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Biomedical subjects

R Ceruti

Publications and source records attributed to R Ceruti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Correlation between fine-needle aspiration cytology and histopathology in the evaluation of cutaneous and subcutaneous masses from dogs and cats.

BACKGROUND: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is commonly used as a diagnostic procedure to evaluate superficial and deep masses in animals. However, few studies have addressed the accuracy of FNAC in the evaluation of cutaneous and subcutaneous masses in a clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of FNAC as compared with histopathology in the diagnosis of cutaneous and subcutaneous masses from dogs and cats. METHODS: Cytologic and histopathologic specimens obtained between 1999 and 2003 from 292 palpable cutaneous and subcutaneous masses obtained from 242 dogs and 50 cats were retrospectively evaluated. Cytologic samples were obtained by FNA and histopathologic samples were collected by surgical biopsy or at necropsy. Concordance was determined and the accuracy of FNAC for the diagnosis of neoplasia was determined using histopathology as the gold standard. RESULTS: Of 292 specimens, 49 (from 44 dogs and 5 cats) were excluded due to poor cellularity of the cytologic specimen (retrieval rate 83.2%, n = 243). A cytologic diagnosis of neoplasia was obtained in 176 cases (175 true positives and 1 false positive compared with histopathology). Sixty-seven cytology samples were classified as non-neoplastic (46 true negatives, 21 false negatives compared with histopathology). Overall, the cytologic diagnosis was in agreement with the histopathologic diagnosis in 90.9% (221/243) of cases. For diagnosing neoplasia, cytology had a sensitivity of 89.3%, a specificity of 97.9%, a positive predictive value of 99.4%, and a negative predictive value of 68.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirmed FNAC as a reliable and useful diagnostic procedure for the evaluation of palpable cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions in small animal practice.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Epidemiologic surveillance of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Mantova Hospital (Italy)].

For the period 2002-2005 we verified and compared the data of the prevalence and resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) isolated in Mantova Hospital (Italy) with the data from the international database. From the first six-month period of 2004 a significant increase was found (9% vs 28.8%) in the prevalence of multi-drug resistant PA (MDR-PA). The principal wards involved were the Intensive Care Unit and the Department of Respiratory Diseases. A significant increase in resistance rates was observed for all antimicrobials tested, in particular for aztreonam, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin and imipenem. The lowest dual resistance rates were observed between amikacina with piperacillin/tazobactam, while the highest were for those that included ciprofloxacin and beta-lactams (aztreonam, cefepime). In this study we confirm the importance of continuous surveillance of laboratory data and tightening local control measures for nosocomial infections in order to prevent the spread and selection of MDR-PA.

Body Fluids↗
PubMed2004

Multiresistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia tunneled CVC-related sepsis, treated with systemic and lock therapy.

In the last decade, a remarkable increase in the incidence of nosocomial Gram-negative infections has been observed. These pathogens represent a substantial problem in clinical practice, due to the high resistance profile of most commonly used antibiotics. This phenomenon is surely a co-factor that exposes these susceptible patients to infections caused by selected pathogens like multiresistant Gram-negative rods. A typical example is represented by VAP (ventilator-associated pneumonia) sustained by Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bulkolderia cepacia. The Authors describe a case of a central venous cather (CVC)-related Stenotrophomonas maltophilia sepsis in a patient affected by solid tumor, successfully treated with systemic antibiotic therapy associated with "lock therapy". This combination was able to cure the infection, allowing the patient to continue chemotherapy and saving the in situ CVC. The surveillance of CVCs, good adherence to the protocols and guidelines and "good practice" are the cornerstones for the prevention of nosocomial infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2001

p73 Overexpression increases VEGF and reduces thrombospondin-1 production: implications for tumor angiogenesis.

Tumor neovascularization is controlled by a balance between positive and negative effectors, whose production can be regulated by oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the angiogenic potential of tumors could also be controlled by p73, a gene homologous to the tumor suppressor p53, whose involvement in tumor angiogenesis is known. We have studied the production of proangiogenic (VEGF, FGF-2, PIGF and PDGF) and antiangiogenic (TSP-1) factors in two p73 overexpressing clones obtained from the human ovarian carcinoma cells A2780. TSP-1 was downregulated in both clones compared to mock transfected cells, both at mRNA and protein level. Conversely, both clones showed an increased production of VEGF mRNA and protein. For both TSP-1 and VEGF, regulation of expression was partially due to modulation of the promoter activity, and was dependent on p53 status. Production of the other angiogenic factors FGF-2, PIGF and PDGF-B was also increased in p73 overexpressing clones. The two clones were more angiogenic than parental cells, as shown in vitro by their increased chemotactic activity for endothelial cells, and in vivo by the generation of more vascularized tumors. These findings suggest a potential role of p73 in tumor angiogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Growth of human melanoma xenografts is suppressed by systemic angiostatin gene therapy.

The effect of local and systemic delivery of the angiostatin gene on human melanoma growth was studied in nude mice. Liposome-coated plasmids carrying the cDNA coding for murine and human angiostatin (CMVang and BSHang) were injected weekly, locally or systemically, in mice transplanted with melanoma cells. The treatment reduced melanoma growth by 50% to 90% compared to that occurring in control animals treated with liposome-coated plasmid carrying the lacZ gene or in untreated controls. The growth of both locally injected and controlateral uninjected tumors in mice bearing two melanoma grafts was significantly suppressed after intratumoral treatment. Tumor growth inhibition was also observed in mice treated by intraperitoneal delivery, suggesting that angiostatin gene therapy acts through a systemic effect. Both melanoma growth suppression and delay in the onset of tumor growth were observed in treated mice. PCR performed on tumors and normal tissues showed that the lipofected DNA was present in tissues from treated mice, and angiostatin expression was demonstrated by RT-PCR. Histopathological analysis of melanoma nodules revealed an increase in apoptotic cells and a reduction in vessel density in tumors from treated mice. Our results suggest that systemic, liposome-mediated administration of genes coding for antiangiogenic factors represents a promising strategy for melanoma treatment in humans.

Angiostatins↗
PubMed2001

Systemic gene therapy with anti-angiogenic factors inhibits spontaneous breast tumor growth and metastasis in MMTVneu transgenic mice.

Tumor growth and metastasis are angiogenesis-dependent. The possibility of inhibiting tumor growth by interfering with the formation of new vessels has recently raised considerable interest. We previously reported that it is possible to inhibit primary tumor growth and metastasis in a transgenic model of spontaneous breast tumor, which shows many similarities to its human counterpart (including ability to metastasize) by intratumoral administration of a DNA construct carrying the murine angiostatin cDNA driven by liposomes. Here we report that it is also possible to achieve this goal by a systemic (intraperitoneal) delivery of therapeutic DNA constructs carrying genes coding for mouse and human anti-angiogenic factors which include angiostatin, endostatin and TIMP-2. These findings may be relevant to the design of therapeutic interventions in humans.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2001

Capillaria hepatica infection in wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) from the urban area of Milan, Italy.

Forty-seven wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) collected from the urban area of Milan (Italy) were screened for Capillaria hepatica liver infection. The liver of each rat was grossly and histologically examined for the presence of C. hepatica adults, eggs and typical C. hepatica induced lesions. In 17 rats (36%) liver lesions consistent with C. hepatica infection were detected. Grossly, white-yellow nodules of 1-5 mm in diameter were present, either scattered on the liver surface or localized in a single lobe. Histologically, granulomatous liver lesions associated with eggs and/or worms were observed. The degree of gross liver involvement was moderate in most of the positive cases (71%). About 30 cases of C. hepatica infection in humans have been documented world-wide, most of which are reported in children from 1 to 5 years of age. Our results suggest that the potential transmission of C. hepatica to children in the study area should be considered an important health issue.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Posttranscriptional stimulation of endothelial cell matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 1 by endothelioma cells.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a critical role in the development of hemangioma-like vascular tumors in mice injected with murine eEnd.1 endothelioma cells. The current study was designed to (a) characterize the presence of MMPs in the vascular tumor, (b) define whether these MMPs originate from the transformed cells or from the recruited stromal cells and (c) study the stimulatory effect of eEnd.1 cells on the production of MMPs by endothelial cells. Several gelatinases were present in the eEnd.1 tumor extract, including latent and activated MMP-2 (72-kDa gelatinase A, EC 3.4.24. 24) and MMP-9 (92-kDa gelatinase B, EC 3.4.24.35). Immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor revealed focal reactivity for MMP-2. No gelatinase was produced by cultured eEnd.1 cells, or by six of nine related endothelioma cell lines, suggesting that stroma cells, particularly endothelial cells recruited by the tumor cells, rather than eEnd.1 cells themselves, are the source of the gelatinases observed in the tumors in vivo. The conditioned medium of eEnd.1 cells stimulated the release of MMP-2 and MMP-1 (interstitial collagenase, EC 3.4.24.7) by endothelial cells, but not of the inhibitor TIMP-2. The increased production of MMP-2 and MMP-1, observed at the protein level (zymogram and Western blot analysis), occurred through a posttranscriptional mechanism, since no increase in mRNA was observed and the stimulation was not prevented by inhibitors of protein synthesis. The inhibitory effects of monensin and brefeldin A, inhibitors of protein secretion, and the decrease in cell-associated MMP-2 in stimulated endothelial cells indicated that regulation occurred mostly at the level of protease secretion. MMPs are known to be regulated at different levels; this study indicates that, in endothelial cells, the stimulation of MMPs can also occur at the level of secretion, a mechanism that provides a rapid mobilization of these crucial enzymes in the early phases of angiogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Liposome-delivered angiostatin strongly inhibits tumor growth and metastatization in a transgenic model of spontaneous breast cancer.

