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Biomedical subjects

M Greco

Publications and source records attributed to M Greco.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Blocking antibodies during specific hyposensitization immunotherapy in respiratory allergies in children].

A group of 35 children affected by bronchial asthma, rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis was examined; the children selected for the study had never undergone ITS before; all patients had received preventive drug and nondrug therapy for several months but none had succeeded in significantly reducing allergic clinical symptoms. Subcutaneous ITS Lofarma was prescribed for all patients (for various allergens) and blocking antibodies (IgG1 + IgG4) were assayed using a RAST system (Kit-Pharmacia) before the start of the study, and after 3, 9 and 12 months of therapy; 25 nonatopic children represented the control group. Although a certain number of allergen-specific blocking antibodies were present in all patients before the start of ITS, a significant increase in IgG1 + IgG4 specific allergens was observed after 9 months (especially for pollenosis). Compatible results were also obtained for blocking antibodies for children affected by dermatophagoides following 12 months of ITS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the extent of the appearance of blocking antibodies in the circulation following ITS and to discover whether or not there was a correlation between their increased titre and improvement of the disease assessed by the use of clinical scores.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Evaluation of resection margins after breast conservative surgery with monoclonal antibodies.

An immunocytochemical method for the detection of cancer cells, in the cell suspension obtained by scraping the surface of the surgical resection margins is described and its sensitivity compared to the conventional histology performed on random biopsies from the same margins. The reactivity of the cells with a pool of monoclonal antibodies (Mab) directed against epithelial markers indicated that in 80% of the 42 cases tested, the scraping method was adequate for the gathering of cells from the margins. The analysis of the samples using B72.3 Mab specific for tumor cells revealed that, among B72.3-positive tumor cases, 31% of breast margins contained tumor cells, whereas only 12% were histologically positive. Our results indicate that the immunocytological methodology is therefore more sensitive and should be used alongside histological examination to detect the tumor contamination in the surgical resection margins.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

Primary chemotherapy to avoid mastectomy in tumors with diameters of three centimeters or more.

In 165 women with breast cancer who were candidates for mastectomy because the largest diameter of the tumor was 3 cm or more, we administered primary chemotherapy in the attempt to substitute conservative for mutilating surgery. We then systematically quantitated tumor reduction by clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic evaluations. Five consecutive groups of 33 patients received cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF); fluorouracil, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and cyclophosphamide (FAC); or fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC). The regimens for the five groups were as follows: group 1, three cycles of CMF; group 2, four cycles of CMF; group 3, three cycles of FAC; group 4, four cycles of FAC; and group 5, three cycles of FEC. In response to primary chemotherapy, 157 of the 161 assessable patients showed measurable tumor shrinkage; progressive disease was documented in four. Tumor shrinkage to less than 3 cm was documented in 127 (81%) of the 157 women subjected to surgery, thus allowing a breast-saving procedure, rather than modified radical mastectomy, in these 127 women. Histopathologic complete remission was documented in seven patients. Tumor response was unrelated to age, menopausal status, DNA content (ploidy), [3H]thymidine-labeling index, drug combination used, or number of treatment cycles in excess of three. The degree of response was inversely proportional to the initial tumor size, and the frequency of response was greater in receptor-negative tumors. Severe vomiting and hair loss were less frequent with CMF than with anthracycline-containing regimens, and the frequency of severe leukopenia and thrombocytopenia was minimal. Our results challenge the classical indication for primary mastectomy by showing that use of full-dose primary chemotherapy, sequentially combined with conservative surgery and radiation, can offer an effective and safe alternative to women concerned about the preservation of body integrity.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1990

[Surgical treatment of blepharoptosis in patients with mitochondrial myopathies. Apropos of 4 cases].

The authors briefly describe the commonest forms of mitochondrial myopathies particularly those associated with disorders of ocular motility. They report their series of four patients suffering from ptosis of the eyelid caused by mitochondrial myopathies. The ptosis was corrected surgically in all cases by means of Müller's muscle adaptation technique. The authors discuss their results and the indication for this technique.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Increase in RNA and protein synthesis by mitochondria irradiated with helium-neon laser.

To gain further insight into the mechanism of cell photostimulation by laser light, both RNA and protein synthesis were measured in mitochondria irradiated with the low power continuous wave He-Ne laser (Energy dose: 5 Joules/cm2). Following mitochondrial irradiation, both the rate and amount of incorporation of alpha-[32P]UTP and L-[35S]methionine, used to monitor RNA and protein synthesis respectively, proved to increase. Electrophoretic analysis made of the synthesis products clearly shows that He-Ne laser irradiation stimulates the synthesis of all mitochondrial transcription and translation products.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Long-term survival and prognostic factors for 2170 breast cancer patients treated at two cancer centers (Milan and Houston).

Data on 2170 consecutive patients with breast cancer submitted to curative surgery with or without combined radiotherapy in the period 1968-1972 at the National Cancer Institute of Milan (Italy) and at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center of Houston (Texas, USA) were analyzed to evaluate the prognosis of breast cancer patients after loco-regional treatment only and to verify if different prognostic factors have the same relevance. Forty-four percent of patients were alive without evidence of disease at the end of the follow-up in both centers: 14% of patients treated in Milan died without evidence of breast cancer with an intercurrent disease, whereas the death rate for intercurrent disease was 27% in Houston. Thirty-seven percent of the patients in Milan and 26% of the patients in Houston died from breast cancer. A considerable percentage of patients (23.4% in Milano, 38.2% in Houston) had one or more of the required items not specified in the clinical chart. Since the lack of information was considered a possible source of bias, the series were divided into two groups: the first collecting patients with all information available, the second gathering patients with at least one of the required items missing. The latter group was defined "unknown". Multivariate analysis of survival, carried out by means of Cox's regression model, showed that mortality of these patients for all causes was significantly affected by the following criteria: status of regional nodes (P = 2 X 10(-13)), unknown (P = 10(-9)), maximum diameter of primary tumor (P = 7 X 10(-10)), age of the patients (P = 10(-4)), site of primary (P = 0.01), and Center (P = 0.04). A significant interaction was found between center and a) age of the patients, b) menopausal status and c) unknown. The relative P values were 6 X 10(-7) for age and center, 8 X 10(-3) for menopausal and center, 3 X 10(-2) for unknown and center. Multivariate analysis of breast cancer mortality was significantly affected by: status of regional nodes (P = 10(-18)), diameter of primary (P = 5 X 10(-14)), unknown (P = 2 X 10(-13)), center (P = 2 X 10(-6)), site of primary (P = 0.002), and age of the patients (P = 0.03). The same significant interaction as for mortality from all causes was found. It is concluded that comparability of results obtained in different institutions may be dependent on the standardization and availability of patients data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of neoplastic lesions of the breast.

Thirty-seven patients were evaluated for suspected breast cancer by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using 0.5- and 1.5-Tesla. We examined the patterns in breast images and the use of MRI in evaluating neoplasms. At the moment the cost/benefit ratio is unfavorable, mainly because of the availability of alternative methods of high accuracy and low cost, like mammography and ultrasonography. Furthermore fine needle aspiration biopsy is not possible with MRI. The widespread use of MRI for breast pathology seems not to be justified by the results obtained.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1989

Epidural spinal electrostimulatory system (ESES) in the management of diabetic foot and peripheral arteriopathies.

Epidural spinal electrostimulatory system (ESES) or dorsal column stimulation (DCS) may be used for the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases of the lower extremities. ESES has been used in our metabolic and surgical department as a way to ameliorate inadequate blood supply in patients suffering from diabetic foot (seven patients), painful chronic arterial narrowing, or inoperable occlusions (25 patients). The continuous stimulation by an implantable apparatus (Medtronic model Itrel, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) led to a reduction or disappearance of pain, an improvement in plethysmographic curves, functional performance, and trophic lesions in about 75% of the patients. The system is safe and well-tolerated by patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

[Role of plastic surgery in male sterility].

The Authors discuss the problems related to male infertility, pointing out their different clinical and therapeutical features. They stress the importance of plastic surgery in the treatment of disorders such as penile chordee, hypospadias as well as nervous and vascular lesions.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Norfloxacin prophylaxis for neutropenic patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

To prevent bacterial infections in the neutropenic post-transplant period, norfloxacin 400mg twice daily was administered as oral prophylaxis to 44 marrow recipients isolated in laminar airflow rooms (LAFRs). Patients had a mean age of 30 years (8-50) and a male/female ratio of 29/15. The mean duration of prophylaxis was of 41 days (20-80), that of neutropenia (PMN less than 1000 x 10(6)/l) of 31 days (6-76) and that of severe neutropenia (PMN less than 100 x 10(6)/l) of 19 days (10-55). All but two patients developed one or more febrile episodes (total episodes: 71), 33 of which were documented infections. Eighteen bacteraemias occurred and all were caused by Gram-positive cocci: five by coagulase-negative staphylococci (three methicillin resistant), four by coagulase-positive (one methicillin resistant), seven by streptococci (four S. sanguis, one S. milleri, one group B, one group C), and two by enterococci. All streptococcal and enterococcal strains, but only one MR coagulase-positive staphylococcus, proved to be resistant to norfloxacin. Norfloxacin was well tolerated and no prophylactic course had to be interrupted because of side effects. In conclusion, norfloxacin adequately prevents infections caused by Gram-negative bacilli in bone marrow recipients isolated in LAFRs, but Gram-positive infections still remain a problem in these patients indicating the need for improving this prophylactic regimen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Monoclonal antibodies MBr1 and MBr8 as predictors of response to oophorectomy in advanced breast cancer.

The response to oophorectomy in 40 patients with advanced breast cancer was evaluated as a function of the presence or absence of the antigens recognized by the monoclonal antibodies MBrl, MBr8, and MOv2 on the cell surface of the primary tumor. Two groups (20 patients alive 5 years after oophorectomy and 20 patients who died within 5 years) were evaluated. These groups had a) the same distribution of lymph node status, diameter of the primary, and the presence of estrogen receptors at the time of first treatment and b) a comparable extent of the disease at the time of oophorectomy. The frequency of complete response after oophorectomy was significantly higher in patients whose tumors did not express the antigens recognized by antibodies MBrl and MBr8. Fourteen of the 22 patients with tumors not reacting with MBrl and 11 of the 18 negative to MBr8 had a complete response. There was no correlation with response and the monoclonal antibody MOv2. Both MBrl and MBr8 were present in 11 patients and both were absent in another 11. The simultaneous absence of the two antigens was related to the highest complete response rate (9 out of 11 patients).

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Distribution of axillary node metastases by level of invasion. An analysis of 539 cases.

Five hundred and thirty-nine patients with carcinoma of the breast treated with total axillary dissection and with positive axillary nodes were evaluated. The total number of lymph nodes removed was 11,082, with an average of 20.5 nodes per patient. The average number of lymph nodes at the first level was 13.8, at the second level 4.5, at the third level 2.2. The average number of nodes was 20.7 in cases treated with Halsted mastectomy, 20.9 with total mastectomy and axillary dissection, 20.3 with quadrantectomy and axillary dissection. Of 3259 metastatic nodes, 64 were site of micrometastases; 797 were partially involved, 441 were totally involved and 1957 were site of metastases with extracapsular invasion. In 314 (58.2%) the first level only was involved, in 117 cases (21.7%) metastases were present at the first and second level, whereas in 88 cases (16.3%) all the three levels were sites of metastases. Only 20 cases showed skipping distribution. In 1.5% of the cases the first level was skipped by metastases, in 0.4% the first nodes of the first level are clear the chances that metastatic nodes are present at the second and third levels are negligible. When the nodes at the first level are positive, the chances that metastases are also present at the higher levels are of the order of 40.0%.

Axilla↗
PubMed1987

Prognosis of breast cancer with axillary node metastases after surgical treatment only.

Out of 753 patients with breast cancer treated with radical mastectomy from 1968 to 1970 at the National Cancer Institute of Milan, Italy, 308 had histologically proven positive nodes. The number of positive nodes was not dependent on the location of the primary tumour, its diameter and the patient's age. Extracapsular invasion was related to the number of positive nodes at a statistically significant level: P value 2 X 10(-9). Survival was influenced by the number of positive nodes and extension of metastases beyond their capsule and age. Each of these criteria had an independent impact on survival. Three subgroups with different prognosis were identified in patients older than 40: (a) with a single involved node and 69.9% 10 year survival rate, (b) patients with two or more nodes with metastatic deposit still confined within node capsule and 47.4% 10 year survival rate, (c) patients with two or more involved nodes and extracapsular invasion and 25.3% 10 year survival rate. In patients younger than 40 no subgroup was identified: this group had an intermediate 10 year survival rate (50.9%). The authors conclude that there is a need (a) of re-consideration of the prognosis of patients with positive nodes and (b) to agree on the definition of "high-risk patients".

Adult↗