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Biomedical subjects

F Oberling

Publications and source records attributed to F Oberling.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Loss of heterozygosity of the RB gene is a poor prognostic factor in patients with osteosarcoma.

PURPOSE: The usual therapy of osteosarcoma is neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgery, then by postoperative chemotherapy. There is no prognostic factor to predict, at diagnosis, the histologic response and final outcome. Inactivation of the retinoblastoma-susceptibility gene RB is associated with the pathogenesis of several human cancers. In primary osteosarcomas, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the RB locus has been found in greater than 60% of cases. The aim of this study was to determine the potential early prognostic value of LOH of RB gene on the biopsy material at diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients with primary osteosarcoma, treated in four French institutions, were studied. LOH was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of an informative RB DNA polymorphism. RESULTS: Assessment of LOH at the RB gene could be completed on 34 heterozygous patients only. LOH was found in 24 cases (70%). The event-free survival (EFS) rate at 60 months is 100% for patients without LOH, 43% for all patients with RB LOH, and 65% for nonmetastatic patients with RB LOH. The difference in EFS is highly significant at P = .008 and P = .024, respectively. Histologic response after preoperative chemotherapy did not show significant correlation with LOH status. CONCLUSION: RB gene LOH appears to be an early predictive feature for osteosarcomas that indicates a potential unfavorable outcome. RB LOH study might shortly help to identify high-risk patients earlier. If this is verified, therapy could then be adapted earlier to the individual's real risk of relapse.

Adolescent↗

Idarubicin and high dose cytarabine: a new salvage treatment for refractory or relapsing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Twenty three patients with relapsing (n = 11) or refractory (n = 12) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) to one or two prior anthracycline based combination chemotherapy regimens were treated as second or third line regimen with 3 induction cycles of Idarubicin (IDA) (7 mg/m2/d i.v. d1-d3) and high dose cytarabine (HD Ara-C) (1 g/m2/12 h i.v. d1-d3), each cycle was repeated every 3 weeks. Responding patients received a maintenance therapy with monthly cycles of IDA: 15 mg/m2 d1-d3, Etoposide 100 mg/m2 d1-d3, both by oral route. Twenty two patients are evaluable and we observed 13 CR and 1 PR with an overall response rate of 61% (14/23: 95% Cl = 38.5% 80.3%). The median time to progression was 32 months (6.5 - 63 + m.). The response rate to IDA-HD Ara C was not different for patients with (n = 14) or without (n = 9) objective response to the last prior therapy. The main toxicity was hematological: all patients experienced grade 4 neutropenia and 22 patients had grade 4 thrombopenia, but there were no toxic deaths. IDA and HD-Ara-C combination is highly effective in refractory or relapsed. NHL. As hematological toxicity was the limiting factor for further escalation of dose-intensity, further studies might include hematopoietic growth factors support in the therapeutic scheme.

Adult↗

Positive selection of CD34+ cells from cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cells after thawing: technical aspects and clinical use.

Autologous stem cell transplantation has become an important therapy in lymphoma, multiple myeloma and solid tumors. The rationale for the selection of CD34+ cells from peripheral blood or bone marrow progenitor cell collections is based on the observation that contaminating tumor cells can be depleted approximately 3 to 6 logs. This procedure may be limited because of lack of sufficient numbers of progenitor cells in the leukapheresis concentrates. The use of frozen/thawed peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples makes it possible to pool two or even more stem cell harvests collected at different time points to increase the total number of CD34+ progenitor cells. We report in this work the feasibility of frozen/thawed peripheral blood CD34+ positive cell selection, using the large-scale (Ceprate SC) and the lab-scale avidin-biotin immunoadsorption system (Ceprate LC). This procedure consists of a washing step and a positive selection step. Our results show that frozen/thawed CD34+ cells were obtained with a purity of 86.68 +/- 3.62%, a viability of 97.94 +/- 0.97% and a recovery of 91.85 +/- 10.84% (range 80 to 112%). The CFU-GM assays were performed in a methylcellulose based medium; 89.13 +/- 19.63 colonies were obtained for 10(3) cells plated. Two patients were grafted with peripheral blood CD34+ cells selected after freezing. Our clinical data show that these cells are capable of rapidly reconstituting hematopoiesis after high-dose chemotherapy.

