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Biomedical subjects

S Suciu

Publications and source records attributed to S Suciu.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Constitutive heterochromatin studies in patients with solid tumors.

Constitutive heterochromatin of chromosomes 1, 9, and 16 was studied in 101 patients with solid tumors and 85 controls. Lymphocyte cultures were used for performing C-banded chromosome preparations. Two homologous chromosomes were regarded as heteromorphic when there was a 25% difference between their C-band size or when they fell into different classes according to the method of Patil and Lubs (1977). A statistically significant difference between patients and controls was found in chromosome 1 heteromorphism. No statistical difference between patients and controls was found in the heteromorphism of chromosomes 9 and 16. The frequencies with which pericentric inversions of the heterochromatin in chromosomes 1 and 9 occurred in cancer patients were 9.9% and 12.9%, respectively. Patients displaying this type of polymorphism usually showed an increased rate of chromosome associations. The most frequent associations were found between heterochromatic regions of chromosomes 1 and 9 and between the chromosome 9 heterochromatin and D acrocentrics. These results support the hypothesis concerning the involvement of constitutive heterochromatin of chromosome 1 in malignant disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A comparison of the effect of diethylstilbestrol with low dose estramustine phosphate in the treatment of advanced prostatic cancer: final analysis of a phase III trial of the European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer.

In a randomized phase III trial performed by the Urological Group of the European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer low dose estramustine phosphate (280 mg. twice daily for 8 weeks and 140 mg. twice daily thereafter) was compared to diethylstilbestrol (1 mg. 3 times daily) in patients with stages T3 to T4, M0 or M1 prostatic cancer. Of 248 patients entered 227 were evaluable for analysis: 115 received estramustine phosphate and 112 received diethylstilbestrol. The best response of the local tumor as assessed by palpation was seen in patients receiving diethylstilbestrol. There was no significant difference between treatments for response rate of metastases, interval to local progression, distant progression, over-all survival and death of carcinoma of the prostate. Duration of survival was correlated with the assessment of local response as determined by palpation. The response of distant lesions also was correlated closely with survival. Diethylstilbestrol (1 mg. 3 times daily) was associated with a significantly worse degree of cardiovascular toxicity than estramustine phosphate. This finding was especially obvious in patients who had no history of cardiovascular disease. Gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 25 patients treated with estramustine phosphate, including 6 in whom cessation of treatment was necessary. Further studies are required to determine the optimum dose of diethylstilbestrol and estramustine phosphate, and to establish the best form of hormonal treatment for prostatic carcinoma.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Cardiovascular side effects of diethylstilbestrol, cyproterone acetate, medroxyprogesterone acetate and estramustine phosphate used for the treatment of advanced prostatic cancer: results from European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer trials 30761 and 30762.

Two randomized trials were started in 1976 by the European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer urological group. Trial 30761 compared 1 mg. diethylstilbestrol orally 3 times daily to 250 mg. oral cyproterone acetate daily and to 500 mg. medroxyprogesterone acetate intramuscularly 3 times weekly for 8 weeks, then 200 mg. orally daily. Trial 30762 compared 3 mg. diethylstilbestrol to 560 mg. estramustine phosphate orally for 8 weeks and then 280 mg. daily. The 239 patients in study 30761 and 226 in study 30762 were evaluated for cardiovascular toxicity during treatment. Various types of side effects (fluid retention, hypertension, electrocardiographic changes, myocardial infarction and thromboembolic disease) and their degrees of severity were analyzed. In both studies the most frequent type of cardiovascular toxicity was represented by fluid retention. Cardiovascular toxicity as a whole was higher with diethylstilbestrol than with estramustine phosphate or medroxyprogesterone acetate therapy, and was the lowest with cyproterone acetate therapy. The risk of severe cardiovascular complications developing was the highest during the first 6 months of treatment. Increasing age, body weight greater than 75 kg. and, especially, the presence of previous cardiovascular disease represented adverse factors in the development of cardiovascular toxicity.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Calcitonin deficiency in primary hypothyroidism.

The relative lack of sensitivity and specificity of current assays for plasma calcitonin (CT) have made it difficult to study possible CT deficiency conditions. Using a new extraction method that considerably improves the sensitivity of the assay for CT monomer, CT levels were measured before and after a short calcium (Ca) stimulation test (2 mg Ca/kg over 5 min) to determine C-cell secretory reserve in women with autoimmune primary hypothyroidism and normal women. Mean basal plasma CT concentrations were lower in the hypothyroid women [0.9 +/- 0.1 (+/- SEM) pg/ml] than in the normal women (1.5 +/- 0.2 pg/ml; P less than 0.01). Serum Ca increased similarly in both groups, but postinfusion CT levels were lower in the women with primary hypothyroidism (3.8 +/- 1.3 pg/ml) than in normal women (15.9 +/- 3.0 pg/ml; P less than 0.001). The functional thyroid status at the time of the study did not influence CT levels; both hypothyroid patients (n = 10) and patients who were euthyroid during T4 treatment (n = 11) were CT deficient to the same extent. Unlike that in primary hypothyroidism, CT secretion was normal in four patients with hypothyroidism of pituitary origin. We conclude that the process that causes hypothyroidism in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease can also cause marked CT deficiency. This first demonstration of spontaneous CT deficiency in adults should contribute to the understanding of CT physiology; it also suggests that bone metabolism should be closely monitored during the treatment of primary hypothyroidism.

Calcitonin↗
PubMed1984

Prognostic value of cytologic parameters in acute myelogenous leukemia.

The prognostic value of some current cytologic characteristics was assessed in 174 adult patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) treated according to the AML-5 protocol of the EORTC Leukemia and Hematosarcomas Group. A significantly higher rate of complete remission (CR) was observed in patients with low bone-marrow (BM) cellularity, with BM blasts less than 80%, and with Auer rod positive cells more than 2.5% of the total blast cell population. A leukocyte count of less than 50 X 10(9)/1 in the peripheral blood was also associated with a higher CR rate. No significant difference was found between the various French-American-British (FAB) subtypes, in spite of a trend towards a lower CR rate in patients with an M1, myeloblastic, poorly differentiated, subtype. The leukocyte count and the percentage of Auer rod positive cells were the only significant parameters for duration of survival from the beginning of maintenance treatment. However these features had no prognostic value for the duration of remission. It seems therefore that patients with a higher percentage of Auer-rod-positive cells and lower peripheral leukocyte counts can enter remission more easily, and can also more readily achieve subsequent remissions following relapse. The prognostic value of these routine cytologic features is probably related to their relationship with proliferative activity and tumor burden: the percentage of Auer-rod-positive cells correlates inversely with the leukocyte count, whereas leukocyte count, BM cellularity, and percentage of BM blasts are linked together.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Translocations (4p+; 6q-) and (12q-; Xp+) in blastic phase of a Ph1-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

This paper reports a 28-year-old woman with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who developed two marrow cell lines during the blastic phase: one with the translocation (12;X) (q 11;p22) and the other with the translocation (4;6) (p 16;q 25). The literature on involvement of chromosomes 12 and X in translocations and the appearance of 6 q- aberration in CML is summarized. The relationship between the 6 q-aberration and the blast cells with lymphoid appearance in the plastic phase of CML is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Masked Philadelphia chromosome due to the translocation (1q-;22q +) and small chromosome 19 in a case of acute leukemia.

The case of a 51-year-old female with acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMMoL) and masked Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome is reported. The Ph1 resulted from a translocation involving chromosomes 1 and 22, in which a segment of the long arm of one chromosome 1 (1q12----q25) was translocated to the long arm of one chromosome 22 at band 22q11. Additionally, a marker chromosome of unknown origin and deletion of the long arm of one chromosome 19 at band 19q12 were found. The literature on masked Ph1 chromosomes and changes of chromosomes 1 and 19 is briefly summarized.

Chromosome Deletion↗
PubMed1983

[Minute chromosomes in a case of chronic Ph1-positive myeloid leukemia].

Minute chromosomes (mins) were found in all bone marrow cells in a 62-year-old woman with Ph1 positive chronic myeloid leukemia. The cells had a range of 39 to 50 chromosomes with a mode of 46. The examined metaphases had a variety of numerical and structural chromosome abnormalities, as well as 2 to 6 minute chromosomes. Our case supports the assumption that there may be a correlation between the presence of mins in leukemias and the resistance of the cells to chemotherapy or the rapid progression of the disease.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed1983

Comparison of chemotherapy with immunotherapy for maintenance of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adults.

