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Biomedical subjects

M de Vincentiis

Publications and source records attributed to M de Vincentiis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Ear involvement in acute promyelocytic leukemia at relapse: a disease-associated 'sanctuary'?

Extramedullary (EM) involvement occurs infrequently in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and usually involves skin and CNS. We describe seven patients (four observed at a single institution) who relapsed in various sites of the auditory apparatus, including the external canal and middle ear (temporal bone). Front-line treatment included ATRA and chemotherapy (six patients) or chemotherapy alone (one patient). Three patients had concomitant hematologic relapse, two had molecular relapse and two were in hematologic and molecular remission when ear localization was documented. Local symptoms that stimulated further diagnostic studies included ear bleeding/discharge in the first patient, but were mild in the others (hypoacusia, five patients; earache, two patients). Ear involvement by leukemia was documented by histological and/or molecular studies after local surgery in five cases, and by CT scan or NMR in the remaining patients. We suggest that the ear might represent a specific sanctuary for disease involvement in APL.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

A short low-level exposure to metavanadate during a cell cycle-specific interval of time is sufficient to permanently derange the differentiative properties of Mel cells.

Mouse erythroleukemia (Mel) cells have a cell cycle-dependent high sensitivity to chemical and physical mutagens. This report shows that a 5 h exposure to 0.1 or 0.01 microg/ml metavanadate during the initial period of erythroid differentiation induction was sufficient to permanently damage the ability of treated Mel cells and their progeny to undergo erythroid differentiation, without affecting cell viability and proliferation. Conversely, a 5 h pulse of metavanadate at 1 or 10 microg/ml inhibited both differentiation and cell proliferation. The cell cycle-dependent period of mutagenesis was essential for fixation of damage in the cell genome and the progeny of the cells treated with 0.1 or 0.01 microg/ml metavanadate stably inherited an impaired capacity to differentiate. The efficiency of the DNA repair synthesis machinery during the specific period of exposure of Mel cells seemed directly involved in damage fixation. In fact, the mutagenic effects of a 0.1 microg/ml metavanadate pulse was further increased in the presence of 1 mM hydroxyurea, an inhibitor of DNA repair synthesis. In contrast, 5 microg/ml vanillin, an antimutagenic agent that stimulates repair, completely restored the capacity of progeny of cells treated with 0.1 microg/ml metavanadate to complete differentiation. Determination of [(3)H]deoxythymidine in acid-insoluble DNA indicated that incorporation was stimulated by metavanadate alone and was further increased by metavanadate plus vanillin; conversely, incorporation of thymidine was reduced in the presence of hydroxyurea. The capacity of metavanadate to permanently damage Mel cell erythroid differentiation appeared to depend on the cell cycle-related efficiency of the DNA repair systems, activated to correct the induced alteration, rather than on a specific concentration.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Evolution of precancerous laryngeal lesions: a clinicopathologic study with long-term follow-up on 259 patients.

BACKGROUND: A wide spectrum of lesions ranging from dysplasia to in situ carcinoma have to be considered when dealing with laryngeal precancerous conditions. Recently the concept of laryngeal intraepithelial neoplasia (LIN) was introduced. METHODS: A series of 259 consecutive cases of laryngeal keratosis was studied from 1976 to 1994. All patients entered the study after microlaryngoscopy and biopsy. Histologic diagnoses were subdivided into keratosis without dysplasia (KWD), with mild dysplasia (LIN 1), with moderate dysplasia (LIN 2), and with severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ (LIN 3). The follow-up period ranged from 15 months to 19 years (mean, 101 months). RESULTS: KWD had the best prognosis with the lowest recurrence rate (12.5%) after stripping of laryngeal mucous membrane. The recurrence rate after stripping was higher for LIN 1 (25%) and LIN 2 cases (68.7%). The recurrence rate after CO2 laser cordectomy was 16.6% for LIN 2 and 18.7% for LIN 3. The incidence of progression to infiltrative carcinoma was 4.19% for KWD, 7.14% for LIN 1, 21.42% for LIN 2, and 9.37% for LIN 3. CONCLUSIONS: KWD and LIN 1 can be successfully treated by stripping the mucous membrane, close follow-up, and a change in smoking habits. On the contrary, LIN 2 and LIN 3 need a more aggressive therapeutical approach.

