PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Venturino

Publications and source records attributed to M Venturino.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Breast conservative treatment in association with implant augmentation and intraoperative radiotherapy.

After conservative treatment for small breast cancer the use of breast implants is controversial due to the negative effects of external conventional radiotherapy on soft tissues and the risk of capsular contracture. The literature reports several cases of unsuccessful breast augmentation due to implant displacement, a high percentage of capsular contracture and postoperative complications. We report the case of a 47-year-old woman with a small tumour between the inner quadrants of the left breast. She underwent quadrantectomy and sentinel node biopsy and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) of the target zone. Simultaneously, she received a bilateral augmentation mammaplasty. One year later we observed no evidence of local recurrence, no local fibrosis and radiodistrophy. Cosmetic results are excellent and the patient is very satisfied. The surgical technique and the possible advantage of such a procedure are also discussed.

Breast Implants↗
PubMed2003

Clinical presentation and outcome of pituitary adenomas in teenagers.

OBJECTIVE: Pituitary adenomas rarely occur in childhood and adolescence, but their mass effect and endocrine abnormalities can compromise both quality and length of life. In this study we evaluated the symptoms at onset and the long-term consequences induced in teenagers by functioning or nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Clinical, biochemical and neuroradiological data of 44 young patients (12 males and 32 females, aged 16.3 +/- 1.9 years at diagnosis) with pituitary adenomas were evaluated retrospectively at baseline and after therapy. Patients underwent surgery, radiotherapy and/or medical treatment depending on clinical history and endocrine secretion of the tumour. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 252 months (median 55 months). MEASUREMENTS: Baseline and dynamic pituitary function were evaluated in all cases at diagnosis and after treatments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan were performed before therapy and during follow-up. Hormone levels were measured using commercial radioimmunologic or immunoradiometric methods. RESULTS: Pituitary macroadenomas (group 1) or microadenomas (group 2) were found in 61% and 39% of cases, respectively. Overall, 68% were PRL-secreting, 7% GH-secreting, 5% ACTH-secreting and 20% nonfunctioning. The most frequent symptoms at onset were oligoamenorrhoea (62%) and galactorrhoea (59%) in the girls, and headache (58%) in the boys. Pubertal development was delayed in 12/27 (44%) cases with macroadenoma. Growth failure was observed in 4/44 (9%) patients (3 in group 1 and 1 in group 2). At diagnosis, hypopituitarism was detected in 10/27 (37%) patients with macroadenoma. Surgery alone cured 4/18 (22%) and 4/9 (44%) patients in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Adjuvant therapies (second surgery and/or radiotherapy and/or medical treatment) cured the disease in 2/13 (15%) patients with macroadenoma and allowed a persistent normalization in other 4/13 (31%) and 2/4 (50%) cases in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Medical treatment alone cured 2/9 (22%) patients with PRL-secreting macroadenoma and normalized PRL levels in another six (66%) with macroprolactinoma and in 2/7 (28%) patients with microprolactinoma. CONCLUSION: Delay of growth was rarely observed in teenagers with pituitary adenomas. At the onset of the disease, many girls complained of oligoamenorrhoea and galactorrhoea, while headache and delay of pubertal development were the symptoms more frequently referred by boys. Surgery alone was effective in a minority of patients and adjuvant therapies were helpful to obtain the remission of the disease in many cases. In patients with PRL-secreting pituitary adenoma, medical treatment, both as first choice or as adjuvant therapy, normalizes serum PRL levels in 14/27 (52%) cases.

Adenoma↗
PubMed2002

Abnormalities of GH secretion in a young girl with Floating-Harbor syndrome.

