Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Giordano

Publications and source records attributed to D Giordano.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Massive chemotherapy with non-frozen autologous bone marrow transplantation in 13 cases of refractory Hodgkin's disease.

A group of 13 patients with advanced, diffuse Hodgkin's disease, poorly responding to the most widely employed primary chemotherapy regimens, were treated with massive chemotherapy (MCH) followed by rescue with non-frozen autologous bone marrow infusion (ABMT). Complete remission (CR) was obtained in 8/13 patients (61.5%) and partial remission in two. Hematopoietic recovery occurred in 12 cases. These preliminary results would seem to indicate that MCH with non-frozen ABMT may be successfully used in patients with resistant or relapsed Hodgkin's disease.

Adolescent↗

Increased in vitro and in vivo generation of procoagulant activity (tissue factor) by mononuclear phagocytes after intralipid infusion in rabbits.

Intralipid, a fat emulsion widely used in parenteral nutrition, can produce marked functional changes of the mononuclear phagocyte system. We investigated the effect of Intralipid administration on the generation of procoagulant activity by rabbit mononuclear phagocytes. Two groups of ten rabbits given either a single infusion of Intralipid 10% or a similar volume of sterile saline were studied before and after infusion. Procoagulant activity was measured on isolated blood mononuclear cells after incubation with and without endotoxin, using a one-stage clotting assay. Cells from animals infused with Intralipid produced significantly more procoagulant activity than controls (P less than .01). Results were similar when freshly collected whole blood was incubated with and without endotoxin, and procoagulant activity was measured on subsequently isolated mononuclear cells (P less than .01). In addition, when rabbits were given a single injection of endotoxin, blood and spleen mononuclear cells harvested 50 to 60 minutes after the injection from animals pretreated with Intralipid expressed five to seven times more procoagulant activity than did cells from animals pretreated with saline. In all instances, procoagulant activity was identified as tissue factor. These findings suggest that Intralipid may cause functional changes in mononuclear phagocytes, resulting in increased production of tissue factor on incubation in short-term culture in vitro and in response to endotoxin in vivo.

Animals↗

Mechanisms of blood clotting activation in inflammation: the role of mononuclear phagocytes.

The authors review the procoagulant role of mononuclear phagocytes in the activation of blood clotting. Although the intrinsic pathway via the contact system has been considered the most important mechanism leading to fibrin formation, at least in acute inflammation, recent studies strongly suggest a role for the cells of the monocyte-macrophage series, which accumulate in the inflamed areas. These cells, when triggered in vitro by various stimuli (endotoxin, antigens, immune complexes, complement proteolytic products C5a and C3b, allogeneic leucocytes, lymphokines and others), respond with the production of selected procoagulant activities, thereby initiating the coagulation pathways. The most commonly described procoagulant activity has been identified as tissue factor, although prothrombinases and factor X activators have been reported. In addition mononuclear phagocytes can also produce and/or assemble on their surface coagulation factors including f. II, VII/VIIa, IX, X/Xa and V. Available evidence indicates that monocytes/macrophages can respond to appropriate signals and acquire the capacity to activate blood coagulation in vivo also. These "activated" cells expressing procoagulant activity appear to be directly responsible for the local fibrin deposition observed at sites of endotoxin-induced inflammation, of tumours, of cell-mediated immune reactions and possibly of other inflammatory processes.

Blood Coagulation↗

High-dose chemotherapy and non-frozen autologous bone marrow transplantation in relapsed advanced lymphomas or those resistant to conventional chemotherapy.

Ten patients with advanced, diffuse Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas responding poorly to the most widely employed primary chemotherapy regimens were treated with a high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by rescue with non-frozen autologous bone marrow infusion (ABMT). Complete remission (CR) was obtained in seven of ten patients (70%) and partial remission in two. Hemopoietic recovery occurred in nine cases. These preliminary results appear to indicate that HDC and non-frozen ABMT may be successfully used in patients with resistant or relapsed lymphomas.

Adult↗

Effect of cisplatin on the oxidative metabolism of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in cancer patients.

Peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes of patients with ovarian or uterine-cervix carcinoma were studied during cisplatin chemotherapy for phagocytic oxidative metabolism. In particular, superoxide production by these leukocytes after stimulation with opsonized Zymosan particles was determined. The basal value of oxidative metabolism of leukocytes from neoplastic patients was lower than in normals. Superoxide production decreased after each dose administration, but returned to normal at the end of the entire chemotherapeutic treatment. It is suggested that cisplatin treatment, despite a short-lived depression of oxidative metabolism in polymorphonuclear cells, improves this function, most probably by interfering with neoplastic growth.

