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Biomedical subjects

M Lopez

Publications and source records attributed to M Lopez.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, and BCNU (FAB) combination chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.

Thirty-two evaluable patients with advanced measurable gastric adenocarcinoma were treated with a combination of 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, and BCNU (FAB). Two complete and fourteen partial responses were observed, with an overall response rate of 50%. The median duration of response was 10 months, and the median survival of all 32 patients, 7 months. Responding patients had significantly better survival than the nonresponders (P less than 0.001). Analysis of the results according to pretreatment performance status, resectability of the primary tumor, and histologic differentiation of the malignancy demonstrates that only the first influenced the therapeutic results. The FAB regimen was well tolerated, allowing administration of nearly the whole of the projected drug dosages during the course of the therapy in all but three patients. These results indicate that the FAB combination is an effective chemotherapeutic regimen in metastatic or locally advanced gastric carcinoma. Incorporation of this regimen into the design of combined-modality treatment would result in improved prognosis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Autologous bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of poor prognosis non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

Twelve patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of poor prognosis were treated by TACC high-dose chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide 45 mg/kg/day X 4, cytosine arabinoside 200 mg/m2 i.v. q 12 hr X 7,6-thioguanin 100 mg/m2 p.o. X 7 and CCNU 200 or 250 mg/m2 p.o., single dose) followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMI) (infused dose: 853-20,000 CFU-c/kg). Patients were divided into 2 groups: those in primary therapy with high tumor load (group 1; 3 initial diagnoses, 3 relapses) and those in consolidation therapy for a low tumor load (group 2; 5 complete and 1 partial remissions). Results show that: (1) the aplasia following autologous bone marrow transplantation was short. Leukocyte (greater than 10(9)/1) and platelet (greater than 50 X 10(9)/1) recoveries were observed on day 12 (range, 9-19) and day 14 (range, 8-27). (2) In group 1 there were 3 complete remissions (8,21, 45+ months) and 3 failures, including 1 death to toxicity of TACC. The 3 remissions occurred in patients in primary therapy and overall survival of these patients from the time of initial diagnosis was 48+, 48+ and 60+ months. In group 2 there were 5 persisting complete remissions (12+ to 40+ months) and 1 failure. Overall survival of these patients was 23+, 24+, 27+, 42+ and 70+ months. In both groups failures were associated with contamination of the frozen marrow by tumor. The toxicity of the association TACC + ABMT was acceptable and dominated by the risk of pericardial effusion and infection. The latter was absent in group 2 and occurred in 5/6 cases in group 1. These preliminary results indicate that autologous bone marrow transplantation has a possible role in the aggressive treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of high-grade malignancy and that its use should preferentially be in the consolidation mode.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Level of the A, B and H blood group glycosyltransferases in red cell membranes from patients with malignant hemopathies.

Eight patients (4 suffering from acute myeloid leukemia) exhibiting a loss of ABO red cell antigens, as seen by a mixed-field reaction pattern in agglutination tests, were selected and examined for the level of the A, -B, -H blood group glycosyltransferases within membranes prepared from erythrocyte subpopulations (A or B positive and A or B negative red cells). A or B enzyme activities were largely decreased in membranes which had lost A or B antigens (A or B negative subpopulations) but were within normal level in membrane from cells which had not lost A or B antigens (A or B positive subpopulations). The H enzyme level which was frequently low in the serum was within normal limits in the membrane preparations examined. Since A or B negative subpopulations were normally glycosylated in vitro into A or B reactive structures, the results demonstrate that loss of A or B antigens is related to some alteration of the blood group gene products rather than to significant abnormalities of the membrane precursors.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

Alternating combination chemotherapy of advanced soft tissue sarcomas in adults.

The possibility of improving treatment results using an alternating combination chemotherapy was explored in 40 evaluable patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas. Treatment regimen consisted of adriamycin and DTIC alternating with vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide. Four patients achieved a complete response and eight achieved a partial response, with an overall response rate of 30%. The median duration of response was 14 months. The median survival time was 28 months for responders compared with 7 months for nonresponders (p = 0.001). Toxicity was predominantly limited to nausea, vomiting, and myelosuppression. Although this alternating regimen failed to improve response rates over other combinations, survival times observed in the present study should provide impetus to evaluate further the concept of sequential noncross-resistant combinations.

Adolescent↗

[Result and treatment of tinnitus in our clinic].

The authors propose a test consisting in performing injections of Renovaine, a very strong anaesthetic drug, in the external ear duct in order to reduce momentarily severe and decompensated tinnitus. They discuss the usefulness of this test and develop two concepts to explain its action. They make a pragmatic approach of the tinnitus etiopathogeny.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗

5-Fluorouracil, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide combined with high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate in advanced breast cancer.

Seventy-six patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with fluorouracil, adriamycin (doxorubicin) and cyclophosphamide (FAC) plus high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (HD-MPA). MPA was given for 21 days at the dose of 500 mg/day i.m., then on a randomized basis, either 500 mg/week i.m. (FAC+HD-MPA i.m.) or 300 mg/day p.o. (FAC+HD-MPA p.o.). Objective response rates were 79% in 39 patients on FAC+HD-MPA i.m. and 73% in the 37 patients on FAC+HD-MPA p.o. There was no significant difference in the median duration of response and median survival for the 2 regimens (respectively, 17 months and 22 months, and 15 months and 21 months for FAC+HD-MPA i.m. and FAC+HD-MPA p.o.). Toxicity was mild and similar in both groups. Although FAC+HD-MPA was highly effective, at present it is difficult to select which regimen provides the best initial treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

Adult↗

[Non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma. Therapeutic value of autologous bone marrow transplantation].

Twelve patients with non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma of poor prognosis were treated with heavy chemotherapy of the TACC type (cyclophosphamide 45 mg/kg/day i.v. X 4; cytosine arabinoside 200 mg/m2/12 hours i.v. X 7; 6-thioguanidine 100 mg/m2/12-hourly p.o X 7 and CCNU 200 or 250 mg/m2 p.o. single dose) followed by autologus bone marrow transplantation (853 to 20.000 CFUc/kg). The patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether they received an induction treatment for large visible tumoral mass (group I: 3 initial presentations, 3 relapses) or a consolidation treatment for small residual tumour (group II: 6 complete and 1 partial remissions). The results show that autologous bone marrow transplantation shortens the duration of the therapeutic aplasia. White cell (greater than 10(9)/l) and platelet (greater than 50.10(9)/l) recovery was observed on days 12 (range 9-19) and 14 (range 8-27) respectively. In group I, 1 patient died of myocardial TACC toxity and acute renal failure on tumoral kidney; there were 2 failures and 3 complete remissions (8, 21, 45 + months). Remissions occurred in patients treated initially; the overall survival since diagnosis was 48+, 48+ and 60+ months. In group II patients there were 1 failure and 5 complete remissions persisting after a 2+ months to 30+ months follow-up; the overall survival was 23+, 24+, 27+, 42+ and 70+ months. The 3 failures in the series occurred in circumstances suggesting contamination of the cryopreserved bone marrow by tumoral cells. The toxicity, largely due to infection, of the TACC-bone marrow transplantation combination was tolerable. It was clearly lower in group II (6 patients, no septicaemia) than in group I (5/6 patients with septicaemia). These preliminary results confirm that there is room for autologous bone marrow transplantation in highly malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas, particularly during complete remissions to facilitate the use of an aggressive consolidation chemotherapy.

Adult↗

Congenital ichthyosis and endodermal sinus tumor of the ovary in a ten-year-old child.

Acquired ichthyosis is very likely to be associated with a malignancy, especially with Hodgkins disease. The association of congenital ichthyosis with malignant tumors has been so far reported only in two instances. Herein we report on a third case. Due to the small number of cases, no conclusion can be drawn about the correlations between the two diseases.

Child↗

Cytotoxicity of anti-PP1Pk antibodies and possible relationship with early abortions of p mothers.

IgG and IgM anti-PP1Pk antibodies of human sera from p individuals were examined for their ability to agglutinate red blood cells (RBC) of various P phenotypes and to mediate ADCC of these RBC by human effector cells. Agglutinating antibodies were found in either the IgG or the IgM fraction, while ADCC active antibodies were found mainly in the IgG fraction and were essentially cytotoxic with Pk RBC. The possible relationship of these antibodies with early abortions of p mothers is discussed.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Measurement of IgG antibody and airborne antigen to control an industrial outbreak of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

An outbreak of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a textile plant was attributed on epidemiological grounds to a chilled water air-conditioning system where a slime was growing in the chilled water sump and on demister vanes. All of the patients and about 80% of their asymptomatic co-workers had strongly positive precipitin tests to extracts of the slime. An adaptation of a radioiodinated staphylococcal protein A solid-phase radioimmunoassay was applied to monitor antigen and specific antibody. To control the outbreak, a variety of cleaning and water treatment measures were taken between 1977 and 1979 to reduce the amount of antigen in the water and in the air. The amount of slime in the water was greatly reduced though the antigen content per gram of slime did not change. Airborne antigen in the affected work areas decreased progressively.

Air Conditioning↗

Mitomycin C in patients with metastatic breast cancer refractory to hormone therapy and chemotherapy.

43 patients with advanced breast cancer, resistant to conventional therapies, were treated with mitomycin C at a dose of 20 mg/m2 i.v. every 6 weeks. No response was observed. The most common side effect was myelotoxicity. Leukopenia occurred in 63% of the patients, thrombocytopenia in 67%, and anemia in 14%. Two episodes of acute dyspnea were observed which were thought to be pulmonary hypersensitivity reactions. This study does not suggest that mitomycin C is of value as second- or third-line treatment in metastatic breast cancer. It is likely that the drug could play a more important role in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents.

Adult↗

HNK-1 monoclonal antibody (Leu-7) in the identification of abnormal expansions of large granular lymphocytes.

Among 12 cases of chronic T lymphoproliferative disorders we observed, six patients showed an expansion of mononuclear cells with azurophilic granules usually referred to as large granular lymphocytes or LGL. Cells obtained from five patients with these abnormal LGL proliferations were studied with several surface markers including their reactivity with the HNK-1 monoclonal antibody reported to be specific for LGL. Cells in four out of five cases were HNK-1 positive. Whereas normal LGL have been reported to be unreactive with several T cell markers, three cases showed the co-existence of HNK-1 and surface markers expressed by T cells. Two cases were characterized by the proliferation of OKT8 cells. Cells from one patient were HNK-1 positive but did not express T or monocytic antigens. These cells were apparently not completely mature since alpha-naphthyl acetate acid esterase activity was negative. Cells from the remaining case were HNK-1 negative and positive for T and monocytic antigens. An increase of OKT-10 cells was observed in only one patient. Our data indicate that proliferations of LGL represent a remarkable proportion of the rare cases of sheep erythrocyte rosetting chronic lymphocytic leukaemias or lymphomas. Besides the morphology of LGL, the rosetting ability and the negativity for peroxidase, cells from these cases showed a vast heterogeneity of other structural and functional markers, possibly reflecting different stages in the maturation of these cells. The HNK-1 monoclonal antibody proved to be an important marker in the identification of these cases.

Adult↗

Plasmacytoma of the thyroid gland.

Solitary plasmacytoma of the thyroid is very rare. Thus far, only 12 cases have been reported in literature. This report describes the clinical and histological features of two additional cases. One patient developed bone metastases 1 month after diagnosis and died 17 months later. The second patient is alive with no evidence of disease, 19 months after diagnosis. At the present time there are insufficient data to assess the prognosis in any single case.

Aged↗

Treatment by splenic irradiation in 22 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

Twenty-two patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, score 2 according to Rai et al. (10), who received only a course of splenic irradiation are reviewed. Splenic doses ranged from 420 to 1080 rad. Response to splenic irradiation was rated by evaluating peripheral lymphocytosis, hepatosplenomegaly, adenomegaly and disease-related symptoms. Following splenic irradiation, 8 patients showed a significant reduction in splenomegaly; 7 patients showed a significant reduction in peripheral lymphocytosis (less than 10,000/mm3), which has lasted from 15-42 months without any other treatment. In 14 patients, response to splenic irradiation was partial, and it has successively been necessary to treat 12 patients with chemotherapy. Methods of splenic irradiation, survival, clinical and hematologic behavior are discussed in detail.

Adult↗

Normal repair of gamma radiation-induced single-strand and double-strand DNA breaks in retinoblastoma fibroblasts.

The formation and repair of gamma radiation-induced DNA damage were examined in fibroblasts from individuals with retinoblastoma. Utilizing the alkaline elution technique to study single-strand DNA breaks and the nondenaturing elution technique to study double-strand DNA breaks, cultured cell strains from two patients with bilateral retinoblastoma and one patient with sporadic retinoblastoma were shown to develop the same number of DNA breaks as cells from normal individuals after exposure to various gamma radiation doses. Furthermore, the rate and extent of rejoining of both single- and double-strand DNA breaks induced by gamma radiation in retinoblastoma fibroblasts were also normal Defective DNA break repair does not appear to explain the marked predisposition to second malignancies and the possible in vitro radiation sensitivity which are associated with hereditary retinoblastoma.

Animals↗