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Biomedical subjects

G Colella

Publications and source records attributed to G Colella.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

HPV infection in relation to OSCC histological grading and TNM stage. Evaluation by traditional statistics and fuzzy logic model.

We aimed to evaluate if in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) there is a relationship between histological grading (HG), TNM clinical stage and HPV infection; and to study the performance of fuzzy logic compared to traditional statistics, in the analysis of HPV status and correlates of OSCC. In cross-sectional analysis, the study group comprised 63 patients (mean age 68.89 years (SD +/-11.78), range (32-93); males 28 (44.4%), females 35 (55.6%)) with OSCC histologically diagnosed. HPV-DNA was studied in exfoliated oral epithelial cells by nested PCR (MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primers). Data were analysed in parallel by traditional statistics with multivariate analysis and a fuzzy logic (FL) technique (membership functions as input, the ANFIS methodology, and the Sugeno's model of first order). HPV infection was detected in 24/63 (38.1%) of OSCC, as being HPV+ve 14/36 (38.9%) in G1, 7/18 (38.9%) in G2, and 3/9 (33.3%) in G3; HPV+ve 8/33 (24.2%) in Stage I, 9/12 (75.0%) in Stage II, 6/11(54.5%) in Stage III, and 1/7 (14.3%) in Stage IV. In both methods of analysis, no significantly increased risk of HPV infection was found for any HG score; whereas, TNM stage II was significantly associated to HPV infection (p=0.004; OR=9.375 (95% CI=2.030:43.30); OR'=11.148 (95% CI=1.951:43.30)), and, in particular, to primary tumour size T2 (p=0.0036; OR=7.812 (95% CI=1.914:31.890); OR'=9.414 (95% CI=1.846:48.013)); FL (% of prevision: 79.8; Root Mean-Square Error (RMSE): 0.29). No association was found between HPV infection and any demographical variable. Our findings show an association between HPV infection with TNM (stage II-T2), but not with histological grading of OSCC. Also, FL seems to be an additional effective tool in analysing the relationship of HPV infection with correlates of OSCC.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA amounts and ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma and leukoplakia.

Histone variants (e.g. H3) play an important role in chromatin structure and gene expression regulation of normal cells. Aims of this study were to: (1) estimate H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA expressions and their ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral leukoplakia (OL); (2) investigate whether H3 and H3.3 variants could play a role in the pathogenesis of OSCC and OL, also conditionally to HPV infection, age, gender, and main habits (tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking) in human beings studied. Twenty-three cases of OSCC and 20 cases of OL were examined in lesion site (LS) and juxtaposed clinically undamaged site (JUS) by RT-PCR for H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA; 13 healthy oral mucosa samples (HS) were investigated in a single site as controls. HPV DNA presence was investigated in the respective exfoliated oral mucosa cells by nested PCR (nPCR: MY09-MY11/GP5-GP6). The data showed that both H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA crude concentrations are higher in OSCC (LS = 2901 +/- 459 ng of H3; JUS = 2699 +/- 658 ng of H3; LS = 3190 +/- 411 ng of H3.3; JUS = 2596 +/- 755 ng of H3.3) than those in OL (LS = 2095 +/- 349 ng of H3; JUS = 2192 +/- 897 ng of H3; LS = 2076 +/- 911 ng of H3.3; JUS = 1880 +/- 654 ng of H3.3) and in HS (2579 +/- 959 ng of H3; 2300 +/- 758 ng of H3.3), although not reaching any statistical significance. Interestingly, ratio of H3/H3.3 mRNA amounts decrease both in OSCC (0.99) and OL (1.009) vs HS (1.121). No association was found for H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA expressions in OSCC and OL with respect to HPV infection and the social-demographical variables considered (P > 0.2). The overall higher expression of H3.3 in damaged tissues up to the ratio inversion in OSCC especially in HPV+ alcohol drinkers (60.0%) represents the most interesting finding, in consideration of the proven ability of alcohol to act as permeability enhancer of human oral mucosa, to alter the mucosal structure and by this dynamics could favour the penetration through the epithelial layers of HPV.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Vascular malformations of the tongue: MRI findings on three cases.

