Biomedical subjects

A Cardone

Publications and source records attributed to A Cardone.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Therapeutic protocol of vulvar and cervical HPV-infection.

BACKGROUND: The stages of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infection are under the control of the immune system, which is inhibited by the virus itself. Thus, at present the treatment of condyloma acuminata is based on the use of interferon (IFN). The aim of the present study was to evaluate immune system activation and clinical response to IFN therapy. In addition, in the most serious cases, medical treatment with IFN was associated with diathermocoagulation (DTC) of persistent warts. The effectiveness of the combined therapy was also assessed. METHODS: 7 women (age range: 16-52) suffering from cervix condylomata were selected for our study. All of them were injected intramuscularly with doses of 3 million UI of IFN-alpha leucocytar every three days for six weeks together with daily applications of alpha-IFN for six weeks. The women that were still ill three months after IFN therapy, were treated with DTC. In one case, another cycle of IFN treatment was necessary. RESULTS: Clinical response to IFN treatment was complete in 46 cases, partial in 20 cases and unsuccessful in 4 cases. After three months of medical therapy, 30 women were treated with DTC. After this therapy, in 21 cases, the warts were resolved. After 24 months the percentage of relapse was 37.9% when only IFN was used, and 4.51% when IFN was combined with DTC. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that a successful protocol for the treatment of condyloma acuminata consist of IFN therapy associated with DTC when warts persisted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Prognostic value of desmoplastic reaction and lymphocytic infiltration in the management of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether the prognostic value of desmoplastic reaction and lymphocytic infiltration are a good prognostic index to estimate survival in breast cancer patients. METHODS: From 1987 to 1994, the authors have evaluated the prognostic value of desmoplastic reaction and lymphocytic infiltration related to rode state in 34 patients with breast cancer. For statistical analysis and comparison of means the "t"-test was used. The significance level was 0.01. RESULTS: The group of patients with abundant desmoplastic reaction shows an overall survival rate lower than the group with poor desmoplastic reaction (p < 0.01) and the survival of the group with abundant desmoplastic reaction was related to lymphnodal status. CONCLUSIONS: Many prognostic factors have been shown during these years, some connected to patient, some connected to neoplasm and others connected to the treatment. Recently many other prognostic factors have been recognized, among which the possible prognostic role of desmoplasia has been carefully valued. Certainly, today the prognostic value of desmoplastic reaction and lymphocytic infiltration cannot take the place of usual prognostic factors in the evaluation of breast cancer patient yet the desmoplastic reaction is a good prognostic index to estimate the survival in these patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Role of ultrasonography in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Malign ovarian carcinomas are the main cause of death from gynaecological cancer. In fact, only in 30% of cases is it diagnosed at an early stage. In our study the possibility of an early diagnosis of the ovarian malignant neoplasia was evaluated. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-nine women with adnexal swelling were subjected to pelvic echography. The sample was selected during routine gynaecological checkups. RESULTS: All the cases showing a mass diameter exceeding 25 mm were classified as positive. Echotomography showed 129 cases of positive ovarian mass with an accurate diagnosis in 92.27%. Integrating the results of echography with those of radioimmunoassay an early diagnosis of ovarian cancer was achieved in 92.53 of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: A routine pelvic examination associated with pelvic echotomography represent an effective protocol for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer at an early stage.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Poly(ADPribosyl)ation system in rat germinal cells at different stages of differentiation.

In order to study the possible functional relationship between poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and spermatogenesis, the three main germinal cell types have been isolated and characterized as haploid spermatids and diploid and tetraploid spermatocytes. Purified germinal cell populations and rats of different age were used for activity-, immuno-, and Northern blot experiments, to determine at which level poly(ADPR)polymerase (PARP) is regulated at various stages of spermatogenesis. Poly(ADPR)glycohydrolase (PARG) activity was also determined, as was the subcellular distribution of both PARP and PARG enzymes. The results show that the maximum of both PARP amount and PARP activity can be detected on tetraploid spermatocytes which undergo meiotic division, whereas PARG activity does not differ in germinal cells; the cytoplasmic form of this enzyme is prevalent in testis. Moreover, a difference in timing was observed in maximal level between PARP expression, determined on testis from 60-day-old rats, and PARP activity, detected on testis from 30-day-old animals. It seems that different mechanisms modulate the poly(ADPribosyl)ation system during spermatogenesis. Regulation of the poly(ADPribose) turnover, variations of PARP amount, as well as changes of PARP transcription level, seem to accompany germinal cell differentiation, possibly being implicated in DNA replication, repair, and transcription.

