Biomedical subjects

A Bochicchio

Publications and source records attributed to A Bochicchio.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Should we continue to study high-dose chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer patients? A critical review of the published data.

Data from eight randomised trials on high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have been published, but only seven studies are evaluable after the Bezwoda trial was discredited. Moreover, overall survival (OS) has been evaluated in only four out of seven studies since three had a crossover design. OS was similar for the HDC and standard-dose chemotherapy (SDC) group in the four evaluable trials, while disease-free survival (DFS) was improved in the HDC group in six of the seven trials. The delay in relapse for patients with metastatic disease represents an important clinical outcome; furthermore, since none of the reported studies randomised more than 220 patients, their statistical power may have been too limited to detect meaningful survival differences. Finally, preliminary experiences have shown that HDC seems to be the ideal platform upon which to build novel therapies. In conclusion, HDC remains an important field of clinical research for breast cancer patients with stage IV disease and, from the studies reported in this article, there is some evidence for offering this therapeutic modality to selected patients who are interested in a medically aggressive approach.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2001

Changes in leaf hexokinase activity and metabolite levels in response to drying in the desiccation-tolerant species Sporobolus stapfianus and Xerophyta viscosa.

The phosphorylation of glucose and fructose is an important step in regulating the supply of hexose sugars for biosynthesis and metabolism. Changes in leaf hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) activity and in vivo metabolite levels were examined during drying in desiccation-tolerant Sporobolus stapfianus and Xerophyta viscosa. Leaf hexokinase activity was significantly induced from 85% to 29% relative water content (RWC) in S. stapfianus and from 89% to 55% RWC in X. viscosa. The increase in hexokinase corresponded to the region of sucrose accumulation in both species, with the highest activity levels coinciding with region of net glucose and fructose removal. The decline of hexose sugars and accumulation of sucrose in both plant species was not associated with a decline in acid and neutral invertase. The increase in hexokinase activity may be important to ensure that the phosphorylation and incorporation of glucose and fructose into metabolism exceeded production from potential hydrolytic activity. Total cellular glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) and fructose-6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) levels were held constant throughout dehydration. In contrast to hexokinase, fructokinase activity was unchanged during dehydration. Hexokinase activity was not fully induced in leaves of S. stapfianus dried detached from the plant, suggesting that the increase in hexokinase may be associated with the acquisition of desiccation-tolerance.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗

PubMed1998

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy detects changes in protein secondary structure associated with desiccation tolerance in developing maize embryos

Isolated immature maize (Zea mays L.) embryos have been shown to acquire tolerance to rapid drying between 22 and 25 d after pollination (DAP) and to slow drying from 18 DAP onward. To investigate adaptations in protein profile in association with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in isolated, immature maize embryos, we applied in situ Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy. In fresh, viable, 20- and 25-DAP embryo axes, the shapes of the different amide-I bands were identical, and this was maintained after flash drying. On rapid drying, the 20-DAP axes had a reduced relative proportion of alpha-helical protein structure and lost viability. Rapidly dried 25-DAP embryos germinated (74%) and had a protein profile similar to the fresh control axes. On slow drying, the alpha-helical contribution in both the 20- and 25-DAP embryo axes increased compared with that in the fresh control axes, and survival of desiccation was high. The protein profile in dry, mature axes resembled that after slow drying of the immature axes. Rapid drying resulted in an almost complete loss of membrane integrity in the 20-DAP embryo axes and much less so in the 25-DAP axes. After slow drying, low plasma membrane permeability ensued in both the 20- and 25-DAP axes. We conclude that slow drying of excised, immature embryos leads to an increased proportion of alpha-helical protein structures in their axes, which coincides with additional tolerance of desiccation stress.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The adolescent celiac].