Vascular malformations are common lesions accounting for approximately 7% of all benign tumours, the majority of which develop in the head and neck region. Generally, vascular malformations such as lymphangiomas, haemangiomas, and arteriovenous communications in the head and the neck represent only an aesthetic problem. However, when localized in the tongue, these lesions can create clinical problems consisting, in the majority of cases, in spontaneous haemorrhage from the mouth. Although uncommon, progressive asymmetric growth of the tongue (macroglossia) can be also observed. Three consecutive cases of vascular malformations of the tongue have been studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neither contrast medium administration nor angio-MR technique was used. In our experience, MR appears to be the ideal technique to define the site, extension and origin of vascular malformations, due to its ability to depict the typical signal flow voids in the lesions and to differentiate slow-flow lesions from high-flow ones.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Endoscopic treatment of quadrigeminal cistern arachnoid cysts.

Five patients with arachnoid cysts of the quadrigeminal cistern treated by endoscopic fenestration are reported and another eleven well-documented cases from the literature are reviewed. Among the five personal cases four were children and one was adult; the cyst fenestration was performed from the lateral ventricle in three cases and from the third ventricle in two. In four patients the endoscopic treatment resulted in clinical remission, whereas a two-month-old baby later required a shunt. The lateral ventricle-cystostomy and the third ventricle-cystostomy (according to the cyst extent) are the best endoscopic procedures, whereas the cyst fenestration through a suboccipital supracerebellar approach is no longer used. The rate of cured or improved patients after endoscopic surgery (14/16 or 87.5%) was rather similar to that of a group of twenty patients treated by traditional surgery (craniotomy and cyst excision and/or shunt) (85%). These data confirm that endoscopic fenestration of quadrigeminal cistern cysts must be performed as the first procedure because it is less invasive and avoids shunt dependency.

Arachnoid Cysts↗
PubMed2005

Autogenous calvarial bone graft harvest: intraoperational complications.

In the field of maxillofacial reconstructive surgery, the authors take into consideration the autogenous calvarial bone graft harvest technique for the correction of maxilla bone defects and examine some salient aspects such as technical problems and possible surgical complications.

Alveolar Ridge Augmentation↗
PubMed2005

Myeloid sarcoma occurring in the maxillary gingiva: a case without leukemic manifestations.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a localized extramedullary mass of immature granulocytic cells that usually occurs in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myeloproliferative disorders. It may rarely precede peripheral blood or bone marrow involvement, presenting a diagnostic challenge. Although MS may be found in any location, an intraoral occurrence is rare. In this report we describe a rare case of a patient with nonleukemic MS of the maxillary gingiva. The histologic specimen was first interpreted as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The correct diagnosis was reached after extensive immunohistologic studies. The malignant cells were myeloperoxidase positive, lysozyme positive, CD45+, CD68+, CD3-, CD10-, CD19-, CD20-, CD30-, CD34-, CD56-, CD79a-, S100-, and chloroacetate esterase negative. Induction therapy with FLAND (fludarabine, Ara-C, mitoxantrone, and dexamethasone) was started, but the patient did not achieve a remission. Some weeks later, the patient presented pleural effusion and paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve on the left side. She died a few days later. The present case indicates the importance of a correct initial diagnosis for adequate therapy, which is often delayed because of a high misdiagnosis rate. If the MS is treated without intensive chemotherapy for AML as soon as possible, the prognosis will be poor.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed2005

Radiotherapy for maxillo-facial hemangiomas in children. Dental and periodontal long term effects.