Aging↗

PubMed1996

In vitro effects of beta-endorphin on testicular release of androgens in the lizard Podarcis sicula Raf.

The effects of the proopiomelanocortin-derived opioid peptide, beta-endorphin (beta-EP), and of the opioid antagonist, naloxone (NAL), on both basal and pituitary-stimulated androgen secretion from superfused quiescent and active testes were assessed in the adult lizard, Podarcis sicula. In the absence of the homologous pituitary, in vitro treatment with beta-EP and/or NAL did not affect basal secretion of androgens from quiescent and active testes. Conversely, in the presence of the homologous pituitary, treatment with beta-EP brought about a decrease in androgen secretion in active testes, but no effect on quiescent ones. Naloxone counteracted the inhibitor effect of beta-EP in active testes, and enhanced maximal pituitary-stimulated secretion of androgens in quiescent but not in active testes. The effects produces by beta-endorphin and naloxone were reversible. These results suggest that, in this lizard, opioids might be involved in the control of androgen release. The lack of effect of beta-EP and naloxone when added directly to the testes seems to suggest that the opioid agonist and antagonist act on androgen release by modulating pituitary gonadotrophin output.

Androgens↗

PubMed1996

Serum and peritoneal CA-125 levels as diagnostic test for endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical utility of CA-125 in the diagnosis of endometriosis and to compare the sensitivity of the serum and the peritoneal test as indicator of disease. STUDY DESIGN: Peritoneal fluid was obtained at laparoscopy. The quantitative determination of CA-125 in serum and in peritoneal fluid was performed by IRMA-mat CA-125 'two-step method', a two-site immunoradiometric assay, using 35 and 60 U/ml as cutoff. SETTING: Second Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Second University of Naples, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 26 women infertile undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy that exhibited endometriosis in 14 patients, normal pelvis in 12 patients (control group). INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: CA-125 levels in peritoneal fluid were higher than those found in serum and were significantly elevated (P < 0.05), when compared with the control group, both in women with endometriosis stage I-II and stage III-IV. In serum, CA-125 levels increased only in advanced stage of endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of CA-125 in peritoneal fluid seem to be a more sensitive indicator of disease than serum levels (0.86 vs. 0.36), especially in early stage endometriosis (0.80 vs. 0.20) which tends to be overlooked by the CA-125 serum test.

Ascitic Fluid↗

PubMed1996

Chemotherapy and cervical cancer: present trends.

A clinical case of cervical carcinoma Stage Ib is described. We treated a 48-year old woman with grade 2 carcinoma, using cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/mq on the 1st and 4th days, bleomycin at a dose of 15 mg/mq on the 1st and 8th days, and anti-emetic for two cycles. On the basis of the low ratio T4/T8 we also administered along with chemotherapy, alpha natural interferon at a dose of 3,000,000 i.u. three times a week for four weeks. At the end of the chemotherapeutic treatment the lesion was reduced in size and the biopsy was pathognomically of a microinvasive cancer. In spite of the encouraging biopsy results, the patient was submitted to a simple hysterectomy, with random lymphoadenectomy. Today, two years after her treatment, the patient is free of disease. At present there is discussion as to the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the first stages of the neoplasia in relation to conventional treatment, which reserves chemotherapy to stages IV and IVb and to relapses, in the light of both the lesion and the disposability of the patient to treatment and successive follow-up.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed1996

Relevance of CA-125 in the evaluation of endometriosis.

To evaluate the clinical utility of CA-125 in the diagnosis of endometriosis and to compare the sensitivity of the serum and the peritoneal test as indicators of disease, the quantitative determination of the antigen in serum and in peritoneal fluid was performed by the IRMA-mat "two-step method", a two-site immunoradiometric assay. A total of 28 women undergoing diagnostic or operative laparoscopy with endometriosis stage I-II (10 patients), endometriosis stage III-IV (8 patients) or other benign gynecological diseases (10 patients) were studied. The results were compared with a sample of 12 women with a normal pelvis (control group). CA-125 levels in the peritoneal fluid were higher than those found in the serum and were significantly elevated (p < 0.001) when compared with the control group, both in women with endometriosis stage I-II and stage III-IV. In the serum CA-125 levels increased only in advanced stages of endometriosis. Levels of CA-125 in peritoneal fluid seemed to be a more sensitive indicator of disease than the serum test (0.88 vs 0.44), especially in early stage endometriosis (0.80 vs 0.20) which tends to be overlooked by the CA-125 serum test.

Ascitic Fluid↗

PubMed1996

[Retrospective study of cervical papillomavirus lesions: early Herpes simplex virus proteins as markers of risk for progression].

Specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are currently implicated as etiologic agent of benign and malignant lesions of the genital tract. Previous studies highlighted the presence of early proteins (ICSP 11/12) of Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) mainly in HPV infected lesions of the cervix. This paper reports a retrospective study on the clinical course of benign cervical alterations in a 70 women population followed-up for 24 months. HPV and HSV-2 (late and early) antigens were detected by immunoperoxidase; HPV 6/11 and 16/18 were identified by in situ hybridization. All CIN III, vs only one CIN I progressed. The majority of regressions (55%) was CIN I, and 61% was characterized by the negativization of viral markers. There was a cyclic and/or chronic expression of viral antigens in progressed and persistent cases (67% and 53%, respectively). Furthermore, a significant correlation between progression and the presence of ICSP 11/12 protein has been found (89% of cases). The simultaneous detection of ICSP 11/12 and HPV 16/18 in 78% of progressed, and in 13% of persistent lesions was noteworthy. This association (ICSP 11/12 and HPV DNA 16/18) may be considered as a risk factor for progression of the lesions, and supports the hypothesis of a synergism of both viruses in the natural history of cervical cancer: the continuous expression of ICSP 11/12 during herpetic recurrences might act as a mutagenic factor in HPV infected tissues.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed1996

[Drug treatment in vulvar lichen sclerosus].

This study was made in the Oncologic Gynecology's surgery of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Naples. We evaluated the efficacy of local therapy with testosterone and progesterone in Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus. We treated 65 women suffering from Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus. In the group of 38 women treated with testosterone, we observed a complete response in 26 cases (68%). In the group of 27 women treated with progesterone we observed a complete response in 18 cases (66.6%). This demonstrates the efficacy of local therapy with testosterone and Progesterone in Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus. The authors believe that medical treatment with topical testosterone and progesterone represents an effective alternative to invasive methods for the care of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed1995

Tamoxifen, megestrol acetate, and beta interferon in endometrial cancer.

22 patients with endometrial cancer were studied. Twelve (54.5%) between 45 and 66 years were treated for six days before surgery with 160 mg per os of Megestrol acetate administered twice daily plus Beta interferon 3,000,000 IU- on alternate days for a week, plus Tamoxifen--two cp of 10 mg daily for six days. Before and after surgery and associated medical therapies the steroid receptor values (ER and PgR) were checked. After treatment an average increase was observed of the ER (19 fmol/mg) and PgR (17 fmol/mg). Of the twelve patients one died of a stroke during the study (8.33%); five (41.67%) showed complete remission (CR); four (33.34%) a partial remission (PR) and two (16.67%) were not responders (NR).

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression: is it the same in normal and malignant endometria?

Epidermal growth factor was investigated in normal and malignant tissues in order to detect possible differences in its expression. We used immunohistochemical techniques that employ murine monoclonal antibody 528. Thirty-nine patients (12 with normal endometria and 27 with endometrial adenocarcinomas) were examined. Epidermal growth factor receptor was seen in all normal uteri and in 27 uteri with adenocarcinoma. It was absent in 11 patients with cancer. No correlation was found between the intensity of immunohistochemical staining and histologic grade, depth of myometrial invasion and clinical stage.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1995

Treatment of cervix condylomata with alpha-IFN leucocytar.

The main viruses responsible for condyloma, a venereal disease, are the HPV 16 and 11. The stages of HPV infection are under the control of the immunitary system, which is inhibited by the virus itself. For this reason, the therapy of cervical condylomatosis is, at present, based on the use of interferon. The purpose of this study was to appreciate the activation of the immune system after therapy with interferon. We treated 12 women suffering from cervical condyloma and exocervical CIN with increasing doses of natural alpha-IFN injected intramuscularly, and also applied to the vagina. The clinical response to the therapy was total in 7 cases, partial in 4 cases and unsuccessful in I case. We also evaluated the percentage of inflammatory cells in the peripheral blood and at the level of the condylomatous lesions, After treatment the absolute and percentage number of inflammatory cells increased. Besides, at the level of the lesion the CD1 and CD4 cells also increased.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Malignant melanoma of the vagina in pregnancy: description of a clinical case.

Vaginal melanoma in pregnancy is a rare but extremely malignant tumour for which the prognosis is worsened by the fact that pregnancy increases the secretion of Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone (MSH). The clinical case is described of a malignant vaginal melanoma in a 27 year-old woman in her 38th week of gestation, who was referred for slight vaginal bleeding. Clinical examination revealed a 3 cm pedunculate tumour on the anterior wall of the vagina. Vaginal cytology suggested a melanoma and instrumental examination failed to reveal any lymph node involvement. The vaginal tumour was removed during a caesarean section and subsequent histological examination identified it as a Breslow Stage II malignant melanoma. A 24-month follow-up showed the patient to have been completely cured.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Further data on the occurrence and evolution of satellite DNA families in the lacertid genome.

