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G Saglio

Publications and source records attributed to G Saglio.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Human peripheral blood granulocytes and myeloid leukemic cell lines express both transcripts encoding for stem cell factor.

Stem cell factor (SCF), the ligand for the c-kit proto-oncogene, has been shown to play a critical role in the migration of melanocytes and germ cells during embryogenesis as well as in the proliferative control of the hematopoietic compartment. In this study we investigated the expression of both the soluble and transmembrane SCF forms in purified peripheral blood populations and in several hematopoietic cell lines. Expression of both transcripts, though in different ratios, was identified in whole bone marrow, in bone marrow stromal cells and in human peripheral blood. In peripheral blood, SCF expression could be ascribable to polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), whereas no SCF expression was detected in isolated lymphocytes, monocytes and in some T lymphoid cell lines. Conversely, some hematopoietic myeloid cell lines, such as HL-60, KG1 and K562, express SCF with similar patterns.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Genetic analysis of p53 and RB1 tumor-suppressor genes in blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia.

We have investigated the involvement of the p53 and RB1 tumor-suppressor genes in 26 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) blast crisis, including 17 myeloid, eight lymphoid, and one megakaryoblastic crisis. The presence of p53 mutations in exons 5 through 9 was tested by the PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) assay, followed by PCR-direct sequencing; in addition, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 17p13, the site of the p53 gene, was assayed by Southern blot. Given the variability of the mechanisms of inactivation of the RB1 gene in human tumors, a combination of Southern blot and mutational analysis by PCR-SSCP was used. p53 mutations were restricted to one case of myeloid blast crisis, showing a CGC-->TGC (Arg-->Cys) mutation at codon 283; two additional cases displayed LOH at 17p13 in the absence of p53 mutations. No molecular lesions of the RB1 gene were detected in any of the cases analyzed. These data indicate that inactivation of p53 and RB1 is a rare event in the molecular pathogenesis of CML acute transformation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Molecular pathology of AIDS-related lymphomas. Biologic aspects and clinicopathologic heterogeneity.

A high frequency of lymphoma in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals has been reported since the outbreak of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in 1982. AIDS-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (AIDS-NHL) is almost invariably derived from B cells and is classified as high- or intermediate-grade NHL, according to the working formulation. Two main histologic types are recognized, including small noncleaved cell lymphoma (SNCCL) and diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL). Pre-existing host factors putatively involved in lymphoma development include disrupted immunosurveillance, deregulated cytokine production, chronic antigen stimulation, and infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). These alterations are associated with the development of multiple oligoclonal expansions which correspond to the clinical phase known as persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL). The appearance of a true AIDS-NHL is characterized by the presence of a monoclonal B-cell population displaying several genetic lesions, including monoclonal EBV infection, c-MYC and BCL-6 rearrangements, RAS mutations, p53 inactivation, and 6q deletions. These genetic lesions cluster into two distinct molecular pathways, which specifically associate with the different histologic subtypes of AIDS-NHL, i.e., AIDS-SNCCL and AIDS-DLCL. The presence of distinct genetic pathways for AIDS-SNCCL and AIDS-DLCL correlate with a number of clinical features which distinguish these two groups of tumors, including differences in the age of onset, CD4 counts at the time of presentation, time elapsed since HIV infection, and clinical outcome.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8↗
PubMed1994

Restoration of normal polyclonal haemopoiesis in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia autografted with Ph-negative peripheral stem cells.

Only a minority of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) benefit from allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), a potentially curative therapy, or from treatment with interferon alpha, which prolongs survival in cytogenetic responders. In Genoa a programme has been initiated in which CML patients are autografted with Ph-negative peripheral stem cells. To assess the pattern of marrow reconstitution, we studied the clonality of haemopoiesis in five females who engrafted and were Philadelphia chromosome negative. This was performed by evaluating the methylation patterns of the X-linked hypervariable DXS255 locus with the probe M27 beta. All four analysable women showed polyclonal methylation patterns in both granulocytes and T lymphocytes, suggesting that marrow reconstitution occurred from normal residual stem cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Repeated PCR in CML during IFN-alpha therapy.

Repeated PCR analysis was performed on bone marrow and/or peripheral blood samples from 4 CML patients in complete cytogenetic remission during treatment with IFN-alpha. Two patients became PCR-negative. One was negative for the analyses carried out from the 9th to the 30th months, but reverted to PCR positivity 10 months after IFN was reduced from 1.5 x 10(6) IU/day to 1 x 10(6) IU and given on alternate days. Although the dose was again raised to 3 x 10(6) IU/day, 8 months later her peripheral blood cells were still PCR-positive, but remained persistently Ph'-negative. Another patient became PCR-negative at the 42nd month and remained so at the last analysis performed 3 months later. Two patients were persistently PCR-positive. Cytogenetic relapse was documented in both, in one while still on full therapy. Ph'-positive metaphases reappeared in the other patient 7 months after discontinuing IFN-alpha therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The HLA class I-CML association revisited taking into account the two forms of gene fusion in the Philadelphia chromosome. A multicenter study.

