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Biomedical subjects

M Danova

Publications and source records attributed to M Danova.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Flow cytometric DNA index in the prognosis of colorectal cancer.

The authors investigated the relationship between flow cytometric DNA index (DI, defined as the ratio of the DNA content of malignant cells to that of normal cells) and other prognostic factors (grade and stage, anatomical site, age and sex) with the survival of 115 patients with colorectal cancer. Multiple biopsy specimens from 62 patients were taken during colonoscopy before surgery. Additional samples from 53 patients were obtained from paraffin-embedded material. All patients were treated with surgery only. Fresh-frozen material gave higher incidence of DNA aneuploidy than paraffin-embedded material (79% versus 41%). The patients with DNA diploid tumors (DI = 1) had a better overall survival than those with DNA aneuploid tumors (DI = 1). Among DNA aneuploid tumors, those with DI greater than 1.2 (excluding DI = 2) were worse than those with DI = 1.2 (excluding DI = 1) and DI = 2. Cox's regression analysis showed that pathologic stage was more important for prognosis than DNA index, whereas age, sex, histologic grade, and anatomic site were removed from the analysis as not relevant for prognosis. Relative risk of death (RR), in reference to patients with DI = 1 and Stages A + B (RR = 1), were RR = 1.8 for patients with carcinomas with Stage C. RR = 2.7 for patients with carcinomas with DNA near-diploid and DNA tetraploid tumors. RR = 3.5 for those with DI greater than 1.2 (excluding DI = 2), and RR = 8.0 for those with Stage D. These data indicate that flow cytometrically evaluated DI values have a relevant independent power for predicting the clinical outcome of colorectal cancer patients.

Aged↗

A study on the biological behavior of human brain tumors. Part I. Arachidonic acid metabolism and DNA content.

The study of proliferative characteristics and biochemical aspects seem to be of great importance in order to define brain neoplastic behavior. The purpose of this study is to verify the existence of any possible correlation between Arachidonic Acid (AA) metabolism and proliferative characteristics in 30 meningiomas and 30 neuroepithelial tumors. The most represented metabolite in neuroepithelial tumors is TxB2, while 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha is the lowest represented product. Unimodal DNA distribution was observed in 66% of neuroepithelial tumors and in 87% of meningiomas. Aneuploidy was more frequent in glioblastomas and anaplastic meningiomas as previously reported; AA overall synthesis capacity and profile were similar between unimodal and bimodal cases of neuroepithelial tumors. Total AA metabolite, as well as TxB2 and PGD2, synthesis capacity are significantly higher in cases with S-phase cell percentage greater than or equal to 3% than in cases with S-phase % less than 3%. Total production of AA metabolites via the cyclooxygenase pathway is significantly higher in meningiomas with bimodal DNA distribution than in cases with unimodal DNA content; when considering S-phase cell percentage, similarly to what observed in neuroepithelial tumors, meningiomas with S% greater than 3% shows a significantly higher overall synthesis capacity for AA. AA metabolism capacity well correlates with proliferative patterns in neuroepithelial tumors: the relationship depends preferentially on TxB2 and PGD2 synthesis capacity. In cases of meningiomas, the amount of AA metabolites seem to be related to DNA content and proliferative activity when anaplastic features are histologically demonstrated.

Aneuploidy↗

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)/cyclin expression during the cell cycle in normal and leukemic cells.

Bivariate flow cytometric analysis of the cell proliferation-associated nuclear protein, identified as the "proliferating cell nuclear antigen" (PCNA)/cyclin and of nuclear DNA content, was performed in quiescent and mitogen-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes, in EUE (human embryonic epithelium) cells, before and after a long-term exposure to a hypertonic (HT) medium, in 4 human leukemic cell lines and in fresh bone marrow (BM) cells from 10 patients with untreated acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL). The PCNA/cyclin was detected using both an autoantibody extracted from sera of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and the recently produced mouse monoclonal antibody (MoAb) IgG, named 19F4. The distribution of cells in the different phases of the cycle and the percentage of S-phase cells were obtained in duplicate samples, by DNA flow cytometry (FCM) and by dual parameter FCM of DNA content and bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR) incorporation. In all cell types, the non-specific cytoplasmic background fluorescence was significantly lower with the MoAb compared to that obtained with the polyclonal Ab. The percentage of PCNA-positive cells (both with the autoantibody and the 19F4 MoAb) was always higher than that of S-phase cells by DNA FCM and of BUDR-labeled cells. The pattern of PCNA-expression in both normal proliferating cells and acute leukemia cells, showed that most G0/G1 cells did not express significant amounts of PCNA; an increase in PCNA immunofluorescence was found in late G1 cells, and further increases were observed in S- and G2-M phase cells. PCNA/cyclin, as revealed both with autoantibodies and with the 19F4 MoAb, is associated with all actively or potentially dividing (i.e. G1, S and G2-M) cells thus identifying the proliferative cellular compartment. Combined with the use of multiparameter FCM techniques, the PCNA immunolocalization offers a useful tool to study cell kinetics in normal and leukemic human cell populations.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Cell kinetics with in vivo bromodeoxyuridine and flow cytometry: clinical significance in acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia.

