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Biomedical subjects

P Rossi Ferrini

Publications and source records attributed to P Rossi Ferrini.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Hodgkin's disease in the elderly: a retrospective clinicopathologic study of 61 patients aged over 60 years.

61 cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) with age over sixty years were diagnosed in a series of 387 patients. Mixed cellularity (57.4%) and nodular sclerosis (14.7%) were the most common histologic subtypes. Clinical presentation was characterized by superficial lymphadenopathy (92%) and/or general symptoms (57.4%). Mediastinal involvement was observed in 24.6% of cases, and 24.6% of patients had a primitive infradiaphragmatic presentation. Stage II was the most frequent (47.5%). At the onset of the disease, normal values of hemoglobin and white cells were observed while the platelet count was more variable. Only 3 patients (5%) were given radiotherapy (RT), 3 received chemotherapy (CH) plus RT, and 55 (90%) CH. Severe hematologic toxicity was observed in only 11.1% of cases. Complete remission (CR) was obtained in 37 patients (61%), 10 of whom relapsed. Elderly patients had a 5-year survival rate of 54.9%, while in younger ones it was 76.4% (p less than 0.001). Survival was strongly influenced by the achievement of CR (p less than 0.001), whereas stage, histopathology, systemic symptoms and therapeutic modalities did not correlate significantly.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Platelet-derived growth factor(s) mitogenic activity in patients with myeloproliferative disease.

Platelet-derived growth factor has been invoked in the pathogenesis of medullary fibrosis during myeloproliferative disorders. In this study we compared the mitogenic activity of heat-stable platelet-growth factor(s) from 13 patients suffering from myeloproliferative disorders with that of a normal group. The test was carried out on Go growth arrested Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts incubated with various concentrations of platelet extracts, determining the entrance into the S phase by means of [14C]thymidine uptake. The incorporation curves of [14C]thymidine by the fibroblast culture, under the effect of pathological extracts, were consistently lower than the control curve, indicating a lower level of PDGF(s) in platelets from patients. The greatest depression of this activity was found to be associated with highest degree of medullary fibrosis (agnogenic myeloid metaplasia patient group), in agreement with the hypothesis that fibroblast activation within bone marrow during myeloproliferative disorders might be correlated with a PDGF(s) release in the bone marrow environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Endogenous splenic colonies and megakaryopoiesis in methylcellulose treated irradiated mice.

Endogenous splenic colonies are increased in methylcellulose-treated irradiated mice, 10 days after sublethal irradiation (450 R). The spleen shows an enhancement of megakaryopoiesis, especially localized around foam-cell foci. This suggests that the macrophage system, activated through phagocytic activity against methylcellulose, affects megakaryopoiesis by a microenvironmental mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Serum angiotensin-I-converting enzyme and lysozyme levels in untreated and unsplenectomized patients with Hodgkin's disease.

Serum angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (S-ACE) is elevated in active sarcoidosis. In Hodgkin's disease (HD) there are few reports with different and contrasting results. We studied S-ACE in 23 healthy controls and in 18 untreated and unsplenectomized patients with HD. In the same cases we studied also serum lysozyme. Lysozyme concentration was significantly higher in HD patients compared with normal controls (p less than 0.01) and was independent of stage, systemic symptoms and presence of mediastinal involvement. S-ACE activity in HD patients was lower than in healthy controls, but not significantly. The correlation coefficient between the two enzymes showed that there was no significant correlation both in controls and in patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Different patterns of platelet turnover in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Platelet turnover, platelet production, platelet mean life span (MLS), platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet-associated antibodies have been examined in 26 patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and in 1 patient with hypomegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (HT). 15 ITP patients had normal or increased platelet turnover and platelet production, while 11 had subnormal values despite shortened MLS, while the patient with HT had normal MLS. The differences between the two groups with high and low platelet turnover were statistically significant. No correlation was found between kinetics parameters and bone marrow pattern in a total of 19 patients examined. These data suggest that in some cases of chronic ITP, the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia can be due not only to the peripheral destruction of platelets, but also to a deficient platelet production by megakaryocytes. Since the number of megakaryocytes in bone marrow slides is not decreased in the low turnover compared with the high turnover group, it is possible that an impaired pattern of megakaryocyte maturation be the cause of the low platelet production in these patients, unlike in the HT patient where megakaryocytes are almost absent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

1-(2-Chloroethyl)-cyclohexyl-nitrosourea-induced remission in essential thrombocythemia.

14 patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and 1 patient with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia received (1-(2-chloroethyl)-cyclohexyl-nitrosourea (CCNU), 80 mg/m2, p.o., in a single dose once a month up to three times. Remission was achieved in 13 patients (86.6%) and easily maintained by low-dose busulfan (2 mg twice a week). The data on the treatment of ET reported in the literature have been reviewed and compared to our results.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro chemosensitivity testing of leukemic cells: development of a semiautomated colorimetric assay.

A rapid chemosensitivity assay was developed, employing the human continuous leukemic cell lines HL 60, K 562, FLG 29.1. This automated colorimetric assay is based on the characteristic of viable, metabolically active cells to cleave p-iodonitrotetrazolium violet (INT) into a red formazan derivative, whose optical density is readable at 492 nm by an automated microtiter-plate reader photometer. A linear relationship was found between the viable cell number and the optical density of INT cleaved by the cellular samples. Dead cells did not reduce INT and did not interfere with the formazan derivative generation and the photometric reading. Leukemic cell lines were also tested for INT formazan derivative generation after exposure to antileukemic drugs at various concentrations, representative of plasma levels obtainable in vivo. A dose-dependent inhibition was detected, with different sensitivity patterns, related both to the drugs and to the different cell lines. A significant correlation between the viable cell number and the amount of tetrazolium salt cleaved was also demonstrated after drug exposure. INT assay allows the processing of a great number of samples and gives the opportunity to screen several drugs, saving time and yielding fully reliable results.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ceftriaxone plus conventional or single-daily dose amikacin versus ceftazidime/amikacin as empiric therapy in febrile neutropenic patients.

