Sustained molecular remission after low dose gemtuzumab-ozogamicin in elderly patients with advanced acute promyelocytic leukemia.

We report here a preliminary experience with gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) used at low dosage (3 mg/m2) in 3 elderly patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) who presented molecular relapse and were unfit for intensive chemotherapy

Early prediction of treatment outcome in acute myeloid leukemia by measurement of WT1 transcript levels in peripheral blood samples collected after chemotherapy

The Wilms' tumor gene WT1 is a reliable marker for minimal residual disease assessment in acute leukemia patients. The study was designed to demonstrate the potential use of WT1 to establish quality of remission in acute leukemia patients for early identification of patients at high risk of relapse. A prospective study based on a quantitative Real-Time PCR (TaqMan) assay in 562 peripheral blood samples collected from 82 acute leukemia patients at diagnosis and during follow-up was established. The evaluation of WT1 in peripheral blood samples after induction chemotherapy can distinguish the continuous complete remission patients from those who obtain only an "apparent" complete remission and who could relapse within a few months. WT1 helps identify patients at high risk of relapse soon after induction chemotherapy allowing post-induction therapy in high risk patients to be intensified

Outcome of relapsed/refractory acute promyelocytic leukaemia in children, adolescents and young adult patients — a 25‐year Italian experience

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Glutathione peroxidase activity and its relationships with cortisol and oppioid responses to training in trotters.

Aim of the study was to assess how physical exercise influenced Gluthatione Peroxidase (GPx) activity in trotter athletic horses. The experiment was carried out on October-November 2004, on a group of 7 trotters, aged 2-3 years, after the beginning of their training period. Each trotter was subject to a standard training (ST) (20 minutes): after a warm up of 3 laps horses went at a steady trot for two laps. Blood samples were taken just before beginning the ST (T1), soon after (T2), and after 60 (T3), 120 (T4), 180 (T5) and 240 minutes (T6) the end of the ST. Blood -endorphin, cortisol, PCV, SOD and GPx were determined. Data were statistically analysed using GLM and correlation analysis. Training induced significant increases (P<0,001) of cortisol, PCV and HR at T2 (P<0,05), with values returning to baseline within 1 hour after ST (T3). Plasma beta-endorphin concentrations showed a similar trend but differences were not significant. GPx activity also significantly (P<0,001) increased after the ST, but peak values were observed at T4 and values remained still elevated to T6. Non significant variations of GPx activities were recorded for age, sex, and individuals

TROTTERS MARES BLOOD PARAMETERS IN NORMAL PREGNANCY: PRELIMINARY RESULTS.

From a bibliographical survey carried out on physiological changes in blood parameters during pregnancy in healthy mares, a few data came out. In humans hematic monitoring is used routinely for an early diagnosis of many maternal and foetal diseases; we found interesting to do the same in the equine species evaluating some blood parameters during pregnancy and checking if any of them was indicative of a normal pregnancy evolution

THE KARYOTYPE OF BLASTIC CRISIS

The nonrandomness of chromosome clonal evolution in blastic crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia is well established, with three major changes [+8, +Ph, i(17q)] occurring alone or in combination in over 70% of the patients. The chromosome changes observed in different tissues may reveal the origin of the abnormal clones, as well as provide evidence for distinct or common evolution by different cell populations. The significance of the chromosome abnormalities and their relationship to blastic conversion are discussed. In general, chromosome evolution may be considered a rather reliable predictive or diagnostic parameter of blastic crisis but both the nature and the subsequent behavior of abnormal clones appear to be of critical value. As to the clinical/chromosome correlations, a few major points have emerged: a) the i(17q) aberration is mostly associated with signs of myeloid differentiation of blasts and a marked basophilia; it is mainly observed in the late stage of the disease, but overall median survival of patients with this marker is usually long; b) more atypical or complex changes usually are associated with a worse prognosis; c) patients with only a Ph in their blasts may have a longer survival, at least in some cytologic subgroups; and d) the loss of the Y chromosome seems to protect the cell against further clonal evolution. Finally, the relevance of the chromosome changes in the multistage process of blastic conversion is discussed, and the breakpoints of secondary changes recorded so far are reviewed and examined. It appears that certain chromosome regions are more often affected; these might contain genes of critical importance for the final malignant progression. Molecular biology may provide insight, in the future, on the nature and expression of involved genes. © 1987

IL CANE ANTIDROGA: RILIEVI CLINICI DIRETTI E COLLATERALI IN CORSO DI ADDESTRAMENTO. NOTA PRELIMINARE.

Some clinical, hormonal and haematochimical parameters were investigated in a control group and during exercise of the group of dogs in training for drug researching. Differences were noticed for cardiac/breath rate, temperature, RBC, WBC, Ht, Hb, cortisol and glycemia

Blood constituents and clinical findings in captured fallow deer (Dama dama)

In Italy, fallow deer is the most commonly farmed cervid and it is increasing in number. However, in farming conditions, some managment practices, commonly used in domestic animals, have been shown to be stressful for deer. Therefore, to safeguard and optimized deer welfare and managment it is necessary to gain a good knowledge of the deer stress response to routinary farm operations. For this purpose, a study to determine the impact of various components of capture managment on the physiological and clinical state of a group of extensively farmed fallow deer was carried out

Tetraploid karyotype (92,XXYY) in two patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Tetraploid karyotypes without structural chromosome abnormalities were found in approximately 50% of the bone marrow cells in two patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with L2 morphology and 'null cell' immunophenotype. Strict tetraploidy (4n = 92) has not been reported as the sole karyotypic rearrangement in bone marrow neoplasia, but may represent a previously unrecognized cytogenetic leukemia subtype