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Biomedical subjects

E Brunetti

Publications and source records attributed to E Brunetti.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

BCL2 and BAX expression in hyperplastic and dysplastic rectal polyps.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Members of the gene family that includes BCL2 and BAX are functionally antagonists in the apoptosis process and they have been observed in normal and neoplastic tissues. The aim of this study is to investigate the combined effects of BCL2 and BAX protein in normal mucosa, dysplastic and hyperplastic polyps of the rectum. METHODOLOGY: We studied BCL2 and BAX protein expression in 40 cases of adenomatous polyps all located in the rectum, with different dysplastic gradings, and the mean time in 10 cases of normal rectal mucosa. RESULTS: BCL2 expression was found more frequently in hyperplastic and in low dysplastic polyps with moderate and strong positivity compared to moderate and severe dysplasia. BAX expression was found in normal mucosa in hyperplastic and dysplastic polyps, the immunoreactivity was prevalently moderate and strong. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary data suggest that BCL2 and BAX confirm a probably different role in apoptosis. Nevertheless, it is important to know the relation between the molecular pathways of apoptosis, the defective mismatch repair and the tumor suppressor genes associated with an increased mutation rate in cancerogenesis of the colorectum.

Adenoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biological indicators of aggressiveness in T1 ductal invasive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis plays an important role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. When defective, this process could contribute to the pathogenesis and the progression of tumors. On this basis, we investigated the combined effect of Bcl-2 and Bax expression, known regulators of apoptotic processes, in the activation of apoptosis in breast cancer. Their relationship with DNA content and proliferative activity was also studied in order to more accurately define breast cancer patients' prognosis and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study we investigated 76 T1 ductal invasive breast cancers and 76 normal epithelium samples for Bcl-2 and Bax expression by immunohistochemistry, for apoptosis by tunel assay and for DNA content and proliferative activity by flow cytometry. RESULTS: High levels of Bcl-2 were associated with prevention of apoptosis. Conversely high Bax expression was found to be related to apoptosis. DNA ploidy was strictly related to the proliferative activity. In addition most of the tumors showing high Bcl-2 expression were aneuploid. CONCLUSION: This report suggests that Bax over-expression could accelerate apoptotic cell death by counteracting the ability of Bcl-2 to inhibit apoptosis. These data also suggest that the ratio Bcl-2/Bax and their relationship with the activation of apoptosis could be used as predictive indicators of breast cancer patients' prognosis and response to conventional therapy.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The genetics of Alzheimer's disease].

This paper examines recent epidemiological and molecular genetic studies on the genetic basis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent epidemiological studies have shown the existence of a genetic etiology in some cases of Alzheimer's disease. Several pedigrees with an increased incidence of AD (familial Alzheimer's disease--FAD) have been described in the literature. Some of these contain sufficient numbers of affected individuals in multiple generations to provide a rigorous argument for an autosomal dominant inheritance of the AD phenotype. FAD pedigrees show several evidences of as phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease. Molecular genetic studies have shown a linkage between several polymorphic DNA markers specific for the pericentromeric region of chromosome 21 and early-onset FAD. In late-onset FAD pedigrees preliminary reports showed evidence for a linkage with chromosome 19 markers. Molecular genetic studies have clearly demonstrated the genetic heterogeneity of familial Alzheimer's disease. The analysis of new, multigenerational pedigrees with FAD and the study of patients with Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease should provide useful informations for the characterization of the gene(s) responsible for familial Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tears of the rotator cuff associated with neurologic disorders: a description of two cases.

Based on their clinical experience with the two cases described, the authors analyze the association between surgically treatable tear of the rotator cuff and neurologic pathology. A semeiologic sign is emphasized, which may be of help in differential diagnosis involving isolated lesion of the rotator cuff. Furthermore, after a review of the literature, the authors express doubts as to the type of surgical treatment to be carried out.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Microsurgery in the treatment of crural and sciatic pain due to disc and bone compression: considerations on the first 100 cases.

The authors present the results they obtained in the first 100 operations performed between January 1989 and November 1990 for the treatment of lumbar sciatic pain related to disc and/or bone compression: microsurgery according to the Caspar method was used. A total of 113 spaces were submitted to surgery; discectomy at two levels was performed in 13 patients. Nerve root compression observed was based on three causes: 1) pure disc hernia (57.5%), 2) pure lateral stenosis (15.9%), 3) combined pathology (hernia+stenosis) (25.6%). In one of the cases the pathology remained unknown. At an average two-year follow-up there were 94 excellent or good results, 2 fair results, and 4 poor results. Complications included dural lacerations in 3 cases, with no sequelae. Eight patients were submitted to further surgery for recurrence of symptoms; the final results after reintervention were excellent in 7 cases, and fair in 1. The authors emphasize the advantages to using microsurgery as compared to macrosurgery, and stress a frequent finding of pure lateral stenosis or associated with disc pathology (47 out of 113 levels operated, equal to 41%), as well as the reliability of CT scan when dealing with disc pathology (97% positive diagnosis) but its unreliability when diagnosis is lateral stenosis (19 out of 47, equal to 40%).

Adult↗