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G Pellegris

Publications and source records attributed to G Pellegris.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Improved collection of mobilized CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells by a novel automated leukapheresis system.

BACKGROUND: For simplification of blood cell transplantation, an automated apheresis system that exploits a dual-stage channel device for mononuclear cell (MNC) collection (AutoPBSC, designed for the COBE Spectra) was studied. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The automated default software (AutoPBSC-Default) and three software modifications of the harvest frequency during leukapheresis, referred to as AutoPBSC-1.25, AutoPBSC-1.75, and AutoPBSC-2.75, were evaluated in comparison with the semiautomated Version 4.7 (V4.7) apheresis system in 119 leukapheresis procedures performed in 90 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy plus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor. CD34+ cell and platelet collection efficiency (CE); volume and cell composition of the leukapheresis components; and patient platelet and red cell (RBC) loss during leukapheresis were measured. RESULTS: The majority of collection measures evaluated with the AutoPBSC compared favorably to those obtained with the V4.7. CD34+ cell CE increased from 55 percent with V4.7 to 68 percent with the AutoPBSC-Default (p = 0.05). The AutoPBSC provided lower platelet contamination in the collected component (1.18 x 10(11) vs. 2.26 x 10(11) with the V4.7; p<0.001). The volume of the AutoPBSC-Default component was significantly lower (67 vs. 180 mL with the V4.7; p<0.001). The MNC purity of the AutoPBSC component was greater (52 vs. 28% with the V4.7; p<0.001), and the RBC contamination lower (AutoPBSC, 0.53 x 10(11) vs. 1.04 x 10(11) with the V4.7; p<0.001). Modifications of the AutoPBSC to increase the harvest frequency by 1.25-, 1.75-, and 2.75-fold resulted in increased CD34+ cell CE (77%, 75%, and 83%, respectively; p<0.001 in all cases), but also in reduced numbers of circulating platelets, higher platelet contamination of the component, and lower MNC purity than were seen with the AutoPBSC-Default. CONCLUSION: The AutoPBSC offers the following advantages over the V4.7 system: a) better CE of CD34+ cells; b) reduced collection of platelets; c) reduced contamination of the leukapheresis component with granulocytes, platelets, and RBCs; d) reduced component volume; and e) automation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Study of the HLA-DP beta 1 locus by the polymerase chain reaction technique in patients with Hodgkin's disease.

BACKGROUND: A number of reports have studied associations between Hodgkin's disease and HLA. Some of them established correlation between several antigens and Hodgkin's disease, and others found no correlations. METHODS: The HLA DP locus was determined by the polymerase chain reaction method in 31 Hodgkin's disease patients and 58 healthy controls. RESULTS: No significant difference between patients and controls was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigations are needed to confirm the hypothesis of a possible role of the HLA complex as one of the factors involved in Hodgkin's disease.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Clinical application of growth factors for collection of circulating hematopoietic progenitors in breast cancer patients treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide.

Seventy-seven (68 operable breast cancer with > 9 metastatic axillary nodes and 9 inflammatory breast cancer) entered this study. During hematopoietic recovery after cancer therapy with high-dose cyclophosphamide (7 g/m2; HD-CTX) circulating hematopoietic progenitors were collected by leukapheresis (LK) in all patients and then cryopreserved for autologous transplantation. Following HD-CTX, 70 patients were treated with hematopoietic growth factor(s) for 14 days: 38 with rhGM-CSF (group a), 16 with rhIL-3 (group b), 11 with sequential rhIL-3 and rhGM-CSF (group c), 5 with sequential rhIL-3 and rhG-CSF (group d). Seven control patients (group e) did not receive any growth factor. Leukaphereses, carried out over 2-4 consecutive days per patient, were started earlier in group c and in group d patients (mean day: +12 after HD-CTX). The sequential administration of rhIL-3 and rhG-CSF (group d) resulted in clearly higher yield of CFU-GM and CD34+ cells per leukapheresis (65.9 x 10(4)/Kg versus 20.9 x 10(6)/Kg, respectively) if compared with other groups of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

HLA antigens in Italian multiple sclerosis patients.

We analyzed HLA-A, -C, -B, -DR and -DQ specificities in 104 Italian multiple sclerosis patients and in 905 healthy controls. The frequencies of HLA-A23, A26, Cw4, DR3 and, especially DR5 antigens were significantly higher in multiple sclerosis patients than in controls. Patients with progressive course were characterized by high frequencies of B7, B8 and DR3 antigens: Cw1 and DRw11 shows a negative correlation with the extent of intrathecal IgG production. These data confirm that the HLA system may influence the clinical expression and the immune responses to the disease.

HLA Antigens↗
PubMed1991

Methodologies to estimate circulating hematopoietic progenitors for autologous transplantation in cancer patients.