We present a 9.1-year-old girl of Calabrian (Italy) ancestry, with clinical features (cranio-facial dysmorphism, short stature with delayed bone age and speech delay) suggesting the diagnosis of Floating-Harbor syndrome (FHS). Physical examination showed: height 113.9 cm (-2.9 SD), with a parent's target of 156.2 cm (+1.0 SD), weight 20.7 kg, BMI 16.0 (-0.04 SD), and many phenotypic abnormalities: long eyelashes, large bulbous nose with broad nasal bridge, short philtrum, moderately broad mouth, tooth folding and malocclusion, posteriorly rotated ears, low posterior hair line, short neck, clinodactyly of the 5th finger and hyperextensible finger joints. Diffused hyperpigmentation and hypertrichosis with sporadic pubic terminal hairs, but neither clitoromegaly nor other signs of hyperandrogenism and/or precocious puberty, were observed (T1, P1). Carpal bone evaluation showed a delayed bone age (TW2: 5-5/10, - 3.6 yr) and the statural age/bone age ratio was 1.1. Other dysmorphic syndromes were excluded on the basis of clinical evidence, also evaluated by a computer-assisted search (P.O.S.S.U.M. version 3.5, 1992). Analysis of chromosome 22 by the FISH method, using specific probes Cos29 and Tuple1, excluded microdeletions in the region 22q11.2, typical of Velo-cardio-facial syndrome. In this case, we report the impairment of serum GH responsiveness (GH baseline values: 0.2-1.9 ng/ml) to the administration of oral 150 microg clonidine [peak 4.7 ng/ml, normal values (nv)>10 ng/ml] and oral 4 mg dexamethasone (8.1 ng/ml, nv>10 ng/ml). Moreover, the evaluation of spontaneous 24-h GH secretion (Carmeda AB, Stockholm, Sweden) showed low mean GH levels (1.75 ng/ml, nv>3.0 ng/ml), with a maximum sleep-related peak of 2.8 ng/ml. Serum IGF-1 values were in the low-normal range (80-176 ng/ml, nv 133-626 ng/ml). While in FHS the cranio-facial features minimize with advancement of age, the impairment of growth velocity is permanent and results in severe dwarfism. In our case, treatment with recombinant GH (0.10 U/kg/day), administered by a needle-free device, induced a dramatic increase of growth velocity, increasing the height from -2.8 to -1.9 SD after 18 months, thus indirectly confirming a role of GH deficiency in the pathogenesis of FHS dwarfism.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2002

Abnormalities of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in patients with primary empty sella.

Primary empty sella (PES) is a very frequent neuroradiological finding in the general population, that can induce hypopituitarism. Some studies focused on the association of PES with GH deficiency (GHD) or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH), while data regarding the involvement of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, despite sporadic reports of central hypothyroidism, or the occurrence of hypoadrenalism (HA) are scanty. In this study, thyroid function and TSH response to exogenous TRH injection (TRH/TSH) were investigated in 43 patients [10 men and 33 women; aged (mean +/- SD), 48+/-12 yr] with PES: 22 patients had total and 21 partial PES. Forty healthy subjects (9 men and 31 women; aged 46+/-12 yr) were enrolled as a control group. Central hypothyroidism was found only in 2/43 cases, whereas one patient showed primary hypothyroidism. In euthyroid patients, mean serum TSH levels were significantly lower than controls (TSH: 1.0+/-0.7 vs 1.4+/-0.6 mU/l, p<0.01) and 79% of them showed abnormal TRH/TSH responses (TRH test was performed in 34 euthyroid patients: 17 cases with total and 17 cases with partial PES), but mean serum free T4 (FT4) and free T3 (FT3) values were not significantly lower than controls (FT4: 15.9+/-0.4 vs 15.0+/-2.1 pmol/l, p=NS; FT3: 5.3+/-1.2 vs 5.8+/-1.5 pmol/l, p=NS). Moreover, no significant differences were evident in mean serum TSH, FT4 and FT3 between patients with total and partial PES (TSH: 1.1+/-0.7 vs 0.9+/-0.8 mU/l, p=NS; FT4: 16.3+/-2.6 vs 15.7+/-2.2 pmol/l, p=NS; FT3: 5.4+/-1.3 vs 5.2+/-0.8 pmol/l, p=NS) and the TRH/TSH peak was impaired or exaggerated/delayed in 9 and 3 patients with total and in 12 and 3 cases with partial PES. No significant differences in the prevalence of abnormal TRH/TSH responsiveness were found between patients with partial or total PES (chi2=1.6, p=NS). Other impairment of pituitary function was detected in 23/43 patients: GHD was present in 15 cases, HH in 11 and central HA in 5 patients. Isolated or combined hypopituitarism was present in 17 and in 6 patients, respectively. In conclusion, pituitary dysfunction is very frequent in patients with PES, but central hypothyroidism occurs rarely. The entity of arachnoid herniation into the sellar fossa does not play a significant role on the degree of HPT axis dysfunction.