Antigens, CD34↗

E-cadherin mRNA expression in breast carcinomas correlates with overall and disease-free survival.

E-cadherin (Epithelial-cadherin) is a subclass of the cadherin family that plays a major role in the maintenance of intercellular junctions in epithelial tissues. E-cadherin is also involved in the interactions between epithelial cells and T lymphocytes. In order to explore the relationship between E-cadherin expression, cancer invasion and metastases in vivo, we estimated its expression in normal breast specimens, fibroadenomas, cystic samples and primary breast carcinomas using a semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The relationship between E-cadherin expression, survival and disease-free survival was also investigated. In comparison with normal breasts, 70% of the primary tumors showed reduced expression of E-cadherin suggesting that downregulation of this cell adhesion molecule is a common event in breast carcinoma. Significant correlation was found between E-cadherin expression and the histological classification. Most of the advanced tumors grades (10/13 tumors with grade III) presented decreased E-cadherin expression. No correlation was found between E-cadherin expression, estrogen and progesteron receptors, age and menopausal status at diagnosis. However, disease-free and overall survival was associated with E-cadherin expression. Patients showing poorly expressed E-cadherin in tumor tissue had a worse prognosis. The same results were observed for women without lymph node invasion or metastasis at diagnosis even when they were grouped according to their histological grade for statistical analysis. Therefore, E-cadherin mRNA expression in invasive breast carcinomas might be an early prognostic factor of metastasis.

Adult↗

[Carboplatin and cyclophosphamide in stage Ic-IV ovarian carcinoma: retrospective study of 101 cases].

We report our experience of CBDCA-CPM combination chemotherapy as first line therapy in 101 ovarian cancers. The therapeutic scheme was: initial cytoreductive surgery followed by six chemotherapy cycles (CBDCA 400 mg/m2/d IV dl, CPM 600 mg/m2/d IV dl, dl = d21) and second-look laparotomy. The initial stages were four Ic, three IIa, four IIb, four IIc, 15 IIIa, 28 IIIb, 23 IIIc and 20 IV. After initial surgery, there were 39 macroscopic residual diseases superior to 2 cm, 26 macroscopic residual diseases inferior or equal to 2 cm, four microscopic diseases and no residual disease in 30 cases (unknown in two cases). The overall response rate to chemotherapy was 83% with 56% histologic complete response rate. The main toxicity was haematological with 60% of leucopenia grade III-IV, 52% of thrombopenia grade III-IV. Age at diagnosis, residual disease after first look surgery and length of CA 125 normalization were significant prognostic factors for survival in this series.

Adolescent↗

[Management of hematologic malignancies during pregnancy].

Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or leukemia occurring in a pregnant patient is a rare event. Diagnosis of hematologic malignancies in a pregnant woman usually poses a quandrum of psychological, ethical and medical considerations. All of these situations require a multidisciplinary team. Adequate staging and treatment of hematologic malignancies are complicated by the pregnancy. In the first trimester, termination of the pregnancy should be considered in order to provide the best outcome for the woman and fetus. In this review we have focused on the use of chemotherapy for the pregnant patient. This review reveals that the use of chemotherapy resulted in both objective disease remissions and the subsequent delivery of normal infant.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

An electron microscopy study into the mechanism of gene transfer with lipopolyamines.

