PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Rodeghiero

Publications and source records attributed to F Rodeghiero.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Treatment of elderly patients (> or =60 years) with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia. Results of the Italian multicenter group GIMEMA with ATRA and idarubicin (AIDA) protocols.

In all, 134 elderly patients (median age 66 years, range 60-75 years) with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were enrolled in two successive protocols of the Italian multicenter group GIMEMA. All patients received an identical induction with all-trans retinoic acid and idarubicin; 116 (86%) entered complete remission (CR), two (2%) were resistant and 16 (12%) died during induction. After CR, 106 patients received further therapy whereas 10 did not, because of refusal (n=5) or toxicity (n=5). Consolidation consisted of three chemotherapy courses in the AIDA protocol (AIDA, 67 patients) or, since 1997, of an amended protocol including only the first cycle (amended AIDA, aAIDA, 39 patients). In the AIDA group, 43 patients (64%) completed consolidation, while seven (11%) and 17 (25%) patients were withdrawn after first and second courses, respectively; nine patients (13%) died in CR and 12 (18%) relapsed. In the aAIDA group, all patients received the assigned treatment; two patients (5%) died in CR and six (15%) relapsed. In the AIDA and aAIDA series, the 3-year overall and discase-free survival rates were 81 and 83% (P=NS), 73 and 72% (P=NS), respectively. We highlight here the frequency and severity of complications linked to intensive chemotherapy in this clinical setting and suggest that, in APL of the elderly, less intensive postremission therapy allows significant reduction of severe treatment-related toxicity and may be equally effective.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Prevalence and risk factors of non-fatal venous thromboembolism in the active population of the VITA Project.

Cost-effective strategies for the identification of subjects at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the active population are still lacking. Our objectives were to identify risk factors for venous thromboembolism in active subjects. We analyzed data from a population-based sample of 15055 Caucasians aged 18-65 years randomly selected from the census list of the township of Vicenza, Italy. A validated methodology was used to retrospectively identify subjects with previous VTE. Body mass index (BMI), smoking, oral contraceptive use, previous superficial vein thrombophlebitis (SVT) and familial history of VTE, all at the age of first thrombosis, were ascertained by direct interview and by review of available medical records. Ninety-two deep vein thromboses [prevalence: 61.1/10000, 95% confidence interval (CI) 49.2-74.9], three upper deep vein thrombosis (prevalence: 1.9/10000, 95% CI 0.4-5.8) and 21 pulmonary embolism (prevalence: 13.9/10000, 95% CI 8.6-21.3) were identified. After age and sex adjustment, clinically identifiable risk factors were: history of SVT [odds ratio (OR) = 6.8], oral contraceptive use (OR = 4.7), family history of VTE (OR = 4.5), smoking (OR = 1.7) and BMI above the third tertile (OR vs. mid-tertile 2.9). While previous SVT and BMI were associated with VTE in all circumstantial situations (surgery/trauma, pregnancy or idiopathic VTE), for oral contraceptive use, positive family history and smoking the degree of association varied significantly depending on the situation. Non-fatal VTE affects 0.7% of the subjects belonging to an active population, 56% of cases being potentially preventable. In 30% of VTE cases, at least two easily recognizable risk factors are present. Clinical assessment of risk factors remains the mainstay of VTE prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Ifosfamide in hematological malignancies of adults.

Ifosfamide is an alkylating agent with a broad spectrum of activity in solid tumors and hematological malignancies. In this review we will illustrate its use in the treatment of lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease and the results of the principal studies which have investigated ifosfamide-containing regimens. Ifosfamide has been mainly used, in combination with other drugs, as a component of salvage regimens for relapsed or primarily refractory lymphoma. These regimens induced a variable clinical response rate (complete remissions ranging from 6 up to 73% and overall response rate from 24 to 72%). High-dose ifosfamide, in combination with etoposide or mitoxantrone, showed a good potential for mobilization of peripheral stem cells while reducing the tumor burden. Ifosfamide-based regimens are also being evaluated in the treatment of newly diagnosed patients in sequential, response-based protocols, using many non-cross-resistant drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

von Willebrand disease: still an intriguing disorder in the era of molecular medicine.

