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Biomedical subjects

G Castelli

Publications and source records attributed to G Castelli.

80 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications in polycythemia vera. A clinical study.

This study reviewed the clinical and hematologic characteristics of 161 patients with polycythemia vera treated with myelosuppressive agents, with or without antiaggregating platelet therapy, in order to determine the features associated with a risk of hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications. At presentation, 7 patients (4.3%) showed hemorrhages and 36 (22%) complained of thrombotic events. None of the evaluated clinical and hematologic parameters was significantly related to hemorrhagic or thrombotic presentation. During the clinical course, four of 107 patients (3.7%) experienced hemorrhagic complications and 34/107 patients (28%) complained of occlusive events, which accounted for 30% of total deaths. Among the clinical and hematologic presenting features, only age over 60 yrs could be identified as an unfavorable prognostic factor for the occurrence of thromboembolic episodes. Marked thrombocytosis, a high packed cell volume (PCV) and the thrombotic onset were not significantly related to the thrombotic risk. Platelet count and PCV at the time of the occlusive episode did not correlate with the clinical event; however, inadequate control of the proliferative disease seemed to increase the thrombotic tendency. Antiaggregating drugs, although unable to avoid thrombosis in our experience, might be safely associated with the myelosuppressive therapy, particularly in selected patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Phenotyping of peripheral lymphocytes with monoclonal antibodies in newborn infants and adults].

The authors investigated and compared lymphocyte subsets natural killer in 33 newborns and in 33 healthy adults. From 5 ml of heparinized venous blood were separated mononuclear cells on density-gradient Ficoll-Hypaque. The vitality was determined with immunofluorescent method (orange acridine and ethiobromide). It was positive if resulted at least 95%. Lymphocyte phenotype was also examined after incubation with monoclonal antiserum Becton-Dickinson conjugated with FITC and PE for 45' at 4 degrees C. Two hundred cells were counted on each slide with fluorescent microscopy. Total number of T-lymphocyte (Leu-4) was increased in newborns; total B-cells (Leu-12) were similar in newborns and healthy adults; T-helper/T-suppressor (Leu-3a/Leu-2a) ratio was above the normal range for increase T-helper. The percentage of subsets with double marker Leu-2a+/Leu-3a+ was always about 15-20%. NK cells with phenotype HNK-1 (Leu-7) were a little number in newborns while the percentage of NK-cells-Leu-11a was similar among adults and newborns.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiology of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: The estimated incidence of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is approximately 6 cases per 10 million people per year with no apparent differences between sexes. The age of APL cases is younger than that of other acute myeloid leukemias (AML). Spatial and temporal clusters of APL have been reported. These observations suggest a possible selective role for environmental and/or occupational factors in APL development. METHODS: A multicenter case-control study was carried out on risk factors for acute leukemias and preleukemias. In this report data related to APL are selectively analyzed from the larger study to identify specific risk factors. RESULTS: The case-control study on 38 cases of APL showed a strong association with shoemaking (odds ration 6.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3-31.1). A moderate leukemogenic effect from living in houses built with tuff, a polous building material containing gamma-emitting radionuclides and having a high radon concentration, and from using hair dyes was also suggested. CONCLUSIONS: These data, together with the reported spatial and temporal clustering of APL, support the hypothesis of specific environmental and/or occupational risk factors for APL among other AML subtypes and indicate the need for additional ad hoc multicenter studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bone marrow T-cell subsets in patients with monoclonal gammopathies: correlation with clinical stage and disease status.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The existence of an imbalance in T-cell subpopulations in patients (pts) affected by monoclonal gammopathies (MG) has been well established. This imbalance might be correlated with different control of plasma cell growth and, particularly in MM, with the severity of the disease. The aim of this study was to verify whether the alteration of the T lymphocyte subsets in bone marrow correlates with the diagnosis, clinical status and disease phase in patients with monoclonal gammopathies. METHODS: We performed a study on bone marrow (BM) T-cell subsets in 49 multiple myelomas (MM) and in 17 monoclonal gammopathies of uncertain significance (MGUS), using as controls 20 BM aspirates from normal subjects. RESULTS: The percentages of BM CD4 cells in MM pts at onset were slightly lower than in controls and in MGUS pts, who showed normal percentages of CD4. The percentages of CD8 cells were lower than in controls in both MM and MGUS (p = 0.02 and p = 0.007, respectively), and consequently the CD4/CD8 ratios were significantly higher than in normal subjects (p = 0.01 and 0.008, respectively). Analysis of BM T-cell subpopulations in MM pts showed a progressive decrease in the percentage of CD4 cells from stage I to stage III (I vs III p = 0.008) and an increase in CD8 cells, although not statistically significant. The same trend was observed when the different phases of MM (onset, plateau, progression) were analyzed: a lower percentage of CD4 cells and an increase of CD8 cells characterized the advanced phases. Treatment did not seem to alter significantly the distribution of T-cell subsets in MM patients. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The imbalance in T-cell involving the bone marrow lymphocytic populations that exist in MG is somewhat different in MGUS and MM. In MM patients this disturbance is related to the disease stages and phases, reflecting an important role for T-cell subsets in tumor cell control.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A rare cause of polyhydramnios: Steinert's syndrome. A clinical case report].

Steinert's syndrome is a systemic disease with autosome mother-to-child transmission, characterized by myotonia and muscular dystrophia. The syndrome's clinical characteristics include: respiratory and alimentation diseases, facial diplegia, generalized hypotonia, areflexia, atrophy, arthrogryposis, hydramnios, retard in psychomotor development, cataract and genital disorders. A case of pregnancy occurs in Steinert syndrome's patient with hydramnios as a predominant symptom, is presented. At birth, in the congenital neonatal form, there is grave, generalized hypotonia which causes a very quick death of the newborn. There are not many characters which can be found out by ultrasound: hydramnios, reduction of fetal tone and active movements, micrognathia. Consequently it is of the utmost importance in those cases an adequate prenatal genetic counseling and a correct obstetrical management.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