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Biomedical subjects

R Mancini

Publications and source records attributed to R Mancini.

124 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
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Impact factor in AIDS and other infectious diseases.

The impact factor (IF) is the most accurate system currently available for objectively evaluating the scientific productivity of individual researchers and institutions. It represents the quality level of a periodical and, at the same time, is a convenient reference parameter for the researcher to use in choosing an appropriate journal before submitting his own work for consideration. From this standpoint, we conducted an analysis of periodicals with the highest IF, including those strictly related to infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS, specialty journals, and general medicine reviews. This was done in order to determine just how much of these journals' total 1998 production consisted of articles concerning HIV infection and AIDS. This examination, conducted through a search of the MEDLINE database, predictably revealed greater interest in the HIV/AIDS topic among journals with the highest IF that focus on infectious diseases, though the same interest revealed when examining specialty journals and general medicine periodicals was not negligible.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid: our experience].

Papillary carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequently occurring thyroid carcinoma. The aim of the present work is to perform a retrospective study to assess 172 patients with PTC who have been treated surgically, with radium-iodine (except microca) and LT4 from 1989 to 1999. The incidence of local, regional and systemic recurrence of the disease was verified together with the results at distance. Great importance on survival have preoperative cytological diagnosis, radical surgery and a modulated radio-iodine therapy. Age and tumor stage have been found as major prognostic factors, while no significant difference according to sex has been documented.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A multicentric phase II clinical trial on intra-arterial hepatic radiotherapy with 90yttrium SIR-spheres in unresectable, colorectal liver metastases refractory to i.v. chemotherapy: preliminary results on toxicity and response rates.

BACKGROUND: In patients locally progressing after two lines of chemotherapy, some locoregional approaches showed encouraging results in terms of local control of disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate toxicity, clinical response and quality of life in 48 patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases submitted to selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Up to now 35 patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases, refractory to two lines of chemotherapy, underwent intra-arterial infusion of resin microspheres with yttrium-90 (SIR-spheres). Pre-treatment evaluation included a CT scan, blood tests, a PET scan and arteriography of celiac trunk, hepatic and superior mesenteric artery; extrahepatic uptakes and pulmonary shunts more than 10% were excluded by a Scinti-scan. The gastroduodenal artery was embolized before the SIR-spheres injection. Other exclusion criteria were liver dysfunction and anatomical vascular anomalies. The clinical response was evaluated by CT-scan following the RECIST criteria. Median follow-up was 4 months. RESULTS: Median number of metastases was 4 (range, 1-15), 38% of cases presenting hepatic involvement < 25%. The median SIRT dose delivered was 1.7 GBq. Median pulmonary shunt was 6%. No operative mortality occurred; early toxicity (within 48 hours) was 20.6%, shown as fever, acute pain and leucocytosis. The late toxicity was 24.1% with chronic pain, jaundice and nausea being the most frequent. All the toxic events were graded 2 or 3 according to the WHO scale. Preliminary results were available in terms of clinical response after 6 weeks: 12.5% had a partial response, 75% a stable disease, while progression of disease, was observed in 12.5% of the patients. CONCLUSION: SIRT is a safe treatment in terms of acute and late toxicity. Intra-arterial microspheres could represent a good therapeutic option for patients with progressing liver metastases only, after two lines of systemic chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
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Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with clinical and immunological parameters and with the response to auranofin treatment.

OBJECTIVE: 38 untreated patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied to evaluate the relationship between serum sIL-2R levels and laboratory and clinical indexes of disease activity and circulating lymphocyte subpopulations. Furthermore, we serially analyzed the correlation between the clinical response to oral gold (Auranofin) treatment and serum sIL-2R levels in 28 RA patients. METHODS: Patients received a complete rheumatological examination at entry and every 3 months during the study. A complete biochemical analysis was executed every month. Serum sIL-2R levels were evaluated before entering and at the 3rd and 6th month by ELISA: Phenotype analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed by a two-color technique using the association of specific monoclonal antibodies. Samples were analyzed by a FACS-scan 440 cytofluorimeter with a single Argonion laser. RESULTS: Serum sIL-2R were significantly higher in RA patients than in controls and had a significant negative correlation with disease duration and a positive correlation with serum IgG and C3 levels. A significant positive correlation was found between serum sIL-2R levels and circulating CD3 + HLADR+, CD3-HLADR+ and CD20 + CD5-cells. After 6 months of auranofin therapy no differences in serum sIL-2R in comparison with basal levels were found in either responders or in non-responders. CONCLUSION: Serum sIL-2R level is not a good index of activity in RA patients and is not a useful marker of response to AU therapy.

