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Biomedical subjects

G Longo

Publications and source records attributed to G Longo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Zinc therapy increases duodenal concentrations of metallothionein and iron in Wilson's disease patients.

OBJECTIVE: Wilson's disease is effectively treated by zinc administration which, in vitro, increases metallothionein concentrations. To ascertain whether the latter also occurs in humans we measured metallothionein and trace element concentrations in the duodenal mucosa of 15 Wilson's disease patients: 12 treated with zinc sulphate, two treated with penicillamine, and one not yet on treatment. The control group consisted of 17 patients with dyspepsia, who underwent the same study protocol. METHODS: Metallothionein and trace element concentrations were measured in duodenal mucosa biopsies according to the silver-saturation hemolysate method and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Metallothionein concentrations increased by 1500% after zinc and 150% after penicillamine in Wilson's disease patients, with respect to controls who had negative endoscopy and Wilson's disease patients who were not treated. A significant correlation was found between metallothionein and duodenal zinc concentrations. Mucosal iron concentration increased in Wilson's disease patients whether they were treated with zinc or penicillamine. Duodenum with duodenitis also had significantly increased iron levels compared with normal duodenum. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc administration increases intestinal metallothionein in Wilson's disease patients. The blockade of copper absorption and its elimination in the stools on desquamation of the intestinal cells probably explains one of the mechanisms underlying the effect of zinc treatment. Despite normal endoscopy, Wilson's disease patients present increased mucosal iron concentrations similar to those in controls with duodenitis. Metallothionein may therefore prevent oxidative damage caused by metal toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Clinical characteristics, treatment outcome and survival of 36 adult patients with primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio dei Linfomi (GISL).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although in recent years anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) has emerged as a distinct clinico-pathological entity, a gold standard for treatment has still not been defined. Goals of our histologic, phenotypic and clinical study were to present clinical findings, treatment outcome and survival rates of a small, but highly homogeneously treated, series of patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: From April 1991, 36 newly diagnosed adult patients with systemic ALCL CD30+, entered a prospective non-randomized trial in one of the institutions participating in a GISL (Gruppo Italiano per lo studio dei Linfomi) study and were treated with a MOPP/EBV/CAD hybrid scheme. Chemotherapy (CHT) was administered every 28 days, for a total of 6 cycles. After CHT, 19 patients received radiation therapy (RT) to the site of previously involved fields. Kaplan and Meier and log-rank tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The overall complete remission rate was 78%, the partial remission rate was 6%. The overall survival rate at 74 months was 69%. No statistically significant differences in response or survival rates were noted comparing ALCL-HL and -CT subgroups, T+ Null- and B- subtypes, or ALCL-HL and -CT, with different phenotypes. In the analysis of patients with T+ Null phenotype treated with CHT+RT in comparison with B-ALCL patients who had the same treatment, we observed statistically significant differences in the survival rate (p=0.048). No prognostic factors predictive of response or survival were identified. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that using MOPP/ABV/CAD the results, in terms of remission rate and survival, are similar to those obtained with 3rd generation CHT regimens. The diagnosis of T and Null ALCL is the most important prognostic factor, because it is associated with a very good survival, even in patients with a high prognostic index. Finally, we believe that longer follow-ups are needed to evaluate long-term survival and toxicity with different treatments.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta. Report of a case].

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a heterogeneous group of connective tissue disorders; it is characterized by blue scleras, bone fragility and deformity secondary to recurring fractures. A case of osteogenesis imperfecta personally observed at the 21st week of gestation is presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Experimental colitis increases small intestine permeability in the rat.

Small intestine permeability is frequently altered in patients with Crohn's disease and is thought to play a pathogenic role. The aim of this study was to investigate the permeability and structure of small intestine tight junctions (TJ) in an animal model of chronic distal colitis. Seven days after colitis induction with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid/ethanol, the duodenal and ileal TJ were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy using lanthanum nitrate, freeze fractures, and immunohistochemistry of occludin, ZO-1, and cingulin. Animals treated with intrarectal ethanol alone served as controls. In controls, 7.5% of duodenal and 9.6% of ileal TJ were permeable to lanthanum, whereas in colitis, permeability increased significantly (79.5% and 72.9%, respectively; p < 0.001, both segments compared with controls). In colitis, the percentage of "leaky" junctions in duodena as well as in terminal ilea correlated positively with the macroscopic colon damage score (p < 0.02 and p < 0.005, respectively). Freeze-fracture analysis and immunohistochemistry of cingulin and ZO-1 did not reveal any difference between control and treated animals, whereas the signal of the transmembrane protein occludin was found to be disrupted and irregular in both small intestine segments. Distal colitis induces an increase of TJ permeability throughout the entire small intestine, and the extent of alterations correlates with colonic damage. Alterations in the transmembrane protein occludin seem to be responsible for the observed changes. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the mechanism of TJ alterations by a remote focus of inflammation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Height, weight, height velocity of primary school population sample in Campania region.