Female↗
PubMed2001

Salvage resection after previous laryngeal surgery: total laryngectomy with en bloc resection of the overlying cervical skin.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of extended total laryngectomy for the treatment of recurrences of laryngeal cancer. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective clinical study of patients who had undergone extended total laryngectomy and were seen over a 15-year period. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 15 years. SETTING: Academic tertiary referral medical center. PATIENTS: We observed 15 patients who were affected by a recurrence of laryngeal cancer that extended to the overlying soft tissue. All patients were male. The mean age was 61.5 years. Thirteen patients had previously undergone partial laryngeal surgery, and 2 patients had undergone radiation therapy, without success. INTERVENTION: All patients underwent total laryngectomy extending to the soft tissue, including the overlying skin. RESULTS: Five of the 15 patients died of local recurrence, and 1 patient died of massive postoperative hemorrhaging. An actuarial survival rate of 60% was observed at 5 years. CONCLUSION: Total laryngectomy extending to the soft tissues seems to be an effective procedure for treating local recurrences of laryngeal cancer after partial laryngectomy or failure of radiation therapy.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed2000

Origin of the Henze solution/precipitate from morula cells of the blood of the ascidian Phallusia mammillata.

The "Henze solution", derived originally from the aqueous extraction of pelleted whole blood from the ascidian Phallusia mammillata, was examined using spectral studies. The aqueous extraction of fractionated blood cells including compartment cells, signet ring cells, and morula cells obtained using cell separation techniques were also examined. It was found that this Henze solution, and the Henze precipitate itself derived from this solution, emanated solely from the morula cells. Furthermore, it was found that this solution is formed independently of the vanadium metal ions otherwise associated with the vanadocytes. Observation of the Henze precipitate by light microscopy shows that this material partially forms crystallites or microglasses.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Endoscopic cordectomy. A proposal for a classification by the Working Committee, European Laryngological Society.

The European Laryngological Society is proposing a classification of different laryngeal endoscopic cordectomies in order to ensure better definitions of post-operative results. We chose to keep the word "cordectomy" even for partial resections because it is the term most often used in the surgical literature. The classification comprises eight types of cordectomies: a subepithelial cordectomy (type I), which is resection of the epithelium; a subligamental cordectomy (type II), which is a resection of the epithelium, Reinke's space and vocal ligament; transmuscular cordectomy (type III), which proceeds through the vocalis muscle; total cordectomy (type IV); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the contralateral vocal fold and the anterior commissure (type Va); extended cordectomy, which includes the arytenoid (type Vb); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the subglottis (type Vc); and extended cordectomy, which includes the ventricle (type Vd). Indications for performing those cordectomies may vary from surgeon to surgeon. The operations are classified according to the surgical approach used and the degree of resection in order to facilitate use of the classification in daily practice. Each surgical procedure ensures that a specimen is available for histopathological examination.

Glottis↗
PubMed2000

Protease activity in fractionated blood cells of the vanadium accumulating ascidian Phallusia mammillata.

Proteolytic activity was studied in the fractionated blood cells of the vanadium accumulating ascidian P. mammillata by separating the cells before measuring their activity. Cells were separated to avoid vanadocyte breakdown and subsequent vanadium diffusion into the assay medium. Our study revealed activity in the morula cell extract that was obtained by sonication and Centricon concentration. After removing part of the extract for enzyme activity assay the remainder was kept at 0 degrees C; it was later found that much of the protein in this latter fraction formed a sediment whereas the protease remained in solution. The serine-protease substrate specificity of the enzyme was measured and the results are discussed in relation to serine protease involvement in immune defense.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Otorhinolaryngology emergency unit care: the experience of a large university hospital in Italy.

We recorded the symptoms and disposition of every patient who visited the otorhinolaryngology emergency department at our hospital in Rome, Italy, during 1996. During that time, our ENT specialists saw 21,548 patients. Only 311 of these patients (1.4%) required immediate hospitalization, while another 2,391 patients (11.1%) received treatment and were released. The other 18,846 patients (87.5%) did not have any pathology or condition that qualified as an actual emergency, and they were examined and released, often with a prescription or instructions for home care. These patients could have easily been treated by a family physician. The fact that emergency care in Italy is rendered free of charge (unlike ambulatory care, for which fees are charged) provides patients with a strong incentive to misuse the system. Such overutilization drives up the cost of health care and stretches the capacity of the medical staff. Steps need to be taken to redirect patients who misuse emergency services to seek medical care in ambulatory care centers.

Emergency Service, Hospital↗
PubMed1999

Cytochemical localization of vanadium(III) in blood cells of ascidian Phallusia mammillata Cuvier, and its relevance to hematic cell lineage determination.

When the blood cells of ascidians Phallusia mammillata are stained with the ligand 2,2'-bipyridine, those cells which contain vanadium(III), in an easily sequestered form, take up the stain producing in situ, a purple complex. This material extracted displays spectral characteristics consistent with the formation of an oxo-bridge vanadium(III) bipyridine dimer. The staining is localized in the signet ring cell, a bivacuolated cell, a cell type with numerous darkly staining compartments, and also by the vacuolated amoebocyte. The possible ramifications of these observation are discussed in relation to the delineation of the signet ring cell lineage.

