PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Rosso

Publications and source records attributed to M Rosso.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Chemo-radiotherapy in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: factors affecting toxicity patterns.

Radiation and chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck can be used according to different strategies: concomitant, alternation, consecutive. The limiting acute toxicity is local with the radiosensitizing capacity of the drug and type of radiation fractionation being the predominant factors. Regimens providing more that 50% of complete responses are usually associate with a more than 40% incidence of severelocal reaction. More information is needed on late toxicity that influences the quality of life for these patients.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1998

beta Interferon inhibits HIV-1 Tat-induced angiogenesis: synergism with 13-cis retinoic acid.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a highly angiogenic lesion which frequently presents as an aggressive form in HIV-infected male patients. We have previously shown that the HIV-1 Tat protein induces endothelial cell migration and invasion in vitro and a rapid angiogenic response in vivo, suggesting that it acts as a cofactor in epidemic KS. In this study we tested beta interferon (IFN beta) and retinoic acid (RA) for the inhibition of Tat-induced angiogenesis using in vivo and in vitro models. IFN beta, at a concentration above 2500 U/ml, was an effective inhibitor of Tat-stimulated growth, migration and morphogenesis of an endothelial cell line in vitro and of angiogenesis in vivo. A strong reduction of properties associated with neovascularisation was induced by 10,000 U/ml. In vivo, RA alone was on ineffective inhibitor of angiogenesis, and in vitro gave only a limited inhibition of endothelial cell growth. However, 13-cis RA used in combination with IFN beta impressively potentiated its effects. A combination of lower doses of IFN beta (2500 U/ml) and 13-cis RA induced a virtually complete inhibition of the Tat-related angiogenic phenotype both in vivo and in vitro. The potentiation of the anti-angiogenic activity of IFN beta by 13-cis RA suggests that this combination could be a useful approach for the therapy of epidemic KS.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

5-Fluorouracil dose intensification and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in cisplatin-based chemotherapy for relapsed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a phase II study.

A previous phase I study showed that in a 5-day combination of cisplatin (CDDP) 20 mg/m2/day and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) intravenous bolus, the maximum tolerable dose of 5-FU is 200 mg/m2/day without the use of growth factors and 300 mg/m2/day with recombinant human granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) support. In the present phase II study, 26 patients with relapsed and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) were treated with CDDP, 20 mg/m2/day, and 5-FU, 300 mg/m2/day intravenous bolus, for 5 consecutive days every 3 weeks. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, 5 mg/kg/day subcutaneously, was administered from days 8 to 19. All patients had previously undergone surgery and/or radiation treatment. None had previously received chemotherapy. Mucositis (19% of the patients) and thrombocytopenia (42%) were the most frequent, but generally mild, toxicities. Relevant, GM-CSF-related side effects were detected in 12% of the patients. The median number of cycles delivered was four. Three complete and five partial responses were recorded (31% overall response rate). Further investigation of this regimen is unwarranted because of both its lack of improvement in antitumoral activity and the high costs incurred with the use of growth factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on prevention of mucositis in head and neck cancer patients treated with chemo-radiotherapy.

Twenty-nine previously untreated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and pharynx underwent a treatment program with four courses of chemotherapy alternated with three courses of radiotherapy. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was administered at a dose of 5 micrograms/mg subcutaneously on the same day as radiation treatment in order to prevent mucositis. No grade 4 mucositis was reported; only four episodes of grade 2 mucositis and thirteen grade 2. Comparing these results with historical patients treated with the same chemotherapy-radiation program but without GM-CSF, the authors concluded that GM-CSF is an effective treatment for preventing mucositis produced by chemotherapeutic and/or radiotherapeutic interventions in patients at high risk of oropharyngeal mucosal damage.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

The vacuolar targeting signal of the 2S albumin from Brazil nut resides at the C terminus and involves the C-terminal propeptide as an essential element.

Genetic constructs in which different N- and C-terminal segments of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.) 2S albumin were fused to secretory yeast invertase were transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants to investigate the vacuolar targeting signal of the 2S albumin. None of the N-terminal segments, including the complete precursor containing all propeptides, was able to direct the invertase to the vacuoles. However, a short C-terminal segment comprising the last 20 amino acids of the precursor was sufficient for efficient targeting of yeast invertase to the vacuoles of the transformed tobacco plants. Further analyses showed that peptides of 16 and 13 amino acids of the C-terminal segment were still sufficient, although they had slightly lower efficiency. When segments of 9 amino acids or shorter were analyzed, a decrease to approximately 30% was observed. These segments included the C-terminal propeptide of four amino acids (Ile-Ala-Gly-Phe). When the 2S albumin was expressed in tobacco, it was also localized to the vacuoles of mesophyll cells. If the C-terminal propeptide was deleted from the 2S albumin precursor, all of this truncated 2S albumin was secreted from the tobacco cells. These results indicate that the C-terminal propeptide is necessary but not sufficient for vacuolar targeting. In addition, an adjacent segment of at least 12 amino acids of the mature protein is needed to form the complete signal for efficient targeting.