Adrenal Insufficiency↗
PubMed2001

Learning curve for translaryngeal tracheotomy in head and neck surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Translaryngeal tracheotomy (TLT) is a widely accepted procedure in intensive-care units for its simplicity of execution, low morbidity, rapid wound closure after cannula removal, good esthetic results, and lack of long-term sequelae. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and use of adopting TLT in patients with cancer undergoing major head and neck surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective analysis of learning curve and incidence of complications in 41 patients with cancer who underwent TLT at the Division of Head and Neck Surgery of the European Institute of Oncology from November 1997 to June 1999. METHODS: Patient characteristics, pathology, anatomic characteristics of the neck, and surgical short-term and long-term complications were noted. The patients were divided into consecutive groups of six or seven patients, and time trends in occurrence of complications and time to execute the procedure were assessed. RESULTS: TLT performance time decreased from 50 minutes in the first seven patients to 24 minutes in the last group. The technique was easy to perform and safe, with only two minor complications during surgery. However, minor complications occurred in three and major complications in 17 patients in the days immediately following surgery, almost entirely attributable to lack of counter-cannula and stylet. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the high proportion of major complications, TLT using the presently available kit is unsuitable for major head and neck surgery. However, the considerable advantages of the technique would recommend it as a valid alternative to surgical tracheotomy if the kit included a counter-cannula and stylet.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2001

Relationship between cardiac function and insulin resistance in obese patients.

Both overweight and insulin resistance predispose to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, independently of other risk factors. We studied the relationship between insulin resistance and heart function and dimension in 39 patients with different degrees of obesity. Twenty-six women and 13 men with body mass index (BMI) ranging 26.1-41 kg/m2 (mean +/- SD = 33.9 +/- 3.8), without diabetes, hypertension and heart, liver or kidney diseases were studied. Patients were subdivided into 2 groups, 25 with overweight or grade I obesity (group A) and 14 with severe (grade II or III) obesity (group B). Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by the Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT), performed after an overnight fast and K(ITT) was calculated. Echocardiographic measurements were also assessed. Between the two groups no significant difference was observed for either K(ITT) (group A, K(ITT) = 5.47 +/- 1.30; group B, K(ITT) = 4.57 +/- 1.53) or the ejection fraction (EF%) (group A, 71.40 +/- 6.63; group B, 69.86 +/- 7.43). No correlation was observed between BMI and both the EF% and other echocardiographic measurements. In patients with mild obesity (group A) a significant negative correlation between EF% and KITT (r = -0.62,p < 0.001) was observed. In mild obesity, therefore, cardiac function changes occur in relation to the level of insulin resistance but these changes are not related to mass and/or volume changes. The cause(s) of this relationship is not clear, but most likely involves metabolic or endocrine factors. The increased EF% in moderately obese patients that are insulin-resistant may provide an initial compensatory mechanism but may also contribute to a late cardiac damage.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Actin cytoskeleton organization in response to integrin-mediated adhesion.

Cell matrix adhesion regulates actin cytoskeleton organization through distinct steps, from formation of filopodia and lamellipodia in the early phases of cell adhesion to organization of focal adhesions and stress fibers in fully adherent cells. In this review, we follow the events induced by integrin-mediated adhesion, such as activation of GTPases Cdc42 and Rac and their effectors and their role in actin polymerization leading to formation of lamellipodia and filopodia and cell spreading. We also show that actin stress fiber and focal adhesion formation following adhesion requires cooperation between integrin-mediated signaling and additional stimuli, including activation of PKC, Rho GTPases, and PTKs such as p125Fak and Src.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1999

Integrin-mediated adhesion of endothelial cells induces JAK2 and STAT5A activation: role in the control of c-fos gene expression.

