Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Ferraro.
The authors report 12 cases of osteoid osteoma of the elbow. They emphasize the peculiarity of the clinical, radiographic and histological pictures and discuss the criteria for differential diagnosis with other tumours, pseudotumours and inflammatory lesions of bone. The results obtained are discussed in the light of data emerging from a review of the literature on the subject.
An immunohistological analysis with a panel of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies was performed in 20 cases of squamous cell carcinoma originating in the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx. The epithelial antigens were detected in all cases with variable patterns of positivity: cytokeratins and epithelial membrane antigen were positive in a high number of neoplastic cells in the carcinomas with a high grade of differentiation, whereas a lesser number of positive cells was observed in the poorly differentiated carcinomas. On the contrary the tissue polypeptide antigen was detected in a considerable number of neoplastic cells in the poorly differentiated carcinomas as well as in the fields with basal and cylindric cells. Mesenchymal antigens were negative in all tumors, except one case with pseudosarcomatous patterns, which was vimentin-positive. The detection of an immunohistochemical spectrum of squamous cell carcinomas may give further information on the biological characteristics, and consent to identify subtypes with a different histogenesis.
Chromatin glycoproteins recognized by Concanavalin A have been isolated from pig liver, kidney and heart by the use of immobilized lectin. Two groups of proteins differing in affinity for DNA have been analysed. Glycoproteins are mainly present in the group of proteins which are tightly bound to DNA. Mono and bidimensional electrophoretic patterns of total tightly bound proteins reveal a similarity among the three organs examined, while the corresponding patterns of the glycoproteins are typical for each organ. The tissue specificity of chromatin glycoproteins, together with their capability to interact not only with DNA but possibly also with other nuclear components, suggest a role for these proteins in the mechanism of genome expression.
Microcalorimetric titrations of whole chromatin and histones with sodium dodecylsulfate were performed at pH 7 and 25 degrees C. Enthalpy variations at low detergent concentration (less than 0.02%) are much more negative for histones than for chromatin. At 0.065% sodium dodecylsulfate the difference between the two curves becomes constant and, after correction for monomerization effects, amounts to +130 kcal/mol of nucleosomal unit. Core particles show heat effects similar to those of histones. These findings suggest that the chromatin structure is not stabilized exclusively by electrostatic interactions and that hydrogen bonds responsible for the additional stability may be contributed by non histone chromatin proteins.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Total half-cystine residues in proteins of pig liver chromatin have been measured. About half of them are present in the reduced state. Thiol groups of non-histone chromatin proteins, which amount to about 40 nmol/mg of protein, are preferentially located in chromatin fragments which are more easily solubilised either by DNAse I or by DNAse II. The data obtained are compatible with an involvement of SH and SS groups in chromatin structure and function.
In order to stress the role of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of benign spinal osteoblastoma, the authors examined by CT 10 patients with surgically and histologically proved osteoblastomas of the spine. Basing on surgical and histopathological findings CT proved to be a very important method for attesting the presence of the tumors (usually showed by radiographic examination), and specially for their staging and follow-up. CT in fact showed the real extent of the tumor into the spinal canal and towards the paraspinal soft tissues, and allowed the early detection of post surgical relapses. The authors conclude that CT is a primary diagnostic modality for preoperative planning and follow-up of benign osteoblastoma.
The interaction of bisbenzimide (Hoechst 33258) with DNA has been studied by microcalorimetry, fluorimetry and fluorescence polarization measurements. The binding does not involve intercalation, takes place in at least two modes and occurs in the major groove at low dye/DNA molar ratio (first mode of binding), in agreement with previous proposals by other Authors. Furthermore it has been shown that i) at high dye/DNA molar ratio the binding (second mode) occurs in both grooves; ii) at pH 7.0 the protonation of a dye nitrogen accompanies the binding in both modes; iii) the quantum yield of the dye-DNA complex is sensitive to the DNA conformation change caused by an increase in ionic strength. Basically the same type of binding takes place on chromatin, as detected by calorimetry. However, at high dye/DNA molar ratio about 30% of DNA is not accessible to the dye. The decreased accessibility appears to be mainly related to the nucleosomal structure of chromatin.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The authors report 3 cases of gastric reticulum cell sarcoma upon 58 tumours of stomach observed in the period 1975-1978. They examine the anatomopathological aspects in conformity with the last classification, they dispute about the clinical aspects and they accentuate the difficulty whether clinical or instrumental to succeed in an early diagnosis but they confirm also the opinion a surgical therapy extremely aggressive in sole possible. This therapy aggressive, eventually associated with the irradiation therapy and sometimes with the chemotherapy, makes the prognosis of types of tumours remarkably better than forms carcinomatous.
The non-histone chromatin proteins (NHCp) from pig liver and kidney have been partially fractionated in non-denaturing conditions by the use of histone H3 immobilized on agarose and the fractions obtained have been analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid analysis. At least six different fractions have been obtained by successive increases of the ionic strength of the medium. Few NHCp have been evidentiated with subunit molecular weights 55,000 and less than 30,000, which diaplay a remarkably high affinity for histone H3, and require 5 M urea to be displaced from the immobilized histone. The elution patterns of the NHCp from liver and kidney, although very similar, reveal some significant differences between the two tissues, which are undetectable by SDS-electrophoresis and which are most likely due to tissue specific proteins. This histone-affinity chromatography appears to be a promising approach for the analysis of specific histone-NHCp interactions, and as a first step for NHCp purification.
The greater omentum is good plastic material and supplies richly vascularized connective tissue for transplants. Some superficial and deep lesions of the soft tissues require extensive excision, and in favorable cases it is possible to use the greater omentum pedicled as described by Kiricuta. Two such cases are reported. In other cases a free transplant of omentum revascularized by microsurgical methods has to be used. This procedure was employed in ten patients and allowed repair of lesions with wide or deep loss of tissue under excellent conditions. An intermediate saphenous graft was necessary in one case. A dermoepidermal graft was applied at the same time in order to obtain results more rapidly. Progress made in microsurgical techniques has allowed omentum revascularization to be carried out under much safer conditions and this procedure should be employed more frequently.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.