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  1. Short-term overlap lamivudine treatment with adefovir dipivoxil in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B

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    Nam, Soon Woo; Bae, Si Hyun; Lee, Seung Woo; Kim, Yeon Soo; Kang, Sang Bum; Choi, Jong Young; Cho, Se Hyun; Yoon, Seung Kew; Han, Joon-Yeol; Yang, Jin Mo; Lee, Young Suk

    2008-01-01

    AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of short-term overlap lamivudine therapy with adefovir in patients with lamivudine-resistant and naïve chronic hepatitis B, we compared patients receiving overlap therapy with those receiving adefovir alone. METHODS: Eighty patients who had received lamivudine treatment for various periods and had a lamivudine-resistant liver function abnormality were enrolled. Forty of these patients received adefovir treatment combined with lamivudine treatment for ≥ 2 mo, while the other 40 received adefovir alone. We assessed the levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA at 0, 12 and 48 wk and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels after 0, 12, 24 and 48 wk of adefovir treatment in each group. RESULTS: We found serum ALT became normalized in 72 (87.5%) of the 80 patients, and HBV DNA decreased by ≥ 2 log10 copies/mL in 60 (75%) of the 80 patients at the end of a 48-wk treatment. HBV DNA levels were not significantly different between the groups. The improvements in serum ALT were also not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest short-term overlap lamivudine treatment results in no better virological and biological outcomes than non-overlap adefovir monotherapy. PMID:18350610

  2. Switching patients with lamivudine resistant chronic hepatitis B virus from tenofovir to adefovir results in less potent HBV-DNA suppression

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leemans, W F; Janssen, H L A; Niesters, H G M; de Man, R A

    The nucleotide analogues, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and adefovir dipivoxil, inhibit viral replication and are both effective against the hepatitis B virus (HBV). In our department, tenofovir was prescribed in addition to lamivudine for the treatment of lamivudine resistant chronic hepatitis B.

  3. [A case of adefovir dipivoxil induced hypophosphataemic osteomalacia and literature review].

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    Sun, Xiao-fang; Zhang, Hua-bing; Li, Xin-ping; Xia, Wei-bo; Xing, Xiao-ping; Meng, Xun-wu

    2011-09-01

    To investigate the clinical features and treatment protocol and prognosis for the hypophosphataemic osteomalacia related to adefovir dipivoxil. Analysis was made upon a case of patient with chronic hepatitis B developed hypophosphataemic osteomalacia after administration of adefovir dipivoxil. Literature review was carried out to survey the global prevalence of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia after administration of adefovir dipivoxil among patients with chronic hepatitis B. The clinical symptoms started paralleling to the time taking adefovir dipivoxil, and alleviated after the patient withdrawn adefovir dipivoxil 10 weeks and was given phosphorus. Meanwhile, serum inorganic phosphorus recovered to normal (0.98 mmol/L), which lowest level was 0.77 mmol/L. Systematic review of the literature showed that hyperphosphaturia related to adefovir dipivoxil was dose-dependent, time-dependent and reversible. All reported cases of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia secondary to adefovir dipivoxil (10 mg/d) were from Asian population. Adefovir dipivoxil induced hypophosphataemic osteomalacia is rarely seen in clinical practice. Those patients with chronic hepatitis B who take adefovir dipivoxil, no matter dosages, should take periodical examinations including blood calcium and serum inorganic phosphorus to monitor whether hypophosphataemic osteomalacia occurs. Other anti-virus drugs could be used when it happens.

  4. Adefovir nephrotoxicity in a renal allograft recipient

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    N George

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Adefovir dipivoxil, an oral prodrug of adefovir, is used in the treatment of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV infection. Nephrotoxicity manifesting as proximal renal tubular dysfunction and acute tubular necrosis (ATN were commonly reported in the past, when higher doses were used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection. However, nephrotoxicity is rare at lower doses that are currently recommended for the treatment of HBV infection. A 31-year-old female was detected to be hepatitis B surface antigen positive months after a kidney transplant. The patient was initiated on lamivudine, but developed resistance after 1 year of treatment, at which time low-dose adefovir was added. The patient developed renal allograft dysfunction after 10 months of starting adefovir. Serum creatinine increased from 1.1 mg/dl to 1.9 mg/dl, along with progressively increasing sub-nephrotic proteinuria. Renal allograft biopsy revealed features of ATN. After discontinuation of adefovir, proteinuria resolved and renal dysfunction improved slowly over the next 2 years. Adefovir-induced nephrotoxicity, although uncommon at lower doses, needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of renal dysfunction and sub-nephrotic proteinuria occurring in patients receiving adefovir for prolonged periods.

  5. Lamivudine plus adefovir combination therapy versus entecavir monotherapy for lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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    Hu Peng

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV infection represents a serious global health problem and resistance to lamivudine (LAM has become a serious clinical challenge. Previous rescue therapy for the treatment of chronic LAM-resistant hepatitis B infected patients included switching to entecavir (ETV and adding adefovir (ADV or tenofovir (TFV. At present, switching to ETV is not recommended for rescue therapy for LAM-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB. The aim of this report was to determine whether add-on ADV was a superior rescue strategy in the treatment of CHB patients with LAM resistance. Methods We searched Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library. Relative risks (RRs of virologic response, virologic breakthrough, normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT levels and HBeAg seroconversion rates were studied. Factors predicting virologic response, standardized mean differences (SMD in HBV DNA levels and safety were reviewed. Results Six eligible trials (451 patients in total were included in the analysis. The rate of virologic breakthrough in the ETV group was higher than that in the LAM plus ADV group. There were no statistical differences in virologic response, ALT normalization and HBeAg seroconversion in either group 48 weeks post treatment. LAM plus ADV combination therapy produced faster and greater HBV DNA reduction rates 24 weeks post therapy compared to ETV monotherapy. HBV DNA baseline levels and the initial virologic response (IVR were predictive of the virologic response. Additionally, combination therapy or monotherapy were both well tolerated. Conclusions LAM plus ADV combination therapy was more effective and produced longer-lasting effects than switching to ETV monotherapy in treating CHB patients with LAM resistance. However, considering the practical benefits and limitations of ADV, individualized therapy will be needed in patients with prior history of LAM resistant infections.

  6. Laboratory evaluation of three regimens of treatment of chronic hepatitis B: Tenofovir, entecavir and combination of lamivudine and adefovir

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    Rajeswari Jayakumar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Chronic hepatitis B is a disease of concern due to its life-threatening complications like cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC in 20-40% of patients. There are about 400 million people affected worldwide with HBV, and over 300,000 die every year from HBV-related diseases. Oral antivirals like lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir, and tenofovir are commonly used to treat chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we tried to evaluate the comparative efficacy of these drugs alone and in combination. Materials and Methods: Chronic hepatitis B patients with HBV-DNA more than 10 4 Copies/mL irrespective of their HBeAg status (n=60 were enrolled in a prospective study. 21, 20, and 19 patients were treated with lamivudine (100 mg/day plus adefovir (10 mg/day combination entecavir monotherapy (0.5 mg/day and tenofovir monotherapy (300 mg/day, respectively and were followed up for 24 weeks with their virological, serological, and biochemical markers measured at 12 and 24 weeks. Results: After 24 weeks of treatment, there was no significant difference between the 3 groups in suppressing HBV-DNA to undetectable levels. The median decrease in HBV-DNA levels from baseline was better with tenofovir and entecavir monotherapies than lamivudine and adefovir combination, which was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the 3 groups in HBsAg and HBeAg seroconversion and normalization of biochemical parameters. Conclusion: Entecavir and tenofovir monotherapy were found to be more effective than lamivudine plus adefovir combination in reducing the HBV-DNA levels. However, lamivudine plus adefovir combination was not too inferior, especially when cost of treatment was taken into consideration.

  7. Nephrolithiasis and Osteomalacia associated with adefovir-induced Fanconi syndrome in a patient with hepatitis B.

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    Lin, Jueying; Zhuo, Yufeng; Zhang, Dongdong

    2017-08-29

    An increasing number of case reports suggest that acquired renal Fanconi syndrome may be associated with prolonged use of adefovir against hepatitis B virus. Renal Fanconi syndrome is an uncommon disease, and its complication with nephrolithiasis is quite rare. Herein, we report a rare coexistence of nephrolithiasis and acquired renal Fanconi syndrome in a chronic hepatitis B-positive patient with prolonged adefovir therapy. The patient presented with osteomalacia and nephrolithiasis. Consequently, extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy and left double-J ureteral stent insertion were considered for obstructive nephropathy, which was caused by nephrolithiasis. However, osteomalacia had been misdiagnosed as osteoporosis before admission to our hospital. On admission, a complexity of multiple fractures, hypophosphataemia, glycosuria without hyperglycaemia and non-anion-gap metabolic acidosis indicated a diagnosis of acquired renal Fanconi syndrome induced by adefovir. After switching from adefovir to entecavir, the patient's symptoms and laboratory findings improved significantly. The mechanism responsible for nephrolithiasis in renal Fanconi syndrome is still unclear. We recommend regularly monitoring renal function and serum calcium and serum phosphate to prevent renal Fanconi syndrome during the prolonged use of adefovir for hepatitis B virus.

  8. Osteomalacia induced by adefovir in patient with hepatitis B.

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    Nathali Rivas Zavaleta, Mayra; Guayambuco Romero, Sonia; Calabozo Raluy, Marcelo; Pérez Ruiz, Fernando

    2014-01-01

    Osteomalacia is defined as a defect in mineralization of the bone matrix. We describe the case of a patient with chronic hepatitis B infection in whom treatment with adefovir induced renal phosphate loss with intense and sustained hypophosphatemia which derived in symptomatic osteomalacia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  9. Hypophosphataemic osteomalacia in patients on adefovir dipivoxil.

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    Girgis, Christian M; Wong, Tang; Ngu, Meng C; Emmett, Louise; Archer, Katherine A; Chen, Roger C Y; Seibel, Markus J

    2011-01-01

    Fanconi syndrome results from generalised renal tubular toxicity and, owing to phosphate wasting can cause hypophosphataemic osteomalacia. Large clinical trials advocated the safety of adefovir dipivoxil at a daily dose of 10 mg, the standard dose given to patients with hepatitis B. We diagnosed Fanconi syndrome in conjunction with severe osteomalacia in 2 hepatitis B-positive patients on standard-dose adefovir therapy. The first patient was a 40-year-old male with a 5 month history of bone pain involving his knees, ankles, and ribs. He had been receiving adefovir dipivoxil for 27 months before the development of hypophosphataemia, urinary phosphate wasting, and aminoaciduria. These abnormalities resolved within weeks of discontinuation of adefovir dipivoxil and supplementation with elemental phosphate, calcium carbonate, and cholecalciferol. The second patient was a 53-year-old female with a 6 month history of lethargy, cachexia, and generalized bone pain. She had been receiving adefovir for 64 months before the development of these symptoms. She had hypophosphataemia, hypocalcaemia, metabolic acidosis, and severe vitamin D deficiency, but initially no urinary phosphate wasting. Four months of high-dose cholecalciferol supplementation unmasked her Fanconi syndrome including significant urinary phosphate wasting. The patient improved within weeks of discontinuation of adefovir and supplementation with elemental phosphate, calcium carbonate, and calcitriol. Despite large clinical trials advocating the safety of adefovir dipivoxil at 10-mg daily, long-term use of this agent may be nephrotoxic and in rare cases, cause Fanconi syndrome and severe hypophosphataemic osteomalacia. Clinicians prescribing this drug should be aware of this potential complication.

  10. Bone Histology of Two Cases with Osteomalacia Related to Low-dose Adefovir.

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    Hiramatsu, Rikako; Ubara, Yoshifumi; Sawa, Naoki; Hasegawa, Eiko; Kawada, Masahiro; Imafuku, Aya; Sumida, Keiichi; Hoshino, Junichi; Takaichi, Kenmei

    We performed a bone histomorphometric analysis in two patients demonstrating Fanconi syndrome with hypophosphatemia, adefovir-related bone disease and chronic hepatitis B infection. Both patients had osteomalacia, but showed two different histological patterns. The osteoid volume of the patient without risedronate increased with [(osteoid volume/ bone volume)×100=18.6%]. However, the osteoid volume of the patient receiving risedronate without vitamin D analogue showed a greater increase of 53.8%. In both patients bone pain and hypophosphatemia subsided soon after the discontinuation of adefovir and the administration of phosphate derivative. These findings show that bisphosphonate may worsen this disease when this drug is administered without a vitamin D analogue.

  11. Population pharmacokinetics of adefovir dipivoxil tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers.

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    Huang, Jihan; Zhang, Yaping; Huang, Xiaohui; Li, Lujin; Li, Yunfei; Wang, Kun; Yang, Juan; He, Yingchun; Lv, Yinghua; Zheng, Qingshan

    2014-01-01

    To develop a population pharmacokinetic model of adefovir dipivoxil in healthy volunteers and evaluate the effect of individual factors on the pharmacokinetics of adefovir dipivoxil. Plasma concentration data collected from 32 healthy Chinese subjects in a Phase I clinical study was pooled. Subjects received a single oral dose of 10 mg, 20 mg, or 30 mg adefovir dipivoxil, or multiple doses of 10 mg once a day for 9 days. Plasma concentrations of adefovir dipivoxil were measured using a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric method. A nonlinear mixed-effect model was used to analyze the plasma concentration data of adefovir dipivoxil in healthy volunteers and to calculate the relevant parameters as well as inter- and intra-individual variability. The time course of adefovir dipivoxil concentration is best described by a first-order absorption and first-order elimination two-compartment model with lag time. The final estimate of total body clearance (CL) is 56.9 L/h and 78.7 L/h for single and multiple dosing regimen, respectively; the volume distribution of the central compartment (V2) is 106 L; inter-compartmental clearance (Q) is 220 L/h; volume distribution of the peripheral compartment (V3) is 498 L and 800 L for single and multiple dosing regimen, respectively; absorption rate is 0.509 h-1; and lag time is 0.315 hours. The inter-individual variabilities of CL and V2 were 22.4% and 58.9%, respectively. The proportional error of residual variability is 14.1% and the additive error is 0.30 ng/L. The final pharmacokinetic model was evaluated using a bootstrap method. A nonlinear mixed effect model for oral adefovir dipivoxil formulations was developed in healthy Chinese subjects. A multiple dosing regimen may significantly increase the body clearance and volume distribution of the peripheral compartment compared to a single dosing regimen. *These authors contribute equally to this work.

  12. Pathological femoral fractures due to osteomalacia associated with adefovir dipivoxil treatment for hepatitis B: a case report

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    Tanaka Motoyuki

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We present a case of a 62-year-old man who underwent total hip arthroplasty for treatment of pathologic femoral neck fracture associated with adefovir dipivoxil-induced osteomalacia. He had a 13-month history of bone pain involving his shoulders, hips, and knee. He received adefovir dipivoxil for treatment of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus infection for 5 years before the occurrence of femoral neck fracture. Orthopedic surgeons should be aware of osteomalacia and pathological hip fracture caused by drug-induced renal dysfunction, which results in Fanconi’s syndrome. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1600344696739249

  13. Pathological femoral fractures due to osteomalacia associated with adefovir dipivoxil treatment for hepatitis B: a case report

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    2012-01-01

    We present a case of a 62-year-old man who underwent total hip arthroplasty for treatment of pathologic femoral neck fracture associated with adefovir dipivoxil-induced osteomalacia. He had a 13-month history of bone pain involving his shoulders, hips, and knee. He received adefovir dipivoxil for treatment of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus infection for 5 years before the occurrence of femoral neck fracture. Orthopedic surgeons should be aware of osteomalacia and pathological hip fracture caused by drug-induced renal dysfunction, which results in Fanconi’s syndrome. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1600344696739249 PMID:22906214

  14. Osteomalacia and Fanconi's syndrome caused by long-term low-dose adefovir dipivoxil.

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    Wang, B-F; Wang, Y; Wang, B-Y; Sun, F-R; Zhang, D; Chen, Y-S

    2015-06-01

    Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is recommended for patients infected with lamivudine-refractory hepatitis B virus (HBV). We report a case of low-dose ADV-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia that initially presented as diffuse musculoskeletal pain. A 59-year-old Chinese man reported an 18-month history of severe chest wall pain and multiple bone pain during the previous 4 months with no antecedent trauma. There was no clinical evidence of an infectious, inflammatory or malignant process. Medical history showed that the patient had a history of chronic hepatitis B infection, and receiving lamivudine at a daily dose of 100 mg for 70 months. Lamivudine was changed to adefovir (10 mg/day) for the past 42 months. His serum inorganic phosphorus concentration was significantly low (0·4 mmol/l; 0·81-1·5 mmol/L), and the result of a urine routine test was abnormal. Combined with unbearable bone pain, spontaneous fractures, changes in laboratory markers and the result of ECT and other radiographic findings, the diagnosis of Fanconi's syndrome with osteomalacia was established. Dramatic clinical, laboratory and imaging improvement was observed after ADV discontinuation. This case indicates that Fanconi's syndrome with osteomalacia can be acquired by a chronic hepatitis B patient taking ADV at a conventional dosage of 10 mg/day. Therefore, patients with HBV treated with long-term ADV should be regularly monitored for renal function, serum calcium and serum phosphate. Urine testing for ion concentration should also be undertaken. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Long-term outcomes of two rescue therapies in lamivudine-refractory patients with chronic hepatitis B: combined lamivudine and adefovir, and 1-mg entecavir

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    EunYoung Ze

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background/AimsAdefovir (ADV and lamivudine (LAM combination therapy (ADV+LAM has been a useful option for patients with LAM-resistant (LAM-r chronic hepatitis B (CHB. However, the long-term outcomes of LAM+ADV and 1-mg entecavir (ETV rescue therapies have still been limited. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term outcomes of these two rescue therapies.MethodsSixty patients with LAM-r CHB underwent rescue therapy with LAM+ADV (n=36 or 1-mg ETV (n=24. We determined the duration of rescue therapy, timing and type of mutation, undetectable serum hepatitis B virus (HBV DNA by PCR (lower limitation of detection, < 140 copies/mL, biochemical response (alanine aminotransferase < 40 IU/mL, and the incidence of hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg seroconversion and virologic breakthrough.ResultsBaseline characteristics did not differ between the two therapy groups. The duration of rescue therapy was 56 months (range, 14-100 months in the ADV+LAM group and 42 months (range, 12-73 months in the ETV group (P=0.036. The cumulative rates of HBV DNA undetectability and HBeAg seroconversion up to 6 years were 88.6% and 43.0%, respectively, in the ADV+LAM group, and 45.8% and 31.8% in the ETV group. The rate of virologic breakthrough and resistance was 14.4% in the ADV+LAM group and 71.9% in the ETV group (P=0.001.ConclusionsCombination of LAM and ADV therapy for up to 6 years achieved modest rates of virological suppression and resistance. ETV is not an optimal therapy because the risk of viral breakthrough to ETV increases over time.

  16. Coformer selection based on degradation pathway of drugs: a case study of adefovir dipivoxil-saccharin and adefovir dipivoxil-nicotinamide cocrystals.

