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Biomedical subjects

G Pastore

Publications and source records attributed to G Pastore.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Mortality from esophageal cancer in Piedmont, Italy.

Piedmont is located at the borderline between Italy (where mortality from esophageal cancer is relatively low) and France and Switzerland (where it is relatively high). Therefore, it seemed of interest to investigate the mortality from this cancer in Piedmont. Age-adjusted yearly mortality rates for 1965-1969 were 4.3 and 0.8 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively. Rates were very similar in the town of Torino, in the 23 suburbs of the first belt, in the nonmetropolitan areas of the province of Torino, and in the other 5 provinces of Piedmont. In both sexes, the rates did not differ from those observed in Italy during 1966-1967, whereas rates for males were lower than the national rates for France and Switzerland (14.0 and 8.5/100,000/year, respectively). Rates for males were also lower than in the adjacent French departments of Savoie, Haute-Savoie, and Isère (where in 1967-1968 they ranged between 9 and 16). Mortality rates from esophageal cancer in the town of Torino were constant from 1951-1971. During the same period, mortality from laryngeal cancer in men doubled. This suggests that although some etiological agents (alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking) are common to esophageal and laryngeal cancer, the interplay between these 2 factors as well as that with other carcinogens is different for the 2 types of cancer.

Esophageal Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevention of meningeal CNS involvement as a factor influencing the duration of complete remission and survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The influence on the duration of CR and survival of 2 modalities (MTX + hydrocortisone IT, with and without TCT) for the prevention of meningeal CNS involvement was assessed in 24 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Of the 9 subjects who received MTX and hydrocortisone only, 42% were still in CR 33 months after its attainment, as opposed to 75% of the 15 who also received TCT. Survival at 33 months after diagnosis was 89% and 82% in the 2 groups. The results are compared with those obtained in an earlier series of 14 children who received no prophylactic treatment. Here CR at 45 months was 25% and survival 46%. Eight subjects died, as opposed to 3 (1 in CR) in the present series.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Time trends in survival of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia in Piedmont, Italy: a report from the Population-Based Cancer Registry.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The Childhood Cancer Registry of Piedmont (RTI) periodically updates the life status of each registered child. Given its size, the RTI is the major (albeit geographically limited) Italian source of population-based survival rates of cancer in children. The present report describes time trends in survival of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: During 1970-87, 429 residents in Piedmont aged 0-14 were diagnosed as having ALL: they have been followed up until 1991. RESULTS: Five-year survival rates increased from 21% to 72% for children diagnosed ALL respectively in 1970-72 and 1985-87. Major improvements occurred up to the mid-seventies and again between cases diagnosed in the early and late eighties. Improvement in survival was statistically significant for children belonging to classes comprised between 2 and 10 years of age at diagnosis. Period of diagnosis was unrelated to probability of survival among the 13 cases diagnosed ALL at age 0. Survival was unrelated to sex, even in the early seventies and even after consideration of children dying more than 5 years after diagnosis. Between 1976-81 and 1982-87, an improvement in survival was found in all categories of WBC count at diagnosis: the ratio between the two estimates was somewhat higher for children with more than 50,000 WBC/mm3 at diagnosis than for other children. CONCLUSIONS: Present data are compared with those resulting from other population-based series: this exercise can be useful for an overall evaluation of delivery of cancer therapy at the population basis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Survival of childhood cancer patients in Italy, 1978-1989. ITACARE Working Group.