The possibility to inhibit tumor growth by interfering with the formation of new vessels, which most neoplasias depend on, has recently raised considerable interest. An angiogenic switch, in which proliferating cells acquire the ability to direct new vessel formation, is thought to be an early step in the natural history of solid tumors. Using a transgenic model of breast cancer, which shows many similarities to its human counterpart, including ability to metastasize, we targeted angiostatin production to an early stage of tumor formation. Liposome-delivered angiostatin considerably delayed primary tumor growth and, more importantly, inhibited the appearance of lung metastases. These findings can be relevant to the design of therapeutic intervention in humans.

Angiostatins↗
PubMed1999

Retrovirus-mediated IL-4 gene therapy in spontaneous adenocarcinomas from MMTV-neu transgenic mice.

Gene therapy approaches to the treatment of experimental cancer are usually based on established neoplastic cell lines which are manipulated in vitro and subsequently transplanted in host animals. However, the relevance of these artificial models to the biology and therapy of human tumors is uncertain. We have previously validated an experimental model based on MMTV-neu transgenic mice in which breast tumors arise spontaneously in 100% of animals and have many features in common with their human counterpart, including the involvement of the neu oncogene and the ability to metastatize. In this article we report the effect of intratumoral, retrovirus-mediated, IL-4 expression on the growth of breast tumors arising in these mice. The size of IL-4 inoculated tumors on the right side was significantly smaller than that of controlateral untreated tumors, suggesting a local effect of IL-4. In addition, the non-injected tumors on the left side of treated animals were significantly smaller than those arising in control transgenic mice, suggesting that IL-4 can also inhibit tumor growth systemically. These findings suggest that IL-4 gene transfer can significantly reduce the growth rate of spontaneously arising breast tumors and that immune-based gene therapy could efficiently complement other approaches based on different mechanisms, such as suicide gene transfer or antisense technology.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

BAY 12-9566, a novel inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases with antiangiogenic activity.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. BAY 12-9566, a novel, non-peptidic biphenyl MMP inhibitor, has shown preclinical activity on a broad range of tumor models and is currently in clinical development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antiangiogenic activity of BAY 12-9566. In vitro, BAY 12-9566 prevented matrix invasion by endothelial cells in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 8.4x10(-7) M), without affecting cell proliferation. In vivo, oral daily administration of BAY 12-9566 (50-200 mg/kg) inhibited angiogenesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor in the Matrigel plug assay, reducing the hemoglobin content of the pellets. Histological analysis showed a reduction in the amount of functional vessels within the Matrigel. We conclude that the MMP inhibitor BAY 12-9566 inhibits angiogenesis, a property that further supports its clinical development as an antimetastatic agent.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hospital Reengineering Project at the "Policlinico A. Gemelli".

The "Policlinico A. Gemelli" in the context of ongoing change in the Italian Health Care Service, has developed a Strategic Plan for 1996-2000. In this context a major role is played by the reengineering project, divided into there sequential phases of implementation. The natural evolution of this project results in a department-oriented organization in order to complete and implement change.

Cost Control↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phase 2. Testing of solutions.

Phase 2 of reengineering project, the testing of solutions, was based on the definition of a Prototype, and the implementation of the Pilot phase. This gradual process has facilitated the organizational change and laid the foundations of subsequent extension phase. Ongoing initiatives concern the introduction of two new centers (wards and outpatient service) and the reorganization of ward and operating room activities.

Appointments and Schedules↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Planning and scheduling radiologic exams.

Planning and scheduling of radiologic exams represent one of the crucial aspects in the performance of Diagnostic Imaging service, whose optimal management should lead to optimal efficiency and exploitation of technological and professional resources. A Diagnostic Imaging service with agreed and scheduled exams for customers achieves a more adequate, precise planning of the activity with optimum productivity of radiology rooms and anticipated workload assessment.

Appointments and Schedules↗