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    Gao, Yuan; Gao, Jing; Liu, Ziling; Kan, Hongliang; Zu, Hui; Sun, Wanjin; Zhang, Jianjun; Qian, Shuai

    2012-11-15

    Adefovir dipivoxil (AD) is a bis(pivaloyloxymethyl) prodrug of adefovir with chemical stability problem. It undergoes two degradation pathways including hydrolysis and dimerization during storage. Pharmaceutical cocrystallization exhibits a promising approach to enhance aqueous solubility as well as physicochemical stability. In this study we attempted to prepare and investigate the physiochemical properties of AD cocrystals, which were formed with two coformers having different acidity and alkalinity (weakly acidic saccharin (SAC) and weakly basic nicotinamide (NCT)). The presence of different coformer molecules along with AD resulted in altered physicochemical properties. AD-SAC cocrystal showed great improvement in solubility and chemical stability, while AD-NCT did not. Several potential factors giving rise to different solid-state properties were summarized. Different coformers resulted in different cocrystal formation, packing style and hydrogen bond formation. This study could provide the coformer selection strategy based on degradation pathways for some unstable drugs in pharmaceutical cocrystal design. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Hypophosphatemic osteomalacia induced by low-dose adefovir therapy: focus on manifestations in the skeletal system and literature review.

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    Kim, Du Hwan; Sung, Duk Hyun; Min, Yong Ki

    2013-03-01

    Osteomalacia is a metabolic bone disease that leads to softening of the bones and can be caused by hypophosphatemia. Large clinical studies of low-dose adefovir dipivoxil (adefovir) have found no evidence of renal tubular dysfunction leading to hypophosphatemia after 48 weeks of treatment. We report two cases of low-dose adefovir-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia that initially presented with diffuse musculoskeletal pain. The first patient was a 62-year-old man with a 2-year history of bone pain involving the dorsal mid-thorax, lower anterior chest wall, right sacroiliac joint area, and both knees. The patient had been receiving adefovir for 5 years before confirmation of hypophosphatemia and urinary phosphate wasting. Bone scintigraphy revealed multifocal lesions including multiple ribs, costochondral junctions, costovertebral junctions, sacrum, both posterior iliac bones, both proximal tibia, right calcaneus, and the left second metatarsophalangeal joint area, which were suggestive of metabolic bone disorder. Bone pain was significantly reduced within 3 months after supplementation with phosphate and calcitriol. The second patient was a 54-year-old male who presented with an 18-month history of severe bone pain of the right medial knee and low back. The patient had been taking adefovir for approximately 40 months before the development of bone pain. Laboratory data revealed hypophosphatemia and vitamin D deficiency. Bone scintigraphy showed increased uptake in bilateral ribs, sternum, both scapulae, both costovertebral junctions, both pelvic bones, medial cortex of the right proximal femur, right proximal tibia, and the left lateral tarsal bone. The symptoms improved by changing the antiviral agent from adefovir to entecavir. Because osteomalacia often presents with diffuse bone pain, non-specific radiologic findings and non-characteristic routine serum biochemical changes, the disease can be confused with various musculoskeletal diseases and a high index

  18. Molecular modeling and multispectroscopic studies of the interaction of hepatitis B drug, adefovir dipivoxil with human serum albumin

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    Shahabadi, Nahid; Falsafi, Monireh; Hadidi, Saba

    2015-01-01

    The interaction of hepatitis B drug, adefovir dipivoxil with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by using UV–vis, fluorometric, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking techniques. The results indicated that the binding of the drug to HSA caused fluorescence quenching through static quenching mechanism with binding constant of 1.3×103 M −1 . The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the hydrophobic force contacts are the major forces in the stability of protein-drug complex (ΔH>0 and ΔS>0). The displacement experiments using the site probes viz., warfarin and ibuprofen showed that adefovir dipivoxil could bind to the site III of HSA. The results of CD and UV–vis spectroscopy indicated that the binding of the drug induced some conformational changes in HSA. Furthermore, the study of molecular docking also confirmed binding of adefovir dipivoxil to the site III of HSA by hydrophobic interaction. - Highlights: • The interaction of adefovir dipivoxil, drug for the treatment of HIV and HBV with human serum albumin (HSA) is investigated. • The drug bound to HSA by hydrophobic force and induced some conformational changes in HSA. • The study of molecular docking showed that adefovir dipivoxil could bind to the site III of HSA mainly

  19. Molecular modeling and multispectroscopic studies of the interaction of hepatitis B drug, adefovir dipivoxil with human serum albumin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shahabadi, Nahid, E-mail: nahidshahabadi@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Medical Biology Research Center (MBRC) Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Falsafi, Monireh [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hadidi, Saba [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Medical Biology Research Center (MBRC) Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-11-15

    The interaction of hepatitis B drug, adefovir dipivoxil with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by using UV–vis, fluorometric, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking techniques. The results indicated that the binding of the drug to HSA caused fluorescence quenching through static quenching mechanism with binding constant of 1.3×103 M{sup −1}. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the hydrophobic force contacts are the major forces in the stability of protein-drug complex (ΔH>0 and ΔS>0). The displacement experiments using the site probes viz., warfarin and ibuprofen showed that adefovir dipivoxil could bind to the site III of HSA. The results of CD and UV–vis spectroscopy indicated that the binding of the drug induced some conformational changes in HSA. Furthermore, the study of molecular docking also confirmed binding of adefovir dipivoxil to the site III of HSA by hydrophobic interaction. - Highlights: • The interaction of adefovir dipivoxil, drug for the treatment of HIV and HBV with human serum albumin (HSA) is investigated. • The drug bound to HSA by hydrophobic force and induced some conformational changes in HSA. • The study of molecular docking showed that adefovir dipivoxil could bind to the site III of HSA mainly.

  20. Susceptibility of hepatitis B virus to lamivudine restored by resistance to adefovir

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zaaijer, H. L.; Takkenberg, R. B.; Weegink, C. J.; Rebers, S. P. H.; Menting, S.; Reesink, H. W.; Schinkel, J.; Molenkamp, R.

    2009-01-01

    Serial monotherapy and add-on regimes for treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may induce the accumulation of viral resistance mutations in patients, reducing the options for ongoing viral suppression. The induction of antiviral resistance by serial application of polymerase

  1. Adefovir-Induced Hypophosphatemic Osteomalacia Mimicking Bone Metastases From Primary Hepatocarcinoma.

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    Wei, Wei-Jun; Sun, Zhen-Kui; Shen, Chen-Tian; Qiu, Zhong-Ling; Luo, Quan-Yong

    2017-09-01

    Adefovir-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia in the context of hepatocarcinoma is rare and needs to be differentiated from metastatic hepatocarcinoma. We here report a case of severe osteomalacia whose focal uptakes of radiotracer on the Tc-MDP SPECT/CT images mimicked that of metastatic hepatocarcinoma.

  2. Development and Validation of RP-HPLC Method for the Determination of Adefovir Dipivoxil in Bulk and in Pharmaceutical Formulation

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    Zaheer Ahmed

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A rapid and sensitive RP-HPLC method with UV detection (262 nm for routine analysis of adefovir dipivoxil in bulk and in pharmaceutical formulation was developed. Chromatography was performed with mobile phase containing a mixture of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (50:50, v/v with flow rate 1.0 mL min-l. In the range of 5.0-100 µg/mL, the linearity of adefovir dipivoxil shows a correlation co-efficient of 0.9999. The proposed method was validated by determining sensitivity accuracy, precision, robustness stability, specificity, selectivity and system suitability parameters.

  3. Simultaneous detection of hepatitis B virus genotypes and mutations associated with resistance to lamivudine, adefovir, and telbivudine by the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction

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    Yong-Zhong Wang

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Detection of mutations associated to nucleos(tide analogs and hepatitis B virus (HBV genotyping are essential for monitoring treatment of HBV infection. We developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR assay for the rapid detection of HBV genotypes and mutations associated with lamivudine, adefovir, and telbivudine resistance in HBV-infected patients. METHODS: HBV templates were amplified by PCR, followed by LDR and electrophoresis on a sequencer. The assay was evaluated using plasmids that contained wild-type or mutant HBV sequences and 216 clinical samples. RESULTS: The PCR-LDR assay and sequencing gave comparable results for 158 of the 216 samples (73.1% with respect to mutation detection and genotyping. Complete agreement between the two methods was observed for all the samples (100% at codon 180 and codon 204. Concordant results were observed for 99.4% of the 158 samples at codon 181 and 98.7% at codon 236. The genotyping results were completely concordant between the PCR-LDR assay and sequencing. The PCR-LDR assay could detect a proportion of 1% mutant plasmid in a background of wild-type plasmid. CONCLUSION: The PCR-LDR assay is sensitive and specific for detection of HBV genotypes and drug resistance mutations, and could be helpful for decision making in the treatment of HBV infection.

  4. Fanconi syndrome due to prolonged use of low-dose adefovir

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    Xiao-Bing Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Fanconi syndrome results from a generalized abnormality of the proximal tubules of the kidney and owing to phosphate depletion can cause hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. Adefovir dipivoxyl (ADV effectively suppresses hepatitis B virus replication but exhibits nephrotoxicity when administered at a low dosage. We report two cases of Fanconi syndrome induced by ADV at 10 mg/day to call for regular screening for evidence of proximal tubular dysfunction and detailed bone metabolic investigations for prompt detection of ADV nephrotoxicity is critically important to ensure timely drug withdrawal before the development of irreversible tubulointerstitial injury.

  5. Experimental and molecular docking studies on DNA binding interaction of adefovir dipivoxil: Advances toward treatment of hepatitis B virus infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahabadi, Nahid; Falsafi, Monireh

    The toxic interaction of adefovir dipivoxil with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was investigated in vitro under simulated physiological conditions by multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling study. The fluorescence spectroscopy and UV absorption spectroscopy indicated drug interacted with CT-DNA in a groove binding mode. The binding constant of UV-visible and the number of binding sites were 3.33 ± 0.2 × 104 L mol-1and 0.99, respectively. The fluorimetric studies showed that the reaction between the drug and CT-DNA is exothermic (ΔH = 34.4 kJ mol-1; ΔS = 184.32 J mol-1 K-1). Circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) was employed to measure the conformational change of CT-DNA in the presence of adefovir dipivoxil, which verified the groove binding mode. Furthermore, the drug induces detectable changes in its viscosity. The molecular modeling results illustrated that adefovir strongly binds to groove of DNA by relative binding energy of docked structure -16.83 kJ mol-1. This combination of multiple spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling methods can be widely used in the investigation on the toxic interaction of small molecular pollutants and drugs with bio macromolecules, which contributes to clarify the molecular mechanism of toxicity or side effect in vivo.

  6. Stable Human Hepatoma Cell Lines for Efficient Regulated Expression of Nucleoside/Nucleotide Analog Resistant and Vaccine Escape Hepatitis B Virus Variants and Woolly Monkey Hepatitis B Virus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Cheng

    Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus (HBV causes acute and chronic hepatitis B (CHB. Due to its error-prone replication via reverse transcription, HBV can rapidly evolve variants that escape vaccination and/or become resistant to CHB treatment with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NAs. This is particularly problematic for the first generation NAs lamivudine and adefovir. Though now superseded by more potent NAs, both are still widely used. Furthermore, resistance against the older NAs can contribute to cross-resistance against more advanced NAs. For lack of feasible HBV infection systems, the biology of such variants is not well understood. From the recent discovery of Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP as an HBV receptor new in vitro infection systems are emerging, yet access to the required large amounts of virions, in particular variants, remains a limiting factor. Stably HBV producing cell lines address both issues by allowing to study intracellular viral replication and as a permanent source of defined virions. Accordingly, we generated a panel of new tetracycline regulated TetOFF HepG2 hepatoma cell lines which produce six lamivudine and adefovir resistance-associated and two vaccine escape variants of HBV as well as the model virus woolly monkey HBV (WMHBV. The cell line-borne viruses reproduced the expected NA resistance profiles and all were equally sensitive against a non-NA drug. The new cell lines should be valuable to investigate under standardized conditions HBV resistance and cross-resistance. With titers of secreted virions reaching >3 x 10(7 viral genome equivalents per ml they should also facilitate exploitation of the new in vitro infection systems.

  7. Tenofovir alafenamide demonstrates broad cross-genotype activity against wild-type HBV clinical isolates and maintains susceptibility to drug-resistant HBV isolates in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Miller, Michael D; Kitrinos, Kathryn M

    2017-03-01

    Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is a novel prodrug of tenofovir (TFV). This study evaluated the antiviral activity of TAF against wild-type genotype A-H HBV clinical isolates as well as adefovir-resistant, lamivudine-resistant, and entecavir-resistant HBV isolates. Full length HBV genomes or the polymerase/reverse transcriptase (pol/RT) region from treatment-naïve patients infected with HBV genotypes A-H were amplified and cloned into an expression vector under the control of a CMV promoter. In addition, 11 drug resistant HBV constructs were created by site-directed mutagenesis of a full length genotype D construct. Activity of TAF was measured by transfection of each construct into HepG2 cells and assessment of HBV DNA levels following treatment across a range of TAF concentrations. TAF activity in vitro was similar against wild-type genotype A-H HBV clinical isolates. All lamivudine- and entecavir-resistant isolates and 4/5 adefovir-resistant isolates were found to be sensitive to inhibition by TAF in vitro as compared to the wild-type isolate. The adefovir-resistant isolate rtA181V + rtN236T exhibited low-level reduced susceptibility to TAF. TAF is similarly active in vitro against wild-type genotype A-H HBV clinical isolates. The TAF sensitivity results for all drug-resistant isolates are consistent with what has been observed with the parent drug TFV. The in vitro cell-based HBV phenotyping assay results support the use of TAF in treatment of HBV infected subjects with diverse HBV genotypes, in both treatment-naive and treatment-experienced HBV infected patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Insulin resistance and chronic inflammation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Matulewicz

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Insulin resistance is a condition of reduced biological response to insulin. Growing evidence indicates the role of the chronic low-grade inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Adipose tissue in obesity is characterized by increased lipolysis with the excessive release of free fatty acids, and is also a source of proinflammatory cytokines. Both these factors may inhibit insulin action. Proinflammatory cytokines exert their effect by stimulating major inflammatory NFκB and JNK pathways within the cells. Inflammatory processes in other insulin responsive tissues may also play a role in inducing insulin resistance. This paper is an overview of the chronic low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, liver and endothelial cells during the development of insulin resistance.

  9. Economic evaluation of treatments for chronic hepatitis B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Astrid Wiens

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-utility study of adefovir, entecavir, interferon alpha, pegylated interferon alpha, lamivudine and tenofovir for chronic hepatitis B in the context of Brazilian Public Health Care System. A systematic review was carried out for efficacy and safety. Another review was performed to collect utility data and transition probabilities between health states. A Markov model was developed in a time horizon of 40 years with annual cycles for three groups of: HBeAg positive, HBeAg negative, and all patients. These strategies were compared to a fourth group that received no treatment. Discount rates of 5% were applied and sensitivity analyses were performed. Tenofovir offered the best cost-utility ratio for the three evaluated models: U$397, U$385 and U$384 (per QALY, respectively, for HBeAg positive, negative, and all patients. All other strategies were completely dominated because they showed higher costs and lower effectiveness than tenofovir. The sequence of cost-utility in the three models was: tenofovir, entecavir, lamivudine, adefovir, telbivudine, pegylated interferon alpha, and interferon alpha. In the sensitivity analysis, adefovir showed lower cost-utility than telbivudine in some situations. The study has some limitations, primarily related to the creation of scenarios and modeling. In this study, tenofovir presented the best cost-utility ratio. The results obtained in this study will be valuable in decision-making and in the review of the clinical protocol, mainly involving the allocation of available resources for health care.

  10. Detection of Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Drug Resistance Mutations Based on Multicolor Melting Curve Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mou, Yi; Athar, Muhammad Ammar; Wu, Yuzhen; Xu, Ye; Wu, Jianhua; Xu, Zhenxing; Hayder, Zulfiqar; Khan, Saeed; Idrees, Muhammad; Nasir, Muhammad Israr; Liao, Yiqun; Li, Qingge

    2016-11-01

    Detection of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug resistance mutations is critical for therapeutic decisions for chronic hepatitis B virus infection. We describe a real-time PCR-based assay using multicolor melting curve analysis (MMCA) that could accurately detect 24 HBV nucleotide mutations at 10 amino acid positions in the reverse transcriptase region of the HBV polymerase gene. The two-reaction assay had a limit of detection of 5 copies per reaction and could detect a minor mutant population (5% of the total population) with the reverse transcriptase M204V amino acid mutation in the presence of the major wild-type population when the overall concentration was 10 4 copies/μl. The assay could be finished within 3 h, and the cost of materials for each sample was less than $10. Clinical validation studies using three groups of samples from both nucleos(t)ide analog-treated and -untreated patients showed that the results for 99.3% (840/846) of the samples and 99.9% (8,454/8,460) of the amino acids were concordant with those of Sanger sequencing of the PCR amplicon from the HBV reverse transcriptase region (PCR Sanger sequencing). HBV DNA in six samples with mixed infections consisting of minor mutant subpopulations was undetected by the PCR Sanger sequencing method but was detected by MMCA, and the results were confirmed by coamplification at a lower denaturation temperature-PCR Sanger sequencing. Among the treated patients, 48.6% (103/212) harbored viruses that displayed lamivudine monoresistance, adefovir monoresistance, entecavir resistance, or lamivudine and adefovir resistance. Among the untreated patients, the Chinese group had more mutation-containing samples than did the Pakistani group (3.3% versus 0.56%). Because of its accuracy, rapidness, wide-range coverage, and cost-effectiveness, the real-time PCR assay could be a robust tool for the detection if anti-HBV drug resistance mutations in resource-limited countries. Copyright © 2016, American Society for

  11. Comparative cost-effectiveness of antiviral therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review of economic evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xin; Qin, Wen-Xia; Li, You-Ping; Jiang, Xu-Hua

    2007-09-01

    Economic efficiency of the alternative antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis B has not been systematically investigated and their quality remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to systematically overview economic evidence of antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis B. We searched six databases and eight major journals supplemented with screening references of eligible studies. Full economic evaluations comparing alternative antiviral therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were included. Two investigators assessed the study quality and transferability, independently. Data were analyzed qualitatively with adjustment when appropriate. Fourteen studies (six modeling vs eight trials and database analyses) were included. Quality was high in five studies, moderate in one US and five Chinese studies, and low in three Chinese studies. The major problems of quality are costing methods and analysis and the presentation of results. In Australia and Poland, lamivudine-preferred strategies dominated interferon (IFN)-alpha and its related strategy from the health-care sector perspective. In the US, adefovir salvage produced US$8446 per additional quality-adjusted life years (QALY) compared with IFN-alpha. In Spain, the cost of adefovir was US$34,840 for additional virological response. In Taiwan, the use of pegylated IFN-alpha (pegIFN-alpha) produced US$11,711.4 per additional QALY, compared with lamivudine. In China, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of combination therapy lamivudine ranged from US$2860 to US$22,160 per additional loss of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and IFN-alpha versus lamivudine ranged from US$2490 to US$8890 per additional loss of HBeAg. The cost-effectiveness frontiers of treatment alternatives vary and are influenced by the comparators and socioeconomic conditions of countries. Lamivudine-containing therapy is cost-effective when newer antiviral agents (e.g. adefovir/pegIFN-alpha) were not available

  12. Permeation enhancer dedocyl 6-(dimethylamino)hexanoate increases transdermal and topical delivery of adefovir: Influence of pH, ion-pairing and skin species

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vávrová, K.; Lorencová, K.; Novotný, J.; Holý, Antonín; Hrabálek, A.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 70, č. 3 (2008), s. 901-907 ISSN 0939-6411 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0508 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : adefovir * acyclic nucleoside phosphonates * antiviral * transdermal drug delivery * permeation enhancer Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 3.344, year: 2008

  13. 2'-Fluoro-6'-methylene carbocyclic adenosine and its phosphoramidate prodrug: A novel anti-HBV agent, active against drug-resistant HBV mutants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Uma S; Mulamoottil, Varughese A; Chu, Chung K