Vascular maxillo-facial malformations, common pathologies in children, represent 7% of all benign tumors. They are divided into vascular malformations and hemangiomas. In the 70s-80s radiotherapy was the most applied technique, but because of its misuse or overdose, it could lead to relevant and hard consequences for the impact on the salivar glands, periodontium and growing maxillo-facial nuclei. The authors describe the case of a 38-year-old man, who, during infancy, was submitted to radiotherapy for a hemangioma to his chin and cheek. He was under observation for an agressive periodontitis, followed by a serious facial asimmetry, located in his irradiated side. They describe the therapy and the results obtained, underlying the particular difficulties detected in operating on tissues hardly and often irreversibly injured by radiotherapy. On the basis of this clinical case and of the most up-dated knowledge, therapeutical alternatives such as embolization, cryotherapy, cortisonic systemic and intralesional therapy, the use of interferon gamma 2 and the use of the most recent laser, are analyzed, and advantages and disadvantages and the most appropriate indications are underlined.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Proliferative verrucous vs conventional leukoplakia: no significantly increased risk of HPV infection.

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) is a very aggressive form of oral leukoplakia (OL) with high morbidity and mortality rates, hypothesised to be linked to HPV infection. This study aimed to determine the presence of HPV DNA in PVL in comparison with OL, and in relation to social-demographical variables (age, gender, smoking and drinking habits) in an Italian multi-centric hospital-based study. The study group consisted of 58 cases of PVL and 90 cases of OL as controls (47 homogeneous (H) and 43 non-homogeneous (non-H) form), both recruited from four Italian cohorts. HPV DNA was identified in exfoliated mucosal cells by nested PCR (nPCR) with MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primer pairs and the HPV genotype determined by direct DNA sequencing. HPV DNA was found in 24.1% (14/58)of PVL and in 25.5% (23/90) of OL; there was thus no significant difference found between PVL and OL (both forms) for risk of HPV infection (OR=0.93; 95% IC:0.432-1.985). Similarly, in both groups of PVL and OL lesions, no statistic association was found between any demographical variable considered and HPV infection. HPV-18 was the most frequently detected genotype in all tissues, being found in 78.5% and 60.8% of HPV+ve PVL and OL, respectively. Other more rarely detected genotypes were HPV-16 (28.6% in PVL and 13% in OL), HPV-6 (17.4% in OL) and HPV-53 (8.8% in OL). PVL does not appear more likely to be associated to HPV infection than conventional OL lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Malignant intracerebellar schwannoma.

The authors report an exceptional case of malignant cerebellar schwannoma in a 29-year-old woman, explored by computed tomography and angiography; a solid and vascular vermian tumor was removed at operation. The histological diagnosis of malignant schwannoma with epithelioid areas was confirmed by immunohistological staining (positive S-100 protein, Leu 7 and vimentin, negative glial fibrillary acid protein, cytokeratin, desmin and HMB45). The patient died 8 months after surgery for tumor recurrence. The literature review has shown 44 cases of schwannomas occurring in the cerebral hemispheres, 9 within the brain stem and 14 in the cerebellum. All but one reported cerebellar schwannomas were benign, with prevalence of young patients and vermian localization. The present case is the second reported malignant intracerebellar schwannoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Oral cancer. Retrospective analysis of 118 cases].

AIM: Oral carcinoma is a form of neoplasia with well-known clinical and morphologic features. This study presents the difference of incidence and behaviour in relation to the time of onset of oral carcinoma, and describes the experience made at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Second University of Naples. METHODS: In this study 118 patients are analysed. They are divided into 3 groups according to age: group A up to 40 years; group B, from 41 to 75 years; group C from 75 years onwards. RESULTS: No patient of group A showed a carcinoma of verrucous type. This histologic type was found in group B, (14 patients: 14,1%) and in group C (6 patients: 46,1%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study underline the importance of the time of onset in the behaviour of oral carcinoma and the age of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

One-trocar laparoscopy: a valid procedure to treat abdominal complications in children with peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to show the efficacy of laparoscopy using only one umbilical trocar to treat abdominal complications of hydrocephalic children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 15-year period, 14 laparoscopies were performed on as many children with VPS complications: in the last 4 patients only one trocar was used to solve the complications, and this subgroup will be the object of the present study. Concerning the indication for surgery, the patients presented one catheter lost in the abdominal cavity; one cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts; one bowel obstruction; and one malfunctioning peritoneal limbs of the catheter. We used the one-trocar laparoscopic approach in all the 4 patients, and the 10-mm trocar was always introduced through the umbilical orifice in open laparoscopy. RESULTS: The laparoscopic technique was curative in all four cases and permitted the solution of the complication. CONCLUSIONS: One-trocar laparoscopic surgery can be considered as the ideal procedure in case of abdominal complications of VPS in children with hydrocephalus.

Abdominal Cavity↗
PubMed2003

[Pancreas transplantation. Experience in the first 50 patients at the Niguarda Hospital of Milan: clinical outcome and open questions].

AIM: Personal experience in 50 patients who underwent combined pancreas-kidney transplantation (PKT), with particular reference to mortality and surgical complications is reported. METHODS: Between October 1993 and December 2001, 50 adult patients (36 males and 14 females), mean age 37 years (range 25-60), with chronic renal failure, and Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM), underwent 54 pancreas transplantation (4 patients retransplanted) and 52 kidney transplantation (2 patients retransplanted). Different surgical procedures have been employed during the period of 9 years. All patients underwent the same immunosuppressive regimen; the mean length of follow-up was 49 months. During the follow-up, 30 out of 43 patients who maintained a good graft function fulfilled a questionnaire about their quality of life following the criteria of the Medical Outcome Study (MOS). RESULTS: All patients became euglycemic immediately after the surgical procedure. One patient died post-operatively due to pulmorary thromboembolism after pancreas retransplantation for acute venous thrombosis; 1 other patient died 9 months after the procedure for acute myocardial infarction. Four patients developed acute venous thrombosis. All these patients underwent pancreas retransplantation, but 3 of these patients who survived the procedure lose the graft function for chronic rejection within 1 year. Fourteen patients showed acute rejection, 7 patients CMV infection. Three patients showed hyperchloremic acidosis, 12 patients bronchopulmonar infection and 7 patients urinary infection. Among surgical complications anastomotic fistula in 6 patients was also recorded. Five patients out of 50 lose the pancreatic graft function. After 1 from PKT, 83% of patients who fulfilled a questionnaire were strongly satisfied about their quality of life. No patients developed de novo tumors following chronic immunosuppression. The 5-year survival for patient, kidney and pancreas was 95.6%, 93.4% and 84.7% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience in 50 patients submitted to PKT shows no graft loss due to acute rejection. Surgical complications (acute venous thrombosis) and chronic rejection are the most important factors leading to graft loss. A graft in "head-up" position, a short portal vein of the graft, a "no-touch technique" during pancreas retrieval can be some of the most important factors which can reduce the rate of surgical complications. Combined kidney-pancreas transplantation showed in our experience a low mortality rate and a moderate incidence of morbidity and should be considered, at the moment, the treatment of choice for patients with renal failure and IDDM.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Expression of the anti-apoptotic gene survivin correlates with taxol resistance in human ovarian cancer.

Stable transfection of human ovarian carcinoma cells with survivin cDNA caused a four- to sixfold increase in cell resistance to taxotere and taxol (two-sided Student's t test, p < 0.05), with a concomitant reduction in the apoptotic response to taxol, but did not affect cell sensitivity to cisplatin or oxaliplatin. Such findings were indirectly supported by similar observations obtained with clinical tumours. In fact, high levels of survivin protein expression (>30% positive cells), detected by immunohistochemistry in 90/124 (73%) advanced ovarian carcinomas, were significantly associated with clinical resistance to a taxol/platinum-based regimen but unrelated to tumour shrinkage following cisplatin-including combinations (non-taxol based). In the 95 patients receiving a taxol/platinum-based regimen, survivin overexpression correlated with a lower clinical or pathologic complete remission rate than absent/low protein expression (43 vs 75%, p = 0.0058 by logistic regression adjusted for tumour stage, histological grade and p53 expression). Conversely, in the 29 cases treated with cisplatin-containing regimens (not taxol based), survivin expression was unrelated to tumour response. Cellular studies and clinical data suggest a direct link between survivin expression and tumour cell susceptibility to taxol.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed2002

[Traumatic neuroma of the great auricular nerve. A clinical case].

