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Biomedical subjects

K Franssila

Publications and source records attributed to K Franssila.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis: a report of four cases.

Four patients presented with a clinical picture of spiking fever, erythematous nodular subcutaneous skin lesions, anaemia and leucopenia. Inconstant features were weight loss (3/4), splenomegaly (3/4), thrombocytopenia (3/4), raised liver enzymes (3/4), hepatomegaly (2/4) and serosal effusions (2/4). The histopathological findings of lobular histiocytic panniculitis with 'bean-bag' cells were characteristic of cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis (CHP). No infectious agent could be detected, and there was no histological evidence of malignant neoplasia. Unlike most previously described patients with CHP, three of our four patients responded to treatment with immunosuppressive or cytostatic drugs.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1992

Monitoring of multiple myeloma and bone marrow fibrosis with aminoterminal propeptide of type III collagen (PIIINP).

Bone marrow fibrosis is known in myelomatosis and depends on the extent of plasma cell infiltration. The serum concentration of the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) has previously been reported to reflect fibrogenesis in the marrow in myelofibrosis. Here we followed 15 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with repeated PIIINP measurements during treatment with intermittent courses of melphalan and prednisolone. PIIINP was found to change with clinical behaviour of the disease, nonresponders and patients with recurrent disease having elevated values and the values in responders decreasing to the normal level or remaining there. Collagen fibres in plasma cell infiltrates of biopsies from bone marrow or skeletal tumours of these patients stained heavily with antibodies against PIIINP. Our results suggest that PIIINP works as a noninvasive indicator of bone marrow fibrogenesis. In multiple myeloma PIIINP is a sensitive, but not specific marker of disease course.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

DNA ploidy pattern and S-phase characteristics of metastatic melanoma.

Samples of 130 metastatic melanomas from 92 patients were analyzed by DNA flow cytometry. DNA aneuploidy was observed in 67% of the patients. DNA indices were evenly distributed from 0.6 to 2.6 Tumors originating from primary lesions in the lower extremities were more frequently DNA aneuploid than those of other sites. S-phase fraction (SPF) was evaluable from 73 tumors. DNA aneuploid tumors had a significantly higher SPF than diploid tumors, and females had a higher SPF than males. Furthermore, distant metastases had a higher SPF than metastases in regional lymph nodes and in transit metastases, probably indicating a higher growth potential in metastases spreading to distant sites.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1991

DNA aneuploidy and low S-phase fraction as favourable prognostic signs in metastatic melanoma.

The prognostic value of cellular DNA content in melanoma metastases was investigated by flow cytometric analysis of fresh or paraffin-embedded tumour blocks from 95 consecutive patients referred to the Helsinki University Central Hospital Melanoma Team. Thirty-three per cent of the tumours were DNA diploid and 67% DNA aneuploid. S-phase fractions were lower in DNA diploid than in DNA aneuploid tumours (10.7% and 17.6%). Tumour ploidy and S-phase fraction were shown by multivariate Cox model analysis to be independent prognostic variables and major determinants of survival after first recurrence. Surprisingly, patients with DNA aneuploid tumours and with tumours with low SPF survived significantly longer than those with DNA diploid or high SPF tumours. This exceptional finding of favourable prognosis for DNA aneuploid tumours was more prominent among patients receiving intensive systemic therapy and among patients with stage IV disease, probably indicating a tendency for DNA aneuploid tumours to have higher sensitivity to systemic therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen and DNA ploidy in colorectal carcinoma. A prospective study.

We have analysed the relationship between carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and DNA ploidy prospectively in 130 colorectal carcinoma patients. CEA was elevated preoperatively significantly more often in patients with DNA-aneuploid tumours than in DNA-diploid or DNA-tetraploid tumours--that is, in 48% (36 of 75) of patients with aneuploid tumours, in 34% (14 of 41) of patients with diploid tumours, but only in 14% (2 of 14) of patients with tetraploid tumours (p less than 0.05). Aneuploid tumours had an elevated CEA level in 38% of stage A-B disease and in 61% of stage C-D disease. The elevated CEA values (greater than or equal to 5.0 micrograms/l) correlated with tumour stage in patients with aneuploid tumours but not in patients with diploid tumours. Whereas CEA is a suitable marker for aneuploid carcinomas, other more sensitive tumour markers should be sought for diploid and also for tetraploid tumours. If such markers are found, flow cytometry could provide the most important information in selecting individual follow-up programmes for colorectal cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Diploid predominance in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma evaluated by flow cytometry.

Fifty-nine colorectal carcinomas of patients with verified cancer family syndrome (CFS) were analyzed for DNA ploidy using flow cytometry. Sixty-eight percent of the tumors were diploid, and 32% were aneuploid. The aneuploid tumors had a median DNA index of 1.24 (range, 1.12-1.97). In 90% of all tumors the DNA index was less than 1.27. This predominance of diploid/near-diploid tumors was seen both in primary and in metachronous carcinomas. In 21 cases a cell cycle analysis was possible. Tumors with the S-phase fraction (SPF) greater than or equal to 9.8% had a worse prognosis than tumors with the SPF of less than 9.8%. These findings suggest that the predominance of diploid/near diploid DNA values is one of the characteristics of colorectal carcinomas in CFS. This might signify the existence of two or more pathogenetically different subgroups of colorectal carcinoma and explain the proposed better prognosis of colorectal carcinoma in CFS compared with other colorectal carcinomas.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The prognostic value of DNA-ploidy in colorectal carcinoma: a prospective study.

One hundred and fifty-seven patients with usual colorectal cancer were analysed prospectively for DNA-ploidy, DNA-index and S-phase fraction (SPF) using flow cytometry. An abnormal DNA-stemline was observed in 68% of tumours. The patients have been followed for a median of 36 months. In univariate analysis, tumour stage was the most significant prognostic factor. After excluding patients with stage D disease, DNA-aneuploidy was significantly associated with a shorter survival and a shorter disease free survival. SPF, however, did not correlate with prognosis. In multiple samples from the same tumour there was on average a 29% difference between the highest and the lowest SPF indicating considerable heterogeneity in proliferative activity within the tumours. In diploid tumours the variation was even higher. Patients with proximal tumours as well as female patients had DNA-diploid tumours more often than the others. This may indicate that there are different, so far unknown, aetiological factors leading to different types of ploidy pattern.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Finland, 1972-1977. Clinical presentation and results of treatment.

During the period 1972-1977, 66 patients were treated for primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in various hospitals in Finland. Most frequently, the disease occurred in middle-aged or old patients and had a male predominance. Clinical symptoms were non-specific. An abdominal mass was felt in 21% of the patients. Roentgenologic findings were mostly non-specific but suggested a malignant tumour. A definitive diagnosis was difficult to confirm by endoscopic examination. Forty-four patients had surgical resection, 30 patients curative resection, and 14 palliative resection, and 16 patients had only explorative laparotomy. Eighty-five per cent of the patients who had curative resection survived 5 years, compared with 15% of those who underwent palliative resection. Curative resection gave the best survival of 5 years. The stage of the disease was a very important prognostic factor: the 5-year survival was 85% for patients with stage-I disease but only 3% for those with stage-IV disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Immunohistochemical spectrum of malignant melanoma. The common presence of keratins.

Acetone-fixed frozen sections of 15 malignant melanomas of the skin with metastases were studied immunohistochemically for the presence of different types of intermediate filament proteins, synaptophysin, muscle cell actins, and desmoplakins. One of the melanomas was a primary toe tumor, and the others mainly regional lymph node metastases. The original diagnosis of melanoma was reconfirmed in each case, and the melanoma diagnosis of the metastases was verified by S100 protein immunostaining in all cases and by a monoclonal antibody to melanoma cells (NK1C3) in 7 cases. All melanomas were prominently vimentin-positive. In 10 of 15 cases, immunoreactive keratin could be demonstrated with antibody CAM 5.2. The presence of keratins was confirmed in selected cases with three other monoclonal antibodies including AE1, PKK1, and a monoclonal antibody specific for keratin number 18. Desmoplakin, another marker of epithelial differentiation, was not found in melanoma cells. Two melanomas contained neurofilament-positive tumor cells, which were however negative for synaptophysin. Desmin, muscle actins, and glial fibrillary acidic protein were not found in the neoplastic cells. On the basis of the present results one could conclude that the protein composition of the cytoskeleton of melanomas is more complex than has been previously thought and most importantly that melanomas may contain keratins.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Growth of human colorectal carcinoma implants in the mouse subrenal capsule assay.