Cationic amphiphiles have been shown to mediate gene transfer to eukaryotic cells, although the nature and fate of the lipid-DNA complexes is still a matter of debate. Negative staining transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the complexes in physiological medium, as well as thin-section TEM of transfected cells has been used to visualize the particles and the possible pathways leading to transgene expression. Lipopolyamines form a network of tubular micelles into which plasmid DNA is intertwined and condensed; the cationic particles contain hundreds of plasmid molecules and are heterogeneous with respect to size (0.1-0.5 microgram) and shape. Adherent cells (293M, 3T3, MRC5, primary leptomeningeal cells) take them up readily within minutes by spontaneous endocytosis. Among suspension cells, lymphocytes only incidentally show cytoplasmic inclusions and monocytes degrade the particles by phagocytosis. The marked decrease in transfection efficiency generally observed between adherent and nonadherent cells is thus due to reduce cell binding. This suggests that cationic particles bind to membrane components responsible for Ca2+-mediated cell anchoring to the extracellular matrix. Cation/anion-mediated endocytosis leads to endosomes that are entirely filled with the particles. Consequently, two escape mechanisms may operate: disruption of the lamellar envelope in close contact with tubular micelles, and endosome buffering by the lipopolyamine in response to proton entry, leading to osmotic swelling and endosome rupture. Even for moderately transfected MRC5 cells, 10(2)-10(3) particles are found either free or in cytoplasmic vacuoles 24 h after transfection, highlighting a very inefficient nuclear translocation process. Such high numbers are also the clue to the small concentration window between transfection and cytotoxicity that is often observed with nonviral vectors. Nuclear particle inclusions are sometimes seen, yet it is unclear whether plasmid uncoating (before expression) takes place by anion exchange in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. The still lower efficiency of free plasmid translocation to the nucleus suggests an active role for the cationic lipid during this step. Although the last stages of the transfection mechanism remain unclear, the present work shows that the major barrier which hampers in vitro gene delivery with cationic vectors is nuclear translocation (and cell entry for nonadherent cells), providing precise targets for the design of improved nonviral vectors.

3T3 Cells↗

Germline mosaicism for an alanine to valine substitution at residue beta 140 in hemoglobin Puttelange, a new variant with high oxygen affinity.

Hb Puttelange [beta 140(H18)Ala-->Val] was found as a de novo mutation in two siblings of a French family suffering from polycythemia. Both parents were phenotypically normal and exclusion of paternity has been ruled out by the study of several polymorphic markers located on different chromosomes. The structural modification of Hb Puttelange was established by reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the tryptic digest of the abnormal chain. The amino acid composition of an abnormal beta T14 peptide revealed that one of the four residues of Ala was replaced by a Val. Tandem mass spectrometry demonstrated that the substitution concerned position beta 140 (H18). This hemoglobin displays an increased oxygen affinity that is responsible for the polycythemia. De novo mutations, as demonstrated again in the case of this variant, have the highest probabilities of detection when they lead to pathological manifestations. They may result either from a somatic mutation in a very early stage of the embryological development of the propositus or may have a parental origin with occurrence of a germline mosaicism. The study of the beta-globin gene indicated that this case of Hb Puttelange probably arose from a mutation affecting a part of the germline of the father, therefore leading to a true recurrence risk.

Adult↗

Extracorporeal photochemotherapy in systemic sclerosis and severe morphea.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (EP) is a new immune-modulating therapy which combines cytapheresis and extracorporeal irradiation of leukocytes by UVA. Recently, patients with systemic sclerosis (SS) have been treated by this method, but the efficacy of EP is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EP in SS and in severe morphea. METHODS: In an open study, 7 patients with SS and 2 patients with severe morphea were treated by EP and were evaluated after 6 months of treatment. No other treatments were allowed during this period. RESULTS: Except one vasovagal reaction, EP was well tolerated in all patients. The surface of the cutaneous sclerosis was unchanged in 3 of the 7 patients with SS, whereas it was aggravated in the remaining 4 patients. There was no improvement of the visceral involvement of SS in these patients. Although the duration of SS was less than 4 years in 6 out of 7 patients, we did not observe any significant benefit from EP in SS patients. One patient with generalized morphea had stopped EP after 3 months because of loss of vascular access and could not be evaluated. In the last patient with linear morphea of the upper limbs, a reduction in the number of morphea plaques was observed, and the remaining lesions were less visible after 16 months of EP. CONCLUSIONS: The present results do not corroborate those previously published with regard to the efficiency of EP in SS of recent onset. The efficacy of ECP in morphea needs further confirmation.

