We evaluated the effect of SCF on myeloid differentiation by correlating clonogenic potential (as CFU-GM), bone marrow (BM) plasma SCF levels and CD34/
c-kit expression in 57 MDS samples. There was a ...significant correlation between low SCF levels and ‘leukemic’ in vitro growth, the number of clusters and the colony/cluster ratio. No correlation was found between BM plasma SCF levels, the pattern of growth and CD34
+
c-kit
+ expression. These data seem to exclude any direct effect of SCF on leukemogenesis, but suggest that low plasma SCF levels may be at least partially responsible for leukemic growth in MDS.
Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) has been proposed as an alternative treatment of resist an the fractory Hodgkin's disease (HD). Thirty-seven patients in various phases of HD underwent ...auto grafting in our Center: fourteen received a CBV conditioning regimen, the others BCNU or VP16 followed by cyclophosphamide and TBI. Three patients died before engraftment, 28 (75.67%) achieved CR and 6 showed persistent disease. As of March 1996, 18 patients had died and 13 were in continuous CR. The median event-free survival (EFS) and 3-year EFS chances were respectively 9 months and 31.3% in the series as a whole, 14 months and 40% in primary resistant disease, 9 months and 28.4% in responsive relapse, and 3 months and 22.2% in resistant relapse. As many of these patients had failed to respond to third-line therapies, their EFS figures are primarily attributable to the therapeutic efficacy of ABMT. Furthermore, since the EFS curves are better in patients seemingly characterized by a lower chance of chemoresistance, our data favour the use of ABMT in the earlier phases of HD.
Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are the most prevalent non-Hodgkin lymphomas that comprise cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), accounting for more than 70% of cases. Following the ...Tumor Lymph nodes Metastasis Blood system, disease staging is carried out, and within ten years, about thirty percent of patients in the early stages will have advanced disease. Plaques, folliculotropism, and age over 60 are risk factors for progression. A 5-year survival rate of less than 20% is associated with LCT in MF. Treatment requires an interdisciplinary approach; skindirected therapies are available for early stages of the disease, but there are no curative options for advanced stages of the disease other than allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Because of their severe symptoms and poor treatment efficacy, patients in advanced stages have a lower quality of life and a lower chance of survival. In patients with CD30-expressing CTCL, Brentuximab Vedotin has demonstrated better response rates and progression-free survival (PFS); in advanced SS, mogamulizumab has significantly increased PFS. These findings emphasize the need to standardize prognostic factors and improve CTCL treatment.
In multimedia, nurses are absent or often shown with any specific competence, totally far away from the actual context. Changes and evolution in the profession are not represented by the social image ...on the screen which strongly shows a doctor-centric clinical knowledge and responsibility. Considering the COVID-19 Pandemic brings significant media attention to medical staff, we analyze the television medical dramas before and after the Pandemic. The medical drama with the highest sharing index has been analyzed using an observational checklist, including 1) the nurse's presence and characteristics, 2) the role played within the format (main character, secondary character, and appearance) and the main character's features (when present), 3) the acting skills, 4) relationship dynamics in the work context (team and patient), 5) the impact on welfare and health and 6) the respect of the deontological aspects. The result implies that the image of nursing remains obsolete and linked to gender or subordination stereotypes. Heroes in white uniforms are presented in the news for a while, but too soon stigmatized. Therefore, it is necessary to start creating consciousness of the social image of nursing professionals to alert the media power and its related risks and, but above all, to use them as a resource of change.
We evaluated the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on seizures and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) levels in an animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Adult male ...Sprague-Dawley rats were continuously monitored by video-electrocorticography up to 10 weeks after an intraperitoneal kainic acid (15 mg/kg) injection. Sixty-seven days after the induction of status epilepticus and the appearance of spontaneous recurrent seizures in all rats, CBD was dissolved in medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and administered subcutaneously at 120 mg/kg (n = 10) or 12 mg/kg (n = 10), twice a day for three days. Similarly, the vehicle was administered to ten epileptic rats. Brain levels of PPARγ immunoreactivity were compared to those of six healthy controls. CBD at 120 mg/kg abolished the seizures in 50% of rats (p = 0.033 vs. pre-treatment, Fisher’s exact test) and reduced total seizure duration (p < 0.05, Tukey Test) and occurrence (p < 0.05). PPARγ levels increased with CBD in the hippocampal CA1 subfield and subiculum (p < 0.05 vs. controls, Holm−Šidák test), but only the highest dose increased the immunoreactivity in the hippocampal CA3 subfield (p < 0.001), perirhinal cortex, and amygdala (p < 0.05). Overall, these results suggest that the antiseizure effects of CBD are associated with upregulation of PPARγ in the hippocampal CA3 region.
