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Biomedical subjects

A Cirillo

Publications and source records attributed to A Cirillo.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Efficient immunization of rhesus macaques with an HCV candidate vaccine by heterologous priming-boosting with novel adenoviral vectors based on different serotypes.

Efficient vaccination against viral agents requires a strong T-cell-mediated immune response to clear viral-infected cells. Optimal vaccination can be achieved by administration of recombinant viral vectors encoding phatogen antigens. Adenoviral vectors have attracted considerable attention as potential viral vectors for genetic vaccination owing to their favorable safety profile and potent transduction efficiency following intramuscular injection. However, the neutralizing antibody response against adenoviral capsid proteins following adenoviral vectors injection limits the success of vaccination protocols based on multiple administrations of the same adenoviral serotype. In this work, we describe efficient immunization of rhesus macaques, the preferred model for preclinical assessment, with an HCV candidate vaccine by heterologous priming-boosting with adenoviral vectors based on different serotypes. The induced responses are broad and show significant cross-strain reactivity. Boosting can be delayed for over 2 years after priming, indicating that there is long-term maintenance of resting memory cells.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2001

Neural retina of chick embryo in organ culture: effects of blockade of growth factors by suramin.

The neural retina is a highly organized organ whose final histoarchitecture depends on the presence of diverse growth factors and on their interactions with extracellular matrix components. However, the role of growth factors on retinal development is not fully understood. Suramin has been shown to produce diverse cellular effects via the simultaneous block of the action of several growth factors. We have therefore studied the effects of suramin on organotypic culture of chick embryo neural retina in order to gain further insights into the participation of growth factors in neural retinal development. Neural retina was incubated for 24 h with suramin at 50-200 microM and then processed to determine cell proliferation, nuclear morphology, and actin distribution. Suramin provoked extensive morphological changes revealed by a decrease in BrdU incorporation, alterations in cellular organization, and disruption of the outer limiting membrane, with the emergence of cellular elements through it. All of these effects were dose-dependent and markedly attenuated by the simultaneous presence of suramin and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) in the culture medium. These findings indicate that suramin induces pleiotropic effects on the histoarchitecture of the chicken neural retina in organ culture and suggest that FGF-2 is one of the biological modulators involved in the maintenance of the structural organization of the chicken neural retina.

Actins↗
PubMed1996

Tamoxifen as primary treatment of breast cancer in elderly patients.

The authors report on a series of 120 elderly (age over 69) women with primary breast treated with tamoxifen alone. Treatment schedule was 160 mg on day 1 followed by a daily maintenance dose of 20 mg. Compliance to treatment was optimal and side effects were minimal. The best results achieved after at least six months of treatments were complete response in 12, a partial response in 46 and minor response in 10 patients, whereas stable disease or progression was observed in 43 or 9 patients, respectively. Response duration was limited and progression was increasingly observed over time. After 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months the proportion of subjects still showing response to treatment was 43%, 57%, 56%, 46%, 32% and 31%, whereas progression rate was 7%, 12%, 25%, 39%, 55% and 60%, respectively, the difference being accounted for by patients with stable disease. As determined in a subset of 27 subjects, treatment response was strongly associated with immunocytochemically assessed tumor estrogen receptor content, progression being 100%, 43% or 6% in subjects with 0%, 30-60% or > 60% immunostained cells, respectively. These results do not support primary hormone therapy as a current alternative to surgery, which should be the standard treatment in otherwise healthy elderly patients with operable breast cancer. When surgery is specifically contraindicated, hormone treatment should be proposed as an alternative only in subjects with high tumor estrogen receptor content.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Response of primary breast cancer to tamoxifen alone in elderly women.

The authors report on a consecutive series of 62 evaluable, elderly (age greater than 69 years) women with primary operable breast cancer treated only with tamoxifen. The treatment schedule was 160 mg on day 1 followed by a daily maintenance dose of 20 mg. Compliance to treatment was excellent, and subjective side effects were minimal. The best response achieved after at least 6 months of treatment was complete in 7, partial in 22 and minor in 3, whereas stable disease or progression was observed in 28 and 2 patients, respectively. The response rate decreased and progressions increased with time. At 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months of treatment, the complete + partial response rates were 30.6%, 45%, 45.6%, 38.7% and 25% and the progressive disease rates 4.8%, 19.6%, 34.8%, 45.2% and 66.6%, respectively. These results do not confirm some previous reports of a high response to tamoxifen. This difference is only partially explained by the use of mammography, which is more sensitive than palpation, to assess tumor size and treatment response. The present study does not support primary hormone therapy as a current alternative to surgery, which should be the standard treatment in otherwise healthy elderly patients with operable breast cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

The risk of breast cancer subsequent to histologic diagnosis of benign intraductal papilloma follow-up study of 339 cases.

The risk of developing breast cancer was investigated in 339 patients in whom histologically confirmed intraductal papilloma had been surgically removed. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 14 years, (average, 6.62 years). Ten breast cancers were observed, whereas 3 were expected on the basis of age-specific incidence rates drawn from local cancer registries (relative risk = 3.33, 95% confidence interval = 1.60-6.13). No significant difference in the relative risk was observed as far as papilloma type (single or multiple) was concerned. All breast cancers observed occurred in the same breast as the papilloma. Women in whom a benign intraductal papilloma has been excised should be carefully followed since they at are higher risk for ipsilateral breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Localization of basic fibroblast growth factor binding sites in the chick embryonic neural retina.

