Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Stein Kvaløy

Publications and source records attributed to Stein Kvaløy.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Long-term effects after mantle field radiotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma].

BACKGROUND: Cancer survivors have an increased risk of life-long health problems that may be associated with their treatment. METHODS: 78 women who 10 years or more ago at an age of below 40 had received mantle field radiotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma were examined for breast cancer and general health problems. Women in a population-based survey served as a control group. RESULTS: Breast cancer was found in two of the 78 patients; 44% reported impaired health (control group: 26%). INTERPRETATION: Late-onset effects from successful cancer treatment may increase the risk of health problems and, for some, the development of cancer. In agreement with the literature we recommend that women with mantle field irradiation before the age of 30 are given annual mammography starting 10 years after radiotherapy. Health care professionals who see cancer survivors should be aware of these patients' risk of health impairment.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

PU.1 protein expression has a positive linear association with protein expression of germinal centre B cell genes including BCL-6, CD10, CD20 and CD22: identification of PU.1 putative binding sites in the BCL-6 promotor.

The transcription factor PU.1 has been shown to be crucial for the early stages of B cell development but its function at later stages of B cell development is less well known. We observed previously that PU.1 is expressed uniformly throughout the mature pre-plasma cell B cell population, the only exception being a subpopulation of germinal centre (GC) cells which showed exceptionally high expression of PU.1. This suggested that PU.1 may also have a role in GC B cell biology. To test this hypothesis and to screen for possible genes regulated by PU.1, we first evaluated semi-quantitatively the possible co-expression of PU.1 with proteins known to be upregulated or downregulated during GC B cell development. Normal lymphoid tissues and 255 B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas of putative GC B cell origin were evaluated. PU.1 expression was positively associated with CD10 (p < 0.0001), CD20 (p = 0.043), CD22 (p = 0.005), CD79a (p = 0.024) and Bcl-6 (p < 0.0001) and negatively associated with cytoplasmic immunoglobulin light-chain expression (p = 0.036) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Identical or nearly identical associations were found in follicular lymphoma. Since CD20 is known to be partly regulated by PU.1 and putative PU.1-binding sites have been described in the regulatory regions of the CD22, CD79a and CD10 genes, we looked for putative PU.1 binding sites in the BCL6 promotor. Four such putative PU.1 binding sites were identified. Further analysis by gel-shift electromobility essay showed that PU.1 protein binds to three of the four putative binding sites in the BCL6 promotor. PU.1 and Bcl-6 were also found to be upregulated in centroblasts in the normal GC, but jointly downregulated in a subpopulation of centrocytes. Our findings support the contention that PU.1 may also have an important role in GC B cell development.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed2003

CHOP is superior to CNOP in elderly patients with aggressive lymphoma while outcome is unaffected by filgrastim treatment: results of a Nordic Lymphoma Group randomized trial.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; filgrastim) during induction chemotherapy with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisone) or CNOP (doxorubicin replaced with mitoxantrone) in elderly patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) improves time to treatment failure (TTF), complete remission (CR) rate, and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, the efficacy of CHOP versus CNOP chemotherapy was compared. A total of 455 previously untreated patients older than 60 years with stages II to IV aggressive NHL were included in the analysis. Patients (median age, 71 years; range, 60-86 years) were randomized to receive CHOP (doxorubicin 50 mg/m(2)) or CNOP (mitoxantrone 10 mg/m(2)) with or without G-CSF (5 microg/kg from day 2 until day 10-14 of each cycle every 3 weeks; 8 cycles). Forty-seven patients previously hospitalized for class I to II congestive heart failure were randomized to receive CNOP with or without G-CSF (not included in the CHOP versus CNOP analysis). The CR rates in the CHOP/CNOP plus G-CSF and CHOP/CNOP groups were the same, 52%, and in the CHOP with or without G-CSF and CNOP with or without G-CSF groups, 60% and 43% (P <.001), respectively. No benefit of G-CSF in terms of TTF and OS could be shown (P =.96 and P =.22, respectively), whereas CHOP was superior to CNOP (TTF/OS P <.001). The incidences of severe granulocytopenia (World Health Organization grade IV) and granulocytopenic infections were higher in patients not receiving G-CSF. The cumulative proportion of patients receiving 90% or more of allocated chemotherapy was higher (P <.05) in patients receiving G-CSF. Concomitant G-CSF treatment did not improve CR rate, TTF, or OS. Patients receiving CHOP fared better than those given CNOP chemotherapy. The addition of G-CSF reduces the incidence of severe granulocytopenia and infections in elderly patients with aggressive NHL receiving CHOP or CNOP chemotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Immunohistochemical expression of CD23 and CD40 may identify prognostically favorable subgroups of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a Nordic Lymphoma Group Study.

PURPOSE: In search for subgroups of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with different histogenetic origin and prognosis, as has been described by gene expression profiling, we examined tumor specimens from 125 patients with DLBCL, uniformly treated by either cyclophosphamideAdriamycin-vincristine-prednisone or methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, and bleomycin in a multicenter trial set by the Nordic Lymphoma Group 1989-1994. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Bcl-6, CD10, and CD40 were chosen as markers for a germinal center phenotype, CD23 as a marker of pre/early germinal center origin, and CD138 as a marker for postgerminal center origin. In addition, expression of the apoptotic regulators bcl-2 and bax was analyzed. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using the EnVision method. RESULTS: CD10 was positive in 51%, bcl-6 in 97%, and CD138 only in 2% of the cases. No prognostic conclusions could be drawn from analysis of these factors. CD40 was positive in 76% of the cases. This group was associated with superior time to treatment failure (P = 0.027) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.0068). By Cox regression analysis, positivity for CD40 was shown to be a prognostic factor for OS, independent of International Prognostic Index. CD23 was positive in 16% of the cases (all CD5 negative and all CD40 positive). This group showed a strong tendency for better OS (P = 0.033). CD40 expression correlated with bax but not with bcl-2 expression. CONCLUSIONS: CD23 and CD40 expression seems to be prognostically favorable in DLBCL. This may be secondary to a germinal center origin or attributable to increased apoptosis via induction of bax and/or enhanced T-cell interaction, resulting in improved autologous tumor response. Confirmatory studies are necessary.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Intensive chemotherapy in Burkitt's lymphoma and aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies over the last 20 years using more intensive cytostatic regimens show improved results in children and adolescents with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and in adult patients specifically with Burkitt's lymphoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present a retrospective analysis of the use of the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) regimen for patients older than 15 years from three Norwegian university hospitals during the 1992-99 period. RESULTS: Survival data for 24 patients 15-69 years old with Burkitt's lymphoma/B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) show an estimated overall five year survival of 70% (75% for Burkitt's lymphoma only). Eight of ten adolescent patients 15-20 years old with other aggressive lymphomas were alive and disease free at last follow-up. All nine patients given the regimen after failure of prior therapy died of lymphoma within six years. INTERPRETATION: The BFM regimen yields impressive results as the primary treatment of adolescent and adult patients with Burkitt's lymphomas/B-ALL.

Adolescent↗