From 1986 to 1988, 54 consecutive previously untreated patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia (ANLL), median age 54 years, were treated for remission (CR) induction with vincristine and intravenous medium-dose cytarabine sequentially followed by daunomycin and infusion cytarabine. CR patients received intensive consolidation. Bone marrow blast kinetics was studied before therapy with in vivo bromodeoxyuridine and bivariate flow cytometry. CR rate was 70.2%, median CR was 13.2 months, responsive patient survival was 16.9 months and overall survival was 9.2 months. Besides lower median age, the 33 responsive patients also had shorter potential doubling time (Tpot) and greater cell production rate (PR) than the 14 unresponsive patients (mean values = 10.9 vs. 25.4 days, P less than 0.05, and 14.7 vs. 8.9 cells/100 cells/day, P less than 0.02, respectively), due to a higher mean labelling index (7.0 vs. 5.1%, P less than 0.05) and/or to a shorter mean DNA synthesis time (13.6 vs. 18.6 hours, P less than 0.05). Besides lower white blood cell count and bone marrow blast percentage, patients who experienced CR longer than 13.2 months had shorter Tpot (P less than 0.05) and a greater PR (P less than 0.02) than those who relapsed before this time. These data indicate that kinetic parameters have prognostic relevance in ANLL patients treated with sequential vincristine, cytarabine and daunomycin for inducing CR and with intensive consolidation after CR, a high proliferative activity being a favourable factor for both CR achievement and its duration.

Adult↗

Expression of cell cycle related proteins--proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and statin--during adaptation and de-adaptation of EUE cells to a hypertonic medium.

EUE cells adapted to grow for long times in a hypertonic medium have a longer cell cycle than those growing in isotonic medium. To elucidate whether this lengthening involves specific cycle phases to differing extents, the expression of two cycle-related protein, PCNA and statin, was studied by dual parameter flow cytometry of indirect immunofluorescence protein labelling and DNA content. In isotonic medium, most cells, in all the cycle phases, were PCNA positive; in contrast, PCNA negative cells and statin positive cells were very few in number and only fell in the G0/1 range of DNA contents. In hypertonic medium, the frequency of PCNA positive cells was lower, and that of statin positive cells higher, than in isotonic medium, particularly in the G0/1 range of DNA contents: this suggests that a G0 block occurs under long-term hypertonic stress. Consistently, dual parameter flow cytometric measurement of BrdUrd immunofluorescence labelling and DNA content showed that fewer cells entered S phase in hypertonic medium and their progression through the S phase was slower; evidence was also found for the occurrence of a G2 block. These kinetics changes were fully reversible in isotonic medium, thus indicating the adaptive nature of the EUE response to hypertonicity.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Cell proliferation of human leukemia and solid tumors studied with in vivo bromodeoxyuridine and flow cytometry.

Bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR) is a thymidine analog that is incorporated into the DNA of proliferating cells. Because the dose of BUDR that is needed to label cells is not toxic, cell labeling can be accomplished in vivo by infusing the substance into patients. A monoclonal antibody against BUDR is then used to identify BUDR-labeled cells. The same cell population can also be stained for DNA content with propidium iodide (PI). Using bivariate flow cytometry (FCM) for measurements, both the percentage of BUDR-labeled cells and their total DNA content can be evaluated. This technique allows one to obtain the labeling index (LI) and the DNA synthesis time (TS). The potential doubling time (Tpot) and the fractional turnover rate (FTR) can be mathematically derived. During a 15-month period, in vivo BUDR infusion to study cell kinetics was used in 112 consecutive patients with various types of malignant tumors: acute leukemia (50), gastric cancer (42), and brain gliomas (20). The procedure took 6 to 9 h to complete and there was no immediate toxicity from BUDR administration. Successful LI and TS determinations were obtained in 89 (80%) and in 80 (72%) of the 112 patients, respectively. Proliferative activity in 34 patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemias who were uniformly treated for remission induction and maintenance was measured from Tpot and FTR. It was greater in responsive than in nonresponsive patients, and in those who experienced remission for over 8 months than in those who had a shorter remission. Proliferative activity was also greater in patients with advanced gastric cancers than in those with more limited disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Expression of p53 protein during the cell cycle measured by flow cytometry in human leukemia.

