Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0243026 (sepsis)
 52,417 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Chemotherapeutic efficacy is hampered by occurrence of drug resistance. Several mechanisms cause this phenomenon. A final common factor is the reduced capacity of resistant cells to go into apoptosis following treatment with DNA-damaging agents. It is therefore interesting to search for ways to facilitate this apoptotic process following use of chemotherapeutic drugs. The death receptor ligands tumor necrosis factor (TNF), FasL and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) might be interesting candidates as they are able to induce apoptosis by binding to their cell membrane receptors. Recombinant forms of these ligands potentiate chemotherapeutic drug effects in preclinical models. For the clinical application of TNF, FasL and TRAIL, it is of primary importance that their safety be guaranteed. RhTNF is the only ligand currently used in humans. However, systemic rhTNF has shown low antitumor activity and higher doses induce severe sepsis-like toxicity. Perfusion setting aimed at limb preservation with rhTNF plus melphalan is currently used in sarcoma patients. A number of options have been tested in the preclinical setting that might allow circumvention of TNF toxicity in the clinic. Systemic rhFasL administration in humans is not yet feasible because of observed severe liver toxicity in mice due to Fas-mediated apoptosis of hepatocytes. Measures to circumvent liver toxicity have not yet been exploited. Another option for using FasL in the clinic may be to identify an alternative route of administration. In the animal model, FasL appeared to be less toxic for the liver compared with anti-Fas antibodies when administered intraperitoneally. There are relatively nontoxic modulators of the Fas death pathway, such as interferon and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which might prove interesting in combination with chemotherapy. Finally, it may be possible to produce a modified FasL with a reduced toxicity profile. TRAIL, produced as soluble, zinc-stabilized rhTRAIL seems to be without preclinical toxicity. Agonistic DR4 and DR5 antibodies against their TRAIL death receptor are being studied as another potential clinical option to induce apoptosis. Due to the synergistic effect observed in the preclinical setting between death receptor ligands and other modulators of the death receptor pathways and chemotherapy, it may well be that this approach is especially of value in the clinic when combined with chemotherapy. Ideally, choices for specific (modified) death receptor ligands for the treatment of patients can be rationally made based on tumor characteristics.
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PMID:Modulation of death receptor pathways in oncology. 1498 48

The aim of this study was to evaluate the systemic and haemodynamic postoperative effects of ILP with medium-low dose of TNF alpha in patients diagnosed with primary or recurrent limb melanoma or sarcoma, and to compare the resulting toxicity with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). A prospective study on 17 consecutive patients with primary or recurrent limb tumor (melanoma or sarcoma) subjected to ILP with escalating doses of TNF alpha (0.5-2.0mg) was carried out. Seventeen patients with primary or recurrent limb melanoma or sarcoma were subjected to ILP with escalating doses of TNF alpha. ILP was carried out with the standard techniques, blood being warmed at 42 degrees C for an hour. Serial serum TNF alpha determinations were performed before, during and after limb perfusion in nine patients. Systemic and pulmonary haemodynamics, by a radial and pulmonary artery catheter inserted before the induction of anesthesia, were monitored at 5 different times: before the induction of anesthesia (T0), and 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment (T1-4). Complete isolation of the limb was not always achieved, therefore leakage of TNF alpha occurred frequently during the perfusion in all patients with maximum systemic TNF alpha concentrations ranging from 431 to 111000 pg/ml. After perfusion only two patients showed detectable TNF alpha levels in peripheral blood which returned to baseline values within nine hours. These two patients had serious systemic toxicity: shock and respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary edema. Acute pulmonary edema was also observed in another patient. All three cases required supportive therapy provided by means of mechanical ventilation. In the remaining 14 patients a sepsis-like syndrome was observed. The most significant haemodynamic changes were due to the CO, which rose by 35%, and the SVR, which remained consistently low throughout. A reduction in Hb was observed in all patients (with an average decrease of 4 g/dl), while DO2 and VO2 levels rose, though not to statistically significant levels. Hypoxia occurred in all 14 patients. In three of the remaining 14 cases bilateral pulmonary leaks were noted, however the use of mechanical ventilation was not required. No perioperative death occurred and the aforementioned side effects were all reversible resulting in a patient's mean postoperative ICU permanence of 4 days (range 3 to 7 days). In conclusion, ILP with TNF alpha induces cardiovascular, respiratory and hematological toxicity with haemodynamic parameters being similar to those noted in SIRS probably due to leakage of TNF alpha in the systemic circulation during the perfusion. Nevertheless, this systemic toxicity was short-lived resulting in an acute reaction following a single application.
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PMID:Systemic and haemodynamic toxicity after isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with TNF-alpha. 1535 6

Soft tissue sarcomas in the first year of life are rare, and the most common sarcomas in infancy are embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor, congenital infantile fibrosarcoma, and primitive sarcomas such as undifferentiated sarcoma. In this study, we report 6 cases of a primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy (PMMTI), which previously may have been included under the diagnostic categories of congenital-infantile fibrosarcoma or infantile fibromatosis. PMMTI occurred in 6 infants, 3 of whom had a congenital presentation of a soft tissue mass. All patients were otherwise healthy. The tumors occurred on the trunk, extremities, and head and neck. Grossly, the tumors were nonencapsulated and had a multinodular appearance with focal infiltrative growth, a white fleshy cut surface, and a tumor diameter ranging from 2 to 15 cm. Histologically, a diffuse growth of primitive spindle, polygonal, and round cells occurred in a myxoid background. The tumor cells were arranged in a vaguely nodular pattern with peripheral collagenized stroma, higher cellularity at the periphery, and a delicate vascular network in the background. Immunohistochemically, the tumors displayed diffuse reactivity for vimentin and no reactivity for smooth muscle actin, muscle specific actin, desmin, S-100 protein, or myogenin. Electron microscopy documented a poorly differentiated fibroblastic proliferation. Four cases tested negative for the ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion by RT-PCR. One tumor had a complex karyotypic abnormality with rearrangements involving chromosomes Y, 9, and 3. Three patients had recurrences or metastasis treated with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. One patient is alive with persistent locally aggressive disease, 2 are alive with no evidence of recurrence, 1 had a recurrence treated surgically without further follow-up information, 1 patient died with persistent tumor and sepsis 6 weeks after diagnosis, and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. The morphologic appearance combined with the ultrastructural features and absence of the typical gene rearrangement of congenital-infantile fibrosarcoma are unique, and we propose that PMMTI represents a new category of pediatric fibroblastic-myofibroblastic tumor.
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PMID:Primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy: a clinicopathologic report of 6 cases. 1653 60

Pulmonary carcinosarcoma, consisting of both carcinoma and sarcoma with a heterologous element, is a rare subtype, comprising approximately 0.3% of primary lung neoplasia. A 57-year-old man was admitted because of severe dyspnea. A tumor wholly occupying the right thorax was biopsied and diagnosed as pleomorphic sarcoma. The tumor did not respond to chemotherapy, and the patient died of respiratory failure and sepsis. At autopsy, pleomorphic sarcoma was histologically dominant and contained a liposarcoma element confirmed by histocytological and electron microscopic analysis. Adenocarcinoma component with papillary and tubular patterns was confined to the medial lesion of the right lower lobe (3x8 cm), which was found in the chest X-ray 3 years before admission, and had continuously merged with the sarcomatous lesion through the histological transition of both components. Aggressive and rapid growth of the sarcoma derived from the earlier adenocarcinoma became prevalent and contributed to the severe clinical outcome. This is the first documented case of primary lung carcinosarcoma with a liposarcoma element.
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PMID:Lung carcinosarcoma with liposarcoma element: autopsy case. 1687 39

Medical thoracoscopy is not widely available in Australia. A medical thoracoscopy service has been set up in a regional hospital using no specialized equipment and at minimal cost. Of the first 100 procedures carried out, 89 were for investigation of pleural effusion, 6 for pneumothorax and 6 for empyema. Of the 89 pleural effusions, 73 were diagnosed as malignant (43 carcinoma, 24 mesothelioma, 3 lymphoma, 2 melanoma and 1 sarcoma). The sensitivity for a malignant diagnosis was 94.5%, with 100% specificity. Four patients had unsuspected tuberculous effusions. Pleurodesis was carried out with instillation of dry sterile talc in 67 cases. In 92.5% of these, no further drainage procedure was needed. There was one fatality caused by pre-existing sepsis in a debilitated patient with disseminated carcinoma. Medical thoracoscopy is a simple, safe and cost-effective technique for diagnosing and treating pleural effusions and provides a useful service in the setting of a regional hospital.
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PMID:Medical thoracoscopy in an Australian regional hospital. 1738 68

Purpose Because we had observed in the synovial sarcoma subgroup of a broad phase III advanced soft tissue sarcoma study a significantly greater objective regression rate from ifosfamide+doxorubicin (88%) than from doxorubicin alone (20%) (P = 0.02), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) decided to further assess this two drug combination in a subsequent Phase II study.Patients Between 1994 and 1999, twelve adult patients with advanced synovial sarcomas were enrolled to receive, as their initial chemotherapy, ifosfamide 7.5 gm/m(2) plus doxorubicin 60 mg/m(2), given intravenously over two consecutive days every 3 weeks.Methods Each day for 2 days doxorubicin 30 mg/m(2) was infused over 5 min through a running i.v., followed by ifosfamide 3750 mg/m(2) over 4 h. Continuous i.v. fluid was infused at 300 mL/h for 3 h on day 1, before chemotherapy was begun; then the infusion was continued at 100 mL/h for a total of 3 days. Mesna 750 mg/m(2) was given 15 min before ifosfamide and at 4 and 8 h after ifosfamide on days 1 and 2 of each treatment cycle. Filgrastim (G-CSF) 5 mug/kg was given subcutaneously each day for 14 days beginning on day 3 of each treatment cycle to limit the severity of neutropenia.Results Five of our 12 patients (42%) experienced partial regression of their advanced synovial sarcomas; however, this first stage result was borderline for proceeding to the second planned stage of accrual and our case accrual was quite poor. Thus, the study was closed after stage one accrual. Our patients received a median of four cycles of chemotherapy (range: 1 to 6). All patients experienced at least grade 3 neutropenia (grade 4 in nine of them), and one patient died of treatment-related sepsis following the initial cycle of chemotherapy. Median survival was 11 months.
Sarcoma 2003
PMID:Phase II Study of Ifosfamide+Doxorubicin in Patients With Advanced Synovial Sarcomas (E1793): A Trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. 1852 63

In childhood, the conus medullaris syndrome owing to leukemia is rare. Here, a 12-year-old boy with acute myeloblastic leukemia, maxillary mass, and conus medullaris syndrome is reported. A biopsy from the maxillary mass revealed "granulocytic sarcoma." Lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging revealed clumped and thickened cauda equina nerve roots, epidural and periradicular diffuse soft tissue, which was enhanced with gadolinium. Cerebrospinal fluid revealed elevated protein but no cells. Chemotherapy and local radiotherapy for both the face and the spine, yielded bone marrow remission and abatement in neurologic and radiologic findings, but he developed bone marrow relapse and died because of sepsis.
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PMID:A patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia who presented with conus medullaris syndrome and review of the literature. 1964 94

Desmoplastic small round-cell tumor is an uncommon, highly aggressive tumor with a predilection for pediatric age groups and young adults. It is very unusual in the elderly population. Although Agent Orange has been associated with soft-tissue sarcoma, an association with desmoplastic small round-cell tumor has not been reported. A 52-year-old male presented with abdominal distention, dyspnea, and a 9 kg weight loss. Prior history was significant for hepatitis C and diabetes. He was a Vietnam veteran and he admitted being exposed to Agent Orange. On physical examination, the abdomen was distended and tense. Computed tomography scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis demonstrated extensive mediastinal and retroperitoneal adenopathy, diffuse omental masses and extensive pleural, intra-abdominal and pelvic ascites. Omental core needle biopsy was consistent with desmoplastic small round-cell tumor based on morphology and immunohistochemistry. He responded poorly to chemotherapy with high-dose cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and vincristine and died 5 months after presentation secondary to neutropenic sepsis despite G-CSF support and antibiotics.
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PMID:Desmoplastic small round-cell tumor: an adult with previous exposure to agent orange. 2038 35

Rhabdoid tumors have been reported in many different anatomic sites as an aggressive tumor and usually present with a rhabdoid tumor component (a composite tumor) rather than a pure rhabdoid tumor. Rhabdoid tumor in the prostate has been described only once in the prostatic region as a possible epithelial origin. Rhabdoid features in prostatic stromal sarcomas (PSSs) have never been described in the literature. Here, we report a case of a PSS with rhabdoid features. A 31-year-old man presented with a 4-month history of voiding difficulty and anal pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed an ovoid mass in the prostate invading rectum and urinary bladder. A needle biopsy was diagnosed as an unclassified spindle cell sarcoma, and 2 cycles of adriamycin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy were given, followed by radical prostatectomy. The prostatectomy specimen revealed a high-grade sarcoma with fascicles of highly cellular spindle cells and numerous mitoses with hemorrhage and necrosis. In areas, the tumor also contained sheets of loosely cohesive epithelioid cells with rhabdoid tumor component. Both spindle and rhabdoid tumor cells were positive for vimentin, CD34, and progesterone receptor and negative for desmin and cytokeratin immunostainings. The rhabdoid tumor cells retained INI1 expression. The tumor recurred in the bladder, and the patient died of sepsis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PSS with rhabdoid features. The tumor showed an aggressive clinical behavior with a short-term survival (7 months after diagnosis).
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PMID:Prostatic stromal sarcoma with rhabdoid features. 2107 96

The occurrence of granulocytic sarcoma as a pattern of relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is rare. In this paper, we report a rare case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapsed as a granulocytic sarcoma of the donor type. The patient was diagnosed as having AML and underwent an allo-HSCT from his matched sibling donor. Fifty-seven months after allo-HSCT, he developed granulocytic sarcomas of duodenum, jejunum, and left sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle. The bone marrow was normal with 100% donor chimerism. A Y chromosome PCR was performed on the patient's duodenum specimen as well as bone marrow aspirate in order to check the patient-origin cells. The duodenal specimen was found to contain 41.2% SRY-positive cells (from the donor). Repeat endoscopy on day 2 of chemotherapy showed that the granulocytic sarcoma had shrunk dramatically. The patient died of sepsis during the nadir state 35 days after starting salvage chemotherapy.
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PMID:A case of donor-derived granulocytic sarcoma after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. 2112 Jan 67


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