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Biomedical subjects

G Leone

Publications and source records attributed to G Leone.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Cerebrospinal fluid beta-2-microglobulin: a reliable index of leukaemic infiltration of central nervous system.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-2-microglobulin (B2m) has been proposed as a marker of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in myelo-lymphoproliferative diseases. Recently its reliability has been put in question because of false positive and false negative results. In our study, B2m was measured in 574 CSF samples collected from 74 patients affected by ALL, ANLL or lymphomas; 20 of these patients had CNS-involvement while they were under observation. There was a significant difference in CSF B2m between the patients with and without CNS-involvement (p less than 0.001). No false positive or false negative results were obtained. In 4 cases the rising of CSF B2m was observed 8, 6, 4 and 4 wk before the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of CNS-involvement. In all patients the clinical and laboratory improvement of the neurological disease was associated with a progressive decrease of CSF B2m. Some hypotheses about the origin of CSF B2m are discussed. The authors conclude that CSF B2m is a useful and reliable marker of CNS-involvement in myelo-lymphoproliferative disease.

Acute Disease↗

T lymphocyte subsets and platelet-associated IgG in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: effect of splenectomy.

The modifications of cell-mediated immunity in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were investigated using the technique of Moretta et al. [J. exp. Med. 151: 969-974, 1980] to study T lymphocyte subsets in 35 ITP subjects at various clinical stages. In all these patients, platelet-associated IgG (PAIgG) were measured by a complement lysis inhibition technique. Untreated ITP patients did not show significant modifications of T lymphocyte subsets. Patients with thrombocytopenia not responsive to corticoids or splenectomy and increased PAIgG levels showed significant reduction of Fc-gamma-bearing T lymphocytes (T-gamma). Patients 'cured' by splenectomy (12 out of 17) showed a normal PAIgG level, a marked increase of T-gamma cells and a reduction of T-mu cells; patients 'not cured' by splenectomy showed an increased PAIgG level and a reduction of T-gamma cells. An increase of PAIgG levels and a reduction of T-gamma cells were found in 2 splenectomized patients after relapse. An association between chronic nonresponsive ITP and decrease of T-gamma cells was established.

Adolescent↗

Antithrombin III during high-dose cytosine arabinoside therapy with or without asparaginase.

Fourteen patients with hematologic neoplasia (11 acute myeloid leukemias, 2 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and 1 blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia) who underwent high-dose cytosine arabinoside (HIDARAC) therapy with or without sequential asparaginase (ASNase) were investigated in order to evaluate liver toxicity and a possible decrease in antithrombin III (AT III) plasma level. AT III was found decreased only in patients who received ASNase, whereas HIDARAC alone did not influence AT III levels. It is pointed out that a single dose of ASNase seems to be sufficient to induce a decrease in AT III. A mild and transient liver toxicity due to HIDARAC therapy does not seem to be of any clinical relevance.

Adult↗

Transient deficiency of peripheral blood accessory cells in supporting T cell mitogenesis in patients suffering from chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura after intravenous gammaglobulin treatment.

Mitogenic response of blood lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and to OKT3 monoclonal antibodies was investigated in 7 patients suffering from chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) before, during and after high-dose intravenous (i.v.) immunogammaglobulin (IgG) infusion. The platelet count rose above the pre-treatment values during infusion therapy in all patients but one. Five out of seven patients presented elevated platelet-associated IgG (PA-IgG) levels at the time of the first infusion; four of these showed an increase in platelet count and a transient reduction or normalization of PA-IgG after IgG infusion. Five out of seven patients showed an impairment of T lymphocyte mitogenic response to PHA and OKT3 before therapy. All patients responded to IgG therapy with a transient deficiency of FcR mediated monocytes (Mo) in supporting T cell mitogenesis induced by both mitogens during and after IgG infusion. This reduced cooperative capability of Mo disappeared at various times after the end of therapy (range 3-12 days). The transient alteration of Mo function, possibly due to a modification in the surface number or in the affinity of Fc-receptors, can explain in part, the increase in platelet count during and after IgSRK infusion.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Platelet activation in patients with benign and malignant ovarian diseases.

Plasma concentration of beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) were measured by radioimmunoassay in 45 patients with benign and malignant ovarian diseases. All patients with ovarian carcinoma showed increased beta-TG and PF4 levels. Among benign ovarian diseases the patients with serous cystadenoma more frequently showed signs of platelet activation, whereas those with endometriotic cyst and mucinous cystadenoma generally had normal beta-TG and PF4 values. These results indicate that an increased platelet activation is consistently associated with malignant tumors of the ovary, whereas benign tumors show a different capacity to induce platelet activation.

