Search results for "aging."
showing 10 items of 10340 documents
Analysis of T and NK cell subsets in Sicilian population from young to supercentenarian: the role of age and gender
2021
Summary Ageing dramatically affects number and function of both innate and adaptive arms of immune system, particularly T cell subsets, contributing to reduced vaccination efficacy, decreased resistance to infections and increased prevalence of cancer in older people. In the present paper, we analysed the age‐related changes in the absolute number of lymphocytes in 214 Sicilian subjects, and in the percentages of T and natural killer (NK) cells in a subcohort of donors. We compared these results with the immunophenotype of the oldest living Italian supercentenarian (aged 111 years). The results were also sorted by gender. The correlation between number/percentage of cells and age in all ind…
Flow cytometric analysis of T cell/monocyte ratio in clinically isolated syndrome identifies patients at risk of rapid disease progression.
2015
Background: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory central nervous system disease diagnosed by clinical presentation and characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings. The role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis has been emphasized in particular in the context of differential diagnosis in patients with a first episode suggestive of multiple sclerosis. Objective: We investigated here the potential additional value of analysis of CSF cellularity by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) in the setting of a routine diagnostic work-up in our inpatient clinic. Methods: CSF cells from back-up samples from patients with suspected chronic inflammatory central nervous system disord…
Toll like receptor mediated immune stimulation can be visualized in vivo by [ 18 F]FDG-PET
2016
Abstract Introduction High uptake of [ 18 F]-2-fluorodeoxyglucose ([ 18 F]FDG) by inflammatory cells is a frequent cause of false positive results in [ 18 F]FDG-positron-emission tomography (PET) for cancer diagnostics. Similar to cancer cells, immune cells undergo significant increases in glucose utilization following activation, e.g., in infectious diseases or after vaccination during cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to quantify certain immune effects in vitro and in vivo by [ 18 F]FDG-PET after stimulation with TLR ligands and specific antibodies. Methods In vivo [ 18 F]FDG-PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biodistribution was performed with C57BL/6 mice immunized with Cp…
Patients With Cancer and COVID-19: A WhatsApp Messenger-Based Survey of Patients' Queries, Needs, Fears, and Actions Taken
2020
PURPOSE This descriptive investigation was undertaken at three oncology units to report queries, needs, and fears related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) of patients with cancer and to avoid uncontrolled treatment delays or withdrawal, behavioral mistakes, and panic. PATIENTS AND METHODS All queries spontaneously delivered through the WhatsApp instant messaging system commonly used by patients to communicate with oncology units were collected and grouped by homology in five categories. Responses to the queries were given according to recommendations by the Italian Association of Medical Oncology through WhatsApp and by subsequent phone calls. Patients were also…
The Barrett‐associated variants at GDF 7 and TBX 5 also increase esophageal adenocarcinoma risk
2016
Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) represent two stages within the esophagitis-metaplasia-dysplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence. Previously genetic risk factors have been identified that confer risk to BE and EAC development. However, to which extent the genetic variants confer risk to different stages of the BE/EAC sequence remains mainly unknown. In this study we analyzed three most recently identified BE variants at the genes GDF7 (rs3072), TBX5 (rs2701108), and ALDH1A2 (rs3784262) separately in BE and EAC samples in order to determine their risk effects during BE/EAC sequence. Our data show that rs3072 at GDF7 and rs2701108 at TBX5 are also associated with EAC and …
Clinical Impact of Cystatin C/Cathepsin L and Follistatin/Activin A Systems in Breast Cancer Progression: A Preliminary Report.
2016
This study was directed to assess the clinical impact of the circulating cathepsin L, cystatin C, activin A, and follistatin in breast cancer patients. The serum concentrations of these molecules were determined by immunoenzymatic assays, and their association with some clinico-pathological parameters of breast cancer progression was evaluated. Our results identified cystatin C and activin A as predictive markers for the presence of breast cancer and bone metastasis, respectively. Therefore, these proteins may have a clinical role as circulating biomarkers in the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of breast cancer patients.
Prospective Image Quality and Lesion Assessment in the Setting of MR-Guided Radiation Therapy of Prostate Cancer on an MR-Linac at 1.5 T: A Compariso…
2021
The objective of this study is to conduct a qualitative and a quantitative image quality and lesion evaluation in patients undergoing MR-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) for prostate cancer on a hybrid magnetic resonance imaging and linear accelerator system (MR-Linac or MRL) at 1.5 Tesla. This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board. A total of 13 consecutive patients with biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer and an indication for MRgRT were included. Prior to radiation therapy, each patient underwent an MR-examination on an MRL and on a standard MRI scanner at 3 Tesla (MRI3T). Three readers (two radiologists and a radiation oncologist) conducted an independent qualita…
Doxorubicin anti-tumor mechanisms include Hsp60 post-translational modifications leading to the Hsp60/p53 complex dissociation and instauration of re…
2017
Hsp60 is a pro-carcinogenic chaperonin in certain tumor types by interfering with apoptosis and with tumor cell death. In these tumors, it is not known whether or not doxorubicin anti-tumor effects include a blockage of the pro-carcinogenic action of this protein. We used the human lung mucoepidermoid cell line NCI-H292 and different doses of doxorubicin to measure cell viability, cell cycle progression, cell senescence indicators, Hsp60 levels and its post-translational modifications as well as the release of the chaperonin into the extracellular environment. Cell viability was reduced in relation to doxorubicin dose and this was paralleled by the appearance of cell senescence markers. Con…
Potential of induced metabolic bioluminescence imaging to uncover metabolic effects of antiangiogenic therapy in tumors
2016
Tumor heterogeneity at the genetic level has been illustrated by a multitude of studies on the genomics of cancer, but whether tumors can be heterogeneous at the metabolic level is an issue which has been less systematically investigated so far. A burning related question is whether the metabolic features of tumors can change either following natural tumor progression (i.e. in primary tumors versus metastasis) or therapeutic interventions. In this regard, recent findings by independent teams indicate that anti-angiogenic drugs cause metabolic perturbations in tumors as well as metabolic adaptations associated with increased malignancy. Induced metabolic bioluminescence imaging (imBI) is an …
Quantitative Imaging of D-2-Hydroxyglutarate in Selected Histological Tissue Areas by a Novel Bioluminescence Technique
2016
Abstract Patients with malignant gliomas have a poor prognosis with average survival of less than one year. Whereas in other tumor entities the characteristics of tumor metabolism are successfully used for therapeutic approaches, such developments are very rare in brain tumors, notably in gliomas. One metabolic feature characteristic of gliomas, in particular diffuse astrocytomas and oligodendroglial tumors, is the variable content of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG), a metabolite, which was discovered first in this tumor entity. D2HG is generated in large amounts due to various “gain-of–function” mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenases IDH-1 and IDH-2. Meanwhile, D2HG has been detected in se…