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P Leoni

Publications and source records attributed to P Leoni.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Ultrastructural modifications in one case of hairy cell leukemia during alpha-interferon therapy.

There are many reports concerning the morphology of hairy cell leukemia (HCL), but, to our knowledge, there are no data on the ultrastructural modifications of HCL during interferon therapy. The ultrastructural modifications of neoplastic cells in peripheral blood in a case of HCL were investigated before and 2 and 4 months after beginning treatment with human lymphoblastoid alpha-interferon. Before therapy, hairy cells displayed the typical cytoplasmic projections, and 4% contained ribosome-lamellae complexes (RLC) (the cells contained up to 7 RLC). Two months from the beginning of therapy, hairy cells had shorter projections, RLC had disappeared, and tubuloreticular structures (TRS) had appeared in 2.2% of the elements. Four months from the beginning of therapy, TRS persisted in 2.3% of hairy cells, cylindrical confronting cisternae (CCC) appeared in 6.8% of the cells, and uncommon RLC, in close contact with the rough endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear membrane, were found in 1.5% of the elements. The cells contained up to 3 RLC. Our data confirm that interferon stimulates the synthesis of TRS and CCC, whereas the reappearance of uncommon forms of RLC could reflect their neosynthesis, possibly related to the interferon therapy. The frequent findings of a close contact between RLC and nuclear membrane support the view that RLC are derived not only from rough endoplasmic reticulum, but also from the nuclear membrane.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Peripheral neuropathy associated with Castleman's lymphoma].

Castleman's lymphoma is a rare clinicopathological entity and is often difficult to classify nosographically. From the histopathological point of view two variants are recognized, one hyalino-vascular and one plasma cellular. Moreover Castleman's lymphoma may be multifocal or unifocal (located within the thorax in 70% of patients). The plasma cellular variant is often associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, sweating, organomegaly, polyneuropathy, and mono- or polyclonal gammopathy. We describe a rare case of unifocal, plasma cellular-type Castleman's lymphoma located in the mediastinum, asymptomatic at onset but later dominated by neurological symptoms (chronic isolated polyneuropathy whose clinical expression was predominantly motor). A brief review is presented of the main clinico-histological characteristics of Castleman's lymphoma together with some hypotheses about the pathogenesis of the associated neuropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Polyneuropathies associated with lymphoplasmacytic dyscrasias: the clinical and instrumental characteristics of a 38-patient case load].

A varying percentage from 40 to 60% of patients having lymphoplasmacytic dyscrasias with a monoclonal component shows a clinical or subclinical polyneuropathy. From a different viewpoint, a monoclonal gammopathy has been detected in 10% of patients effected by chronic idiopathic polyneuropathy. A case study of 38 patients with lymphoplasmacytic dyscrasia subjected to clinical, immunohematological and electrophysiological examination revealed a high prevalence of polyneuropathy (84%), mainly axonal (72%) and often subclinical. The neuropathy was evenly distributed between patients having malignant and benign lymphoplasmacytic dyscrasias. No statistically significant correlation was found between the presence of neuropathy and the main clinical and immunohematological data. This supports the concept that the pathogenesis of polyneuropathy associated with lymphoplasmacytic dyscrasias may be multifactorial. Nor can it be ruled out that the paraprotein may in fact be secondary to the polyneuropathy or sometimes a simple coincidence.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The soluble IL-2 receptor in malignant hemopathies].

The increase in the serum levels of the IL-2 receptors is due to its release both in vivo and in vitro from activated cells or neoplastic cells expressing it constitutively. The diagnostic, prognostic and physiopathologic significance of the sIL-2R was investigated by testing the serum of 271 haemopathic patients in various stages of the disease. In HCL the elevated sIL-2R level has a diagnostic value. In HD the sIL-2R level appears to be directly correlated with the extent of the disease and is equally important in the follow up of patients with HCL, NHL, HD, AL and MDS, where the serum level of the soluble receptor is usually associated with the biological and clinical activity of the disease. Unlike other B lymphoproliferations, patients with Multiple Myeloma on average show only slightly elevated levels of soluble receptor with no significant differences related to the stage or evolution. As for the chronic myeloproliferative disorders, we found only slightly elevated values in ET and PV, with frankly pathological values in CML during a blastic crisis or in the accelerated phase and in MFI during the clinically active phase of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The clinical use of dynamic EEG in childhood].

