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Biomedical subjects

P Spinelli

Publications and source records attributed to P Spinelli.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Preliminary clinical studies with PDT by topical TPPS administration in neoplastic skin lesions.

Cutaneous photosensitization by topical administration of a porphyrin derivative has been previously reported from experimental studies. Preliminary clinical trials performed at the National Cancer Institute of Milan in the last six months have confirmed the feasibility of treating skin lesions by topical application of photosensitizers. Fourteen cases of basal cell carcinoma were treated by local administration of tetraphenylporphinesulphonate (TPPS), vehicled by azone. Later, the tumor was exposed to a wavelength of 630 nm from a dye laser. We noted complete remission, as documented by biopsies, in all tumors, with clinical thickness less than 2 mm, whereas partial remission was obtained in tumors with clinical thickness more than 2 mm. Our experience suggests the possibility of a routine treatment by this method for flat basal cell carcinoma and pre-malignant lesions, with remarkable advantages to conventional therapies. Our results have to be confirmed by increasing the number of cases and length of follow up; our short follow up does not allow us to make definitive claims regarding this therapy.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1987

Expression of HLA class II determinants by normal and chronic myeloid leukemia progenitors.

It has been suggested that the expression of some HLA class II antigens, derived from three loci (DR, DP, DQ) is important in the regulation of both the immune response and the response of haemopoietic progenitors to regulation factors, such as acidic isoferritins (AIF), as well as in the interaction between T lymphocytes and erythroid progenitors (BFU-E). Changes in the expression of class II antigens have been reported on the surface of granulo-monocyte progenitors in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and correlated to the abnormal proliferation of such cells. In this study, monoclonal antibodies against DR and DQ monomorphic determinants were used to investigate the expression of these antigens on the surface of normal and CML bone marrow and peripheral blood BFU-E by means of complement mediated cytotoxicity. It was found that most normal and leukemic BFU-E express DR antigens. Antigens density tends to be greater on marrow as opposed to peripheral precursors. In addition, leukemic BFU-E are more sensitive to cytolytic treatment than their normal counterparts. Normal BFU-E do not express detectable amounts of DQ antigens, whereas these are present on a proportion of leukemic BFU-E.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1985

Temperature rise in biological tissue during Nd:YAG laser irradiation.

Few data are available about temperature distribution in tissue during Nd:YAG laser irradiation. To study the heat distribution that produces tissue coagulation, we used a thermographic camera aimed orthogonally to the laser beam axis to obtain thermal maps. Immediately after surgical resection, specimens of human stomach were irradiated near the resected edge, and the heat emitted sideways was detected by an infrared image system. A magnifying lens mounted on the camera enabled us to obtain 0.1 mm spatial resolution of the isothermic curves. The thermal analysis showed that the maximum depth where the increase in temperature reached 25 degrees C (corresponding to a coagulation temperature of about 60 degrees C) was never greater than 3 mm, irrespective of the power and exposure time used. Moreover, the bidimensional thermal maps showed that the temperature did not decrease in a purely exponential fashion along the beam axis, but reached a maximum at about 1 mm beneath the surface. This fact, which confirms the decrepitation theorem, could explain the explosion inside the tissues observed in surgical application of the Nd:YAG laser.

Body Temperature↗
PubMed1985

Urinary cobalt as a measure of exposure in the hard metal industry.

Twenty-six workers in a hard metal manufacturing plant were monitored by cobalt urinary and ambient air measurements during the first month after summer holidays. Cobalt determinations were performed utilizing AAS, with a preliminary chelation and extraction procedure for urinary samples. Almost all personal ambient air samples turned out to be under the cobalt dust TLV of 0.1 mg/m3. When restarting work after the holidays, urinary values did not differ from the control group. At the end of the first working week, urinary cobalt had increased four fold, then decreased to the original values on the following Monday before restarting work. Thereafter, the weekend was no longer sufficient to reduce the levels to normal urinary cobalt values. The values rose to the same level observed before the holidays, and dit not substantially decrease even after the weekend. End-shift urinary cobalt values showed a good relationship with present as well as with mean past exposure on the first and the fifth weekday, but the third day did not. The correlation was better with present exposure on Monday and with mean past exposure on Friday. The observed differences may be explained by the minor influence of recent exposure on present exposure on Monday. The highest values were found on Wednesday. We suggest the utilization of end-shift urinary cobalt determination as a measure of the present exposure on Monday, and of mean recent or preceding exposure on Friday.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1984

Laser phototherapy following HpD administration in superficial neoplastic lesions.

We report our preliminary clinical experience with hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) injection and argon or dye laser irradiation for the treatment of 61 surface neoplastic lesions in 7 patients. Forty-three sites were multiple basal cell carcinoma in 5 patients, and the remaining 18 were cutaneous and subcutaneous recurrent breast carcinoma after mastectomy in the thoracic wall. The patients were selected on the basis of the lack of indication for conventional therapeutic modalities. The selection of irradiation procedures and laser source was based on the thickness of the lesion and extension of the disease. The photochemical reaction between HpD injected i.v. at a dose of 3 mg/kg body weight and the laser beam at a dose of 60 to 120 J/cm2 resulted in 75% favorable responses at the treated sites. Optimal therapeutic effects appeared to be critically dependent on total light dose and tumor infiltration patterns. The phototherapeutic technique proved to be effective in selected cases of neoplastic lesions, especially when conventional treatment modalities were poorly indicated or contraindicated.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Ultrasonography versus laparoscopy in the diagnosis of hepatic tumors.