Aim of this study was to plot height, weight and height velocity values of primary school civic population of Portici and Ercolano, Campania towns, on Tanner's charts in order to verify the overlapping of percentile distribution. On May 1994 height and weight were measured in 3504 children (1735 boys and 1769 girls, aged 5.4-16.1 years, mean age = 8.6 years) from the 1st, 2nd and 5th year of primary schools in Portici and Ercolano. One year later, on May 1995, we remeasured and reweighed 1583 (781 boys and 802 girls, aged 6.4-14.2 years, mean age = 9.6 years) out of total children and we calculated height velocity (HV). The height and weight profiles of our population sample show that children in Portici and Ercolano are taller and fatter than those measured by Tanner and Whitehouse 25-30 years ago. The calculation of body mass index (BMI) confirmed that 30% of total children were obese. Furthermore, the evaluation of one-year HV revealed a clear improvement of linear growth. Our data suggest that Tanner and Whitehouse charts should be updated, and it should be useful to elaborate also height, weight and HV standards derived from present-day population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Evidence for in vivo peroxynitrite production in human chronic hepatitis.

During inflammation nitric oxide reacts at near diffusion limited rates with superoxide to form the strong oxidant peroxynitrite. Nitration on the ortho position is a major product of peroxynitrite attack on proteins. In the present study we investigated whether immunohistochemical detection of nitrotyrosine (footprint of peroxynitrite) can be associated with human hepatitis. Paraffin-embedded liver tissue biopsies from patients with chronic active hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis plus cirrhosis and chronic persistent hepatitis exhibit significant specific immunostaining with the antibody to nitrotyrosine. Positive staining was found in 57% and 72% of tissue specimens from patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining of nitrotyrosine residues was found in the hepatocytes and Kuppffer cells of the necrotic area. The presence of nitrotyrosine indicates that oxidants derived from nitric oxide such as peroxynitrite are generated in human hepatitis and may be involved in its pathogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Occurrence of a novel t(11;19)(q13;q13.3) in complete remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

A woman with t(15;17) and PML/RAR alpha positive acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL-M3v) achieved a complete remission (CR) with cytogenetic and molecular conversion, after one-month ATRA plus idarubicin treatment. During CR, less than one-month after consolidation therapy with topoisomerase II inhibitors, a novel t(11;19) (q13;q13.3) was detected in peripheral blood stem cells and later in harvest bone marrow cells. Persisting CR and the negativity for BCL1 and PRAD1 genes rearrangement, the autotransplantation was performed, with good outcome. The patient is still in CR eighteen months post-transplant, in spite of the persistence of a small t(11;19) clone in BM cells. The emergence of a novel chromosomal change during CR of acute leukemia is a rare phenomenon. This is the first t(11;19)(q13;q13.3) described in APL. This finding raises the issue of whether the abnormal karyotypes at remission might represent a risk of tumor recurrence. The meaning of this genomic instability is yet unknown.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Clinico-pathological characterization of hepatitis C virus-related B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas without symptomatic cryoglobulinemia.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence has suggested an association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and B-cell lymphoproliferation. We studied the prevalence of HCV infection in a series of de novo B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) cases and correlated virological findings with clinico-histological features. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred fifty-seven patients with de novo B-NHL were included in the study. Their serum was examined by ELISA and RIBA for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies, and either the peripheral blood mononuclear cells or the pathology tissues of all of the patients were examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the presence of HCV RNA sequences. RESULTS: HCV infection occurred in 22.3% of B-NHL patients and was documented before the diagnosis in about half of the positive cases. Of interest, HCV infection was more frequently found in follicular center, marginal zone and diffuse large-cell lymphoma types, but was not associated with symptomatic cryoglobulinemia. The median survival time was 48 months in HCV-positive and 52 months in HCV-negative B-NHL patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings strengthen the pathogenetic link between HCV and B-NHL and show that HCV infection may be associated with the malignant proliferation of defined B-cell subsets other than the immunoglobulin Mk B-cell subset involved in the pathogenesis of mixed cryoglobulinemia type II and associated lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma type. HCV-related liver disease did not affect the survival of our B-NHL patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of upper gastrointestinal lesions and Helicobacter pylori infection in Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease can affect the upper gut with reported variable frequency, although concurrent Helicobacter pylori infection has been reported to be low. We prospectively investigated the prevalence of esophageal, gastric, and duodenal lesions and Helicobacter pylori infection in 67 Crohn's disease, 41 ulcerative colitis patients, and 43 controls. Symptoms, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and multiple biopsies were performed on all patients consecutively. Endoscopic lesions were found in 63% of Crohn's disease patients, with a Helicobacter pylori prevalence of 28%. Granulomas were found in three patients. Twenty-two percent of the ulcerative colitis patients had lesions, with a 29% prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Half of the controls had pathological endoscopy, and Helicobacter pylori was positive in 40% of the cases. Subjective symptoms did not predict the presence of endoscopic lesions or Helicobacter pylori infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Chronic gastritis and duodenitis are common in Crohn's disease patients, and the majority are not associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The effect of heparin on trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid-induced colitis in the rat.