2,2'-Dipyridyl↗
PubMed1998

Supracricoid partial laryngectomies: oncologic and functional results.

BACKGROUND: The authors present their study on oncologic and functional results of supracricoid partial laryngectomies (SPL) performed on 149 patients between January 1984 and December 1995. METHODS: Cricohyoidopexy (CHP) was carried out on 98 patients and cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP) on 51 patients. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group included those operated on between January 1984 and December 1992 and who therefore had a minimum follow-up period of 3 years. The second group included those operated on after December 1992 and who therefore had a follow-up period of less than 3 years. The statistical evaluation of this second group was carried out using an actuarial method according to Kaplan-Meier. RESULTS: In the first group, survival rate (regarding disease-related deaths) was 94% (95/101), whereas in the second group, survival rate was 95%. There were 9 recurrences in the 149 patients (6.71%), B of which occurred after CHP (6 for tumor [T] and 2 for node [N]) and 1 (for T) after CHEP. Three of the 6 recurrences for T after CHP occurred in the hypopharynx, 2 in the peristomal area, and 1 in the arytenoid area. The only recurrence for T after CHEP occurred in the paraglottic area. Decannulation was carried out in 85.7% of CHP patients (84/98) and in 98% of CHEP patients (50/51). The nasogastric tube was kept in position for an average of 28 days (range, 15-90 days) in the CHP patients and 15 days (range, 9-90 days) in the CHEP patients. Swallowing was excellent; only a small number of patients (n = 21) were forced to assume a particular posture during meals. Phoniatric controls performed on 104 patients also showed adequate speech recovery. CONCLUSIONS: If the indications are applied scrupulously, CHEP is a valid alternative to partial laryngeal surgery and CHP is a possible alternative to total laryngectomy in the treatment of glottic and supraglottic tumors.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Taste and lacrimation after acoustic neuroma surgery].

AIM OF THE STUDY: Postoperative sensory component of the facial nerve after acoustic tumor surgery has received little attention in the literature. The object of the present investigation was to review this specific topic analyzing the postoperative frequency of taste and lacrimation (crocodile tears or dry eye) abnormalities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 54 patients who underwent acoustic tumor removal were selected for this study. Each of these patients was recalled and pre and postoperative evolution of the sensory dysfunction were assessed. The latters were correlated with the facial function evaluated according to the House-Brackmann classification. RESULTS: Postoperative taste dysfunction (reduced or changed sensation) was complained by 38.5% of the patients. After surgery, 42.3% of the cases had crocodile tears, while in 59.6% altered tearing occurred. DISCUSSION: The present study, according to the Irving et al's experience confirmed a significant incidence of postoperative abnormal function of the sensory facial nerve. The influence of the motor component on these outcomes was variable. Lacrimation worsened when facial function was poor. On the other hand, grades V or VI did rarely manifest crocodile tears. Clinically, these findings implies the importance of a preoperative counseling of such particular aspect in the candidates to surgery of acoustic neuroma in order to adequately motivate them and, at the same time, to reduce their psychological discomfort.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Morulin Pm: a modified polypeptide containing TOPA and 6-bromotryptophan from the morula cells of the ascidian, Phallusia mammillata.

A novel polypeptide containing the unusual posttranslationally modified amino acids L-3,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine (TOPA) and L-6-bromotryptophan (6-BrW) has been isolated from the morula cells of the vanadium-accumulating ascidian, Phallusia mammillata. The polypeptide, designated Morulin Pm, has a molecular weight of 3825 +/- 0.6 and has a simple amino acid composition consisting mainly of TOPA and 6-BrW as well as Ser, Leu, Phe, and Ala. To our knowledge, this is the first reported example of multiple sites of brominated tryptophan in a polypeptide of this size. Edman degradation revealed the N-terminal sequence to be BrW-Leu-Phe-BrW before sequencing was blocked. While the N-terminal tripeptide could be isolated from chymotrypsin digests of Morulin Pm, the rest of the polypeptide resisted further cleavage by the proteases, a feature common among this class of peptides. However, unlike other ascidian blood cell peptides examined to date, microheterogeneity was minimal. For the first time a detailed NMR investigation could be undertaken on a member of this class of polypeptides. In addition to signals assignable to the constituent amino acids by extensive 2D experiments, resonances were present both in the 13C and 1H spectra not typical of a simple linear peptide. Two proton resonances were identified with a cross peak in the correlation spectrum strongly indicative of a C-terminal decarboxy-delta 2,3-unsaturated TOPA residue as observed in certain tunichromes and clionamide. Chemical degradation experiments were undertaken in an effort to produce identifiable fragments to which these signals could be assigned, including full and partial acid hydrolysis and tryptophan-targeted BNPS-skatole treatment. However, the nature of the modification remains unknown. Possible structures for the modification, which may represent the source of the difficulties encountered in the structural elucidation of this and related peptides, are assessed. Conjecture is made as to the biological relevance of Morulin Pm, based on its localization and chemical characteristics.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1997

Hatching enzyme from the sea-squirt Ciona intestinalis: purification and properties.