Optimal criteria for harvesting circulating hematopoietic progenitors (CHP) for autologous transplantation to support myeloablative cancer therapy are still uncertain mostly because the CFU-GM assay, the commonly used indirect indicator of the hematopoietic recovery of the graft, is poorly standardized and provides information evaluable only retrospectively. Based on the knowledge that CHP express CD34 and CD33 differentiation antigens and facilitated by the availability of a very efficient fluorescein-conjugated CD34 antibody (8G12), we developed a direct immunofluorescence flow cytometry assay with the aim of replacing the CFU-GM assay advantageously. Recently, in a comparative study, both assays were applied to 157 blood samples obtained daily throughout 20 different recoveries from pancytopenia induced by high-dose cyclophosphamide (7 g/m2) cancer therapy w/ or w/o rhGM-CSF. Results showed that: a) detectability of CD34+ CHP indicated an increase to greater than 500 CFU-GM/mL, a level clinically adequate for harvesting CHP; b) CD34+ cells correlated well with CFU-GM (R=0.89) and data fitted a linear regression line (y=388.3 + 64.0x; y=CFU-GM/mL and x=CD34+/uL); c) in a series of 8 patients treated with myeloablative chemoradiotherapy, early recovery of marrow functions was predicted more accurately by the number of transplanted blood CD34+/CD33+ cells than by nucleated cells, CFU-GM, CD34+/CD33-cells, or CD34-/CD33+ cells. As a guideline, provided platelets are greater than 70,000/uL, harvest of CHP by leukapheresis during recovery from chemotherapy induced pancytopenia should be started as soon as CD34+ cells appear in the circulation and continued until the threshold dose of 7.8x10(6) CD34+ cells/kg, equivalent to 50 x 10(4) CFU-GM/kg, is achieved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

HLA and multiple sclerosis in Italy: a review of the literature.

HLA antigens of locus A, C, B, DR and DQ were typed in 104 Italian multiple sclerosis patients and in 905 healthy controls; the results have been compared with those published in the Italian literature. The Italian studies have been reviewed regarding the ethnic origin of the typed population and the corresponding prevalence of the disease. The data suggest a lack of association between A3 and B7 antigens and Italian multiple sclerosis and a relevance of other DR locus antigens (mainly DR4 and DR5), in addition to DR2, in the susceptibility to the disease.

HLA Antigens↗
PubMed1990

Large-scale collection of circulating haematopoietic progenitors in cancer patients treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide and recombinant human GM-CSF.

Circulating haematopoietic progenitors from 36 cancer patients were collected by continuous-flow leukapheresis during the phase of rapid haematopoietic recovery after pancytopenia induced by high-dose cyclophosphamide and then cryopreserved for autologous transplantation. 20 of the patients also received intravenous infusion of recombinant human granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) for 7, 10 or 14 days after cyclophosphamide. 106 leukapheresis procedures were done for 2-5 consecutive days. Leukapheresis was started significantly earlier in patients receiving rhGM-CSF. In these patients, yields of peripheral blood elements (leucocytes, mononuclear cells, haematopoietic progenitors and platelets) were significantly higher than in controls treated with cyclophosphamide only. In particular, the mean number of granulocyte-monocyte colony-forming cells was 43.88 X 10(4) vs. 6.16 X 10(4) per kg patient body weight per leukapheresis. Side-effects of leukapheresis were limited to central venous catheter occlusion and fever in 4% and 2% of all procedures, respectively.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Increased incidence of certain TCR and HLA genes associated with myasthenia gravis in Italians.

In order to study the immunogenetics of myasthenia gravis (MG), we analysed the TCR and HLA-class II genes from Italian and Californian myasthenic patients. We investigated polymorphisms of the TCR using the full length cDNA probes pGA5 and the pT10 for the alpha and beta chains, respectively. The 6.3 kb and 2.0 kb polymorphic markers, revealed by the PssI enzyme and the alpha chain probe, were shown to be significantly associated with MG. Italian MG patients were HLA typed, and allele frequencies showed a significant association of DR3 and DQw2 with MG. The relative risk calculated for DR3 was 7.4. T-cell proliferative responses to peptides of the AchR alpha chain were also studied and no associations with TCR RFLP analysis or HLA-class II typing were observed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Immunoglobulin allotypes in familial malignant melanoma.

There is some evidence that genes at loci on the lower end of chromosome 14, encoding for the immunoglobulin heavy chains allotypes (Gm), may influence susceptibility to human tumors. We examined the Gm and Km (IgK light chain) allotype distribution in a sample of 41 patients with familial malignant melanoma and in 79 healthy relatives. An increased frequency of the haplotype carrying the Gm (2) allotype, namely Gm (1, 2, 17;..;21), seemed to be peculiar to patients, since it was almost twice as frequent in them than in the healthy population and four times as frequent with respect to the healthy relatives. Our findings are in keeping with previous suggestions that in Caucasian melanoma patients genes of the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region, or Gm-linked genes, may enhance susceptibility to malignant melanoma.

Female↗
PubMed1988

HLA antigens in familial and sporadic cutaneous melanoma.

