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Biomedical subjects

G Nicolò

Publications and source records attributed to G Nicolò.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of cathepsin D as prognostic predictor in breast cancer.

Cathepsin D is an acidic lysosomal protease expressed in all cells. Some studies have shown correlations between high levels of tissue cathepsin D and poor prognosis. This paper deals with 158 cases of breast cancer in which tissue concentrations in cathepsin D, age, estrogen and progesterone receptor content, and pathological characteristics of the tumor were investigated. Tumors were considered to be cathepsin D+ when a concentration > 40 pmol/mg protein (median value in our samples) was determined. The expression of cathepsin D appears to be related to grading (p = 0.04) and lymph node status (p = 0.05). We found no significant associations among cathepsin D levels, patient age, steroid receptors and histological type. Moreover, the levels of cathepsin D have been evaluated in 9 samples of recurring or metastatic neoplasia and 11 cases of benign breast lesions. We conclude that cathepsin D may be a useful prognostic predictor in breast cancer. Further investigations are required to improve and extend the applications of this assay.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Localization of the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer by combined lymphoscintigraphy, blue dye and intraoperative gamma probe.

Axillary lymph node status represents the most important prognostic factor in patients with operable breast cancer. A severe limitation of this technique is the relatively high rate of false negative sentinel lymph nodes (>5%). We studied 284 patients suffering from breast cancer; 264 had T1 tumors (16 T1a, 37 T1b and 211 T1c), while 20 had T2 tumors. All patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy 18-h before surgery. At surgery, 0.5 mL of patent blue violet was injected subdermally, and the sentinel lymph node (SN) was searched by gamma probe and by the dye method. The surgically isolated SN was processed for intraoperative and delayed examinations. The SN was successfully identified by the combined radioisotopic procedure and patent blue dye technique in 278/284 cases (97.9%). Analysis of the predictive value of the SN in relation to the status of the axillary lymph nodes was limited to 191 patients undergoing standard axillary dissection irrespective of the SN status. Overall, 63/191 (33%) identified SNs were metastatic, the SN alone being involved in 37/63 (58.7%) patients; a positive axillary status with negative SN was found in 10/73 (13.7%) patients with metastatic involvement. In T1a-T1b patients the SN turned out to be metastatic in 9/53 patients (17.0%). In 7/9 patients the SN was the only site of metastasis, while in 2/9 patients other axillary lymph nodes were found to be metastatic in addition to the SN. None of the 44 patients in whom the SN proved to be non-metastatic showed any metastatic involvement of other axillary lymph nodes. Our results demonstrate a good predictive value of SN biopsy in patients with breast cancer; the predictive value was excellent in those subjects with nodules smaller than 1 cm.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pleomorphic adenocarcinoma of the ciliary epithelium: a clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, DNA-ploidy and comparative genomic hybridization analysis of an unusual case.

PURPOSE: To describe detailed phenotypic and genotypic analysis of a pleomorphic adenocarcinoma of the ciliary epithelium (CE). CASE REPORT: An 86-year-old white woman developed an enlarging mass protruding from her previously eviscerated left eye 2 months postoperatively. Based on light and ultrastructural microscopy, the final diagnosis was a pleomorphic adenocarcinoma of the ciliary epithelium (CE). DISCUSSION: Cell proliferation indices confirmed the unusually rapid growth rate of this tumor; the peridiploid DNA content might explain the relatively low incidence of distant metastases. An imbalance of the chromosome 6 was also found by Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH).

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multiple bilateral choroidal metastatic tumors from a small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown primary site.

PURPOSE: To report one case of multiple and bilateral choroidal tumors from a poorly differentiated small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown primary. METHODS: The case of a 30-years-old white female who developed multiple and bilateral choroidal tumors from a poorly differentiated small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown primary is presented. RESULTS: The patient had a disseminated disease and died 6 months after. The oncologic work-up, including physical examination, laboratory and radiographic study, fails to identify the primary site. CONCLUSIONS: Intraocular involvement from a poorly differentiated small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown primary has not yet reported. We describe this case together with a review of the literature.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Solitary fibrous tumor of the inguinal region: a clinicopathological, light-microscopic, immunohistochemical, electron microscopic and flow-cytometric DNA study.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare neoplasms with a probable mesenchymal origin that were first reported in the pleura but can occur in different sites. We report a case of SFT arising in the inguinal region of a 55-year-old woman. The patient presented with a mass in the left groin; she underwent wide excision of the lesion which was well-circumscribed and without evidence of adjacent soft tissue involvement. The histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic criteria for SFT were found. She had an uneventful recovery and she is alive without evidence of disease five years after operation. To our knowledge, this neoplasm has never been reported in this location.

DNA, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A multifactorial analysis of different biological and clinical parameters in breast cancer.

Different biological and clinical parameters were correlated in a consecutive series of breast cancer patients. Age, tumor size, hormonal receptor status, grading and lymph nodal status (N) were taken into account. A linear logistic regression analysis was performed for 83 patients in whom all parameters were known. Lymph nodal involvement was observed more frequently in tumors with a diameter larger than 2 cm (RR = 3.83; p less than 0.05); it was also more frequently observed in undifferentiated tumors (G2-3), although these data were not significant (RR = 2.75). Neither age nor hormonal receptors were related to lymph nodal involvement. A significant relationship between age and estrogen receptors (ER) was found: younger women had a greater frequency of ER negative tumors (RR = 8.81; p less than 0.005). An opposite tendency was found as regards progesterone receptor status (PgR) (RR = 0.20; p less than 0.05), although these data require further confirmation. No obvious correlation was found between tumor size and hormonal receptor content, although in younger patients tumor size seems to influence ER levels: tumors larger than 2 cm were 1.43 times more often ER negative than tumors smaller than 2 cm. There was no correlation between ER and grading, although G3 tumors were found to be ER negative more frequently than others (RR = 1.71; ns) and showed a tendency to be PgR negative (RR greater than 3). Finally, tumors with lower ER levels were more frequently PgR negative (RR = 11.89; p less than 0.001).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[On gastric sarcoma].

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Histological Techniques↗