Results of antibiotic treatment in 144 febrile episodes during drug-induced granulocytopenia are reported. 63 episodes were treated with ceftazidime plus amikacin and 81 with ceftriaxone (CFX) using single daily doses combined with amikacin either divided in three doses (CFX-1 group) or administered as single doses (CFX-2 group). The response rates were 51, 80, and 57% respectively. In this study CFX was more effective than ceftazidime and amikacin provided better results when administered using the standard 8-hour scheduling.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of large cell lymphoma with the Fi2 regimen (doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin and prednisone): 25-year experience.

The CHOP protocol is the reference treatment for large cell lymphomas, but several other schemes of different intensity have recently been studied with controversial clinical findings. We report here the results obtained at our institution with a CHOP-like regimen called Firenze 2 (Fi2), which is characterised by an original scheduling of chemotherapy administration. A total of 225 patients, who were diagnosed from 1974 to 1996, were included in this retrospective study. All patients received the Fi2 regimen as a first-line intervention. One-hundred and sixty-two (72%) achieved complete remission; the overall survival at 120 months was 51% with a disease-free survival of 67% (median follow-up = 78 months). The survival curve showed a stable plateau of 42% after 16 years, which remained stable for further 4 years. In a multivariate survival analysis, achievement of complete remission (p<0.001) and IPI index of 0 or 1 (p=0.05) were significantly associated with a better survival. Overall, the outcome of our patients was similar to that reported by others, but the distinguishing feature of our study is the very long follow-up of the patients. Our study confirms that first generation regimens are effective and can cure a substantial proportion of patients. The long-term results of our study are helpful to retrospectively identify high-risk patients whose prognosis is poor and who can be candidates for more aggressive schemes of chemotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Binding of recombinant human 125I-erythropoietin to CFU-E from the spleen of anemic mice.

Erythroid precursors were obtained from the spleen of mice made anemic with phenylhydrazine and used to study the binding of bioactive 125I-rEp to membrane receptors. Kinetic analysis, using splenic cells obtained at different times following the induction of anemia, showed that the maximum binding was reached at day 3, and decreased thereafter; minimal amounts of 125I-rEp were bound to the splenic cells of normal mice. Splenic cells of day 3 anemic mice were fractionated using continuous Percoll density gradients, resulting in a fraction enriched in CFU-E (delta = 1.065-1072 g/ml) which showed the highest 125I-Ep binding on a per cell basis. The amount of 125I-rEp bound was greatly reduced in the densest fractions, which were comprised of maturing erythroblasts. The binding was time- and temperature-dependent, and a significant correlation was found with cell concentration up to 12 X 10(6). The amount of radioactivity specifically bound rose with increasing concentrations of 125I-rEp until a plateau was reached (2.5 nM), whereas non specific binding increased slightly and linearly. The binding of 125I-rEp was susceptible to competitive inhibition by unlabeled rEp, while other hematopoietic growth factors were ineffective. The calculated receptor density on these purified immature erythroid progenitors was 570 molecules with a Kd = 0.5 nM. Overall, these results suggest that the expression of the Ep receptor is reduced with increasing maturation.

Anemia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of PTT 119 activity on acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia cells by [3H]-thymidine uptake inhibition and cluster analysis.

PTT 119, a new antineoplastic agent, was demonstrated to have antileukemic activity on murine and human cell lines. In this study we assessed the effect of this drug, at concentrations ranging from 100 ng/ml to 10 micrograms/ml, on fresh human leukemic cells from 12 patients affected by ANLL, evaluating the impairment of DNA synthesis in terms of [3H]-thymidine uptake inhibition. Most leukemic cell populations appeared to be responsive to the drug in a dose-related fashion. By cluster analysis, it was possible to discriminate subsets of samples according to PTT 119 sensitivity, and to investigate cross resistance with cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin. This preclinical study indicates that PTT 119 may deserve applications in the treatment of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical data and therapeutic approach in elderly patients with Hodgkin's disease.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the clinico pathologic features of Hodgkin's disease in a series of 114 elderly patients (age greater than 60 yrs), with particular reference to prognosis and treatment. Mixed cellularity (63.2%) was the most frequent histologic subtype. Clinical presentation was characterized by superficial lymphadenopathy (92%) and the presence of general symptoms (40.4%); mediastinal involvement was observed in 16.6% of cases; 17.5% of patients had a primitive infradiaphragmatic presentation. Thirty-eight patients were treated with radiotherapy alone (33.4%), 69 with chemotherapy alone (60.5%), while 7 received combined treatment. Complete remission was obtained in 85 patients (74.6%), 25 of whom relapsed. Elderly patients had an overall 5-year survival rate of 61.8% (considering only disease progression as a cause of death). Proportional-hazard multi variate statistics showed that survival was strongly influenced by the achievement of complete remission (P less than 0.001) and stage (P = 0.011). The achievement of complete remission was also significantly linked to the presence of constitutional symptoms, advanced stage and age greater than 70 yrs, as demonstrated by discriminant statistical analysis. The actuarial incidence of second cancer (28.7% at 15 yrs) was slightly higher than that previously reported in younger patients. Overall, our data indicate that the treatment of elderly patients with Hodgkin's disease should be aimed at achieving a cure, using the same therapeutic modalities commonly employed in younger subjects.

Aged↗