    2018-05-01

    Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, clinically approved nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) are very efficient in reducing the load of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with minimum side effects. However, the long-term administration of antiviral drugs promotes HBV for potential drug resistance. To overcome this problem, combination therapies are administered, but HBV progressively altered mutations remain a threat. Therefore, optimally designed NAs are urgently needed to treat drug-resistant HBV. Herein, 2'-fluoro-6'-methylene carbocyclic adenosine (FMCA) and its phosphoramidate (FMCAP) have been discovered, which may be utilized in combination therapies for curing drug-resistant chronic hepatitis B. In preclinical studies, these carbocyclic NAs demonstrated potential anti-HBV activity against adefovir, as well as lamivudine (LMV/LAM) drug-resistant mutants. In vitro, these molecules have demonstrated significant activity against LMV/entecavir (ETV) triple mutants (L180M + S202G + M204V). Also, preliminary studies of FMCA/FMCAP in chimeric mice and female Non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mouse models having the LMV/ETV triple mutant have shown a high rate of reduction of HBV DNA levels compared to ETV. In this review, we have summarized preclinical studies of FMCA and its phosphoramidate prodrug (FMCAP). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Therapeutic effects of entecavir and adefovir dipivoxil in hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with hepatogenous diabetes: a comparative analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LI Na

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of entecavir or adefovir dipivoxil as the antiviral therapy for hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with hepatogenous diabetes. MethodsA total of 80 hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with hepatogenous diabetes who visited Qingdao Hospital of Infectious Diseases were enrolled, and according to the antiviral drug they chose, they were divided into group A and group B, with 40 patients in each group. The patients in group A were treated with oral administration of entecavir 0.5 mg qd, and those in group B were treated with oral administration of adefovir dipivoxil 10 mg qd. The antiviral therapy lasted for 48 weeks. The patients in both groups were given diabetic diets and insulin to control blood glucose, as well as liver-protecting and transaminase-lowering treatments. The changes in biochemical parameters, viral response, diabetes control, and the improvement in liver stiffness after treatment were observed in both groups. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. ResultsThe viral response showed a significant difference between group A (85%, 34/40 and group B (65%, 26/40 (χ2=4.27, P<0.05. Compared with group B, group A showed significant improvements in biochemical parameters (P<0.05. After 48 weeks of treatment, group A had significantly lower levels of blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin than group B (blood glucose: 7.53±1.13 mmol/L vs 8.34±1.12 mmol/L, t=3.220, P<0.05; glycosylated hemoglobin: 7.23%±0.64% vs 7.79%±084%, t=3.354; P<0.05. After the treatment, liver stiffness showed a significant difference between group A and group B (16.86±5.67 kPa vs 19.47±5.32 kPa, t=2.123, P<0.05. ConclusionCompared with adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir can improve glycogen metabolism and blood glucose regulation through improving liver function and promoting hepatocyte repair, and

  15. Inhibition of viral replication reduces regulatory T cells and enhances the antiviral immune response in chronic hepatitis B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoop, Jeroen N.; Molen, Renate G. van der; Kuipers, Ernst J.; Kusters, Johannes G.; Janssen, Harry L.A.

    2007-01-01

    Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a key role in the impaired immune response that is typical for a chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To gain more insight in the mechanism that is responsible for this impaired immune response, the effect of viral load reduction resulting from treatment with the nucleotide analogue adefovir dipivoxil on the percentages of Treg and HBV-specific T-cell responses was analyzed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 12 patients were collected at baseline and during treatment. In parallel to the decline in viral load, we found a decline in circulating Treg, combined with an increase in HBV core antigen-specific IFN-γ production and proliferation. The production of IL10 did not decrease during therapy. In conclusion, adefovir induced viral load reduction results in a decline of circulating Treg together with a partial recovery of the immune response

  16. Drug-resistance in chronic tuberculosis cases in Southern Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nigeria has a high burden of tuberculosis but the drug resistant situationwas previously unknown. This report evaluates the firstline drug resistance and associated factors among chronic tuberculosis cases from the tuberculosis control programme in South south and South east zones ofNigeria. Descriptive study of chronic ...

  17. Peg-interferon plus nucleotide analogue treatment versus no treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B with a low viral load: a randomised controlled, open-label trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Niet, Annikki; Jansen, Louis; Stelma, Femke; Willemse, Sophie B; Kuiken, Sjoerd D; Weijer, Sebastiaan; van Nieuwkerk, Carin M J; Zaaijer, Hans L; Molenkamp, Richard; Takkenberg, R Bart; Koot, Maarten; Verheij, Joanne; Beuers, Ulrich; Reesink, Hendrik W

    2017-08-01

    Antiviral treatment is currently not recommended for patients with chronic hepatitis B with a low viral load. However, they might benefit from acquiring a functional cure (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] loss with or without formation of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen [anti-HBs]). We assessed HBsAg loss during peg-interferon-alfa-2a (peg-IFN) and nucleotide analogue combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B with a low viral load. In this randomised controlled, open-label trial, patients were enrolled from the Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam, Netherlands. Eligible patients were HBsAg positive and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative for more than 6 months, could be treatment naive or treatment experienced, and had alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations less than 5 × upper limit of normal (ULN). Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) by a computerised randomisation programme (ALEA Randomisation Service) to receive peg-IFN 180 μg/week plus adefovir 10 mg/day, peg-IFN 180 μg/week plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 245 mg/day, or no treatment for 48 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with serum HBsAg loss among those who received at least one dose of study drug or had at least one study visit (modified intention-to-treat population [mITT]). All patients have finished the initial study of 72 weeks and will be observed for up to 5 years of follow-up. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00973219. Between Aug 4, 2009, and Oct 17, 2013, 167 patients were screened for enrolment, of whom 151 were randomly assigned (52 to peg-IFN plus adefovir, 51 to peg-IFN plus tenofovir, and 48 to no treatment). 46 participants in the peg-IFN plus adefovir group, 45 in the peg-IFN plus tenofovir group, and 43 in the no treatment group began treatment or observation and were included in the mITT population. At week 72, two (4%) patients in the peg-IFN plus adefovir group and two (4

  18. The Management of Chronic Viral Hepatitis: A Canadian Consensus Conference 2004

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morris Sherman

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Several government and nongovernment organizations held a consensus conference on the management of acute and chronic viral hepatitis to update previous management recommendations. The conference became necessary because of the introduction of new forms of therapy for both hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The conference issued recommendations on the investigation and management of chronic hepatitis B, including the use of lamivudine, adefovir and interferon. The treatment of hepatitis B in several special situations was also discussed. There were also recommendations on the investigation and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis C-HIV coinfection. In addition, the document makes some recommendations about the provision of services by provincial governments to facilitate the delivery of care to patients with hepatitis virus infection. The present document is meant to be used by practitioners and other health care providers, including public health staff and others not directly involved in patient care.

  19. New approaches in the management of chronic hepatitis B: role of tenofovir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jurriën GP Reijnders

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Jurriën GP Reijnders, Harry LA JanssenDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, The NetherlandsAbstract: In the field of HIV management, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF plays a pivotal role and has been demonstrated to be a safe and well-tolerated antiviral agent. Recent data showed the efficacy of TDF in the treatment of chronically hepatitis B virus (HBV-infected patients. TDF was superior to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV in both nucleos(tide-naïve HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative HBV patients, and appeared to be one of the most potent antiviral agents so far. In addition, several reports showed that TDF was also effective in the nucleos(tide-experienced population, although conflicting results have been presented concerning patients with genotypic resistance to ADV. TDF seems to have a good resistance profile as well. The rtA194T mutation in association with lamivudine resistance may confer resistance to TDF, although both in vivo and in vitro studies regarding this mutation demonstrate conflicting results. As treatment with TDF may be associated with nephrotoxicity, all TDF-treated patients should be monitored for renal function at baseline and periodically thereafter. While the relative roles of interferon vs nucleos(tide analogues (NA as initial anti-HBV therapy remains unclear, TDF will probably become one of the key factors in HBV management both as first-choice NA for nucleos(tide-naïve patients and as rescue therapy for nucleos(tide-experienced patients.Keywords: hepatitis B, antiviral therapy, tenofovir, HBV

  20. Phase Transformation of Adefovir Dipivoxil/Succinic Acid Cocrystals Regulated by Polymeric Additives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sungyup Jung

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The polymorphic phase transformation in the cocrystallization of adefovir dipivoxil (AD and succinic acid (SUC was investigated. Inspired by biological and biomimetic crystallization, polymeric additives were utilized to control the phase transformation. With addition of poly(acrylic acid, the metastable phase newly identified through the analysis of X-ray diffraction was clearly isolated from the previously reported stable form. Without additives, mixed phases were obtained even at the early stage of cocrystallization. Also, infrared spectroscopy analysis verified the alteration of the hydrogen bonding that was mainly responsible for the cocrystal formation between AD and SUC. The hydrogen bonding in the metastable phase was relatively stronger than that in the stable form, which indicated the locally strong AD/SUC coupling in the initial stage of cocrystallization followed by the overall stabilization during the phase transformation. The stronger hydrogen bonding could be responsible for the faster nucleation of the initially observed metastable phase. The present study demonstrated that the polymeric additives could function as effective regulators for the polymorph-selective cocrystallization.

  1. Antibiotic Resistance in Human Chronic Periodontitis Microbiota

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rams, Thomas E.; Degener, John E.; van Winkelhoff, Arie J.

    Background: Patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) may yield multiple species of putative periodontal bacterial pathogens that vary in their antibiotic drug susceptibility. This study determines the occurrence of in vitro antibiotic resistance among selected subgingival periodontal pathogens in

  2. Long-term occipital nerve stimulation for drug-resistant chronic cluster headache.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leone, Massimo; Proietti Cecchini, Alberto; Messina, Giuseppe; Franzini, Angelo

    2017-07-01

    Introduction Chronic cluster headache is rare and some of these patients become drug-resistant. Occipital nerve stimulation has been successfully employed in open studies to treat chronic drug-resistant cluster headache. Data from large group of occipital nerve stimulation-treated chronic cluster headache patients with long duration follow-up are advantageous. Patients and methods Efficacy of occipital nerve stimulation has been evaluated in an experimental monocentric open-label study including 35 chronic drug-resistant cluster headache patients (mean age 42 years; 30 men; mean illness duration: 6.7 years). The primary end-point was a reduction in number of daily attacks. Results After a median follow-up of 6.1 years (range 1.6-10.7), 20 (66.7%) patients were responders (≥50% reduction in headache number per day): 12 (40%) responders showed a stable condition characterized by sporadic attacks, five responders had a 60-80% reduction in headache number per day and in the remaining three responders chronic cluster headache was transformed in episodic cluster headache. Ten (33.3%) patients were non-responders; half of these have been responders for a long period (mean 14.6 months; range 2-48 months). Battery depletion (21 patients 70%) and electrode migration (six patients - 20%) were the most frequent adverse events. Conclusions Occipital nerve stimulation efficacy is confirmed in chronic drug-resistant cluster headaches even after an exceptional long-term follow-up. Tolerance can occur years after improvement.

  3. Management of Hepatitis B: Pakistan Society for the Study of Liver Diseases (PSSLD) Practice Guidelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbas, Z.; Hamid, S.

    2010-01-01

    Pakistan remains in the intermediate prevalence area for Hepatitis B with an estimated carrier rate of 2.5%. Chronic Hepatitis B patients should be considered for treatment if Alanine transaminase (ALT) is persistently elevated in the last 6 months and HBV DNA is > 2000 IU/ml, irrespective of HBeAg status. In case of normal ALT and HBV DNA > 2000 IU/ml, treatment should only be considered if there is advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis on liver biopsy. HBV DNA positive cirrhotic patients should receive treatment irrespective of ALT status. Medicine available for the treatment of Hepatitis B in Pakistan are lamivudine, adefovir, telbivudine, entecavir, standard and pegylated interferon and thymosin. Patients who fail to achieve primary response as evidenced by < 2 log decrease in serum HBV DNA level after 6 months of nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy should have modification of treatment. Add-on adefovir therapy is indicated in those showing resistance to lamivudine or else switch to entecavir. For lamivudine-native patients who develop drug resistance while on adefovir, add-on or switching to lamivudine, telbivudine or entecavir is indicated. Treatment should be stopped in HBeAg positive patients on oral antiviral agents who sero convert (disappearance of HBeAg and appearance of anti-HBe antibody) with undetectable HBVDNA documented on two separate occasions at least 6 months apart. In HBeAg negative patients, discontinuation may be considered if undetectable HBV-DNA has been documented on three separate occasions 6 months apart although current evidence seems to support long term therapy in this group. (author)

  4. Hypophosphatemic osteomalacia and renal Fanconi syndrome induced by low-dose adefovir dipivoxil: a case report and literature review suggesting ethnic predisposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, C; Zhang, H; Qian, Y; Wang, L; Gu, X; Dai, Z

    2013-08-01

    Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is one of the commonly used antiviral agents in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Safety of a daily dose of 10 mg ADV is advocated by the registration trials. We report a case of severe hypophosphatemic osteomalacia and renal Fanconi syndrome induced by low-dose ADV in a CHB-related cirrhosis patient, and discuss the case through a thorough review of other cases reported in the literature. A 48-yr-old Chinese man with CHB-related cirrhosis developed severe progressive generalized bone pain and muscle weakness after receiving ADV 10 mg daily for 54 months. The laboratory results showed severe hypophosphatemia and features of proximal renal tubule dysfunction. Imaging studies were consistent with osteomalacia. After discontinuation of ADV, his symptoms resolved, laboratory abnormalities normalized and imaging studies showed improvement. In addition to our case, 12 other patients have been reported to have developed hypophosphatemic osteomalacia induced by low-dose ADV. Most of the reported cases were of subjects of East-Asian ethnicity. After discontinuation or reduction of ADV, serum phosphate level increased and clinical symptoms significantly improved in all cases. Hypophosphatemic osteomalacia and renal Fanconi syndrome can be associated with low-dose ADV. Clinicians treating CHB patients with ADV 10 mg daily over long periods of time should be aware of this infrequent but serious complication. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. The BCR-ABLT315I mutation compromises survival in chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia patients resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in a matched pair analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nicolini, Franck E; Ibrahim, Amr R; Soverini, Simona

    2013-01-01

    The BCR-ABL T315I mutation confers resistance to currently licensed tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myelogenous leukemia. However, the impact of this mutation on survival in early stages of disease, in chronic phase, has never been detailed. Using matched pair analysis, a cohort of 64...... patients with chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia harboring a T315I mutation and resistant to imatinib mesylate was compared to a similar cohort of 53 chronic phase patients resistant to imatinib, but with no detectable T315I mutation, in the pre-ponatinib era. These patients were matched according...... to age at diagnosis, interval between disease diagnosis and start of imatinib treatment, and duration of imatinib therapy. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses demonstrated the significant negative impact of the presence of the T315I mutation on overall survival (since imatinib-resistance: 48.4 months for T315...

  6. Evaluation of chronic kidney disease patients for insulin resistance in tertiary care hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tahir, S.; Hayat, A.; Khan, S.A.; Ahmad, T.M.; Majeed, N.

    2018-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the patients of chronic kidney disease for insulin resistance. Study Design: Cross sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the chemical pathology department of Army Medical College/Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Nov 2016 to Apr 2017. Material and Methods: Fifty patients were recruited for this study with deranged renal functions and/or having any structural renal abnormality for more than 3 months. These patients did not have any history of diabetes and dialysis. Fifty ages matched healthy individuals were included as controls. Renal function tests, lipid profile, complete blood count, fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin levels were performed in all subjects. Insulin resistance was calculated by using homeostatic model for assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results of this study were analyzed on SPSS version 23. Results: Fasting insulin levels were much higher in the patient with chronic kidney disease as compared to controls (p-value=0.001). HOMA-IR in cases was also significantly higher. Statistical comparison of lipid profile showed significant difference of only triglycerides level. Conclusion: HOMA-IR is markedly raised in the patients of chronic kidney disease. This indicates a significant association of chronic kidney disease with insulin resistance. (author)

  7. Biofilm Production in Carbapenem Resistant Isolates from Chronic Wound Infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swarna SR

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Biofilms are communities of microorganisms covered with extracellular polymeric substances. Such biofilm phenotype makes the microorganism resistant to antibiotics and plays a role in wound chronicity. This results in prolonged hospital stays in ICU, greater cost, and increased mortality. Methods: Pus swabs (59 were collected from a tertiary care hospital near Chennai were processed and identified using standard procedure followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing and identification of carbapenem resistance by Modified Hodge test as per CLSI guidelines. The biofilm formation was tested using plastic microtiter plate method. Results: Out of 59 pus swabs, 51 yielded growth with 69 isolates and 8 yielded no growth. Among the 69 isolates, 51 were GNB and 18 were GPC. Biofilm detection was noted in 84.31% (43/51 GNB isolates with 0.1% crystal violet whereas 100% (51/51 showed biofilm positive with 0.1% safranin. About 74.50% (38/51 isolates of GNB were carbapenem resistant by screening with disk diffusion method. Only 24% (6/25 of GNB isolates among Enterobacteriaceae were positive by Modified Hodge test method. Conclusion: The result shows the association of biofilm production among carbapenem resistant isolates obtained from chronic wound infections.

  8. Low-Dose Adefovir-Induced Hypophosphatemic Osteomalacia on Whole-Body Bone Scintigraphy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sung Hoon; Won, Kyoung Sook; Song, Bongil; Jo, Il; Zeon, Seok Kil [Keimyung Univ., Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-12-15

    While adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) effectively suppresses the hepatitis B virus, it can cause proximal renal tubular dysfunction leading to phosphate wasting. The safety of low-dose ADV (a dose of 10 mg/day), which does not induce clinically significant nephrotoxicity, is well recognized, but a few cases of hypophosphatemic osteomalacia (HO) caused by low-dose ADV therapy have recently been reported. Although HO induced by low-dose ADV therapy is rare, the presence of bone pain in patients treated with ADV should be monitored. Bone scintigraphy can be performed to confirm the occurrence of osteomalacia and to determine the disease extent. Bone scintigraphic and radiological image findings with a brief review of the literature are presented in this article. We report two cases of HO induced by low-dose ADV therapy that showed multifocal increased radiotracer uptakes in the bilateral bony ribs, spines, pelvic bones and lower extremities on whole-body bone scintigraphy. Bone pain gradually improved after phosphate supplementation and by changing the antiviral agent. Whole-body bone scintigraphy is a highly sensitive imaging tool and can show disease extent at once in the setting of the wide range of the clinical spectrum with nonspecific radiological findings. Furthermore, frequent involvement of the lower extremities, as a result of maximum weight bearing, could be an additional scintigraphic clue for the diagnosis of HO. These cases could be helpful for both clinicians prescribing ADV and nuclear physicians to prevent delayed diagnosis and plan further appropriate treatment.

