Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Rodriguez

Publications and source records attributed to J Rodriguez.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Long-term prognostic importance of primary Ki-1 (CD30) antigen expression and anaplastic morphology in adult patients with diffuse large-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively assessed the long-term prognostic importance of primary CD30 antigen expression and of anaplastic large-cell morphology (ALCL) in adult patients with previously untreated diffuse large-cell lymphoma (DLCL), including cases of immunoblastic lymphoma, and identified their clinical features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined available archival paraffin-embedded or frozen pathologic material and medical records of adult patients with previously untreated DLCL seen at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) between January 1978 and May 1989. RESULTS: Sixty-seven cases of DLCL and seven cases of IBL (a total of seventy-four heretofore referred to as DLCL) were identified. Twenty-two of the 74 patients were positive for the CD 30 antigen. For these 22 patients the rates of complete remission, survival, and time to treatment failure (TTF) were 86%, 82%, and 77%, respectively, at 81 months. When compared with the group of 54 patients which stained negative for CD 30, the long term survival of CD 30-positive DLCL was favorable (82% vs. 49%, p = 0.08). ALCL morphology was present in two-thirds of the patients with CD 30-positive DLCL but did not affect survival and TTF rates. Among patients with CD 30-positive DLCL, 16 patients without skin involvement were younger and had a low failure rate (13%) compared with six patients with skin involvement who were older and had a high failure rate (50%); however, the latter group had a more indolent course after failure and thus both groups had similar survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Primary CD 30 positivity is associated with a favorable long-term prognosis in adult patients with DLCL treated with doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy. ALCL morphology among these patients does not affect the outcome. Patients with CD30-positive DLCL and skin involvement have a higher failure rate than those without skin involvement, but similar overall survival.

Adolescent↗

Primary mediastinal large cell lymphoma is characterized by an inverted pattern of large tumoral mass and low beta 2 microglobulin levels in serum and frequently elevated levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase.

BACKGROUND: Primary mediastinal large cell lymphoma (PMLCL) is an emerging entity. New parameters can help define it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical records from 35 patients treated at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1985 to 1990. Immunohistochemical evaluation of tissue specimens. Determination of survival (S) and time to treatment failure (TTF). RESULTS: The median age was 34 years and 69% were females. Eight-three percent presented with symptoms of mediastinal involvement. While 100% of the patients presented with bulky mediastinal disease and 72% had elevated pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase, only 6% presented with an elevated pretreatment serum beta 2 microglobulin. The lymphoma cells lacked CD21 staining. For the 18 patients treated initially at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, S and TTF curves rates after doxorubicin-based regimens (plus radiotherapy in 14 cases) were 72% and 61%, respectively, at 5 years follow-up (median, 42 months). Four out of six patients who received autologous bone marrow transplant as salvage therapy are currently alive without disease at follow-up times of 21, 25, 32, and 54 months. CONCLUSION: Primary mediastinal large cell lymphoma has characteristic clinicopathological features to which another can be added, that of an inverted pattern of bulky disease, high LDH and low beta 2 M in serum. The response to therapy is comparable to that of intermediate-grade lymphomas, although the numbers in the study are small. Our preliminary data suggest a possible role for autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) as salvage therapy.

Adult↗

Multiple strokes after initiation of steroid therapy in giant cell arteritis.

We report the case of a 66 year old woman with clinical manifestations of giant-cell arteritis, positive temporal artery biopsy and excellent response to prednisone, who developed massive cerebral infarcts after 5 days of treatment. Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed multiple infarcts in areas irrigated by both the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems bilaterally. A four-vessel angiography performed 19 days later revealed only mild atheromatous disease. Anticardiolipin antibodies were negative and a transoesophageal echocardiogram was normal. Stroke during the first 2 weeks of therapy in giant-cell arteritis, especially in the vertebrobasilar territory, has been previously reported. Anticoagulation during the first weeks of steroid treatment in these patients might be advisable.

Aged↗

Characterization of thrombin receptor expression during vascular lesion formation.

Blood vessels respond to injury by initiating cell proliferation and migration that result in vascular lesion formation. To determine the roles of thrombin and the thrombin receptor in this process, we characterized thrombin receptor expression in normal and injured arteries, thrombin receptor-mediated smooth muscle cell mitogenesis, and the regulation of thrombin receptor mRNA expression in vitro. Thrombin receptor mRNA was not detected in normal rat or baboon arteries by in situ hybridization. Immunohistochemistry using an antithrombin receptor antibody (TR-R9), directed against the thrombin cleavage site of the rat aortic smooth muscle cell thrombin receptor, revealed low-level staining for thrombin receptor protein in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of normal arteries. In contrast, balloon catheter injury increased thrombin mRNA expression in medial smooth muscle cells within 6 hours. This increased thrombin receptor expression continued within the media and in neointimal cells throughout vascular lesion formation, predominantly in areas of active cell proliferation. In vitro, alpha-thrombin stimulates rat aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. That thrombin receptor activation is required for the mitogenic response was confirmed by demonstrating that the polyclonal antibody TR-R9 inhibits thrombin-induced cell proliferation. Thrombin receptor mRNA synthesis was induced by both basic fibroblast growth factor (maximal stimulation of 1.8-fold at 1 hour) and platelet-derived growth factor (maximal stimulation of 2.4-fold at 8 and 24 hours) in quiesced cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells. In summary, upregulation of smooth muscle cell thrombin receptor expression occurs very early after vascular injury and continues throughout neointimal development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angioplasty↗

T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma.