von Willebrand disease (vWD) is a single-locus disorder resulting from a deficiency of von Willebrand factor (vWF): a multimeric multifunctional protein involved in platelet adhesion and platelet-to-platelet cohesion in high shear stress vessels, and in protecting from proteolysis and directing circulating factor VIII (FVIII) to the site of injury. vWD is the most frequent bleeding disorder, with an estimated prevalence in the general population of 1%. Almost all these cases are represented by a partial quantitative deficiency of von Willebrand factor (vWF) (type 1 vWD). Type 1 is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait with an extremely variable penetrance and expressivity. A consensus figure for the prevalence of cases with significant bleeding symptoms, requiring some form of treatment, is approximately 100 cases million-1. Among these cases, more than 70-80% are represented by type 1 and respond to deamino-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP; desmopressin) administration. The remaining cases are represented by type 2 vWD (qualitative), some of which require substitutive treatment. Only 3-5 cases million-1 result from a total deficiency of vWF in plasma and platelets because of the recessive inheritance of two defective alleles. These cases may have severe bleeding episodes and may require frequent substitutive treatment. The molecular basis of type 2 (missense mutation in the functional domains of the vWF subunit) and type 3 (nonsense or large deletions) is quite well understood. On the contrary the molecular basis for most type 1 cases remains largely unknown, and many genetic factors (e.g. ABO blood group) and environmental or circumstantial factors (e.g. age, stress, drugs, pregnancy, and inflammation) are superimposed on to the genetic background determined by the vWF gene to produce a continuous spectrum from normality to mild type 1 cases. It is extremely difficult to make a clear distinction between mild type 1 cases and normal people because of the wide 'normal' range of laboratory measurements (e.g. length of bleeding time, and levels of vWF and FVIII) and of bleeding symptoms. Molecular testing is useless in this situation, and only good history-taking and repeated laboratory testing of vWF-related measurements in the propositus and his/her family members can help in clinical diagnosis, albeit imprecisely. This difficult task is the main focus of this review which is aimed at alerting the physician toward a balanced approach that should take into consideration both the risk of over- and under-diagnosis of this frequent disorder and the unavoidable production of a number of false positive and false negative cases.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

Congenital absence of the inferior vena cava: a rare risk factor for idiopathic deep-vein thrombosis.

Congenital absence of the inferior vena cava (AIVC) is a rare vascular defect, commonly reported as a fortuitous finding. The presence of AIVC in patients with DVT is underestimated because AIVC cannot be detected by compression B-mode ultrasonography. By use of computed tomography, we diagnosed four cases of AIVC in young patients with idiopathic DVT over a 5 year period. Based on the occurrence of DVT in patients below 30 years in our area during the same period, we estimate that AIVC is present in about 5% of cases of DVT in young patients. Computed tomography or angiography should be used for the diagnosis of idiopathic DVT in young patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

DCEP (dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and cisplatin) is an effective regimen for peripheral blood stem cell collection in multiple myeloma.

DCEP (dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and cisplatin) has proved to be an effective salvage therapy for refractory-relapsed MM patients. Little is known, however, about its potential as mobilizing therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of DCEP in mobilizing PBSC and to define its toxicity. Fifty-five MM patients received DCEP followed by G-CSF as part of high-dose programs including autologous transplantation. At the time of mobilization, 40 patients had previously received VAD only, and 15 alkylating agents. Mobilization was successful (minimum number of CD34(+) cells 2 x 10(6)/kg) in 48/55 patients (87%), and 41/55 patients (75%) collected >4 x 10(6)/kg CD34(+) cells. Of the seven patients who did not mobilize stem cells, five (71%) had been previously exposed to alkylating agents. The median number of CD34(+) cells harvested was 5.8 x 10(6)/kg (range 2.1-22.4). There was no treatment-related mortality. The side-effects of DCEP were always tolerable. No neutropenia <1000/microl nor thrombocytopenia <50,000/microl were observed. No patient required transfusion as a consequence of therapy, or hospitalization for septic complications. In conclusion, DCEP, in addition to its demonstrated anti-tumor activity, is an effective regimen for mobilizing peripheral blood progenitor cells in myeloma patients, with little or no side-effects. These properties render DCEP a useful regimen for the debulking and mobilization phase of high-dose programs for multiple myeloma.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Congenital von Willebrand disease type I: definition, phenotypes, clinical and laboratory assessment.

