Restoration of wild-type p53 activity enhances the sensitivity of pleural metastasis to cisplatin through an apoptotic mechanism.

We attempted to develop a new strategy of gene transfer in human metastatic cells avoiding viral vectors. We demonstrated the feasibility of the nlsLacZ gene-liposome (DOTAP) complex transfection in lung cancer cell lines H358 and Calu-1 carrying homozygous deletion of p53 and in primary cultures of human pleural metastatic tumor cells (n = 10). The efficiency of transfection in pleural cells was high with a mean of 78 +/- 22% (range 40-100%) compared to H358 (30%) and Calu-1 cells (50%).

Response of choroidal blood flow in the foveal region to hyperoxia and hyperoxia-hypercapnia.

Purpose: Arterial carbon dioxide tension and arterial oxygen tension are important determinants of retinal and cerebral blood flow. In the present study the hypothesis that changes in arterial blood gases also influence choroidal blood flow was tested.

Methods: The effect of breathing different mixtures of oxygen (O(2)) and carbon dioxide (CO(2)) on choroidal blood flow in the foveal region was investigated in healthy subjects.

Low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma. a further low-grade soft tissue malignancy characterized by a ring chromosome.

Supernumerary rings in the context of a simple karyotype characterize several low-grade malignant tumors of soft tissue and bone. Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma is an uncommon low-grade sarcoma, the cytogenetics of which has not yet been reported. Here we describe the first molecular-cytogenetic characterization of a pulmonary metastasis of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma.

Prevalence of multiple dideoxynucleoside analogue resistance (MddNR) in a multicenter cohort of HIV-1-infected Italian patients with virologic failure.

We evaluated the prevalence of both Q151M and 6-bp insert at position 69 of RT region responsible for multiple dideoxynucleoside analogue-resistant (MddNR) HIV-1 variants in 177 patients who failed to respond to combination therapy. Patients had received protease inhibitors (PI) and/or nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) after a long-term experience with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) (including zidovudine monotherapy). Two of 177 patients (1.

Alterations of the retino-cortical conduction in patients affected by classical congenital muscular dystrophy (CI-CMD) with merosin deficiency.

Immunocytochemical analysis of the laminin alpha-2 (merosin) chain in the muscle of patients with Classic Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (Cl-CMD) differentiates the types of the disease associated with a merosin deficit from those that are merosin positive. Patients with Central Nervous System involvement in merosin negative Cl-CMD always present alterations of the white matter at RMI, but usually these are not clinically significant. While ocular malformations (microphthalmia, alterations of the anterior chamber, of the retina, or of the angle and cataract) and damage to the Central Nervous System are described in some subtypes of CMD (Muscle Eye Brain disease, Walker Warburg Syndrome), ocular involvement and retino-cortical conduction in merosin negative Cl-CMD are not well known.

Phase II trial of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid using a weekly 24-h infusion schedule for locally advanced head and neck cancer: a pharmacokinetic and clinical survey.

The objective of this phase II prospective study was to determine the efficacy and the toxicity of a new schedule of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). Thirty-three patients were included in this study (13 stage III and 20 stage IV). Cisplatin (CDDP: 35 mg/m2), 5-fluorouracil (FU: 2 g/m2) and folinic acid (FA: 500 mg/m2) were administered by continuous i.

Subfoveal choroidal blood flow in response to light-dark exposure.

Purpose: To document the response of subfoveal choroidal blood flow (ChBF) in the human eye induced by light and dark exposures and provide some insight into the mechanism underlying this response.

Methods: In a group of 12 volunteers (age, 25-60 years), ChBF was measured with a confocal laser Doppler flowmeter. Wavelength of the probing laser beam was 785 nm (90 microW at the cornea).

The applications of FISH in tumor pathology.

The current FISH technology was greatly improved during the past 10 years. A large number of cosmids and yeast (YACs), bacterial (BACs), phage P1 derived (PACs) artificial chromosomes have been rapidly mapped and are useful as probes. In parallel, methods were established to specifically "paint" entire chromosomes or chromosome segments.

