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Biomedical subjects

A Riccardi

Publications and source records attributed to A Riccardi.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

DNA content analysis of peripheral blood B-lymphocytes in plasma cell malignancies.

A double fluorescence assay has been employed for the detection of cell surface and/or cytoplasmic immunoglobulins (Ig) and the measurement of nuclear DNA content in the same cell. Following staining for Ig by means of FITC conjugated antibodies directed against heavy or light chains, cell suspensions or cytospin preparations were ethanol fixed and stained with a propidium iodide-RNAse solution. In this way, the cytometric DNA content of circulating B-lymphocytes was analyzed in three patients suffering from plasma cell malignancies with an excess of peripheral blood B-lymphocytes and evidence of aneuploid bone marrow plasma cells. Aneuploid circulating B-lymphocytes with the same DNA stem-line as bone marrow plasma cells were found in two patients with advanced disease but not in the only one we studied at presentation. Aneuploid lymphocytes had surface immunoglobulins bearing the same light chain as the M-protein. In addition, a significant percentage (23%) of cells lacking either surface or cytoplasmic immunoglobulins proved to be aneuploid in plasma cell leukemia. Nuclear DNA measurement combined with surface or cytoplasmic marker analysis appears to be a reliable method for studying neoplastic lymphoid precursor cells in plasma cell malignancies.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1985

Rate of M-component changes and plasma cell labeling index in 25 patients with multiple myeloma treated with peptichemio.

Twenty-five consecutive patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma were studied for bone marrow plasma cell labeling index, response to peptichemio induction therapy, and rate of M-component (MC) changes during the course of the disease. They received intermittent melphalan or cyclophosphamide as maintenance therapy and peptichemio associated with vincristine at first relapse. The response rate (76%) was independent of clinical stage, evaluated according to Merlini et al and to Durie and Salmon. Among responsive patients, rapid responders (half-life of MC decrease less than 47 days for IgA and IgG and less than 29 days for light chain myelomas) had a bone marrow plasma cell labeling index significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than that of slow responders. Rapid responders had a median survival of 15 months, while slow responders had a median survival of 42 months (P less than 0.05). The difference in survival between the two groups was accounted for mainly by the difference in duration of first response and the different rates of MC increase following it. Both of these parameters were directly related to the half-life of MC decrease at response in IgA and IgG myelomas. The duration of second response and the half-life of MC increase following it were shorter than the duration of first response and than the half-life of MC increase at first relapse.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1984

Plasma cell DNA content in multiple myeloma and related paraproteinemic disorders. Relationship with clinical and cytokinetic features.

In 62 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and related disorders, the nuclear DNA content distribution of bone marrow plasma cells was assessed by flow and conventional cytofluorometry. Abnormal distributions, suggesting the presence of aneuploid populations, were observed in 53% of MM at diagnosis, in 50% of benign monoclonal gammopathies and in 12% of Waldenström's macroglobulinemias. Eighty-six percent of aneuploid cases had DNA stem-lines falling between the diploid and triploid value. In advanced and relapsing MM, abnormal distributions were found in 75% of cases. In 4 out of 14 patients with MM serially studied during the course of disease, emergence of new abnormal clones was documented. The abnormal DNA content of bone marrow plasma cells was not correlated with any clinical and laboratory characteristic and it affected neither response to therapy nor survival in patients studied at diagnosis. In advanced phases of MM, the presence of abnormal clones was correlated with high plasma cell proliferation rates (studied by tritiated thymidine incorporation) and poor response to chemotherapy. Seven out of 8 patients in acute terminal phase of MM had abnormal clones. Among these, five had DNA stem-lines over triploid value.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The role of the vaginal colonization of the medical and paramedical staff in the nosocomial transmission of group-B streptococcus.

The authors consider the presence of streptococcus of group B in the vaginal flora of the medical and paramedical staff who work at the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Clinic and at the Department of Neonatology at the S. Matteo Polyclinic. The identification of fellows (6 cases, 6.8%) colonized by GBS improves the hypothesis of the possibility of a hospital-transmission of the microorganism , and this transmission explains the possible bacterial colonization of newborns, whose mothers are GBS negative. The importance of such a type of transmission has to be referred overall to the possible onset of a neonatal meningitis, in regard to its mortality (20-30%) and to the neurological complications, which can be observed in the child even later on.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Vaginal and endocervical bacterial contamination in IUD users.

The use of intrauterine devices is clearly related to a new aspect of infective pathology: bacterial contamination of the uterine cavity and its repercussions throughout the genital apparatus. Therefore the Authors decided to carry out a study of the vaginal and endocervical flora of 61 IUD users. This study has shown that pathogenic germs are present to a significant extent (82.3%) even when no clinical symptoms can be detected. The Group B streptococcus was detected in a high number of cases (10.6%) in the vaginal (9.8%) or endocervical tampon (11.5%).

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Proliferative activity of bone marrow cells in primary dysmyelopoietic (preleukemic) syndromes.

