Mab labelled liposomes as selective vehicles for drugs in H.I.V. infected cells.

CONCLUSION: Being able to carry zidovudine (AZT) at known concentrations into CD4+/CD38+ and CD14+ cells permits: - to reduce the drug dosage and to increase the interval for administration (until 1 dose I.V. every week); - to modulate the drug concentration into the CD4+/CD38 an CD14+ cells in relation to the "in vitro" determined HIV sensitiveness; - to eliminate haematological, medullary and general toxicity; - to be able to treat severely hill patients. Further studies are necessary in order to: - To find out the better phase to start the therapy; - To use several drugs with different mechanisms of action in order to slow down as much as possible the presence of resistant viral strains. - As for other drugs which are beginning to be used with artificial vehicles, futher studies are required to improve the selectivity and safety of LIPOAZT for the target cells including macrophages.

[Radiosensitivity of lymphocyte subpopulations in subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus. An in vitro preliminary study]. / Radiosensibilità delle sottopopolazioni linfocitarie in soggetti affetti da lupus eritematodes sistemico. Studio preliminare "in vitro".

The Authors have studied the radiosensitivity of lymphocyte cultures of patients affected by systemic lupus erythematosus in the active phase, and in the remissive phase after treatment with cyclosporine and fluocortolone, compared to a group of normal subjects. Total lymphocyte cultures and cultures of T, B, NK lymphocytes, T helper/inducer and T suppressor cytotoxic obtained with specific monoclonal antibodies were used and then irradiated with Co-60 gamma photons at scale doses between 0 and 10 Gy. Damage due to irradiation was evaluated using 3H-TdR. Patients in the clinically active phase of the disease showed an increased lymphocytic sensibility of the total lymphocytic population as well as of the various populations and T subpopulations studied. Radiosensitivity tended to become normal in patients in the remissive phase of the disease. The Authors conclude that a preliminary study of the lymphocytic sensitivity should be carried out in all patients treated with radiotherapy with autoimmune pathologies in order to avoid damages due to irradiation. Moreover, the Authors retain that a test for lymphocytic sensitivity to radiation could apply with regard to the evaluation of the clinical remissive conditions of patients affected by systemic lupus erithematosus.

Radiosensitization by tinidazole: pharmacokinetic study.

In previous study on cell-cultures, the authors have proved that tinidazole had radiosensitizing properties on hypoxic cells similar to those of metronidazole. The radiosensitizing activity of tinidazole becomes useful in vitro using a concentration of 1 millimol. The purpose of this study was to determine the dose of tinidazole necessary to produce a useful radiosensitizing effect in patients cured by radiotherapy. The pharmacokinetic properties of tinidazole were studied by treating patients with 1.5-3-4.5 g of the drug per day, using single doses for two consecutive days. The plasma concentration was determined by 15 series samples during a period of 48 h. Moreover endotumoural concentrations of tinidazole were studied in a group of patients using high pressure liquid chromatography techniques. The results showed that a dose of 4.5 g of tinidazole was sufficient to reach plasmatic and endotumoural concentrations similar to those which provide a radiosensitizing effect in vitro with an enhancement factor ratio of approximately 1.5. The initial dose and the accumulation factor were also determined in order to maintain the above-mentioned concentrations for a time sufficient to be able to apply multiple daily fractions of radiotherapy. The tolerance of the drug throughout the study was excellent.

[Prognostic value of CEA in postoperative monitoring of colorectal cancers]. / Valore prognostico del CEA nel monitoraggio post-operatorio dei carcinomi del colon-retto.

The prognostic value of CEA for the purposes of postoperative monitoring assessed in 45 patients with cancer of the colon and rectum. Values were obtained 1-36 months after surgery in all operable cases. Means were also evaluated statistically at various follow-up times. In patients who relapsed, values stayed significantly higher for up to 6 months after surgery than in those who did not. Cockran's method showed that the prognostic significance of this difference 6 months after surgery was p less than 0.05.