Dynamics of cellular responses to radiation.

Understanding the consequences of exposure to low dose ionizing radiation is an important public health concern. While the risk of low dose radiation has been estimated by extrapolation from data at higher doses according to the linear non-threshold model, it has become clear that cellular responses can be very different at low compared to high radiation doses. Important phenomena in this respect include radioadaptive responses as well as low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity (HRS) and increased radioresistance (IRR).

Accumulation of neutral mutations in growing cell colonies with competition.

Neutral mutations play an important role in many biological processes including cancer initiation and progression, the generation of drug resistance in bacterial and viral diseases as well as cancers, and the development of organs in multicellular organisms. In this paper we study how neutral mutants are accumulated in nonlinearly growing colonies of cells subject to growth constraints such as crowding or lack of resources. We investigate different types of growth control which range from "division-controlled" to "death-controlled" growth (and various mixtures of both).

Massive right atrial myxoma: an unusual presentation in an elderly patient.

Primary heart tumors are rare with an estimated incidence ranging 0.0017-0.19%.

Long-term outcomes for patients with prostate cancer having intermediate and high-risk disease, treated with combination external beam irradiation and brachytherapy.

Background. Perception remains that brachytherapy-based regimens are inappropriate for patients having increased risk of extracapsular extension (ECE). Methods.

Different characteristics of chronic heart failure (CHF) in elderly diabetics and non-diabetics.

Higher plasma concentrations of the N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) have been observed in patients affected by chronic heart failure (CHF). Recent clinical studies have tried to correlate the plasma levels of these biomarkers with severity of the disease. To evaluate the role of NT-pro-BNP, TNF-alpha and C-reactive protein (CRP) in a population of geriatric patients affected by CHF, and to assess their different plasma levels in diabetics and in normoglycemic patients, we enrolled 57 patients affected by CHF: 29 patients were diabetic and 28 were normoglycemic.

Adjuvant radiotherapy on older and oldest elderly rectal cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of radiotherapy in terms of feasibility and activity in the patients aged > or = 75 with advanced rectal cancer. From January 2002 to December 2006, 41 consecutive patients (27 men and 14 women) aged > or = 75 received radiotherapy for local advanced rectal cancer, 9 in a pre-operative and 22 in a post-operative setting. Sixteen patients received concomitant chemotherapy.

Changes of the quality-of-life under the treatment of severe senile osteoporosis with teriparatide.

Despite being treated with antiresorptive drugs, the severe osteoporosis (SO) is being considered as a condition in which patients are still subject to one or more vertebral or femoral fractures, or non-vertebral or non-femoral fractures, i.e., of other parts of the body such as the wrist, shoulder, tibia, ribs or hip.

Prostatic acid phosphatase adversely affects cause-specific survival in patients with intermediate to high-risk prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy.

Objectives: To perform a retrospective analysis to assess the utility of pretreatment serum prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) as a predictor of cause-specific survival (CSS) in patients with higher risk prostate cancer treated with palladium-103 (103Pd) brachytherapy and supplemental external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Methods: From 1992 to 1996, 193 patients with clinically localized prostate adenocarcinoma, a pretreatment PAP level, and Gleason score 7 or more, and/or a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 10 ng/mL or more were treated with 103Pd brachytherapy and supplemental EBRT. The patients underwent EBRT of 41.

Long-term outcomes after treatment with brachytherapy and supplemental conformal radiation for prostate cancer patients having intermediate and high-risk features.

Background: This study summarizes long-term outcomes from treatment of prostate cancer with increased risk of extracapsular cancer extension (ECE) using brachytherapy-based treatment.

Methods: A total of 282 consecutive patients were treated from 1992-1996 by 1 author (M.D.

Long-term prostate cancer control using palladium-103 brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy in patients with a high likelihood of extracapsular cancer extension.

Objectives: To report the long-term biochemical control rates with brachytherapy-based treatment for patients with prostate cancer at high risk of extracapsular cancer extension.

Methods: A total of 243 consecutive patients with at least one higher risk factor (Gleason score of 7 or worse, prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level greater than 10 ng/mL, or elevated prostatic acid phosphatase level greater than 2.5 U) who were treated with palladium-103 plus supplemental external beam radiotherapy from 1992 through 1996 were included in this study.

Long-term outcomes after treatment with external beam radiation therapy and palladium 103 for patients with higher risk prostate carcinoma: influence of prostatic acid phosphatase.

Background: The objective of this study was to define the long-term prognostic significance of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) levels in patients with higher risk, early-stage prostate carcinoma.

