Folinic acid does improve 5-fluorouracil activity in vivo. Results of a phase III study comparing 5-fluorouracil to 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid in advanced colon cancer patients.

We report the results of a phase III trial in which we compared 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) to 5-FU and folinic acid (FA) in 150 previously untreated metastatic colon cancer patients. Patients were randomized in the ratio of 1:2 to receive 5-FU (370 mg/m2, i.v., for 5 days) in arm A or equidose 5-FU plus FA (200 mg/m2, i.v., for 5 days) for arm B, each cycle being repeated every 4 weeks. Five of 49 evaluable arm A patients (10.2%) and 31 of 97 arm B (31.9%) achieved a complete or partial response (p < or = 0.01). Median survival time of arm A patients was 6 months (mean: 6.18), while it was 8 months (mean: 9.01) for arm B cases (p < or = 0.05). In conclusion, our data indicate that FA can enhance 5-FU activity and that this combination is an effective palliative treatment for metastatic colon cancer patients.

[Eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal system: description of a clinical case simulating a lymphoproliferative process]. / Infiltrazione eosinofila del tratto gastrointestinale: descrizione di un caso clinico simulante un processo linfoproliferativo.

A case of diffuse eosinophilic infiltration of the gastroenteric tract which involved a large portion of the small intestine is discussed. It arose in a patient not previously affected with allergic traits and without eosinophilia in peripheral blood. Problems of differential diagnosis and clinical-therapeutic implications are reported.

[Allergic granulomatous angiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome): description of 2 clinical cases]. / Angioite allergica granulomatosa (sindrome di Churg-Strauss): descrizione di due casi clinici.

The authors report two cases of granulomatous allergic angiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome) in patients previously affected by bronchial asthma. Different clinical developments and responses to therapy are considered.

[Polychemotherapy of large cell carcinoma of the lung: a case of complete remission]. / Polichemioterapia in carcinoma polmonare a grandi cellule: un caso di remissione completa.

A case of a patient with large cell pulmonary carcinoma is presented. Being inoperable, the patient was treated at first with multiple drug chemotherapy and the result was the disappearance of the pulmonary lesions. The unusual favourable therapeutic response and the protocols of polychemotherapy used are discussed.

[Castleman's disease: considerations on a clinical case]. / Malattia di Castleman: considerazioni su un caso clinico.

A case of a patient with angiofollicular lymph-node hyperplasia (Castleman's disease), of the plasma cell type, is described. The course of the disease evolved from an unilateral inguinal adenopathy to a generalised intraabdominal adenopathy which took the patient to death. Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects are discussed.

[Anti-ammonemic activity of the gamma-ethyl ester of glutamic acid. Controlled clinical study]. / Attività antiammoniemica del gamma-etilestere dell'acido glutammico. Studio clinico controllato.

A controlled clinical trial was made of the anti-ammoniaemic properties of gamma-ethylester glutamic acid, arginine and placebo in a series of 45 patients with hepatic insufficiency characterized by hyperammonemia (excluding cases of pre-coma and coma) randomly assigned to three groups for treatment with: gamma-ethylester of glutamic acid (25 g), l-arginine (25 g) and physiological solution in identical 500 ml bottles. Various parameters were controlled. The results obtained were assessed with different statistical techniques, depending on the parameter concerned and the aims of the trial. Blood ammoniaemia was significantly decreased by both-ethylester of glutamic acid and arginine though the former was more effective quantitatively and in terms of time. SGOT and BSF values also followed the same pattern.