Adolescent↗

Effects of bacterial naso-oropharyngeal colonisation on acute graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

The efficacy of gastrointestinal decontamination in reducing the incidence of severe bacterial or fungal infections and of moderate to severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has been suggested. We report here a retrospective study of 71 patients grafted consecutively in our institution with bone marrow from HLA genotypically identical siblings. Complete decontamination (plastic isolator or laminar airflow room, sterile nursing and oral antimicrobial drugs) was carried out in all patients. Sixty eight patients were evaluable. Only six patients had aerobic Gram negative rods or anaerobic bacteria in their faeces and 44 of 68 (65%) had yeasts in their faeces. Most patients had oropharyngeal and/or nasal colonisation with bacteria (Gram positive cocci: 39 patients (57%); Gram negative rods: 13 patients (19%)) or yeasts (29 patients (43%)). Thirty nine patients (57%) experienced severe grade > or = II acute GVHD (grade II-IV). A significant relation was found between bacterial oropharyngeal or nasal colonisation and GVHD (P < 0.01) but not between gastrointestinal microflora and GVHD, whatever microorganisms were considered (bacteria, yeasts).

Acute Disease↗

Platin salts-induced hemolytic anemia: cisplatin- and the first case of carboplatin-induced hemolysis.

Anemia is a common side effect of cisplatin, especially after repeated infusions. The primary mechanisms is a myelosuppression caused by cisplatin's interference with iron metabolism, resulting in a lower count of red cell precursors. Some authors report a hemolytic anemia similar to penicillin-induced anemia, in which hemolysis is caused by an antiglobulin antibody directed against red cell membrane-bound cisplatin. The authors report two cases of cisplatin-induced anemia and suggest that the immune-complex hypothesis is responsible for hemolysis. The first case of carboplatin-induced hemolysis is also reported. Mechanisms of hemolysis and clinical practice are discussed.

Adult↗

Intra-abdominal localization of acute leukaemia: report of six cases.

Clinical findings leading to the diagnosis of acute leukaemia result from the consequences of both pancytopenia and tumoral manifestations. Although leukaemic infiltration of hematopoietic organs is common, the involvement of non-hematopoietic abdominal organs remains rare. The authors report a series of six cases, where intra-abdominal localization of acute lymphoblastic or myeloblastic leukaemia was detected at diagnosis or relapse. Chemotherapy may lead to remission or cure if the early abdominal complications are managed with care.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Peripheral blood CD34+ cells: method of purification and ex vivo expansion.

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are used increasingly for autotransplantation in the treatment of acute leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, solid tumors such as ovarian and breast carcinoma. They are collected by leukaphereses during rapid hematopoietic recovery, following cytotoxic chemotherapy with or without administration of hematopoietic growth factors. We studied the clonogenic and cytokine-mediated expansion potential of CD34+ cells from mobilized PBSC. Low density mononuclear cells were processed using the CEPRATE LC CD34 KIT (CellPro). CD34+ purified cells, were cultured in suspension with 6 combined hematopoietic growth factors (IL1beta, IL3, IL6 at 100 U/ml and G-CSF, GM-CSF and stem cell factor at 10 ng/ml of each) for up to four weeks. Every week, cells were counted and CFU-GM assay was performed in a methylcellulose based medium. We have analysed the percentage of cells bearing CD34, CD33, CD38, HLA-DR, CD45RA, CD45RO antigens. Our results showed, that CD34+ cells were obtained with a purity of 92 +/- 2.3% and a yield of 71 +/- 10.7%. The majority co-expressed CD33 (57.76 +/- 34.16%) and CD38 (62.2 +/- 34%) antigens. These culture conditions, are necessary to obtain a fold increase of nucleated cells (377 fold at week 4), of CFU-GM progenitors (41.2 fold at week 3) and of CD34+ cell absolute number (10 fold at week 1) with an important differentiation of progenitors in particular myeloid progenitors.

Antigens, CD34↗

Intraperitoneal mitoxantrone as consolidation treatment for patients with ovarian carcinoma in pathologic complete remission.