A group of 81 teenage coeliac patients were recently followed to monitor their compliance with a gluten free diet and also to correlate this with: their general wellbeing, height and weight, antigliadin and antiendomisyal antibody levels and jejunal mucosa patterns. Fifty two patients (64.1%) were on a strict gluten free diet; 18 (22.3%) admitted an occasional gluten intake; 11 (13.6%) were on a normal diet. Symptoms were more frequent in non-compliers that in compliers. There was no appreciable difference between the groups in regard to height and body-mass index, but patients on a normal diet were lighter than the others. Small bowel biopsy was performed on 18 patients with various histological findings. Antigliadin antibodies and antiendomysium antibodies were good indications of a patient's gluten free diet compliance and mucosal damage.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Sideropenic anemia and celiac disease].

Since the beginning of the use of Antigliadin Antibodies (AGA) in the screening of coeliac disease (CD) we have observed an increasing in the total number of cases diagnosed, in particular of the cases with monosymptomatic and atypical forms. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the more frequent findings that we can find in CD, either in association with other typical coeliac signs, or as an isolated expression of the disease. The first aim of our study was to determine the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in our patients affected by CD at the moment of diagnosis. The second aim was to determine the incidence of CD in a group of 96 patients attending our Pediatric Hematology department for iron deficiency anemia of unknown etiology and refractory to iron therapy. 103 patients out of our 212 coeliacs (48.5%) showed hypochromic and microcytic anemia. In the second sample we found 6 (6.2%) patients, positive in AGA and Antiendomysium Antibodies (AEA), that showed a typical coeliac picture at the jejunal biopsy. Our study confirms the high incidence of iron deficiency anemia in patients affected by coeliac disease. However the most important conclusion of our study is that a certain percentage of patients affected by hypochromic anemia of unknown etiology may be affected by coeliac disease. It is only by performing the specific screening tests (AGA and AEA) in the patients affected by iron deficiency anemia of unknown etiology, that we can diagnose this monosymptomatic expression of CD.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Discordance in the onset of celiac disease in monozygotic twins].

Coeliac disease (CD) is a gluten intolerance caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as nutrition and infections. Monozygotic twins appear to have a concordance for CD up to 71%. This paper reports a third case of late onset of CD in monozygotic twin girls. The twins were defined as monozygotic based upon paired clinical and laboratory examinations. Clinical examinations included genotypic, phenotypic and dermatoglyphic analysis, while laboratory examinations included HLA typing and blood groups. Following European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition criteria, CD was diagnosed in both girls, though 4 years and 8/12 months apart. The twins achieved clinical, laboratory and histological remissions within 1 year, after the institution of a gluten-free diet. Genetic markers are undoubtedly the main precondition for CD development. Environmental factors, however, may play a more significant role in triggering the onset of disease.

Celiac Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Celiac disease in children with Down's syndrome].

The coexistence of Down's syndrome (DS) and coeliac disease (CD) has been occasionally reported and both diseases are often related to autoimmune disorders. The pathogenetic factor that links CD and DS may be an altered immune system and/or the presence of a common genetic factor. Some epidemiological investigations, performed in patients with CD, showed an increased incidence of DS compared to the natural incidence of this abnormality in the general population. We studied the prevalence of CD in 83 individuals with DS compared to a group of 200 patients with other gastroenterologic disorders and a random scholastic sample of 500 non symptomatic children. IgG and IgA antigliadin antibodies (AGA) were determined in all patients. Antiendomysium antibodies (EmA) were investigated in all the patients of the first group, while in the other two groups, 27 and 108 cases respectively, selected by AGA positivity, were investigated for EmA. The percentage of AGA IgA positivity in the first group was 31.3% (26/83), in gastroenterologic controls 10% (20/200), in scholastic sample 2.8% (14/500), that shows a significant statistical difference. On the contrary EmA were positive in quite a similar percentage in the three groups. Duodenal [correction of Jejunal] biopsies, were performed in 11 DS patients and in 9 of the other two groups. EmA were positive only in the case with subtotal atrophy in all the groups: 5/11 in the first, 2/4 in the second, 2/5 in the third. On the contrary AGA IgA were often positive also in patients with non coeliac histologic findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