Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Ricci.
We have reported a "benign metastasizing uterine leiomyoma" case in a 55-year-old woman still living with "benign" metastases (lung, skin, lymph nodes, bone and perhaps the brain) 14 years after the first uterine myomectomy.
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The clinical behaviour of three patients with primary antibody deficiencies was studied. Two of three were affected by X-linked agammaglobulinemia and one by common variable hypogammaglobulinemia that, besides clinical features common to most of the immunodeficiencies, showed pre-existent physiopathologic conditions completely different from the features traditionally found in primary antibody deficiencies. Moreover, the development of some immunologic parameters (monoclonal antibody analysis, surface markers and electrophoretic mobility of lymphocytes) has been carefully checked in these patients after immunotherapy by intravenous infusion of immunoglobulins. The lymphocyte electrophoretic mobility underlines how peripheral blood lymphocytes, faster than those normally controlled before therapy, normalized their velocity after immunotherapy.
This paper draws attention to an oversimplification that we believe has been frequently made in the analysis of interpersonal communication. This happens when one uses interpersonal communication models that do not match the interactional complexity of the system under observation. The aim of the paper is to present some conceptual parameters (Territoriality, Temporality, Duality) of an N-adic model of communication in the effort to match the interactional complexity of the N-person games. In other words, if we accept the so-called "systems" approach, we need communication models that allow us to observe different levels of interactional complexity. The observer (the therapist) may decide on which level to take up his or her stance with reference to the particular case at hand and the goals in studying it.
The behaviour of lymphocyte sub-populations and lymphocyte electrophoretic mobility has been studied in seven patients with agamma/hypogammaglobulinaemia before and after gammaglobulin therapy.
The activity of acid phosphatase in bone marrow plasma cells was investigated by a cytochemical method in 12 patients with multiple myeloma, in 12 patients with benign monoclonal gammopathy and in 5 normal controls. The activity of acid phosphatase was significantly higher in the multiple myeloma patients compared with the activity observed in controls and in benign monoclonal gammopathy patients (p less than 0.001). It is therefore suggested that this method may be a valuable adjunct in the differential diagnosis of monoclonal immunoglobulinemias .
We studied the surface markers Leu 7, Leu 1, Leu 2a and Leu 3a on lymphocytes of 54 healthy blood donors and 19 patients with humoral immunodeficiencies and compared the relative numbers of positive cells with the natural killer cell (NK) activity. In controls, and in 12 out of 19 patients (group A) the percentage of the Leu 7+ cells was positively correlated with NK activity. Seven of 19 patients had increased relative numbers of Leu 7+ cells and low NK activity (group B). In controls and group A patients about 40% of the Leu 7+ cells simultaneously expressed the cell markers Leu 1 and Leu 2a. In group B patients approximately 70% of the Leu 7+ cells carried T cell antigens. Furthermore, a distinct suppressor T cell predominance was noticed and the large granular lymphocytes of these patients showed morphological abnormalities.
Data from 93 patients undergoing resection of lung metastases are examined. Survival at 5 years was 32% and operative mortality 2.1%. Histologically, metastases from carcinoma gave better results than metastases from sarcoma (5-year survival 40% and 0 respectively). The best overall results being obtained in the case of metastases from carcinoma of the testis and larynx (5-year survival 66% and 54% respectively). The free interval was shown to be a good therapeutic index when longer than 1 year (44% survival at 5 years when longer than 1 year, 16% when shorter). Resection of lung metastases is recommended when primary tumor is under control, there are no metastases to other organs, the operative risk is reasonable and no other effective therapeutic procedures are available.
Cytological and kinetic immunological homogeneity is typical of such lymphomas. Their cytogenesis is broadly connected to the development and differentiation of lymphocytes. It is mainly a question of proliferating B lymphocytes of which the monoclonal membrane receptors are tumoral markers. The final stage of B lymphocyte differentiation is the lymphoplasmacellular proliferation involving monoclonal Ig secretion and consequently the rarefaction and finally disappearance of surface receptors.
The results of a study about the mebeverina administered in 45 cases of irritable colon are reported. The clinical and laboratory findings together with the results of colometrography under psychic stimulation, have shown the therapeutic efficacy of the new formulation, specially in irritable colon with abdominal pain. Its tolerance was excellent.
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Purine metabolism has been much investigated in human erythrocytes, both for the interest focused on this peculiar cell biochemistry, and four purine pathological implications in man. Most mammalian red blood cells lack de novo purine synthesis, and are completely dependent on base salvage pathway for their purine nucleotide requirement. Besides, human erythrocyte is devoid of some purine interconversion enzymes, thus becoming dependent on external supply of bases and nucleosides, particularly the adenylic ones. Red blood cell purine metabolism is very active, owing to its great need for nucleotides, and seems to aim greatly at the preservation of synthesized nucleotides against catabolic events. Available data on purine enzyme kinetic parameters and regulation, substrate and product cellular concentration and uptake are reviewed.
In the present study, based on 24 individuals aged 5-61 years, the histological pattern of the thymus has been determined and correlated to the thymus lymphocyte in-vitro responses to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A). It has been found that lymphocytes from histologically involuted thymus were significantly more responsive to PHA and Con A stimulation than lymphocytes from histologically normal thymus. These data indicate that thymus age-dependent involution is associated with increased lymphocyte in-vitro reactivity. In addition, in 10 cases the relative proportions of the thymus lymphocyte subpopulations have been determined by the use of monoclonal antibodies OKT3, OKT4, OKT6 and OKT8. These results have been correlated to the histology of the organ and to the mitogen responsiveness of thymus lymphocytes. In normal thymus the majority of the cells were OKT6+, while there were lower numbers were OKT3+. However, in involuted thymus, OKT3+ lymphocytes prevailed over OKT6+ cells. Furthermore, a direct relationship between the proportion of OKT3+ lymphocytes and the response to mitogens has been observed. These findings indicate that the increased mitogen response noticed in histologically involuted thymus is accompanied by an OKT3+-cell enrichment which is paralleled by a depletion of OKT6+ cells.
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An Italian woman affected by multiple myeloma (MM) associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) has been studied. MM appeared to be at stage II, A, according to Durie & Salmon (3) (quantitative staging); KS spread out two and a half years after MM had been diagnosed, and showed only a pharyngeal involvement. The patient was still alive two and a half years after KS had been discovered, showing a benign clinical course, though several infectious complications had occurred. The observed patient is compared with the other ten cases reported in the world literature. The long lasting observed survival is thought to be related to the low MCM and the length of successful therapy.
Microsomal rat spleen NAD-glycohydrolase was solubilized by Nonidet P40. The solubilized enzyme shows Nicotinamide inhibition and pH dependence at the same extent as unsolubilized microsomal one. It differs from the latter in having a higher affinity for NAD and NADP, and in showing two peaks, instead of one, on electrofocusing: the former with a pH 5 pI without any activity, the latter with a pH 4, 1 pI with a high NAD-ase activity.
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