The proliferative activity of bone marrow cells was studied in 24 patients with primary dysmyelopoiesis by means of flow cytometry and 3H-TdR autoradiography. Abnormal DNA content was found in two cases with aneuploid karyotypes. DNA content typical of a diploid population was observed in all patients with normal karyotype and in three patients with chromosomal aberrations. The fraction of bone marrow cells in S- and G2-phase was higher in primary acquired sideroblastic anemia and refractory anemia (without excess of blasts) than in refractory anemia with excess of blasts and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Regardless to the diagnosis, the patients with low fraction of cells in S- and G2-phase had short survival time and showed high rate of evolution into acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia. The labeling (LI) and mitotic (MI) indexes of both erythroblasts and granulocytic cells were decreased in nearly all patients. The lowest values of LI and MI of the granulocytic compartment were found in the patients who subsequently developed acute leukemia. These data suggest that cytokinetic analysis allows investigators to achieve useful information on the stage of disease in the dysmyelopoietic syndromes.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Flow cytometric DNA content in myelodysplastic syndromes.

DNA flow cytometric analysis of unfixed bone marrow cells stained with propidium iodide was carried out in 33 patients with untreated primary myelodysplastic syndromes. Patients with stable clinical course for up to 3 years had higher fractions of cells in S and G2 phases (22.7 +/- 12.4% and 12 +/- 3.6%) than those who developed acute leukemia and/or died early in the course of disease (14.4 +/- 8.5% and 6.6 +/- 4%). Median survival was more than 36 mo in patients with S + G2 cell fraction higher than 24%, and 14 mo in the remaining 16 patients with lower values (P less than 0.01). Analyses repeated after 3-24 mo showed no major changes in cell proliferation pattern in ten out of 11 patients. The remaining patient had sharp decrease in S and G2 cell fraction 3 mo before the transition into acute leukemia. The DNA index (DI) of bone marrow cells was calculated to assess ploidy. However, comparative evaluation of cytologic, cytogenetic, and flow cytometric data suggest that, under our experimental conditions, the DI may be influenced by factors such as the degree of chromatin compactness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Sequential vincristine, arabinosylcytosine and adriamycin in acute leukemia: cytologic and cytokinetic studies.

Cytokinetic and cytocidal effects exerted on peripheral blood blasts by sequential administration of vincristine (VCR) 2 mg on day 1, arabinosylcytosine (Ara-c) 50-60 mg/m2/12 hr from day 2-4), and Adriamycin (ADM, Farmitalia, Milan, Italy, 40-60 mg/m2 on day 5) have been examined in 22 courses of treatment performed on 12 patients with nonlymphoblastic and in 4 with lymphoblastic acute leukemia. In 4 patients, the bone marrow blasts wee examined before and also after VCR-Ara-c administration. In vitro tritiated thymidine autoradiography and propidium iodide-DNA flow cytometry were employed for kinetic studies. Blasts disappeared from blood with a median half time of 35 hr. After VCR-Ara-c administration, a significant increase in labeling index (LI) and in the aliquot of cells with DNA content between the diploid (2n) and the tetraploid (4n) values was observed in 80% of the courses in peripheral blood blasts and in all courses in bone marrow blasts. The median grain count over the labeled nuclei was decreased, and the 4n cell percentage and the bone marrow blast mitotic index did not increase. These findings suggest that the increase in the S phase fraction of blast population is due to cell synchronization. Increase in the S phase appears to heighten the cytocidal effect of ADM. The aliquot of the blasts cleared from blood after ADM were in fact related directly to the degree of labeling index increase observed during the previous administration of VCR and Ara-c.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Peptichemio induction therapy in myelomatosis.

Fifteen patients with multiple myeloma, two of whom had plasma cell leukemia, were treated between May 1974 and December 1978. Peptichemio was administered intravenously at doses of 40-80 mg/48 h, courses including 4-17 administrations in association with moderate doses of prednisone (15-50 mg/day) and androstanes at high dosages (250 mg weekly). In two patients PTC was associated with vincristine (VCR) administered on the first day of the course. Eight patients were previously untreated, four had been resistant to melphalan (MPH) and/or cyclophosphamide (CTX), and three had been treated irregularly with one or both of these alkylating agents. The criteria of response to therapy are reported. Out of a total of 15 PTC courses administered we obtained 13 responses, eight complete and five partial; no response was achieved in the other two patients. In the four patients who were resistant to MPH and/or CTX we obtained three responses, which were maintained with the same alkylating agent to which they had been resistant previously. The time needed to obtain a response in 90% of the patients was 6 weeks. Peptichemio was shown to be effective in patients in an advanced stage of the disease, in patients with light-chain myeloma and in those with plasma cell leukemia. The association of VCR potentiated the antitumor effect, but also increased the myelotoxicity. The PTC treatment was well tolerated. It is suggested that PTC be used in induction treatment of myelomatosis and in patients resistant to traditional alkylating agents.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Reed-Sternberg cell leukaemia.

A case of Reed-Sternberg (R-S) leukaemia is described, and the results of the morphological, cytochemical and cytokinetic studies on the circulating neoplastic cells are reported. Detailed data are given for each of the 3 types of abnormal circulating cells: abnormal mononuclear (AM) cells, Hodgkin's (H) cells and R-S cells. Our results cannot discriminate whether R-S cells derive from monocyte-macrophages or from B-cell lineage. However, some data suggest that H and R-S cells may likely originate from AM cells. The unfavourable clinical significance of the appearance of circulating R-S cells is discussed taking into account the other few cases reported in literature.

Adult↗