Administration, Oral↗
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Immunohistochemical analysis of an additional case of focal myositis.

We present an additional case of focal myositis which, after surgical excision of the muscular mass, did not evolve to generalized polymyositis. To our knowledge immunological evaluations of this disease have never before been carried out. Immunohistochemical analysis of the muscular mass showed the presence of activated endothelial cells, CD4 and macrophage cells in the perivascular and endomysial areas, suggesting an immune-mediated mechanism of muscular damage. At the same time the normal distribution of the peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and the normal levels of serum IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, soluble IL-2R and soluble CD8 underline the non-systemic nature of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

DNA ploidy and HPV subtypes in cervical smears of HIV-sero-positive and negative patients.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that cervical HPV infection and precancerous lesions of the cervix are more common in HIV-seropositive patients. However little is known about the natural history of these lesions in this population. In the present study cervical smears from 36 patients, 18 HIV-seropositive women and 18 matched controls were evaluated with the aim of quantifying morphological alterations and to evaluate DNA ploidy and HPV subtypes. Cervical lesions in HIV-seropositive patients were diploid in 50% of the cases compared to 25% in controls. The only HPVs identified by ISH were types 16/18 and no significant differences were observed in the control population. In contrast, cytological evidence of HPV infection and dysplastic changes was greatly increased in smears from HIV patients compared to HIV-seronegative women. Less than 5% of the cells showed HPV associated changes in controls while 10% to 30% of the cells were affected in HIV-patients. We suggest that the Papanicolaou test should be effective for detecting cervical disease and for a close follow-up of this population. Moreover, while additional studies with larger population groups and different population bases are needed, these findings are suggestive of the possible use of morphological criteria for the identification of HIV-seropositive subjects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemical analysis of 4-aminobiphenyl-DNA adducts in oral mucosal cells of smokers and nonsmokers.

BACKGROUND: The "biologically effective dose markers", DNA and protein adducts, are a direct index of carcinogen induced cell damage and an indirect one of genetic susceptibility. This study aimed to examine the dose-response relationship for 4-Aminobiphenyl-DNA adducts in oral cells of smokers and non smokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An immunoperoxidase method with the monoclonal 3C8 antibody, which recognizes 4-Aminobiphenyl-DNA, has been used for detecting DNA damage in oral cells of 12 smokers and 12 non smokers. RESULTS: Higher staining for 4-Aminobiphenyl-DNA was detected in the cells of smokers (187 +/- 42) vs. non smokers (135 +/- 35) (p = 0.004), with a twofold range in relative staining for both groups, suggesting individual differences relevance in metabolizing carcinogens and/or repairing DNA damage. CONCLUSIONS: This non invasive method requiring small cell amounts is a tool for monitoring large groups of subjects at risk in primary prevention programs.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of p53 expression in precancerous and malignant gastric mucosa.

P53 overexpression, detected by immunohistochemical analysis, has been reported in about 50% of gastric cancers whereas scarce data are available on the p53 oncoprotein in precancerous gastric lesions. This study focused on the p53 expression in gastric cancerous and precancerous lesions. One hundred gastric specimens obtained during endoscopy were analyzed: 14 cases of normal gastric mucosa, 53 of chronic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia and/or dysplasia and 33 gastric tumors. An immunoperoxidase technique and monoclonal anti-p53 antibodies were employed. Eleven out of 31 gastric carcinomas overexpressed p53. No correlation was observed between p53-positivity and histological type and grade of tumors. All precancerous lesions were p53-negative. Our results suggest that p53 overexpression is a relatively late event in gastric carcinogenesis.

Adenocarcinoma↗