Interferon beta mediated intracellular signalling traffic in human lymphocytes.

The early molecular mechanisms activated by the treatment of human lymphocytes with human interferon beta have been studied. These identify an early increase with respect to control, in diacylglycerol (DG) levels as response to interferon treatment. Such a DG production was derived from the rapid and sequential activation of phosphoinositide specific phospholipase C and phospholipase D pathway. This suggests that a synergistic involvement of phosphatidylinositol-bis-phosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis and phosphatidylcholine (PC) breakdown provide early molecular events upon the interaction between interferon beta and its cell surface receptors. This finally leads to the slowing down of cell growth.

[Synchronous carcinomas of the large intestine]. / I carcinomi sincroni del grosso intestino.

The incidence of synchronous carcinoma of the colon and rectum is rising and ranges from 0.6 to 11% in the international literature. We present a study on 410 patients with colorectal cancer; 10 patients (2.4%) had synchronous carcinoma. The group of patients with synchronous carcinomas were older than the group with nonsynchronous carcinomas (70.5 versus 67.4 years). The choice of surgery depended on the involved portions of the colon and the distance between the lesions. For tumoral sites in 2 different segments was performed subtotal colectomy, in the other cases (cancers located on one segment) was performed segmental colectomy. The incidence of synchronous tumors is sufficiently high to suggest that the preoperative identification of lesions by either colonoscopy is important for the proper treatment of patients with carcinoma of the colon and rectum and moreover an so high incidence, more the risk of not recognising the disease, especially in the case of small lesions, emphasizes the importance of postoperative endoscopic and clinical controls.

Estrogen and progesterone receptors in human colorectal tumour cells (study of 70 cases).

Estrogen and progesterone receptors were studied in 70 cases of human colorectal cancer by a cytochemical technique. 28.5% of the cases were estrogen-receptor positive and 42.8% progesterone-receptor positive. There was no difference between the sexes for estrogen receptors but the women had more tumours with progesterone receptors than men. The presence of receptors is unrelated to the differentiation of the tumor. More colon tumours were positive than those of the sigma and rectum. The concentration of cells with receptors in positive cancer cases tended to be low or medium-low.

[Determination of carcinoembryonic antigen in urine and in gastric secretions]. / Determinazione dell'antigene carcino embrionario nelle urine e nelle secrezioni gastriche.

The diagnostic significance of the identification of carcinoembryonic antigens in the serum, urine and gastric secretions of patients with malignant neoplasms is considered. In the subjects tested, CEA levels in the serum and gastric secretion were certainly diagnostically indicative. Increases in urinary CEA levels were however minimal, even lower than those encountered during urinary inflammations.

[Carcinoma of the convergence of the hepatic ducts. A case treated with extended hepatic resection]. / Il carcinoma della convergenza degli epatici. Un caso trattato mediante resezione epatica maggiore.

The case of a patient with carcinoma of the convergence of the hepatic ducts successfully treated with more extensive hepatic resection is reported. Stress is laid on the problems of exact preoperative diagnosis and of treatment. Most operations are in fact purely palliative and the literature contains very few cases of hepatic resection for neoplasia of the convergence.