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Biomedical subjects

G Cortesina

Publications and source records attributed to G Cortesina.

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

Prospects and limitations of systematic monitoring in patients with laryngeal cancer.

The authors report the first results concerning the systematic use of "immunological monitoring" in patients suffering from well-developed laryngeal cancer. The authors have also studied, in 50 cases in different stages of development, the activity of T-cells using the cutaneous tests (BCG, PPD, PHA and SK-SD), the E-rosette test and the PHA-induced lymphocytic blastization test (it is well known that the T-cells are responsible for a cytotoxic effect against neoplastic cells). The authors have also studied the activity of B-lymphocytes by means of the EA and EAC rosette test and of IgG, IgA, IgM and complement serum titles. They have observed a progressive depression of the T-cell activity after surgical intervention, whereas the B-cell activity in several cases tends to increase. The authors discuss these immunological results and the possibility that these findings may represent the basis for a complementary immunotherapy following the surgical treatment and/or radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Finally, the authors discuss the possibilities and the limitations of these immunological methods from the point of view of clinical application.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of nasal valve in the surgically corrected nasal respiratory obstruction: evaluation through rhinomanometry.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of nasal flow and the fall of nasal resistance in 50 patients that underwent rhinoseptoplasty in our department and discuss the relative importance of valvular and septal deformities in nasal airway obstruction. Fifty consecutive patients underwent rhinoseptoplasty to improve nasal obstruction caused by severe septal deviation, external or internal valvular incompetence, or any combination of the three. We excluded patients with minor septal curvatures, septal perforations, or turbinate hypertrophy. Preoperative and postoperative rhinomanometry was performed on all 50 patients. In all 50 patients, septal and/or valvular surgery lowered nasal resistance in 90% of cases. Septoplasty alone with medial and basal osteotomies did not improve nasal flow (p < 0.4), whereas the correction of valvular obstruction alone increased nasal airflow in a statistically significant way (p < 0.0001). Moreover, patients with both valvular incompetence and septal deviation represented the group in which the greatest preoperative obstruction and the greatest postoperative improvement occurred. Nasal valvular function should be assessed with rhinomanometry in all preoperative rhinoplasty patients with airway obstruction. In many cases, valvular effects may surpass septal deviation as the primary cause of nasal airflow obstruction.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The measurement of cochlear flow by laser Doppler in man: the preliminary results].

Laser-Doppler flowmetry is presently one of the methods of choice in measuring cochlear blood flow. The techniques is non-invasive and is based on the frequency shift of the laser beam induced by the red blood cell movement. Previous studies of cochlear blood flow carried out on animals and humans demonstrated the reliability of laser-Doppler flowmetry and its usefulness in understanding inner ear microcirculation physiology. In this paper we present preliminary data obtained from three patients examined under general anesthesia while undergoing tympanoplasty. Results showed that tracings, whose baseline is proportional with the blood flow, are characterized by waves correlated to pulse beat and automatic ventilation. Moreover, intrinsic contractions of inner ear vessels (waves of vasomotion) as exist in cerebral microcirculation, were observed. Pharmacological hypotension hypocapnia and the application of epinephryne determine a significant reduction of cochlear blood flow. These results suggest that while cochlear blood flow is related to systemic pressure, it has an intrinsic control system. As well since we did not obtain any modification in bone conduction threshold after surgery, we conclude that laser-Doppler flowmetry is a safe technique.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Antitumor activity of adherent LAK cells (A-LAK) in a model of squamous carcinoma of the head and neck].

Local adoptive immunotherapy employed on a selected population using IL2-activated immune cells (A-LAK cells) and IL2 resulted in complete growth inhibition of a human squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck implanted three to seven days previously and growing in nude mice. Although the in vitro cytotoxicity of A-LAK cells against the carcinoma cells was not higher than that of the whole population (LAK cells), the in vivo antitumor efficacy was from 4 to 9 times higher for A-LAK cells, as confirmed by the total number of injected cells needed for a complete growth inhibition. In addition, local A-LAK cell administration was characterized by early peritumoral erythema and swelling, not observed during LAK-cell therapy, which disappeared at the end of therapy. Histology of the tumors, during and at the end of therapy, showed an initial granulocytic and plasma cellular infiltration followed by mononuclear infiltration of the stroma of the tumor. The tumors showed a terminal-like differentiation with an increase of the keratinic layer and decrease of basal epithelial cells. These effects were proportional to the number of A-LAK cells injected. With the highest number of A-LAK cells, a complete epithelial disorganization was observed and 4 weeks from therapy termination the tumors were reduced to keratinic areas surrounded by connective tissue. These observations suggest the possibility of a A-LAK cell-dependent process of accelerated tumor differentiation and keratinization leading to tumor regression in nude mice.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Identification of the waveform of cortical auditory evoked potentials].

Slow vertex response (SVR) audiometry is presently one of the methods of choice in objective auditory threshold assessment. The aim of this study, carried out on twenty subjects with various degrees and types of hearing loss, was to evaluate the difficulties found in N1P2 complex identification. Tracings, presented as single averages and super-imposed averages, were examined separately by two Authors who had not been received any information concerning the audiometric thresholds of the subjects under investigation. Results showed that erroneous identification of SVR waveforms occurred frequently, especially near threshold level. The rate of false negatives (i.e. a waveform present but not identified) was higher than the rate of false positives (i.e. erroneous identification of a non-existing N1P2 complex). High intra- and interindividual discrepancies were also found. Our results appear to indicate that the SVR waveform is not easily identifiable and thus that SVR audiometry cannot, therefore, be considered a truly objective audiometric test since analysis of the tracings may be influenced by the high degree of variability in individual interpretation.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Relations between pure-tone audiometry and cortical evoked auditory potentials].