This paper reports the isolation and characterization of two HindIII repetitive DNA families from the genome of two lacertid lizards, Podarcis sicula and Lacerta saxicola. These satellites did not appear to be related to each other. The consensus sequences of their monomeric units did not show any similarity, though both DNAs were A-T rich. Moreover, each of them was found only in closely related species. The monomeric unit of the HindIII DNA family isolated from P. sicula (pLHS) showed a close resemblance to pLCS, a centromeric satellite DNA previously isolated from the same species; it was, however, mainly localized at pericentromeric, interstitial and telomeric levels. The results also provide interesting information on the systematics of the lacertids studied.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Carboplatin and alpha-2b interferon intraperitoneal combination as first-line treatment of minimal residual ovarian cancer. A pilot study.

21 untreated ovarian cancer patients with stage III and minimal tumour size, were given weekly intraperitoneal (i.p.) carboplatin (150 mg/m2) and alpha-2b interferon (IFN) (30 million U/m2) for a total of 12 courses, from June 1989 to February 1993. To date, a total of 248 courses have been administered. Toxicity was seldom severe, although fever (179 courses), fatigue (141 courses) and other IFN-related side-effects were very frequent. No patient refused to continue treatment, but in 5 patients IFN dose had to be reduced, and in 1 it was discontinued. The IFN mean delivered dose intensity was 19.8 million U/m2 week. Grade 3-4 myelotoxicity occurred in 7 patients (39 courses), but no deaths related to treatment occurred. The actual mean dose intensity of carboplatin was 121.5 mg/m2 week. To date, 20 patients have completed treatment and are evaluable for response. Of 11 patients with tumour size < or = 5 mm, 10 (91%) achieved a pathological complete response (pCR) as did 4/9 (44%) of those with tumour > 5 mm at entry, for a 70% (95% confidence interval 50-90) overall pCR rate. At a median follow-up of 21 months (range 4-46), only one death occurred. The probability of being alive at almost 4 years was 91% in the entire group (100% in those with tumour size less than 5 mm). Only 1 of 14 patients who achieved a pCR relapsed. This i.p. combination seems a feasible approach to previously untreated ovarian cancer patients with minimal tumour burden. IFN dosage should be reduced to improve tolerance. In view of the very high pCR rate achieved in the group of patients with smaller tumours, a randomised trial is warranted to compare this approach to standard treatment in these patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Opioid peptides and testicular activity in the lizard Podarcis s. sicula Raf.

In mammals endorphinergic systems have been shown to modulate reproductive processes and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) has been found to influence sexual functions, acting at the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis level. Using immunocytochemical and in vitro studies, evidence for a diffuse pro-opiomelanocortin-related opioid system in the lizard Podarcis s. sicula was produced. In the testis, beta-EP immunoreactivity showed seasonal variation, being most pronounced in the interstitial cells of sexually quiescent lizards (December). Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemistry, showed that beta-EP and acetyl beta-EP increased during December, while their concentrations were low during April, when the highest testicular activity occurred. Using in vivo studies, it was found that naltrexone treatment, blocking pituitary opioid receptor, increased androgen levels in the plasma and in the testis. It was also found with in vitro studies that the endogenous opioid system inhibits gonadotrophin release and therefore androgen production by the testis. The data reported here provide evidence for the physiological role played by opioid peptides at the pituitary level to regulate the seasonal reproductive activity of the lizard Podarcis s. sicula.

Androgens↗

PubMed1994

HPV and HIV: HPV-DNA identification of colpocytologic smears in HIV positive females through "in situ" hybridization technique.

Test statistics show a progressive increase of AIDS cases which can be attributed to heterosexual intercourse. Cervicovaginal withdrawals were carried out on 18 HIV positive women for identification of HPV-DNA through "In Situ" hybridization with three probes 6-11 (A); 16-18 (B); 31-33-51 (C). 61% of patients tested positive at DNA Probe as follows: A = 27.27%; B = 18.18%; C = 72.72%. HIV could act as cofactor in increasing HPV manifestations. In future, the number of AIDS cases in Italy will depend on its prevalence among the sexually active population. Therefore, the most useful intervention, will be the prevention of transmission through heterosexual intercourse.

Adolescent↗