PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Altavilla

Publications and source records attributed to G Altavilla.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Unusual relapse of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The authors report a patient with iatrogenic dissemination of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 65-year-old Caucasian man was found to have a moderately well-differentiated HCC diagnosed by laparoscopy and biopsy; the patient had atypical left liver lobe resection. Thirty-three months after definitive surgery a double relapse was found at the site of the previous laparoscopy and at the surgical scar; no other metastases were found. Surgical procedure for removal of these lesions was performed, and the patient received complementary radiation therapy. At 30 months of follow-up, the patient is alive and disease free. The risk of neoplastic seeding through biopsy and improved safety in surgical techniques justify the omission of diagnostic biopsy in patients who have surgical procedures.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Giant intrapericardial solitary fibrous tumor.

A 60-year-old man with a large pericardial effusion was found to have a giant intrapericardial solitary fibrous mesothelioma firmly attached to the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. Nine months after excision of the mass the patient is free from symptoms and signs of tumor recurrence. Solitary fibrous mesothelioma is a rare benign tumor and its excision is curative; however, because of the lack of information on its long-term behavior, close noninvasive follow-up of this patient is necessary.

Echocardiography↗
PubMed1992

Serous tumors of the ovary: ultrastructural observations.

One borderline primary serous ovarian tumor and six carcinomas were studied by means of electron microscopy. Borderline malignant tumor evidenced concomitant presence of both benign and malign serous epithelium. Ultrastructural observations revealed differentiation characteristics which involved complex architecture of cell arrangement and polarity in the distribution of the organelle and intercellular junctions. The cilia believed to be more frequent in benign tumors were also reported in poorly differentiated carcinomas and so may not be considered as reliable prognostic markers.

Cystadenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Cyclosporin A, effect on cytoskeleton and glycosaminoglycans in human gingival fibroblasts. Immunohistochemical and biochemical evaluation.

The effect of Cyclosporin A (CyA) in culture of human gingival fibroblasts was assessed. Extracellular and intracellular glycosaminoglycans decrease in treated cells. The ratio of non sulphated over sulphated GAGs (glycosaminoglycans) increased only in the medium. Cytoskeleton organization of treated fibroblasts was also studied by immunohistochemical means and by ultrastructural observations. Minor alterations were documented in the structure and distribution of cytoplasmic organelles. The organization of tubulin and vimentin filaments did not change in Cy A treated cells either. This study confirms the capability of Cyclosporin A to induce alterations of GAG production and synthesis with no interference in cytoplasm organization. Normal pathway GAG secretion is suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

VP16, epirubicin and procarbazine in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

We report the results obtained in the treatment of 52 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients with the combination chemotherapy VP16 (120 mg/m2 i.v., days 1-2-3), epirubicin (50 mg/m2 i.v., day 1) and procarbazine (100 mg/m2 p.o., days 1 through 8). The courses were repeated every 21 days. No patient had been pretreated. A median of 5 courses was administered. Partial response was obtained in 33% and no change in 21% of patients. Median remission time was 6.5 months, and median survival of responders was 10 months. The best response rate and median survival were obtained in the lowest grade performance status patients and in locally advanced disease patients. Major chemotherapy related toxicities were grade 1-2 leukopenia and grade 2-3 alopecia.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Treatment of advanced and/or metastatic epidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck: an effective combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, methotrexate and ftorafur.

29 evaluable patients with advanced and/or metastatic epidermoid carcinomas of the head and neck were treated with a combination of bleomycin, methotrexate and ftorafur. 3 complete remission, 12 partial remission (objective response 51.7%), 10 stable disease and 4 progressed disease were obtained, with the best responses in the oral cavity and skin carcinomas. The grade of performance status and the pretreatments affected the response, with a very high response rate in nonpretreated patients, where objective results were obtained in all cases. The toxicity was very mild. We believe that this combination can be recommended for epidermoid carcinomas of the skin and oral cavity, considering its high response rate, feasibility and low toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Antiblastic treatment of advanced cervical carcinoma and its recurrences: assessment of four different polychemotherapies used for a decade.

Eighty-seven women with advanced cervical carcinoma were treated, in 10 years, with systemic antiblastic chemotherapy using 4 different regimens in 4 successive periods: first VBM, then MAB, CDDP and finally BMFt. Selection of a regimen different than the initial one aimed to obtain a better response and less toxicity. As a whole, 25% positive responses (CR and PR) and an SD which varied from 31.4% to 58.3% were obtained. Among the regimens used, the one with bleomycin, methotrexate and ftorafur had a response rate (OR + SD) of 75% which is higher than what was obtained with regimens VBM and MAB and is similar to CDDP. Less toxicity with greater compliance were shown.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Glycosylation in human colorectal mucosa during tumor development studied by lectins.

The panel of six lectins was used for demonstration of glycosylative changes in the hyperplastic, adenomatous and carcinomatous mucosa of large bowel. The obtained results were rather heterogeneous with regard to lectin binding capacity in the single cases but they proved a certain uniformity of changes inside every tested group. These changes cohered with decrease of capability dysplastic and neoplastic cells to produce of normal goblets and with loss of cell polarity. Possible causes of these alterations are discussed.

Colon↗
PubMed1989

Lectin histochemistry of colonic adenomas.

