobacter pylori-positive, 17 Helicobacter pylori-negative). RESULTS: Helicobacter pylori-positives displayed significantly enhanced proliferation within the gastric epithelium that was positively correlated with both acute and chronic inflammatory-cell densities. Apoptotic indexes were similar in both groups and showed no correlation with any of the parameters under consideration. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced epithelial cell proliferation and an altered distribution of cycling cells within the gastric glands are a common feature of chronic superficial gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori. In vivo immunohistochemically detected apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells does not seem to be affected by Helicobacter pylori infection. Further study is needed to clarify the effect of this infection on programmed cell death within gastric glands.
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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thymosin alpha 1 (alpha 1) in treating chronic hepatitis C. Nineteen Italian patients with chronic active hepatitis C, proven by biopsy were randomly assigned to receive a six month course of thymosin alpha 1 (900 micrograms/m2 of body surface area twice weekly) or a placebo. All had HCV-RNA in their serum (by PCR), with serum ALT levels more than double the upper limit of the normal range for at least six months before enrollment. After treatment, patients were followed for an additional six months. All patients completed the trial. One patient treated with thymosin alpha 1, but no patient in the placebo group, normalized serum ALT levels by the end of the treatment. This patient, however, relapsed at the sixth month of the follow up. Overall, there were no significant changes in mean serum ALT levels in either group during the treatment or follow-up period. No patient cleared HCV-RNA. No side effects were reported except for local discomfort at the injection sites, reported by some patients treated with thymosin alpha 1. In conclusion, this regimen of thymosin alpha 1 is not effective in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
We report 2 cases of ovarian metastases of malignant melanoma arisen 4 and 6 years after the removal of the primitive epithelial neoplasia. In both cases the ovarian neoplasia was unilateral. Both the macroscopic and the histological aspects of the malignant melanoma were examined. From both cases it was clear that it was a solid neoplasia with histological aspect of wide epithelioid cells with abundant cytoplasm and intracytoplasmatic melanotic pigment. The immunohistochemical results supported positivity for protein S100, vimentine and HMB45, negativity for cytokeratine.
One ovarian mucinous cystic tumor that contained a mural solid nodule of anaplastic carcinoma is described in a 35-year-old woman. The epithelial elements consisted of invasive well differentiated mucinous carcinoma. The anaplastic nodule showed some similarities with the cells described in sarcoma and sarcoma-like mural nodules. In favor of a diagnosis of anaplastic carcinoma there are poor circumscription of the nodules, vascular invasion and absence of a prominent inflammatory reaction.
The frequency and meaning of epithelial alterations adjacent to a vulvar invasive carcinoma are examined. In the period from 1986 to 1989, 37 cases of vulvar invasive carcinoma were observed in the Bergamo Hospital (Anatomopathology Institute of Bergamo) in women aged between 54-95 years operated for vulvectomy. The vulvar epithelium adjacent to the invasive carcinoma was studied in order to determine the frequency and the type of associated lesions. Two lesions seem to be meaningfully correlated to the vulvar carcinoma: the lichen sclerosus in 59% of cases and the VIN3 of differentiated type in 35%. The identification of these epithelial lesions can serve to select the cases with increased risk to develop invasive carcinoma.
Seven cases of blue nevus of the endocervix were examined macroscopically and histologically. The endocervical blue nevus is a rare lesion which can be incidentally found in surgical pieces after hysterectomy in middle-aged women. It looks like a blue-blackish little lesion, located superficially in the submucosa of the endocervix. The immunohistochemical results are positive for Protein S100 of the nevus cells. Due of its localization in the cervical duct the lesion can be hardly identified through colposcopy. Histogenetical hypotheses are finally discussed.
Activation of the arachidonic acid metabolism seems to be one of the post-receptor mechanisms by which interferon-alpha induces antiviral protein synthesis. In this study, we evaluated the changes on serum 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase levels induced by acute administration of interferon-alpha, indomethacin and interferon-alpha plus indomethacin in 21 patients with hepatitis B or C virus chronic active hepatitis. Serum samples for 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase determination were collected in basal conditions and 8 h after the administration of interferon-alpha, indomethacin and interferon-alpha plus indomethacin. Compared to control value (mean +/- SE) (40.2 +/- 7.9 pg/dl) serum 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase concentration was significantly increased 1.5-fold after interferon-alpha (63.4 +/- 11, p < 0.001), 2.8-fold after indomethacin (115.5 +/- 21, p < 0.001) and 3.7-fold after interferon-alpha plus indomethacin (148.9 +/- 25.1, p < 0.001). When patients with different viral infections were considered separately, basal 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase concentrations were similar in both HBeAg- and HBeAb-positive patients, but about 2-fold higher in hepatitis C virus. Compared to the control value, interferon-alpha caused a 1.5-fold increase in HBeAg- and hepatitis C virus-positive and a 2-fold increase in HBeAb-positive patients. Indomethacin led to a 1.8-fold increase in HBeAg, a 2-fold increase in hepatitis C virus-positive and surprisingly a 6.8-fold increase in HBeAb-positive patients. Simultaneous administration of the two drugs had an additive effect on the 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase increase in HBeAg-positive (2.4-fold increase) and a synergistic effect in hepatitis C virus- and HBeAb-positive patients (2.7- and 10.2-fold increase, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
HIV-induced cytokine dysregulation, including overproduction of the antiproliferative and cytolytic IFN alpha cytokine, represents a major component of the immune disorders characterizing AIDS. To block the overproduction of IFN alpha we designed an AIDS vaccine combination which included both an anti-HIV and/or an anti-IFN alpha immunization. The safety and immunogenicity of this multicomponent vaccine were tested in mice, Cercopithecus, two HIV noninfected individuals, and six HIV-1 seropositive immunocompromised patients enrolled in a 1-year open clinical trial. We now report the result of a 9-month short-term randomized, blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (Phase I/II) performed in HIV-1 patients (22 individuals) to confirm safety/tolerance of the anti-IFN alpha vaccine and its immunogenicity and to evaluate whether the complex vaccine initially used could be simplified by removal of HIV component(s). Three groups of patients received inactivated IFN alpha (i-IFN alpha) associated with the immunomodulator P40 with HIV-1 antigens (groups B and C) or without (group A), and one group (D) was placebo. The clinical follow-up documented among those receiving i-IFN-alpha showed that none developed AIDS and/or required antiretroviral chemotherapy. Viral load did not increase and CD4 cell count as well as cell-mediated immunity (CMI) stabilized or even significantly increased in group A. Immunogenicity of the preparations was determined by a positive delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to i-IFN alpha and the presence of serum antibodies to i-IFN alpha and to HIV-1 peptides, occurring only in treated patients. As previously planned, based on these safety data, the trial has been extended for an additional year and all patients were switched to protocol A (i-IFN alpha+P40). This second period of the trial, now open and ongoing, should allow us to evaluate further the innocuity of the i-IFN alpha preparation and whether anti-IFN alpha vaccine could provide a long-lasting CD4 cell count as well as CMI stabilization.
Three adenomatoid tumors of the uterus were examined. These tumors arising in the uterus are often regarded as incidental findings at operation, and are sometimes not well recognized at the time of diagnosis. They are small nodular lesions in the wall of the myometrium. Microscopically they presented with four distinctive histologic types, and immunohistochemically gave positive staining for keratin and for the mesothelial marker. The immunohistochemical results support the theories of histogenesis of the adenomatoid tumor as a type of benign mesothelioma.
One case of giant-cell arteritis involving the female genital tract of a post-menopausal woman is reported. The patient was a 75 year-old female, who presented anemia, fatigue, weight loss and a palpable abdominal mass. A hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy proved multiple uterine leiomyomas. The uterus, ovaries and tubes unexpectedly revealed extensive giant-cell arteritis of small and medium sized vessels. Giant-cell arteritis of the female genital tract is a rare finding that may occur as an isolated form or as part of generalized giant cell arteritis.
One case of large solitary luteinized follicle cyst of puerperium is reported. The patient presented with a palpable adnexal mass at four weeks post-partum. The ovarian cyst was solitary and unilocular and had a diameter of 14 cm. On microscopical examination the lining of the cyst consisted of luteinized cells that exhibited focal nuclear atypicality.
In order to study the efficacy and tolerance of isradipine, a new Ca++ antagonist for the treatment of stable chronic angina, a multicentric cooperative study was carried out in eight Latin American countries (Argentine, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela), which included 169 patients (60% men and 40% women), average age 62.6 +/- 9.7. Patients with more than 4 biweekly anginal crisis were accepted, with one or more of the following inclusion criteria: coronariographic evidence of obstruction greater than 60% in one or more vessels, IAM history, positive scintigraphy and positive effort test. The trial was single-blind, with placebo during the admission phase (2 weeks) and active treatment for 12 weeks. isradipine was administered in increasing doses of 2.5, 5, and 7 mg thrice a day, according to the presence or absence of anginal crisis. It was observed that the average frequency of weekly pains decreased from 8.2 +/- 7 under placebo to 6.3 +/- 7.5 under isradipine at low doses, and to 2.0 +/- 2.0 (p less than 0.001) under maximum doses. TNT intake decreased parallel also in a significant way. At the end of the trial, 37% of patients had become asymptomatic, and angina had reduced to less than two crisis a week in 33%. A clear relation doses-effect was observed. There was no alteration in laboratory exams neither in ECG. Seven patients had complications derived from the evolutional course of disease (2 IAM, 5 unstable angina and one sudden death). Adverse events were relatively frequent and the majority derived from vasodilator effect (tibial oedema 37%, flushing 17%, headache 23%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
One case of large epidermoid cyst of the ovary is presented. This rare lesion was uniformly described previously in literature as incidental finding in the study of hysterectomy specimens.
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Bone scans with Tc + 99m phosphate were performed in 87 patients with histological diagnosis of breast cancer, in order to evaluate whether this technique was suitable in detecting small metastasis both at first staging and in follow-up. The scans were considered as: a) "malignant", when an isotope uptake in usually inactive sites and/or an increased uptake in normally active areas were demonstrated; b) "equivocal", when the uptake in normally inactive and/or in normally active sites was only moderately increased; c) "benign", when only slight uptake increase in normally active structures was detectable. The scans have been carried out before or soon after mastectomy (early scans), and repeated at 6 month intervals (N+ patients and/or malignant or equivocal scans) or at 12 month intervals. A significantly greater incidence of malignant scans was observed in stages 2 and 3 as compared to stage 1, and in stage 4 as compared to all the other stages, as well as in premenopause versus postmenopause patients.