Integrin-mediated adhesion induces several signaling pathways leading to regulation of gene transcription, control of cell cycle entry and survival from apoptosis. Here we investigate the involvement of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway in integrin-mediated signaling. Plating primary human endothelial cells from umbilical cord and the human endothelial cell line ECV304 on matrix proteins or on antibody to beta1- or alphav-integrin subunits induces transient tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT5A. Consistent with a role for the JAK/STAT pathway in regulation of gene transcription, adhesion to matrix proteins leads to the formation of STAT5A-containing complexes with the serum-inducible element of c-fos promoter. Stable expression of a dominant negative form of STAT5A in NIH3T3 cells reduces fibronectin-induced c-fos mRNA expression, indicating the involvement of STAT5A in integrin-mediated c-fos transcription. Thus these data present a new integrin-dependent signaling mechanism involving the JAK/STAT pathway in response to cell-matrix interaction.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Integrins induce activation of EGF receptor: role in MAP kinase induction and adhesion-dependent cell survival.

Adhesion of human primary skin fibroblasts and ECV304 endothelial cells to immobilized matrix proteins, beta1 or alphav integrin antibodies stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. This tyrosine phosphorylation is transiently induced, reaching maximal levels 30 min after adhesion, and it occurs in the absence of receptor ligands. Similar results were observed with EGF receptor-transfected NIH-3T3 cells. Use of a kinase-negative EGF receptor mutant demonstrates that the integrin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation is due to activation of the receptor's intrinsic kinase activity. Integrin-mediated EGF receptor activation leads to Erk-1/MAP kinase induction, as shown by treatment with the specific inhibitor tyrphostin AG1478 and by expression of a dominant-negative EGF receptor mutant. EGF receptor and Erk-1/MAP kinase activation by integrins does not lead per se to cell proliferation, but is important for entry into S phase in response to EGF or serum. EGF receptor activation is also required for extracellular matrix-mediated cell survival. Adhesion-dependent MAP kinase activation and survival are regulated through EGF receptor activation in cells expressing this molecule above a threshold level (5x10(3) receptors per cell). These results demonstrate that integrin-dependent EGF receptor activation is a novel signaling mechanism involved in cell survival and proliferation in response to extracellular matrix.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Combined lung volume reduction surgery and thoracic aortic aneurysm resection.

Postoperative improvement of respiratory function has been reported with lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with severe emphysema. Since smoking is an established risk factor for lung cancer, vascular diseases and emphysema, it is not infrequent to find these diseases associated in the same patient. Combined treatment of lung cancer and emphysema has already been reported. Surgical treatment of vascular diseases in emphysematous patients could also benefit from the application of LVRS techniques. We report resection of an aortic aneurysm combined with LVRS in a patient with concomitant thoracic aortic aneurysm and severe emphysema. Respiratory function improved in the postoperative period.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Engraftment of HLA-matched sibling hematopoietic stem cells after immunosuppressive conditioning regimen in patients with hematologic neoplasias.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this pilot study was to assess the possibility of achieving engraftment of HLA-matched sibling donor mobilized hematopoietic stem cells after immunosuppressive non-myeloablative therapy. The second objective was to verify whether high-dose therapy with autologous stem cells rescue followed by allografting conditioned by only an immunosuppressive regimen, can be combined in order to achieve the reduction of tumor burden after autografting and the control of residual disease with immune-mediated effects after allografting. DESIGN AND METHODS: To enter the pilot study the patients had to fulfil the following criteria: advanced resistant disease, presence of an HLA matched sibling donor, no general contraindications to stem cell transplantation. Our data refers to 9 patients: Hodgkin's disease (n = 4), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 2), advanced chronic myelogenous leukemia (n = 2) (one patient with accelerated phase Ph-negative but p190 BCR-ABL gene positive by RT-PCR and one with Ph-positive blastic phase), refractory anemia with excess of blasts t(1;3) (p36;q21) (n = 1). All patients but one received the combined approach. At a median of 40 days (range 30-96), after high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell engraftment, the patients were treated with immunosuppressive therapy consisting of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (Flu-Cy protocol) and then HLA matched donor mobilized stem cells were infused into the patients. GvHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporin and methotrexate. RESULTS: To date, with a median observation period of 4 months (range, 2-10), complete chimerism (100% donor cells) has been achieved in 6 patients. Three patients did not achieve complete chimerism: one patient died of progressive Hodgkin's disease when he reached 55% of donor cells, another patient is now in increasing phase of donor cell engraftment and the last patient (blastic phase-CML) was the only case who appears to have had autologous recovery. Two of the Hodgkin's disease patients, who were in partial remission after autografting, achieved complete remission after allografting and both are disease free 2 and 6 months after. Another Hodgkin's disease patient is alive at 10 months but she has progressive disease. One of the two patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, who achieved partial remission after autografting, obtained complete remission and he is disease free 2 months after allografting. The other patient maintains partial remission obtained after autografting. The accelerated phase-CML patient obtained hematologic and molecular remission; the RAEB patient achieved hematologic and cytogenetic remission. In two patients severe aGVHD (grade II-III) was the single major complication but neither patient died of it. Mild aGVHD was seen in another patient. In only one patient did the ANC decrease to below 1 x 10(9)/L and in no case did platelets decrease below 20 x 10(9)/L. No patients required a sterile room or any red cell or platelet transfusions. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Immunosuppressive therapy with a Flu-Cy protocol allowed engraftment of HLA-matched sibling donor stem cells without procedure-related deaths; moreover, we have demonstrated that this combined procedure can be pursued in safety in a serious ill population and some of these patients achieved a complete remission. This procedure is not likely to be curative, but a fascinating step along the path to curing these diseases. Of course, the follow-up is too short to document the incidence of cGvHD.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Dissection of pathways implicated in integrin-mediated actin cytoskeleton assembly. Involvement of protein kinase C, Rho GTPase, and tyrosine phosphorylation.