We analyzed 23 cases of T-cell-rich B-cell lymphomas (BCL) to determine if the clinical features are characteristic of a discrete entity. Cases encoded as T-cell-rich BCL in the hematopathology archives of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1988 and 1991 formed the basis of this study. At least 50% of the total population of cells were required to be of T-cell phenotype. Actually, all but one patient had more than 70% T cells in the total population. Sixty-five percent of all cases were referred with other diagnosis such as Hodgkin's mixed cellularity, peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), or diffuse mixed lymphoma, and had received therapy accordingly. With the exception of splenomegaly, which occurred in 35% of cases, the other clinical characteristics and the response to therapy did not indicate that this entity represents a distinct type of lymphoma. Ann Arbor stage I-II presentations were seen in 10 of 23 (43%) T-cell-rich BCLs. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was elevated in eight of 19 patients. Age, sex, and beta 2-microglobulin were not significantly different from classical B-cell large cell lymphoma. The clinical presentation and clinical outcome of T-cell-rich BCL did not differ from that of common B-cell large cell lymphoma, except for the higher proportion of splenomegaly seen in patients with T-cell-rich BCL. The presence of the T-cell-rich infiltrate varied: it frequently was not seen at relapse or at other sites of disease at presentation. It was thus considered an unstable parameter. The major importance of identifying this entity is to distinguish it pathologically from other disorders such as Hodgkin's disease and PTCL, which would be treated in a different manner.

Adult↗

Antiserotoninergic activity of 2-aminoethylbenzocyclanones in rat aorta: structure-activity relationships.

The antiserotoninergic activity at the serotonin receptor subtype 2 (5-HT2) of seven new 2-aminoethylbenzocyclanones was determined with respect to serotonin-induced contractions in rat aorta and compared with that of ketanserine (pA2 = 8.87). Competitive antagonism was observed in six compounds (6.72 < or = pA2 < or = 8.12). Three-dimensional structures and molecular electrostatic potential distributions of ketanserine and 2-aminoethylbenzocyclanones were analyzed. Several molecular features correlated with the rank of antiserotoninergic activity. In the case of the cyclanone fragment, the rank of activity was associated with the degree of planarity of the bicyclic system. The steric and electrostatic effects due to the loss of planarity were analyzed. In the case of the amino moiety, activity was associated with a particular spatial pattern defined by the amino nitrogen, the aromatic system, and molecular electrostatic potential minima generated by the oxygen atom.

Animals↗

Plasma catecholamine levels during temperature biofeedback training in normal subjects.

Thirty-nine normal volunteers of both sexes were randomly assigned to receive 8 sessions of temperature biofeedback or autogenic training to increase finger temperature. Temperature biofeedback subjects produced significant elevations in finger temperature during training, whereas those who received autogenic training did not. Temperature feedback subjects had significantly higher heart rates and diastolic blood pressures during training compared to autogenic subjects. There were no significant changes or group differences in plasma catecholamine levels. These data do not support the hypothesis that feedback-induced vasodilation is accompanied by decreased sympathetic activation in normal populations, when only temperature biofeedback is employed.

Autogenic Training↗

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of piroxicam.

Two flow-injection analysis (FIA) methods are proposed for the determination of piroxicam. The first involves measurement of the UV absorbance of a solution containing the drug, methanol and hydrochloric acid at 332 nm; in the second method a Fe(III)-piroxicam complex is formed in a methanolic medium and the absorbance is measured at 520 nm. In both methods, the peak height is used as a quantitative parameter and piroxicam is determined over the ranges 0.5-15 and 30-500 microgram ml-1, respectively. The methods have been applied to the routine determination of the drug in dosage forms.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗

Diastolic zero-flow in the umbilical artery in twin pregnancies.

Clinical arterial blood flow measurements in single pregnancies can not be precisely estimated yet. ARED (absent or reverse end diastolic) flow of the umbilical artery (UA) commonly indicates a symptom of fetal jeopardy. The interpretation of blood flow measurement in twin pregnancies is still controversial. On one hand, no differences in a single pregnancies are found, and on the other hand, increased resistance indices have been reported. In the feto-fetal transfusion syndrome mostly there are normal blood flow measurements. When pathological blood flow occurs, usually it affects the donor. By means of 4 case reports with ARED flow, the value of the investigation method in management of twin pregnancies is demonstrated. Three out of four fetuses with an ARED flow in the UA have died. Case fetus with a normal flow velocimetry survived. Even feto-fetal transfusion syndrome may cause pathological blood flow curves. In fetuses with ARED-flow in the UA fetal hypoxia and acidosis are to be expected. A careful evaluation of the cardiotocogram is indicated with a viable fetus. A possible fetal disturbance may be seen early in blood flow curves and may help provide better obstetrical management.

Adult↗