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Biomedical subjects

P Colombat

Publications and source records attributed to P Colombat.

104 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

High-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation after failure of conventional chemotherapy in adults with intermediate-grade or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Adult patients with advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in whom conventional chemotherapy has failed are seldom cured thereafter. We studied 100 such patients with intermediate-grade or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who were subsequently treated with high-dose chemotherapy (61 patients) or high-dose chemotherapy plus total-body irradiation (39 patients), with bone marrow transplantation used for hematologic support. Thirty-four patients had disease that had been refractory to primary chemotherapy, and 66 patients had had a complete remission with primary chemotherapy but later relapsed. Before autologous bone marrow transplantation and high-dose chemotherapy, the 66 relapsed patients had also received conventional salvage chemotherapy; 22 had had no response or had had disease progression (a response termed "resistant relapse"), and 44 patients had responded partially or completely (a response termed "sensitive relapse"). After high-dose therapy and bone marrow transplantation, the actuarial three-year disease-free survival was zero in the refractory group, 14 percent in the resistant-relapse group, and 36 percent in the sensitive-relapse group. Patients who had had a complete remission in response to initial chemotherapy had a higher disease-free survival rate than those who had not (P less than 0.001), and patients with sensitive relapse had a higher disease-free survival rate than those with resistant relapse (P less than 0.003). These results should be considered in the planning or interpretation of trials of salvage chemotherapy in adults with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Adolescent↗

Plasma fibronectin in various hemopathic diseases.

Plasma fibronectin was determined by laser nephelometric immunoassay in two populations: (a) healthy subjects separated into three age groups (16-29 yr, 30-50 yr and over 50 yr) and, (b) patients with various hemopathic diseases without any infection or any therapy. Results showed that fibronectin levels in a healthy population were strongly influenced by age. An increase of human plasma fibronectin was shown to occur with age. Results in hemopathic patients were expressed in terms of percentage of mean deviations as compared to normal mean values for the corresponding age range. We found that plasma fibronectin was significantly decreased in acute myeloblastic leukemia, especially in transfused patients, polycythemia vera, osteomyelofibrosis. Waldenström disease, benign dysproteinemia, refractory anemia and stage IV non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma. Plasma fibronectin-decreased levels appear to be of prognostic value in the evolution of malignant hemopathic diseases.

Adolescent↗

[Treatment of malignant hemopathies with aracytine in low doses. Analysis of 159 cases].

Based on the in vitro experiments which showed the capacity of Aracytine (AraC) to induce differentiation of leukemic cells, low dose AraC treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has been available since 1980. Many studies involving only small numbers of patients have demonstrated contradictory results regarding the efficacy or the mechanism of action of this regimen. A retrospective clinical study is presented, including 159 patients treated in 11 French institutions and 1 German institution (AML: 99 patients; MDS: 38 patients). The study confirms the efficacy of low dose AraC, especially in elderly patients with hypoplastic AML. Although, less severe than with high dose chemotherapy, toxicity needs regular monitoring. The mechanism of action cannot be ascertained by this clinical study, however half of the complete remissions were obtained with no bone marrow aplasia. Studies with low dose AraC and/or other in vitro differentiating agents need to be continued.

Aged↗

[Merkel cell tumor].

Two cases of skin carcinoma which display endocrine differentiation are reported. In the relevant literature, these neoplasms are considered to be of Merkel cells lineage. These two carcinomas demonstrated salient morphological features. The first tumor contained small aggregates of cells with a deeply indented nucleus. It is postulated that these formations represent foci of Merkel cells maturation. It is suggested that this distinctive focal histological feature may permit recognition of these neoplasms. The second tumor exhibited an admixture of endocrine and epidermoid differentiation. Such observations prompt us to postulate that Merkel cells and keratinocytes originate from the same stem cell.

Aged↗

[Changes in nutritional status at the initial phase of treatment of cancers and malignant hemopathies].

Changes in nutritional status at the initial phase of treatment of cancers and malignant blood diseases were evaluated in 32 male patients (mean age 58 +/- 18 years) examined during three 4-day stays in hospital (T0, T1, T2) at 2 months' interval. On the first day of each stay the following parameters were measured: food intake (kcal/day), weight (kg), squared height (m), fat mass (kg) obtained by measuring 4 skin folds and using Durnin's tables, brachial muscle area (cm2) and total skeletal muscle mass (kg) calculated from Heymsfield's equations. On the third and fourth days, after 48 hours of meat-free and fish-free diet, 3-methylhistidine (mmol/g creatininuria) and creatinine (mg) were measured in urine, and the urinary creatinine/height ratio (mg/cm/day) was calculated. Full anthropomorphic measurements were performed on 19/32 patients and complete measurements of 3-methylhistidine and the urinary creatinine/height ratio in 9/32 patients. Subsequent examinations revealed a decrease in brachial muscle area, total skeletal muscle mass and urinary creatinine/height ratio which, together with an increase in baseline 3-methylhistidine, confirmed the loss of muscle mass. Mean losses of muscle and fat were 6 p. 100 between T1 and T0 and 7 p. 100 between T2 and T0 for the muscle mass, and 9 p. 100 between T2 and T0 for the fat mass. These losses of body mass occurred very early, with significant differences between T1 and T0 and between T2 and T0. They suggest that protein-calorie malnutrition develops at a very early stage in patients treated for cancer or malignant blood disease.

Adult↗

[Gastric granulocytic sarcoma revealed by a massive digestive hemorrhage].

We report the case of a 37-year-old-man having a chronic myelogenous leukemia, who presented, one month after a splenic acutization, massive gastrointestinal bleeding from ulcerated nodules of the gastric fundus. The histologic examination of one of these nodules showed granulocytic sarcoma. In spite of an endoscopic treatment by sclerotherapy with adrenalined serum, the death occurred during a hemorrhagic recurrence. This observation, which is the third case reported of gastric granulocytic sarcoma during the acutization of a myelogenous chronic leukemia, and the first revealed by fatal gastrointestinal bleeding, shows the particular gravity of gastrointestinal bleeding complicating granulocytic sarcoma.

Adult↗

Intensive treatment of stage III-IV aggressive malignant lymphomas (protocol TPL-84).

BACKGROUND: Much progress has been made in the last ten years in the treatment of non Hodgkin's lymphomas by increasing drug schedules and by using non cross-resistant regimens. METHODS: So we decided in 1984 to test a new multiple drug protocol (Tours-Poitiers-Limoges = TPL protocol) which used a sequence of three courses of classical high-dose induction therapy, three courses of consolidation therapy using Teniposide, Cytosine Arabinoside, L Asparaginase and high-dose Methotrexate, and three courses of late intensification using the same drugs as induction therapy. Results. Thirty-eight patients younger than 60 years were included. Complete remission was obtained in 27 patients (71%). The median follow-up was 3 years and 9 months with one third of CR patients having been followed beyond 5 years. Seven patients relapsed (26% of CR patients) and one died of toxicity in complete remission. At present 22 patients (58%) are in complete remission, 19 in first CR, 1 in first CR after allogenic bone marrow transplantation, and 2 in second prolonged CR after autologous bone marrow transplantation. The median survival time is 48 months and the actuarial disease-free survival curve seems to have a plateau at 48.5%, with no relapse after 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the efficacy of alternating high-dose conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of intermediate and high-grade NHL, with about half of the patients being cured. However, more intensive chemotherapy regimens are needed to improve cure rates.

Actuarial Analysis↗