34 adenomas of the colon and adjacent flat mucosa were reexamined by morphological, histochemical and immunohistochemical means. Adenomas were grouped according to the degree of epithelial cell atypia: group 1 (dysplastic adenomas) showing mild and moderate dysplasia and group 2 (cancerous adenoma) with severe dysplasia and carcinoma. Morphological and secretive changes (hyperplasia with hypersialomucin secretion), considered typical of 'transitional mucosa', were constantly found in the adjacent and stalk mucosa. A panel of six lectins were tested using PAP and ABC system methods to compare amount and cytoplasmic localization of labelling sites with the morphological changes such as hyperplasia, dysplasia and carcinoma. All the tested lectins were reactive in up to 90% of adenomas as well as in adjacent mucosa. Positivity was unrelated to the severity of dysplasia and no preferential localization of labelled sites was shown in the adenoma groups. However, cytoplasmic distribution of reactivity was quite different in hyperplastic epithelium compared to dysplastic ones.

Colonic Polyps↗
PubMed1988

Co-operation in cell transformation between BK virus and the human c-Harvey-ras oncogene.

Early-passage hamster embryo cells were transformed by recombinant DNA molecules containing BK virus (BKV) early-region gene and either the activated c-Ha-ras oncogene (pBK/c-rasA) or the normal c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene (pBK/c-rasN). The recombinant DNAs had a greater transforming ability and converted hamster cells to a more malignant phenotype than the single genes transfected separately. pBK/c-rasA was significantly more powerful than pBK/c-rasN in conferring to cells all the characteristics of transformation. Transfected DNA sequences were integrated mostly as single insertions into cellular DNA. Specific c-Ha-ras and BKV transcripts as well as c-Ha-ras p21 and BKV T antigen were detected in transformed cells. Although stimulation of c-Ha-ras expression by BKV enhancers cannot be excluded in recombinants, super-transfection and co-transfection experiments in hamster embryo cells and pre-neoplastic cell lines showed that BKV early-region and c-Ha-ras co-operate in transformation by contributing separate and independent functions.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Cooperation in oncogenesis between BK virus early region gene and the activated human c-Harvey ras oncogene.

Rapidly growing, undifferentiated brain tumours were induced in newborn Syrian hamsters by intracerebral inoculation of a recombinant DNA (pBK/c-rasA) carrying the BK virus (BKV) early region gene and the activated human c-Harvey-ras (c-Ha-ras) oncogene. Neither of the two genes inoculated alone nor recombinant DNA of the BKV early region gene and the normal human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene were tumourigenic. Tumour-derived cell lines propagated in culture were immortalized and had growth characteristics consistent with a fully transformed phenotype. Tumours and tumour cell lines contained pBK/c-rasA sequences integrated into cellular DNA and expressed BKV- and c-Ha-ras-specific transcripts as well as BKV T antigen and c-Ha-ras p21. These findings are discussed in relation to a possible cooperation or synergism between BKV and cellular oncogenes in human neoplasia.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Phase III randomized study of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide v fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide in advanced breast cancer: an Italian multicentre trial.

From February 1983 to January 1985, 497 patients with advanced breast cancer were randomly allocated to receive either epirubicin or doxorubicin in the following combination chemotherapy regimen: fluorouracil (5-FU) 500 mg/m2 intravenous (IV) on days 1 and 8; epirubicin or doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 IV on day 1; cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 IV on day 1 (FEC or FAC). Cycles were repeated every 21 days until progression or to cumulative doses of 700 mg/m2 for epirubicin and 550 mg/m2 for doxorubicin. Dose reductions were applied according to the standard criteria. Activity was evaluated in 443 patients (222 in the FEC arm and 221 in the FAC arm). The two experimental groups were comparable in age, performance status, menopausal status, histology, previous treatments, and site of the disease. The overall response rate (complete response and partial response [CR + PR]) was not significantly different: 53.6% for FEC and 56.5% for FAC. The median time to progression was 273 days for FEC and 314 days for FAC; the median survival time was 591 and 613 days, respectively. Leukopenia, anemia, nausea, and vomiting were significantly lower in patients treated with FEC. As for cardiotoxicity, four cases of congestive heart failure (CHF) were recorded among patients treated with FAC while only one was observed in the FEC group. These results indicate that epirubicin in a combination chemotherapy regimen is as active as doxorubicin and is significantly less toxic.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Induction of malignant subcutaneous sarcomas in hamsters by a recombinant DNA containing BK virus early region and the activated human c-Harvey-ras oncogene.

Malignant undifferentiated sarcomas were induced in 11 of 15 (73.3%) newborn Syrian hamsters by s.c. inoculation of a recombinant DNA (pBK/c-rasA) containing BK virus (BKV) early region gene and the activated human c-Harvey-ras(c-Ha-ras) oncogene derived from T24 bladder carcinoma. The two genes inoculated independently as well as a recombinant DNA of BKV early region gene and normal human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene were not tumorigenic. Tumor-derived cell lines propagated in culture were immortalized and had growth characteristics consistent with a fully transformed phenotype. Tumors and tumor cell lines showed tandem insertions of pBK/c-rasA in high copy number and expressed BKV- and c-Ha-ras-specific transcripts as well as BKV T-antigen and c-Ha-ras protein with a molecular weight of 21,000. We conclude that BKV DNA requires interaction with other oncogenic functions for tumorigenicity. These findings may be relevant to the role of BKV in human neoplasia, where cooperation or synergism between BKV and cellular oncogenes could occur as an aspect of the multifactorial process of carcinogenesis.

Animals↗