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Biomedical subjects

R Bianchi

Publications and source records attributed to R Bianchi.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Preoperative serum E-cadherin assay in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

E-cadherin is a 120-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein involved in the calcium dependent adhesion of epithelial cells. Soluble E-cadherin fragment levels have been found to be significantly elevated in patients with different malignancies when compared to healthy controls (Katayama M. et al. Br. J. Cancer 69, 580-585, 1994). The aim of this paper was to assess the clinical relevance of preoperative serum E-cadherin assay in patients with ovarian carcinoma. E-cadherin was measured with a solid phase enzyme immunoassay based on a sandwich method using two mouse monoclonal anti-human E-cadherin antibodies. Preoperative serum E-cadherin levels were higher in 55 patients with ovarian carcinoma than in 31 patients with benign ovarian disease as controls, even though the difference did not reach the statistical significance (median value, range: 6615 ng/ml, 444-26,092 ng/ml versus 5531 ng/ml, 1548-12668 ng/ml, p = 0.063). However, the subset of the 36 patients with FIGO stage III-IV ovarian carcinoma had significantly higher antigen levels (median value, range: 7205 ng/ml, 444-26,092 ng/ml) when compared to controls (p = 0.039). Among patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma, preoperative serum E-cadherin correlated neither with the common clinico-pathological prognostic variables nor with the response to chemotherapy and survival. Our data seem to show that the preoperative serum E-cadherin assay does not offer useful clinical information for the management of patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of CCR5, CCR2 and SDF-1 gene polymorphisms in a population of HIV-1 infected individuals.

The finding that in addition to CD4 molecule HIV-1 uses, CCR5 or CXCR4 receptors to enter target cells prompted the research to identify polymorphisms in coreceptor genes affecting disease progression. In this study we analyzed the prevalence of CCR5-delta32, CCR2-641 and SDF1-3'A alleles in a highly selected group of 42 Long-Term Nonprogressors (LTNPs) compared to 112 subjects with a typical course of HIV-1 infection (TPs) and 117 healthy controls (HCs). In addition, we correlated CCR5, CCR2 and SDF-1 genotypes with molecular indexes of HIV-1 replication, cell-free RNA and both unspliced (US) and multiply spliced (MS) intracellular transcripts, to investigate the role of the mutant alleles in determining a long-term nonprogressive course of HIV-1 disease. Our results indicate a significantly higher prevalence of CCR5-delta32 allele in LTNPs compared to TPs (p=0.0434), while the proportions of CCR2-64I and SDF1-3'A alleles were comparable between the two groups. However, SDF-1 wild type LTNP subjects showed significantly lower levels of HIV-1 genomic RNA, US and MS transcripts than SDF1-3'A heterozygous ones (p=0.0021, 0.016, 0.0031, respectively), whereas both CCR5 and CCR2 wild type individuals had similar rates of viral replication compared to CCR5-delta32 and CCR2-64I heterozygous ones. CCR5, CCR2 and SDF-1 combined genotypes were also studied and this analysis did not identify a specific protective cluster of alleles in LTNPs. Taken together, our results indicate that genetic background involving CCR5, CCR2 and SDF-1 alleles may play a limited role in the natural history of HIV-1 infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CA 195: a new monoclonal antibody-defined Lea blood group-related tumor marker in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

The levels of CA 125 (reference values [RV]s = 35 U/mL and 65 U/mL), CA 19.9 (RV = 40 U/mL), CA 50 (RV = 20 U/mL) and CA 195 (RVs = 10.5 U/mL and 15 U/mL) were measured in blood samples collected before laparotomy from 71 patients with ovarian carcinoma and 204 patients with benign ovarian pathology as controls. CA 125 levels greater than 35 U/mL were observed in 53/61 patients with non-mucinous carcinomas and in 6/10 with mucinous ones, while antigen levels above 65 U/mL were detected in 50/61 patients with non-mucinous malignancies and in 6/10 with mucinous ones; therefore mucinous tumors expressed this antigen less frequently than non-mucinous ones. Elevated CA 19.9 levels were found in 15/61 patients with non-mucinous malignancies and in 8/10 with mucinous ones. Raised CA 50 levels were observed in 13/50 patients with non-mucinous cancers and in 7/8 with mucinous ones. CA 195 values were greater than 10.5 U/mL and 15 U/mL respectively in 20.0% and in 15.0% of 40 patients with non-mucinous tumors, while antigen levels were above 10.5 U/mL and 15 U/mL respectively in 75.0% and 62.5% of 8 patients with mucinous carcinomas. Therefore, CA 19.9, CA 50 and CA 195 highly correlated with mucinous histotype. The results of CA 195 and CA 19.9 determinations were very similar because of the closely related: structures of the two epitopes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of SPECT in the diagnosis of vertigo syndromes of vascular nature].

