Possible role of iloprost (stable analog of PG12) in promoting neoangiogenesis in systemic sclerosis.
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Aspirin↗
Biomedical subjects
L Giani
Publications and source records attributed to L Giani.
[A case of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Diagnostic and therapeutic problems].
The use of the modern diagnostic imaging techniques allows in most cases a diagnosis of nature of the lesions involving parenchymal organs. The authors report a case of renal xantogranuloma, rare pseudotumoral inflammatory pathology, treated by radical extended nephrectomy on the basis of a pre-operative diagnosis of malignant tumor. Despite the risk of false positives, in front of a renal mass whose nature is sufficiently characterized by the imaging techniques, the routine use of more invasive investigations such as arteriography and percutaneous needle biopsy seems not justified.
Female↗
[Cystic dilatation of the common bile duct].
The Authors report a case of cystic dilatation of the common bile duct and a review of the Literature. The lesion is a congenital malformation of infancy or childhood, being rare in adult life. The main symptoms are biliary colic with jaundice and fever. Modern techniques such as abdominal ultrasonography, CT, ERCP, PTC generally provide to achieve preoperative diagnosis. When radical surgery is possible the complete excision of the cyst is the management of choice. The case reported is classified as type 1 of Todani's classification. Surgical management consisted in a complete excision of the cyst. Bile flow was re-established by hepaticojejunostomy.
Adult↗
Neuroimmunotherapy with low-dose subcutaneous interleukin-2 plus melatonin in AIDS patients with CD4 cell number below 200/mm3: a biological phase-II study.
A phase-II pilot clinical study was performed to evaluate the effects of low-dose subcutaneous IL-2 with the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) in AIDS patients with CD4 counts below 200/mm3. The study included 11 patients. IL-2 was given subcutaneously at 3 million IU/ day in the evening for 6 days/week for 3 weeks. MLT was given orally at 40 mg/day in the evening every day, starting 7 days prior to IL-2. The treatment was substantially well tolerated, and in particular no cardiovascular or pulmonary complication occurred. An increase in CD4 cell number greater than 30% occurred in 4/11 (36%) patients, and CD4 cell mean values observed during the study were significantly higher with respect to those found before. In addition, the treatment induced a significant increase in mean number of lymphocytes, eosinophils, T lymphocytes, NK cells, CD25- and DR-positive lymphocytes. Finally, CD4/CD8 mean ratio significantly increased during the study. This preliminary clinical study suggests that the combined neuroimmunotherapy with low-dose subcutaneous IL-2 and MLT may improve the immune status also in AIDS patients with CD4 cell counts below 200/mm3, who generally do not respond to IL-2 alone.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
[Spontaneous bilio-digestive fistulas of lithiasis origin: our experience].
The Authors report their experience with spontaneous bilio-digestive fistulas of lithiasic origin. They examine the difficulties of diagnosis and treatment of this pathology also in consideration of probable complications, in particular the biliary ileus, in old patients often presenting metabolic or cardiopulmonary disorders, which contribute to worsen the prognosis.
Adult↗
Correlation between IL-12 and IL-2 blood levels in the metastatic neoplastic disease: a possible inhibitory feedback system regulating their secretion.
Despite the great importance of IL-2 and IL-12 in activating the anticancer immune response in humans, cancer-related physiopathology of their secretion needs to be better investigated. IL-2 blood levels have been proven to decrease in the advanced neoplastic disease, whereas preliminary data would suggest an enhanced secretion of IL-12 in metastatic cancer patients. This study was performed to analyze IL-2 levels in relation to those of IL-12 in metastatic solid neoplasms. The study included 40 untreated metastatic cancer patients. Serum levels of both IL-2 and IL-12 were measured by ELISA. Abnormally low blood levels of IL-2 and elevated values of IL-12 were observed in 16/40 and in 18/40 patients, respectively. Moreover, patients with IL-2 deficiency showed significantly higher mean levels of IL-12 than patients with normal values of IL-2. This preliminary result, by showing an increased secretion of IL-12 in advanced cancer patients with IL-2 endogenous deficiency, would suggest the existance of a possible feedback mechanism operating between macrophage release of IL-12 and T lymphocyte secretion of IL-2.
Adult↗
Physiopathology of IL-12 in human solid neoplasms: blood levels of IL-12 in early or advanced cancer patients, and their variations with surgery and immunotherapy.
Experimental studies have shown that IL-12 plays an important role in the activation of the anticancer immune defenses. Unfortunately, at present the behavior of IL-12 secretion in human neoplasms remain to be established. In an attempt to draw some preliminary data about IL-12 secretion in human cancer, in the present study we have evaluated serum levels of IL-12 in a group of non-metastatic and metastatic solid tumor patients in relation to the survival time, and their changes in surgically treated cancer patients and in metastatic patients undergoing immunotherapy with IL-2. Mean serum levels of IL-12 were significantly higher metastatic patients (n = 40) than in those with locally limited solid neoplasm (n = 16). Moreover, within the metastatic group, the percent of 1-year survival was significantly higher in patients with abnormally elevated blood concentrations of IL-12 than in those with normal values. In the group of 10 patients surgically treated for gastrointestinal tract tumors, the surgical operation induced a significant decline in IL-12 mean serum levels. Finally, in a group of 23 metastatic renal cell cancer patients treated with IL-12 immunotherapy (6 million IU/day S.C. for 6 days/week for 4 weeks), the treatment was associated with a significant and progressive increase in IL-12 mean values. Moreover, serum mean levels of IL-12 observed in therapy in patients with response or stable disease were significantly higher than those found in progressing patients. This preliminary study seems to suggest that the evidence of high levels of IL-12 may have a favourable prognostic significance in solid tumor patients, either in baseline conditions or in response to IL-2 cancer immunotherapy.
Adult↗