A panel of antibodies to the alphaIIbbeta3 integrin was used to promote adhesion of Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the alphaIIbbeta3 fibrinogen receptor. While some alphaIIbbeta3 antibodies were not able to induce p125 focal adhesion kinase (p125FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation, all the antibodies equally support cell adhesion but not spreading and assembly of actin stress fibers. Absence of stress fibers was also obtained by plating on antibodies directed to the hamster beta1 integrin. In contrast, cells plated on matrix proteins spread organizing actin stress fibers. Treatment with phorbol esters phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced cells to spread on antibodies-coated dishes but not to organize actin in stress fibers. The combination of PMA and cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1), a specific Rho activator, induced cell spreading and organization of stress fibers. PMA or the combination of PMA and CNF1 also increases tyrosine phosphorylation of p125FAK in response to antibodies that were otherwise unable to trigger this response. These data show that: 1) matrix proteins and antibodies differ in their ability to induce integrin-dependent actin cytoskeleton organization (while matrix induced stress fibers formation, antibodies did not); 2) p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation is insufficient per se to trigger actin stress fibers formation since antibodies that activate p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation did not lead to actin stress fibers assembly; and 3) the inability of anti-integrin antibodies to trigger stress fibers organization is overcome by concomitant activation of the protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho pathways; PKC activation leads to cell spreading and Rho activation is required to organize actin stress fibers.

Actins↗
PubMed1997

Internal and external distraction in the control of cold-pressor pain as a function of hypnotizability.

The effectiveness of different pain-distraction tasks was compared as a function of level of hypnotizability, using the cold-pressor pain-testing procedure. Selected high, medium, or low hypnotizable participants first underwent a 1-minute baseline immersion of a hand in ice water, with periodic pain ratings. Independent groups were then given 4-minute test immersions under one of five conditions. Analgesia suggestion and guided imagery were conceived to be internal distractors, whereas word memory and pursuit-rotor tasks were external distractors. Placebo-control groups were given permission to let their minds wander. All four experimental treatments reduced pain significantly for highly hypnotizable participants, compared to the control group, whereas none of the experimental treatments were effective for low hypnotizables. The different treatment instructions did not produce different preimmersion anxiety state ratings, so the treatment effects on pain ratings could not be explained in terms of their effects on anxiety. It appears that high hypnotizables are more effective than low hypnotizables at diverting attention to control pain, regardless of whether internal or external distractor tasks are used. Treatment effects on pain ratings did not change between 1 and 4 minutes of test immersion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Interference and information organization in keeping track of continually changing information.