Cisplatin↗

Comparison of three assay procedures for gentamicin determination.

We examined 50 serum samples, submitted to our laboratory for gentamicin levels, by the enzyme multiplied immuno technique (EMIT), by a radioimmunoassay procedure and by a latex agglutination method. Significant differences in concentrations, rates of throughput, and costs between the latex agglutination and the other two procedures were observed. The precision of the assay ranged from 5.21 to 15.70%, whereas recovery values ranged from 83.8 to 110.0%. The latex agglutination procedure provided simplicity and speed at a relatively low cost. However, the significant analytical difference between this and the other two procedures indicates that the latex agglutination procedure is not adequate for measuring accurate gentamicin levels.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗

Generation of CFU-c suppressor T cells in vitro. IV. effect of time on the inhibitory activity of mitogen-primed normal T lymphocytes.

Bone marrow and peripheral blood T cells were obtained from 15 normal individuals by E rosetting and cultured in round-bottomed microwells for 7 days in RPMI or in RPMI supplemented with mitogens (pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin or concanavalin A). Supernatants and cells were harvested on days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 and co-cultured with normal marrow cells in semi-solid agar to test their CFU-c suppressor activity. The results of this study indicate that (a) RPMI treated cells and their supernatants have no effect or an enhancing effect on CFU-c growth; (b) all 3 mitogens generate CFU-c suppressor T cells on day 1 of culture; (c) the inhibitory activity is detectable until day 4 of culture, though overall reduced, and is completely lost on day; 7 (d) the trend for supernatants of mitogen-treated T cells is quite similar with a tendency to complete loss of the inhibitory effect on day 7. We interpret these data as indicating that T cells release a soluble inhibitor of CFU-c growth within a few hours from polyclonal activation, the production of which is either controlled or lost with time in culture.

Anemia, Aplastic↗

Severe aplastic anaemia: correlation of in vitro test with clinical response to immunosuppression in 20 patients.

Colony formation in agar (CFU-c) was studied in 20 patients with severe aplastic anaemia by three different assays: (1) cultures of light density untreated marrow cells; (2) cultures of marrow cells manipulated in order to enhance colony formation (pretreatment with antilymphocytic globulin, ALG, or 6-methylprednisolone, 6-MPr, T cell depletion, adherent cell (AC) depletion, depletion of both AC and T cells), and (3) co-culture of putative suppressor T cells with autologous T-depleted marrow cells. By the first assay, all patients showed poor colony formation (1 +/- 1.5 colonies/10(5) cells; normal controls 46 +/- 18 colonies/10(5) cells). By the second assay, ALG and 6-MPr had no significant effect on colony formation. Removal of adherent cells proved equally without effect on colony growth. On the contrary, removal of T cells enhanced significantly (P less than 0.001) colony formation in 10 out of 20 patients. By the third assay, colony formation of marrow cells (deprived of T lymphocytes) was inhibited by the addition of autologous T cells in six patients studied. All patients were given high dose bolus 6-MPr as first treatment on admission: only patients who had detectable suppressor T cells in their marrow achieved a complete autologous haematologic reconstitution after 6-MPr or after 6-MPr and ALG. The results of this study indicate the detection of CFU-c/suppressor T cells correlates with responses to immunosuppressive regimens, and may thus help to identify patients with immune mediated aplastic anaemia.

Adolescent↗

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sicily. I: Monreale city.

The prevalence of probable multiple sclerosis in Monreale city, close to the university city of Palermo, Sicily, is at least 43 per 100 000. If the possible multiple sclerosis patient is included, it is 47 per 100 000. This prevalence is not significantly different from that found in Enna city, 53 per 100 000. The prevalence in Sicily and, no doubt, in Italy has, in the past, been seriously underestimated. This confirms the need for thorough studies of small populations if many patients are not to be overlooked in a prevalence survey.

Adult↗

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sicily. II: Agrigento city.

The prevalence of probable multiple sclerosis in Agrigento city on the south-west coast of Sicily is at least 2 per 100 000. This is likely to be a considerable underestimate of the true prevalence because the study presented particular difficulties in that the city is far from the neurological centres of Palermo. Catania, and Messina. There is no neurological department at either the general or the psychiatric hospital in Agrigento and there was a low awareness of the disease among the doctors in the city. Most of the patients were diagnosed in other centres. Agrigento is a good example of the difficulties of studying multiple sclerosis in a rural city which has no special interest in neurological problems and is far from a neurological centre. Studies in such centres must be pursued with great enthusiasm and over a long period of time, and all available sources of information in the city, medical and lay, and in other cities, must be utilised if a high proportion of the patients is to be found.

Adult↗