Adult↗

Different forms of AT-III congenital defect: a study by crossed immunoelectrofocusing.

Antithrombin III (AT-III) deficiency may be due to quantitative or qualitative AT-III reduction. The diagnosis of qualitative disorder is suspected when a discrepancy is found between immunological and functional levels of AT-III. Heterogeneity has been hypothesized in both quantitative and qualitative deficiency of AT-III. A technique based on crossed immunoelectrofocusing (CIEF) was applied to investigate molecular variants of AT-III. 3 families with low functional and immunological levels of AT-III and 1 family with only a low functional AT-III level were investigated. An abnormal AT-III pattern was found with CIEF in the family with suspected qualitative disorder and in 1 of the families with quantitative disorder. The 2 abnormal patterns were different. Thus the use of CIEF AT-III patterns could help to define congenital AT-III deficiencies and could serve as a basis for classification of different forms of AT-III deficiency.

Adult↗

A clinical trial of co-trimazine (sulfadiazine + trimethoprim) in flare-ups of chronic bronchitis.

The authors treated acute flare-ups of chronic bronchitis with a combination of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) (cotrimazine). They treated thirty patients for a week, with daily dosages of 900 mg SDZ and 300 mg TMP, in an open trial in comparison with ampicillin 2 g daily. The result of treatment (course and duration of the acute episode, fever, cough, dyspnoea, sputum amount and description, chest sounds, ESR, and WBC count), tested by suitable statistical methods, showed that cotrimazine had excellent therapeutic activity and was readily tolerated; over-all results compared closely with those obtained with ampicillin. In their concluding remarks the authors state that in addition to being effective in the morbid condition selected for trial, cotrimazine offers some advantages over similar combinations of TMP and other sulfonamides, both because of the intrinsic physicochemical and pharmacological properties of SDZ and because of its lower dosage in this combination.

Acute Disease↗

Human antithrombin III heterogeneity: a study by isoelectrofocusing and crossed immunoelectrofocusing.

Isoelectrofocusing was carried out in the LKB Multiphor apparatus with pH 4-6.5 carrier ampholines using polyacrylamide gel slabs. Specimens of purified antithrombin III (AT-III), normal plasma and serum were isoelectrofocused. Microheterogeneity was shown by three preparations of purified AT; the protein was separated in at least six bands, three large bands were located in the pH range 4.9-5.2, one intermediate band at pH 4.85, other thinner bands were located in the pH range 4.55-4.80. The microheterogeneity of AT-III was confirmed in purified preparations as well as in plasma and in serum by crossed immunoelectrofocusing. The pattern of purified preparations, normal plasma and serum were very similar; only minor, quantitative differences were noticed. Plasma from a patient with congenital AT-III deficiency showed an abnormal pattern.

Antithrombin III↗

[Beta-thromboglobulin and platelet regeneration time in children with mitral valve prolapse].

We studied 12 children with echocardiographic evidence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in order to demonstrate platelet activation or consumption as risk for thromboembolism. Therefore, with a standard radioimmunoassay, we measured the plasma levels of Beta-thromboglobulin (BTG), a platelet-specific protein released during platelet release reaction. Platelet turn-over was evaluated by measuring the Platelet Regeneration Time (PRT) with a non-radioisotopic method. Blood samples for BTG assay were collected at rest and after exercise. BTG plasma levels obtained in children with MVP were significantly higher than in normal subjects (p less than 0.01), both at rest and after exercise. We found no difference in either group between BTG level at rest and after exercise. The TRP was within the normal range in all patients except 2, in whom TRP was slightly shorter. Increased BTG levels and normal TRP suggest that in our patients platelet activation, but not consumption, was increased. In children with MVP, periodic controls of platelet activation may be useful to detect an increased risk of thromboembolism.

Adolescent↗

[Benign duodenal lacunes and pseudolesions].

In 22 patients who shown filling defects in first and second duodenum, only 2 cases of benign tumors were detected by both radiology and endoscopy; the remaining cases were diagnosed as duodenitis and pseudolesions. In duodenum, the great rarity of benign tumors compared with frequency of pseudolesions doesn't allow evaluation of the accuracy of roentgen examinations. Some principles of differential diagnosis are exposed.

Adult↗