The nuclear protein p53 has been reported to be associated with cell transformation and/or proliferation so that the study of p53 expression in human malignancy has potentially important clinical implications. We have analyzed the p53 expression in mitogen-stimulated and nonstimulated human lymphocytes, in several human leukemia cell lines (Molt-4, Raji, Daudi, HL-60, KG-1, K562 and U937) and in fresh bone marrow (BM) cells. Simultaneous differential staining of p53 (identified by a FITC-labeled monoclonal antibody) versus DNA (stained with propidium iodide, PI), followed by bivariate analysis with flow cytometry (FCM) made it possible to evaluate p53 expression with respect to cell position during the cell cycle. The data show that in stimulated lymphocytes p53 is progressively accumulated during the G1, S and G2-phases, while in non-stimulated conditions most cells are remaining in G0/G1 and express p53 to a lesser degree. This suggests that expression of p53 is more correlated with cell growth than with entrance into (or progression through particular phases of) the cell cycle. Cells from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines express elevated levels of p53, while all examined human acute myeloid leukemia cell lines synthesize negligible p53 protein. Understanding the variations in p53 expression in different types of human leukemia may provide some insight into the biologic roles of p53 in normal and malignant cells.

Bone Marrow↗

Ras oncogene expression and DNA content in plasma cell dyscrasias: a flow cytofluorimetric study.

Using bivariate flow cytofluorometry, we have determined the nuclear DNA distribution and the expression of the p21 protein (coded by the Ha-ras oncogene) in the bone marrow (BM) cells of five solid tumour patients having histologically normal BM and in those of 57 patients with plasma cell dyscrasia (28 with monoclonal gammopathies of undertermined significance, MGUS, and 29 with multiple myeloma, MM). All normal and MGUS and 21/29 (72.4%) MM BM had diploid modal DNA content and 8/29 (27.6%) MM BM had both diploid and hyperdiploid cell populations. In normal and MGUS BM, the level of the p21 oncoprotein was low and uniform in all G0/G1, S and G2 cells (median fluorescence values in arbitrary units were 6.1 and 7.5, respectively). The level of p21 was increased both in different aliquots of G0/G1 cells and in the S and G2 cells in diploid MM (median value for G0/G1 cells was 20), and especially in MM with hyperdiploid clones (median value for hyperdiploid cells was 40.5, P less than 0.005 with respect to normal and MGUS BM and less than 0.005 with respect to diploid MM BM). The p21 expression was greater in patients with advanced (stage III) than in earlier MM (stages I + II) (P less than 0.005), and it was directly related to the BMPC infiltration (r = 0.7; P less than 0.005). Since p21 expression is greater in MM than in both normal and MGUS BM, Ha-ras could be involved in the malignant plasma cell transformation that distinguishes MM from MGUS.

Bone Marrow↗

Cell-kinetic characteristics of human brain tumors.

The proliferative potential of human brain tumors was investigated, in vivo, using bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR) incorporation and flow cytometry (FCM). Patients with a variety of human brain tumors were preoperatively injected with 250 mg of BUDR intravenously. The cell cycle parameters of most of the specimen were measured within 24 h of sampling. The results show that this method is very practical, fast, and feasible for determining the cell-kinetic parameters of human brain tumors. In this study important kinetic parameters such as the duration of S-phase and the potential doubling time of each tumor were calculated in some samples. Our results show a significant difference in labelling index between meningiomas and gliomas. No difference between benign and anaplastic meningiomas was demonstrated in this limited number of cases. The correlation between the labelling index and the clinical and radiological follow-up of each patient should make the assessment of the prognostic significance of the kinetic evaluation, possible. This method could be a useful aid in the selection of new treatment schedules.

Adult↗

Immunocytochemical evaluation of proliferative activity in human brain tumours.