Dizziness is doubtlessly one of the most common symptoms to arise in ischemia of the brainstem. In such cases the circulatory deficit can not only cause a direct lesion of the vestibular structures but it may also block the compensatory process. There are, however, significant difficulties in establishing whether such dizziness can be attributed to a brainstem insufficiency (BI). In fact, both CAT and NMR provide data only in the case of permanent CNS tissue lesions and tests such as the Doppler examination of neck blood vessels are unable to establish the true state of cerebral blood flow. In order to obtain semi-quantitative data regarding cerebral blood flow 99mTc-HMPAO-S.P.E.T. (Single Photon Emission Tomography) was used in 18 patients suffering from dizziness and for whom there was strong indication that the underlying cause could be vascular. There was a discrepancy between the Doppler and S.P.E.T. findings in 50% of the cases. CAT, however, proved negative in all but one of the cases. These data indicate that Doppler testing of the neck blood vessels can provide useful information regarding the status of the cerebral-afferent vessels but that these cannot be correlated to the level of cerebral blood flow. On the other hand, with S.P.E.T., in 15 of the 18 patients, it proved possible to identify significant alterations in cerebral blood flow in the absence of any permanent tissue lesions as those revealed by CAT and NMR. In the light of the present results cerebral S.P.E.T. appears to be a highly valid tool when, faced with dizziness for which a vascular origin is suspected, one must evaluate cerebral prognosis and therapy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ciprofloxacin for infection prophylaxis in granulocytopenic patients with acute leukemia.

Forty consecutive neutropenic patients with acute leukemia receiving oral ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) and ketoconazole (200 mg daily) for selective intestinal decontamination were compared retrospectively with 33 comparable patients treated with polymyxin E (1,500,000 U x 3/day) and nystatin (1,000,000 U x 3/day). The incidence of febrile episodes was slightly lower in ciprofloxacin treated patients (87.5% vs 100%). No gram-negative sepsis was observed in this group compared with seven cases in patients receiving polymyxin E (p less than 0.01). Furthermore, eight patients in ciprofloxacin group (20%) had gram-positive sepsis, compared with five (15.5%) in the polymyxin E group. The incidence of documented fungal infections was similar in the two groups. Ciprofloxacin appears to be an effective agent for the prevention of gram-negative infections in granulocytopenic patients with acute leukemia, but may contribute to a shift in the type of infections in these patients towards those caused by gram-positive microorganisms, intrinsically fairly sensitive or with acquired drug resistance.

Agranulocytosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Platelet activation in outpatients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

To evaluate the influence of emotional stress on platelet function, we have measured by radio-immunoassay in plasma two platelet-secreted proteins, beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4, in a series of outpatients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy for upper digestive complaints. The plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4, determined just before the instrumental examination, were significantly more elevated as compared to basal values, checked a week later. These results provide evidence of enhanced in vivo platelet release reaction during emotional stress.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The serum concentrations of TAG-72 antigen measured with CA 72-4 IRMA in patients with ovarian carcinoma. Preliminary data.

The Authors assayed CA 125 (cut-off value: 65 and 35 U/ml), CA 19.9 (cut-off value: 40 U/ml) and CA 72.4 (cut-off value 3.8 U/ml) immunoreactivity in blood samples drawn before surgery in 34 patients with ovarian carcinoma and in 47 patients with benign ovarian pathology. With a cut-off value of 65 U/ml, CA 125 had a sensitivity (SE) for ovarian carcinoma of 85.3%, a specificity (SP) of 89.4%, a diagnostic accuracy (DA) of 87.7%; with a cut-off value of 35 U/ml CA 125 had a SE of 88.2%, a SP of 66.0%, a DA of 75.3%; CA 19.9 had a SE of 20.6%, a SP of 70.2%, a DA of 49.4%; CA 72.4 had a SE of 64.7%, a SP of 93.6%, a DA of 81.5%. CA 125 was expressed by all ovarian carcinoma histotypes. CA 72.4 seems to have a high correlation with mucinous histotype, analogously to CA 19.9. However CA 72.4 seems to be preferable to CA 19.9 for its greater sensitivity and specificity.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The trend of serum CA125 levels during the first three courses of chemotherapy as a predictor of second-look findings in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

The serum CA125 levels were monitored monthly in a group of 20 patients with ovarian carcinoma undergoing a six-month chemotherapy cycle. None of the 8 patients with serum CA125 levels higher than 65 U/ml before the third course of chemotherapy had negative second-look findings at the end of chemotherapy. Conversely, no evidence of disease at surgical re-evaluation was found in 9 out of 12 (75%) patients with antigen levels lower than 65 U/ml before the third chemotherapy course; on the other hand, none of the 4 patients of this group in whom serum CA125 values fell below 65 U/ml only after the third course, achieved a complete surgical response. Among the 9 patients in whom second-look surgery documented a complete response, 8 had CA125 levels below 35 U/ml and one had CA125 values above 35 U/ml but lower than 65 U/ml at the three-month check-point. These data suggest that the trend of serum CA125 levels during the first three courses of chemotherapy is a strong predictor of second-look findings in patients with ovarian carcinoma at the completion of treatment.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A chronomorphological structural model of rat thyroid gland.

Circadian rhythmicity of the structural morphometric model of thyroid has been studied in 36 Wistar rats kept in LD 12:12. The parameters evaluated are: a. the volume fraction occupied by: 1. follicle epithelium, 2. colloid, 3. interstitium at 6 time points in 24h; b. the follicle size distribution; c. the number of follicles per unit tissue volume. The circadian rhythms of mean follicular diameter and of follicular cavity mean diameter have been demonstrated (p less than 0.03 and p less than 0.01 respectively) and show overlapping acrophases of -120 degrees (-64 degrees/-176 degrees) and -108 degrees (-99 degrees/-116 degrees). The synchronization between rhythms, shown for mean follicular diameter and for follicular cavity mean diameter, suggests a rhythmical pulsation of the whole follicle, while the thickness of the follicular epithelium does not undergo a statistically significant periodic variation.

Animals↗