129 patients, with suspected primary or secondary benign or malignant liver neoplasm after clinical, biochemical and/or instrumental investigation underwent liver ultrasound and laparoscopy. Echographic findings were compared with laparoscopy when liver neoplasms were detected by the latter. When laparoscopy was negative, to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the two methods employed, the following variously associated parameters were analysed: clinical follow-up, liver biochemistry, computed tomography, liver selective arteriography and explorative laparotomy. In the 129 patients examined, echography showed 86.7% diagnostic accuracy and laparoscopy 89.4%. The association of the two methods led to a diagnosis of hepatic lesion in 98.4% with no further diagnostic investigations. The two procedures can be considered complementary to such an extent that, in case of suspected primary or secondary liver neoplasm, the association of ultrasound and laparoscopy represents a quick and ultimate diagnostic approach. Furthermore, the association of these two procedures seems the least expensive and the most feasible, even in not particularly well equipped units.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Laser oncology in Italy: experimental research and clinical applications at the National Cancer Institute, Milan.

CO2, Nd:YAG, and argon lasers have been used for 5 years for experimental and clinical procedures at the National Cancer Institute of Milan under the auspices of the National Research Council. Experimental data regarding tumor cell spread through lymphatic and hematic channels and cell viability in the fumes after CO2 laser irradiation are reported. New advantages in the combined treatment modalities have been demonstrated, since the synergism between the low power argon laser beam and chemotherapeutic agents (anthracyclines) was assessed on cell cultures and the least toxic and the most effective doses of the drugs were identified. Due to the optical properties of the laser beam, physical measurements of the delivered energy and mathematical calculation of the energy per tissue volume unit to be ablated increase the precision in microsurgery especially when conservative managements are indicated. Main applications in surgical oncology, and comparison versus conventional methods, both with vaporization and excisional techniques, according to specific therapeutic protocols, in general surgery, otolaryngology, gynecology, and endoscopy, even on an outpatient basis, are finally illustrated in a series of 600 cases.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

[Association of laparoscopy and bone marrow biopsy in the staging of small-cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung. Evaluation of 116 consecutive cases].

116 consecutive patients with small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung had laparoscopy with multiple liver biopsies and bone marrow biopsy, performed as a staging procedure. Bone marrow biopsy was positive in 13 patients (11.2%); no significant rise in percent was seen when bilateral specimens were obtained. Laparoscopy was positive in 17 patients (14.6%); one patient had extrahepatic involvement only. Liver scan did not show high correlation with laparoscopy: 6 patients out of 11 had negative liver scan with metastases demonstrated at laparoscopy. Only 6 patients had laparoscopy positive along with bone marrow biopsy (5.1%). At determination of the stage, 12 patients out of 78 (15.3%), with apparently localized disease had diffuse disease after the two procedures. Laparoscopy and bone marrow biopsy were positive in 12 patients out of 38 (31.5%), when the disease was diffuse at diagnosis. 7 patients had liver metastases at diagnosis, which were excluded after laparoscopy. Laparoscopy and bone marrow remain valuable procedures in assessing stage in small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung, because of their high rate of stage modifications due to their combined employment at diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

The switch from haemoglobin F to A: the time course of qualitative and quantitative variations of haemoglobins after birth.

The time course of the transition from HbF to HbA production in the postnatal period has been studied. The description is based on the time-dependent pattern of total haemoglobin and of HbF observed in an 8 months follow-up of 25 premature newborns. The absolute amount of HbF decreases exponentially from birth to approximately 25 weeks (from 15.56 +/- 0.48 g/dl to 0.66 +/- 0.08 g/dl), at a weekly rate of approximately 16%. On the other hand, HbA shows a biphasic pattern: first it decreases slightly from birth to 6 weeks (from 4.09 +/- 0.32 g/dl to 2. 63 +/- 0.33 g/dl); afterwards it increases exponentially at a weekly rate of 5% up to a plateau value, until HbF is almost completely replaced by HbA. Therefore the total haemoglobin decreases exponentially from birth to approximately constant for the next 6 weeks, and thereafter it increases very slowly. From these data, two distinct phases of postnatal erythropoiesis can be identified: the first (from birth to 6 weeks) is characterized by a decrease in the total amount of haemoglobin produced whereas in the second there is an alteration in the relative proportions of HbF and HbA being synthesized.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1981

Lymphomatous involvement of intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary ducts. PTC and ERCP findings.

The intra- and extrahepatic biliary ducts were examined by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography in 10 patients with malignant lymphoma and suggested hepatic involvement. Different radiologic appearances of the biliary tract are described, related to lymphomatous involvement of the liver or extrahepatic tissues, and compared with laparoscopic findings and final diagnosis. The results demonstrate the accuracy of cholangiography by PTC and ERCP and its usefulness in patients in whom non-invasive techniques fail to provide a reliable diagnosis.

Bile Duct Neoplasms↗
PubMed1981

Restaging of patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Sixty-four patients, 34 with no clinical evidence of disease (NED) and 30 with clinical evidence of disease (ED), were submitted to restaging with peritoneoscopy plus diaphragmatic inspection, peritoneal cytology, and lymphography. Eleven patients (32.2%) in the NED group and 25 (83.3%) in the ED group had positive restaging findings. The 3 diagnostic procedures, in combination, are important in establishing occult disease and therefore in the planning of further treatment.

Female↗