The immunocytochemical expression of the antigen reacting with the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 (Ki-67 positivity) was investigated in 50 imprint preparations from human brain tumours. Data were related to tumour proliferative activity, as determined from in vivo bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation (BrdU-labelling index, BrdU-LI) and histology. The percentage of Ki-67-positive cells was greater than the corresponding BrdU-LI value in all tumours, and the differences in Ki-67 positivity among tumour subtypes paralleled the BrdU-LI differences. Both the BrdU-LI and the percentage of Ki-67 positive cells were significantly greater (P less than 0.005) in the group of clinically aggressive adult tumours, histologically identified as anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas, than in the less aggressive ones (oligodendroglioma, meningiomas, schwannomas, pituitary adenomas, dermoid cyst) and in the cerebral metastatic localizations. These data suggest that Ki-67 positivity, which is easily evaluated with immunocytochemistry, is related to the proliferative activity of brain tumours and that this parameter is endowed with clinical significance.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Immunocytochemical detection of proliferating cells in the rat tooth germ by monoclonal antibodies against 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine.

5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporated into DNA synthesizing cells in vivo is detected by a monoclonal antibody. The results are similar to those obtained with cytoautoradiography, but show variance with data from some past autoradiographic studies. This immunocytochemical technique may be a useful tool for study of cell kinetics in the oral tissues.

Animals↗

Ploidy and proliferative activity measurement by flow cytometry in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Do speculative aspects prevail over clinical ones?

Paraffin-embedded lymph node biopsies from 107 patients with newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were examined for cell DNA content and proliferative activity (as percentage of S-phase cells) by means of flow cytometry. Patients were diagnosed between 1975 and 1985 and were homogeneously treated according to the grade of histologic malignancy. Cytofluorimetric data were studied with regard to their correlation with histology (classified and reviewed according to both Kiel and Working Formulation criteria), clinical stage, presence of constitutional symptoms, presence of bulky disease, sex, age, and the following laboratory data measured at diagnosis: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin, serum lactic dehydrogenase and serum albumin concentration. Aneuploidy was more frequent in the high grade malignant subtypes and in the miscellaneous group but showed no correlations with the other clinical parameters studied. Proliferative activity demonstrated a wide variation of data but a trend was evident toward higher proliferative values in the more severe histologic subtypes. The survival discrimination allowed by high- and low-grade malignant histology is exactly reproduced when highly and slowly proliferating lymphomas are considered (greater than or less than or equal to 12% of S-phase cells). These results, analyzed with those in the literature, suggest that measurements of ploidy and proliferative activity add little independent information to what is already provided by current histologic classifications, mainly as far as clinical evaluation and prognosis are concerned. Cytokinetic-aided therapeutic choices can be usefully proposed in a restricted number of cases. Improvement of the available lymphoma classifications through a better integration of ploidy and cytokinetic data with immunologic, genetic and histologic findings is still an object to be pursued in cytometric studies.

Adolescent↗

Prognostic significance of DNA content in large bowel carcinoma: a retrospective flow cytometric study.

Flow cytometric (FCM) determination of DNA content was performed on surgical specimens from 44 patients with previously untreated colonic carcinoma. For each tumor, cell suspensions were prepared from 2-4 40-microns thick sections obtained from formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue samples. Aneuploidy was found in 47.2% of all the tumors and the aneuploid clone had a median DNA index of 1.49 (range: 1.24-1.93). Aneuploidy was found in 26.7% of highly differentiated tumors (WHO histologic classification), in 53.8% of moderately differentiated tumors and in 100% of poorly differentiated tumors (P = 0.04). The 33.3% of stages 1 + 2 (TNM) and the 70.6% of stages 3 + 4 tumors were aneuploid (P = 0.002). Median survival from surgery was 46.4 months for all patients. It was 18.8 months for patients with aneuploid tumors and 85.7 months for those with diploid tumors (P = 0.0002). FCM determination of DNA in colon carcinomas can easily be performed on archival histological material and provides prognostic information.

Adult↗

Cell kinetics in leukaemia and solid tumours studied with in vivo bromodeoxyuridine and flow cytometry.

