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M Ceppi

Publications and source records attributed to M Ceppi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Spindle and giant cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: a clinicopathological light microscopic and immunohistochemical study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cellular nature and biological behaviour of spindle and giant cell carcinoma (SGCC) of the urinary bladder. The clinicopathological, light microscopic and immunohistochemical features of seven patients are reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tissue was available from each patient for microscopic and immunohistochemical studies. There were five men and two women, ranging in age from 48 to 79 years. Clinical histories and follow-up information were obtained by review of the patients' charts. The clinical outcome was compared with that of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and small cell carcinoma (SCC). RESULTS: The tumours were large, polypoid and frequently ulcerated. They diffusely permeated the bladder musculature or the perivesical fat. On microscopic examination five tumours were composed mainly of interlacing sheets of spindle cells and occasional giant cells; two comprised giant cells only. Foci of identifiable TCC (papillary or in situ) were present in four tumours. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that SGCCs exhibit a phenotype indicative of an epithelial nature. CONCLUSIONS: The median survival (11 months) of the seven patients indicates that SGCCs have a poor prognosis and they are more aggressive than TCCs of the same stage. The unfavourable clinical course is similar to the rapidly fatal outcome of small cell carcinomas of the bladder. The prolonged survival periods of three patients who received additional chemotherapy suggest that this treatment may be profitable.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the Elderly: Profile of the Italian Problem.

In Italy, 28% of all deaths are due to cancer. Of the 15% of the population that is 65 years or older, 65% of cancer deaths occur in men and 69.5% in women. The proportional mortality and incidence of cancer in Italy varies with increasing age. All patients over 65 years are found to be at increased risk for intestinal cancers. In older men, the proportion of lung and urinary tract cancers decreases, while prostate, intestinal and gastric cancers increases. Prostate cancer predominates in men over 85 years and intestinal and gastric cancers are relatively more common than lung cancer. In women over age 74, intestinal cancer is most common. Breast, genital and lung cancers decrease rapidly with age, while stomach, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic cancers increase with age. The ratio of incidence to mortality for all cancers studied is shown to equalize with increased age, the probable result of lower hospitalization rates and less adequate cancer therapy for the elderly.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Mortality among silicotics in Genoa, Italy, from 1961 to 1987.

A historical cohort mortality study conducted among 515 silicotic subjects revealed higher than expected risks for all causes [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 1.89], respiratory tract diseases (SMR 8.89), silicotuberculosis (SMR 27.00), respiratory tract cancers (SMR 3.14), and lung cancer (SMR 3.50). Mortality from cardiovascular diseases was lower than that expected (SMR 0.51). Lung cancer risk increased with duration of occupational exposure (SMR 2.80, 2.99, and 5.02 for 14, 15-29, and 30 years of employment, respectively). Lung cancer risk was higher for the silicotics without tuberculosis (SMR 3.72) than for those with tuberculosis (SMR 2.83). Indirect adjustment for smoking habits, including number of cigarettes smoked per day, showed that smoking would have been responsible for a maximum risk of 1.77. Thus smoking may have explained 50% of the observed excess mortality from lung cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Multiple regression analysis of cytogenetic human data.

Biomonitoring studies on cytogenetic outcomes in humans should be considered as epidemiological studies, rather than randomized trials. Under this light the emphasis given to the achievement of a significant p-value should be reduced, since this measure suffers from major limitations. The use of a point estimate (and its corresponding confidence interval) to measure the association between exposure and effect offers several advantages, including the adjustment for confounding, and the evaluation of possible interaction between factors. In most instances the use of multivariate statistical methods allows an efficient analysis of these studies, even in presence of a small sample size and several covariates. In this paper we re-analyzed four biomonitoring studies by using multivariate methods to estimate relative risks through statistical modeling. The use of multiple regression techniques allowed the computation of point estimates of association and their confidence intervals for each covariate evaluated by the studies considered; the estimate of the effect of confounding variables such as smoking habits, age and gender; and the presence of interaction between covariates. Measures of association estimated through univariate and multivariate statistical approaches are compared. The advantages of the latter technique are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure among Italian oil refinery workers.