Ovarian metastases from colorectal carcinoma. Clinicopathologic profile, immunophenotype, and karyotype analysis.

Ovarian metastases from colorectal carcinoma frequently mimic primary ovarian carcinomas. The present study was performed to identify possible criteria helpful in differential diagnosis. Twenty-three ovarian metastases from colorectal carcinomas and 23 primary ovarian carcinomas were evaluated clinicopathologically and immunostained with antigastric M1 antigen, cathepsin E, CA125, vimentin, estrogen and progesterone receptors, cytokeratins 7 and 20, and alpha-inhibin antibodies.

Analysis of SYT-SSX fusion transcripts and bcl-2 expression and phosphorylation status in synovial sarcoma.

Synovial sarcomas (SS) are characterized by a chromosomal translocation t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2) which usually fuses the SYT gene from chromosome 18 to SSX1 or SSX2 genes on chromosome X.

[Measurement of eye length and eye shape by optical low coherence reflectometry].

Background: The precise and rapid measurement of eye length and eye shape are essential for investigating eye growth regulation and myopia. For this purpose, we developed an optical low coherence reflectometer and obtained preliminary measurements in volunteers.

Methods: The instrument includes a rotating glass cube to produce longitudinal scans at a velocity of 0.

[Optical Doppler velocimetry of red blood cells at different depths in retinal vessels by varying the coherence length of the source: feasibility study].

Purpose: To report on a novel approach to measure the velocity of red blood cells (RBCs) at different retinal vessel depths.

Method: The technique is an extension of conventional laser Doppler velocimetry using light sources of various coherence lengths (CL). Light scattered by the moving RBCs interferes with that reflected from the anterior vessel wall only if the optical path difference is shorter than CL.

[Effect of light on choroidal blood flow in the fovea centralis].

Purpose: To investigate whether light and dark exposures induce a response of choroidal blood flow (ChBF) in the foveal region in humans.

Methods: In a group of healthy volunteers (age 25-60 years) ChBF was measured using a new confocal laser Doppler flowmeter (probing laser at 785 nm, power at the cornea = 90 microW). ChBF was recorded at room light, in darkness, at room light following dark adaptation, and during strong light exposure following room light.

[Effect of dark adaptation on retinal blood flow].

Purpose: Laser Doppler measurements performed immediately after the transition from dark adaptation (DA) to light led to the hypothesis that retinal blood flow, Fret, is increased during DA, but the use of visible lasers had prevented measurements during DA. Our aim was to test this hypothesis by measuring Fret during and after DA.

Material And Methods: Fret in retinal vessels at the optic disk surface was recorded quasi-continuously in one eye of 6 normal subjects (age 27 to 60 years) using a laser Doppler flowmeter in the near-infrared (810 nm).

Electroretinogram and visual-evoked potentials in children with optic nerve coloboma.

The aim was to evaluate alterations in Visual-Evoked Potentials (VEP) and Electroretinogram (ERG) and discover whether these tests are useful for determining residual visual acuity in cases where a patient is unable to collaborate. Flash and, when possible, Transient Pattern Reversal Visual-Evoked Potentials and Maximal Response ERG were recorded in 8 children (under three years old) affected by different aspects of optic nerve coloboma. None of them had visual acuity evaluated because of poor collaboration.

Prevalence of transmitted nucleoside analogue-resistant HIV-1 strains and pre-existing mutations in pol reverse transcriptase and protease region: outcome after treatment in recently infected individuals.

We retrospectively studied 38 Italian recently HIV-1-infected subjects who seroconverted from 1994 to 1997 to investigate: (i) the prevalence of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI)-related mutations at primary infection; (ii) the proportion of naturally occurring mutations in reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease regions of patients naive for non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PIs); (iii) the drug-susceptibility to NRTIs and PIs in subjects with NRTI- and/or PI-related mutations; and (iv) the outcome of seroconverters treated with various NRTIs or NRTI/PI regimens. Baseline HIV-1 plasma viraemia and absolute CD4 count at baseline could not be used to distinguish patients with NRTI- and/or PI-related pre-existing mutations from those with wild-type virus (P = 0.693 and P = 0.