One hundred and twenty-four subjects belonging to 25 families, 51 with familial malignant melanoma (FMM), and 186 subjects belonging to 41 families, 41 with sporadic malignant melanoma, were typed for the HLA A, B, C and DR loci of the HLA system. There was the same statistically significant difference in the frequency of the haplotype A9, B35, Cw4 between each group of patients and the respective healthy relatives (p = 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 4 x 10(-3), respectively). Moreover, the higher frequency of the haplotype A9, B35, Cw4 in the healthy members of the FMM families (42.46%) compared with the healthy members of the SMM families (23.44%) indicates that in the latter group other individuals are at risk for the disease. Furthermore, the different frequency of haplotypes B5, DR5 and B5, Cw1 suggest that differences exist between the two groups of healthy relatives. These observations confirm that the HLA region is involved in the etiology of malignant melanoma.

Gene Frequency↗
PubMed1984

Granulocyte transfusion therapy.

The authors summarise their experience with the new "early granulocyte transfusion" scheme obtained in cancer patients. The data, based on three trials, clearly point out )1 the importance of early granulocyte transfusion as compared to the traditional one; 2) the efficacy of early granulocyte transfusion in pediatric age and among adult patients in those with good regenerating hemopoietic system.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

HLA complex and familial malignant melanoma.

Six families with familial malignant melanoma (FMM) were HLA-A, -B, and -C typed to ascertain whether or not FMM would segregate with the HLA complex. The HLA-B12 antigen was present in five of the six families. In three families the HLA-FMM linkage could be analyzed: linkage was possible in two but not in the third. These findings suggested that two types of FMM may exist: a more frequent type (five cases) that apparently segregates with the HLA complex and another (one case) that does not segregate with the HLA complex. Moreover, a factor included in the HLA region or another factor linked to it may have played an important role, in five of the six families, in FMM pathogenesis, whereas in the sixth family its role may have been performed by some other factor. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of two complementary factors (one of which was included in the HLA complex) for the promotion of FMM with dominant inheritance and high penetrance.

Female↗
PubMed1982

Lysis of autologous human melanoma cells by in vitro allosensitized peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of melanoma patients were sensitized in vitro with lymphocytes of a single donor or with a pool of lymphocytes of 5-20 different donors. After 6-7 days, the cytotoxic activity of the sensitized PBL was tested against cultured autologous tumor cells and lymphocytes in a 51Cr-release assay. Tumor lysis was observed in 13 of 16 cases in which patients' PBL (Pt-PBL) were stimulated by a pool of allogeneic lymphocytes and in five out of seven cases when single sensitization was performed. In no case was lysis of autologous normal lymphocytes or blasts seen. Cultivation of Pt-PBL with irradiated autologous tumor cells never led to the induction of lymphocytes cytotoxic to melanoma cells. Lysability by pool-activated autologous Pt-PBL of fresh cryopreserved tumor cells was compared to that of short-term cultured tumor cells, and no significant differences were observed. Cold-target inhibition experiments indicated that the cytotoxicity of Pt-PBL was tumor-restricted since only autologous melanoma cells but not lymphocytes were able to inhibit the reaction. These results indicate that activation of Pt-PBL is necessary in order to elicit or amplify their antitumor activity.

Cytotoxicity, Immunologic↗
PubMed1980

HLA antigens in malignant melanoma patients.

One hundred and forty melanoma patients, divided in 2 groups, i.e., patients with clinical evidence of melanoma and patients with no clinical evidence of melanoma, were typed for HLA-A, -B and -C antigens and compared with 340 to 905 (according to each HLA antigen examined) healthy adult blood donors. Overall, a highly significant increase in HLA-B40 antigen (p = 5.6 x 10(-7)) and a decrease in HLA-BW35 (p = 1.6 x 10(-4)) was observed. No relevant difference was found between the 2 groups. Moreover, an unexpected excess of HLA blanks was observed at both A and B loci in the first group (p = 1.3 x 10(-2) and p = 3.3 x 10(-6), respectively) and only at the B locus in the second (p = 1.2 x 10(-2)), when the patients were compared to 288 healthy individuals HLA typed at the same time and with the same HLA antisera as the patients. The increase in HLA blanks in melanoma patients deserves further investigation to ascertain whether it may be due to the tumor not yet surgically removed or may be referred to technical pitfalls.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Phenotypic variations with time of some HL-A antigens.

In order to study the HL-A antigen turnover in vivo, the HL-A reactivities of the lymphocytes of eight blood donors were tested every week for six weeks with antisera HL-A1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 11. The analysis of variance showed that the "time" effect and the "time times donors" interaction were statistically significant for the HL-2, 3, 5 and 11 specificities. This supports the hypothesis that phenotypic expression of such antigens on the lymphocyte membrane of some of the blood donors examined varied with time. From a practical point of view, the HL-A antigenic fluctuation with time should be taken into consideration when lymphocyte typing is required for tissue transplantation.

Adult↗