Methods: One hundred sixty-one consecutive patients with Stage T1-T3 prostate carcinoma (according to the 1992 criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer) were treated from 1992 through 1996. Each patient had a Gleason score > or = 7 and/or a prostate specific antigen (PSA) level > 10 ng/mL.

[Behaviour of free radicals in Alzheimer's disease].

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the oxidative stress status in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease, considering the role played by the free radicals in the progression and determination of this disease.

Methods: We have studied 13 patients aged between 65 and 84 years and diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease on the basis of Brain CT scan or MRI results, PTEA (uditive mapped slow potential waves), EEG analysis, evaluation questionnaire (MMSE, ADAS), free radicals levels.

Results: This study proved the presence of an oxidative stress status in all patients studied, showing an interaction between the disease and oxidative status.

Prognostic role of serum prostatic acid phosphatase for 103Pd-based radiation for prostatic carcinoma.

Purpose: To establish the prognostic role of serum enzymatic prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) in patients treated with palladium (103Pd) and supplemental external beam irradiation (EBRT) for clinically localized, high-risk prostate carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: One hundred twenty-four consecutive patients with Stage T2a-T3 prostatic carcinoma were treated from 1992 through 1995. Each patient had at least one of the following risk factors for extracapsular disease extension: Stage T2b or greater (100 patients), Gleason score 7-10 (40 patients), pretreatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) >15 ng/ml (32 patients), or elevated serum PAP (25 patients).

103Pd brachytherapy and external beam irradiation for clinically localized, high-risk prostatic carcinoma.

Purpose: To summarize biochemical failure rates and morbidity of external beam irradiation (EBRT) combined with palladium (103Pd) boost for clinically localized high-risk prostate carcinoma.

Methods And Materials: Seventy-three consecutive patients with stage T2a-T3 prostatic carcinoma were treated from 1991 through 1994. Each patient had at least one of the following risk factors for extracapsular disease extension: Stage T2b or greater (71 patients), Gleason score 7-10 (40 patients), prostate specific antigen (PSA) > 15 (32 patients), or elevated prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) (17 patients).

Long-term follow-up of testicular function following radiation therapy for early-stage Hodgkin's disease.

Seventeen male patients with pathological staged I-IIIA1 Hodgkin's disease were followed prospectively for radiation damage to the testes from low-dose scattered irradiation. During conventionally fractionated radiation therapy, the testicular dose ranged from 6 to 70 cGy. Testicular function was measured in a prospective fashion by repeated analyses (every 6 to 12 months) of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the combined modality approach of locally advanced nonmetastatic breast cancer.

We have treated 76 patients with locally advanced breast cancer, 31 with stage IIIA, 41 with stage IIIB, and 4 with stage IV disease, with primary induction chemotherapy including an attempted hormonal synchronization in 70 patients. All were treated to maximum objective clinical response before proceeding to any local therapy. Patients achieving a complete response with a negative repeat biopsy generally received radiation therapy while patients with residual disease, partial response (PR) or no change (NC) status received debulking surgery prior to radiation therapy.

Treatment of locally advanced breast cancer using primary induction chemotherapy with hormonal synchronization followed by radiation therapy with or without debulking surgery.

Fifty-one patients with stage IIIA or IIIB locally advanced breast cancer received primary induction chemotherapy (hormonal synchronization, 46 patients) to a maximum objective clinical response before proceeding to local therapy. Patients achieving a pathological complete response (CR) received radiation therapy, while patients with residual disease, partial response (PR), or stable disease (NC) received debulking surgery prior to radiation therapy; in all patients, 6 additional months of chemotherapy were administered. Chemotherapy consisted of cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2 iv) and doxorubicin (30 mg/m2 iv) on day 1; tamoxifen (40 mg/m2 orally) on days 2-6; Premarin (0.

Effect of a calcium antagonist, nifedipine, in exercise-induced asthma.

The nifedipine effect was studied in 8 extrinsic asthmatic subjects with exercise-induced asthma. Before the exercise the patients received, in a randomized double-blind manner, either 20 mg nifedipine, sublingually or sodium cromoglycate by inhalation on 2 separate days. Nifedipine and sodium cromoglycate in all patients inhibited the exercise fall in FEV1.

Characterization of ellipticine binding to native calf thymus DNA.

The binding of [14C]ellipticine to native calf thymus DNA was studied using equilibrium dialysis. A Scatchard polt revealed the presence of high-and low-affinity binding sites in DNA, the former having a K of 4.0 X 10(7) M(-1) and an n (saturation limiting of binding) of 0.