A-EEG is an important recent technologic innovation in EEG recording that facilitates long-term monitoring. The system consists of a miniature cassette tape recorder and a video play-back unit, which permits the taped EEG to be reviewed (Brain Spy CH24, Micromed). Because it is extremely lightweight and portable, the system permits unrestricted activity during recording. On the other hand, this predisposes the recording to more artifacts than are seen in routine recordings. We examined 103 patients, aged 3 months-24 years, between July 1988 and July 1990. Patients were divided into three groups: group 1 included 61 subjects with evidence of epilepsy and clinically definite seizures; group 2 included 29 patients with recurrent episodes that were not clearly epileptic (suspected "pseudo epileptic"); group 3 included 13 subjects with psychiatric disorders. We found that the clinical utility of A-EEG in epileptic children was: 1) obtain better clinical and EEG characterization and circadian distribution of seizures in 17 cases (28%); 2) quantify epileptiform generalized abnormalities and their variations during the sleep in 6 cases (10%); 3) verify the efficacy of specific drug treatment such as Bzd and ACTH in 12 cases (20%). The role of A-EEG in non-epileptic children with pseudoseizures was to establish the epileptic or non epileptic nature of some ictal events by detecting EEG seizure patterns in 11 cases (38%). As to regard the group 3, A-EEG has permitted to study sleep architecture and REM sleep measures, especially in depressed children compared to normal children. We discuss advantages, drawbacks and clinical applications of A-EEG in child neurology and psychiatry vs conventional EEG.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Interferon alpha-2b in the long-term treatment of essential thrombocythemia.

We treated 35 patients affected with essential thrombocythemia (ET) with interferon (IFN) alpha-2b. Our treatment scheme consisted of (a) a 6-month induction phase and (b) a continuous maintenance phase. During the induction phase, our results showed that using 21 million units (mu) of IFN weekly platelet counts fell below 600 x 10(9)/1 in about 90% of patients. These data demonstrate that well-tolerated doses of IFN can rapidly correct excessive thrombocytosis. During the continuous maintenance phase, 61% of patients required 3 mu three times a week, 15% once a week, and 24% daily. Thus the minimal IFN doses able to maintain platelet count below 600 x 10(9)/l varied between 3 and 21 mu per week. During long-term treatment, subjective side effects were tolerable, especially using 3 mu three times a week. We conclude that IFN alpha-2b is an effective drug in the long-term treatment of ET.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Should alpha interferon be used as primary treatment for hairy cell leukemia? Italian Cooperative Group for Hairy Cell Leukemia.

To answer the question of whether interferon (IFN) should replace splenectomy, we reviewed the Italian HCL Registry: the records of 450 patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL), seen from 1975 to 1988 were analysed. Of these, 321 were considered for the study: 231 had been splenectomized, 46 of them receiving subsequently IFN and 90 patients had IFN as initial therapy. Patients treated with splenectomy showed different survival according to Jansen and Hermans' staging system, which identified two risk groups: stage 1 and stages 2 and 3, p = 0.0329. On the contrary, patients treated with IFN did not show significantly different survival according to stage. By the comparison of stage 1 patients, either treated with splenectomy or with IFN, no statistical difference in survival was registered. Different survivals emerged for patients stage 2 + 3, which improved when treated with IFN, p = 0.0324. The median failure free survival (FFS) after splenectomy resulted in 89 months versus 33 months after IFN. In conclusion, splenectomy still remains the primary therapy for HCL patients stage 1. For high risk patients, stages 2 and 3, IFN should be adopted as first line therapy, improving substantially the survival. The short duration of response to IFN suggests a sequential combination of the two treatments for this group of patients, IFN reducing tumor mass quite safely and splenectomy assuring long lasting stable disease.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

Intermediate filaments in smooth muscle from pregnant and non-pregnant human uterus.

