Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Riccardi

Publications and source records attributed to A Riccardi.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

High-degree abnormalities of nuclear DNA distribution in SIg negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia with vacuolated blasts.

Among 65 consecutive patients with untreated adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), six had peculiar clinical and cytologic features. Bone marrow and circulating blasts were large and showed prominent vacuolization, with variable degree of granular periodic acid-Schiff positivity in the cytoplasm. All patients had marked spleen and liver enlargement with cholestasis and without either lymph node or central nervous system disease. They achieved complete response to chemotherapy, and their median survival was longer than 12 months. Blast cells were studied for immunologic markers, propidium iodide flow cytofluorometric DNA content, and in vitro tritiated thymidine labeling index (3H-TdR LI). These showed a "null" phenotype in two cases, contained intracytoplasmic immunoglobulins (Cy mu) in two and were positive for CALL and Ia antigens in two others (one of which also contained Cy mu). Surface immunoglobulins (SIg) were found on less than 12% of cells, and T-cell markers were absent. In five cases, one or two stem lines with highly abnormal modal DNA content were found to coexist with diploid blasts. The 3H-TdR LI was high (8.5%-15.5%). Abnormal cell lines, after being cleared by chemotherapy, were found again at relapse. Additional cell lines appeared during the course of the disease in one patient, having different sensitivity to cytostatics. These cases of ALL apparently derive from B-cells not yet expressing SIg and have an exceptionally high incidence of aneuploid cell lines.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Multisystemic disease with intracranial hypertension and autoimmune cytopenia in chronic active hepatitis.

A 14-year-old girl with postinfectious chronic hepatitis developed a life threatening autoimmune multisystemic illness with arthralgias, intracranial hypertension, Coomb's positive hemolytic anemia and hemorrhagic diathesis (due to antiplatelet and antifactor X antibodies). Mannitol and immunosuppressive therapy abolished acute symptoms. During the first year of follow-up, two attempts of decreasing prednisone below 15 mg/day caused recurrence of the hemolytic anemia and appearance of low titer antinuclear antibodies, while doses above 15 mg/day caused an increase in transaminase levels. Daily prednisone dose was therefore fixed at 15 mg. The patient was well and, although signs of mild hemolysis persisted, there was no anemia. Transaminases were found greatly elevated on two occasions. An autoimmune multisystemic steroid sensitive disease was seemingly initiated by a postinfectious steroid irresponsive chronic hepatitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Peptichemio, vincristine and prednisone versus melphalan and prednisone as induction therapy in multiple myeloma.

Seventy-five patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma were randomly treated with the association of Peptichemio, Vincristine and prednisone (PTC-VCR-P) or of melphalan and P (MPH-P) for first induction therapy. After induction, all responsive patients received MPH and P until relapse, while unresponsive patients received it until unequivocal evidence of disease progression was observed. A second induction therapy with PTC-VCR-P was then administered, except to patients resistant to this association at first induction (who received combination chemotherapy which included cyclophosphamide and adriamycin). The response rate was 58% in the PTC-VCR-P and 41% in the MPH-P group (P greater than 0.05). The PTC-VCR-P responsive patients experienced a median duration of response shorter than MPH-P responsive patients (20.3 vs 39.7, P = 0.041). Median survival from the start of treatment was 26.2 months in the PTC-VCR-P and 54.1 months in the MPH-P group of patients (P = 0.039). Stage I and II myelomas had the same response rate to PTC-VCR-P and to MPH-P, but their survival was shorter on PTC-VCR-P than on MPH-P (P = 0.014). Stage III myelomas responded more frequently to PTC-VCR-P than to MPH-P (P less than 0.02) and there was a trend to survive longer on PTC-VCR-P than on MPH-P (22.0 vs 12.5 months, P greater than 0.05).

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1986

Complete remission in plasma cell leukaemia.

Two patients with primary plasma cell leukaemia who achieved complete remission are reported. They were treated with induction therapy consisting of a multipeptide derivative of sarcolysin, Peptichemio, given intravenously, combined with vincristine and/or prednisone, followed by conventional melphalan-prednisone therapy. 5-7 months following the beginning of therapy, both patients attained a complete remission which lasted 23 and 6 months; second remission was not achieved. Survival from starting therapy was 57 and 16 months respectively. These cases indicate that intravenous alkylating agents can induce a complete remission in plasma cell leukaemia similar to that achieved in other acute leukaemias.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Rate and time of DNA synthesis of human leukaemic blasts in bone marrow and peripheral blood.

We have evaluated DNA synthesis rate (S rate) and time (Ts) and tritiated thymidine labelling index (LI) of peripheral blood (PB) and/or bone marrow (BM) leukaemic blasts (Bl) in nineteen cases of acute leukaemia (twelve non-lymphoblastic, AnLL, and seven lymphoblastic, ALL), in one case of non-Hodgkin's leukaemic lymphoma and in a case of plasma cell leukaemia. The LI of PB-Bl was significantly lower than that of BM-Bl (range 0.1-6.2% and 1.9-19.5%, respectively; P less than 0.01). The S rate was higher for PB-Bl than for BM-Bl (range 3.5-11.3 and 2.5-9.5 mol X 10(-18)/min; P less than 0.02) and the Ts of PB-Bl was shorter than that of BM-Bl (range 7.6-22.1 and 10.8-34.7 hr, respectively; P less than 0.02). In eight cases where S rates of both BM-Bl and PB-Bl were available, a linear correlation (r = 0.82; P less than 0.01) was found between the two parameters. This suggests that the DNA synthetic rate is a property of the leukaemic cell line in individual patients and differs from case to case. It further indicates that the environmental influences on the DNA synthesis rate in BM or PB are always of the same order of magnitude. From the results of this study we speculate that the DNA synthesis rate of leukaemic blasts is slowed down in the BM by environmental factors such as cell density.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Adult acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia: reliability and prognostic significance of pretreatment bone marrow S-phase size determined by flow cytofluorometry.

46 adult patients with non-lymphoblastic acute leukaemia (AnLL) had pretreatment proliferative activity of bone marrow (BM) blasts determined simultaneously with propidium iodide DNA flow cytofluorometry (as the percentage of cells with DNA content intermediate between the diploid and the tetraploid values, 2n-4n cell %) and in vitro tritiated thymidine cytoautoradiography (as the labelling index, LI). They were then treated with the same chemotherapy regimen, including 2-3 courses of sequential vincristine, arabinosylcytosine and adriamycin, for response induction, and monthly courses of different cytostatics for maintenance. Median 2n-4n cell % was 9.9 and median LI was 5.9. A close linear relationship (r = 0.913, p less than 0.001) between the two parameters was found. Patients having a 2n-4n cell % greater than 15.6 responded more often to chemotherapy than patients having a lower percentage (p less than 0.05) but also experienced a shorter duration of first response (p less than 0.05). Overall survival was longer in patients with 2n-4n cell % greater than 15.6 (p less than 0.02). Multiple regression analysis indicates that 2n-4n cell % is a statistically significant (p less than 0.05) independent factor correlating with duration of response in adult AnLL.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Analysis of human myeloma cell population kinetics.

Pretreatment plasma cell 3H-thymidine labeling index (LI) was related to chemotherapy response in 37 multiple myeloma patients treated with alkylating agents. Response rate did not significantly differ in patients with high (greater than 3%), intermediate (2-3%) and low (less than 2%) LI values, and survival duration was significantly longer in patients with low LI irrespective of response to chemotherapy. Median response duration was distinctly shorter in patients with high and intermediate values (3 and 11 months, respectively) than in those with low values (30 months; p less than 0.01). LI at relapse was similar to that found at presentation in 5 out of 10 patients studied but was sharply increased in the other 5 who had an aggressive clinical course following initial response. Four of these latters showed a clonal evolution of bone marrow plasma cells, detected by changes in cell ploidy at flow-cytometric analysis.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1986

Flow cytometric evaluation of proliferative activity and ploidy in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute leukemias.

Propidium iodide (PI) DNA distribution of bone marrow (BM) cells was studied by flow cytometry (FCM) in 36 patients without hematologic or malignant disease (normal BM) and in 172 patients with anemias (36 pts), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (33 pts) and acute leukemia (AL) at diagnosis (60 pts), remission (24 pts) and relapse (19 pts). White blood cells from normal male subjects were used as an external diploid reference standard (median CV = 3.8). Patients with normal BM, anemias, MDS and acute leukemia at diagnosis had tritiated thymidine labeling index (LI) and most with MDS and AL had also evaluable cytogenetics performed on the same BM sample used for FCM. In normal BM, median aliquot of cells with PI-DNA content intermediate between the diploid and the tetraploid value (2n-4n cells %) was 15.7. The ratio between the fluorescence intensity of the G0/1 peak of normal BM cells and the fluorescence intensity of the G0/1 peak of the reference standard (FI ratio) ranged from 93 to 1.05 (mean +/- 2SD). The 2n-4n cell % was higher than normal in anemias (p less than .001), lower in leukemias (p less than .001) and widely scattered in MDS. A linear correlation was found between 2n-4n cell % and LI, with 2n-4n cell % value higher than LI. The FI ratio was lower than normal in anemias (p less than .05), higher in AL with normal cytogenetics (p less than .02) and broadly scattered in MDS with normal cytogenetics. From our experience, PI-DNA-FCM is a simple and adequate method to evaluate proliferative activity in hematologic diseases. Nevertheless, caution must be taken in attributing small changes in FI ratio to aneuploidy, since they are found in anemias and in MDS and AL with normal cytogenetics, possibly due to differences in PI uptake by different cell types.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Clinical trial of high doses of Bay I 7433 (Copovithane).

Bay i 7433 (Copovithane) is a biological response modifier with antitumour activity in vivo, but no cytotoxic or cytostatic effect in vitro. A clinical trial of the compound at doses of 15g/m2/week was carried out for six weeks in 10 patients with various forms of cancer. Tolerance was good: no systemic toxicity was observed but local inflammation occurred in two cases at the site of injection. No objective antitumour response was observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Proliferative characteristics and ploidy of human brain tumors by DNA flow cytometry.

We studied nuclear DNA distribution by flow cytometry in 59 human brain tumors. Samples were frozen at -20 degrees C immediately after surgery and unicellular suspensions were obtained with a mechanical dissociation technique. Nuclear DNA was stained with propidium iodide. Normal human brain tissue was used as a diploid reference standard. In 86.3% of benign tumors an unimodal DNA distribution with a DNA index usually within the diploid range was found. Among malignant tumors, 64% had un unimodal DNA distribution with diploid or near-diploid modal DNA content. The remaining 36% showed an additional cell peak with a DNA index ranging from 1.15 to 1.92. The percentage of S-phase cells was higher in malignant (median = 3.8) than in benign tumors (median = 1.9) (p less than .001), without correlation to histological tumor subtype.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1985

Peptichemio, vincristine, prednisone induction treatment in multiple myeloma.

Twenty-nine patients with multiple myeloma, 16 untreated and 13 relapsing after treatment with melphalan and/or cyclophosphamide, were treated with Peptichemio (PTC), vincristine (VCR) and prednisone (PRD). The treatment was well tolerated and produced rapid resolution of bone pain and improved performance status in symptomatic patients. Rapid and marked monoclonal component reduction (greater than 50 per cent) was noted in 50% of previously untreated and 31% of previously treated patients. The median survival of previously untreated patients was 27 months, 19 months for stage III patients. Four patients resistant to common alkylating agents responded to PTC-VCR-PRD treatment and achieved long remissions (from 18 to 38 months). The therapeutic results suggest that the present combination regimen may be indicated for induction treatment of multiple myeloma patients in an advanced stage of the disease, and for treatment of myeloma patients refractory or resistant to melphalan and/or cyclophosphamide.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[A case of scleroderma with sclerodermic renal crisis and association with the Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome].

We report a case of scleroderma with "scleroderma renal crisis", (arterial hypertension, high plasma renin levels and impaired renal function) associated with a Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome which includes neurological, ophthalmic and cutaneous symptoms. This case is interesting not only because both syndromes are rare and have not previously been reported in association, but because it suggests a pathogenetic relationship between two autoimmune diseases.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1985

Cytokinetic studies in acute leukemia during early induction therapy.

The proliferative activity of bone marrow blasts was determined in 19 patients with acute leukemia during early induction therapy using in vitro tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) cytoautoradiography and propidium iodide DNA flow cytofluorometry. Following 1-3 causes of treatment, the aliquot of bone marrow blasts in 9 patients, who later achieved remission or marrow aplasia, was reduced to a greater extent that of the remaining 10 patients who failed to respond. In the first group of patients, the 3H-TdR labeling index was increased by 259-653% over the pretreatment value, whereas it was lower than 104% of the pretreatment value in all but one unresponsive patient. Leukemic blast recruitment is conceivable. It might have facilitated remission by increasing the effectiveness of the antileukemic agents administered later.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Severe pericarditis as a presenting sign of bronchogenic carcinoma.

An exudative pericarditis was the only sign of an adenocarcinoma arising from the right main bronchus of the lung for two and a half months. No metastases were found at the time of diagnosis. Pericarditis relapsed quickly after repeated pericardiocenteses, and systemic chemotherapy did not influence its course. Cardiac tamponade caused the death of the patient.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1985

Proliferation kinetics of bone marrow cells in congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II.

The proliferation kinetics of erythropoiesis and of myelopoiesis have been studied in a case of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II (HEMPAS) by means of quantitative 14-C autoradiography, Feulgen cytophotometry and 59-Fe ferrokinetics. Increased total erythropoietic activity and ineffective erythropoiesis was demonstrated by ferrokinetics. Quantitative 14-C autoradiography showed a generally delayed proliferation rate of erythroid cells, most evident in the polychromatic compartment. A deficiency of cell production of 25% was detected among the polychromatic erythroblasts. Part of this fraction is represented by cells still capable of passing to the successive stages of maturation. We conclude that only part of the deficiency of cell production in the polychromatic compartment represents real cell destruction. Most of the measured ineffectiveness is confined to later stages of maturation, such as orthochromatic erythroblasts and marrow reticulocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Propidium iodide staining of cytoautoradiographic preparations for the simultaneous determination of DNA content and grain count.

A new method is described for staining cell nuclei with propidium iodide in preparations that have been processed for autoradiography. The permeability of the stripping film to the dye molecule has been studied, as have the staining conditions, in order to optimize the stoichiometry of the DNA-dye interaction. A procedure has also been set up to allow the simultaneous measurement of DNA content and grain count on the same cell.

Anemia, Hemolytic↗