Intestinal microflora and digestive toxicity of irinotecan in mice.

Purpose: Delayed diarrhea is the most important side effect of irinotecan. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of intestinal microflora on the induction of systemic and intestinal toxicity and diarrhea, studying germ-free and holoxenic mice i.p.

Retinal nerve fiber layer evaluation by optical coherence tomography in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

Purpose: To study retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness by optical coherence tomography (StratusOCT) in patients with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants And/or Controls: Thirty-eight patients with LHON were analyzed and compared with an age-matched control group of 75 patients.

High-dose therapy with autologous transplantation for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: the Bologna experience.

Patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who relapse after initial therapy have a poor prognosis and with standard dose salvage therapy the outlook remains poor. In this work we examine the patient characteristics and outcome of patients with aggressive NHL treated with HDT and autologous transplantation at our Institute from 1982 to 1999. A retrospective analysis was performed examining patient characteristics, prior chemotherapy regimens, pretransplant disease status, HDT regimen, source of stem cells, time for hematopietic recovery, complications of transplantation, response rates, overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS).