Subcutaneous administration of interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha 2b in advanced renal cell carcinoma: long-term results.

Clinical data have supported the combination of subcutaneous r-interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and r-interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) as a promising combination for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with a reduced toxicity. We evaluated the activity and safety of this outpatient immunotherapy and report on the clinical results and the long-term survival analysis. Objective responses was observed in 9 of 50 (18%) patients, 6 of whom (12%) achieved a complete response. Overall median survival is 12 months, six patients were surviving at a median follow-up of 24 months, and three (6%) are still progression-free.

Subcutaneous administration of interleukin 2 and interferon-alpha-2b in advanced renal cell carcinoma: a confirmatory study.

Recent clinical studies have suggested that the combination of subcutaneous recombinant human interleukin 2 (rIL-2) and interferon alpha (rIFN-alpha) is especially promising in advanced renal cell carcinoma. We assessed the safety, activity and toxicity of home therapy with these two agents in 50 patients. Each treatment cycle consisted of a 2 day pulse phase, with 9 x 10(6) IU m-2 of rIL-2 being given subcutaneously every 12 h, followed by a 6 week maintenance phase during which rIL-2 1.8 x 10(6) IU m-2 was administered subcutaneously every 12 h on days 1-5 and rIFN-alpha 2b 5 x 10(6) IU m-2 once a day on days 1, 3 and 5. Objective responses (CR+PR) occurred in 9/50 (18%) patients, six of whom (12%) achieved a complete response. Disease stabilisation was observed in 17 cases (34%) and 18 patients progressed during therapy. In the other six cases, treatment was interrupted early for toxicity or patient refusal. One patient died of myocardial infarction during the second cycle. The overall median survival was 12 months. Home therapy with subcutaneous rIL-2 + rIFN-alpha 2b proved to be active, feasible and moderately toxic, but serious adverse events can sometimes occur.

[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.

[Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma]. / Sarcoma di Ewing extrascheletrico.

A 18 years old female patient was admitted to our clinic with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin malignant lymphoma originating from the subcutaneous tissue of the left paravertebral region. Notwithstanding cycles of polychemotherapy and radiotherapy, clinical conditions rapidly worsened with rapid appearance of an increasing number of cutaneous neoplastic infiltrations. Due to the rapid spread of the malignancy -- as shown by lung X-rays and bone marrow biopsy -- the patient died 8 months after the onset of the disease (2 months after admittance). At autopsy, tumor cell infiltrates were found not only in the bone marrow and lung but also in the liver, adrenals, gonads and spinal cord. Histological and cytochemical features -- both in bioptic and autopic tissue specimens -- were quite similar to those of Ewing's sarcoma of bone. On the whole, of these clinical and histopathological features, this can be considered a case of "extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma" as described by Angervall and Enzinger and recently by E. H. Soule et Al.

[Blood and liver fat values in rats kept on a hyperlipid, hypoprotein, steatogenous diet, with or without choline]. / Comportamento dei lipidi ematici ed epatici nel ratto mantenuto per periodi di tempo variamente prolungati a dieta steatogena ipoprotidica, iperlipidica, con o senza colina.

Serum and liver tissue fatty acid and lipid fraction values were studied in rats kept for various periods on a hyperlipid, hypoprotein, steatogenous diet, with or witout choline. There was a general increase in liver fats due to an absolute increase in triglycerides, accompanied by changes in the fatty acid methyl ester composition, indicating the storage of lipids of lesser metabolic activity and more similar to those of peripheral fat (palmitic and oleic acid increments; decreases in myristic, stearic, linoleic and arachidonic acid values). These changes were partly reflected in the blood picture: little difference in lipid fraction ratios, coupled with fatty acid gas chromatograms similar to those observed for the liver. The omission of choline aggravated the alterations caused by the experimental diet.