The influences of information organization and similarity-based interference on memory for changing information were investigated in the present experiment. Participants performed a keeping-track task in which they had to remember the most recent value for each of several continually changing attributes associated with one or several objects. Recall was poor when participants kept track of the same changing attribute compared with when they kept track of different changing attributes. This pattern was observed whether many attributes were mapped to one object or a single attribute was mapped to many objects. Keeping-track performance also deteriorated as the number of information events intervening between presentation and recall increased. The results are discussed in terms of similarity-based interference. Also discussed is the notion that this dynamic task gives rise to the need to distinguish between memory capacity for static information and memory capacity for dynamically changing information.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1996

Cerebral ischemia after venous air embolism in the absence of intracardiac defects.

Cerebral air embolism occurred in a patient undergoing posterior fossa surgery performed in the sitting position for acoustic neuroma removal. The patient experienced two episodes of venous air embolism, as evidenced by precordial Doppler, end-tidal carbon dioxide reduction, and oxygen desaturation. In both cases, air was aspirated from the central venous catheter; during the second episode there was arterial hypotension and electrocardiogram changes, and air bubbles were visualized in the cerebellar arteries. The patient did not regain consciousness after surgery and developed early tonic-clonic convulsions and electroencephalogram status epilepticus, which was treated with barbiturate coma. Intracardiac septal defects were not detected by transesophageal echocardiography, and computerized tomography of the brain demonstrated multifocal discrete ischemic areas in the cerebral hemispheres. The patient died 6 days after surgery without having regained consciousness. This case appears to represent the occurrence of transpulmonary passage of venous air embolism.

Brain Ischemia↗
PubMed1995

p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation and focal adhesion assembly: studies with phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors.

p125FAK is a major tyrosine kinase phosphorylated in response to integrin-dependent adhesion. In this study we use vanadate and phenylarsine oxide (PAO), known inhibitors of phosphotyrosine phosphatases (PTPases), as a tool to artificially modulate p125FAK phosphorylation in human endothelial and in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Vanadate treatment strongly upregulates in a dose-dependent manner the level of tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in adherent cells. PAO induces a more restricted profile of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, increasing primarily a broad band of 120-140 kDa. Maximal stimulation of p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation is reached at 10 microM PAO. In contrast, in vanadate-treated cells the p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation shows a biphasic curve, being increased at high doses of vanadate (100 microM) and downregulated at low doses (25 microM). Immunofluorescence analysis of cells treated with PTPase inhibitors showed a direct correlation between the level of p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation and the assembly of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers. Downregulation of p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation is observed by treating cells with cytochalasin D (CD), a drug known to rapidly disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. When PTPase inhibitors are added in combination to CD, the level of tyrosine phosphorylation of p125FAK remains high and focal adhesions and actin stress fibers are preserved from the CD-mediated disruption. Based on these data we suggest that assembly of actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in inhibiting PTPases involved in p125FAK tyrosine phosphorylation.

Actins↗
PubMed1995

[Prognostic factors in chronic lymphatic leukemia].

The analysis of our case histories aims at verifying if the immunological phenotype of the leukaemic lymphocyte B, essential diagnostic element, can have prognostic meaning and integrate the known methods of staging. We tested peripheral blood and samples of bone marrow at the cytofluorimeter with techniques of immunofluorescence. We considered the density of the sIg, lymphocytic doubling time (LDT), clusters of designation 23 (CD23), as immunological marker of activation, we also documented a relationship between these indicators and the classic clinical stage. We observed that the chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in the stage B and C have generally sIg at high density, correlated to a short time of lymphocytic doubling, and that in the group with a low risk (stage A) the low density of sIg is correlated with a long time of doubling, index of the growth of tumoral bulk. The activation marker (CD23) shows a positive prognostic meaning, as it is more expressed in CLL at a low density of sIg and present in larger quantity in the initial clinical stage. We defined a classic immunophenotypic pattern for the CLL-B with positivity of CD5, sIg at a low density, Ag of activation highly positive related to a history of favourable disease; while an immunologic structure with CD5 negativity, less activated and more differentiated phenotype (CD23 low expression, high density sIg) seems to define a more severe prognosis.

Antigens, CD↗