CML patients possess either a b3-a2 or a b2-a2 fusion between the BCR and ABL genes. Depending on the type of fusion, two different series of non-self potentially immunogenic peptides may be produced. If they are presented by HLA class I molecules and recognized by cytotoxic CD8 lymphocytes, individuals could be more susceptible or resistant to leukemic cells bearing one or the other form of fusion according to their HLA class I phenotype. To test this point, the frequencies of HLA-A and HLA-B alleles were compared between b3-a2 and the b2-a2 CML patients. In essence, no difference was found whose significance could withstand correction for multiple comparisons.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Polyclonal hemopoiesis in leukemia patients following molecularly documented remission.

We performed clonality studies of hemopoietic reconstitution in 24 female patients (pts) with leukemias characterized by specific tumor markers. Thirteen pts had Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) with rearrangements of the RAR-a and PML genes, 8 BCR rearranged (BCR+)/Ph+ Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and 3 BCR+/Ph+ Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL). Bone marrow (BM) DNA samples were obtained at diagnosis and at remission after Southern blot documented suppression of specific markers. The clonal or non-clonal nature of hemopoietic reconstitution was assessed by hybridizing the same DNAs with the M27 beta probe, in order to detect methylation differences at the X-linked DXS255 locus. Twenty four pts showed a polyclonal methylation pattern at remission, whereas in 3 cases an apparently clonal pattern was observed despite no evidence of specific gene rearrangement. In 2 of these 3 cases, however, DNAs derived from non-affected tissues (T lymphocytes, skin and BM fibroblasts) revealed the presence of the same DXS255 unmethylated allele detected at diagnosis, while in the third case we found the same apparently clonal pattern in blood mononuclear cells obtained from her healthy female BM donor. These data indicate that polyclonal hematopoiesis occur in APL and CML pts after therapy induced suppression of specific tumor markers, and that unbalanced or aberrant X chromosome methylation patterns are observed in some cases, most likely reflecting constitutional features.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Analysis of the p53 gene in myeloid malignancies associated with chromosomal abnormalities involving the short arm of chromosome 17.

p53 protein is encoded by a tumor-suppressor gene located on the short arm of chromosome 17. We looked for mutations or rearrangements of the p53 gene in five patients with acute transformation of a chronic myeloproliferative disorder and cytogenetic anomalies involving the short arm of chromosome 17. Two patients had a isochromosome i(17q); three more patients showed the presence of unbalanced translocations involving chromosome 17. One of these patients had a single base pair deletion, causing a frameshift mutation, in the exon 5 of the p53 gene. The karyotype of this patient showed a translocation t(5;17)(q11;p11), with loss of a normal homologue of both chromosomes 5 and 17. In all other cases the configuration of the p53 gene, as tested by PCR-SSCP analysis of exons 5 to 9 and Southern blot, was normal. Our data suggest that mutations of the p53 gene occur in a minority of hemopoietic malignancies characterized by monosomy for the short arm of chromosome 17. However, the unbalanced translocation t(5q;17p) could be a chromosomal abnormality specifically associated with loss of function of the p53 gene.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Molecular mechanisms of tumor progression in chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

We have investigated the involvement of tumor suppressor genes (p53 and RB1) and dominantly acting oncogenes (Ras family genes) in BCR/ABL positive and negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) at different stages of the disease, including 26 cases of BCR/ABL+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) blast crisis, 9 myelosclerosis with myeloid metaplasia, 4 polycythemia vera, 10 essential thrombocythemia, 1 juvenile CML, and 8 BCR/ABL- CML. The presence of mutations in p53 exons 5 through 9, as well as in RB1 exons 10-27 and in N-, K-, H-Ras exons 1 and 2 was tested by the PCR-Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism technique and by PCR-Direct Sequencing. In addition, Southern blot analysis was used to investigate the occurrence of gross rearrangements in the p53 gene as well as loss of heterozygosity at 17p13, the site of p53. Acute phase BCR/ABL-CMPD cases displayed a high frequency of p53 (2/7) and Ras (3/7) lesions, whereas BCR/ABL- CMPD in chronic phase displayed only germline p53 and Ras sequences. Conversely, p53 inactivation was restricted to only 1/26 cases of BCR/ABL+ CML blast crisis. No alterations in the RB1 gene were detected in any of the cases analyzed. These data indicate that p53 inactivation and/or Ras activation might play a role in acute transformation of BCR/ABL- CMPD and that the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression may be different in BCR/ABL+ versus BCR/ABL-CMPD.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1994

Expression of GATA-1 mRNA in human myeloid leukemic cells.