A clinical case of neuroma resulting from an amputation which occurred following parotid surgery is reported. The present paper discusses the importance of differential diagnosis relating to this pathology and the surgical techniques that may contribute to setting a limit on its onset. Traumatic neuroma is a possible complication of parotid surgery together with motor deficiencies and Frey's syndrome and the less frequent salivary fistulas. It may also occur following oncological or plastic-reconstructive surgery. During parotidectomy operations, section of the great auricular nerve may be required to facilitate access to the parotid region. This manoeuvre may, however, also be associated with the onset of a neuroma during a time period varying from 2 to 10 years, according to the various authors who have examined the subject. The laterocervical tumefaction associated with neuroma poses a number of diagnostic problems as it has to be differentiated from a likely relapse or possibly from more complex inflammatory or metastatic lymphnodal pathology. A correct clinical and diagnostic multidisciplinary approach is fundamental if the pathology is to be classified in the right way and contributes to alleviating a state of mental unease in the patient that is associated with the sudden appearance of the tumefaction. Sectioning the nervous trunk by means of thermocautery and its subsequent sinking below the main trunk of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, are simple surgical manoeuvres that are useful for preventing the onset of traumatic neuroma.

Amputation Stumps↗
PubMed2001

Activity of a trinuclear platinum complex in human ovarian cancer cell lines sensitive and resistant to cisplatin: cytotoxicity and induction and gene-specific repair of DNA lesions.

A collateral sensitivity or a very modest cross-resistance to BBR 3464 was found in 2 ovarian cancer cell lines with experimentally induced resistance to cisplatin. Loss of mismatch repair proteins (hMLH1, hPMS2) or overexpression of nucleotide excision repair proteins (ERCC1) was not detrimental for the cellular sensitivity to BBR 3464. Moreover, interesting differences in the kinetics of formation and removal of DNA lesions at the single-gene (N- ras) level were observed between BBR 3464 and CDDP.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2001

Effects of a novel trinuclear platinum complex in cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell lines: interference with cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis.

We evaluated the effects of the trinuclear platinum complex, BBR 3464, in a human ovarian carcinoma cell line (OAW42) and in its cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant counterpart (OAW42MER). A 14-fold increased sensitivity to a 1-h BBR 3464 exposure was found in OAW42MER cells compared with their parental cell line. Flow cytometric experiments showed that BBR 3464 was able to induce a persistent block of OAW42 and OAW42MER cells in the G2M phase, whereas CDDP caused an initial accumulation of cells in the S phase followed by an increase in the G2M cell fraction in both cell lines. Exposure to equitoxic (IC(50)) drug concentrations induced programmed cell death in both cell lines. However, the percentage of cells with an apoptotic nuclear morphology was slightly higher after CDDP than BBR 3464 treatment in OAW42 cells, whereas the opposite pattern was observed in OAW42MER cells. Degradation of the nuclear lamin B was detected in OAW42 cells after exposure to each drug. Conversely, in OAW42MER cells lamin B cleavage was only appreciable after BBR 3464 exposure. In OAW42 cells, CDDP and BBR 3464 did not appreciably affect the mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsi(mt)), whereas in the OAW42MER cell line a marked Deltapsi(mt) reduction was observed after exposure to BBR 3464, but not to CDDP. The results of the study would suggest that the sensitivity to BBR 3464 observed in the CDDP-resistant OAW42MER cell line might be attributable to the ability of the trinuclear platinum complex to modify DNA in a way which is different from that of CDDP and, as a consequence, to induce different cellular responses to DNA damage such as the triggering of specific apoptotic pathways.

Antineoplastic Agents↗