During a 15-month period, we used in vivo bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR) infusion to study cell kinetics in 112 consecutive patients with various types of malignant tumours: acute leukaemia (50 patients), gastric cancer (42) and brain gliomas (20). The in vivo BUDR method requires that a single tumour sample be taken 4-6 h after infusion and that bivariate flow cytometry (FCM) be employed to measure simultaneously the percentage of BUDR-labelled cells (which are identified with a green fluorescent anti-BUDR monoclonal antibody) and their mean DNA content (following propidium iodide staining). This technique rapidly furnishes the labelling index (LI) and the DNA synthesis time (TS), from which the tumour potential doubling time (Tpot) and production rate (fractional turnover rate, FTR) are calculated. The procedure took 6-9 h to complete and there was no immediate toxicity from BUDR administration. Successful LI and TS determinations were obtained in 89 (80%) and 80 (72%) of the 112 patients, respectively. Correlations were sought between kinetic parameters and a number of pathological and clinical ones. In 34 patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemias who were uniformly treated for remission (CR) induction and maintenance, proliferative activity, as measured by Tpot and FTR, was greater in responsive than in non-responsive patients, and in those who experienced CR for over 8 months than in those who had a shorter CR. Proliferative activity was also greater in patients with advanced gastric cancers than in those with more limited disease. No correlations between kinetic and clinical and pathological parameters were found in gliomas. These data indicate the in vivo BUDR infusion coupled with FCM measurements can be performed in clinical settings to obtain kinetic data rapidly in quite large patient series. This will probably allow the inclusion of kinetic data in clinical trials aimed at evaluating the prognostic relevance of these data.

Adolescent↗

Effects of desferrioxamine on normal and leukemic human hematopoietic cell growth: in vitro and in vivo studies.

The iron chelator desferrioxamine (DFO) has been previously shown to be an S-phase inhibitor of cell proliferation. To investigate its potential as an antileukemic drug, we first studied the effects of DFO on the in vitro growth of normal human hematopoietic progenitors (CFU-GM and BFU-E) and clonogenic cells from human leukemic cell lines. Then we evaluated the effects of DFO on progression of leukemia refractory to conventional therapy in two individuals. Micromolar concentrations of DFO determined a dose-dependent inhibition of normal progenitor growth, with inhibitory dose 50% (ID50) for CFU-GM and BFU-E being 6.7 and 5.5 microM/liter, respectively. Marked inhibitory effects were observed on clonogenic cells from HL-60 (ID50 = 1.4 microM/liter) and U-937 (ID50 = 3.6 microM/liter) human leukemic cell lines grown in semisolid medium. When DFO was given intravenously to a patient with lymphoid blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia, a marked reduction in circulating blast count was observed. On the contrary, no in vivo effect was observed in a patient with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia having transfusional iron overload. We conclude that: (a) DFO is an inhibitor of both normal and leukemic myeloid cell proliferation in vitro; (b) our limited in vivo observations and a previous case study suggest that intravenous administration of DFO to patients with normal to low plasma iron may result in leukemic cytoreduction in vivo.

Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts↗

Cell kinetics in human malignancies studied with in vivo administration of bromodeoxyuridine and flow cytometry.

Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) is a pyrimidine analogue which is incorporated into the DNA of proliferating cells. When in vivo BrdUrd infusion is coupled with bivariate flow cytometry to measure cell BrdUrd incorporation and DNA content, both the percentage of DNA-synthesizing cells [BrdUrd-labeling index (LI)] and the DNA synthesis time (TS) can be determined on the same tissue sample. From experimentally determined LI and TS, the potential doubling time of the population and its cell production rate are calculated. To ascertain whether the BrdUrd infusion method is clinically feasible and if data are reliable, we studied patients with leukemia, refractory anemia, multiple myeloma, and brain and gastric tumors. The BrdUrd incorporation data were compared with those determined on duplicate samples with the techniques conventionally used for LI and TS values, i.e., 3H- and 14C-labeled thymidine autoradiography, respectively. The complete BrdUrd procedure takes 6-9 h, and no immediate toxicity from BrdUrd administration has been observed. In an 8-month period, 154 patients were studied. Successful LI and TS determinations were obtained in 78.9 and 59.7% of cases, respectively, more often in hematological than in solid tumors. The values for LI and TS assessed with the BrdUrd technique were very close to those found with 3H- and 14C-labeled thymidine autoradiography (r = 0.88, P less than 0.005, and r = 0.89; P less than 0.005, respectively). The potential doubling time and production rate were accordingly similar. These data indicate that in vivo BrdUrd infusion coupled with flow cytometry measurements can be performed in clinical settings and that this method is reliable. It could be used for kinetic studies in clinical trials aimed at evaluating the prognostic relevance of proliferative parameters and for planning radio- and/or chemotherapy.

Autoradiography↗