OBJECTIVES: The association between asbestos exposure and risk of mesothelioma was studied among workers from two oil refineries located in the northern Italian cities of Genoa and La Spezia, given that previous cohort analyses revealed two clusters of mesotheliomas and that international cohort studies have so far not reported an excess of this neoplasm among oil refinery workers. METHODS: Men (N = 2300) who had been employed between 1914 and 1988 in two oil refineries located in northern Italy were studied. The follow-up covered the mortality of 639 white-collar and 1661 blue-collar from 1950 to 1991. RESULTS: Among the cases, the median duration of employment was 14.5 years, and the median time since first employment was 27.5 years. The job titles of the 10 men with pleural mesothelioma were maintenance worker (seven men), electrician (one man) and unspecified blue-collar worker (two men). Blue-collar workers experienced a significantly increased risk of pleural neoplasms, five deaths in each plant, in respect to both the provincial [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 266] and national (SMR 1663) reference populations. The SMR, based on eight deaths, was 320 for workers with more than 10 years of employment and 20 years since first exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The results uphold the notion that exposure to asbestos in oil refineries causes pleural mesotheliomas. This is the first study to find an excess of pleural mesotheliomas among oil refinery workers exposed to asbestos.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Sarcomatous degeneration in Paget disease of bone. Apropos of a clinical case].

Sarcomatous degeneration is the most dreaded complication of Paget's disease of bone: this case report offers an opportunity for underlining the difficulties of differential diagnosis in a case of pulmonary metastatization in the presence of osteitis deformans. Immunohistochemical assay applied to the cytology of pulmonary needle-aspiration and surgical biopsy targeted to the suspected neoplastic lesion allowed correct diagnosis. This case confirms the very poor prognosis of this kind of neoplasm: the rapidity of the fatal outcome was not significantly influenced even by the most aggressive polychemotherapy. This poor prognosis appears to be related to a more aggressive growth of the neoplasm and to the reduced immunologic resistance of the elderly.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1992

Modulation of colonic epithelial cell proliferation, histone acetylation, and luminal short chain fatty acids by variation of dietary fiber (wheat bran) in rats.

The effect of increasing amounts of wheat bran (0, 5, 10, 20%) in AIN-76 semisynthetic diet on colonic luminal short chain fatty acids, epithelial cell histone acetylation, and cytokinetics, was studied for 2 weeks in groups of 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Luminal contents were removed from the colon at sacrifice, quick frozen, and analyzed for short chain fatty acids by gas-liquid chromatography. Histone acetylation was assessed in cells isolated from the same animals. Cell proliferation was measured after a short pulse in vivo with [3H]thymidine. Colonic luminal butyrate levels were lower in the 0 and 20% fiber groups, and higher in the 5 and 10% fiber groups. In contrast, cell proliferation, as determined by labeling index, was higher in the 0 and 20% fiber groups, and lower in the 5 and 10% fiber groups. This resulted in a significant inverse correlation between luminal butyrate levels and colonic cell proliferation. In addition, there was a positive linear correlation between luminal butyric acid levels and colon epithelial cell histone acetylation. From these data it was concluded that colonic butyrate levels can be modulated by the addition of wheat bran to the diet and that butyrate can modulate DNA synthesis (calculated as labeling index) in the proliferative compartments of colonic crypts. The localization of dividing cells was unchanged and no induction of terminal differentiation was detectable (contrary to what has been observed for transformed cells in culture).

Acetylation↗
PubMed1992

Malignant mesothelioma of the testicular tunica vaginalis.

The histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical features of a malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis in a 69-year-old patient are described. The mesothelial derivation of the tumor was confirmed using a panel of selected antibodies. Malignant mesothelioma of the testicular tunica vaginalis is a rare tumor that must be considered so that appropriate treatment can be instituted.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Lung cancer risk among refractory brick workers exposed to crystalline silica: a retrospective cohort study.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 1,022 refractory brick workers exposed to crystalline silica. Mortality from lung cancer (SMR = 1.77) and respiratory diseases (SMR = 3.15) was elevated in workers first employed less than or equal to 1957 who are likely to have shared the highest exposure to crystalline silica. Workers with at least 19 years of cumulative employment in the plant experienced particularly increased risks for lung cancer (SMR = 2.01) and respiratory diseases (SMR = 3.89). Relative mortality from these specific causes increased with years since first employment (that is, first exposure) and decreased with age at first employment. Indirect adjustment for smoking habits and the lack of excess mortality from cardiovascular diseases and emphysema indicated little effect of smoking on the increased risks for lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Mortality from specific causes among silicotic subjects: a historical prospective study.