Slow vertex response (SVR) audiometry is presently one of the methods of choice in objective auditory threshold assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate, as objectively possible, the relationship existing between the thresholds of SVR and or pure tone audiometry (PTA). The study was carried out on twenty subjects with hearing losses of various degrees and types. While mean differences between SVR and PTA thresholds ranged between 6 to 13 dB, in some cases values over 30 dB were found. No statistically significant intra- and interindividual discrepancies were found, even though in some cases the thresholds were given different in evaluations by different examiners. No statistically significant difference in SVR versus PTA thresholds was found in patients with sensory-neural and conductive hearing loss, while in subjects with normal hearing the difference between the thresholds was greater. Our results suggest that SVR is a reliable technique in objective threshold evaluation but that in single cases its threshold cannot be directly compared to that of pure tone audiometry.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Determination of 11S IgA in nasal secretions in the monitoring of local immunomodulating therapy].

Twenty pediatric patients with recurrent infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract (tonsillitis, adenotonsillitis with or without involvement of the ear and/or lower respiratory tract) were studied. An immunological assay of the nasal secretum was performed at time of diagnosis and following treatment with a local immunomodulator drug, administered by spray. The 7S, 11S IgA and albumin rates were evaluated. The authors emphasize the importance of SIgA in mucose defense mechanisms as well as the need for a selective method for determining the 11S IgA level. An original method for immuno-isoelectrofocusing (IIEF) determination was employed in the present study. After treatment a significant increase in 11S IgA level was observed, especially in those patients with a significant basal SIGA deficit. The authors describe details of the technique for determination and discuss the results.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prognostic significance of macrophage infiltration in laryngeal carcinoma].

We investigated the relationships between tumor associated macrofages (TAM) and tumor tissues and their possible prognostic significance in a laringeal carcinomas of patients operated in our Department for sovraglottic or total laringectomy. In our analysis we found a positive trend in Grade 3, but we could not find any correlations in the other cases. That shows that TAM have antithetic activities in the life of neoplasia.

Cell Movement↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Interleukin-2 and LAK cells in the local immunotherapy of tumors of the head and neck: an experimental model].

A xenograft model of local adoptive immunotherapy would be useful in evaluating the therapeutic effects both cytokines with and without added effector cells have on human head and neck tumors implanted into nude mice. Human squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck lend themselves to local intervention and, since conventional radio- and/or chemotherapy often fail to arrest tumor growth, new therapeutic modalities, including immunotherapy, must be considered and local immunotherapy may have the advantage of minimal side effects. In the present study the ability of local adoptive immunotherapy with human lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAKc) and recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) to inhibit the growth of established squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was evaluated in nude mice. The model was established by subcutaneous injections of in vitro maintained tumor cells into the flank splenectomized animals pretreated with cyclophosphamide and anti-asialo GM1. The line used was tumorigenic in 95% of the nude mice and neither metastasized nor killed the animals. The local daily administration of IL-2 to the tumor site for two weeks resulted in a significant inhibition of tumor growth. Complete inhibition of tumor growth was achieved with three times weekly injections of 5 to 10 x 10(6) LAKc delivered to the tumor site and 1000 U of IL-2 administered locally every day for two weeks. The data obtained indicate that local adoptive immunotherapy with IL-2 and an adequate dose of LAKc may be effective in preventing the in vivo growth of established squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Perilymphatic injection of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck].

Twenty patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck received daily injections of interleukin-2 (IL-2) from the Jurkat T-cell line, purified by high pressure liquid chromatography for 10 days. Two hundred (ten patients), one thousand (five patients) and five thousand (five patients) units of IL-2 in 0.5 ml were injected 1.5 cm from the point where the sternocleidomastoid muscle inserts itself on the mastoid. Whenever possible, the treatment cycles were repeated at 45 day intervals. In 13 patients with contralateral or bilateral cervical lymph nodes, complete or partial disappearance of the tumor was observed. There were non systemic disturbances after injection and only moderate local swelling and pain.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Monoclonal antibodies against laryngeal carcinomas. Preliminary report.

Following types of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) (HMFG 1, 2 and AI 16.9) were used in twenty patients with laryngeal carcinomas (10 pharyngolaryngeal carcinomas, T4 N+ MO, and 10 vestibulo-glottic carcinomas, T1 T2, N+ N-, MO). The demonstration of MoAb's binding was performed with immunoperoxidase technique. The results demonstrate that the HMFG 1 and 2 antibodies fixed to both T and N, mostly good or very good, while the AI 16.9 antibody fixed in a various way. None of these three MoAb's was specific for the tissue of metastasis-free satellite lymph nodes.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Does an immune reactivity to human laryngeal cancer exist?].

Authors reconsider the present state of knowledge about immunology of laryngeal cancer. Authors, besides, analyse, in a critical way, problems concerning immunological monitoring of patients bearing solid carcinomas. They conclude that, up to date, it is impossible to have a biological test which can concretely show the patient's immune state.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