BACKGROUND: Stages II-IV ovarian cancer in pathologic complete remission (pCR) at second-look surgery have a high relapse rate (50%) during the first 2 years. Considering relapse sites (abdomen and/or pelvis), intraperitoneal (IP) therapy is a logical approach. Mitoxantrone is an effective drug against ovarian cancer cells in vitro and is an attractive agent for IP therapy because of its very low peritoneal clearance. The value of IP mitoxantrone was studied as consolidation treatment of ovarian cancer in pCR at second-look surgery. METHODS: Fifty patients with Stages II-IV ovarian cancer (8, Stage II; 37, Stage III; 5, Stage IV) were included in this Phase II study, which began in June 1988. All patients had undergone initial cytoreductive surgery followed by 6 cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin cycles. All patients were in pCR, as confirmed by second-look surgery. Consolidation treatment consists of 20 mg (total dose per cycle) IP mitoxantrone every 3 weeks for six cycles. RESULTS: Toxicity was limited to mild abdominal pain not requiring dose reduction (90% pain grade < or = 2). With a median follow-up of 2 years, the 5-year predicted survival is 59.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.3 - 71.3), and the disease-free survival (DFS) rate is 47.3% (95% CI, 36.7 - 57.9). Patients with no or microscopic residual disease after initial surgery had a better 5-year DFS rate (75.8%) than those with macroscopic residual disease (31.2%) (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: IP mitoxantrone (20 mg/cycle) is feasible with an acceptable abdominal toxicity. The results in terms of DFS are encouraging, but a randomized study versus no treatment is necessary to prove the value of this consolidation treatment.

Abdominal Pain↗

Human resident peritoneal macrophages: phenotype and biology.

Macrophages represent the primary line of host defences in the peritoneal cavity. In order to study the metabolic activity and maturation stage of human resident peritoneal macrophages (PM phi). peritoneal fluid (PF) was taken by Douglas puncture from healthy hyperstimulated infertile women undergoing oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization. Peritoneal fluid and macrophage culture fluids were studied for different inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The level of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), which represents a macrophage proliferation and differentiation factor, was determined in the PF and in the serum. Furthermore, the macrophage phenotypic profile was analysed, in particular the expression of sex steroid hormone receptors. IL-1. IL-6 and TNF were detectable in the PF and in the culture supernatants of PM phi whether stimulated or not by IFN-gamma and LPS. The mean level of M-CSF in the PF was 6.37 +/- 2.02 ng/ml as measured by RIA; this level did not correlate with the concentration of PM phi. The mean PF-M-CSF level was 1.4-fold higher than in the sera as measured by a EIA. Oestrogen and progesterone receptors could not be demonstrated on the PM phi analysed, so that a direct relationship between the ovarian steroid concentration in these women and the function of PM phi was unlikely. As compared to peripheral blood monocytes (Mo). PM phi showed a phenotypic profile, with some more mature features, e.g. increased expression of CD14, CD68, FcRII, FcRIII, CR3, CR4 and MHC class II determinants. These results indicate that resident PM phi have acquired in vivo a certain differentiation and/or activation state under micro-environmental factors where cytokines secreted by the M phi themselves or by other cells such as the mesothelium may play important roles.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

[Modulation of adriamycin cytotoxicity on K 562 and K562adri cells by interferon alpha and/or all-trans-retinoic acid].

Multidrug Resistant (MDR) plays a major role in chemoresistance. Alpha Interferon (IFN) and all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) have antiproliferative effect and IFN regulates several genes, some of them implicated in the regulation of MDR gene expression. We have studied the modulations of adriamycin cytotoxicity by IFN and/or ATRA on K 562 (MDR-) and resistant to adriamycin K 562 adri (MDR+) cell lines. We observed an important increase of adriamycin cytotoxicity on both K 562 and K 562 adri by low dose of IFN and ATRA. Studies of MDR gene expression shows an increase in K 562 adri after exposure to IFN or ATRA. So the observed effect is not due to a down regulation of MDR gene expression but probably to the own antiproliferative effect of IFN and ATRA in combination with the cytotoxicity of adriamycin.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