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Biomedical subjects

M Gentile

Publications and source records attributed to M Gentile.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Does hyperglycaemia play a role on the outcome of acute ischaemic stroke patients?

A consecutive series of 327 patients (188 males, 139 females; mean age 68.4, SEM 1.33) were hospitalized within 12 h of the onset of their first-ever hemispheric infarct. Three groups of patients were identified: diabetics (n = 70), non-diabetic hyperglycaemics (n = 93) and normoglycaemics (n = 164). Case-fatality ratios at 30 days after stroke were 38.6%, 22.6% and 9.2% (P less than 0.001) respectively, whereas the causes of death and functional outcome of survivors were not significantly different between the groups. Mean admission serum glucose levels (SGLs) of decreased, impaired/unchanged and improved patients within each one of the three groups, were also not significantly different as opposed to their mean Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS) scores at entry (P less than 0.01). Among patients with less severe initial neurological deficit (i.e., CNS score greater than or equal to 7.0), 82.6% of non-diabetic hyperglycaemic subjects fared well, in comparison with 56.5% of diabetic and 70.1% of normoglycaemic individuals. The size of the infarcted areas at the second CT correlated with mean CNS scores (P less than 0.01) but not with mean SGLs on admission. The site of the ischaemic areas did not correlate with mean SGLs at entry. Therefore the influence of initial SGLs on the clinical course of the present series of patients is questionable or, alternatively, varied probably according to the pattern of residual cerebral blood flow after arterial occlusion.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: diagnostic and clinical assessment.

In allergic rhinoconjunctivitis not only the nasal mucosa but also the conjunctiva and, in severe cases, the cornea are affected by reactive phenomena. This pathological process is often encountered in clinical practice, its incidence ranging from 10% to 30% of the whole population, as reported by many authors. Up to now, the pathogenetic mechanisms of allergic reactivity are not completely understood. In our opinion this is due to insufficient standardization of the diagnostic procedures; even the clinical picture of such a pathological process seems to be insufficient, especially with regard to the analogies between the nasal and conjunctival pathologies. To a great extent this depends on the different clinical pictures both in otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology. Our study has been carried out on 98 patients suffering from rhinoconjunctivitis, and presents an accurate documentation with regard to the existence of analogies in reactivity at the immunoallergic level, in both the nose and conjunctiva. These are evident when we refer not only to specific routine allergological tests but, mainly, to local examinations. The evaluation of the selected data enables us to formulate a single classification of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, taking into account the common reactive phenomena.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Salvage chemotherapy with CCNU and methotrexate for small cell lung cancer resistant to CAV/PE alternating chemotherapy.

CCNU and methotrexate were employed as salvage treatment in 34 small cell lung cancer patients resistant to CAV/PE alternating induction chemotherapy. In the 33 evaluable patients we observed an objective response rate of 21.2% and 3% complete response; median survival was 4 months with 2 patients alive 18 months from starting salvages chemotherapy. The treatment was well tolerated. CCNU and methotrexate has shown to be a moderately active and tolerable salvage treatment for small cell lung cancer after CAV/PE alternating first-line chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Intensive alternating combination chemotherapy and high dose chest radiotherapy in small cell lung cancer.

Sixty-nine patients, 32 with limited and 37 with extensive small cell lung cancer (SCLC), were admitted to the present study. Patients with limited disease underwent alternating combination chemotherapy consisting of CAV (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine) and PE (cisplatin and etoposide) regimens and concurrent high dose thoracic radiotherapy (6,000 cGy); prophylactic brain irradiation (3,000 cGy) was administered to complete responders. Patients with extensive disease received the same alternating chemotherapy but not radiotherapy. In the 25 evaluable patients with limited disease we obtained an objective response (OR) in 80% with a complete response (CR) in 54% and partial response (PR) in 24%, stable disease (SD) in 4% and progressive disease (PD) in 16%. Median duration of response was 9.5 months for CR and 8.5 months for PR. Median survival was 14 months for all patients with 12% long-term survivors. Toxicity was acceptable. In the 32 evaluable patients with extensive disease we observed 65.6% OR with 18.7% CR and 46.8% PR, 9.3% minimal response and 25% PD. Median duration of response was 7 months for CR and 8 months for PR. Median survival was 10 months for all patients. The treatment was well tolerated. Our study did not show a therapeutic advantage for alternating combination chemotherapy in SCLC and failed to show the use of high dose chest radiotherapy in combined modality for limited disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Phase II study of mitomycin C, etoposide and vindesine in metastatic stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

A total of 72 patients with metastatic stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with combination chemotherapy comprising the MEV regimen (mitomycin C, 8 mg/m2 given i.v. on day 1; etoposide, 100 mg/m2 given i.v. on days 1-3; and vindesine, 3 mg/m2 given i.v. on day 1; treatment repeated every 3 weeks). In 65 evaluable patients, the objective response rate was 37% (complete responses, 4.7%; partial responses, 32.3%). The median survival was 7.6 months for all patients. The treatment was very well tolerated. MEV proved to be an active and non-toxic regimen for the treatment of metastatic NSCLC.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1991

Circadian variation in the onset of acute cerebral ischemia: ethiopathogenetic correlates in 80 patients given angiography.

In a continuous series of 80 acute ischemic hemispheric strokes, the onset of symptoms was between 6:01 a.m. and noon in 45% of cases, between noon and 6:00 p.m. in 22.5%, between 6:01 p.m. and midnight in 31.25%, and between midnight and 6:00 a.m. in 1.25% (p less than 0.0001). By means of angiography and computerized tomography, and by detection of arterial and cardiac sources of emboli, four stroke subtypes were identified. Embolic and thrombotic strokes had their most frequent onset between 6:01 a.m. and noon (45% and 71%, respectively), whereas strokes of unknown origin and lacunar strokes were randomly distributed between 6:01 p.m. and midnight. The morning activation of the catecholaminergic system can account for this pattern of circadian onset of ischemic stroke.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Comparative study on the antiviral activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, lymphotoxin/TNF-beta, and IL-1 in WISH cells.

We find that pretreatment of WISH cells with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-1, and lymphotoxin/TNF-beta is capable of inducing an antiviral state in these cells, thereby protecting them from vesicular stomatitis virus cytopathic effect. Furthermore, we find that such a treatment causes a major inhibition of the synthesis of VSV proteins, as analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The 2-5A synthetase activity is also increased by treating the cells with doses of cytokines effective in antiviral protection. In this cell system, inclusion of polyclonal antibodies to IFN-beta during cytokine pretreatment abrogates the antiviral state elicited by the above cytokines, while antibodies to IFN-beta 2/IL-6 fail to abolish the cytokine-induced antiviral effects.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗
PubMed1989

The in vitro antiviral activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in WISH cells is mediated by IFN-beta induction.

We present evidence showing that TNF is capable of inducing an antiviral state in WISH cells thereby protecting them from the cytopathic effect of vesicular stomatitis virus. Establishment of the antiviral state requires pretreatment with TNF. Such pretreatment not only protects the cells in a dose-dependent manner, but it markedly reduces virus yield as well. Kinetic studies have shown that a pretreatment period as short as 4 h at 37 degrees C is effective in conferring protection. The antiviral activity of TNF could be attributed to the induction of IFN-beta. In fact, polyclonal antibodies to IFN-beta completely neutralized the antiviral state elicited by TNF. 2-5A synthetase activity was significantly enhanced when the cells were treated with doses of TNF that afforded antiviral protection. Finally, addition of specific antibodies to IFN-beta 2 (IL-6) during TNF pretreatment failed to abolish the antiviral state, thus suggesting that IFN-beta 2 is not involved in the TNF-induced antiviral state. Also, a homogeneous IFN-beta 2 preparation failed to exert antiviral activity in our cell system.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗
PubMed1989

Catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity in cells with trisomy 21.

CuZnSOD is produced in overdose in cells with trisomy 21. This has been considered to be a cause of increased oxidative stress. In the present work we have studied the catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity in fibroblasts from 6, and blood cells from 30, subjects affected by Down syndrome. In the fibroblasts, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities did not differ significantly from control cells. In platelets, lymphocytes, polymorphs and erythrocytes, no significant increase of catalase activity was found while glutathione peroxidase activity appeared significantly increased in platelets, polymorphs and erythrocytes but not in lymphocytes. These data seem to indicate that the increase of CuZnSOD in trisomy 21 cells does not affect the production of catalase. An increase, instead, of glutathione peroxidase has been detected in all blood cells, except in lymphocytes; this is a sign of a greater need for protection against the risk of lipoperoxidation. The fact that the enhancement of glutathione peroxidase activity could be assessed only in some types of cells examined suggests that the observed increase in those cells is probably a result of an additive effect of the overproduction of CuZnSOD due to gene dosage and the ordinarily higher content of oxygen radicals and peroxides.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Surgical treatment of complete atrioventricular canals, regular and irregular forms, in 75 patients].

The cases of 75 consecutive patients operated for complete atrioventricular canal between 1/1/1978 and 1/1/1985 at Marie-Lannelongue Hospital were reviewed. The age ranged from 1.5 months to 16 years. Forty-nine per cent of patients were operated in the first year of life in the period 1982-1984. Seventy-eight per cent of patients were operated before one year of age. Certain anatomical characteristics enable regular and irregular forms of the condition to be distinguished. Regular forms are characterised by the association of a defect of the inter atrio-ventricular septum, of a common atrioventricular orifice and of ventricles of equal volume without other associated malformations. Irregular forms include the parachute mitral valve, the double mitral orifice, deficient mitral valvular tissue, ventricular hypoplasia, subaortic stenosis, abnormal right ventricular muscular bands, associated cardiac malformations and pulmonary obstructive vascular disease. Surgery comprises repair of the ventricular septal defect and the ostium primum with two separate patches, respecting the anterior and posterior valves and partial or complete closure of the cleft valve. The hospital mortality rate was 33 p. cent. It was 16 p. cent in regular forms and 58 p. cent in irregular forms (p less than 0.01). The hospital mortality of patients operated before 1 year of age with the regular form of the malformation was 22 p. cent. Six children were reoperated secondarily with 2 deaths. Four pacemakers were implanted for complete atrioventricular block. The secondary mortality was 10 p. cent. Thirty-nine patients were followed up for an average of 28 months (range 3 months to 5.5 years).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Aneuploidy of lymphocytes in familial polyposis coli.

The "in vitro" aneuploidy of peripheral lymphocytes in 13 members of a family affected by familial polyposis coli and in 5 patients affected by familial adenomatosis and belonging to other two families, was examined. The increase in aneuploidy of lymphocytes was significant only in 6 of the 13 members of the family (2 affected by polyposis and 4 not affected) and in all 5 patients with polyposis. Aneuploidy could be, for these reasons, a marker for polyposis.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1982

Study of blood vitamin C in lung and bladder cancer patients before and after treatment with ascorbic acid. A preliminary report.

A systematic study of vitamin C blood levels in patients with cancer and an evaluation of their modifications when the patients were orally treated with daily large doses of ascorbic acid (5g/day) have been carried out. For excluding any interference on intestinal vitamin C absorption, all patients with digestive tract cancer have been excluded. Our first results concern 24 lung cancer and 35 bladder cancer patients, operable or not, of different sex and age. The study has shown hypovitaminosis C subclinic conditions for the greater part of subjects: in fact the average haematic rate of ascorbic acid approaches to lower level of physiologic range, appearing very low particularly for the younger patients. Periodic haematic dosages of vitamin C of unoperable and operated patients treated with large doses of ascorbic acid, have shown a rapid increase of its blood concentration which frequently has been very over 1500 micrograms%, the higher level of normal range. These high vitamin haematic levels, generally constant during the time, appear usefull in increasing the defence reactions of the cancerous patient.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1977

[Ischemic phlebitis and venous gangrene].

Seventeen cases of ischaemising phlebitis and 5 of venous gangrene are reported. Attention is given to the aetiopathogenetic factors that lead to massive thrombosis and dramatic progression of the disease: depression of vascular heparin, polyglobulia, serious dysproteinaemia, marked involvement of the arterial district, etc. Treatment may be medical or surgical, based on large doses of anticoagulants, low-weight dextrane and thrombolytic drugs, though the results expected are not always obtained. At present, early venous disobstruction with a Fogarty catheter, coupled with prolonged anticoagulant management is the best course. Prognosis is certainly better in ischaemia. When gangrene sets in, prognosis is particularly poor, even as far as survival is concerned, due to serious concomitant shock.

Anticoagulants↗