Design, synthesis, and conformational analysis of 3-cyclo-butylcarbamoyl hydantoins as novel hydrogen bond driven universal peptidomimetics.

A collection of systematically substituted 3-cyclo-butylcarbamoyl hydantoins was synthesized by a regioselective multicomponent domino process followed by easy coupling reactions. Calculations, NMR studies and X-ray analysis show that these scaffolds are able to project their side chains similar to common secondary structures, such as the α-helix and ß-turn, with favourable enthalpic and entropic profiles.

Malaria in illegal Chinese immigrants, Italy.

A cluster of 22 imported malaria cases, 21 caused by Plasmodium falciparum, was observed among illegal Chinese immigrants in northern Italy in the summer of 2000. The rate of severe disease was high because the patients were not immune and they sought health-care services late in their illness because of their clandestine status. Recognition of the outbreak was delayed because no regional alert system among infectious diseases hospitals was in place.

Enantioselective synthesis of fluorinated alpha-amino acids and derivatives in combination with ring-closing metathesis: intramolecular pi-stacking interactions as a source of stereocontrol.

[reaction: see text]. Hydride reduction of C=N bonds stereocontrolled by intramolecular pi-stacking interactions of 1-naphthylsulfinyl and N-aryl groups, nonoxidative Pummerer rearrangement, and ring-closing metathesis are efficiently combined in a highly stereoselective entry to enantiomerically pure cyclic and acyclic fluorinated beta-amino alcohols and alpha-amino acid derivatives, respectively.

Synthesis of partially modified retro and retroinverso psi[NHCH(CF(3))]-peptides.

[reaction: see text] Asymmetric conjugate additions of chiral alpha-amino esters to chiral 4-CF(3) Michael-acceptors were exploited to prepare a small library of enantiomerically pure partially modified retropeptides having a psi[NHCH(CF(3))] unit as a possible mimic of the classical psi(NHCO) retropeptide unit. Yields were nearly quantitative, and the stereoselectivity, which is controlled mainly by the nitrogen nucleophile, was progressively higher with increasing the steric bulk of the alpha-amino ester side-chain R(1).

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with HIV infection: report of two cases.

We report two cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in advanced stage HIV-positive patients (CD4+ < 0.05 x 10(9)/L). Clinical symptoms were relevant, but their course was not fulminant; the two patients responded to different therapies (plasma or plasma plus plasmapheresis, and steroids), showing rapid improvement in symptoms. One patient remained asymptomatic with zidovudine only, while the other relapsed (probably due to an intercurrent infection). This second person is now asymptomatic on zidovudine plus low doses of steroids.

[Cervical conization in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical epithelial neoplasms]. / La conizzazione cervicale nella diagnosi e nel trattamento della CIN.

Thirty-seven patients who underwent cone biopsy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) of varying gravity have been considered. The follow-up points to the therapeutic as well as diagnostic value of this intervention (92% success). Analysis of the responses provided by colpocytology in comparison with those provided by biopsy, evidences the poor diagnostic reliability of the pap-test with respect to intraepithelial lesions of the uterine cervix (under-estimated in 51% of cases compared to biopsy). Operation did not substantially modify patients' reproductive capability (5 pregnancies of which 3 developing, during the control period) an extremely important factor in view of the young age of patients (average 31 years).

Single agents known to be active in head and neck cancer.

Despite good results of polychemotherapy in head and neck cancer, monochemotherapy retains a valuable role in managing patients with advanced disease. In a palliative setting, lower toxicity and simpler handling of therapy with single agents are outlined by the Authors, who review results of most active drugs in their different schedules.

Possible enhancement of the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin when combined with mitomycin C.

Forty-six patients with recurrent metastatic breast cancer were treated with a combination chemotherapy including doxorubicin and mitomycin C. Myocardial contractility was monitored by means of echocardiography. During therapy there was a progressive deterioration of myocardial function, and this phenomenon was found to be linearly correlated to the cumulative dose of doxorubicin. Six patients (13.8%) developed congestive heart failure during therapy; it occurred after the median cumulative dose of 322 mg/m2 (range 135-472). Possible risk factors of cardiomyopathy could be identified in only two patients. These results suggest that mitomycin C could enhance the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin.

[Association of laparoscopy and bone marrow biopsy in the staging of small-cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung. Evaluation of 116 consecutive cases]. / Impiego combinato della laparoscopia e della biopsia ossea nella determinazione dello stadio del carcinoma indifferenziato a piccole cellule del polmone. Valutazione di 116 casi consecutivi.

116 consecutive patients with small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung had laparoscopy with multiple liver biopsies and bone marrow biopsy, performed as a staging procedure. Bone marrow biopsy was positive in 13 patients (11.2%); no significant rise in percent was seen when bilateral specimens were obtained. Laparoscopy was positive in 17 patients (14.6%); one patient had extrahepatic involvement only. Liver scan did not show high correlation with laparoscopy: 6 patients out of 11 had negative liver scan with metastases demonstrated at laparoscopy. Only 6 patients had laparoscopy positive along with bone marrow biopsy (5.1%). At determination of the stage, 12 patients out of 78 (15.3%), with apparently localized disease had diffuse disease after the two procedures. Laparoscopy and bone marrow biopsy were positive in 12 patients out of 38 (31.5%), when the disease was diffuse at diagnosis. 7 patients had liver metastases at diagnosis, which were excluded after laparoscopy. Laparoscopy and bone marrow remain valuable procedures in assessing stage in small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung, because of their high rate of stage modifications due to their combined employment at diagnosis.