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Biomedical subjects

M Rizzo

Publications and source records attributed to M Rizzo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Combined regional and systemic chemotherapy by a mini-invasive approach for the treatment of colorectal liver metastases.

From February 1996 to December 1998, 95 patients affected with colorectal liver metastases underwent the positioning of an intraarterial hepatic catheter by a transcutaneous subclavian access, under local anesthesia. All patients were evaluated for catheter implantation complications. Moreover, 61 patients of 95 treated at our center were retrospectively evaluated for results of chemotherapy performed with two different schedules of hepatic artery infusion (HAI) combined with systemic chemotherapy (SC). Eleven patients (group A) were treated with combined SC (5-fluorouracil continuous infusion) and HAI (floxuridine). A subsequent 50 patients underwent HAI (floxuridine, 4 cycles) followed, if a response or stable disease were observed, by combined SC and HAI (group B). Three cases of aneurysm of subclavian artery occurred, which were treated by the positioning of a radiologic arterial stent and the reimplantation of the catheter by a femoral access. Thrombosis of the hepatic artery was registered in four cases. We observed 10.5% occurrence of dislocation of the catheter, which was always moved again in the hepatic artery. In group A, with 45% clinical objective response rate and 10% stable disease rate, median survival time and median time to extrahepatic progression were 9 and 6 months, respectively. In group B, we observed 44% clinical objective responses and 26% stable disease after HAI. Patients without disease progression and therefore submitted to sequential SC and HAI had a median survival time of 21 months and a median time to extrahepatic progression of 16 months. The development of the mini-invasive technique of implantation of an arterial port can avoid laparotomy for HAI. Percutaneous implantation of an arterial port has a low rate of technical complications. HAI followed by combined systemic and regional chemotherapy has good results in terms of survival and time to extrahepatic progression.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Skin involvement from micropapillary bladder carcinoma as the first clinical manifestation of metastatic disease.

Cutaneous metastases from transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder occur infrequently. We report the case of a 68-year-old man presenting with an isolated skin nodule a few weeks after local excision of a micropapillary bladder carcinoma. This rare variant of TCC, which is strikingly reminiscent of the histological pattern of ovarian papillary serous carcinoma, is associated with poor prognosis and apparently high metastatic potential.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Imperative indications for conservative surgery for renal cell carcinoma: 20 years' experience.

INTRODUCTION: Radical nephrectomy is the treatment of first choice for unilateral renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a healthy contralateral kidney; however, the current standard for dealing with RCC in patients with a solitary kidney, bilateral tumor and renal or systemic disease inducing a progressive impairment of renal function is nephron-sparing surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1974 and July 1996, 62 patients (39 men and 23 women, 33-77 years old, mean age 60.6 years) with RCC underwent nephron-sparing surgery. The patients were divided in to two groups according to treatment indication: 46 patients with bilateral tumor (n = 21) or solitary kidney (n = 25) and 16 patients with renal or systemic disease that could damage the contralateral kidney. Survival curves were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meyer method. RESULTS: In the first group 3 patients died postoperatively, and 3 were lost to follow-up; 12 patients (27.9%) had malignant recurrence and 5 (11.6%) died of local recurrence or systemic diffusion. The probability of local or systemic tumor recurrence was 9.9% at 2 years, 20.2% at 5 years and 24.7% at 10 years; the probability of survival was 100% at 2 years, 91.9% at 5 years and 81.9% at 10 years. In the second group 3 patients died of unrelated causes and 1 was lost to follow-up; 4 patients (25%) had a malignant recurrence and 2 (12.5%) died of systemic diffusion of RCC. The probability of tumor recurrence was 13.0% at 2 years, 19.7% at 5 years and 26.4% at 10 years, the probability of survival was 100% at 2 years, 93.3% at 5 years and 86.1% at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience nephron-sparing surgery seems justified in patients with a solitary kidney, bilateral tumor or a disease that potentially damages renal function. Tumor diameter and stage, incidental or symptomatic tumor presentation and specific indication for conservative surgery determine the prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The role of lomefloxacin in the treatment of chronic prostatitis.

The choice of antimicrobial agents for treatment of prostatitis should be based on two factors: in vitro sensitivity of isolated pathogens and potential intraprostatic penetration of the molecule. Unfortunately, only a few antibiotic agents penetrate prostatic fluid which is the primary site of infection. Lomefloxacin, a once-daily difluoroquinolone, could play a central role in the therapy of prostatitis because it has sufficient liposolubility, low ionization (pKa), low protein binding, small molecular size, long serum elimination half-life and it can pass from interstital fluid across prostatic cells into the lumen. This study was carried out on 12 patients (mean age 65 years) with normal hepatic and renal function, divided into two groups of 6 subjects each. Lomefloxacin was administered for perioperative antisepsis at the dose of 400 mg orally once a day for 4 days. Serum and tissue were sampled in the two groups of patients 4 h (Group A) and 8 h (Group B) respectively after the last drug administration. Tissue penetration was higher than serum, with a T/S >2 in the prostatic capsule and seminal blister, and a T/S >1.6 in the adenomatous tissue, in both groups of patients. In addition, the prostatic tissue concentrations exceeded the MIC for the main pathogens usually involved in urogenital infections. Therefore, because of its pharmacokineitic and pharmacodynamic characteristics, lomefloxacin is proposed as an efficacious therapeutic option, even for the treatment of chronic prostatitis.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of males' and females' ratios of anterior-cruciate-ligament width to femoral-intercondylar-notch width: a cadaveric study.

The relative incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries has been reported to be significantly higher in females than in males. Although many hypotheses have been proposed for this discrepancy, no conclusive explanation has reached consensus opinion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare fresh-frozen cadaveric knee specimens to determine whether there is a significant difference between males' and females' ratios of ACL width to femoral intercondylar notch (FIN) width. We evaluated 15 male knees and 11 female knees. Data regarding sex, age, side (right or left), and ACL and FIN widths were obtained for all specimens. Age of male specimens ranged from 48 to 84 years (mean, 63.9 y); age of female specimens ranged from 33 to 96 years (mean, 69.9 y). Mean ACL width, mean FIN width, and their ratios were calculated. In the male specimens, mean ACL width was 10.59 mm (SD, 1.30 mm), mean FIN width was 20.18 mm (SD, 2.20 mm), and mean ACL:FIN width ratio was .526 +/- 0.047 (52.6% +/- 4.7% of FIN width); in the female specimens, mean ACL width was 8.09 mm (SD, 1.12 mm), mean FIN width was 20.50 mm (SD, 1.69 mm), and mean ACL: FIN width ratio was .393 +/- 0.03 (39.3% +/- 3% of FIN width). Results showed statistically significant differences between males' and females' ACL widths (P < .001) and between their ACL: FIN width ratios (P< .001) but not between their FIN widths. The significant difference between males' and females' ACL widths may be related to the general size differences between the groups. It has been speculated that female athletes' smaller ACLs may predispose them to ACL ruptures. Perhaps more significant is the difference between males' and females' ACL: FIN width ratios, which are significantly smaller in females compared with males. This may be directly related to the cause of more ACL ruptures in females. Further studies, including a good mechanical model, will help elucidate whether this anatomic discrepancy correlates clinically.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Chondrosarcoma of bone: analysis of 108 cases and evaluation for predictors of outcome.

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common malignant bone tumor and is relatively unresponsive to chemotherapy and radiation regimens. In addition, the clinical course of chondrosarcoma is difficult to predict. The purpose of this study was to review the authors' experience with chondrosarcoma and ascertain any factors related to prognosis and clinical outcome. The medical records of 108 patients followed up for a minimum of 2 years were retrospectively reviewed. There were 31 low-grade and 77 high-grade chondrosarcomas. One hundred one patients underwent surgical resection. There was a statistically significant association between positive margins and local recurrence, metastasis, and death. Tumor grade was not predictive of outcome. Proliferation indices (MIB-1 expression determination through immunohistochemistry) were quantitated in 39 patients. A significant association was seen between MIB-1 expression and recurrence and death. Thus, objective quantitation of tumor proliferation was more predictive than was histologic grade of outcome in chondrosarcoma. Although histologic grade continues to be the standard grading system for chondrosarcoma, the current study contributes to ongoing research and validation of alternative techniques that may be more reliable in guiding prognosis and treatment of chondrosarcoma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Bioaerosol emissions from a suburban yard waste composting facility.

The purpose of this study was to assess worker and community exposure to bioaerosols emitted from a suburban yard waste composting facility in northern Illinois, USA. Characterization of on- and off-site viable bioaerosols was undertaken through a total of 288 on- and off-site Andersen samples conducted over 10 sampling days. A total of 46 dust samples and 38 Kramer-Collins spore samples were also collected in this period. Evaluation of the impact of the facility on community bioaerosol concentrations was undertaken by comparing on- and off-site measurements by sampling locations, wind direction, and site activity. On-site concentrations of total spores, Aspergillus/Penicillium spores, total bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, actinomycetes, total particulates, endotoxin, and beta-1,3 glucans were higher than off-site concentrations. Total fungal spores averaged 13,451 spores/m3 (range 5,223-26,067) on-site and 8,772 spores/m3 (range 243-18,276) off-site. Viable bacterial airborne concentrations (in cfu/m3) averaged 11,879 on-site (range 480-78,880) and 3,204 off-site (range 160-17,600). Mean levels of endotoxins (in ng/m3) were 1.94 on-site (range 0.12-6.06) and 0.14 off-site (range 0.01-0.41). Mean levels of beta-1,3 glucans (in ng/m3) were 2.17 on-site (range 0.12-14.45) and 0.24 off-site (range 0.01-0.78). Mean total viable fungi, on the other hand, were higher off-site than on-site (8,651 vs 3,068 cfu/m3). On-site concentrations of total bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and actinomycetes demonstrated a statistically significant pattern of decreasing concentration with distance from pile and higher downwind vs upwind concentrations. Mean on-site concentrations of viable bacteria, viable fungi, and endotoxins were significantly higher during periods of activity compared to periods of no activity. Off-site concentrations of bacteria were also significantly higher during periods of activity compared to no activity. The highest concentrations of total particulates, endotoxin, and beta-1,3-glucans were observed in the personal samplers worn by workers at the facility. One personal sampler measured an Asp f1 exposure of 22.17 ng/m3 during turning activity. Peak exposures to several bioaerosol constituents were sufficiently high to warrant use of respirators by workers during periods of pile activity that lead to dust generation.

Aerosols↗
PubMed2000

Synthesis and evaluation of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of 11H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,5-c][2,3]benzodiazepin-3(2H)-ones.

A series of 2,3-benzodiazepine derivatives has been previously described as noncompetitive AMPA-type glutamate receptor antagonists potentially useful for treatment of epilepsy. To further explore the structure-activity relationships of AMPA antagonists, a series of 11H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,5-c][2,3]benzodiazepin-3(2H)-ones (6) was synthesized starting from the corresponding bicyclic 1-aryl-3, 5-dihydro-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-2,3-benzodiazepin-4-ones (2, CFM). The new compounds were found to possess anticonvulsant effects against seizures induced both by means of auditory stimulation in DBA/2 mice and by pentylenetetrazole or maximal electroshock in Swiss mice. In addition, they antagonize the AMPA-induced seizures, and their anticonvulsant activity is reversed by pretreatment with aniracetam, thus suggesting the involvement of AMPA receptors. The pharmacological studies revealed that the 11H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4, 5-c][2,3]benzodiazepin-3(2H)-ones (6) herein reported show anticonvulsant activity comparable to that of their bicyclic precursors. Furthermore, an HPLC study put in evidence that these tricyclic derivatives 6 were converted in vivo into the corresponding 2, the agents likely to be mainly responsible for the anticonvulsant properties observed.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2000

Sequence and analysis of chromosome 1 of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

The genome of the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana has five chromosomes. Here we report the sequence of the largest, chromosome 1, in two contigs of around 14.2 and 14.6 megabases. The contigs extend from the telomeres to the centromeric borders, regions rich in transposons, retrotransposons and repetitive elements such as the 180-base-pair repeat. The chromosome represents 25% of the genome and contains about 6,850 open reading frames, 236 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and 12 small nuclear RNAs. There are two clusters of tRNA genes at different places on the chromosome. One consists of 27 tRNA(Pro) genes and the other contains 27 tandem repeats of tRNA(Tyr)-tRNA(Tyr)-tRNA(Ser) genes. Chromosome 1 contains about 300 gene families with clustered duplications. There are also many repeat elements, representing 8% of the sequence.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2000

Sequence and analysis of chromosome 3 of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Arabidopsis thaliana is an important model system for plant biologists. In 1996 an international collaboration (the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative) was formed to sequence the whole genome of Arabidopsis and in 1999 the sequence of the first two chromosomes was reported. The sequence of the last three chromosomes and an analysis of the whole genome are reported in this issue. Here we present the sequence of chromosome 3, organized into four sequence segments (contigs). The two largest (13.5 and 9.2 Mb) correspond to the top (long) and the bottom (short) arms of chromosome 3, and the two small contigs are located in the genetically defined centromere. This chromosome encodes 5,220 of the roughly 25,500 predicted protein-coding genes in the genome. About 20% of the predicted proteins have significant homology to proteins in eukaryotic genomes for which the complete sequence is available, pointing to important conserved cellular functions among eukaryotes.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2000

Chromatographic separation of 2,3-benzodiazepines.

A review of chromatographic methods for the determination of 2,3-benzodiazepines (2,3-BZs) is presented. The determinations are performed to investigate the presence of potential impurities in drug substances and to study their pharmacokinetic profile in biological samples, either in animals or in humans. Several methods dealt with a pretreatment of samples, i.e., liquid-liquid extraction by using a variety of solvents, solid-phase extraction, direct injection of specimens into the chromatographic apparatus. Different chromatographic techniques have been used. High-performance liquid chromatography allows optimal sensitivity and specificity by using ultraviolet or diode array detection methods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorous or electron-capture detectors have been also reported. Suitable methods for the separation of enantiomers of 2,3-BZs have been described. Thin-layer chromatography has been shown to be capable to isolate analytes from biological samples as urine or faeces. The reported chromatographic techniques are currently applied to define the metabolic pathways of 2,3-BZs in experimental and clinical studies.

Benzodiazepines↗
PubMed2000

Visual attention impairments in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Impaired attention can hinder information processing at multiple levels and may explain aspects of functional decline in aging and dementia. Impairments of attention in early AD may contribute to performance reductions in other cognitive domains, including memory and executive functions. METHOD: - The authors analyzed the scores on a battery of tests of attention and cognitive abilities in 64 older individuals: 42 with mild AD and 22 control subjects without dementia. The authors tested the hypotheses that patients with AD would have impairments of visual attention, and that these impairments would correlate with dysfunction in other key cognitive domains. RESULTS: Patients with AD performed significantly worse than control subjects on measures of sustained attention, divided attention, selective attention, and visual processing speed. The differences were not due to differences in age, education, or basic visual function. Strong relationships were identified between reduced attention skills and overall cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Deterioration of attention abilities occurs in early stages of AD, and likely contributes to functional decline in these patients. More routine assessment of visual attention deficits could give a more accurate measure of functionally useful perception in patients with AD who show normal visual acuity and visual fields, perhaps providing useful clues to diagnosis and staging.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Vision and cognition in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known to affect visual pathways, but potential concomitant effects on vision and cognitive performance are not well understood. We studied 43 individuals with AD of mild severity and 22 individuals without dementia on a battery of tests designed to measure multiple aspects of basic and higher-order visual perception and cognition. All subjects performed on the same visual and cognitive test batteries. The results showed no differences between groups on tests of static visual acuity, stereoacuity, dynamic visual acuity or motion direction discrimination. However, individuals with AD performed significantly worse on tests of static spatial contrast sensitivity, visual attention, shape-from-motion, color, visuospatial construction and visual memory. Correlation analyses showed strong relationships between visual and cognitive scores. The findings show that AD affects several aspects of vision and are compatible with the hypothesis that visual dysfunction in AD may contribute to performance decrements in other cognitive domains. The pattern of involvement indicates that AD affects multiple visual neural pathways and regions. It is possible that better understanding of vision-related dysfunction could aid diagnosis and interventions to improve functional capacity in patients with dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

A transient deficit of motion perception in human.

We studied the motion perception abilities in a young adult, SF, who had her right occipito-temporal cortices resected to treat epilepsy. Following resection, SF showed transient deficits of both first- and second-order motion perception that recovered to normal within weeks. Previous human studies have shown either first- or second n order motion deficits that have lasted months or years after cerebral damage. SF also showed a transient defect in processing of shape-from-motion with normal perception of shape from non-motion cues. Furthermore, she showed greatly increased reaction times for a mental rotation task, but not for a lexical decision task. The nature and quick recovery of the deficits in SF resembles the transient motion perception deficit observed in monkey following ibotenic acid lesions, and provides additional evidence that humans possess specialized cortical areas subserving similar motion perception functions.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Benzodiazepine receptor affinities, behavioral, and anticonvulsant activity of 2-aryl-2,5-dihydropyridazino[4,3-b]indol- 3(3H)-ones in mice.

The anticonvulsant properties of 1,4-benzodiazepines (BDZs), pyrazoloquinolones (CGS), 2-aryl-2,5-dihydropyridazino[4, 3-b]indol-3(3H)-ones (PIs) 1 1i 1d 1f 1e 1b 1c 1h, and 1a, the latter being inactive against audiogenic seizures. Some PIs 1 and abecarnil showed anticonvulsant properties against seizures induced by PTZ with a potency lower than that observed in audiogenic seizures. The pharmacological actions of 1d, 1f, and 1i were significantly reduced by a treatment with flumazenil (8.24 micromol/kg IP), suggesting a clear involvement of benzodiazepine mechanisms in the anticonvulsant activity of these compounds or their metabolites. The anticonvulsant activity of 1d, 1f, and 1i was also evaluated against seizures induced by two beta-carbolines namely methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (beta-CCM) and methyl-6, 7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (DMCM), in DBA/2 mice: they gave better protection against seizures induced by beta-CCM than the ones by DMCM. The potency of various BDZs and PIs as inhibitors of specific [3H]flumazenil binding to neuronal membranes, was also evaluated. The radioligand binding study, carried out on stable cell lines expressing definite combinations of benzodiazepine receptor subunits, demonstrated that 1b, 1e, 1d, and 1h have preferential interaction with alpha(1), beta(3), gamma(2), receptor subtypes.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules by alveolar macrophages of human lung allograft recipients with acute rejection: decline with resolution of rejection.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar macrophages (AM) are the major population in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells; we assessed their role in human lung allograft recipients by correlating the expression of adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines with clinical outcome of allograft. METHODS: We obtained BAL samples from patients and enriched them for AM in plastic petri dish for 2 hours at 37 degrees C in 5% CO(2). Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, CD54), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1, CD31), and CD11c was assessed by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies. We assessed cytokine profile using Multi-Probe RNase protection assay. RESULTS: Alveolar macrophages that express CD11c, CD31 and CD54 were increased in patients with either rejection or infection compared with those without rejection and infection. The difference in the percentage of AM expressing CD11c and CD31 between the rejection group and patients without rejection and infection group was statistically significant (CD11c, p < 0.01; CD31, p < 0.03). Interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and IL-6 expression was higher in the rejection group than in patients without rejection. Five out of 9 patients in the rejection group expressed high levels of IL-15 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha compared with patients without rejection and infection. The increased number of AM expressing adhesion molecules and elevated expression of cytokines observed during acute rejection declined to basal levels after successful treatment and resolution of rejection. This study demonstrates that lung allograft rejection is associated with increased expression of adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines by AM, which could facilitate mononuclear cell adhesion and extravasation contributing to the allograft injury in lung transplant recipients.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