Von Willebrand disease, with a prevalence of about 1% in the general population, is the most frequent inherited bleeding disorder. Among the major subtypes, type I von Willebrand disease represents by far the more prevalent category (about 70%) and includes cases with a partial deficiency of plasma von Willebrand factor and no evidence of qualitative defects. The clinical expression as well as the laboratory phenotype of the disorder and its penetrance are greatly variable. The diagnosis usually requires the presence of autosomally inherited bleeding history co-segregating with a low von Willebrand factor level. The influence of several genetic and acquired conditions on the level of von Willebrand factor is however, widely appreciated and represents the major obstacle in correctly identifying von Willebrand disease as the cause of a bleeding diathesis in several families. The molecular genetics of the minority of cases showing high penetrance and expressivity of the phenotype are unravelling, but for the large majority of milder cases, the molecular basis is still unknown. We present a practical approach to diagnosis, based on scientific evidence and direct experience. The implications of the diagnosis of von Willebrand disease for the patient's quality of life are also considered.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMed2001

A standard nomenclature for von Willebrand factor gene mutations and polymorphisms. On behalf of the ISTH SSC Subcommittee on von Willebrand factor.

Examination of the entire von Willebrand factor (VWF) gene for mutations, particularly in types 1 and 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) is becoming more widely practised. The sequence of the entire VWF gene will soon be compiled as a single sequence. For these reasons, a clearly defined nomenclature to use for numbering the VWF nucleotide and amino acid sequence is required. The following recommendations are made for VWF numbering. VWF cDNA nucleotide sequence should be numbered from the A of the initiator ATG as the +1 position. Genomic DNA should be prefixed with a "g" and also numbered from this position. Amino acid (aa) numbering should be from the initiator methionine as the +1 position with sequential numbering of aa throughout VWF. To avoid confusion with previously used numbering schemes for mature VWF, which started from serine 764 of pre-pro VWF, the use of the single letter amino acid code is recommended.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

Phenotypic APC resistance in carriers of the A20210 prothrombin mutation is associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis.

We hypothesized that increased prothrombin levels associated with G20210A prothrombin gene mutation could affect the results of activated protein C (APC) resistance phenotype and increase the risk of venous thrombosis (VT). The increasing addition of purified prothrombin in plasma of 90 normal subjects resulted in a parallel significant increase of APC resistance. Significantly different mean n-APC-SR in 879 GG20210 subjects compared to 27 heterozygous carriers of isolated G20210A mutation was observed (1.0 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.95 +/- 0.11; P = 0.02) in a random sample of 906 normal population subjects. Twenty-seven families with VT and isolated G20210A mutation consecutively diagnosed during 1998-1999 were evaluated. Mean n-APC-SR was significantly lower in the 80 G20210A carriers compared to 58 GG 20210 relatives investigated, even after sex and age adjustment (0.92 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.05 +/- 0.13; P < 0.0001). A strong relationship between plasma prothrombin level and n-APC-SR was observed in the families. When n-APC-SR values were grouped in tertiles, the odds ratio for VTE, after exclusion of the index cases and adjustment for 20210 status, for subjects in the lowest tertile (n-APC-SR 0.73-0.90) was 4.58 (95% CI 0.78-26.88) compared to upper tertile (n-APC-SR 1.01-1.30). In conclusion, in subjects with G20210A mutation APC resistance is significantly increased, correlates with plasma prothrombin level and the carriers with the lowest APC resistance values have an increased risk of VTE.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2000

Definition of relapse risk and role of nonanthracycline drugs for consolidation in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia: a joint study of the PETHEMA and GIMEMA cooperative groups.