We have purified a 34 kDa hatching enzyme from the water in which the embryos of the sea-squirt Ciona intestinalis hatch. This enzyme was obtained in homogeneous form as judged from SDS-PAGE and HPLC gel filtration. The enzyme possesses proteolytic activity and is able to digest the chorion of the egg of C. intestinalis. It is a metalloproteinase and contains one atom of Zn per molecule. The optimum pH is 8.5. The enzyme shows hydrolytic activity towards the -CO-NH- bonds, which are hydrolyzed by the members of the serine proteinase family. It has a trypsin-like activity in that it cuts the bond of Arg and Lys at P1 position of the scissile bond -P1-P1', but it differs from trypsin insofar as it hydrolyzes the peptide bond on either side of Arg and Lys. The purified enzyme is inhibited by the common metal-chelators and by the classical trypsin proteinase inhibitors. The apparent K(m) values at 37 degrees C and pH 8.5 toward tosyl-Gly-Pro-Arg-NHNap, tosyl-Gly-Pro-Lys-NHNap and Bz-Arg-Gly-Arg-NHNap were 0.125, 0.5 and 2.5 mM, respectively. The results obtained in this study suggest that the hatching enzyme from C. intestinalis exhibits both trypsin-like activity and metalloproteinase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy (CHP) in the treatment of laryngeal cancer: a functional and oncologic experience.

Subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy (CHP) results in a satisfactory cure rate in selected T1b, T2, and T3 supraglottic and glottic cancers. The clinical, oncologic, and functional results of this type of surgery have led to an ever-increasing number of patients undergoing this procedure. This study involved 70 patients operated on from 1984 to 1993 using this surgical procedure. This report also discusses the clinical (cTNM) and pathologic (pTNM) classifications of CHP cases. Fifty-two of these patients were evaluated after a follow-up of more than 3 years. Lymph node treatment protocol comprised 51 functional ipsilateral neck dissections (FNDs), 9 bilateral FNDs, 1 radical ipsilateral dissection, and 1 radical ipsilateral and contralateral FND. There were 6 recurrences (5 local, 1 neck); after CHP physiologic deglutition was recovered in most of the patients (95.5%), and all but 6 (92%) were decannulated. Results were excellent after phoniatric rehabilitation. This surgical procedure may be indicated for selected laryngeal cancers and allows for the preservation of laryngeal functions even when the neoplastic lesions are advanced. However, care must be taken when evaluating the infiltration of the paraglottic space, as that infiltration represents the main cause of failure in this type of surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Undifferentiated carcinoma of the rhinopharynx: an immunohistochemical study of adhesion molecules].

CU-NPC is an important clinical entity that presents some uncertainties regarding histologic features. In fact many of these tumors show a marked infiltration of lymphocytes justifying the term "lymphoepithelioma" used to define these tumors in the past. Although they have not yet been placed in a definite category, some factors may be responsible for the lymphocyte infiltration; infection by Epstein-Barr virus, expression by tumor cells of HLA-DR antigens and intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) and production of interleukin l-alpha by U-NPC derived cell lines. A recent study showed that epithelium of the crypts of the tonsils exerts an active role in the intraepithelial migration of lymphocytes. This recruitment from the underlying lymphatic tissue could be determined by the expression, on the part of the basal cells of tonsillar crypts, of ICAM-1 and blood vessel adhesion molecules (VCAM-1). The purpose of this study was to verify the presence of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in paraffin-embedded tissue section of seven cases of U-NPC. The results showed positive immunohistochemical reaction both for ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. On this basis, the authors hypothesize that the expression of these molecules could favor intratumoral recruitment of lymphocytes similar to what occurs in the epithelium of the tonsillar crypts.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Vestibular neurectomy by the infralabyrinthine approach.

There are a variety of approaches for treating vertigo with selective vestibular neurectomy but each has definite limitations proving that no ideal technique is yet available. An original posterior-inferior approach to the internal auditory canal (infralabyrinthine approach) has been recently proposed. It attempts to overcome the limitations and to combine the advantages of the previous procedures. This report presents our preliminary results using this particular technique in the management of vestibular symptoms of Menière's disease.

Adult↗