  9. Low-Dose Adefovir-Induced Hypophosphatemic Osteomalacia on Whole-Body Bone Scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sung Hoon; Won, Kyoung Sook; Song, Bongil; Jo, Il; Zeon, Seok Kil

    2013-01-01

    While adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) effectively suppresses the hepatitis B virus, it can cause proximal renal tubular dysfunction leading to phosphate wasting. The safety of low-dose ADV (a dose of 10 mg/day), which does not induce clinically significant nephrotoxicity, is well recognized, but a few cases of hypophosphatemic osteomalacia (HO) caused by low-dose ADV therapy have recently been reported. Although HO induced by low-dose ADV therapy is rare, the presence of bone pain in patients treated with ADV should be monitored. Bone scintigraphy can be performed to confirm the occurrence of osteomalacia and to determine the disease extent. Bone scintigraphic and radiological image findings with a brief review of the literature are presented in this article. We report two cases of HO induced by low-dose ADV therapy that showed multifocal increased radiotracer uptakes in the bilateral bony ribs, spines, pelvic bones and lower extremities on whole-body bone scintigraphy. Bone pain gradually improved after phosphate supplementation and by changing the antiviral agent. Whole-body bone scintigraphy is a highly sensitive imaging tool and can show disease extent at once in the setting of the wide range of the clinical spectrum with nonspecific radiological findings. Furthermore, frequent involvement of the lower extremities, as a result of maximum weight bearing, could be an additional scintigraphic clue for the diagnosis of HO. These cases could be helpful for both clinicians prescribing ADV and nuclear physicians to prevent delayed diagnosis and plan further appropriate treatment

  10. [Optimization and assessment of a reverse hybridization system for the detection of HBV drug-resistant mutations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan-chen; Huang, Ai-long; Hu, Yuan; Hu, Jie-li; Lai, Guo-qi; Zhang, Wen-lu

    2011-12-01

    To establish a detection method for HBV drug-resistant mutations related to lamivudine, adefovir and entecavir by optimization and assessment of reverse hybridization system. 26 degenerated probes covering 10 drug-resistant hotspots of 3 drugs were synthesized and immobilized on the same positively charged nylon membrane. PCR products labeled with digoxigenin were hybridized with corresponding probes. To improve the sensitivity and specificity, 4 reaction steps of reverse hybridization were optimized including the number of labeled digoxigenin, the energy intensity of UV cross-linking, hybridization and stringency wash conditions. To prove the feasibility, the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of this system were assessed respectively. Sensitive and specific results are obtained by the optimization of the following 4 reaction steps: the primers labeled with 3 digoxigenin, energy intensity of UV cross-linking for 1500 x 0.1 mJ/cm², hybridization at 42 degrees C and stringency wash with 0.5 x SSC and 0.1% SDS solution at 44 degrees C for 30 min. In the assessment of system, the majority of probes have high specificity. The quantity of PCR product with a concentration of 10 ng/μl or above can be detected by this method. The concordant rate between reverse hybridization and direct sequencing is 93.9% in the clinical sample test. Though the specificity of several probes needs to be improved further, it is a simple, rapid and sensitive method which can detect HBV resistant mutations related to lamivudine, adefovir and entecavir simultaneously. Due to the short distance between 180 and 181, likewise 202 and 204, the sequence of the same probe covers two codon positions, and hybridization will be interfered by each other. To avoid such interference, the possible solution is that probes are designed by arranging and combining various forms of two near codons.

  11. Urinary β-2 Microglobulin Levels Sensitively Altered in an Osteomalacia Patient Receiving Add-on Adefovir Dipivoxil Therapy for Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takagi, Junko; Morita, Hiroyuki; Ito, Kiyoaki; Ohashi, Tomohiko; Hirase, Sho; Ito, Tatsuo; Morishima, Takkan; Otake, Kazuo; Yoneda, Masashi

    2016-01-01

    Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is effective for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; however, ADV may provoke renal injury resulting in osteomalacia, and this side effect is seldom recognized until bone fractures emerge. We herein present a 66-year-old woman with HBV infection who received ADV for 6 years. Although she exhibited no sign of bone fractures, her urinary β-2 microglobulin (β2MG) level increased to 83,837 μg/L and scintigraphy revealed minimal fractures of the third rib. ADV was subsequently reduced and her urinary β2MG rapidly fell to 3,637 μg/L. Conversely, her urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and serum phosphate, alkaline phosphatase levels did not respond.

  12. Endothelial activation markers (VCAM-1, vWF in patients with chronic hepatitis C and insulin resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. V. Antonova

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Blood markers of endothelial activation (sVCAM-1, vWF: Ag in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the presence of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and its components had been evaluated. The study included 69 patients with chronic hepatitis C with oligosymptomatic the disease. In one third of cases of chronic hepatitis C (33.3% showed improvement in the blood content of sVCAM-1 and / or vWF: Ag. In patients with chronic hepatitis C with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome significantly more often found signs adhesion of endothelial dysfunction (increased blood concentrations of sVCAM-1 than in patients without these disorders. Found that in patients with severe hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C blood concentration sVCAM-1 is significantly higher compared to patients with early stages of fibrosis (F0-F2, including those in patients without insulin resistance. These data suggest the multivariate development of endothelial dysfunction in chronic hepatitis C.

  13. Strength training improves fatigue resistance and self-rated health in workers with chronic pain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sundstrup, Emil; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Brandt, Mikkel

    2016-01-01

    of a randomized controlled trial investigates the effect of strength training on muscular fatigue resistance and self-rated health among workers with chronic pain. Sixty-six slaughterhouse workers with chronic upper limb pain and work disability were randomly allocated to 10 weeks of strength training or usual...... (Spearman's rho = -0.40; P = 0.01). In conclusion, specific strength training improves muscular fatigue resistance and self-rated health and reduces pain of the hand/wrist in manual workers with chronic upper limb pain. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01671267.......-rated health and pain. Time to fatigue, muscle strength, hand/wrist pain, and self-rated health improved significantly more following strength training than usual care (all P

  14. The renal arterial resistive index and stage of chronic kidney disease in patients with renal allograft

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Stine O; Thiesson, Helle C; Poulsen, Lene N

    2012-01-01

    The study investigated the optimal threshold value of renal arterial resistive index as assessed by Doppler ultrasonography determining chronic kidney disease stage 4 or higher in patients with renal allograft.......The study investigated the optimal threshold value of renal arterial resistive index as assessed by Doppler ultrasonography determining chronic kidney disease stage 4 or higher in patients with renal allograft....

  15. Molecular Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance in Chronic Kidney Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Sandhya S.; Zhang, Liping; Mitch, William E.

    2015-01-01

    Insulin resistance refers to reduced sensitivity of organs to insulin-initiated biologic processes that result in metabolic defects. Insulin resistance is common in patients with end-stage renal disease but also occurs in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), even when the serum creatinine is minimally increased. Following insulin binding to its receptor, auto-phosphorylation of the insulin receptor is followed by kinase reactions that phosphorylate insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt. In fact, low levels of Akt phosphorylation (p-Akt) identifies the presence of the insulin resistance that leads to metabolic defects in insulin-initiated metabolism of glucose, lipids and muscle proteins. Besides CKD, other complex conditions (e.g., inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic acidosis, aging and excess angiotensin II) reduce p-Akt resulting in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance in each of these conditions is due to activation of different, E3 ubiquitin ligases which specifically conjugate ubiquitin to IRS-1 marking it for degradation in the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Consequently, IRS-1 degradation suppresses insulin-induced intracellular signaling, causing insulin resistance. Understanding mechanisms of insulin resistance could lead to therapeutic strategies that improve the metabolism of patients with CKD. PMID:26444029

  16. Evaluation of chronic kidney disease in chronic heart failure: From biomarkers to arterial renal resistances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacoviello, Massimo; Leone, Marta; Antoncecchi, Valeria; Ciccone, Marco Matteo

    2015-01-01

    Chronic kidney disease and its worsening are recurring conditions in chronic heart failure (CHF) which are independently associated with poor patient outcome. The heart and kidney share many pathophysiological mechanisms which can determine dysfunction in each organ. Cardiorenal syndrome is the condition in which these two organs negatively affect each other, therefore an accurate evaluation of renal function in the clinical setting of CHF is essential. This review aims to revise the parameters currently used to evaluate renal dysfunction in CHF with particular reference to the usefulness and the limitations of biomarkers in evaluating glomerular dysfunction and tubular damage. Moreover, it is reported the possible utility of renal arterial resistance index (a parameter associated with abnormalities in renal vascular bed) for a better assesment of kidney disfunction. PMID:25610846

  17. Progression of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis in mice intravenously infected with ethambutol resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srivastava S

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Ethambutol (EMB is an important first line drug, however little information on its molecular mechanism of resistance and pathogenicity of resistant isolates is available. Present work was designed to study virulence of the EMB resistant M. tuberculosis strains and the host responses in-vivo on infection of EMB resistant M. tuberculosis using Balb/c mouse model of infection. Methods: Three groups of Balb/c mice (female, age 4-6 wk; 21 mice in each group were infected intravenously with 106 CFU of M. tuberculosis H37Rv and two EMB resistant clinical isolates. Age and sex matched control animals were mock inoculated with Middlebrook 7H9 broth alone. At 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 days post-infection three animals from each group were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and lung tissue was collected for further analysis. Results: Infection with EMB resistant M. tuberculosis led to progressive and chronic disease with significantly high bacillary load (p=0.02. Massive infiltration and exacerbated lung pathology with increased expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α was observed in lungs of mice infected with EMB resistant strains. The present study suggests that infection with EMB resistant M. tuberculosis leads to chronic infection with subsequent loss of lung function, bacterial persistence with elevated expression of TNF-α resulting in increased lung pathology. Conclusion: These findings highlight that EMB resistant M. tuberculosis regulates host immune response differentially and its pathogenicity is different from drug sensitive strains of M. tuberculosis.

  18. Clinical roundtable monograph: Emerging treatment options for TKI-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortes, Jorge; Radich, Jerald; Mauro, Michael J

    2012-10-01

    The development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that inhibit signaling of the constitutive BCR-ABL protein revolutionized the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). These agents have dramatically changed the treatment landscape for CML, shifting the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation to selected patients in the salvage setting. Four BCR-ABL TKIs are now commercially available for the treatment of CML: the first-generation TKI imatinib, and the second-generation TKIs dasatinib, nilotinib, and bosutinib. Continuous treatment with these agents induces durable responses in a high proportion of patients with chronic-phase CML. Research is focused on identifying which patients can discontinue therapy without a recurrence of disease. For the group of patients with resistance to TKIs, multiple alternative therapies are being evaluated. The third-generation TKI ponatinib is a BCR-ABL inhibitor that has demonstrated significant activity, including in patients with the TKI resistance mutation T315I. The homoharringtonine derivative omacetaxine mepesuccinate, which inhibits protein synthesis, has also demonstrated clinical activity in CML, including in patients with TKI resistance due to T315I and in patients who have TKI resistance despite no evidence of ABL mutations. It is essential that clinicians implement these new agents with care and change therapies only when appropriate in order to preserve as many options as possible for future use if needed.

  19. Osteomalacia induced by long-term low-dose adefovir dipivoxil: Clinical characteristics and genetic predictors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Zhe; He, Jin-Wei; Fu, Wen-Zhen; Zhang, Zhen-Lin

    2016-12-01

    Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) was an important cause of adult-onset hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. However, its clinical characteristics and mechanisms have not been well defined. The objective of the study was to summarize the clinical characteristics of ADV-induced osteomalacia and to explore the association between ADV-associated tubulopathy and polymorphisms in genes encoding drug transporters. Seventy-six affected patients were clinically studied. The SLC22A6 and ABCC2 genes were screened and compared with healthy people from the HapMap. Hypophosphatemia, high serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, hypouricemia, nondiabetic glycosuria, proteinuria, metabolic acidosis and high bone turnover markers were the main metabolic characteristics. Fractures and pseudofractures occurred in 39 patients. Stopping ADV administration, supplementing calcitriol and calcium was effective during the follow-up period. Single SNP analysis revealed a higher percentage of the G/A genotype at c.2934 in exon 22 of the ABCC2 gene (rs3740070) in patients than in healthy people (12% [7 of 58 patients] vs. 0% [0 of 45 patients]; P=0.017), while there was no subject with homozygosity for the A allele at c.2934. ADV can be nephrotoxic at a conventional dosage. The G/A genotype at c.2934 of the ABCC2 gene may be a predictor of patients at greater risk for developing ADV-associated tubulopathy. Larger case-control studies are needed to further verify this finding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Definition, identification and treatment of resistant hypertension in chronic kidney disease patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drexler, Yelena R; Bomback, Andrew S

    2014-07-01

    Resistant hypertension, the inability to achieve goal blood pressure despite the use of three or more appropriately dosed antihypertensive drugs (including a diuretic), remains a common clinical problem, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While the exact prevalence and prognosis of resistant hypertension in CKD patients remain unknown, resistant hypertension likely contributes significantly to increased cardiovascular risk and progression of kidney disease in this population. We review the identification and evaluation of patients with resistant hypertension, including the importance of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the identification of 'white-coat', 'masked' and 'non-dipper' hypertension, the latter of which has particular clinical and therapeutic importance in patients with resistant hypertension and CKD. We then discuss treatment strategies for resistant hypertension that target the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying resistance to treatment, including persistent volume excess, incomplete renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade and inadequate nocturnal blood pressure control. Finally, we propose a treatment algorithm for evaluation and treatment of resistant hypertension in patients with CKD. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

  1. The pulsatility index and the resistive index in renal arteries. Associations with long-term progression in chronic renal failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, L J; Petersen, J R; Talleruphuus, U

    1997-01-01

    The pulsatility index (PI) and the resistive index (RI) are used as pulsed-wave Doppler measurements of downstream renal artery resistance. PI and RI have been found to correlate with renal vascular resistance, filtration fraction and effective renal plasma flow in chronic renal failure. The aim...... of the present study was to evaluate the potential relationship between these indices and the rate of decline in renal function, as reflected by changes in different parameters of renal function in patients with chronic renal failure....

  2. Validation of the INNO-LiPA HBV DR Assay (Version 2) in Monitoring Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Patients Receiving Nucleoside Analog Treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niesters, H. G. M.; Zoulim, F.; Pichoud, C.; Buti, M.; Shapiro, F.; D'Heuvaert, N.; Celis, L.; Doutreloigne, J.; Sablon, E.

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral drug resistance mutations prevent successful outcome of treatment and lead to worsening of liver disease. Detection of its emergence permits opportune treatment with alternative drugs. Unfortunately, the use of newly approved antivirals, including adefovir

  3. Oral Fosfomycin for the Treatment of Acute and Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George G. Zhanel

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis in outpatients is commonly treated with oral fluoroquinolones; however, the worldwide dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR Escherichia coli has resulted in therapeutic failures with fluoroquinolones. We reviewed the literature regarding the use of oral fosfomycin in the treatment of acute and chronic prostatitis caused by MDR E. coli. All English-language references on PubMed from 1986 to June 2017, inclusive, were reviewed from the search “fosfomycin prostatitis.” Fosfomycin demonstrates potent in vitro activity against a variety of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli genotypes/phenotypes including ciprofloxacin-resistant, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-resistant, extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL- producing, and MDR isolates. Fosfomycin attains therapeutic concentrations (≥4 μg/g in uninflamed prostatic tissue and maintains a high prostate/plasma ratio up to 17 hours after oral administration. Oral fosfomycin’s clinical cure rates in the treatment of bacterial prostatitis caused by antimicrobial-resistant E. coli ranged from 50 to 77% with microbiological eradication rates of >50%. An oral regimen of fosfomycin tromethamine of 3 g·q 24 h for one week followed by 3 g·q 48 h for a total treatment duration of 6–12 weeks appeared to be effective. Oral fosfomycin may represent an efficacious and safe treatment for acute and chronic prostatitis caused by MDR E. coli.

  4. Antimicrobial resistance among aerobic biofilm producing bacteria isolated from chronic wounds in the tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar, Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, K; Qasim, M; Rahman, H; Khan, T A; Ahmad, I; Khan, N; Ullah, A; Basit, A; Saleha, S

    2016-08-01

    Chronic wound infections impose major medical and economic costs on health-care systems, cause significant morbidity, mortality and prolonged hospitalisation. The presence of biofilm producing bacteria in these wounds is considered as an important virulence factor that leads to chronic implications including ulceration. The undertaken study aimed to isolate and identify the biofilm aerobic bacterial pathogens from patients with chronic wound infections, and determine their antibiotics resistance profiles Method: During this study, swab specimens were collected from patients with chronic wounds at teaching hospitals of Peshawar, Pakistan between May 2013 and June 2014. The isolated aerobic bacterial pathogens were identified on the basis of standard cultural characteristics and biochemical tests. Antibiotics resistance profiles of biofilm producing bacteria against selected antibiotics were then determined. Among the chronic wound infections, diabetic foot ulcers were most common 37 (37%), followed by surgical ulcers 27 (27%). Chronic wounds were common in male patients older than 40 years. Among the total 163 isolated bacterial pathogens the most prevalent bacterial species were Pseudomonas aeruginosa 44 (27%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 26 (16%), Staphylococcus species 22 (14%) and Streptococcus spp. 21 (13%). The isolation rate of bacterial pathogens was high among patients with diabetic foot ulcers 83 (50.9%). Among bacterial isolates, 108 (66.2%) were observed as biofilm producers while 55 (33.8%) did not form biofilm in our model. The investigated biofilm producing bacterial isolates showed comparatively high resistance against tested antibiotics compared to non-biofilm producing bacterial isolates. The most effective antibiotics were amikacine and cefepime against all isolates. Increased multidrug resistance in biofilm producing bacteria associated with chronic wounds was observed in this study. Judicious use of antibiotics is needed to control the wound

  5. Bosutinib efficacy and safety in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia after imatinib resistance or intolerance : Minimum 24-month follow-up

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gambacorti-Passerini, Carlo; Brümmendorf, Tim H; Kim, Dong-Wook; Turkina, Anna G; Masszi, Tamas; Assouline, Sarit; Durrant, Simon; Kantarjian, Hagop M; Khoury, H Jean; Zaritskey, Andrey; Shen, Zhi-Xiang; Jin, Jie; Vellenga, Edo; Pasquini, Ricardo; Mathews, Vikram; Cervantes, Francisco; Besson, Nadine; Turnbull, Kathleen; Leip, Eric; Kelly, Virginia; Cortes, Jorge E

    Bosutinib is an orally active, dual Src/Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) following resistance/intolerance to prior therapy. Here, we report the data from the 2-year follow-up of a phase 1/2 open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of bosutinib

  6. Long-term safety and efficacy of dasatinib in the treatment of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients resistant or intolerant to imatinib

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shoumariyeh K

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Khalid Shoumariyeh, Nikolas von BubnoffDepartment of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Abstract: Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML has undergone dramatic changes in the last decade. Dissecting the molecular pathways that lead to the development of this disease resulted in the development of targeted therapy against the molecular driver of CML, namely the aberrantly activated tyrosine kinase BCR-ABL1. By introducing the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib to the treatment repertoire, the natural course of the disease has been dramatically altered and overall survival of patients with CML prolonged substantially. Nevertheless, a significant number of patients are primarily resistant, acquire resistance during the course of their disease, or do not tolerate the intake of imatinib due to adverse effects. Second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors were developed in an attempt to overcome these problems. Dasatinib is a potent oral kinase inhibitor that was originally developed as an Src-kinase inhibitor but exhibited promising potency against BCR-ABL1 as well. Phase I and II trials demonstrated efficacy in patients failing imatinib, and thus dasatanib was approved in 2006 for the treatment of imatinib-resistant or -intolerant patients with chronic-phase CML harboring the BCR-ABL1 fusion protein. It has since shown promising efficacy and good overall tolerability in subsequent clinical trials, including the Phase III first-line DASISION trial that led to the extension of its approval for first-line treatment of chronic-phase CML. The following review summarizes the available data on the long-term efficacy and safety of dasatinib as a second-line therapy in chronic-phase CML. Keywords: BCR-ABL1, TKI, CML-CP, second-line treatment

  7. The effects of elastic tubing-based resistance training compared with conventional resistance training in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Ercy Mara Cipulo; de Toledo-Arruda, Alessandra Choqueta; Fosco, Luciana Cristina; Bonfim, Rafaela; Bertolini, Giovana Navarro; Guarnier, Flavia Alessandra; Cecchini, Rubens; Pastre, Carlos Marcelo; Langer, Daniel; Gosselink, Rik; Ramos, Dionei

    2014-11-01

    To investigate the effects of elastic tubing training compared with conventional resistance training on the improvement of functional exercise capacity, muscle strength, fat-free mass, and systemic inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A prospective, randomized, eight-week clinical trial. The study was conducted in a university-based, outpatient, physical therapy clinic. A total of 49 patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Participants were randomly assigned to perform elastic tubing training or conventional resistance training three times per week for eight weeks. The primary outcome measure was functional exercise capacity. The secondary outcome measures were peripheral muscle strength, health-related quality of life assessed by the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRDQ), fat-free mass, and cytokine profile. After eight weeks, the mean distance covered during six minutes increased by 73 meters (±69) in the elastic tubing group and by 42 meters (±59) in the conventional group (p tubing training had a greater effect on functional exercise capacity than conventional resistance training. Both interventions were equally effective in improving muscle strength and quality of life. © The Author(s) 2014.

  8. Effect of brief daily resistance training on occupational neck/shoulder muscle activity in office workers with chronic pain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lidegaard, Mark; Jensen, Rene B; Andersen, Christoffer H

    2013-01-01

    PURPOSE: This study investigates the acute and longitudinal effects of resistance training on occupational muscle activity in office workers with chronic pain. METHODS: 30 female office workers with chronic neck and shoulder pain participated for 10 weeks in high-intensity elastic resistance...... training for 2 minutes per day (n = 15) or in control receiving weekly email-based information on general health (n = 15). Electromyography (EMG) from the splenius and upper trapezius was recorded during a normal workday. RESULTS: Adherence to training and control interventions were 86% and 89...

  9. The pulsatility index and the resistive index in renal arteries in patients with hypertension and chronic renal failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, L J; Petersen, J R; Ladefoged, S D

    1995-01-01

    The pulsatility index (PI) and the resistive index (RI) are used as pulsed-wave Doppler measurement of downstream renal artery resistance. Little information is available on their value in chronic renal failure and their correlation to parameters of renal function and haemodynamics. The aim...... was to compare PI and RI of renal arteries in healthy volunteers and in patients with hypertension and chronic renal failure, and furthermore to study the correlation of these indices to measurements of renal haemodynamics and function by standard methods in patients with renal failure and hypertension....

  10. Microbial cells can cooperate to resist high-level chronic ionizing radiation

    OpenAIRE

    Shuryak, Igor; Matrosova, Vera Y.; Gaidamakova, Elena K.; Tkavc, Rok; Grichenko, Olga; Klimenkova, Polina; Volpe, Robert P.; Daly, Michael J.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding chronic ionizing radiation (CIR) effects is of utmost importance to protecting human health and the environment. Diverse bacteria and fungi inhabiting extremely radioactive waste and disaster sites (e.g. Hanford, Chernobyl, Fukushima) represent new targets of CIR research. We show that many microorganisms can grow under intense gamma-CIR dose rates of 13–126 Gy/h, with fungi identified as a particularly CIR-resistant group of eukaryotes: among 145 phylogenetically diverse strain...

  11. Resisting Prescribed Opioids: A Qualitative Study of Decision Making in Patients Taking Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paterson, Charlotte; Ledgerwood, Kay; Arnold, Carolyn; Hogg, Malcolm; Xue, Charlie; Zheng, Zhen

    2016-04-01

    Opioids are increasingly prescribed for chronic noncancer pain across the developed world. Clinical guidelines for management of these patients focus on over-use. However, research into other types of long-term medication indicates that many patients minimize drug use whenever possible. To identify the varying influences on patients' decisions about their use of prescribed opioids and explore whether concepts of resistance and minimization of intake apply to these patients. A multiprofessional team performed a qualitative interview study using the constant-comparative method. Patient's decision making was explored in depth and with a thematic analysis utilizing a published "Model of medicine-taking." A purposive sample of 20 participants drawn from two pain clinics in Melbourne, Australia. The sample was biased toward patients interested in nonmedication pain management options. Patients' needs to obtain relief from severe pain, maintain function, and minimize side effects could lead to under-use as well as over-use of prescribed opioids. In keeping with the published Model of medicine-taking, resistance to taking opioids was a common and important influence on behavior. In the face of severe chronic pain, many participants used a variety of strategies to evaluate, avoid, reduce, self-regulate, and replace opioids. Furthermore, participants perceived a resistance to opioids within the system and among some healthcare professionals. This sometimes adversely affected their adherence. Both patients and doctors exhibit aspects of resistance to the use of prescribed opioids for chronic noncancer pain, suggesting that this shared concern could be the basis of a productive therapeutic alliance to improve communication and shared decision making. Clinical guidelines for opioids use for chronic noncancer pain focus on over-use. Our qualitative interview study found that many patients resisted and minimized the use of opioids. Using a published "Model of medicine-taking," we

  12. Pharmacological TLR4 Inhibition Protects against Acute and Chronic Fat-Induced Insulin Resistance in Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning; Liang, Hanyu; Farese, Robert V; Li, Ji; Musi, Nicolas; Hussey, Sophie E

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate whether pharmacological TLR4 inhibition protects against acute and chronic fat-induced insulin resistance in rats. For the acute experiment, rats received a TLR4 inhibitor [TAK-242 or E5564 (2x5 mg/kg i.v. bolus)] or vehicle, and an 8-h Intralipid (20%, 8.5 mg/kg/min) or saline infusion, followed by a two-step hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. For the chronic experiment, rats were subcutaneously implanted with a slow-release pellet of TAK-242 (1.5 mg/d) or placebo. Rats then received a high fat diet (HFD) or a low fat control diet (LFD) for 10 weeks, followed by a two-step insulin clamp. Acute experiment; the lipid-induced reduction (18%) in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (Rd) was attenuated by TAK-242 and E5564 (the effect of E5564 was more robust), suggesting improved peripheral insulin action. Insulin was able to suppress hepatic glucose production (HGP) in saline- but not lipid-treated rats. TAK-242, but not E5564, partially restored this effect, suggesting improved HGP. Chronic experiment; insulin-stimulated Rd was reduced ~30% by the HFD, but completely restored by TAK-242. Insulin could not suppress HGP in rats fed a HFD and TAK-242 had no effect on HGP. Pharmacological TLR4 inhibition provides partial protection against acute and chronic fat-induced insulin resistance in vivo.

  13. Differences in supraspinal and spinal excitability during various force outputs of the biceps brachii in chronic- and non-resistance trained individuals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory E P Pearcey

    Full Text Available Motor evoked potentials (MEP and cervicomedullary evoked potentials (CMEP may help determine the corticospinal adaptations underlying chronic resistance training-induced increases in voluntary force production. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of chronic resistance training on corticospinal excitability (CE of the biceps brachii during elbow flexion contractions at various intensities and the CNS site (i.e. supraspinal or spinal predominantly responsible for any training-induced differences in CE. Fifteen male subjects were divided into two groups: 1 chronic resistance-trained (RT, (n = 8 and 2 non-RT, (n = 7. Each group performed four sets of ∼5 s elbow flexion contractions of the dominant arm at 10 target forces (from 10%-100% MVC. During each contraction, subjects received 1 transcranial magnetic stimulation, 2 transmastoid electrical stimulation and 3 brachial plexus electrical stimulation, to determine MEP, CMEP and compound muscle action potential (Mmax amplitudes, respectively, of the biceps brachii. All MEP and CMEP amplitudes were normalized to Mmax. MEP amplitudes were similar in both groups up to 50% MVC, however, beyond 50% MVC, MEP amplitudes were lower in the chronic RT group (p<0.05. CMEP amplitudes recorded from 10-100% MVC were similar for both groups. The ratio of MEP amplitude/absolute force and CMEP amplitude/absolute force were reduced (p<0.012 at all contraction intensities from 10-100% MVC in the chronic-RT compared to the non-RT group. In conclusion, chronic resistance training alters supraspinal and spinal excitability. However, adaptations in the spinal cord (i.e. motoneurone seem to have a greater influence on the altered CE.

  14. Chronic hepatitis C infection is associated with insulin resistance and lipid profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Chia-Yen; Yeh, Ming-Lun; Huang, Chung-Feng; Hou, Chen-Hsiu; Hsieh, Ming-Yen; Huang, Jee-Fu; Lin, I-Ling; Lin, Zu-Yau; Chen, Shinn-Chern; Wang, Liang-Yen; Chuang, Wan-Long; Yu, Ming-Lung; Tung, Hung-Da

    2015-05-01

    Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been suggested to be associated with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and lipid profiles. This study aimed to investigate the possible relationships of insulin resistance (IR) and lipid profiles with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients in Taiwan. We enrolled 160 hospital-based CHC patients with liver biopsy and the 480 controlled individuals without CHC and chronic hepatitis B from communities without known history of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), alanine aminotransferase, and serum insulin levels, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) were tested. When comparing factors between CHC patients, and sex- and age-matched controls who had no HCV infection, patients with HCV infection had a significantly higher alanine aminotransferase level, fasting plasma glucose level, insulin level, and HOMA-IR (P C and LDL-C levels (all P  2.5]), a high body mass index, TGs, and HCV RNA level are independent factors significantly associated with high HOMA-IR in multivariate logistic analyses. Chronic HCV infection was associated with metabolic characteristics including IR and lipid profile. IR was also associated with virological characteristics. © 2013 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  15. A proposed clinical approach to chronic and "resistant" depressions: evaluation and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akiskal, H S

    1985-10-01

    Many patients referred to specialized affective disorder units in the 1970s because of chronicity, treatment resistance, or treatment failure were found to have been inadequately treated--most typically with suboptimal trials of one to two tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). In the 1980s, patients are being declared "treatment failures" following a more sophisticated range of treatment efforts. In part, the change can be attributed to systematic feedback provided by mood clinics to referring clinicians and to nationwide educational efforts. Terminologic and conceptual issues are reviewed, and chronicity and treatment failure in patients with affective disorders are examined from a multifactorial perspective involving pharmacokinetic factors, patient compliance, adequacy of somatic treatments, physician countertransference, social and interpersonal aspects, nosologic considerations, and medical-neurologic contributions. A systematic approach for evaluating and treating such patients is outlined.

  16. Sensitive detection of pre-existing BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations in CD34+ cells of newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients is associated with imatinib resistance: implications in the post-imatinib era.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zafar Iqbal

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations are infrequently detected in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML patients. Recent studies indicate the presence of pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations in a higher percentage of CML patients when CD34+ stem/progenitor cells are investigated using sensitive techniques, and these mutations are associated with imatinib resistance and disease progression. However, such studies were limited to smaller number of patients. METHODS: We investigated BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations in CD34+ cells from 100 chronic-phase CML patients by multiplex allele-specific PCR and sequencing at diagnosis. Mutations were re-investigated upon manifestation of imatinib resistance using allele-specific PCR and direct sequencing of BCR-ABL kinase domain. RESULTS: Pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations were detected in 32/100 patients and included F311L, M351T, and T315I. After a median follow-up of 30 months (range 8-48, all patients with pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations exhibited imatinib resistance. Of the 68 patients without pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations, 24 developed imatinib resistance; allele-specific PCR and BCR-ABL kinase domain sequencing detected mutations in 22 of these patients. All 32 patients with pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations had the same mutations after manifestation of imatinib-resistance. In imatinib-resistant patients without pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations, we detected F311L, M351T, Y253F, and T315I mutations. All imatinib-resistant patients except T315I and Y253F mutations responded to imatinib dose escalation. CONCLUSION: Pre-existing BCR-ABL mutations can be detected in a substantial number of chronic-phase CML patients by sensitive allele-specific PCR technique using CD34+ cells. These mutations are associated with imatinib resistance if affecting drug binding directly or indirectly. After the recent approval of nilotinib, dasatinib, bosutinib and ponatinib for treatment of chronic myeloid

  17. Antifungal Effects of Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated Fluconazole against Fluconazole Resistant Strains of Candida albicans Isolated From Patients with Chronic Vulvovaginitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrdad Memarian

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: A number of women with volvuvaginal candidiasis suffer from certain chronic and recurrent types of this infection that affect their quality of life. Meanwhile, increased use of antifungal drugs, especially azoles, for treatment of chronic candidiasis is an important factor for incidence of drug resistance in Candida isolates from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis. The aim of this study was to investigate anticandidal effects of gold nanoparticles conjugated fluconazole to develop better drugs for treatment of patients with candidal vaginitis, especially its chronic type. Methods: After collection of 300 vaginal swab specimens and culture and isolation of primary colonies and determination of Candida species, fluconazole resistant strains of Candida albicans were detected using disc diffusion. Finally, antifungal effects of gold nanoparticles conjugated fluconazole and fluconazole were compared by broth microdilution. Results: Only one fluconazole resistant strain of C. albicans was isolated from patients (MIC=64µg/ml. The results obtained from drug susceptibility test showed that this strain was sensitive to gold nanoparticles conjugated fluconazole (MIC=2µg/ml. Conclusion: Given the optimal anticandidal effects of gold nanoparticles conjugated fluconazole on resistant strains of C. albicans, a suitable compound with great anticandidal properties may be achieved in the future.

  18. Hepatic Insulin Resistance Following Chronic Activation of the CREB Coactivator CRTC2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hogan, Meghan F; Ravnskjaer, Kim; Matsumura, Shigenobu

    2015-01-01

    and dephosphorylation of the cAMP regulated CREB coactivators CRTC2 and CRTC3. In parallel, decreases in circulating insulin also increase gluconeogenic gene expression via the de-phosphorylation and activation of the forkhead transcription factor FOXO1. Hepatic gluconeogenesis is increased in insulin resistance where...... increased gluconeogenic gene expression under fasting as well as feeding conditions. Circulating glucose concentrations were constitutively elevated in CRTC2S171,275A expressing mice, leading to compensatory increases in circulating insulin concentrations that enhance FOXO1 phosphorylation. Despite...... accompanying decreases in FOXO1 activity, hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression remained elevated in CRTC2S171,275A mice demonstrating that chronic increases in CRTC2 activity in the liver are indeed sufficient to promote hepatic insulin resistance and to disrupt glucose homeostasis....

  19. Insulin resistance and liver steatosis in chronic hepatitis C infection genotype 3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abenavoli, Ludovico; Masarone, Mario; Peta, Valentina; Milic, Natasa; Kobyliak, Nazarii; Rouabhia, Samir; Persico, Marcello

    2014-11-07

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common chronic liver disease worldwide. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance (IR) are the major determinants of fibrosis progression and response to antiviral therapy. The pathogenetic link between IR and chronic HCV infection is complex, and is associated with HCV genotype. Liver steatosis is the most common in the patients infected with genotype 3 virus, possibly due to direct effects of genotype 3 viral proteins. To the contrary, hepatic steatosis in the patients infected with other genotypes is thought to be mostly due to the changes in host metabolism, involving IR. In HCV genotype 3, liver steatosis correlates with viral load, reverts after reaching the sustained virologic response and reoccurs in the relapsers. A therapeutic strategy to improve IR and liver steatosis and subsequently the response to antiviral treatment in these patients is warranted.

  20. Chronic airflow obstruction after successful treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony L. Byrne

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Cross-sectional studies reveal an association between tuberculosis (TB and chronic airflow obstruction, but cannot adequately address confounding. We hypothesised that treated pulmonary TB is an independent risk factor for chronic airflow obstruction. The Pulmones Post TB cohort study enrolled participants from Lima, Peru, aged 10–70 years with a history of drug-susceptible (DS- or multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB who had completed treatment and were clinically cured. Unexposed participants without TB were randomly selected from the same districts. We assessed respiratory symptoms, relevant environmental exposures, and spirometric lung function pre- and post-bronchodilator. In total, 144 participants with DS-TB, 33 with MDR-TB and 161 unexposed participants were fully evaluated. Compared with unexposed participants, MDR-TB patients had lower lung volumes (adjusted mean difference in forced vital capacity −370 mL, 95% CI −644– −97 and post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction (adjusted OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.27–18.78. Participants who had recovered from DS-TB did not have lower lung volumes than unexposed participants, but were more likely to have a reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio <0.70 (adjusted OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.01–6.03. Individuals successfully treated for TB may experience long-lasting sequelae. Interventions facilitating earlier TB treatment and management of chronic respiratory disease should be explored.

  1. Effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise on central arterial stiffness and gait velocity in patients with chronic poststroke hemiparesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yong Hee; Park, Soo Hyun; Yoon, Eun Sun; Lee, Chong-Do; Wee, Sang Ouk; Fernhall, Bo; Jae, Sae Young

    2015-09-01

    The effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on central arterial stiffness and gait velocity in patients with chronic poststroke hemiparesis were investigated. Twenty-six patients with chronic poststroke hemiparesis were randomly assigned to either the combined aerobic and resistance exercise group (n = 14) or the control group (n = 12). The exercise intervention group received a combined aerobic and resistance exercise training (1 hr/day, three times/week for 16 wks), whereas the control group received usual care. Central arterial stiffness was determined by pulse wave velocity and augmentation index. Gait velocity was assessed using the 6-min walk test, 10-m walk test, and the Timed Up-and-Go test. Patients in the exercise intervention group had greater improvement of mean pulse wave velocity (P hemiparesis.

  2. Study of prevalence and effects of insulin resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amer, A F; Baddour, M M; Elshazly, M A; Fadally, G; Hanafi, N F; Assar, S L

    2016-02-01

    There is strong epidemiological evidence linking hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and diabetes. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of insulin resistance in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV genotype 4 infection, to assess factors associated with insulin resistance and to test the impact of insulin resistance on outcomes of treatment with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. Insulin resistance [homeostasis model assessmentinsulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score > 3.0] was detected in 31 of 100 nondiabetic patients. The relationship between elevated HOMA-IR and baseline viral load and degree of fibrosis was statistically significant (r = 0.218 and r = 0.223). Follow-up of patients with complete early virological response until the end of treatment showed a statistically significant decrease in HOMA-IR score. Out of 29 liver tissue sections examined, 14 had a low level of expression of insulin receptor type 1 by immunohistochemical studies. This study confirms that insulin resistance affects treatment outcome, and thus HOMA-IR testing before initiation of therapy may be a cost-effective tool.

  3. A Simple and Specific Stability- Indicating RP-HPLC Method for Routine Assay of Adefovir Dipivoxil in Bulk and Tablet Dosage Form.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darsazan, Bahar; Shafaati, Alireza; Mortazavi, Seyed Alireza; Zarghi, Afshin

    2017-01-01

    A simple and reliable stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for analysis of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV).The chromatographic separation was performed on a C 18 column using a mixture of acetonitrile-citrate buffer (10 mM at pH 5.2) 36:64 (%v/v) as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Detection was carried out at 260 nm and a sharp peak was obtained for ADV at a retention time of 5.8 ± 0.01 min. No interferences were observed from its stress degradation products. The method was validated according to the international guidelines. Linear regression analysis of data for the calibration plot showed a linear relationship between peak area and concentration over the range of 0.5-16 μg/mL; the regression coefficient was 0.9999and the linear regression equation was y = 24844x-2941.3. The detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits were 0.12 and 0.35 μg/mL, respectively. The results proved the method was fast (analysis time less than 7 min), precise, reproducible, and accurate for analysis of ADV over a wide range of concentration. The proposed specific method was used for routine quantification of ADV in pharmaceutical bulk and a tablet dosage form.

  4. Low Prevalence of Insulin Resistance among Iranian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Case-Control Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eshraghian, Kavous; Lankarani, Kamran B; Fattahi, Mohammad Reza; Esmailnejad, Atefeh; Peymani, Payam

    2017-07-14

    Association between chronic hepatitis C virus (CHC) infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus has been challenging in recent decades. Despite of extensive research in this area, there is no general agreement on the direct effect of HCV infection on insulin resistance. The study was performed in 52 CHC patients (mean age = 39.48) and 52 and sex‑matched healthy Iranian controls, referred to the Hepatitis Clinic, Department of Gastroenterohepatology, Shiraz University of medical sciences, Shiraz, Iran, from 2012 to 2015. Fasting blood glucose level, fasting insulin level and insulin resistance defined as a homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index were determined and compared between two groups. Insulin resistance was present in 26.9% of CHC patients and 34.62% of healthy controls. Mean HOMA index was 1.93 in patients and 2.18 in controls. There were no statistically significant differences between patient and control groups with regard to fasting insulin level, fasting blood glucose, HOMA index and insulin resistance. HOMA index and fasting insulin level were significantly higher in IR CHC patients relative to IR controls. Fasting blood glucose was also significantly higher in controls younger than 40 years. Results obtained in this study showed that chronic hepatitis C cannot be considered as a risk factor for insulin resistance and diabetes in Iranian population. However, regular screening for insulin resistance is recommended in CHC patients with age ≥ 40 years and fasting blood glucose ≥ 100 mg/dl. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  5. Insulin resistance, adipokine profile and hepatic expression of SOCS-3 gene in chronic hepatitis C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wójcik, Kamila; Jabłonowska, Elżbieta; Omulecka, Aleksandra; Piekarska, Anna

    2014-08-14

    To analyze adipokine concentrations, insulin resistance and hepatic expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3) in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 with normal body weight, glucose and lipid profile. The study group consisted of 31 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 9 healthy subjects. Total levels of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, visfatin, omentin, osteopontin and insulin were measured using an ELISA kit. The hepatic expression of SOCS-3 was determined by the use of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method. Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were significantly higher in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients without metabolic disorders compared to healthy controls (2.24 vs 0.59, P = 0.0003). Hepatic steatosis was observed in 32.2% of patients with HCV infection and was found in patients with increased HOMA-IR index (2.81 vs 1.99, P = 0.05) and reduced adiponectin level (5.96 vs 8.37, P = 0.04). Inflammatory activity (G ≥ 2) was related to increased osteopontin concentration (34.04 vs 23.35, P = 0.03). Advanced liver fibrosis (S ≥ 2) was associated with increased levels of omentin and osteopontin (436.94 vs 360.09, P = 0.03 and 32.84 vs 20.29, P = 0.03) and reduced resistin concentration (1.40 vs 1.74, P = 0.047). No correlations were reported between adipokine profile, HOMA-IR values and hepatic expression of the SOCS-3 gene. We speculated that no relationship between adipokines and HOMA-IR values may indicate that HCV can induce insulin resistance itself. Some adipokines appear to be biochemical markers of steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis in patients with chronic HCV infection. © 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) Ameliorates Chronic Alcohol Ingestion-Induced Myocardial Insulin Resistance and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Shi-Yan; Gilbert, Sara A.B.; Li, Qun; Ren, Jun

    2009-01-01

    Chronic alcohol intake leads to insulin resistance and alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which appears to be a result of the complex interaction between genes and environment. This study was designed to examine the impact of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) transgenic overexpression on alcohol-induced insulin resistance and myocardial injury. ALDH2 transgenic mice were produced using chicken β-actin promoter. Wild-type FVB and ALDH2 mice were fed a 4% alcohol or control diet for 12 wks. Cell shorteni...

  7. Renal resistive index and mortality in chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toledo, Clarisse; Thomas, George; Schold, Jesse D; Arrigain, Susana; Gornik, Heather L; Nally, Joseph V; Navaneethan, Sankar D

    2015-08-01

    Renal resistive index (RRI) measured by Doppler ultrasonography is associated with cardiovascular events and mortality in hypertensive, diabetic, and elderly patients. We studied the factors associated with high RRI (≥0.70) and its associations with mortality in chronic kidney disease patients without renal artery stenosis. We included 1962 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 15 to 59 mL/min per 1.73 m(2) who also had RRI measured (January 1, 2005, to October 2011) from an existing chronic kidney disease registry. Participants with renal artery stenosis (60%-99% or renal artery occlusion) were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to study factors associated with high RRI (≥0.70), and its association with mortality was studied using Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards model. Hypertension was prevalent in >90% of the patients. In the multivariable logistic regression, older age, female sex, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, higher systolic blood pressure, and the use of β blockers were associated with higher odds of having RRI≥0.70. During a median follow-up of 2.2 years, 428 patients died. After adjusting for covariates, RRI≥0.70 was associated with increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.65; Pchronic kidney disease. Noncardiovascular/non-malignancy-related deaths were higher in those with RRI≥0.70. RRI≥0.70 is associated with higher mortality in hypertensive chronic kidney disease patients without clinically significant renal artery stenosis after accounting for other significant risk factors. Its evaluation may allow early identification of those who are at risk thereby potentially preventing or delaying adverse outcomes. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

  8. An economic analysis of high-dose imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib for imatinib-resistant chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia in China: A CHEERS-compliant article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Bin; Liu, Maobai; Li, Te; Lin, Houwen; Zhong, Hua

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the study was to test the cost-effectiveness of dasatinib compared to high-dose imatinib and nilotinib in Chinese patients who were diagnosed with imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase (CML-CP). A Markov model combined with clinical effectiveness, utility, and cost data was used. The sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the robustness of the model outcomes. The impact of patient assistance programs (PAPs) was assessed. Treatment with dasatinib is expected to produce 3.65, 0.59, and 0.15 more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in comparison with high-dose imatinib (600 and 800 mg) and nilotinib, respectively. When a PAP was available, dasatinib yielded an incremental cost of $16,417 per QALY compared to imatinib (600 mg) and was cost-saving compared to imatinib (800 mg) and nilotinib. When PAP is available in the Chinese setting, dasatinib is likely to be a cost-effective strategy for patients with CML-CP standard-dose imatinib resistance. The results should be carefully explained due to the assumptions and limitations used in the study.

  9. The association between insulin resistance and hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C: an observational, multicenter study in Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dökmeci, Abdulkadir; Ustündağ, Yücel; Hulagu, Saadettin; Tuncer, Ilyas; Akdoğan, Meral; Demirsoy, Hüseyin; Köklü, Seyfettin; Güzelbulut, Fatih; Doğan, Ibrahim; Demir, Ali; Akarsu, Mesut; Yüceyar, Hakan; Ozdoğan, Osman Cavit; Ozdener, Fatih; Erdoğan, Seda

    2014-10-01

    To evaluate the association between insulin resistance and hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. A total of 104 chronic hepatitis C patients were included in this non-interventional, open-label, observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted at 20 gastroenterology clinics in Turkey. The primary end point was the correlation between stage of hepatic fibrosis and insulin resistance evaluated via the homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance index. Confounders of hepatic fibrosis and insulin resistance were the secondary end points. The mean age of patients was 52.8 years; 65.4% were female. Type 2 diabetes was present in 6.8% and insulin resistance noted in 38.0% of patients. Further, 45.7% of the patients had mild (A0/A1) and the remaining had moderate/severe (A2/A3) hepatic necroinflammatory activity. Patient distribution according to Metavir fibrosis stage was as follows: F0/F1 (57.0%); F2 (6.5%); F3 (23.7%); and F4 (12.9%). A univariate analysis revealed significant positive correlations between Metavir fibrosis stage and insulin resistance (r=0.297; p=0.007). Logistic regression analysis showed that significant predictors of insulin resistance were high alanine transaminase levels (odds ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.944-0.997) and liver fibrosis stage (odds ratio, 0.114; 95% confidence interval, 0.021-0.607). Our findings revealed significant associations between insulin resistance and hepatic fibrosis.

  10. Lamivudine resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis B: role of clinical and virological factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Alexander J V; Ayres, Anna; Yuen, Lilly; Bartholomeusz, Angeline; Bowden, D Scott; Iser, David M; Chen, Robert Y M; Demediuk, Barbara; Shaw, Gideon; Bell, Sally J; Watson, Katrina J R; Locarnini, Stephen A; Desmond, Paul V

    2007-07-01

    Lamivudine resistance is associated with long-term monotherapy for chronic hepatitis B and can lead to potentially serious clinical consequences. Scant information exists regarding the influence of hepatitis B virus variants in the development of resistance. The present study was designed to identify factors predictive of lamivudine resistance, with a particular focus on the role of precore and basal core promoter variants in the setting of hepatitis B e antigen-negative disease. Eighty-five patients, representing four major genotypes, were followed prospectively on lamivudine therapy. Resistance was defined as an increase in viral load, with polymerase gene sequencing confirming a lamivudine resistance mutation. Median follow up was 19 months (6-54 months). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine variables independently predicting for the early onset of lamivudine resistance. The rate of lamivudine resistance was 6%, 31% and 51% at 12, 24 and 48 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified the precore variant, high baseline alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and persistent viremia (at 6 months) as independent predictors of the early development of lamivudine resistance, with rate ratios of 4.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32-18.5), 1.22 (95%CI: 1.08-1.49), and 4.73 (95%CI: 1.49-15.0), respectively (P < 0.05). Female sex predicted early resistance (rate ratio 5.27 [95%CI: 1.23-22.5, P < 0.05]) although numbers were small (n = 12). Genotype did not influence treatment response nor time to onset of resistance. Patients with precore variant hepatitis B virus are likely to develop lamivudine resistance early and should be considered for alternate first-line monotherapy. In the future, combination antiviral therapy may limit the development of resistance.

  11. Detection of antibiotic resistance genes in samples from acute and chronic endodontic infections and after treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rôças, Isabela N; Siqueira, José F

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of this study was twofold: survey samples from acute and chronic endodontic infections for the presence of genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams, tetracycline and erythromycin, and evaluate the ability of treatment to eliminate these genes from root canals. DNA extracts from samples of abscess aspirates (n=25) and root canals of teeth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis (n=24) were used as template for direct detection of the genes blaTEM, cfxA, tetM, tetQ, tetW, and ermC using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Bacterial presence was determined using PCR with universal bacterial primers. Root canals of the asymptomatic cases were also sampled and evaluated after chemomechanical procedures using NiTi instruments with 2.5% NaOCl irrigation. All abscess and initial root canal samples were positive for bacteria. At least one of the target resistance genes was found in 36% of the abscess samples and 67% of the asymptomatic cases. The most prevalent genes in abscesses were blaTEM (24%) and ermC (24%), while tetM (42%) and tetW (29%) prevailed in asymptomatic cases. The blaTEM gene was significantly associated with acute cases (p=0.02). Conversely, tetM was significantly more prevalent in asymptomatic cases (p=0.008). Treatment eliminated resistance genes from most cases. Acute and chronic endodontic infections harboured resistance genes for 3 classes of widely used antibiotics. In most cases, treatment was effective in eliminating these genes, but there were a few cases in which they persisted. The implications of persistence are unknown. Direct detection of resistance genes in abscesses may be a potential method for rapid diagnosis and establishment of proactive antimicrobial therapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Nilotinib: optimal therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and resistance or intolerance to imatinib

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronan Swords

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Ronan Swords, Devalingam Mahalingam, Swaminathan Padmanabhan, Jennifer Carew, Francis GilesInstitute for Drug Development, Cancer Therapy and Research Centre, University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio, USAAbstract: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML is the consequence of a single balanced translocation that produces the BCR-ABL fusion oncogene which is detectable in over 90% of patients at presentation. The BCR-ABL inhibitor imatinib mesylate (IM has improved survival in all phases of CML and is the standard of care for newly diagnosed patients in chronic phase. Despite the very significant therapeutic benefits of IM, a small minority of patients with early stage disease do not benefit optimally while IM therapy in patients with advanced disease is of modest benefit in many. Diverse mechanisms may be responsible for IM failures, with point mutations within the Bcr-Abl kinase domain being amongst the most common resistance mechanisms described in patients with advanced CML. The development of novel agents designed to overcome IM resistance, while still primarily targeted on BCR-ABL, led to the creation of the high affinity aminopyrimidine inhibitor, nilotinib. Nilotinib is much more potent as a BCR-ABL inhibitor than IM and inhibits both wild type and IM-resistant BCR-ABL with significant clinical activity across the entire spectrum of BCR-ABL mutants with the exception of T315I. The selection of a second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor to rescue patients with imatinib failure will be based on several factors including age, co-morbid medical problems and ABL kinase mutational profile. It should be noted that while the use of targeted BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors in CML represents a paradigm shift in CML management these agents are not likely to have activity against the quiescent CML stem cell pool. The purpose of this review is to summarize the pre-clinical and clinical data on nilotinib in patients with CML who have failed prior

  13. Resistance training and aerobic training improve muscle strength and aerobic capacity in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markvardsen, Lars H; Overgaard, Kristian; Heje, Karen; Sindrup, Søren H; Christiansen, Ingelise; Vissing, John; Andersen, Henning

    2018-01-01

    We investigated the effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Eighteen CIDP patients treated with subcutaneous immunoglobulin performed 12 weeks of aerobic exercise and 12 weeks of resistance exercise after a run-in period of 12 weeks without exercise. Three times weekly the participants performed aerobic exercise on an ergometer bike or resistance exercise with unilateral training of knee and elbow flexion/extension. Primary outcomes were maximal oxygen consumption velocity (VO 2 -max) and maximal combined isokinetic muscle strength (cIKS) of knee and elbow flexion/extension. VO 2 -max and muscle strength were unchanged during run-in (-4.9% ± 10.3%, P = 0.80 and -3.7% ± 10.1%, P = 0.17, respectively). Aerobic exercise increased VO 2 -max by 11.0% ± 14.7% (P = 0.02). Resistance exercise resulted in an increase of 13.8% ± 16.0% (P = 0.0004) in cIKS. Aerobic exercise training and resistance exercise training improve fitness and strength in CIDP patients. Muscle Nerve 57: 70-76, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. The presence of plasmid-mediated resistance genes among uropathogenes isolated from diabetic and non-diabetic patients with chronic pyelonephritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.I. Chub

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Increased multidrug resistance of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs compromises the efficacy of treatment of urinary tract infections. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of ESBL-producing uropathogens from patients with chronic pyelonephritis (CP and to evaluate the risk factors of these types of infections. Screening for the presence of plasmid-mediated ESBL was performed by polymerase chain reaction. Out of 105 patients, 22 (20.9% revealed strains with resistance genes: 11 (36.7%, 11 (36.7% and 8 (26.7% were identified to carry bla(TEM, bla(SHV and bla(CTX-M beta-lactamase genes, respectively. We have demonstrated that prevalence of the resistance among patients with CP combined with type 2 DM was 31.3%, while among patients with CP without type 2 DM was 27.4%; however the difference between these groups was not significant. The main factors related with appearance of plasmid-mediated resistance genes were age range above 55 years, Chronic Kidney Disease stage ІІІ and ІV, in-patient treatment history, history of using antibiotics last year. Isolation and detection of ESBL-producing strains are essential fоr the sеlection оf the mоst effеctive antibiоtic for the empiric trеatment.

  15. The probability of resistant hypertension during dental treatment of chronic kidney disease patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chidambaram, R.

    2017-01-01

    Oral rehabilitation in medically compromised patients like chronic kidney disease (CKD) needs special dental care. Many papers have been published on dental considerations for such individuals. However, literature citing oral care for patients with risk factors of CKD are scarce. Resistant hypertension, one such risk factor, is closely related to CKD. Furthermore, the associated increased prevalence and adverse renal/cardiac outcomes motivated the author to report its unexplored association/impact during dental care. The importance of assessing glomerular filtration rate is highlighted to better understand patients' medical conditions. (author)

  16. Trends in Hepatitis B Virus Resistance to Nucleoside/Nucleotide Analogs in North China from 2009 to 2016: A Retrospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xianghua; Wu, Jushan; Wei, Feili; Ouyang, Yabo; Li, Qing; Liu, Kai; Wang, Yanjun; Zhang, Yulin; Chen, Dexi

    2018-04-11

    Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) are widely used in anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy for effective inhibition of HBV replication. However, HBV resistance to NAs has emerged, resulting in virus reactivation and disease recurrence. Big data on the current dynamic of HBV resistance profiles are still rare in China. Herein, we analyzed 4,491 plasma samples with HBV primary genotypic resistance mutations representative of the general HBV resistance situation in northern China from 2009 to 2016. We found that entecavir (ETV), representing 52.8% of 12,713 NAs users in the North of China in 2016, has become the major NA for treating Chinese patients infected with HBV. Despite more than 50% of M204I/V±L180M among all HBV resistance cases annually and extensive exposure of the patients to lamivudine (LAM), telbivudine (LdT), and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV), ETV resistance also showed dramatically increased incidence, which climbed to 17.1% in 2016. Moreover, A181T/V, ETV-resistant mutations, and multidrug-resistant mutations were found more frequently in HBV genotype C than in HBV genotype B, 21.2% vs. 8.5%, 12.5% vs. 7.9%, and 5.9% vs. 3%, respectively, whereas M204I and N236T were more predominant in genotype B than in genotype C, 40.3% vs. 20.8%, and 11.3% vs. 1.8%, respectively. In conclusion, we have reported dynamic changes of HBV NA-resistance mutation patterns and the current NA usage profile for anti-HBV treatment in North China in the past 8 years. Our data provides valuable information on HBV NA resistance that is an important reference for clinics to devise more effective treatment regimens for individual patients. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Comparison of the effectiveness of resistance training in women with chronic computer-related neck pain: a randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiao; Lin, Caina; Liu, Cuicui; Ke, Songjian; Wan, Qing; Luo, Haijie; Huang, Zhuxi; Xin, Wenjun; Ma, Chao; Wu, Shaoling

    2017-10-01

    Chronic computer-related neck pain is common among office workers. Studies have proposed neck strengthening exercise as a therapy to pain relieving and function improvement. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of different loading resistance trainings and we hypothesized that women with work-related neck pain could benefit more from progressive resistance training for pain and function recovery. A randomized controlled trial was conducted and subjects characterized by monotonous jobs were recruited. One hundred and nine employed women with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated into three groups, namely, progressive resistance training (PRT), fixed resistance training (FRT), and control group (CG). In PRT and FRT, four exercises for neck muscles with an elastic rubber band were performed on regular basis for 6 weeks. The therapeutic effectiveness was then evaluated at pretreatment, 2, 4, and 6 weeks during training period, and 3-month posttreatment. Assessment tools included visual analog scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and maximal isometric neck strength. The outcomes were significantly better in PRT and FRT than those in CG at 6-week timepoint and 3-month follow-up (p = 0.000), in terms of VAS, NDI, PPT, and neck muscle strength. Besides, there were statistically significant decreases observed in VAS scores of PRT group compared with those in FRT at 4-, 6-week timepoints, and 3-month follow-up (p training was an effective method for pain relieving, mobility improving, pain threshold, and neck muscle strength enhancing in women with chronic computer-related neck pain. Thus, our study provided evidence that women with work-related neck pain might benefit more from PRT, which may have important implications for future clinical practice. The study was qualified and registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry as ChiCTR-TRC-12002723.

  18. Insulin resistance and protein energy metabolism in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siew, Edward D; Ikizler, Talat Alp

    2010-01-01

    Insulin resistance (IR), the reciprocal of insulin sensitivity is a known complication of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with a number of metabolic derangements. The complex metabolic abnormalities observed in CKD such as vitamin D deficiency, obesity, metabolic acidosis, inflammation, and accumulation of "uremic toxins" are believed to contribute to the etiology of IR and acquired defects in the insulin-receptor signaling pathway in this patient population. Only a few investigations have explored the validity of commonly used assessment methods in comparison to gold standard hyperinsulinemic hyperglycemic clamp technique in CKD patients. An important consequence of insulin resistance is its role in the pathogenesis of protein energy wasting, a state of metabolic derangement characterized by loss of somatic and visceral protein stores not entirely accounted for by inadequate nutrient intake. In the general population, insulin resistance has been associated with accelerated protein catabolism. Among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, enhanced muscle protein breakdown has been observed in patients with Type II diabetes compared to ESRD patients without diabetes. In the absence of diabetes mellitus (DM) or severe obesity, insulin resistance is detectable in dialysis patients and strongly associated with increased muscle protein breakdown, primarily mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Recent epidemiological data indicate a survival advantage and better nutritional status in insulin-free Type II DM patients treated with insulin sensitizer thiazolidinediones. Given the high prevalence of protein energy wasting in ESRD and its unequivocal association with adverse clinical outcomes, insulin resistance may represent an important modifiable target for intervention in the ESRD population.

  19. Obesity-induced DNA released from adipocytes stimulates chronic adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimoto, Sachiko; Fukuda, Daiju; Higashikuni, Yasutomi; Tanaka, Kimie; Hirata, Yoichiro; Murata, Chie; Kim-Kaneyama, Joo-Ri; Sato, Fukiko; Bando, Masahiro; Yagi, Shusuke; Soeki, Takeshi; Hayashi, Tetsuya; Imoto, Issei; Sakaue, Hiroshi; Shimabukuro, Michio; Sata, Masataka

    2016-03-01

    Obesity stimulates chronic inflammation in adipose tissue, which is associated with insulin resistance, although the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here we showed that obesity-related adipocyte degeneration causes release of cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which promotes macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue via Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), originally known as a sensor of exogenous DNA fragments. Fat-fed obese wild-type mice showed increased release of cfDNA, as determined by the concentrations of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in plasma. cfDNA released from degenerated adipocytes promoted monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in wild-type macrophages, but not in TLR9-deficient (Tlr9 (-/-) ) macrophages. Fat-fed Tlr9 (-/-) mice demonstrated reduced macrophage accumulation and inflammation in adipose tissue and better insulin sensitivity compared with wild-type mice, whereas bone marrow reconstitution with wild-type bone marrow restored the attenuation of insulin resistance observed in fat-fed Tlr9 (-/-) mice. Administration of a TLR9 inhibitory oligonucleotide to fat-fed wild-type mice reduced the accumulation of macrophages in adipose tissue and improved insulin resistance. Furthermore, in humans, plasma ssDNA level was significantly higher in patients with computed tomography-determined visceral obesity and was associated with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), which is the index of insulin resistance. Our study may provide a novel mechanism for the development of sterile inflammation in adipose tissue and a potential therapeutic target for insulin resistance.

  20. Interaction of IFNL3 with insulin resistance, steatosis and lipid metabolism in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eslam, Mohammed; Booth, David R; George, Jacob; Ahlenstiel, Golo

    2013-11-07

    Metabolic changes are inextricably linked to chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Recently polymorphisms in the IFNL3 (IL28B) region have been shown to be strongly associated with spontaneous and treatment induced recovery from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Further, circumstantial evidence suggests a link between IFNL3 single nucleotide polymorphisms and lipid metabolism, steatosis and insulin resistance in CHC. The emerging picture suggests that the responder genotypes of IFNL3 polymorphisms are associated with a higher serum lipid profile, and less frequent steatosis and insulin resistance. This review analyzes the current data regarding this interaction and its meaning for HCV pathogenesis and disease progression.

  1. Downregulation of miR-451 in Tunisian chronic myeloid leukemia patients: potential implication in imatinib resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soltani, Ismael; Douzi, Kais; Gharbi, Hanen; Benhassine, Islem; Teber, Mouheb; Amouri, Hassiba; Ben Hadj Othman, Hind; Farrah, Ahlem; Ben Lakhel, Raihane; Abbes, Salem; Menif, Samia

    2017-05-01

    Resistance to imatinib has been recognized as a major challenge for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Aberrant expression of miR-451 has been reported to participate in anticancer drug resistance. However, the role of miR-451 in imatinib resistance has not been investigated. The present study was undertaken to determine the expression of miR-451 in order to find a possible association between the expression of this miRNA and imatinib resistance in Tunisian CML patients. First, real-time RT-PCR was performed to identify the expression of miR-451 in peripheral leukocytes of 59 CML patients treated with imatinib. Then, bioinformatics analysis was carried out to understand the regulatory roles of miR-451 in imatinib-resistant process. Downregulated miR-451 was observed in imatinib-resistant CML cases. In silico analysis identified MYC as a potential target of miR-451. We further revealed the existence of an MYC-binding site in MiR-451 promoter region. On the other hand, increased level of MYC was detected in imatinib-resistant CML cases which may explain the causative role of MYC in CML cases and the downregulation of miR-451. Taken together, our findings suggest that miR-451 and MYC form together a regulatory loop which may act as a potential therapeutic target, and disruption of suggested regulatory loop could help to improve CML therapy.

  2. Chronic hepatitis c genotype-4 infection: role of insulin resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Hashem Abdel

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV is a major cause of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC and different HCV genotypes show characteristic variations in their pathological properties. Insulin resistance (IR occurs early in HCV infection and may synergize with viral hepatitis in HCC development. Egypt has the highest reported rates of HCV infection (predominantly genotype 4 in the world; this study investigated effects of HCV genotype-4 (HCV-4 on prevalence of insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C (CHC and HCC in Egyptian patients. Methods Fifty CHC patients, 50 HCC patients and 20 normal subjects were studied. IR was estimated using HOMA-IR index and HCV-4 load determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Hepatitis B virus was excluded by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Standard laboratory and histopathological investigations were undertaken to characterize liver function and for grading and staging of CHC; HCC staging was undertaken using intraoperative samples. Results HCC patients showed higher IR frequency but without significant difference from CHC (52% vs 40%, p = 0.23. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed HOMA-IR index and International Normalization Ratio independently associated with fibrosis in CHC; in HCC, HbA1c, cholesterol and bilirubin were independently associated with fibrosis. Fasting insulin and cholesterol levels were independently associated with obesity in both CHC and HCC groups. Moderate and high viral load was associated with high HOMA-IR in CHC and HCC (p Conclusions IR is induced by HCV-4 irrespective of severity of liver disease. IR starts early in infection and facilitates progression of hepatic fibrosis and HCC development.

  3. Chronic myeloid leukemia patients sensitive and resistant to imatinib treatment show different metabolic responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiye A

    Full Text Available The BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib is highly effective for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML. However, some patients gradually develop resistance to imatinib, resulting in therapeutic failure. Metabonomic and genomic profiling of patients' responses to drug interventions can provide novel information about the in vivo metabolism of low-molecular-weight compounds and extend our insight into the mechanism of drug resistance. Based on a multi-platform of high-throughput metabonomics, SNP array analysis, karyotype and mutation, the metabolic phenotypes and genomic polymorphisms of CML patients and their diverse responses to imatinib were characterized. The untreated CML patients (UCML showed different metabolic patterns from those of healthy controls, and the discriminatory metabolites suggested the perturbed metabolism of the urea cycle, tricarboxylic acid cycle, lipid metabolism, and amino acid turnover in UCML. After imatinib treatment, patients sensitive to imatinib (SCML and patients resistant to imatinib (RCML had similar metabolic phenotypes to those of healthy controls and UCML, respectively. SCML showed a significant metabolic response to imatinib, with marked restoration of the perturbed metabolism. Most of the metabolites characterizing CML were adjusted to normal levels, including the intermediates of the urea cycle and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA. In contrast, neither cytogenetic nor metabonomic analysis indicated any positive response to imatinib in RCML. We report for the first time the associated genetic and metabonomic responses of CML patients to imatinib and show that the perturbed in vivo metabolism of UCML is independent of imatinib treatment in resistant patients. Thus, metabonomics can potentially characterize patients' sensitivity or resistance to drug intervention.

  4. Nilotinib: optimal therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and resistance or intolerance to imatinib.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swords, Ronan; Mahalingam, Devalingam; Padmanabhan, Swaminathan; Carew, Jennifer; Giles, Francis

    2009-09-21

    Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the consequence of a single balanced translocation that produces the BCR-ABL fusion oncogene which is detectable in over 90% of patients at presentation. The BCR-ABL inhibitor imatinib mesylate (IM) has improved survival in all phases of CML and is the standard of care for newly diagnosed patients in chronic phase. Despite the very significant therapeutic benefits of IM, a small minority of patients with early stage disease do not benefit optimally while IM therapy in patients with advanced disease is of modest benefit in many. Diverse mechanisms may be responsible for IM failures, with point mutations within the Bcr-Abl kinase domain being amongst the most common resistance mechanisms described in patients with advanced CML. The development of novel agents designed to overcome IM resistance, while still primarily targeted on BCR-ABL, led to the creation of the high affinity aminopyrimidine inhibitor, nilotinib. Nilotinib is much more potent as a BCR-ABL inhibitor than IM and inhibits both wild type and IM-resistant BCR-ABL with significant clinical activity across the entire spectrum of BCR-ABL mutants with the exception of T315I. The selection of a second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor to rescue patients with imatinib failure will be based on several factors including age, co-morbid medical problems and ABL kinase mutational profile. It should be noted that while the use of targeted BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors in CML represents a paradigm shift in CML management these agents are not likely to have activity against the quiescent CML stem cell pool. The purpose of this review is to summarize the pre-clinical and clinical data on nilotinib in patients with CML who have failed prior therapy with IM or dasatinib.

  5. Insulin Resistance in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Tser Liao

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Metabolic syndrome and its components are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD development. Insulin resistance (IR plays a central role in the metabolic syndrome and is associated with increased risk for CKD in nondiabetic patients. IR is common in patients with mild-to-moderate stage CKD, even when the glomerular filtration rate is within the normal range. IR, along with oxidative stress and inflammation, also promotes kidney disease. In patients with end stage renal disease, IR is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease and is linked to protein energy wasting and malnutrition. Systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, elevated serum adipokines and fetuin-A, metabolic acidosis, vitamin D deficiency, depressed serum erythropoietin, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and suppressors of cytokine signaling all cause IR by suppressing insulin receptor-PI3K-Akt pathways in CKD. In addition to adequate renal replacement therapy and correction of uremia-associated factors, thiazolidinedione, ghrelin, protein restriction, and keto-acid supplementation are therapeutic options. Weight control, reduced daily prednisolone dosage, and the use of cyclosporin decrease the risk of developing new-onset diabetes after kidney transplantation. Improved understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying IR in CKD may lead to more effective therapeutic strategies to reduce uremia-associated morbidity and mortality.

  6. Article Commentary: Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Liver Disease. A Deadly Trio

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    Amedeo Lonardo

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In this commentary to the paper by Donadon V. et al (Clinical Medicine: Endocrinology and Diabetes. 2009;2:25–33. the association and significance of insulin resistance with chronic liver disease are shortly reviewed and the molecular mechanisms underlying the diabetogenic and oncogenic potentials of advanced liver disease are summarized. Literature studies demonstrate that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC can be part of the natural history of NASH. HCCs in patients with features of metabolic syndrome as the only risk factor for liver disease have distinct morphological characteristics and mainly occur in the absence of significant fibrosis in the background liver. Moreover, data indicate that the presence of diabetes carries an approximately three to four-fold increased risk of HCC and such a risk is strongly increased by concurrent viral infections. Finally, the relationship between insulin resistance, steatosis and diabetes in NAFLD and HCV infection will be commented, along with the directions for future studies.

  7. The Effect of Resistance Exercise on Inflammatory and Myogenic Markers in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

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    Emma L. Watson

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Muscle wasting is a common complication of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD and is clinically important given its strong association with morbidity and mortality in many other chronic conditions. Exercise provides physiological benefits for CKD patients, however the molecular response to exercise remains to be fully determined. We investigated the inflammatory and molecular response to resistance exercise before and after training in these patients.Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized trial that investigated the effect of 8 week progressive resistance training on muscle mass and strength compared to non-exercising controls. A sub-set of the cohort consented to vastus lateralis skeletal muscle biopsies (n = 10 exercise, n = 7 control in which the inflammatory response (IL-6, IL-15, MCP-1 TNF-α, myogenic (MyoD, myogenin, myostatin, anabolic (P-Akt, P-eEf2 and catabolic events (MuRF-1, MAFbx, 14 kDa, ubiquitin conjugates and overall levels of oxidative stress have been studied.Results: A large inflammatory response to unaccustomed exercise was seen with IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α all significantly elevated from baseline by 53-fold (P < 0.001, 25-fold (P < 0.001, and 4-fold (P < 0.001, respectively. This response was reduced following training with IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α elevated non-significantly by 2-fold (P = 0.46, 2.4-fold (P = 0.19, and 2.5-fold (P = 0.06, respectively. In the untrained condition, an acute bout of resistance exercise did not result in increased phosphorylation of Akt (P = 0.84, but this was restored following training (P = 0.01. Neither unaccustomed nor accustomed exercise resulted in a change in myogenin or MyoD mRNA expression (P = 0.88, P = 0.90, respectively. There was no evidence that resistance exercise training created a prolonged oxidative stress response within the muscle, or increased catabolism.Conclusions: Unaccustomed exercise creates a large inflammatory response within the muscle, which is

  8. Importância da resitência insulínica na hepatite C crônica Insulin resistance in chronic hepatitits C

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    Edison Roberto Parise

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Revisar a importância da resistência insulínica no desenvolvimento da hepatite C crônica e sua interferência na resposta ao tratamento antiviral de pacientes infectados pelo vírus da hepatite C. FONTE DE DADOS: Revisão bibliográfica de trabalhos publicados pelo MEDLINE e dados dos próprios autores. SÍNTESE DE DADOS: Nos últimos anos, grande número de publicações tem demonstrado importante associação entre resistência insulínica e hepatite C crônica. Aumento na prevalência de diabetes mellitus tipo 2, desenvolvimento de esteatose hepática (principalmente nos pacientes com infecção pelo genótipo não-3, progressão mais rápida da doença e redução na taxa de resposta virológica sustentada ao tratamento com interferon peguilado e ribavirina, têm sido todos associados à presença de resistência insulínica nos pacientes infectados pelo vírus da hepatite C. A produção aumentada de fator de necrose tumoral pelo core do vírus da hepatite C é o principal mecanismo responsável pelo aparecimento da resistência insulínica. O fator de necrose tumoral afetaria a fosforilação do substrato do receptor de insulina diminuindo a captação de glicose e acarretando hiperinsulinemia compensatória. Aumento da siderose hepática e alterações dos níveis circulantes das adipocitocinas podem ter efeito adicional sobre a sensibilidade à insulina na hepatite C crônica. CONCLUSÕES: O diagnóstico e o tratamento da resistência insulínica nesses pacientes podem não só evitar o aparecimento das complicações, mas também prevenir a progressão da doença e, possivelmente, aumentar a taxa de resposta virológica sustentada ao tratamento com interferon peguilado e ribavirina.OBJECTIVE: To revise the importance of insulin resistance in the development of chronic hepatitis C and its interference in the response to the antiviral treatment of these patients. DATA SOURCE: Bibliographic revision of published papers in the

  9. Nationwide experience of treatment with protease inhibitors in chronic hepatitis C patients in Denmark: identification of viral resistance mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sølund, Christina; Krarup, Henrik; Ramirez, Santseharay; Thielsen, Peter; Røge, Birgit T; Lunding, Suzanne; Barfod, Toke S; Madsen, Lone G; Tarp, Britta; Christensen, Peer B; Gerstoft, Jan; Laursen, Alex L; Bukh, Jens; Weis, Nina

    2014-01-01

    The first standard of care in treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection involving directly acting antivirals was protease inhibitors telaprevir or boceprevir combined with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin (triple therapy). Phase III studies include highly selected patients. Thus, treatment response and development of viral resistance during triple therapy in a routine clinical setting needs to be determined. The aims of this study were to investigate treatment outcome and identify sequence variations after triple therapy in patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection in a routine clinical setting. 80 patients, who initiated and completed triple therapy in Denmark between May 2011 and November 2012, were included. Demographic data and treatment response were obtained from the Danish Database for Hepatitis B and C. Direct sequencing and clonal analysis of the RT-PCR amplified NS3 protease were performed in patients without cure following triple therapy. 38 (47%) of the patients achieved cure, 15 (19%) discontinued treatment due to adverse events and remained infected, and 27 (34%) experienced relapse or treatment failure of whom 15 of 21 analyzed patients had well-described protease inhibitor resistance variants detected. Most frequently detected protease variants were V36M and/or R155K, and V36M, in patients with genotype 1a and 1b infection, respectively. The cure rate after triple therapy in a routine clinical setting was 47%, which is substantially lower than in clinical trials. Resistance variants towards protease inhibitors were seen in 71% of patients failing therapy indicating that resistance could have an important role in treatment response.

  10. Cost effectiveness of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B from a Canadian public payer perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dakin, Helen; Sherman, Morris; Fung, Scott; Fidler, Carrie; Bentley, Anthony

    2011-12-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF) is the most cost-effective nucleos(t)ide treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the UK, Spain, Italy and France. However, to our knowledge, no published studies have yet evaluated the cost effectiveness of any treatments for CHB in a Canadian setting, where relative prices and management of CHB differ from those in Europe. Our objective was to determine the cost effectiveness of tenofovir DF compared with other nucleos(t)ide therapies licensed for CHB in Canada from the perspective of publicly funded healthcare payers. A Markov model was used to calculate the costs and benefits of nucleos(t)ide therapy in three groups of patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and -negative CHB: nucleos(t)ide-naive patients without cirrhosis; nucleos(t)ide-naive patients with compensated cirrhosis; and lamivudine-resistant patients. Disease progression was modelled as annual transitions between 18 disease states. Transition probabilities, quality of life and costs were based on published studies. Health benefits were measured in QALYs. The reference year for costs was 2007 and costs and outcomes were discounted at 5% per annum. First-line tenofovir DF was the most effective nucleos(t)ide strategy for managing CHB, generating 6.85-9.39 QALYs per patient. First-line tenofovir DF was also the most cost-effective strategy in all patient subgroups investigated, costing between $Can43,758 and $Can48,015 per QALY gained compared with lamivudine then tenofovir. First-line tenofovir DF strongly dominated first-line entecavir. Giving tenofovir DF monotherapy immediately after lamivudine resistance developed was less costly and more effective than any other active treatment strategy investigated for lamivudine-resistant CHB, including second-line use of adefovir or adefovir + lamivudine. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated 50% confidence that first-line tenofovir DF is the most cost

  11. Biofilm is a Major Virulence Determinant in Bacterial Colonization of Chronic Skin Ulcers Independently from the Multidrug Resistant Phenotype

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    Enea Gino Di Domenico

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial biofilm is a major factor in delayed wound healing and high levels of biofilm production have been repeatedly described in multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs. Nevertheless, a quantitative correlation between biofilm production and the profile of antimicrobial drug resistance in delayed wound healing remains to be determined. Microbial identification, antibiotic susceptibility and biofilm production were assessed in 135 clinical isolates from 87 patients. Gram-negative bacteria were the most represented microorganisms (60.8% with MDROs accounting for 31.8% of the total isolates. Assessment of biofilm production revealed that 80% of the strains were able to form biofilm. A comparable level of biofilm production was found with both MDRO and not-MDRO with no significant differences between groups. All the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and 80% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MDR strains were found as moderate/high biofilm producers. Conversely, less than 17% of Klebsiella pneumoniae extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL, Escherichia coli-ESBL and Acinetobacter baumannii were moderate/high biofilm producers. Notably, those strains classified as non-biofilm producers, were always associated with biofilm producer bacteria in polymicrobial colonization. This study shows that biofilm producers were present in all chronic skin ulcers, suggesting that biofilm represents a key virulence determinant in promoting bacterial persistence and chronicity of ulcerative lesions independently from the MDRO phenotype.

  12. Mounting resistance of uropathogens to antimicrobial agents: A retrospective study in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis relapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamatiou, Konstantinos; Pierris, Nikolaos

    2017-07-01

    Despite recent progress in the management of chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP), many cases relapse. Increased drug resistance patterns of responsible bacteria have been proposed as the most probable causative factor. Driven by the limited number of previous studies addressing this topic, we aimed to study whether antibiotic resistance increases in patients with CBP when relapse occurs. A secondary aim of this study was to determine the resistance patterns of responsible bacteria from patients with CBP. The study material consisted of bacterial isolates from urine and/or prostatic secretions obtained from patients with CBP. Bacterial identification was performed by using the Vitek 2 Compact system and susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion and/or the Vitek 2 system. Interpretation of susceptibility results was based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. A total of 253 samples from patients diagnosed with CBP for the first time (group A) and 137 samples from relapsing patients with a history of CBP and previous antibiotic treatment (group B) were analyzed. A significant reduction in bacterial resistance to the less used antibiotics (TMP-SMX, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, penicillins, and macrolides) was noted. An increase in resistance to quinolones of many bacteria that cause CBP was also noted with the increase in resistance of enterococcus strains being alarming. Comparison of the resistance profile of CBP-responsible bacteria between samples from first-time-diagnosed patients and samples from relapsing patients revealed notable differences that could be attributed to previous antibiotic treatment.

  13. High prevalence and resistance rates to antibiotics in anaerobic bacteria in specimens from patients with chronic balanitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyanova, Lyudmila; Mitev, Angel; Gergova, Galina; Mateev, Grisha; Mitov, Ivan

    2012-08-01

    Aim of the study was to assess both prevalence and antibiotic resistance in anaerobic bacteria from glans penis skin of 70 adults. Strain susceptibility was determined by breakpoint susceptibility test or E test. In 9 asymptomatic, 48 untreated and 13 treated symptomatic patients, anaerobes were found in 22.2%, 70.8% and 53.3%, respectively. Gram-positive strains (GPAs) were 2.2-fold more common than Gram-negative ones. Prevalent Gram-negative (GNAs) and GPAs were Prevotella spp. and anaerobic cocci, respectively. Clostridium difficile strain was found in an untreated patient. In GNAs, resistance rates to amoxicillin, metronidazole, clindamycin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, and amoxicillin/clavulanate were 42.1, 0, 52.6, 53.3, 86.7 and 5.2%, respectively. In GPAs, the resistance rates to metronidazole, clindamycin, tetracycline, levofloxacin and amoxicillin/clavulanate were 18.2, 34.1, 52.6, 36.8 and 0%, respectively. In conclusion, anaerobes were 1.6-fold more frequent in untreated symptomatic patients compared with other patients, suggesting their participation in development of chronic balanitis. GPAs were more common than GNAs. The resistance rates to amoxicillin, clindamycin, tetracycline, and levofloxacin were high. Most active agents were metronidazole and amoxicillin/clavulanate. Resistance in anaerobes varies according to sites of specimens and years of study. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. [Significance of insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia and chronic heart failure in elderly hypertensive patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorshunova, N K; Medvedev, N V

    2016-01-01

    To determine the pathogenic role of insulin resistance in the formation of involutive sarcopenia and chronic heart failure (CHF) were examined 88 elderly patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and 32 elderly patients without cardiovascular disease by methods of carbohydrate metabolism and the level of brain natriuretic peptide precursor evaluation, muscle mass and strength measuring, echocardiography, 6 minute walking test. It was found that in the group of hypertensive patients with low mass and muscle strength significantly increased indices of insulin resistance and more expressed signs of the left ventricle myocardial dysfunction and functional class of heart failure, probably as a result of disorders of energy homeostasis, resulting from the deterioration of glucose into the muscle cells of the heart and skeletal muscles.

  15. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia in mild to moderate progressive chronic renal failure and its association with aerobic work capacity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eidemak, I; Feldt-Rasmussen, B; Kanstrup, I L

    1995-01-01

    Tissue sensitivity to insulin and aerobic work capacity was measured in patients with mild to moderate progressive chronic renal failure. Twenty-nine non-diabetic patients with a glomerular filtration rate of 25 ml.min-1.1.73 m-2 (11-43) (median, range) and 15 sex, age, and body mass index matched.......02) (M/I ratio 1.77 +/- 0.71 vs 2.57 +/- 0.70 (mg/(kgBW.min) per pmol/l.100, p aerobic work capacity was significantly lower in the patients than in the control subjects (24 +/- 8 vs 32 +/- 11 ml O2/(kg body weight.min), p .../I ratio in both groups. In conclusion, not only patients with end-stage chronic renal failure but also those with mild to moderate progressive chronic renal failure are insulin resistant and hyperinsulinaemic. The tissue sensitivity to insulin is correlated to the maximal aerobic work capacity suggesting...

  16. MALT1 Inhibition Is Efficacious in Both Naïve and Ibrutinib-Resistant Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saba, Nakhle S; Wong, Deanna H; Tanios, Georges; Iyer, Jessica R; Lobelle-Rich, Patricia; Dadashian, Eman L; Liu, Delong; Fontan, Lorena; Flemington, Erik K; Nichols, Cydney M; Underbayev, Chingiz; Safah, Hana; Melnick, Ari; Wiestner, Adrian; Herman, Sarah E M

    2017-12-15

    The clinical efficacy displayed by ibrutinib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been challenged by the frequent emergence of resistant clones. The ibrutinib target, Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), is essential for B-cell receptor signaling, and most resistant cases carry mutations in BTK or PLCG2 , a downstream effector target of BTK. Recent findings show that MI-2, a small molecule inhibitor of the para-caspase MALT1, is effective in preclinical models of another type of BCR pathway-dependent lymphoma. We therefore studied the activity of MI-2 against CLL and ibrutinib-resistant CLL. Treatment of CLL cells in vitro with MI-2 inhibited MALT1 proteolytic activity reduced BCR and NF-κB signaling, inhibited nuclear translocation of RelB and p50, and decreased Bcl-xL levels. MI-2 selectively induced dose and time-dependent apoptosis in CLL cells, sparing normal B lymphocytes. Furthermore, MI-2 abrogated survival signals provided by stromal cells and BCR cross-linking and was effective against CLL cells harboring features associated with poor outcomes, including 17p deletion and unmutated IGHV Notably, MI-2 was effective against CLL cells collected from patients harboring mutations conferring resistance to ibrutinib. Overall, our findings provide a preclinical rationale for the clinical development of MALT1 inhibitors in CLL, in particular for ibrutinib-resistant forms of this disease. Cancer Res; 77(24); 7038-48. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  17. Mounting resistance of uropathogens to antimicrobial agents: A retrospective study in patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis relapse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konstantinos Stamatiou

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Despite recent progress in the management of chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP, many cases relapse. Increased drug resistance patterns of responsible bacteria have been proposed as the most probable causative factor. Driven by the limited number of previous studies addressing this topic, we aimed to study whether antibiotic resistance increases in patients with CBP when relapse occurs. A secondary aim of this study was to determine the resistance patterns of responsible bacteria from patients with CBP. Materials and Methods: The study material consisted of bacterial isolates from urine and/or prostatic secretions obtained from patients with CBP. Bacterial identification was performed by using the Vitek 2 Compact system and susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion and/or the Vitek 2 system. Interpretation of susceptibility results was based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Results: A total of 253 samples from patients diagnosed with CBP for the first time (group A and 137 samples from relapsing patients with a history of CBP and previous antibiotic treatment (group B were analyzed. A significant reduction in bacterial resistance to the less used antibiotics (TMP-SMX, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, penicillins, and macrolides was noted. An increase in resistance to quinolones of many bacteria that cause CBP was also noted with the increase in resistance of enterococcus strains being alarming. Conclusions: Comparison of the resistance profile of CBP-responsible bacteria between samples from first-time-diagnosed patients and samples from relapsing patients revealed notable differences that could be attributed to previous antibiotic treatment.

  18. Effect of Brief Daily Resistance Training on Occupational Neck/Shoulder Muscle Activity in Office Workers with Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Lidegaard

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. This study investigates the acute and longitudinal effects of resistance training on occupational muscle activity in office workers with chronic pain. Methods. 30 female office workers with chronic neck and shoulder pain participated for 10 weeks in high-intensity elastic resistance training for 2 minutes per day (n=15 or in control receiving weekly email-based information on general health (n=15. Electromyography (EMG from the splenius and upper trapezius was recorded during a normal workday. Results. Adherence to training and control interventions were 86% and 89%, respectively. Compared with control, training increased isometric muscle strength 6% (P<0.05 and decreased neck/shoulder pain intensity by 40% (P<0.01. The frequency of periods with complete motor unit relaxation (EMG gaps decreased acutely in the hours after training. By contrast, at 10-week follow-up, training increased average duration of EMG gaps by 71%, EMG gap frequency by 296% and percentage time below 0.5%, and 1.0% EMGmax by 578% and 242%, respectively, during the workday in m. splenius. Conclusion. While resistance training acutely generates a more tense muscle activity pattern, the longitudinal changes are beneficial in terms of longer and more frequent periods of complete muscular relaxation and reduced pain.

  19. Analysis of S gene mutation of the hepatitis B virus in adult liver transplant recipients showing resistance to hepatitis B immunoglobulin therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, G-C; Hwang, S; Ahn, C-S; Kim, K-H; Moon, D-B; Ha, T-Y; Song, G-W; Jung, D-H; Shin, Y W; Kim, S-H; Chang, K-H; Namgoong, J-M; Park, C-S; Park, H-W; Park, Y-H; Kang, S-H; Jung, B-H; Lee, S-G

    2013-10-01

    A considerable proportion of recipients of liver transplantations who are presented hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) monotherapy for hepatitis B virus (HBV) prophylaxis develop HBIG resistance. In this study, we investigated the mutation patterns in the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of amino acid sequences 100 to 160. Using the gene sequence analyzer for amino acid sequences 0 to 226 in the S/pre-S region we analyzed blood samples of 15 patients showing HBIG resistance after high-dose HBIG prophylaxis. Various mutations in the MHR were observed in 14/15 samples: Gly145Arg mutation in 8/13 Adr subtype and 1/2 Ayw subtype samples (60%). The next most common mutation was Gly165Trp in 8/13 Adr subtype but neither of 2 Ayw subtype samples (53.3%). Concurrent antiviral resistance was noted in 5 patients: lamivudine (n = 5), or entecavir (n = 3), but not adefovir, suggesting the occurrence of simultaneous, antiviral cross-resistances. Two patients underwent retransplantation due to the progression of HBV infection despite vigorous antiviral therapy. At diagnosis of HBV recurrence, the mean HBV DNA load was 6.5 × 10(6) copies/mL; 4 patients showed paradoxical coexistence of anti-HBs and HBsAg. Currently, 2 subjects show low-level HBV DNA replication in peripheral blood, although the other 12 had no DNA replication after prolonged antiviral therapy. This study suggested that various mutations in the "a" determinant were associated with HBIG resistance. Since treatment failure to rescue antiviral therapy was often associated with delayed detection of HBV recurrence rather than concurrent antiviral resistance, frequent HBV surveillance using more sensitive screening tests, such as HBeAg and HBV DNA polymerase chain reaction assay, seems to be mandatory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Selection of mutants resistant to black spot disease by chronic irradiation of gamma-rays in Japanese pear 'Osanijisseiki'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, Tetsuo; Yoshioka, Toji; Kotobuki, Kazuo; Sanada, Tetsuro; Inoue, Kosuke; Murata, Kenji; Kitagawa, Kenichi; Tabira, Hiroki; Yoshida, Akira

    1997-01-01

    'Osanijisseiki', a self-compatible, spontaneous bud sport of the Japanese pear 'Nijisseiki' is an excellent cultivar with a smooth skin. However, this cultivar is susceptible to Japanese pear black spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata Japanese pear pathotype. To obtain resistant mutants from 'Osanijisseiki', nursery plants of 'Osanijisseiki' have been irradiated chronically with gamma-rays in the Gamma Field of the Institute of Radiation Breeding, NAR, MAFF, since 1986. Screening tests using AK toxin, a host-specific toxin produced by A. alternata Japanese pear pathotype, were performed form 1988 to 1993. Four branches of young trees planted at a distance of 40 m from the 60 Co source were selected as being resistant mutants in 1991 (IRB 502-13T and IRB 502-14T) and 1993 (IRB 502-17T and IRB 502-18T). Sensitivity of the four resistant mutants to AK-toxin and susceptibility to the pathogen were compared with other of susceptible and resistant cultivars. The results showed that these four mutants possessed intermediate resistance. Furthermore, a mutant, IRB 502-13T, had the same characteristics as the original 'Osanijisseiki', except for the difference in toxin sensitivity. The characteristics of the other mutants, IRB 502 14-T, IRB 502-17T, and IRB 502-18T, care being examined. (author)

  1. Insulin resistance in uremia: Insulin receptor kinase activity in liver and muscle from chronic uremic rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cecchin, F.; Ittoop, O.; Sinha, M.K.; Caro, J.F.

    1988-01-01

    The authors have studied the structure and function of the partially purified insulin receptors from liver and skeletal muscle in a rat model of severe chronic uremia. 125 I-insulin binding was higher in the liver from uremic rats when compared with ad libitum- and pair-fed controls. Furthermore, the ability of insulin to stimulate the autophosphorylation of the β-subunit and insulin receptor kinase activity using Glu 80 , Tyr 20 as exogenous phosphoacceptor was increased in the liver of the uremic animals. The structural characteristics of the receptors, as determined by electrophoretic mobilities of affinity labeled α-subunit and the phosphorylated β-subunit, were normal in uremia. 125 I-insulin binding and insulin receptor kinase activity were similar in the skeletal muscle from uremic and pair- and ad libitum-fed animals. Thus the data are supportive of the hypothesis that in liver and muscle of chronic uremic rats, insulin resistance is due to a defect(s) distal to the insulin receptor kinase

  2. Selinexor is effective in acquired resistance to ibrutinib and synergizes with ibrutinib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hing, Zachary A; Mantel, Rose; Beckwith, Kyle A; Guinn, Daphne; Williams, Erich; Smith, Lisa L; Williams, Katie; Johnson, Amy J; Lehman, Amy M; Byrd, John C; Woyach, Jennifer A; Lapalombella, Rosa

    2015-05-14

    Despite the therapeutic efficacy of ibrutinib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), complete responses are infrequent, and acquired resistance to Bruton agammaglobulinemia tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibition is being observed in an increasing number of patients. Combination regimens that increase frequency of complete remissions, accelerate time to remission, and overcome single agent resistance are of considerable interest. We previously showed that the XPO1 inhibitor selinexor is proapoptotic in CLL cells and disrupts B-cell receptor signaling via BTK depletion. Herein we show the combination of selinexor and ibrutinib elicits a synergistic cytotoxic effect in primary CLL cells and increases overall survival compared with ibrutinib alone in a mouse model of CLL. Selinexor is effective in cells isolated from patients with prolonged lymphocytosis following ibrutinib therapy. Finally, selinexor is effective in ibrutinib-refractory mice and in a cell line harboring the BTK C481S mutation. This is the first report describing the combined activity of ibrutinib and selinexor in CLL, which represents a new treatment paradigm and warrants further evaluation in clinical trials of CLL patients including those with acquired ibrutinib resistance. © 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.

  3. In vitro activity of 2,4-diamino-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethoxy]-pyrimidine against multidrug-resistant hepatitis B virus mutants

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brunelle, M. N.; Lucifora, J.; Neyts, J.; Villet, S.; Holý, Antonín; Trepo, C.; Zoulim, F.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 51, č. 6 (2007), s. 2240-2243 ISSN 0066-4804 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0508; GA AV ČR 1QS400550501 Grant - others:ViRgil(XE) LSHM-CT-2004-503359; Descartes Prize(XE) HPAW-CT-2002-9001 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate * adefovir dipivoxil * lamivudine * entecavir * nucleoside Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.390, year: 2007

  4. Randomized trial of interferon-alpha plus ursodeoxycholic acid versus interferon plus placebo in patients with chronic hepatitis C resistant to interferon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poupon, R. E.; Bonnand, A. M.; Queneau, P. E.; Trépo, C.; Zarski, J. P. A.; Vetter, D.; Raabe, J. J.; Thieffin, G.; Larrey, D.; Grangé, J. D.; Capron, J. P.; Serfaty, L.; Chrétien, Y.; St Marc Girardin, M. F.; Mathiex-Fortunet, H.; Zafrani, E. S.; Guéchot, J.; Beuers, U.; Paumgartner, G.; Poupon, R.

    2000-01-01

    Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) could potentiate the effect of interferon (IFN) in patients with chronic hepatitis C resistant to IFN. We compared the efficacy of IFN with that of a combination of IFN and UDCA. Patients were randomized to receive UDCA (13-15 mg/kg/day) (n = 47) or placebo (n = 44) plus

  5. Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus and chronic periodontitis, as assessed by C-peptide and the Homeostasis Assessment Index.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mammen, Jerry; Vadakkekuttical, Rosamma Joseph; George, Joseraj Manaloor; Kaziyarakath, Jaishid Ahadal; Radhakrishnan, Chandni

    2017-08-01

    A bidirectional relationship exists between diabetes and periodontitis. In the present clinical trial, we evaluated the effects of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) on insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic periodontitis. Forty chronic periodontitis patients with type II DM were selected and equally allocated to case and control groups. All patients were assessed for periodontal parameters and systemic parameters. The case group received NSPT, and both groups were re-evaluated after 3 months. All periodontal parameters were found to be significantly improved in the case group compared to the control group 3 months after NSPT. The mean differences in systemic parameters, such as fasting serum C-peptide, Homeostasis Assessment (HOMA) Index-insulin resistance, and HOMA-insulin sensitivity, from baseline to 3 months for the case group were 0.544 ± 0.73, 0.54 ± 0.63, and -25.44 ± 36.81, respectively; for the control group, they were significant at -1.66 ± 1.89, -1.48 ± 1.86, and 31.42 ± 38.82 respectively (P periodontal inflammation could affect glycemic control and insulin resistance. Effective periodontal therapy reduced insulin resistance and improved periodontal health status and insulin sensitivity in patients with type II DM and chronic periodontitis. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  6. Adefovir

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... ever taken any of the following medications: aminoglycoside antibiotics such as amikacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, and tobramycin (Tobi,); aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and ...

  7. Curcumin reverses the depressive-like behavior and insulin resistance induced by chronic mild stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Ji-Duo; Wei, Yu; Li, Yu-Jie; Qiao, Jing-Yi; Li, Yu-Cheng

    2017-08-01

    Increasing evidence has demonstrated that patients with depression have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance has been identified as the key mechanism linking depression and diabetes. The present study established a rat model of depression complicated by insulin resistance using a 12-week exposure to chronic mild stress (CMS) and investigated the therapeutic effects of curcumin. Sucrose intake tests were used to evaluate depressive-like behaviors, and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance tests (IPITT) were performed to evaluate insulin sensitivity. