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L Massimo

Publications and source records attributed to L Massimo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

N-myc oncogene amplification in a patient with IV-S neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a tumor usually arising in children and young adults showing different degrees of malignancy. Recently, the presence of N-myc amplification in neuroblasts has been associated with a poor outcome in the late stages of disease (Evans's Stage IV). Until now no amplification of N-myc gene has been observed in Stage IV-S, usually considered to have a favorable prognosis. In this paper we report a case of a child affected by NB Stage IV-S showing mild N-myc gene amplification. The finding of N-myc amplification in our patient shows that such alteration of the N-myc oncogene is not necessarily correlated with a poor prognosis; in this light the role of N-myc amplification in the neoplastic process should be reconsidered.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1986

EBNA-negative polyclonal B cells derived from a long-term culture of unclassified acute lymphoblastic leukemia: IL-2-like activity of culture's supernatant.

A long-term culture of bone marrow lymphoblasts in a case of unclassified acute lymphoblastic leukemia is described. Cells lacking any lymphocytic marker in the early phase of the culture were gradually substituted by B cells showing a pattern of polyclonality. The culture supernatant contained high levels of immunoglobulins also showing interleukin 2 activity. Search for antigens related to the Epstein-Barr virus was negative. A clonal expansion of B cells versus spontaneous differentiation of unclassified leukemic cells is discussed; the long-term culture technique as a tool for a better evaluation of leukemic cells is suggested and discussed.

Antigens, Surface↗
PubMed1986

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type I: report of a pair of siblings.

Two siblings affected with congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type I are described. They are the sixth familial occurrence reported. Particularly interesting is the comparison between the course and laboratory data of our cases. An unusual finding is the presence of the antigen 'i' on the erythrocytes of both patients.

Anemia, Dyserythropoietic, Congenital↗
PubMed1986

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation versus chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in second remission.

Thirty-six children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in second remission were treated with conventional chemotherapy or with cyclophosphamide and fractionated total-body irradiation followed by an allogeneic bone marrow transplant; the choice of treatment was dictated by the availability of an HLA-identical sibling. The age, sex, clinical data at presentation of the disease and duration of first remission were comparable for the two groups of patients. In the bone marrow transplantation group two patients died of graft-versus-host disease and five of leukaemia. Ten patients survive, nine disease free, 13-53 months from second remission (6-51 months post-bone marrow transplantation). In the chemotherapy group 14 patients died of leukaemia (2-29 months from second remission) and five survive (22-34 months from second remission). The actuarial survival for patients with bone marrow transplantation is 48% at 4 years as compared with 22% for those of the chemotherapy group (P = 0.04); the actuarial probabilities of being in remission are 58 and 18% in the two groups respectively (P = 0.01). This study confirms that allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is superior to chemotherapy in patients in second remission with ALL and should be considered in the presence of an HLA-identical sibling.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1985

Clonal development from a progenitor with restricted differentiative expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Three patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and heterozygous for the Mediterranean variant of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) have been investigated with the 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate (2dG6P) method to determine the number and type of progenitor cells in which the disease arose. A monoclonal origin was established for the lymphoblasts, while the other hemopoietic cell lines were not involved in the leukemic process.

Child↗
PubMed1984

Early deaths in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): results of the Italian Pediatric Cooperative Group for Therapy of Acute Leukemia (AIL-AIEOP).

In this retrospective multicentric study, we report on early deaths (ie, those that occurred during the first month of treatment) in a total of 943 newly diagnosed ALL pediatric patients registered from 1976 to 1981 at 21 centers of the AIL- AIEOP . Objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to verify the incidence and the cause of early death in a wide population of children with ALL and (2) to elucidate factors associated with early death and therefore to identify "high-risk" groups of patients. Out of the 943 ALL patients, 39 (4.1%) early deaths were registered. Main causes were infection, 20 patients (51.3%); hemorrhage, 11 patients (28.3%); uric acid nephropathy, 2 patients (5.1%); cardiac failure, 3 patients (7.6%); syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, 1 patient. Two patients died during the first week of unknown cause. Thirteen factors measured at diagnosis and possibly influencing the early death rate were analyzed. Using the chi-square test, only three of these factors (age, mediastinum status, surface markers) appear to have any significant influence on the early death rate. We also tried to determine how therapy influences this process by analyzing variations in the early death rate, other factors being equal. Significant differences in the early death rates were encountered in AIEOP protocols using different induction regimens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Methisoprinol effect on enriched B and T lymphocyte populations stimulated with phytohemagglutinin.

The Authors investigated the effect of methisoprinol (Inosiplex) on separated B and T lymphocytes from 8 healthy donors. B or T treated cells, recombined with T or B untreated cells, were subsequently mitogen stimulated. Proliferative response resulted significantly increased, in comparison to a control, when T lymphocytes were preincubated with the drug, while treating only B lymphocytes led to a decrement. These data confirm the hypothesis of a direct action of the drug on T lymphocytes, but are also consistent with its influence on B cells too, even though with an opposite effect.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Methisoprinol effect on enriched B and T lymphocyte populations stimulated with phytohemagglutinin.

The Authors investigated the effect of methisoprinol on separated B and T lymphocytes from 8 healthy donors. B or T treated cells, recombined with T or B untreated cells, were subsequently mitogen stimulated. Proliferative response resulted significantly increased, in comparison to a control, when T lymphocytes were preincubated with the drug, while treating only B lymphocytes led to a decrement. These data confirm the hypothesis of a direct action of the drug on T lymphocytes, but are also consistent with its influence on B cells too, even though with an opposite effect.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Immunological evaluation of 22 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia off-therapy. A longitudinal follow-up.

In 22 patients with ALL in first complete remission, who discontinued therapy after 3 years, longitudinal follow-up of immunological reconstitution was investigated by assessing serum immunoglobulin levels, number and mitogen responsiveness of B and T lymphocytes. Major modifications have been demonstrated for T cells both in terms of number and functionality, while B cells and serum immunoglobulins did not change significantly. Examining the behaviour of the patients one by one, it has been observed that recovery is often characterized by a remarkable rebound occurring from the 15th to the 18th month. Immunosuppression induced by antileukemic treatment appeared to be a transitory phenomenon, mainly limited to the first three months. Reconstitution was achieved, in almost all cases, within one year after treatment was stopped.

B-Lymphocytes↗