Preliminary independent reports of the Italian GIMEMA and the Spanish PETHEMA trials for newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) indicated a similarly high antileukemic efficacy in terms of complete remission and disease-free survival rates. To better investigate these studies and the prognostic factors influencing relapse risk, this study analyzed the updated results of 217 patients with PML/RAR alpha-positive APL enrolled in GIMEMA (n = 108) and PETHEMA (n = 109). All patients received identical induction (AIDA schedule) and maintenance. For consolidation, GIMEMA patients received 3 courses including idarubicin/cytarabine, mitoxantrone/etoposide, and idarubicin/cytarabine/thioguanine, whereas PETHEMA patients received the same drugs and dose schedule of idarubicin and mitoxantrone with the omission of nonintercalating agents. Depending on whether molecular relapses were classified as censored or uncensored events, the 3-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of relapse-free survival (RFS) for the combined series were 90 +/- 2% and 86 +/- 2%, respectively. Minor differences observed between the 2 patient cohorts were negligible. Multivariate regression analysis of RFS showed that initial leukocyte (WBC) and platelet counts were the only variables with independent prognostic value. The resulting predictive model for RFS demonstrated its capability of segregating patients into low-risk (WBC count </= 10 x 10(9)/L, platelet count > 40 x 10(9)/L), intermediate-risk (WBC count </= 10 x 10(9)/L, platelets </= 40 x 10(9)/L), and high-risk (WBC count > 10 x 10(9)/L) groups, with distinctive RFS curves (P <.0001). The conclusions are that omission of nonanthracycline drugs from the AIDA regimen is not associated with reduced antileukemic efficacy and a simple predictive model may be used for risk-adapted therapy in this disease. (Blood. 2000;96:1247-1253)

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

High-dose treatment with autologous bone marrow support as consolidation of first remission in younger patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia.

BACKGROUND: Debate and controversy remain as to the optimal post-remission therapy for younger patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). The aim of this study was to evaluate high-dose treatment (HDT) with autologous bone marrow support (ABMS) as consolidation of first complete remission (CR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-four patients (AML-M3 excluded, median age 38 years, range 15-49 years) received remission induction therapy comprising: adriamycin 25 mg/m2, days 1-3, cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) and 6-thioguanine, both at 100 mg/m2 bid, days 1-7. Patients in whom CR was achieved received two further cycles of the same treatment prior to bone marrow being harvested and cryopreserved. HDT comprised ara-C: 1 g/m2 b.i.d. x six days and total body irradiation (TBI): 200 cGy b.i.d. for three days. Thawed autologous marrow was then re-infused. RESULTS: Complete remission was achieved in 106 of 144 patients (73%) who were thus eligible to receive ara-C + TBI + ABMS; 61 actually received it. Following HDT, the median time to neutrophil recovery (> 0.5 x 10(9)/l) was 25 days (range 11-72 days) and to platelet recovery (> 20 x 10(9)/l), 42 days (range 15-159 days). There were eight treatment-related deaths. Analysis by 'intention to treat' shows both remission duration (log-rank, P = 0.001) and survival (log-rank, P = 0.004) to be significantly longer for the 106 patients eligible to receive HDT than for a historical control group (n = 133) who received identical remission induction and consolidation therapy but without ara-C + TBI + ABMS. With a median follow-up of 5.5 years, 39 of 106 patients remain in CR (37%) and 54 (51% of those in whom CR was achieved) remain alive, with a predicted actuarial survival of 52% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of ara-C + TBI + ABMS to conventional consolidation therapy significantly improved remission duration and survival over those of a historical control group of patients with AML (aged < 50, AML-M3 excluded). HDT was, however, associated with significant treatment-related mortality and slow blood count recovery. The use of ara-C + TBI supported by peripheral blood progenitor cells should make the treatment safer and more widely applicable in AML.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Heightened proteolysis of the von Willebrand factor subunit in patients with von Willebrand disease hemizygous or homozygous for the C2362F mutation.

We studied the proteolytic pattern of the mutant von Willebrand factor (VWF) in four patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) who were either homozygous or hemizygous for the mutation C2362F. A significant decrease in the native fragment of 225 kDa was evident in all the patients, together with a marked increase in the 176 and 140 kDa fragments, a pattern usually observed in type 2A VWD. The proteolytic pattern measured in four heterozygotes for C2362F was within the normal range, suggesting that the mutant VWF C2362F present in the plasma of these patients may be protected from proteolysis by normal VWF.

Genotype↗
PubMed2000

Early haemorrhagic morbidity and mortality during remission induction with or without all-trans retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukaemia.

A total of 622 consecutive patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) treated within the Gruppo Italiano per le Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto (GIMEMA) group during 1989-97 have been reviewed to assess the clinical effectiveness of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the incidence of early haemorrhagic deaths and on APL-associated coagulopathy. Of them, 499 were treated with idarubicin plus ATRA (study A) and 123 with Idarubicin alone (study B). In both studies, similar guidelines for supportive treatment were used. Haemorrhagic symptoms were evaluated according to a reproducible score system. Deaths occurring within 10 d of starting treatment were 19 (3.8%) in study A and nine (7.3%) in study B (P = 0.09), with 15 (3%) and five (4.1%) (P not significant) due to haemorrhage. Overall, induction mortality was 7.6% and 16.2% respectively (P < 0.003). In study A, days with platelet counts </= 20 x 109/l or with fibrinogen </= 1 g/L were reduced by about 30%, the haemorrhagic score by 50% and the consumption of blood products by about 40%, and fewer patients were treated with antihaemorrhagic drugs (39% vs. 61%; P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, early deaths were influenced by blast count at diagnosis > 30 x 109/l (P < 0.001) in both studies, and by a haemorrhagic score of 3 in study A (P < 0.001). Although the reduction of early fatal haemorrhages was not significant, a substantial clinical improvement was evident in terms of reduction of the severity of bleeding symptoms, blood product consumption and overall induction mortality when ATRA was combined with idarubicin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Autosomal dominant type 1 von willebrand disease due to G3639T mutation (C1130F) in exon 26 of von Willebrand factor gene: description of five Italian families and evidence for a founder effect.

Twenty-four apparently unrelated Italian patients with autosomal dominant type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD) and a clear autosomal pattern of inheritance of bleeding symptoms were screened for the C1149R and C1130F mutations. None of the patients had the C1149R mutation; three patients and four affected relatives were heterozygous for the C1130F mutation. The mutation appeared to be linked to a single haplotype, defined by five genetic markers [variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) I and II in intron 40, RsaI in exons 13 and 18 and HphI in exon 28], suggesting a founder effect. The patients responded well to desmopressin infusion. The C1130F mutation might have a dominant negative effect on the secretion of the normal protein that desmopressin would appear to overcome.

Deamino Arginine Vasopressin↗
PubMed2000

Second malignancies in patients with essential thrombocythaemia treated with busulphan and hydroxyurea: long-term follow-up of a randomized clinical trial.

We have previously demonstrated that hydroxyurea (HU) reduces the rate of vascular complications in patients with essential thrombocythaemia (ET) at high risk of thrombosis. However, the relatively short follow-up (median 27 months) did not enable the evaluation of the risk of developing secondary malignancies. In this study, we report the long-term outcome of the 114 patients included in the trial: 56 patients randomized to receive HU and 58 patients to receive no cytoreductive therapy. Before randomization, 15 patients had been treated with busulphan. During the observation period, 29 patients (50%) shifted from the control to the HU group mainly because of thrombosis. Median follow-up was 73 months (range 3-94). Analysis was by intention to treat and, when indicated, by treatment. When analysed by intention to treat, 46 out of 54 patients (85%) originally randomized in the HU group are alive, compared with 49 of 58 patients (84%) in the control group [not significant (n.s.)]. Five patients (9%) in the HU group and 26 patients (45%) in the control group had thrombosis (P < 0.0001). Seven patients (13%) in the HU group developed secondary acute leukaemia, myelodysplastic syndromes or solid tumours, compared with only one of the control group patients (1.7%) (P = 0.032). The occurrence of secondary malignancies was also analysed by treatment: none of the 20 patients who had never been treated with chemotherapy developed neoplasia vs. three of the 77 patients given HU only (3.9% n.s.) and five of the 15 patients given busulphan plus HU (33% P < 0. 0001). This study showed that: (a) HU reduced the risk of thrombosis in ET patients; (b) the sequential use of busulphan and HU significantly increased the risk of second malignancies; and (c) overall survival was not affected by HU therapy.

Acute Disease↗