Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Quaranta.
Personal experience with acute enzymatic pancreatitis in 113 cases observed, over 11 years, at the Santa Croce Hospital Surgical Division is described. Only 58 cases (51,3%) were submitted to surgery and the remaining 55 cases (48,7%) were treated with medical therapy. A mortality of 16,8% was observed.
A personal series of 395 cases of malignant tumours of the large intestine observed at the Surgical Division of the Cuneo Hospital from 1963 to 1973 is reported. Of the series examined, 206 cases involved the sigmoid colon and rectum and 33 the remaining colon. The percentage in which radical surgery was possible was of the order of 52%. Survival at 5 years after the operation was: 1) carcinoma of the colon 30%, 2) of the sigmoid 42.1% and 3) of the rectum 45%.
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A study has been carried out on 10 patients with ovarian cancer treated by intraperitoneal mitoxantrone. The serum concentration was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric detection. The extracted analyte on the cartridge was injected and eluted on-line into the analytical column by the mobile phase. This improved the signal and sample processing rate, without significant loss in analytical performance. Excellent linearity (r greater than 0.9994) was observed for the calibration curve over the range 1-2000 ng/mL, along with a precision within-day and between-day estimated as 1.5% and 5.6%, respectively. Sensitivity was an order of magnitude higher than that of the comparison method. From a clinical point of view, these preliminary results have shown that intraperitoneal administration is more beneficial than intravenous therapy. Low serum levels (1-30 ng/mL) with a maximum at the first or second hour are revealed.
p53 was originally considered to be a nuclear oncogene, but several convergent lines of research have indicated that the wild-type gene functions as a tumor suppressor gene negatively regulating the cell cycle. Mutations in the p53 gene have been detected in many tumor types and seem to be the most common genetic alterations in human cancer. In this preliminary study, sera of 92 patients (pts) with breast disease were analyzed for the presence of the mutant p53 protein (mp53) with a selective immunoenzyme assay employing a monoclonal antibody (PAb 240) specific for the majority of mammalian m p53 but not for the wild-type protein. Of the 10 patients with benign breast disease, only two (20%) showed detectable m p53 levels in the serum. In the breast cancer group, sera from 7 of the 30 pts (23%) without lymph node involvement were positive for m p53, as were 7 out of the 45 pts (15%) with metastatic lymph nodes and 1 out of the 7 pts (14%) with disseminated disease. The specificity of m p53 assay evaluated in 20 healthy controls was 100%. These preliminary results showed that serum positivity for m p53 is not related to breast disease extension. Further studies to assess the utility of m p53 as a possible prognosis factor in breast cancer are currently in progress.
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Mucins are an important class of complex glycoproteins expressed by many epithelial cells and their malignant counterparts. The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of MUC3 and mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA) in patients with primary breast cancer and to analyze the possible relationships between these two mucins and the steroid receptor status. The preoperative basal serum levels of MUC3 (ELISA assay with monoclonal antibody 1143/B7) and MCA (EIA assay with anti-MCA mouse monoclonal antibody b-12) were determined in 44 patients with breast cancer while estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) levels were measured by the dextran-coated charcoal method in the cytosol of neoplastic tissue. MUC3 was expressed in 43/44 serum samples while high MCA serum levels were found in 16/44 only; the mean values of both markers did not correlate with menopausal status, tumor size, nodal involvement or ER. The only significant difference observed was a lower median value of MCA in patients with small tumors (T1-T2). No statistically significant correlation between MUC3 and MCA, MUC3 and ER or MCA and ER was observed; a statistically significant direct correlation between MUC3 and PgR+ status and a statistically significant inverse correlation between MCA and PgR+ were observed. Our results suggest that further investigations are necessary to establish whether progesterone can modulate MUC3 and MCA expression in breast cancer.
90K/MAC-2BP glycoprotein is a serum tumour marker, member of the scavenger receptor cysteine rich (SRCR) protein superfamily, involved in different immunological mechanisms. In the present study, we determined 90K serum levels by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay using the same monoclonal antibody in 11 chronic active hepatitis (CAH), 48 liver cirrhosis and 36 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In comparison, the same samples were also tested for AFP. According to a cut-off point of 14 micrograms/mL for the 90K, established as 100% of specificity in 50 controls, we observed increasing positivities from CAH to cirrhosis and then to HCC (27%, 50% and 78%, respectively). In cirrhotic patients 90K levels were associated with the presence of anti-HCV antibodies, but not with the degree of liver compromise. Finally, 90K sensitivity was higher than AIFP in all groups of hepatic patients. However, further investigations are needed before proposing 90K as a clinical useful tumour marker in the progression from cirrhosis to HCC.
The Italian League against Cancer organizes a group behaviour therapy program for smoking cessation in Milan and Rome. Groups meet for 8-9 sessions; sessions are managed by a therapist. In the analized courses participants are 43-44 years on the average, with a middle/high level of education. They are heavy smokers with a high level of nicotine dependence and they greatly trust in the program. At the end of the program 67% of participants in Milan and 76% in Rome declare they no longer smoke. One year later, phone interviews show that 22% of participants in Milan and 25% in Rome are still non smokers. At the end of the program quitting-smoking predictors are: attendance at at least 6-7 sessions, smoking less than 30 cigarettes a day before the course and male gender; one year later attendance at at least 6-7 sessions, and scarce nicotine dependence (smoking less than 30 cigarettes a day before the program or a low score at the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire).
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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Mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA) is a new tumor associated antigen expressed on breast cancer cells independent of histological type and recognized by a two-site sandwich EIA (Roche) using the Mab b-12 as capture and detection antibody and a MCA cut-off of 11 U/ml. MCA serum levels were determined in 409 breast cancer patients and in 100 pts with benign breast disease histologically confirmed and staged according to UICC. The sensitivity of MCA regarding the stage of disease was elevated only in metastatic patients (89%) and the MCA values of this group were significantly different compared to those of patients with early or locally advanced breast cancer. In the group of benign patients, the specificity was 81%. The correlation between MCA values and number of involved axillary lymph nodes showed significant differences in the O versus 4-10 node subgroup (p < 0.001), in O versus > 10 and in 1-3 versus 4-10 node subgroup (p < 0.05); elevated MCA sensitivity was found in the 4-10 and > 10 subgroups. In our experience, the determination of MCA is not useful for early diagnosis of breast cancer nor does it indicate the extent of lymph node involvement. With regard to the prediction of tumor recurrence in postoperative patients free of disease, MCA levels increased concomitantly with the clinical evidence of relapse. These findings suggest that the MCA assay is highly sensitive only in patients with metastatic breast cancer; therefore one of the most promising test application seems to be for monitoring the clinical course of advanced disease patients.