Accuracy of the automated cell counters for management of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of automated blood cell counters for ascitic polymorphonuclear (PMN) determination for: (1) diagnosis, (2) efficacy of the ongoing antibiotic therapy, and (3) resolution of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).

Methods: One hundred and twelve ascitic fluid samples were collected from 52 consecutive cirrhotic patients, 16 of them with SBP. The agreement between the manual and the automated method for PMN count was assessed.

Validation of automated blood cell counter for the determination of polymorphonuclear cell count in the ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients with or without spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Objectives: Polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count in ascitic fluid is the most useful test for the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). We evaluated the validity of an automated blood cell counter for the PMN determination in ascitic fluid by comparing it with the traditional hematologic method with a light microscope in a manual counting chamber.

Methods: A total of 130 ascitic fluid samples were collected from 74 consecutive cirrhotics.

In vitro models of a three-drug regimen (epirubicin, cisplatin and fluorouracil) for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

The activity of epirubicin, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), as single agents or in combination (ECF), was investigated in three human colon cancer cell lines by two different assays (cell-counting assay and sulforhodamine B assay) in vitro. 5-FU was tested with both short and continuous exposure. Particular interest was focused on the results obtained in the HCT8-FU cell line, a subline with experimentally induced resistance to 5-FU.

Nucleotide fractional incorporation: a simple metabolic feature potentially related to clinical outcome in colorectal cancer patients.

Among the different investigated biomarkers, cell proliferation has provided valuable information on the clinical outcome of patients with malignant tumors. In the present study, we analyzed the potential relevance of fractional incorporation (FI) of a nucleotide precursor (3H-thymidine, 3H-dT) into DNA of tumor cells, determined on the primary tumor, on long-term clinical outcome of a series of patients with colorectal cancer. Determination of 3H-dT FI was carried out on fresh tumor material obtained at surgery as part of the clinical management of the primary tumor in 28 patients with colorectal cancer.

Comparative in vitro and in vivo study of a nitroxyl derivative of 5-fluorouracil (magnizil) on human gastrointestinal tumors.

Aims And Background: There is much interest in nitroxyl derivatives of cytotoxic agents. We evaluated the potential activity of magnizil, a derivative of 5-fluorouracil, on human gastrointestinal tumors in 3 different in vitro and in vivo experimental models.

Methods: The activities of magnizil and 5-fluorouracil were comparatively determined in vitro on the HT29 cell line by a clonogenic assay and on tumor clinical specimens by an antimetabolic assay.