Prevalence of HIV-1 resistant strains in recent seroconverters.

Twenty-nine HIV-1 recently infected subjects were retrospectively studied to investigate both the prevalence of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI)-related mutations at primary infection and the proportion of naturally occurring mutations in protease inhibitor (PI)-naive patients. Neither HIV-1 plasma viremia nor CD4 absolute count at baseline could distinguish patients with NRTI pre-existing mutations from those with wild-type virus. An increasing proportion of ZDV-related mutations was observed over time with an overall frequency of 20.

Release of classical transmitters and nitric oxide in the rat olfactory bulb, evoked by vaginocervical stimulation and potassium, varies with the oestrus cycle.

In vivo microdialysis was used to investigate the effects of ovariectomy and the oestrus cycle on vaginocervical stimulation-evoked classical transmitter and nitric oxide release in the olfactory bulb of anaesthetized (urethane) and conscious rats. During pro-oestrus/oestrus, vaginocervical stimulation (1 or 10 min) significantly increased concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, GABA, noradrenaline, dopamine and nitric oxide (citrulline) but failed to do so in met-oestrus/di-oestrus or following ovariectomy. Potassium chloride-evoked GABA, noradrenaline and nitric oxide release in the olfactory bulb was also significantly enhanced during pro-oestrus/oestrus.

Iris blood flow response to acute decreases in ocular perfusion pressure: a laser Doppler flowmetry study in humans.

The relationship between blood flow and ocular perfusion pressure in the iris vascular bed of the human eye has not been established yet. Consequently, it is not known whether the iris circulation has some autoregulatory capacity. The aim of the present study was to investigate this relationship in the particular case where the perfusion pressure was decreased by increasing the intraocular pressure.

Detection of hypoxia by measurement of DNA damage and repair in human lymphocytes (comet assay): a predictive variable for tumor response during chemotherapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Only few studies have tried to identify parameters at the time of diagnosis or during treatment that can assist the clinician in predicting the response to Cisplatin, 5-Fluorouracil +/- Folinic acid therapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Materials And Methods: The alkaline comet assay was used to measure both cellular hypoxia and DNA single-strand break (ssb) kinetics in individual lymphocytes of HNSCC patients undergoing combined therapy. The intracellular level of FdUMP, dUMP and mTHF were also measured during treatment.

Collagenase-1 and stromelysin distribution in fresh human herniated intervertebral disc: a possible link to the in vivo inflammatory reactions.

Chondrocytes may play an important role in the inflammatory reactions involving intervertebral discs: the role of metalloproteases (MMP) and the imbalance between proteases and their inhibitors seems to play a crucial role in the disc degenerative process. In the present study we have analysed the production of collagenase-1 and stromelysin in different parts of herniated intervertebral discs. Ten samples of herniated lumbar discs were obtained from adult patients operated on for primary microdiscectomy because of persistent radicular symptoms and subdivided into three samples: 1.

Hypothalamic accessory nuclei and their relation to the angiotensinergic and vasopressinergic systems.

The existence and colocalization of angiotensin II- and vasopressin-like immunoreactivity in individual magnocellular cell groups of the hypothalamus has been demonstrated by using immunocytochemical methods. These neurosecretory magnocellular groups consist of the paraventricular nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus, as well as different accessory cell groups. The fibers from the neurons of the accessory nuclei project directly to adjacent blood vessels and do not comigrate with the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial fiber pathway.

Collagenase-I and stromelysin distribution in fresh human herniated intervertebral disc: A possible link to the in vivo inflammatory reactions.

Chondrocytes may play an Important role in the inflammatory reactions involving intervertebral discs: the role of metalloproteases (MMP.) and the imbalance between proteases and their inhibitors seems to play a crucial role in the disc degenerative process. In the present study we have analysed the production of collagenase-1 and stromelysin in different parts of herniated intervertebral discs.