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Biomedical subjects

G Salerno

Publications and source records attributed to G Salerno.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Low-dose cyclophosphamide in combination with cisplatin or epirubicin plus rhG-CSF allows adequate collection of PBSC for autotransplantation during adjuvant therapy for high-risk cancer.

Six patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma (OvCa), and six patients with stage II or III resectable breast cancer (BrCa) were treated with low-dose CY (LD-CY, 1500 mg/m2) and cisplatin (CDDP) 100 mg/m2 (OvCa) or epirubicin (EPR) 120 mg/m2 (BrCa) plus recombinant human G-CSF (rhG-CSF). Twelve days after chemotherapy, all patients underwent PBSC collection on an outpatient basis. Following the completion of the induction programme, all patients underwent high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with carboplatin 1200 mg/m2, etoposide 900 mg/m2 and melphalan 100 mg/m2 with the reinfusion of PBSC. LD-CY plus rhG-CSF in combination with CDDP or EPR mobilised a very large number of PBSC. After a median of 13 days from chemotherapy, the concentration of PBSC in the peripheral blood was 40-fold higher than the same patient's baseline value. Each collection yielded a median of 10.8 x 10(4)/kg colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage. Severe myelosuppression occurred in all patients following HDC, but the infusion of PBSC produced a rapid and sustained haemopoietic recovery. After a median of 11 days from reinfusion, haemopoietic engraftment was complete and 80% of the patients had platelets > 100 x 10(9)/l and PMN > 1 x 10(9)/l within 14 days after reinfusion. We can conclude that the present therapeutic approach is an excellent option for mobilisation, collection and transplantation of PBSC during intensive dose adjuvant polychemotherapy of high-risk cancer.

Adult↗

Micronuclei and 3AB-index in patients receiving iodine-131 therapy.

In 28 blood samples from 21 patients undergoing 131I treatment after surgical thyroidectomy for cancer, the micronucleus (MN) frequency observed in peripheral blood lymphocytes (MN-test on binucleated cells) had a weighted mean of 0.044 +/- 0.006 (SEM), which was significantly different (p < 0.001) from that observed in 93 healthy individuals (0.025 +/- 0.001). The MN frequency (F(MN)) of the patients correlated fairly well (R = 0.736) with the modified activity (Amod) calculated by the following equation: [formula: see text] where Ai is the 131I activity on a determined day, e the logarithm base, di the number of days that have passed between the determined day and the day when the blood was drawn, and k is a day coefficient, defined in this context as the "daily attenuation factor". The use of the value of 0.0003 for k allowed the following equation to be obtained: F(MN) = 7.9 x 10(-5) (+/- 1.4 x 10(-5)).Amod + 0.014 (R = 0.736) The MN frequency was used to estimate, by our DOSIME program, the dose (Gy) received at the individual level in the 131I treatment. In these subjects the calculated dose was well correlated with Amod by the relationship: DBio = 0.0009 (+/- 0.0002).Amod + 0.0675 (R = 0.755) 3-aminobenzamide (3AB), an inhibitor of the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase enzyme involved in DNA repair, induced and increase in X-ray cytogenetic damage (MN yields), evaluated at the individual level using the 3AB-index (I-3AB). The index was obtained from the MN-yield count after x-irradiation with (MN + 3AB) and without (MN - 3AB) 3AB, using the following formula: I = 1-(MN - 3AB/MN + 3AB).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Humans↗

Cisplatin (P), bleomycin (B), and methotrexate (M) preoperative chemotherapy in locally advanced vulvar carcinoma.

Based on the encouraging results of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and radical surgery (RS) observed in locally advanced cervical cancer, 21 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (FIGO stages, IVa, 21; TNM stages, T2N2M0, 6, T3N2M0, 11, T4N2M0, 4) were submitted to two to three cycles of cisplatin (P, 100 mg/m2, Day 1), bleomycin (B, 15 mg, Days 1, 8), and methotrexate (M, 300 mg/m2 + cfr, Day 8) NACT followed by RS in operable patients. Two patients (10%) had a partial response in the primary tumor (T) and 14 (67% CR+PR) in the inguinal nodes (N). The operability rate following NACT was 90% (pathological downstaging rate, 33%) but surgery was really radical in 79% of cases. Pathological N response was significantly related to the pathological T downstaging, and a persistently high N positivity rate was detected (inguinal, 81%; pelvic, 47%). NACT+RS had an acceptable morbidity but the therapeutic results were less encouraging than expected with a 3-year survival of 24% and stage, pathological T downstaging, and N status all significantly affected survival. Sixty-eight percent of the operated patients recurred 3-17 months from the end of treatment and 50% of them had a distant relapse. PBM NACT did not seem to add any substantial benefit to the surgery alone in this subset of patients with extremely advanced disease. Studies on a chemoradiotherapeutic approach are currently in progress in order to confirm the promising preliminary results.

Adult↗

Isolation and characterization of genes encoding chaperonin 60 beta from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Chaperonins (Cpn) are implicated in the folding and assembly of multimeric proteins in plastids and mitochondria of eukaryotes and in prokaryotes. Plastid Cpn is composed of two different polypeptides termed Cpn60 alpha and Cpn60 beta. We have isolated cDNA and genomic clones encoding Cpn60 beta from Arabidopsis thaliana. The steady-state level of the cpn60 beta mRNAs is higher in etiolated leaves and sucrose-treated plants as compared to control leaves. The A. thaliana cpn60 beta gene family consists of at least three different coding units. It was confirmed that Cpn beta-encoding genes have a high level of conservation among plants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Surgical treatment for ectopic atrial tachycardia.