A historical mortality study was conducted among 520 silicotic subjects diagnosed at the Department of Occupational Health of the San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy, between 1961 and 1980. Vital status was ascertained as of 1 January 1982. Age-, sex- and calendar-year-adjusted standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for specific causes were computed using Italian as well as Genoa County male population death rates. The study shows statistically significant increased mortality from all deaths (SMR = 2.92), all cancers (SMR = 2.38), respiratory tract cancers (SMR = 6.85), respiratory tract diseases (SMR = 13.63), and from 'other diseases' (SMR = 6.81). The excess mortality from respiratory tract diseases and from 'other diseases' are mainly attributable to silicosis and silicotuberculosis, respectively. These findings confirm the existence of a causal association between silicosis and increased mortality from both malignant and non-malignant respiratory tract diseases. The high mortality from respiratory tract cancers was still present even after adjustment for smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Acute hybrid leukemia. Review of the literature and presentation of a case].

In the last years, the development of immunophenotypic and molecular analyses allowed to recognize several cases of hybrid acute leukemia (AL), whose blast cell display both lymphoid and myeloid features. Hybrid, or mixed-lineage, AL seems to have distinct clinical manifestations and hematological findings, and is mainly characterized by resistance to chemotherapy and poor prognosis. We report on a patient with AL, which showed a very rapid switch from the lymphoblastic phenotype exhibited at presentation to a myelomonoblastic one, appeared at first relapse, and lastly progressed to an undifferentiated leukemia in the terminal phase. Together with this morphologic and cytochemical evolution, leukemic cells expressed, besides the primary early-B antigens, new immunological markers related to T-lymphocytic and myeloid lineages. Based on this observation and current understanding of the ontogenesis of hematologic malignancies, we discuss biological mechanisms which are likely to underlie hybrid leukemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Cystic lymphangioma of the liver. Presentation of a clinical case].

The cystic lymphangioma of the liver is an extremely rare benign tumor that usually belongs to a systemic lymphangiomatosis. A case of an adult woman presenting a cystic lymphangioma as single hepatic lesion with no other viscera affected is described. Ultrasonography and computed tomography did not allow a differential diagnosis of the lesion from the more common hydatid cyst. Definitive diagnosis and treatment were reached only by exploratory laparotomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Plasma cell leukemia originating with pleural effusion].

A case of plasma cell leukemia, secreting light kappa chains, is reported. It arose in a 62 year old man and was diagnosed on the basis of a bilateral pleural effusion, which showed many plasma cells and plasmoblasts. The patient also presented multiple osteolytic lesions, no adenopathies, or signs of hepatic or splenic infiltration. Cytological, cytochemical, immunological findings and serum beta 2-microglobulin assays demonstrated a highly aggressive plasmacytic proliferation. The clinical and hematological data, particularly the onset of the disease with pleural effusions, identify the case as an intermediate form between the typical plasma cell leukemia reported in the literature and anaplastic myeloma.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1988

A cohort study of workers employed in a refractory brick plant.

A mortality study was carried out on a cohort of workers who were exposed to silica dust in a refractory brick plant. The cohort was divided into two groups: workers with and without silicosis, and their mortality was contrasted with the death rate of Genova from 1960 to 1979. Results show an increased risk for laryngeal tumors (3 obs., 0.44 exp., SMR = 682), nonmalignant respiratory disease (16 obs., 3.2 exp., SMR = 500), and cardiovascular diseases (19 obs., 11 exp., SMR = 173) among silicotics. The mortality rate for lung cancer showed an increase for the cohort of workers as a whole (11 obs., 6 exp., SMR = 183). The almost double overall mortality observed in silicotic subjects raises some doubts about the validity of other proportional mortality studies that showed no excesses for workers in these industries.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Mortality studies of dockyard workers (longshoremen) in Italy.

A polycentric mortality study was performed in five Italian harbours: Savona, Marina di Carrara, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Ravenna. The cohort included active and retired workers (longshoremen), who had been employed between 1960 and 1981. Causes of death were ascertained from death certificates; expected numbers of deaths were generated from age, sex, calendar year, and cause-specific national mortality rates. A low overall mortality was found, which is in agreement with procedures of health selection, typical of physically demanding jobs; an excess of lung cancer was, however, found in four out of five harbours.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cryoglobulinemia secondary to acute viral hepatitis. Evaluation of a hospital study.

In the present study the possible relationships between cryoglobulins and acute hepatitis of different viral etiology have been investigated. In most cases, cryoglobulins represent a transient phenomenon limited to the acute phase of the disease. Conversely, in 2 cases the persistence of cryoglobulins was associated with a histological pattern of chronic persistent hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Social variables and suicide in the population of Genoa, Italy.

A study of the relationship between sociodemographic conditions and suicidal risk was conducted on 377 cases of suicide committed in Genoa between 1985 and 1988. We used random subjects among Genoa residents as a control group. Data obtained were analyzed by means of an unconditional logistic regression model. The most interesting result of the study is the considerable suicide risk found among unmarried people.

Adult↗