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Biomedical subjects

Chiara Benatti

Publications and source records attributed to Chiara Benatti.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Survivin expression, apoptosis and proliferation in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

We analyzed the expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis survivin by immunocytochemistry in bone marrow cells from patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) to evaluate possible abnormalities in comparison with other myelodysplastic (MDS) and myeloproliferative syndromes, and to investigate a possible correlation between survivin expression and altered apoptosis or proliferation, or relevant laboratory and clinical findings. Thirty-four patients with CMML [18 MDS-CMML and 16 myeloproliferative disorder (MPD)-CMML], 90 with MDS, 41 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 19 with chronic MPD and 25 control subjects were studied. In normal samples survivin was never detectable. In CMML survivin levels higher than in MDS and AML (P < 0.0001), but similar to those found in MPD were observed. In CMML and MDS apoptosis was significantly higher compared to normal controls and all other subtypes of leukemias (P < 0.0001). Proliferation did not differ significantly in normal controls, MDS and CMML; the lowest levels were observed in AML and MPD (P < 0.0001). In CMML there was no correlation between survivin expression and blast cell percentage, apoptosis or proliferation, FAB or WHO subgroup. Proliferation was higher in MDS-CMML and tended to correlate with overall survival. CMML-2 cases with higher survivin expression showed higher evolution rate and shorter survival. In conclusion, CMML is characterized by high proliferation and apoptosis. Survivin overexpression, by disrupting the balance between cell proliferation/differentiation and apoptosis, may play an important role in its pathophysiology. The detection of survivin-deregulated expression may provide a useful tool for diagnosis, prognosis and a possible target for experimental treatments.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

[Avascular jaw osteonecrosis associated with bisphophonate therapy].

The case of an IgAk myeloma showed the following common features with more than a hundred of patients described by the literature: osteonecrosis of the jaws, prolonged administration of bisphosphonates due to neoplastic skeletal lesions, antitumoral therapies and recent dental surgery. The antiangiogenetic effects of bisphosphonates can have an important pathogenetic role and a general dental treatment should be completed before the start of bisphosphonate administration.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Thalidomide treatment reduces apoptosis levels in bone marrow cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

We treated with thalidomide seven patients with primary MDS and observed reduction of the transfusion requirement in three cases and reduction of bone marrow blasts in one case. The apoptotic rate of bone marrow cells diminished significantly from a mean of 43.8% to a mean of 17.5%, whereas the proliferative activity did not change. Plasma TNF-alpha, bFGF, IL-1beta levels decreased variably, whereas VEGF levels tended to increase. Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 expression decreased in bone marrow cells of responders. A reduction of CD4 cells and an increase of NK cells was observed in the peripheral blood. Thus, thalidomide may produce a fairly good hematological improvement in erythroid series in MDS, with complex biological mechanisms.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Overexpression of the Doppel protein in acute myeloid leukaemias and myelodysplastic syndromes.

We investigated the expression patterns and distribution of Doppel (Dpl), the product of the prion-like gene PRND, in the leukaemic cell lines HL-60 and K562 and in bone marrow cells from 44 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and 63 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Whereas normal samples were negative or showed very weak expression that was restricted to CD34(+) cells, Dpl was detected in both cell lines and in most AML and MDS cases by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed variable mRNA levels in almost all AML and MDS cases, but barely detectable levels in normal bone marrow. These differences were confirmed by in situ hybridization. PRND expression was higher in advanced compared with early MDS (P = 0.01), but Dpl levels did not predict disease progression. In AML there was no correlation between Dpl levels and clinical or laboratory findings. In conclusion, this is the first time that the expression of PRND has been demonstrated in human bone marrow. The molecular mechanism of the observed overexpression is unknown; however, the differential Dpl distribution in AML and MDS versus healthy subjects makes it a possible leukaemia-associated antigen that could be useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Acute Disease↗