Biomedical subjects

M Forni

Publications and source records attributed to M Forni.

111 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[The prognostic effect of amplification of the MYCN oncogene in neuroblastoma. The preliminary results of the Italian Cooperative Group for Neuroblastoma (GCINB)].

Of 567 children with neuroblastoma diagnosed between November 1984 and May 1993 in 21 Italian institutions, 235 (41%) have been evaluated for MYCN oncogene amplification. The amplification (3 or more copies of the gene) was found in 39 patients (17%) and was more frequent in patients aged more than one year, abdominal primary site of the tumor, advanced stages, normal urinary excretion of vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), and high level of LDH, NSE and ferritin. The five-year survival of the 235 patients (62%) was significantly better in patients with normal copy number of MYCN (69% versus 29%). By correlating genomic amplification with clinical and biochemical characteristics, MYCN amplification was found associated with a worse prognosis even when patients were subdivided for age (under and above one year), disease extension (localized operable, localized but inoperable, and disseminated) with exception for Stage IV-S, VMA and homovanillic acid excretion, serum levels of NSE and ferritin, but not of LDH. These data confirm the unfavourable prognostic meaning of MYCN amplification, but are unable to define if it represents a new independent variable.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Prognostic factors in neuroblastoma. Usefulness of DNA analysis using flow cytometry on paraffin-embedded material].

Nuclear DNA content was determined on paraffin blocks of 28 neuroblastic tumors retrieved from Surgical Pathology files. In 26 cases cytofluorimetric analysis for DNA content was satisfactory. 8 tumor were diploid, 12 were aneuploid and 6 tetraploid. All but one of the children with diploid neuroblastoma (NB) died after a survival ranging from 14 to 32 months. The only surviving child had a Stage I thoracic ganglioneuroblastoma (GNB) and was alive after 27 months. Conversely 11 of 12 patients with aneuploid tumors were alive with prolonged follow-up. Two children are alive after a period exceeding 146 months. The only exception in this group of aneuploid tumors was a child with Stage IV neuroblastoma of the adrenal gland with pleuro pulmonary metastasis who died after 6 months. In the group with tetraploid tumors 3 patients died (2 children with Stage III and IV died early while the third, with thoracic Stage II GNB, survived for 72 months). Two patients with tetraploid GNB Stage II and III are alive 65 and 72 months after diagnosis respectively. Another child with Stage IV adrenal NB is alive after 14 months but with metastatic spread to bones, bone marrow and lymph nodes. Cox analysis of the cases demonstrated ploidy as an independent prognostic factor. These results are in agreement with other molecular analysis linking near-ploidy of Neuroblastic tumors to poor prognosis. Ploidy, as detected by flow cytometry for nuclear DNA content, may represent an important prognostic factor in Neuroblastic tumors. The advantage of flow cytometry over other techniques of molecular analysis is represented by the simple methodology suitable for fixed and paraffin embedded tissue, even on retrieval material.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of the distribution of human CD38 and of its ligand CD31 in normal tissues.

Human CD38 is a 45 kD ectoenzyme endowed with ADP-ribosyl cyclase and hydrolase activities. The molecule plays a central role in lymphocyte activation, proliferation and selectin-type adhesion with endothelial cells (HEC). A HEC surface molecule displaying all the features of a CD38L has been identified by means of a mAb (Moon-1), able to block CD38-mediated adhesion processes. The 130 kD molecule recognized by Moon-1 is CD31, a member of the Ig superfamily. This paper reports on the analysis of the surface expression of CD38 and CD38L in various human tissues of adult origin and compared in some instances to the fetal (9-14 weeks) counterparts. This was achieved by means of immunohistochemical techniques and analysis of purified cell populations. Among the specimens analyzed, CD38 is expressed by a vast array of cells of lymphatic origin as well as by the skeletal and cardiac muscle fibers, the bronchi (epithelial cells), the parotid gland (ductal epithelial cells) and hepatic sinusoids. On the contrary, CD31 proved constantly expressed by HEC at high levels, independent of the organ or tissue analyzed or of the kind of vessel. Other cells expressing CD38L were found in the lymphoid compartment (follicle mantle B cells and plasma cells), in the lungs (alveolar ducts, alveoli and lymphatic vessels) and in the kidney (glomerular cells). Interestingly, no fetal organ or tissue ever expressed CD38 and its ligand. The above results were enriched by the analysis of the expression of the two molecules on purified populations including mononuclear cells from the lamina propria of the gastro-intestinal tract and broncho-alveolar lavage lymphocytes.

ADP-ribosyl Cyclase↗