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Biomedical subjects

E E Polli

Publications and source records attributed to E E Polli.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Impaired prolactin secretion in obese patients.

To investigate a possible hypothalamic alteration in obesity, we have studied the pattern of PRL secretion in response to insulin hypoglycemia, arginine infusion and TRH injection in 12 grossly obese patients and in 12 normal-weight controls. In the obese patients, PRL secretion was significantly lower than in normal subjects in response to insulin hypoglycemia and arginine infusion, while it was not significantly different from that in controls in response to TRH. The mean +/- SE values of the areas subtended by the PRL curves in the 3 above tests were 54.7 +/- 155.81 vs 3677.3 +/- 520.30 ng/2h, p less than 0,01, 210.3 +/- 148.93 vs 1034.8 +/- 203.15 ng/2h, p less than 0.05 and 1476.8 +/- 275.13 vs 2148.6 +/- 682.06 ng/2h, NS, respectively, in the obese and in controls. These results are compatible with the concept of impaired hypothalamic control of PRL secretion in obesity, although it is still unclear what role this may play in the pathogenesis of this disorder.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunoreactive calcitonin: a tumor marker for myelogenous leukemias.

In a series of 59 patients with chronic or acute myelogenous leukemia (CML, AML) we investigated whether circulating immunoreactive human calcitonin (i-hCT) levels correlate with diagnosis, response to therapy and clinical course. I-hCT was detectable in plasma samples of 88% of patients with CML in the chronic phase and in 100% of patients with CML in blastic transformation. In the AML patients, a significant relation was observed between the cytological subtype and i-hCT levels at diagnosis. In sequentially studied patients the i-hCT plasma concentration was related to the overall mass of leukemic cells, being lower when complete remission was achieved than at diagnosis and increasing at time of recurrence. These data suggest that circulating i-hCT levels can serve as a "tumor marker" in human myelogenous leukemias.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hematopoietic tissue growth factors: clinical factors].

Hematopoietic growth factors (HGF) are glycoproteins controlling proliferation, differentiation and function of bone marrow derived cells. Results of recent studies, both in vitro and in vivo, in animal models, indicate that these molecules might have a therapeutical value in several different clinical settings. Thanks to advances in the expression of recombinant genes. HGF have recently become available in sufficient quantities to be tested in clinical investigation. During the last few years, a number of phase I/II trials have been performed with the use of recombinant colony stimulating factors and erythropoietin, suggesting the efficacy of these substances in treating diseases associated with hematopoietic failure or impaired cell function. This review article takes a critical look at the most important recent preclinical and clinical experience on HGF, and also examines some of the future directions in which clinical medicine will probably benefit from these molecules.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Idarubicin in blastic crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Blastic crisis (BC) is the terminal event in the natural history of most chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. Depletion of the normal stem cell compartment, as well as the proliferative advantage and frequent pharmacoresistance of the blastic clone, contribute to the poor prognosis of CML patients in this phase. Recent clinical trials have shown that idarubicin (IDR) in combination with cytosine arabinoside (ARA-C) is more active than daunorubicin at comparable doses in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Furthermore, IDR alone also exhibits antitumoral activity in the BC of CML. METHODS: Twelve Ph+ CML patients in BC (male 8, female 4; median age 45 yrs., range 19-55 yrs.) were treated with IDR 12 mg/m2/die for 3 consecutive days in sequential combination with Ara-C (1 hour i.v. infusion) 120 mg/m2/12 hrs. for 7 consecutive days. BC exhibited a myeloid phenotype in 9 and a lymphoid phenotype in 3 cases. Median duration of the previous chronic phase had been 36 months (range 6-180). RESULTS: Clearing of peripheral and bone marrow blasts was achieved in all but one patient. Three other patients were classified as resistant because of blastic regrowth, and 3 died of infection during postchemotherapeutic aplasia. Two patients achieved complete remission (CR) and 3 partial remission (PR). The median duration of response was 11 months (range 6-32). CONCLUSIONS: In BC of CML the IDR/Ara-C combination led to an encouraging rate of either partial or complete responses. The relatively long duration of unmaintained response was even more interesting, with the duration of PR approaching that of CR. These data suggest that IDR should be considered as one of the first-line drugs in the treatment of BC of CML.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic myelogenous leukemia: state of the art.

Recent contributions from molecular biology, biotechnology and recombinant DNA applications have led to important clinical and therapeutic advances in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Developments in the methodology of genetic investigation have clarified the molecular alterations brought about by the appearance of the Philadelphia chromosome. It is possible that the hybrid bcr/abl gene plays an important role in the pathogenesis of CML by subverting the mechanism of homeostasis through the uncoordinated activation of cell growth stimulating and regulating factors. Further improvements have been brought about by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which permits an indirect identification of the fusion gene and the study of minimal residual disease during remission after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Clinical trials have shown that alpha-interferon, alone or in association with chemotherapy, induces long term clinical and cytogenetic remission in those CML patients in whom BMT from either related or unrelated donors cannot be performed. Allogeneic BMT seems to be the treatment of choice in younger people. However, since a minority of subjects have HLA identical siblings, the possibility of using unrelated donors to provide long term disease free survival has been explored even if the availability of a compatible donor is the primary limiting factor. The development of in vivo and in vitro purging procedures has aroused new interest in autologous bone marrow transplantation. This procedure benefits particularly from biotherapeutic agents which selectively act on the marrow by suppressing bcr/abl positive cells.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[rt-PA in extracardiac thromboembolic vascular occlusions].

Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is a thrombolytic agent characterized by elevated but not absolute fibrin specificity. However, its therapeutic dose is high and associated with a variable degree of systemic activation of the fibrinolytic system. Thrombolytic drugs are widely used in acute myocardial infarction and have now begun to be considered for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and peripheral artery thrombosis (PAT) as well. Although anticoagulant therapy is effective in reducing the immediate complications of venous thromboembolism, thrombolytic therapy has various advantages over anticoagulant therapy, including lysis of thrombi with recanalization of venous circulation, reduction of venous valve damage and prevention of post-phlebitic syndrome. The different dosage regimens of rt-PA recently evaluated (0.71 to 1.76 mg/kg/24 h for 2-4 days) in DVT have caused consistent thrombolysis but also excessive bleeding. The optimal therapeutic range for rt-PA in DVT remains to be determined. Thrombolytic therapy is superior to heparin treatment only in hemodynamically compromised patients with massive PE. The minor systemic fibrinolytic effect and the faster action on thrombi of rt-PA compared with the first generation thrombolytic agents, streptokinase (SK) and urokinase (UK), are very interesting and explain the positive results recently obtained in PE with this drug (50 mg over 2 h, followed, if necessary, by 40-50 mg over 4-5 h) by Goldhaber and Verstraete.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relevance of ultrastructural immunocytochemistry in the characterization of unclassifiable leukemias: correlation with phenotypic and genic studies.

Nine cases of acute leukemia presenting unusual phenotype were studied by light microscopy (LM) cytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) immunocytochemistry with the immunogold staining (IGS) method; in addition, cytogenetic and molecular analyses were performed. The presence of myeloperoxidase (MPO) was studied at TEM in combination with immunophenotype to identify minor populations not characterizable at LM. Four of nine cases had no TEM/MPO reactivity, whereas the remaining five showed variable percentages of positive cells. Of the MPO negative cases, one was a megakaryoblastic leukemia with a positive platelet peroxidase (PPO) reaction, and three were lymphoid. Among the peroxidase positive cases, the percentage of MPO reactive cells was higher at TEM than at LM examination. In case 5 TEM analysis indicated that cells with some MPO reactivity at LM were non neoplastic myeloid cells. With this combined technique in cases 1 and 2 we excluded the presence of the MPO enzyme in CD15 positive lymphoid cells and, in another case, we documented the existence of CD19/MPO positive cells. The value of cytochemistry and immunology at the ultrastructural level for the characterization of blast cells and for the precise diagnosis of leukemia with "unusual" phenotype is illustrated.

Adult↗