Atrial tachycardia is an infrequent but potentially dangerous arrhythmia which often determines cardiac enlargement. Surgical ablation of the arrhythmia is effective and safe, provided a careful atrial mapping is performed and the surgical technique is tailored to the individual focus location. Eight patients underwent surgical ablation of ectopic atrial tachycardia between 1977 and 1990. Different techniques were adopted for each patient according to the anatomical location of the focus and possibly associated arrhythmias. Whenever possible, a closed heart procedure was chosen. In 1 patient a double focal origin was found and treated by separate procedures. In 1 patient with ostium secundum atrial septal defect and atrial flutter, surgical isolation of the right appendage and the ectopic focus was performed. In all patients ectopic atrial tachycardia was ablated with maintenance of the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodal function as well as internodal conduction. In follow-up up to December 1991, no recurrency was recorded.

Adolescent↗

Radiographic indicants of adult celiac disease assessed by double-contrast small bowel enteroclysis.

The number of folds and lumen diameter of the proximal jejunum and distal ileum were retrospectively measured in 40 double-contrast small bowel enteroclysis studies of patients with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of adult celiac disease (ACD) and in 46 healthy control subjects. For both parameters an inverse radiographic pattern was found in celiacs compared to control subjects, in whom the number of folds and lumen calibers are physiologically greater in proximal jejunum than in the distal ileum. Mean differences in the jejuno-ileal number of folds (-7.1) and lumen calibers (-1.3 cm.) were in fact negative in ACD patients, in whom the values of both the parameters are less in the proximal jejunum than in the distal ileum. Particularly, the sign of "reversal of jejuno-ileal caliber" was both sensitive and specific for diagnosis of ACD in this retrospective series. Double-contrast small bowel enteroclysis can play an important role in excluding or confirming the presence of ACD, provided that an assessment of reproducibility and a prospective re-evaluation of operative characteristics of such radiographic signs are performed.

Adolescent↗

[Surgery of refractory ischemic arrhythmia].

Since June 1980, 138 patients have undergone surgical treatment for refractory ventricular tachycardia due to ischemic heart disease. Electrically guided surgical ablation (EGSA) of the focus was performed in 117 patients, while 14 patients underwent application of automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD), and 8 patients underwent heart transplantation. During the whole period considered, among the EGSA patients an operative mortality of 13 patients was observed (11.4%), with a late mortality of another 14 patients (13.4%). Two early and six late recurrences were described, and 4 cases of sudden or unexplained death, with 2 cases clearly due to an arrhythmic event. Multivariate analysis showed preoperative ejection fraction lower than 25% as a powerful predictor of early mortality (32% vs 0%). Actuarial survival rate of patients with LVEF lower than 25% was 67 +/- 12% vs 95 +/- 2% at one year and 37 +/- 25% vs 94 +/- 8% at 8 years. A high operative mortality was then observed in patients who underwent aneurysmectomy alone or visually guided procedures as compared to electrically guided procedures (75% or 3 deaths out of 4 patients vs 8.5% or 10 out of 113 patients, respectively). Patients who received an AICD with or without associated procedures showed 1 case of in-hospital mortality and no late mortality; in 6 patients at least one shock was delivered; in two patients the AICD was implanted during an EGSA procedure, due to multiple or difficult origins of the arrhythmias. Of patients who underwent heart transplantation one case of later mortality was observed due to malignancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, alternated with bleomycin and mitomycin C as a second-line regimen in advanced ovarian carcinoma resistant to cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Fourteen patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma (FIGO stages III-IV) resistant to cisplatin were submitted to an alternating regimen with doxorubicin (A), cyclophosphamide (C), bleomycin (B) and mitomycin C (M). All patients had measurable disease on entry into the study. No responses were observed while 3 patients, previously showing no change in cisplatin, had disease stabilization lasting 3, 4 and 6 months, respectively. All but 1 patient died with a median survival from the start of ACBM therapy of 7 months (range 6-11). ACBM-induced toxicity was remarkable with 50% grade II-III myelotoxicity which required a dose reduction in 43%, treatment delays in 64% and treatment discontinuation in 14%. All patients suffered from mild to moderate nausea and vomiting while reversible alopecia was seen in 42.8%. The lack of response and the substantial toxicity observed suggest that the ACBM regimen in the doses and schedule employed is not beneficial in ovarian carcinoma resistant to cisplatin.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Enteroclysis of the small intestine in celiac disease in adults: changes in the jejuno-ileal caliber and the number of folds].

The authors retrospectively reviewed the radiographic findings (obtained with double-contrast small bowel enema) of 27 patients with adult celiac disease and of 27 healthy control subjects. Two parameters were measured in two different locations; lumen diameter and number of folds both in the proximal jejunum and in the distal ileum. Statistical differences in mean values between cases and controls were calculated, and correlations between the four variables were assessed. Sensitivity, specificity and their 95% confidence limits were calculated for all the variables. The best parameter in discriminating cases from controls seems to be the caliber of distal ileum (greater than 3 cm), with 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The value of the obtained results is discussed.

Adult↗

Hospital incidence of Crohn's disease in the province of Palermo. A preliminary report.

The hospital incidence of Crohn's disease in the province of Palermo was studied from January 1987 to June 1988. A total of 51 patients (34 in 1987 and 17 in the first half of 1988) were diagnosed. The incidence rate calculated for the 1st year was 2.7/100,000. A similar figure was observed in the first 6 months of 1988, which ought to rule out an overestimation in the 1st year. These preliminary data suggest that the incidence of Crohn's disease in southern Italy is similar to that reported in northern Europe.

Crohn Disease↗