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) results from accumulation of leukemic cells that are subject to iterative re-activation cycles and clonal expansion in lymphoid tissues. The effects of the ...well-tolerated alkaloid Berberine (BRB), used for treating metabolic disorders, were studied on ex-vivo leukemic cells activated in vitro by microenvironment stimuli. BRB decreased expression of survival/proliferation-associated molecules (e.g. Mcl-1/Bcl-xL) and inhibited stimulation-induced cell cycle entry, irrespective of TP53 alterations or chromosomal abnormalities. CLL cells rely on oxidative phosphorylation for their bioenergetics, particularly during the activation process. In this context, BRB triggered mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant cellular energetic metabolism. Decreased ATP production and NADH recycling, associated with mitochondrial uncoupling, were not compensated by increased lactic fermentation. Antioxidant defenses were affected and could not correct the altered intracellular redox homeostasis. The data thus indicated that the cytotoxic/cytostatic action of BRB at 10-30 μM might be mediated, at least in part, by BRB-induced impairment of oxidative phosphorylation and the associated increment of oxidative damage, with consequent inhibition of cell activation and eventual cell death. Bioenergetics and cell survival were instead unaffected in normal B lymphocytes at the same BRB concentrations. Interestingly, BRB lowered the apoptotic threshold of ABT-199/Venetoclax, a promising BH3-mimetic whose cytotoxic activity is counteracted by high Mcl-1/Bcl-xL expression and increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Our results indicate that, while CLL cells are in the process of building their survival and cycling armamentarium, the presence of BRB affects this process.
Summary Background Cord-blood transplants are associated with delayed or failed engraftment in about 20% of adult patients. The aim of this phase I/II study was to establish the safety and efficacy ...of a new administration route (intrabone) for cord-blood cells, measured by the donor-derived neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Methods Adult patients with acute leukaemia, for whom an unrelated stem-cell transplantation was indicated and no suitable unrelated human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched donor had been identified, were included in the study and underwent a cord-blood transplant in San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy. Eight patients were in first complete remission, ten in second complete remission, and 14 had advanced-stage, refractory disease. HLA matching was 5/6, 4/6, and 3/6 for 9, 22, and one patient, respectively. Cord-blood cells were concentrated in four 5-mL syringes, and were infused in the superior-posterior iliac crest under rapid general anaesthesia. Median transplanted cell dose was 2·6×107 /kg (range 1·4–4·2). The primary endpoint was the probability of neutrophil and platelet recovery after intrabone cord-blood transplantantion. Secondary endpoints included the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease, relapse, and overall survival. This trial is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov website, number NCT 00696046. Findings Between March 31, 2006, and Jan 25, 2008, 32 consecutive patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (n=20) or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (n=12) underwent a cord-blood transplant (median age 36 years range 18–66). No complications occurred during or after the intrabone infusion of cells. Four patients with advanced-stage disease died within 12 days of the procedure. Median time to recovery of neutrophils in 28 patients (≥0·5×109 /L) was 23 days (range 14–44) and median time to recovery of platelets in 27 patients (≥20×109 /L) was 36 days (range 16–64). All patients were fully chimeric from 30 days after transplantation to the last follow-up visit, suggesting an early complete donor engraftment. No patient developed grade III–IV acute graft-versus-host disease. Causes of death were transplant related (n=5), infection (n=7), and relapse (n=4). 16 patients were alive and in haematological remission at a median follow-up of 13 months (range 3–23). Interpretation Our preliminary data suggest that direct intrabone cord-blood transplantation overcomes the problem of graft failure even when low numbers of HLA-mismatched cord-blood cells are transplanted, thus leading to the possibility of use of this technique in a large number of adult patients. Funding This work was supported by grants from the Associazione Italiana Ricerca contro il Cancro (FF), Compagnia di San Paolo Torino (FF), Progetto CARIGE Cellule Staminali (FF), the EUROCORD III (QLRT 2001-01918) (FF), Ministero della Salute (Ricerca Finalizzata Ministeriale 2005) (FF), and the Associazione Italiana Leucemie, Sezione Ligure.
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