The intermediate filament proteins desmin and vimentin from pregnant and non-pregnant uterine muscle and smooth-muscle cells in culture were analysed using SDS/PAGE. The desmin content in uterine muscle increases dramatically during pregnancy, whereas vimentin remains unchanged or changes very little. When muscle cells are kept in culture, a considerable increase in vimentin content is observed as compared with vimentin in freshly isolated non-pregnant uterine tissue. Our results strengthen the view that vimentin and desmin filaments have independent function and turnover, and point to a predominantly structural role for desmin filaments.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1990

Idarubicin and high-dose cytarabine in the treatment of refractory and relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Between August 1985 and April 1989, 88 patients (31 children and 57 adults) with refractory of relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated in a cooperative Italian trial by an induction schedule of high-dose Cytarabine (HDAra-C) plus Idarubicin (IDA). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 52 of the 88 patients (59%); 23 patients (26%) did not respond to treatment and 13 (15%) died during induction. The CR rate was significantly affected by the WBC count at the beginning of treatment and by the duration of first CR of the patients treated at first relapse. All of the patients experienced profound myelosuppression; the median time to recovery to neutrophils greater than 0.5 x 10(9)/l was 15 days (range 4-40), and 14 days (range 3-50) to platelets greater than 50 x 10(9)/l. The most common non-hematologic side effects observed were nausea and vomiting (51%), mucositis (40%) and diarrhea (23%). Twenty-one of the 52 patients who achieved CR underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT), 16 autologous and 5 allogeneic. Eleven patients relapsed at a median of 4 months (range 1-31) after the transplantation, and three patients died while in CR. Seven patients have been in continuous CR (CCR) for a median of 36 months (range 26-42 months). Thirty-one patients were not entered in the BMT program: for two adults it was too early, three adults died in CR and 25 patients relapsed at a median of four months (range 1-25). Only one adult is still in CCR at 33 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Color Doppler in the echographic evaluation of breast nodules].

The authors report on their experience with color Doppler sonography in the diagnosis of solid breast masses. Twenty-two patients were examined; breast masses were studied with B-mode US first, and then with color Doppler US to evaluate eventual tumor vascularization. Color Doppler US demonstrated only one vascular pole in histologically confirmed benign masses. On the contrary, in 92.8% of histologically confirmed malignant masses, color Doppler easily depicted 2 or more groups of nutritional arteries. Color Doppler makes the diagnosis of malignant masses easier, thus allowing, in the author's opinion, a reduction in the number of biopsies of solid breast masses clinically/mammographically detected. The use of color Doppler US is therefore suggested: the technique is noninvasive, fast, and easy and its widespread use would translate into advantages for both the patient and the clinician.

Adenofibroma↗
PubMed1977

[Lymphocyte typing in chronic lymphoid leukemia].

We used the membrane fluorescence and the rosette formation test to study the lymphocyte populations in 25 patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The results show a significant increase, absolute and percent of S-Ig bearing cells, whereas the E and EA rosette forming cells are decreased in per cent, increased in absolute. The number of lymphocytes with the receptor for the Fc fragment of IgG, is unchanged. The lymphocytosis causes mainly a significant decrease in percentage of E rosette forming cells. A big splenomegaly and a bad clinical stage, according to Rai et al. classification, are responsible for a decrease of E, EA, EAC rosette forming cells; unchanged the percentage of S-Ig bearing cells. Such a modification of the surface receptor pattern is present not only in those CLL more advanced in clinical stage and with hyperleucocitosis and/or splenomegaly, but also in those forms with worse clinical feature and prognosis. Our work confirms that CLL is mainly a B proliferative disease; we observed only one case due to T cell proliferation. Four cases were impossible to classify immunologically: one had no cells bearing the markers, three had a subnormal surface receptor pattern.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluconazole resistance of Candida krusei.

We present a case of young male treated for a recurrence of Acute Non Lymphoid Leukemia who presented a colonization by C. krusei during prophylaxis with Fluconazole. The fever episode, which he developed while neutropenic, was resolved with the addition of Amphotericin B after the failure of empiric antibiotic therapy. No isolation was performed in blood cultures. A second cycle of antiblastic chemotherapy was needed because of the resistance shown to the first. Despite the prophylaxis with Fluconazole a stream of C. krusei grew in all the blood cultures collected while febrile. Amphotericin B administered did not control the fungemia. We discuss the resistance of C. krusei to Fluconazole.

Adult↗