BACKGROUND: Reduced blood coagulability seems to protect against inflammatory bowel disease; pilot studies using heparin in patients with inflammatory bowel disease have reported positive results. AIM: To evaluate the effects of heparin treatment on microangiographic and on inflammatory parameters in experimental colitis, induced by trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)-ethanol. METHODS: Four groups of rats: (i) controls (saline enema), TNBS-induced colitis with (ii) sham treatment (saline, s.c.), (iii) dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg/day s.c.) and (iv) heparin (500 U/kg t.d.s., s.c.). Microangiography was performed 2 and 4 days after colitis induction. Partial thromboplastin time, colonic wet weight, macroscopic damage score and mucosal myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were determined at day 4. RESULTS: TNBS-induced colitis caused a reduction in visible bowel wall vessels, which was prevented by heparin (P < 0.05) but not by steroids. The macroscopic damage scores and colon wet weights were similar in all colitis groups. Compared to untreated colitis the MPO activity in heparin-treated animals was of borderline significance. CONCLUSIONS: Heparin treatment improved microangiographic features and reduced inflammation to a certain degree. Steroids delayed development of colon hypoperfusion, but were ineffective on MPO activity. It remains to be determined if the observed effects are due to the antithrombotic activity of heparin or to an anti-inflammatory action.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Evaluation of breast tumour cell contamination in the bone marrow and leukapheresis collections by RT-PCR for cytokeratin-19 mRNA.

There is considerable interest in an autologous transplantation (AT) programme for patients with high-risk breast cancer; however, the issue of the incidence of occult bone marrow (BM) micrometastasis at diagnosis, and the cancer contamination of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collections used for haematological rescue, is still debated. The presence of BM micrometastasis was evaluated in bilateral BM biopsies obtained at diagnosis of 33 patients with stage II/IIIA breast cancer using: (i) a 'nested' reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for cytokeratin 19 (K19) mRNA, (ii) histology, and (iii) immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis with a panel of three monoclonal antibodies. The RT-PCR assay only was used to determine contamination of PBSC collections obtained after priming with recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF). K19 transcripts in one or both BM samples were detected in 48% of patients at diagnosis, with an overall 85% concordance with the results of IHC analysis. On the other hand, 56% of PCR- and IHC-positive BM samples were diagnosed as 'normal' on histological analysis. 57% of patients showed K19 mRNA in at least one PBSC collection; the possibility to have contaminated PBSC collections was significantly higher in patients with K19 positivity in BM at diagnosis. In four patients who had shown K19 positivity in BM and in PBSC collections, immunoselected CD34+ cells used for haematological rescue were K19-negative. There was a trend towards longer relapse free survival (RFS) in patients transplanted with K19-negative PBSC collections as compared to the others. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of patients with high-risk non-metastatic breast cancer present occult BM micrometastasis at diagnosis and also show cancer contamination of PBSC collections used for AT. These might represent a category of patients with poorer prognosis after AT, and possible candidates for more intensive and/or alternative therapeutic regimens, including AT with purged PBSCs.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Altered plasma and mucosal concentrations of trace elements and antioxidants in active ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: The production of free radicals is increased in inflammatory bowel disease, and trace elements are crucial components of several antioxidants. Trace elements deficiency may therefore compromise the defense against oxidative damage. The aims of this study were to measure plasma and tissue concentration of trace elements and antioxidants and to relate this to disease activity. METHODS: A 10-ml blood sample and six colonic biopsy specimens were obtained from 24 patients with either active ulcerative colitis or in remission and 10 patients with irritable bowel syndrome for measurement of trace elements and trace element-dependent enzymes. RESULTS: Patients with moderately active disease had significantly lower plasma iron, selenium, and glutathione peroxidase levels than patients in remission and controls, whereas no significant differences were found between the zinc and copper values of patients and controls. Mucosal concentrations of zinc and metallothionein were reduced, whereas iron and glutathione peroxidase concentrations were increased in patients with endoscopically active disease as compared with controls and patients in remission. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ulcerative colitis have altered plasma and tissue levels of trace elements and antioxidant-related enzymes. The resulting reduced protection against free radicals may contribute to the inflammatory process.

Adult↗