The purpose of this phase I1 study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin (S-FU/LV) with pelvic irradiation as adjuvant therapy for patients with macroscopical resected rectal or recto-sigmoid cancer. Following surgery for stages 11-111 primary (52) or recurrent rectal cancer (4), 56 patients received 8 cycles of S-FU/LV and pelvic irradiation. 5-FU doses were 200 mgr/m2 for cycles 2-3 and 300 mgr/m2 for cycles 1 and 4-8. LV doses remained fixed at 200 mgr/m2. Pelvic radiation was started in the third week, between the first and second cycle. The total dose was 50.4 Gy. No severe complications had been recorded. The incidence of grade 3 diarrhea was 19%. Three patients presented leukopenia grade 3 (5%)). In 44 patients (78%) the planned treatment could be administered. The median follow-up was 40 months (range 22-66). Seven patients had a local relapse (13%) and 6 developed distant metastasis ( 10%)). The 3-year disease-free survival was 72%) and the overall survival was 76%. These preliminary results show that combined post-operative S-FU/LV and pelvic radiotherapy are well tolerated and present a reasonable local control and survival rates. This adjuvant treatment should be evaluated in randomized trials.

A national multicenter study was carried out during the first semester of 1991 to confirm the in vitro activity of fosfomycin trometamol (FT) against a range of bacterial strains associated with UTI in out-patients. MICs of FT were determined by nutrient broth dilution method for an adjusted sample of 273 most representative urinary isolates. Concentration values of 8 and 64 mg/l required to inhibit respectively 50 and 90 % of strains were widely lower than mean urinary levels achieved within the 0-48 h interval after a single oral dose of 3 g FT. Species with MICs higher than 256 mg/l (St. saprophyticus, M. morganii, Providencia spp. and some P. aeruginosa) represent less than 5 % of strains isolated from UTI in out-patients. The spectrum of activity of fosfomycin trometamol actually embraces most of the common urinary pathogens isolated from UTI in out-patients.

Platelet production time (PPT), plasmatic beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG), platelet density distribution, and mepacrine labelled granular content of the platelets were simultaneously determined in a group of elderly subjects. Vascular deterioration, assessed by the history and clinical examination, was variable in extension and severity. PPT was slightly but not significantly shortened, whereas the raised beta-TG level and diminished platelet density and granular content suggested an in vivo release reaction process. The results are not correlated with the apparent severity of vascular deterioration, and the release reaction may not be solely related to enhanced platelet-vessel wall interactions.

This report concerns two groups of elderly patients, one active and the other inactive with cardiovascular histories. Cutaneous and plasma cholesterol (Ch) and the lipoprotein fractions were analyzed in each group and compared with those of a young group. The cutaneous histological ageing type was studied in the three groups. No histological difference was seen to exist between the elderly populations (skin type II), the young group had normal type O skin. A significant difference was seen to exist between the levels of cutaneous Ch of the two elderly groups and that of the young group. Changes in the cutaneous Ch with respect to the ratio (total Ch/HDL Ch) were found to differ in the two elderly groups: the active elderly patients presented a positive correlation as did the young subjects but the inactive patients showed a negative correlation.

Strict criteria were applied in the choice of the 130 patients with severe urinary infections included in the study: men or women over 65 years of age presenting with clinical signs and symptoms, a bacterial count greater than or equal to 10(6)/mm3, one type of germ found on urine culture. The results of an antibiogram showed the frequency with which each germ was involved and their sensitivity to antibiotics, more particularly gentamicin, minocyclin, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprime, oxolinic acid. Based on sensitivity and tolerance criteria, the choice of antibiotic was : oxolinic acid orally ; gentamicin parenterally, after evaluation of renal function. These results can assist the physician, when confronted with cases of severe urinary infection, and before the results of the antibiogram are available, in choosing effective therapy adapted to each case.