Two hundred and seventeen patients, 1-50 yr old, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in complete remission were randomized to receive a 1-yr consolidation chemotherapy of either type P, comprising 7 different drugs, or type M, consisting of methotrexate interspersed with prednisone and vincristine. Thereafter, they were randomized a second time to receive a 4-yr maintenance of either chemotherapy or immunotherapy, comprised of allogeneic blasts and bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Consolidation P caused more toxicity than consolidation M. However, comparison between the consolidation therapies P and M showed no significant difference, neither for disease-free interval nor for duration of survival. Chemotherapy showed more lethal toxicity in adults than in children. Comparison between chemotherapy (C) and immunotherapy (I) as maintenance treatment showed a significant (p = 0.016) superiority of C for disease-free interval (DFI). The difference was even more pronounced (p = 0.009) in the group with less than 8 g/dl of hemoglobin (Hb) at diagnosis before therapy. On the other hand, for patients with more than 8 g/dl Hb at diagnosis, presumably those with T-ALL, no difference in DFI was seen. No difference has been seen so far between maintenance therapies I and C concerning the duration of survival. The patients who were receiving maintenance I when they relapsed and who were consequently retreated by chemotherapy, survived longer from relapse than those patients retreated for relapse while receiving maintenance C.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

A case of 10p- syndrome.

A new case with partial deletion of the short arm of one chromosome 10 and multiple malformations is reported.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1982

Cisplatin and vindesine combination chemotherapy in advanced malignant melanoma: an EORTC phase II study.

Sixty-one evaluable patients with measurable advanced malignant melanoma received 4-week courses of a combination of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 as a 24-hr i.v. infusion on day 1 and vindesine 3 mg/m2 as an i.v. bolus on days 1, 8, 15 for two courses and every other week thereafter. Two patients achieved complete response for 46 and 81+ weeks respectively, eleven patients achieved partial response for a median of 17 weeks (range 8-26) and three patients had no change for 24 weeks or more. The overall response rate of 21% did not seem to be affected by prior chemotherapy or site of indicator lesions, soft tissue vs visceral. Myelosuppression, consisting essentially of leucopenia, required dose schedule modifications in 41% of the first two courses and 12% of the remaining courses, but never produced major complications. Non-hematologic toxic effects were prominent, especially nausea and vomiting, which were universal. Alopecia was seen in 71% of the patients, neuromuscular manifestations in 39%, diarrhea in 30%, renal impairment in 25%, mucositis in 12%, ototoxicity in 7% and phlebitis in 3%. These results do not suggest striking additive or synergistic antitumor activity of cisplatin and vindesine in advanced malignant melanoma, at least with the method of drug administration selected for this trial.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Effect of 2 anti-arrhythmic drugs aprindine and moxaprindine on the replication capacity of murine and human haemopoietic cells.

Aprindine, a potent anti-arrhythmic agent, occasionally seems responsible for agranulocytosis. In order to study its potential haematological toxicity, 3 different in vitro tests were used: (a) the capacity of human and mice bone marrow to incorporate tritiated thymidine (3HTdR), (b) the capacity of stimulated human blood lymphocytes to incorporate 3HTdR and (c) the capacity of human granulocyte-macrophage stem cells to form colonies in agar. For all these tests aprindine was found to be toxic at concentrations close to the clinical therapeutic serum concentration. Moxaprindine, chemically very close to aprindine exhibits also an anti-arrhythmic activity. It was examined in the same tests in parallel with the study af aprindine. Moxaprindine also exhibited haematological toxicity in the tests but at a significantly higher concentration, approximately twice that of aprindine. Assuming that these in vitro tests are relevant to the in vivo haematological toxicity, moxaprindine could be considered a clinically safer anti-arrhythmic agent than aprindine.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Scientific basis and criticism of current therapy of acute leukemia.

The factors which are thought to determine the response of acute leukemia (AL) to therapy are: 1) tumor size 2) drug dose 3) sensitivity to drug, 4) scheduling of drugs and 5) suppression of normal hemopoiesis. Each of these factors is considered in terms of the scientific data supporting their importance. Inability to measure the size of the tumor mass during all phases of treated AL continues to weaken rational strategies for therapy especially maintenance chemotherapy. Increasing the drug dose improves cell kill and potentially the cure rate up to the limits of toxicity. These limits may be extended by bone marrow transplantation. Various systems to study the drug sensitivity of leukemic cells are in experimental use, including stem cell assays but as yet they do not give a guide to altering therapy. The scheduling of multiple drugs is designed to increase cell kill by recruitment into the cycle, but "sanctuaries" appear to exist for resting cells. The suppression of normal hemopoiesis apparently due to leukemia-associated inhibitors is associated with favorable prognosis in childhood ALL but use of this information to improve treatment protocols is still unclear.

Acute Disease↗