LDH and LDH isoenzymes in ovarian dysgerminoma.

Lactic Dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels were evaluated in three patients with ovarian dysgerminoma and LDH isoenzymes only in one of them. LDH serum levels were elevated at diagnosis and normal after therapy in all the patients; remained low in two patients in remission, increased in one at the moment of progression. LDH isoenzymes appeared to be of limited clinical use.

Immunophenotypic and genotypic characterization of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients from northern Italy.

Background And Methods: Immunoglobulin (Ig) gene expression and rearrangements provide information about cell lineage, clonality and differentiation of neoplastic lymphoid cells. We performed flow cytometry and Southern blot analysis in 25 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) from the Po River delta region (Northern Italy), in order to correlate surface immunological phenotype and heavy and light chain gene rearrangements with clinical stages.

Results: In these 25 CLL cases, as in the larger group of 165, k-positive (k+) patients were more frequent than lambda-positive (lambda +) ones by a ratio of 59:41, with a predominance of lambda + in stage II (46:54) and of K+ in stage IV (77:23).

Risk factors in vulvar carcinoma recurrences.

18 patients with invasive vulvar carcinoma treated by radical vulvectomy and bilateral groin lymphadenectomy have been evaluated. An 18% of local and 22% of pelvic or distant recurrences occurred. The local recurrences had favorable prognosis, whereas the pelvic or distant recurrences a worse prognosis.

[Cerebral lesions in patients with ovarian cancer].

The Authors report the appearance of Central Nervous System lesions in three patients previously treated for ovarian carcinoma. In one case (Stage 1) the histological sample found a glioblastoma, in the others (Stage 3) the lesion was the metastases after systemic diffusion of the primary carcinoma. CNS metastases are rare and more frequently occur in advanced ovarian carcinoma.

[Dermoid cyst associated with planocellular carcinoma].

The case of an ovarian mature cystic teratoma with an associated squamous cell carcinoma is described. The patient, in advanced stage, died a few months after surgery, during the treatment by chemo and radiotherapy.

Surgical treatment of invasive carcinoma of the vulva. A reappraisal.

The Authors studied three groups of patients affected by invasive vulvar carcinoma. The first group (19 cases), treated by radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy, had a survival rate at 5 years of 89% in Stage I and 56% in Stage II. The second group (9 cases) which presented poor general health conditions, had a survival rate at 4 years of 33% and 14% in Stage I and in Stage II, respectively.

Evaluation of bone metabolic markers as indicators of osteopenia in climacteric women.

Lumbar bone mass (LBM) determination by quantitative computerized tomography in pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women was utilized to identify subjects at risk to develop osteoporosis. The results were related to determinations of bone metabolic markers (serum osteocalcin and urinary calcium excretion). Osteocalcin was the only metabolic marker which underwent significative changes.

Combined use of progesterone challenge test and endometrium thickness evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography in the preventive management of postmenopausal women.

Endometrial thickness was evaluated in apparently normal postmenopausal women by transvaginal ultrasonography and the results were compared with the response to the progesterone challenge test (PCT). A positive correlation between amount of withdrawal bleeding after PCT and endometrial thickness was found, also demonstrated by the significative correlation between bleeding length and endometrial thickness. Among women referring withdrawal bleeding, 100 and 22% of cases classified as overt flow and spotting, respectively, were characterized by pathologic histological findings.

Specificity of tumor markers (CEA, GICA, TPA, alpha-FP, FpA, gamma-GT) for the diagnosis of hepatic metastases from large bowel cancers.

In 98 patients affected by colorectal cancer (43 patients with colon cancer, 55 patients with rectosigmoid cancer) the specificity of some tumor markers (CEA, GICA, TPA, alpha-FP, FpA, gamma-GT) has been tested in evidencing the coexistence of liver metastases and the site of the primary tumor, i.e. the rectosigmoid region (rectum + 15 cm of the adjacent sigmoid colon) vs the rest of the colon.

Reduction of erythrocyte magnesium concentration in heterozygote beta-thalassaemic subjects and in normal subjects submitted to physical stress.

Erythrocyte and serum magnesium (Mg) concentrations have been assayed in a group of sedentary heterozygote beta-thalassaemic subjects (beta-thal), in a group of non-thalassaemic well trained runners before and after a 25 km running race, and in a group of sedentary healthy controls. The mean erythrocyte Mg concentration (EMg) found in beta-thal (2.72 mEq/litre) and in runners, both before and after the race (2.

Specificity of carcinoembryonic antigen, gastrointestinal cancer-associated antigen, tissue polypeptide antigen, fibrinopeptide A and gamma-glutamyltransferase in the diagnosis and follow-up of gastric cancer.

The usefulness and specificity of the main tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA; gastrointestinal cancer-associated antigen, GICA; tissue polypeptide antigen, TPA; fibrinopeptide A, FpA; gamma-glutamyltransferase, gamma-GT) have been investigated in the diagnosis and follow-up of the circumscribed and disseminated gastric cancers (GCs). The comprehensive evaluation of all of these markers has given the most reliable results. For the diagnosis and follow-up of GCs, the present study has shown that the sensitivity and specificity of the above markers have the following decreasing order: FpA, TPA, GICA, CEA, gamma-GT.

Specificity of fibrinopeptide A (FpA) as a marker for gastrointestinal cancers before and after surgery.

In 70 patients affected by gastrointestinal malignancies the plasma fibrinopeptide A (FpA) levels were assessed both before and at various intervals after the operation. At the same time other more commonly used tests of coagulation were carried out. In all the patients plasma FpA levels were shown to be variously elevated, so that they could give useful clues to the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and follow-up of the gastrointestinal malignancies.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasy (HHT) and HLA.

Linkage between HHT and 10 genetic marker systems was investigated in a family with 7 affected members. The analysis supports the previously suggested linkage between HLA and HHT (theta = .17).