In the framework of the ITACARE project, a cooperative investigation conducted on the data from the Italian population-based cancer registries, survival of patients with childhood malignant neoplasms was studied. The study included 1,768 cases diagnosed at age 0-14 plus 29 osteosarcoma cases diagnosed at age 15-19. Cases were collected over the period 1978-1989, or more limited periods for some participating registries. A total of 1,138 cases were from the Childhood Cancer Registry of Piedmont and 659 from the registries operating in the provinces of Varese, Parma, Modena, Forli and Ravenna, Florence, Latina, Ragusa and in the cities of Genova and Torino (the last contributed only for bone neoplasm diagnosed at age 15-19). Overall 5-year survival was 54% for malignancies diagnosed in 1978-1981, 60% for the period 1982-1985; and 69% for the period 1986-1989. The range among registries of 5-year survival for cases diagnosed in 1986-1989 was 55-78%. Most diagnostic categories presented an improved prognosis for the cases diagnosed more recently. For cases diagnosed in 1986-1989, 5-year survival was: 74% for acute lymphatic leukaemia, 40% for acute non-lymphatic leukaemia, 65% for central nervous system neoplasms (76% for astrocytoma, 75% for ependymoma and 85% for medulloblastoma), 66% for osteosarcoma, 55% for Ewing's sarcoma, 87% for Hodgkin's disease, 64% for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 74% for rhabdomyosarcoma, 64% for neuroblastoma, 78% for nephroblastoma and 100% for retinoblastoma. Italian survival was similar to that observed in other population-based surveys in the UK and USA.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mortality of parents of children with cancer: a population-based study in Turin, Italy.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: A cohort study was conducted in order to measure cause-specific mortality among parents of children recorded in the Childhood Cancer Registry of Piedmont. It is the first study carried out on the subject in southern Europe. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: The study comprised the 740 children resident in Turin and in whom a cancer had been diagnosed in the period 1967-1991. Nominal data were obtained for 723 fathers and 733 mothers. At the end of the follow-up in 1995, 645 fathers were alive, 68 dead and 10 untraceable. Corresponding figures for mothers were 700, 28 and 5. Cause of death was known for 91 of 96 parents. RESULTS: The period of observation of parents started on the birth of the index child, however mortality analyses were restricted to the period after 1965 because of limited availability of local reference rates. Total mortality was lower than expected among fathers (66 observed deaths vs 88.2 expected, P <0.05) and mothers (28 vs 31.4). Fathers showed deficits (not statistically significant) of lung neoplasms (4 vs 9.9), cardiovascular diseases (18 vs 27.1) and hepatic cirrhosis (2 vs 6.6). No statistically significant variations in mortality were observed with time from diagnosis or according to life status of the children. No cancer deaths occurred among the mothers of sarcoma cases whereas 1.9 were expected. CONCLUSIONS: The data do not indicate any increase in mortality from cancer or other causes end, on the contrary, show a reduction in mortality which was more evident for the causes related to life style.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Leucocyte identification and analysis in human semen.

The analysis of leucocyte population in human semen could be useful in the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of male genital infections, but it is difficult due the low percentage of leucocytes, often not easily recognizable from immature cells of spermatogenesis. A method was developed for the isolation and identification of different leucocyte populations in human semen in healthy subjects using anti-CD45-covered magnetic beads. The seminal fluid was incubated with anti-CD45-covered magnetic beads and the samples were placed in contact with a magnet. The CD45-positive cells recovered were analyzed by light microscopy. The leucocyte formula was compared with a leucocyte formula performed on seminal fluid sediment. The method, even if laborious, eliminates all spermatozoa and most of cells of spermatogenetic lineage, thus permitting phenotyping and functional analysis on isolated leucocytes.

Cell Separation↗
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Liver graft infection by HBV S-gene mutants in transplant patients receiving long-term HBIg prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: HBV reinfection of transplant livers occurs frequently even in the presence of high doses of anti-HBs immunoglobulins. We analyzed, retrospectively, whether and which type of S-gene variants were selected by long-term polyclonal anti-HBs (HBIg) treatment leading to reinfection of patients transplanted because of chronic HBs-positive end-stage liver disease. METHODOLOGY: The preS2/S gene of the viral genomes obtained from sera before transplantation and during HBV reinfection was amplified by PCR and directly sequenced. RESULTS: According to transaminase and HBV DNA hybridization analysis, 3/18 (17%) liver transplant patients had HBV and hepatitis recurrence during anti-HBs therapy. A HBV S-gene mutant containing a G to A nucleotide mutation at position 587, converting Glycine to Arginine (G145A), was identified in all three patients as the dominant population at reinfection but not pre-transplantation. Contrary to the S-gene, no consistent nucleotide changes were found in the pre-S2 region of HBV genomes when comparing the reinfection and pre-transplantation samples. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that long-term polyclonal anti-HBs immunoprophylaxis selected the most commonly described G145R S-gene escape HBV variant which became the dominant virus population and was responsible for graft infection. Therefore, immunoglobulins with high affinity for the G145R HBs variant should be included in HBIg to prevent recurrent HBV infection in transplant patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of the new organization on the management of breast cancer.

The radical change in the health care service now going on for some years requires the commitment of medical specialists, as well as the acquisition of an adequate knowledge of the economic implications associated to the therapeutic choice. Among primary objectives of health care management in the field of breast cancer, the best cost-effective strategy and the rationalization and standardization of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, should be identified. Problems related to breast cancer are examined for effective, efficient and economic optimization.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pediatric Tumor Registry of Piedmont. Descriptive epidemiology of malignant tumors in children in Piedmont, 1976-1994].

Since 1967, the Childhood Cancer Registry of Piedmont measures cancer incidence and lethality among children aged 0-14 residents in the Region. Two thousand seven hundred twenty cases were recorded in the period 1967-94. Males were 55.4%. The highest frequency was observed in the age class 0-4 including 41.3% of cases. The most frequent malignancies were: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemias, CNS Tumours and Lymphomas. Incidence rates showed limited variation, both for total neoplasm and for the largest diagnostic categories. On the contrary, lethality decreased markedly: rate (per million children years) was 77.2 in 1967-69 and 59.4 in 1988-94. This trend as more evident for acute leukemias and CNS tumours. Better diagnostic techniques, anticancer and support therapies are the likely explanation for the improved prognosis. Prevalence increased, as a consequence of improved survival and curability: in the Province of Torino it increased from 62 cases per 100,000 children (age 0-14) in 1980 to 98 cases in 1994.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Breast cancer: new trends of clinical research.

In breast physiopathology, in spite of the crop of information and clinical studies, a number of questions are still unsolved. The adequacy of research sources and the transmission of information to clinical practice through consistent and validated efficacy evidences are required to ensure the treatment quality. In this article the different specialist approaches and the main themes debated in the interdisciplinary approach to breast cancer are considered: the genetical risk factors, the role of diagnostic imaging, the mapping and assessment of sentinel lymph node, the role of nodal radiation therapy following mastectomy.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment of cholera in the adult. Studies during recent epidemics in Apulia].

A rapid and adequate intravenous infusions of saline and alkali in correcting hypovolemic shock, alectrolyte abnormalities, acidosis and renal failure, is the choice treatment in the majority of acute cholera patients. On the basis of the knowledge of chemical composition of the gastrointestinal fluids loss and the definition of exact mechanism of metabolic features observed in acute cholera patients, it has been possible, in the last ten years, to develop and utilize in a large numbers of patients, a more exact and adequate treatment consisting of replacement of water and electrolytes depletion with saline and alkali of the same ionic composition of fluids lost through the gastrointestinal tract. The isotonic saline and isotonic sodium lactare regimen in a 2:1 ratio has been employed in the treatment of our adult acute cholera patients. Hypotensive patients received a rapid fluids infusion of 2-4 liters within the first 4-6 hours immediately after admission. Later on the quantity of intravenous fluids replacement was regulated on the basis of blood electrolytes pattern, blood pressure, diuresis and patient's hydratation. With this regimen of treatment we observed electrolytes and acid-basic abnormalities in only 25% of our patients. The peritoneal dialysis was applied in three of these patients with irreversible renal failure. Antibiotic therapy, that assume a secondary role in the treatment of cholera patients, was carried out in each case: in 19 cases were given 1 gram every 12 hours i.m. of chloramphenicol succinate; 14 cases received mg 500 of tetracycline orally every six hours; 34 cases received two tablets of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole every 12 hours (mg 240 of TM and g 1,6 of SMZ total dose). Except one case of TM-SMZ group who had stool culture positive for Vibrio on 4th day of therapy, in each other patients the stool cultures were sterilized in a period of 24-72 hours of antibiotic treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Renal complications of Asiatic cholera].

Seventy cases of cholera were admitted to Hospital during 1973 cholera epidemic; 49 showed the symptoms of renal failure, 19 of whom with anuria. Acute renal failure is caused from hypertonic or isotonic dehydration, metabolic acidosis and potassium depletion. Clinically the pattern of a tubulo-interstitial nephritis can be found; a short oliguric or anuric phase followed by a poliuric phase lasting about 10 days. The glomerular function usually cames back to normal in 20 days time. As for the therapy, 16 of the above mentioned 19 anuric patients received a conservative treatment only; 3 patients with preexisting chronic nephropathy required peritoneal dialysis. Only one patient died and one patient with lupic nephropathy was put on chronic haemodialysis treatment. Concluding: 17 patients out of 19 completely recovered their renal function.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
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[Opinions and attitudes of youngsters about sexually transmitted diseases].

A group of 1.085 students (582 M, 503 F) attending high school (742) and nursing school (343) filled in an anonymous questionnaire on their sexual habits and their knowledge of contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Overall, 57% of the study population had already a complete sexual intercourse at a mean age of 16,4 (SD +/- 1,8). 74% had 1-3 sexual partners, whereas 28% had more than 3. All students affirmed that it was possible to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and 92,6% indicated correct methods. However 10% of students did not know that AIDS is transmitted sexually as 47% hepatitis B. The responses made by nursing students were more correct that those of high school students.

Adolescent↗