Biomedical subjects

M Faustini

Publications and source records attributed to M Faustini.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

Modified cisplatin, etoposide (or vinblastine) and ifosfamide salvage therapy for male germ-cell tumors. Long-term results.

Between 1985 and 1989, 36 consecutive male patients with advanced germ-cell tumors, who had failed to be cured with either the cisplatin, vinblastine, bleomycin (PVB) or the cisplatin, etoposide, bleomycin (PEB) combinations, entered either of two modified salvage therapy regimens consisting of cisplatin, etoposide, and ifosfamide (PEI) or cisplatin, vinblastine and ifosfamide (PVI). All patients had evidence of active disease. Ifosfamide was given at the dosage of 2.5 gr/m2 (with mesna protection) on days 1 and 2; etoposide and cisplatin were given at the dosage of 100 mg/m2 and 40 mg/m2, respectively, on days 3 to 5. In the PVI schedule, vinblastine 6 mg/m2 was given on day 3. Overall, 20 (56%, C.I. 39 to 72) patients entered complete response (CR) or achieved disease-free status (NED) with post-chemotherapy surgery. After a follow-up of 2 to 7 years, 15 patients (42%, C.I. 24 to 58) remain alive and free of disease. None of the 9 patients unresponsive to the first-line therapy and/or with extragonadal primaries entered CR or achieved the NED status, versus 20 (74%, C.I. 58 to 91) of the 27 patients with primary testicular tumors who were responsive to the first-line therapy (p less than 0.001). PEI was used in 20 of these 27 patients, with excellent results (90% CR and 70% continuously NED) independently of primary therapy, PVB or PEB. By contrast, only 2 of the 7 patients treated with PVI following PEB entered CR. Toxicity was not life-threatening. Nine (25%) patients suffered granulocytopenic fever and 3 (8%) required platelet transfusions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

[Chemotherapy of urologic metastases].

Antiblastic chemotherapy of the urological tumors proves to be effective in germ-cell testicular tumor, in bladder cancer and in penis cancer, while a real effective anti-cancer therapy for prostatic and renal cell cancer has not found yet. There is not a significant difference between BVP and BEP regimens as first-line treatments of the good risk germ-cell testicular tumors. On the contrary BEP showed a lower toxicity and an higher efficacy in the treatment of the poor risk patients. Considering salvage therapies, PEI regimen proves to be as the most effective, also in the management of patients pretreated with BEP; high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplant is currently examined as third-line therapy. In the treatment of bladder cancer the most effective drugs are Methotrexate, Adriamycin, Vinblastine and Cyclophosphamide, that, when combined, are sensitively more efficacious. The different chemotherapies achieved elevated percentage of Complete and Partial Responses (CR+PR): however these results are maintained in only 10% of the cases. So far the aim of the last studies is to improve the results both with a modification of posology and of the schedule of administration, and with the employ of growth-factors to reduce toxicity. An appreciable improvement in the treatment of locally advanced penis cancer has been achieved employing VBM regimen as adjuvant therapy, especially for patients with extrinsic lymph-nodal metastases, who underwent bilateral inguinal and iliac lymphadenectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

PubMed1991

Methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin versus methotrexate and cisplatin in advanced urothelial cancer. A randomized study.

From September 1984 to December 1988, 28 consecutive patients with metastatic urothelial cancer entered a randomized study to compare 4 courses of modified methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin (M-VAC) to 4 courses of methotrexate followed by folinic acid rescue and cisplatin (MP). Non-responders or relapsing patients were to be crossed to the other therapy. Hematological toxicity was more frequent (85%), but less severe, in patients treated with M-VAC than in patients treated with MP (21%, with 1 septic death). Complete plus partial remissions were achieved in 10 (71.4%) of 14 patients treated with M-VAC and in 6 (50%) of the 12 evaluable patients treated with MP. The 20% difference lay only on complete remissions, which were 8.3% in the MP versus 28.5% in the M-VAC group. At cross-over, however, only 1 of 5 patients resistant to MP responded to M-VAC, while 3 of 5 patients resistant to M-VAC responded to MP. It seems that M-VAC should be considered as the first-line therapy of choice in metastatic urothelial cancer, while MP, or high-dose methotrexate, could be considered for salvage.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed1986

Cisplatin combination chemotherapy in advanced seminoma.

Thirty-one patients were treated with cisplatin combination chemotherapy for advanced seminoma (26 Stage III or bulky Stage II testicular, and five disseminated extragonadal). Seventeen (89%) of 19 patients not previously pretreated and four (80%) of five who had received only abdominal irradiation entered continuous complete remission (CR), versus only two (28%) of seven patients who had received extensive infra- and supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy. Results were not significantly influenced by stage, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) titers and histologic subgroups, whereas patients with lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) values exceeding 500 mIU/ml did worse (50% continuous CR rate in 12 cases) than those with normal or less elevated titers (89% continuous CR rate in 19 cases). After a median follow-up period of 34 months (range, 12+ to 77+ months), 23 patients (74.5%) remain alive in continuous CR, two (6%) died in CR and another one (3%) entered CR after deferred treatment of residual disease. Five patients (16%) died of cancer. Toxicity was severe in extensively irradiated patients, but it was acceptable in those not pretreated and in those who had received only subdiaphragmatic radiotherapy. Cisplatin combination chemotherapy can be successfully and safely used as the primary treatment of choice in patients with advanced seminoma. It is also an excellent salvage therapy for patients who had received subdiaphragmatic irradiation only. On the contrary, it is very difficult to treat with chemotherapy extensively irradiated patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

The antiemetic effect of methylprednisolone in patients treated with cis-platinum (CDDP) for advanced testicular germ cell tumors.

