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Biomedical subjects

I Pierri

Publications and source records attributed to I Pierri.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Decreased sensitivity of T lymphocytes to normal adherent suppressor cells in patients with head and neck cancer.

The sensitivity of T Lymphocytes to the inhibitory action of normal adherent cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was studied in 20 subjects with head and neck cancer. T lymphocytes from cancer patients proliferated in the MLR both in the absence and in the presence of increasing numbers of autologous as well as allogeneic adherent cells, while the blastogenesis of T lymphocytes from controls was inhibited up to 70% by the addition of adherent cells to the culture. Such a lack of sensitivity to adherent cells in cancer patients occurred both in allogeneic and in autologous MLR. These observations indicate that the immunocompetence of patients with head and neck cancer may be related to a defect of macrophage-T lymphocyte interaction similar to the one described in patients with common varied immunodeficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Human T lymphocytes in aging and malignancy: abnormalities in PHA-induced Ia antigen expression and in functional activity in autologous and allogeneic MLR.

T lymphocytes from patients with solid tumors and from aged donors are abnormal in their expression of Ia antigens following in vitro stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Ia antigens were not detected on PHA-activated T lymphocytes from 15 of 27 patients with solid tumors. The abnormality in T lymphocytes from 25 donors older than 60 years was evidenced by a reduction in the percentage of T cells acquiring Ia antigens following stimulation with suboptimal amounts of PHA and by a delayed appearance of those antigens. In both groups of donors the defect in Ia antigen expression by PHA-activated T cells did not correlate with the reduced [3H]thymidine uptake. PHA-activated T cells from aged donors and from patients with solid tumors were poorly stimulatory in autologous and allogenic mixed lymphocyte reactions. Furthermore, T lymphocytes from these two groups of donors displayed a reduced proliferative response to autologous non-T cells, but a normal proliferative response to allogeneic PHA-activated T cells and to non-T cells from control subjects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Human autologous mixed lymphocyte reactions (a review).

The literature concerning the autologous mixed lymphocyte reactions has been reviewed. This analysis supports the following conclusions: human subjects have self-responsive cells which are capable of proliferating when co-cultured with irradiated autologous non-T or Ia+ T cells. Since monoclonal antibodies recognizing distinct determinants of Ia antigen have different effects on AMLR with non-T cells and on Ia+ type AMLR, there is the possibility that different Ia molecule determinants have different functional role in the process of cell-to-cell interaction. The presence of AMLR abnormalities in disease strongly suggests that reactivity among different cell subsets plays a role in immunological homeostasis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thiol containing antioxidant drugs and the human immune system.

The over production of toxic oxygen species (TOS) by the phagocytic cells involved in inflammatory processes plays a crucial role in generating the immune defects which characterize both infections and neoplastic diseases. Since the thiol containing drugs, and N-acetylcysteine possess a high capacity for scavenging and inhibiting TOS, the question of whether these substances are able to protect, in vivo as well as in vitro, the function of lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood in patients suffering from chronic pulmonary diseases (CPD) was investigated. The lymphocytes isolated from healthy donors as well as those from CPD patients exposed in vitro to TOS showed a reduced viability and an impairment of functions in: (a) the ability to express HLA Class II and TAC antigens and (b) the capacity to stimulate and proliferate in allogenic (MLR) and autologous mixed lymphocyte reactions (AMLR). The presence of NAC or CAT blocked this toxicity. Cells isolated from healthy donors and patients following treatment with NAC were less sensitive to the in vitro toxicity of TOS.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fludarabine in untreated and previously treated B-CLL patients: a report on efficacy and toxicity.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that fludarabine (FLU) is superior to conventional treatment in B-CLL for rate and quality of response, leading to CR even at the molecular level. In this paper we report our preliminary results with this drug in B-CLL patients. METHODS AND PATIENTS: Twenty-seven B-CLL patients (16 refractory to previous therapy, 7 responsive and treated for subsequent disease reexpansion, 4 untreated with active disease) were administered FLU at a dose of 25 mg/sqm for 5 days every 4 weeks. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were evaluable and 14 of them (56%) were responsive. All four untreated patients responded: 1 CR (PCR analysis showed the persistence of clonal VDJ rearrangement) and 3 PR, while 67% of the previously responsive group again showed a reaction: 2 PR (33%) and 2 nodular PR (33%). Among the refractory patients we recorded 6 responses (39%): 1 CR (6%) and 5 PR (33%). Besides 2 cases of lethal myelotoxicity, we observed 2 cases of encephalopathy and 2 cases of heart failure. Four deaths may have been related to FLU therapy (15%). CONCLUSIONS: We confirm the effectiveness of FLU and the improved outcome, in terms of toxicity and response rate, it provides in untreated B-CLL patients. Further studies are needed to explore the possible negative effects of FLU on neuronal and heart function, and the impact of this drug on survival in selected groups of patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An unusual reaction to alpha interferon in a case of non Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A 64-year-old man suffering from non Hodgkin's lymphoma in progression and resistant to conventional chemotherapy was treated with alpha interferon. In a few days he developed an unusual adverse reaction characterized by severe dermatological and neuromuscular toxicity. We describe the case and suggest a possible pathogenetic mechanism for this rare event.

Drug Eruptions↗
PubMedDate not supplied

High efficacy of fludarabine-containing therapy (FLAG-FLANG) in poor risk acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) those refractory to induction chemotherapy and those with so-called secondary leukemia have unfavorable prognoses and require innovative therapeutic approaches. Fludarabine allows an increased accumulation of Ara-CTP in leukemic cells and inhibits DNA repair mechanisms; therefore its association with Ara-C and mitoxantrone results in a synergistic effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 1993 to February 1996, fludarabine-containing regimens (FLAG and FLANG) were employed as induction therapy in 51 high-risk AML patients. Diagnosis of AML in 22 patients was preceded by a myelodysplastic syndrome lasting more than six months; 8 of the 29 de novo AML cases (28%) were refractory to previous chemotherapy, 9 (31%) were treated for early relapse, 12 (41%) presented poor prognostic factors at diagnosis. The median age was 64 (range 33-76) years and the FAB subtypes were the following: M0 3, M1 5, M2 28, M4 7, M5 8. Forty-eight per cent of patients showed poor prognosis chromosomal abnormalities. FLAG (24 patients) consisted of both fludarabine 30 mg/sqm over 30 minutes followed 4 hours later by Ara-C 2 g/sqm over 4 hours (for 5 days) and G-CSF 300 micrograms/day administered 12 hours before fludarabine, for a total of 5 doses. FLANG (27 patients) had a shorter duration (3 days), reduced Ara-C dosage (1 g/sqm) and administration of mitoxantrone (10 mg/sqm) at the end of Ara-C infusion. RESULTS: Recovery of both neutrophils (PMN > 0.5 x 10(9)/L) and platelets (Plt > 20 x 10(9)/L) required a median of 16 days from the end of therapy. Overall, 30 patients (59%) achieved CR, 6 (11%) PR and 10 (20%) were refractory; 5 (10%) experienced early death (cerebral hemorrhage or infection). The length of complete response ranged from 2 to 26 months with a median follow-up of 8 months. De novo and secondary AML registered 62 and 54% CR rates, respectively. Eight out of 10 patients refractory to conventional schemes achieved CR (80%) but only 3 out of 10 treated for relapse obtained CR (30%). CONCLUSIONS: FLAG and FLANG showed similar activity and toxicity while proving to be highly effective and relatively well-tolerated treatments for high-risk de novo AML. Secondary leukemias seemed to be responsive as well, but the presence of an unfavorable karyotype alteration lowered the response rate.

Acute Disease↗