We have investigated the localization of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) binding sites during the development of the neural retina in the chick embryo. The specificity of the affinity of bFGF for its receptors was assessed by competition experiments with unlabelled growth factor or with heparin, as well as by heparitinase treatment of the samples. Two different types of binding sites were observed in the neural retina by light-microscopic autoradiography. The first type, localized mainly to basement membranes, was highly sensitive to heparitinase digestion and to competition with heparin. It was not developmentally regulated. The second type of binding site, resistant to heparin competition, appeared to be associated with retinal cells from the earliest stages studied (3-day-old embryo, stages 21-22 of Hamburger and Hamilton). Its distribution was found to vary during embryonic development, paralleling layering of the neural retina. Binding of bFGF to the latter sites was observed throughout the retinal neuroepithelium at early stages but displayed a distinct pattern at the time when the inner and outer plexiform layers were formed. During the development of the inner plexiform layer, a banded pattern of bFGF binding was observed. These bands, lying parallel to the vitreal surface, seemed to codistribute with the synaptic bands existing in the inner plexiform layer. The presence of intra-retinal bFGF binding sites whose distribution varies with embryonic development suggests a regulatory mechanism involving differential actions of bFGF on neural retinal cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Mammographic parenchymal patterns and breast cancer risk. A case control study of a population-based screening experience.

The authors investigated the association between mammographic parenchymal patterns and breast cancer risk by a case control study. Three-hundred and thirty-four cancers, either screen or interval detected in the course of a screening program, were assumed as cases and compared to 668 non-cancer controls matched by age, residence and date of screening examination. Parenchymal patterns were classified by retrospective blind review of randomly mixed films by two independent readers. A high agreement was achieved on a two-group scale (N1-P1 vs P2-DY) inter and intraobserver consistency being 0.94 and 0.95, respectively. The relative risk of breast cancer exposure (RR) with respect to N1 pattern was 1.99 for P1, 3.59 for P2 and 4.18 for DY patterns. The RR of P2-DY with respect to N1-P1 patterns was 2.62. The results did not change after stratification by age group. Parenchymal patterns do not seem to be a reliable criterion for selecting high risk women for screening as in this series only 57% of all cancers occurred in high risk (P2-DY) subjects.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

An eye-derived growth factor regulates epithelial cell proliferation in the cultured lens.

Lenses in organ culture permit an analysis of factors acting on epithelial cell growth, while keeping the normal steric constraints of the cell population. By employing this technique with radioautography of epithelial whole mounts, we showed that the DNA synthesis found in the epithelia of cultured bovine lenses follows an organized spatial and temporal pattern during culture. Within the first 48 h, active cells were located at the preequatorial region ("germinative zone"), a distribution consistent with the in vivo spatial organization of multiplying cells. Starting at about 48 h, cells from the central region of the epithelium--a nonproliferating population--were triggered to synthesize DNA in the presence of eye-derived growth factor (EDGF). When cultured in serum-free medium, only a small fraction of the cells was labeled, but when a low serum concentration was present, this fraction reached 50% of the cell population. The stimulatory effect of EDGF required a lag period, but its effect reached a maximum exceeding that found for serum. However, the cells from the germinative region, having a cell density three- to four-fold higher than the central region, were not stimulated to proliferate. This occurred irrespective of the presence of EDGF or serum. If this growth-stimulatory activity derived from the retina were the actual factor controlling cell proliferation in the lens in vivo, then the results presented here would point to the presence of a regulatory mechanism similar to that known for some other hormones.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Systemic anaphylaxis induced by physical exertion: a case report.

Anaphylaxis is a systemic reaction which can be very dangerous in many patients. In addition to the most common antigens (drugs, venoms, foods), physical exercise can provoke anaphylaxis in the sensitized patients. The mechanism of this reaction is still unknown. In this report, we describe a case of exercise-induced anaphylaxis in a 25 year old female who had experienced two syncopal attacks during strong physical activity. On other occasions she had noticed that prolonged work would cause urticaria, pruritus and numbness. During hospitalization, on two occasions a treadmill stress test induced bronchial spasm, urticaria and hypotension. We believe that the association of urticaria and anaphylaxis would suggest the possible presence of a vasoactive substance released from the mast-cells and basophil leucocytes.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prevalence of group B beta-hemolytic Streptococcus colonization in a sample of 23,312 pregnant women and newborn infants].

We report the prevalence of colonization of Group B Streptococci in a given population referred to a limited area in the north-west of Italy. 23.312 pregnant women were tested. Group B Streptococci have been isolated from genital cultures in 0.18-13.2% (mean 8.18). The prevalence of Group B streptococcal colonization from ear, throat and ocular cultures of newborn infants from colonized mothers was 11.55%. Incidence of infection in neonates has varied from 0 to 2.33% (1.5 per 1000 live births).

Ear↗