In cis-platinum treatment, nausea and vomiting are very serious side-effects and patients may be reluctant to accept or continue therapy. The purpose of this study is to verify the antiemetic effect of methylprednisolone in patients treated with cis-platinum in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. Methylprednisolone in doses of 100 mg/m2 i.v. per 5 consecutive days was given to 33 patients receiving cis-platinum combination chemotherapies (134 cycles) at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan for advanced germ cell tumors of the testis. Seventy percent of cycles were partially or completely protected from vomiting. Only minor side-effects caused by methylprednisolone were observed. From this study it appears that methylprednisolone is an effective antiemetic drug in patients receiving cis-platinum combination chemotherapy.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Follicle-like model by granulosa cell encapsulation in a barium alginate-protamine membrane.

Granulosa cells from bovine and porcine ovaries were cultured either in monolayer or in follicle-like barium alginate capsules for 6 days. Morphological investigation by electron scanning microscopy indicated that culture in a three-dimensional (3D) system allows self-organization of spherical-polyhedral shape cells. The luteinization index (progesterone:17beta-estradiol ratio) was significantly higher for monolayer cells than for the 3D cell culture system, confirming the results of morphological analysis and indicating more physiological growth. The encapsulated 3D culture system appears to be a promising way of obtaining in vitro maturation and development of follicles and oocytes.

Alginates↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transient transfection of porcine granulosa cells after 3D culture in barium alginate capsules.

Three-dimensional culture systems in barium alginate capsules can be employed to maintain primary granulosa cells in an undifferentiated state for almost 6 days. This is due to a self-organization of cells in a pseudofollicular structure. The transfection of primary granulosa cells is a necessary condition when employing these culture systems for several purposes, for example as an in vitro toxicity test or the development of oocytes or zygotes. In this work, the feasibility of two transient transfection techniques (liposome-mediated and electroporation) was assessed in primary porcine granulosa cells after a 6-day culture in an artificial extracellular matrix (barium alginate membrane). Human recombinant green fluorescent protein was chosen as a molecular readout, and protein expression was assessed after 48 hours from transfection. Liposome-mediated transfection gave low transfection levels, with increasing yields from 2 to 12 microgDNA/ml of medium; the maximum percentage (85.7%) was reached at 12 microgDNA/ml of medium. Electroporation-mediated transfection yields were higher: the best results (81.7% of transfected cells) were achieved with two 50V pulses and 12 microg/ml DNA. The application of a single or double pulse (50V) at 4 mgDNA/ml gave negligible results. These results indicate that primary granulosa cell cultured in barium alginate capsules can be transfected by electroporation with high transfection yields.

Alginates↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of the kidney-associated differentiation glycoprotein gp160 and resistance to the antitumor effects of interferon alpha in renal cell carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) is commonly used to treat patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We previously reported that resistance of RCCs to IFN-alpha in vitro correlated with the expression of a cell-surface glycoprotein of 160,00 kD molecular weight (gp160) which we subsequently identified as aminopeptidase A. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To directly test the role of gp160/APA in IFN-resistance, we stably introduced the gp160/APA cDNA into IFN-sensitive SK-RC-49 cells resulting in the expression of an enzymatically active gp160/APA protein. In addition, to determine if gp160/APA expression could function as a marker of IFN-resistance in vivo, we assessed gp160/APA protein levels in autologous normal kidney and primary renal cancer specimens from 29 patients half of which were randomized to receive adjuvant IFN-alpha therapy following nephrectomy. RESULTS: Four clones which possessed varying amounts of gp160/APA specific enzyme activity were assayed for sensitivity to the antiproliferative effects of IFN-alpha. All four clones exhibited sensitivity to IFN-alpha similar to that observed with parental SK-RC-49 cells. The analysis of tumor tissue detected no significant difference between the mean level of gp160/APA in tissue from control and IFN-alpha treated patients (1.33 A.U. versus 0.9981 A.U., p = 0.23); however, the mean gp160/APA level was significantly less in tumor tissue (mean = 1.15 A.U.) compared to normal tissue (mean = 2.15 A.U.; p < 0.00001). Within the IFN-alpha treated group, tumor gp160/APA levels did not correlate with the development of metastases or survival (p = 0.469). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that gp160/APA does not directly convey IFN-resistance to RCC cells and suggest that expression of gp160/APA in primary RCCs does not predict the benefit of IFN-alpha therapy.

Aged↗