2S Albumins, Plant↗
PubMed1994

Maternal serum markers. Estimation of the risk of Down's syndrome: a prospective study.

The risk of Down's syndrome pregnancies can be estimated by quantitation of maternal serum markers, namely alpha-fetoprotein, unconjugated estriol and human chorionic gonadotropin (triple test). A prospective study of 2892 pregnant women (median age 33.5 years) is reported. The detection rate of Down's syndrome pregnancies was 80% (confidence intervals 45%-100%) when a risk of 1:380 or greater was considered "screen positive", the false positive rate was 13.3% (confidence intervals 12.0%-14.5%). The importance of the accurate assessment of gestational age and the time of blood sampling are emphasized. Our findings are compared with similar studies performed in other laboratories.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Chemotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Chemotherapy has been used for many years as a palliative approach to advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Regimens employed have slowly evolved during this time, and the combination of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil is still standard chemotherapy for such a tumour. However, clinical approaches to advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are changing dramatically as physicians become increasingly familiar with multidisciplinary treatments. Integrating chemotherapy and radiotherapy, neo-adjuvant or adjuvant treatments and organ preservation are stimulating fields of investigation involving chemotherapy which definitely warrant further investigation.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1994

Intensified chemotherapy with granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor protection in advanced, relapsed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A phase I study.

BACKGROUND: The administration of granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) should allow an increase in the doses of chemotherapy for patients with advanced cancers of the head and neck. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven patients with histologically proven relapsed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck entered this Phase I study based on the combination of cisplatin (20 mg/m2/day for 5 days), escalating doses of 5-fluorouracil, both given by intravenous injection from day 1 to 5, and GM-CSF, 5 micrograms/kg from day 8 to day 19. RESULTS: The maximum tolerated 5-fluorouracil dosage was 300 mg/m2 i.v. bolus for 5 consecutive days q. 3 weeks. Thrombocytopenia was the limiting factor to further increase of 5-fluorouracil dosage. Moderate to severe stomatitis were quite rare despite the increased dose of the antimetabolite. GM-CSF was well tolerated: no significant local or systemic side effects attributable to this drug were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Adding GM-CSF to the combination of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil allowed to increase 5-fluorouracil dose up to 50% over the conventional dosage. Further increase of the dose was precluded by the development of severe thrombocytopenia.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Lymphoblastoid interferon in advanced breast cancer: a phase II study.

Thirty-two metastatic breast cancer patients entered a phase II study in order to evaluate the toxicity and the clinical activity of lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN). The treatment was divided into two phases, induction and maintenance. During the first, patients were submitted to lymphoblastoid IFN at the dose of 3 MU die intramuscularly for 4-8 weeks; during maintenance treatment IFN was given at the same dosage, intramuscularly, every other day until progression. Five patients with inadequate follow-up were excluded from disease evaluation, thus 27 patients were evaluable for response. No complete response was observed; one patient achieved a partial response and 15 patients disease stabilization. Median time to progression in patients with partial response or stable disease was 11 weeks (range 2-32). Five patients with soft tissue metastases were biopsied before and after 1-2 months of treatment in order to perform Labelling Index and hormonal receptor status determinations. No significant modification was observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Second-line hormonotherapy for breast cancer. Uselessness of first-line continuation.

The hypothesis that the results of second line hormonotherapy for breast cancer may be ameliorated with continuation of the first line has been explored in a randomized trial. Patients progressing under tamoxifen were randomly allocated to aminoglutethimide and hydrocortisone acetate with or without tamoxifen continuation. No difference has been observed between the two arms in terms of response rate and progression-free overall survival.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[Our experience of parenteral nutrition (PN) in general surgery].

The problems caused by malnutrition in postoperative complications are well know as is the importance of parenteral nutrition (NP). Thanks to the improvement in instruments and methods, NP can be used not only in intensive therapy departments, but also in less well equipped ones. The Authors report their experience of the use of NP in 77 patients from January 1978 to December 1989 treated in the Surgical Department of the Civil Hospital of Susa (TO), USSL 36, Regione Piemonte.

Adult↗