Expression of the transcription factor GATA-1, which regulates several erythroid specific genes and possibly also some megakaryocytic genes, has been previously detected in normal erythroblasts, megakaryocytes, and basophils, and in some myeloid cell lines. It has been suggested that GATA-1 may be first expressed in a common progenitor and then further activated during erythroid-megakaryocytic and basophilic differentiation and repressed during myeloid maturation. We investigated GATA-1 mRNA expression in highly purified leukemic blasts representing different lineages and stages of myeloid differentiation and in a recently established leukemic cell line, GF-D8, which exhibits morphological, cytochemical and immunophenotypic characteristics of early myeloid progenitor cells. We found GATA-1 expression in five of five myeloid and in one megakaryocytic blast crisis of CML, in four of six cases of myelomonocytic leukemias (M4 according to FAB classification), in one case of erythroleukemia (M6), whereas lymphoid blast crisis of CML and all other FAB groups were completely negative. In addition, a low level of GATA-1 mRNA was also expressed by the GF-D8 cell line. These data further support the hypothesis that GATA-1 expression may occur not only in erythroid and megakaryocytic progenitors, but also in early myeloid progenitors, and then be further regulated during lineage-specific maturation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Multiple genetic lesions in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) develops in about 5% to 10% of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The vast majority of AIDS-NHL are clinically aggressive B-cell NHL that are histologically classified as small noncleaved cell lymphoma (SNCCL), large cell immunoblastic plasmacytoid lymphoma (LC-IBPL), and large noncleaved cell lymphoma (LNCCL). In an attempt to understand the molecular pathogenesis of these tumors, we have investigated the involvement of dominantly acting oncogenes (c-myc, N-, K-, H-Ras), tumor suppressor genes (p53, RB1), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in 27 AIDS-NHL samples (16 SNCCL, 5 LC-IBP, and 6 LNCCL). The following lesions were detected in AIDS-NHL: EBV infection (10/24; 41.6%), c-myc rearrangement (19/24; 79.1%), Ras mutation (4/27; 14.8%), and p53 loss/mutation (10/27; 37.0%). These lesions are not uniformly distributed, but, rather, cluster with specific types of AIDS-NHL: EBV infection is preferentially associated with LC-IBPL (4/4; 100%), while it is present in only a fraction of SNCCL (5/16; 31.2%) and LNCCL (1/4; 25%); c-myc oncogene activation clusters with SNCCL (16/16; 100%), whereas it is less frequent in LC-IBPL (1/4; 25%) and LNCCL (2/4; 50%); p53 inactivation is restricted to SNCCL (10/16; 62.5%) and consistently associated with c-myc activation. These data show that AIDS-NHL are associated with multiple genetic lesions that involve both proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and may accumulate in the relatively short period of time (4 to 6 years) between human immunodeficiency virus infection and AIDS-NHL development. These genetic lesions differ in the various AIDS-NHL subtypes, suggesting the involvement of distinct molecular pathway.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Preferential clustering of chromosomal breakpoints in Burkitt's lymphomas and L3 type acute lymphoblastic leukemias with a t(8;14) translocation.

We have analyzed the type of MYC/IG heavy-chain locus (IGH) rearrangement present in 15 patients affected by t(8;14)-positive primary Burkitt's lymphoma or acute lymphoblastic leukemia of the L3 type in an attempt to map in detail the locations of the chromosome 8 and chromosome 14 breakpoints. The almost constant position of the chromosome 8 breakpoint (within or immediately 5' of the MYC gene) together with two distinct clusters of breakpoints on chromosome 14 resulted in two main types of MYC/IGH (present in 12 of 15 cases). In the first type (six cases), the MYC gene or at least its coding portion was joined with the JH region on chromosome 14, whereas in the second, present in another six cases, the MYC gene and the C alpha I region were juxtaposed. Physical linkage between the translocated MYC and a known enhancer element of the IGH locus is the common feature in the two types of rearrangement, suggesting that a high-level constitutive expression plays a prominent role in MYC activation. Interestingly, the chromosome 14 break site within the switch alpha 1 region, which has been only occasionally described in other cases, is present in 40% of our patients, suggesting the existence of preferential breakpoint cluster regions in cases of similar geographic origin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Molecular analysis of contiguous exons of the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene: identification of a new PKU mutation.

A modified application of the chemical cleavage of mismatch (CCM) method has been used to screen three contiguous exons (exons 9, 10, and 11) of the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene in 17 Italian PKU patients. A new nonsense heterozygous C-->G transversion within exon 11 (S359X) was identified in a single patient. Only one of the four mutations previously reported in this DNA region in Caucasians was found. This lesion, IVS X-546, was detected in five of the 34 PKU alleles examined. Our results underline the versatility of the CCM method for scanning a gene for multiple mutations.

Base Composition↗