Phloem cytochemical modification and gene expression following the recovery of apple plants from apple proliferation

Recovery of apple trees from apple proliferation was studied by combining ultrastructural, cytochemical, and gene expression analyses to possibly reveal changes linked to recovery-associated resistance. When compared with either healthy or visibly diseased plants, recovered apple trees showed abnormal callose and phloem-protein accumulation in their leaf phloem. Although cytochemical localization detected Ca2+ ions in the phloem of all the three plant groups, Ca2+ concentration was remarkably higher in the phloem cytosol of recovered trees. The expression patterns of five genes encoding callose synthase and of four genes encoding phloem proteins were analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction. In comparison to both healthy and diseased plants, four of the above nine genes were remarkably upregulated in recovered trees. As in infected apple trees, phytoplasma disappear from the crown during winter, but persist in the roots, and it is suggested that callose synthesis/deposition and phloem-protein plugging of the sieve tubes would form physical barriers preventing the recolonization of the crown during the following spring. Since callose deposition and phloem-protein aggregation are both Ca2+-dependent processes, the present results suggest that an inward flux of Ca2+ across the phloem plasma membrane could act as a signal for activating defense reactions leading to recovery in phytoplasma-infected apple trees.L'articolo é disponibile sul sito dell'editore: http://www.apsjournals.apsnet.or

Low-dose radiotherapy in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) given in 2 x 2 Gy is a highly effective and safe treatment for palliation of indolent lymphomas. Otherwise, very little regarding the use of LDRT for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been investigated. We designed a phase 2 trial of LDRT in patients with DLBCL with indication for palliative radiation. Low-dose radiotherapy was administered on symptomatic areas only. Clinical response was assessed 21 days after LDRT and defined as reduction >50% of maximum diameter of the radiated lesions. Quality of life was scored by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Tumor subtype (germinal center B-cell type versus activated B-cell type) and the presence of TP53 mutations in pathologic specimens of the target lesion were also evaluated. Twenty-three of twentyfive radiated patients were evaluable for response. and 2 died of disease before the visit at 21 days. The overall response rate was 70% (16 of 23 patients), with 7 complete responses and 9 partial responses (mean duration of response. 6 months; range, 1-39 months). Fifteen patients answered to the QLQ-C30 questionnaires, and an improved quality of life was documented in 9 cases. TP53 mutations were detected in 2 of 6 (33%) nonresponders and in none of the responders (P = .12). Germinal center B-cell type responded better than activated B-cell type (response rate was 83% and 29%, respectively, P = .01). These findings indicate that LDRT is effective for palliation in patients with DLBC

The IMPACT study: early loss of skeletal muscle mass in advanced pancreatic cancer patients

Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer (PC) patients have multiple risk factors for sarcopenia and loss of skeletal muscle mass (LSMM), which may cause greater treatment toxicities, reduced response to cancer therapy, prolonged hospitalization, impaired quality of life, and worse prognosis. Methods This is a retrospective study on advanced PC patients treated at the Department of Oncology of Udine, Italy, from January 2012 to November 2017. Among 162 patients who received chemotherapy, 94 consecutive patients with an available computed tomography (CT) scan were retrospectively analyzed. The primary objective of our study was to explore if an early LSMM ≥ 10% (measured at first radiological evaluation and compared with baseline) and/or baseline sarcopenia may impact prognosis. Baseline sarcopenia was defined according to Prado's criteria. Skeletal muscle area was measured as cross‐sectional areas (cm2) using CT scan data through the Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) image system. Results In the whole cohort, 48% of patients were ≤70 years old, and 50% had metastatic disease. At baseline, 73% of patients had sarcopenia, and 16% presented a visceral fat area ≥ 44 cm2/m2. Overall, 21% experienced an early LSMM ≥ 10%. Approximately 33% of sarcopenic patients at baseline and ~35% of patients with early LSMM ≥ 10% had a body mass index > 25 kg/m2. Of note, 71% of patients were evaluated by a nutritionist, and 56% received a dietary supplementation (oral and/or parenteral). After a median follow‐up of 30.44 months, median overall survival (OS) was 11.28 months, whereas median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 5.72 months. By multivariate analysis, early LSMM ≥ 10% was significantly associated with worse OS [hazard ratio (HR): 2.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23–3.78; P = 0.007] and PFS (HR: 2.31; 95% CI 1.30–4.09; P = 0.004). Moreover, an exploratory analysis showed that inflammatory indexes, such as neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio variation, impact early LSMM ≥ 10% (odds ratio 1.31, 95% CI 1.06–1.61, P = 0.010). Conclusions Early LSMM ≥ 10% has a negative prognostic role in advanced PC patients. Further prospective investigations are needed to confirm these preliminary data

Cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil and low-dose interleukin-2 and salvage combination chemotherapy in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

A 70-year-old female with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, not amenable to cisplatin combination therapy, was treated with cyclophoshamide (Cyc)-fluorouracil (FU)-interleukin-2 (IL-2) in light of high tumor immunogenicity and the potential activity of this regimen. Cyc 300 mg/m2 and FU 500 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 and IL-2 4.5 MIU/day on days 3-6 and 17-20 subcutaneously every 4 weeks; Carboplatin (C) AUC 2 and paclitaxel (P) 85 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 ± capecitabine (Cape) every 4 weeks. After partial remission (PR) of lung metastases and local control with two cycles of first therapy followed by PR with five cycles of CP ± Cape, right mastectomy was performed with evidence of viable tumor. Subsequently, the patient underwent 3 cycles of chlorambucil and is alive after 13 months of follow-up. Safety and activity of chemo-immunotherapy and salvage treatment can be achieved in cSCC

Impact of vendor-independent versus vendor-specific software packages on left ventricular volume measurements performed on 3D echo data sets obtained from different echo systems

none9nononeCecchetto, Antonella; Muraru, Denisa; Ermacora, Davie; Romeo, Gabriella; Maddalozzo, Anna; Onciul, S; Cucchini, U; Iliceto, S; Badano, LuigiCecchetto, Antonella; Muraru, Denisa; Ermacora, Davie; Romeo, Gabriella; Maddalozzo, Anna; Onciul, S; Cucchini, Umberto; Iliceto, Sabino; Badano, Luig

Increased Expression of CD169 on Monocytes in Adult-Onset Kikuchi–Fujimoto Disease

Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare, benign lymphoproliferative disease of uncertain origin that can mimic other inflammatory or clonal lymphoproliferative disorders. Given the lack of available blood biomarkers, diagnosis is based on the biopsy of an affected lymph node. In recent years, evidence has been mounting that a dysregulated type I INF innate immune response plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease and might be a future therapeutic target. Nonetheless, laboratory assays measuring the expression of interferon alpha (INFα) and INF-stimulated genes (ISGs) are cumbersome and not widely available, limiting their use in clinical and translational research and encouraging the use of more convenient surrogate markers. In this study, a rapid flow cytometry assay detected increased levels of expression of CD169 (Siglec-1), an INFα-induced surface protein involved in innate immunity regulation, on circulating monocytes from two patients with KFD. Our results are in line with previous experiences and set the stage for a more extended investigation into the use of this assay in exploring the pathophysiology of KFD