The subrenal capsule assay (SRCA) in normal immunocompetent mice was performed from 1331 implants of 43 human colorectal carcinomas to evaluate the possible applications for clinical chemosensitivity testing. Also the effect of an immunosuppressive agent, cyclosporine, was tested on the growth of tumours. Histologically in all except one of 23 saline-treated tumours the original tumour tissue was replaced by granulation tissue and inflammatory cells. This was also true in cyclosporine-treated mice since in only one of the nine tests tumour cells were observed. The macroscopic growth of the implants in the cyclosporine-treated mice was significantly less than in the saline-treated mice. Flow cytometric DNA-analysis revealed that the difference between macroscopic growth of saline and cyclosporine-treated groups was observed only in DNA-diploid tumours. We conclude that new methods are required to preserve the viability of human colorectal carcinoma in the SRCA.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Unique display of a pathologic karyotype in Hodgkin's disease by Reed-Sternberg cells.

The clonality of Reed-Sternberg cells is still a matter of controversy. In Hodgkin's disease, these cells rarely constitute more than 2% of all cells in tissue biopsies of lymph node lesions, the rest being a large collection of various reactive cells. To determine in which cells the abnormal karyotype occurs, we studied two patients with Hodgkin's disease by a cytogenetic method allowing simultaneous analysis of cell morphology, immunologic phenotype, and karyotype in the same mitotic cell. The Ber-H2 (CD30) and Leu-M1 (CD15) monoclonal antibodies were used to identify mitotic Reed-Sternberg cells. In 24-48-hour cultures of lymph node cells from Hodgkin's lesions, there was a mixture of cells with an abnormal clonal karyotype and a normal karyotype. The abnormal clonal karyotype was restricted to Ber-H2- and Leu-M1-positive cells, i.e., the Reed-Sternberg cells. In keeping with these findings, most of the clonal atypical karyotypes occurred in kappa- and lambda-positive large cells, i.e., Reed-Sternberg cells. Mitotic cells with T markers (CD3,4,8) or B markers (CD22) had the normal karyotype. There were no mitoses in cells expressing the antigens recognized by Leu11 (CD16) or Leu11 + Leu7. These findings provide strong evidence suggesting that in Hodgkin's disease only the Reed-Sternberg cells possess a clonal karyotypic abnormality and thus are most probably the only neoplastic component in Hodgkin's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Receptors for epidermal growth factor and thyrotropin in thyroid carcinoma.

The EGF and TSH receptor properties in malignant thyroid tumours and adjacent normal thyroid tissues were characterized using radioreceptor assays. Ten patients with papillary, 4 with medullary, 1 with Hürthle cell type follicular carcinoma, and 2 with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were studied. In 10 out of 12 patients with papillary and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas, more EGF receptors were found in the neoplastic tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue (P less than 0.01). The affinity of the EGF receptors varied between patients (from 0.5 X 10(9) l/mol to 1.9 X 10(9) l/mol), but was in each patient the same in the neoplastic and in the normal tissue. In medullary carcinomas and a follicular Hürthle thyroid carcinoma, the EGF receptor content was very low. The receptor number was unaltered or decreased in papillary carcinomas when compared with adjacent normal tissue. In anaplastic medullary and follicular (Hürthle cell) carcinomas, the neoplastic tissue had very few high affinity TSH receptor sites. The alterations in TSH receptor characteristics when thyroid neoplastic tissue was compared with adjacent normal tissue did not correlate to changes in EGF receptor characteristics. Our results demonstrate that the amount of EGF receptors in papillary and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas differ significantly from that in follicular and medullary carcinomas and that alterations in EGF receptor content in malignant thyroid tissues are independent of TSH receptor content.

Adolescent↗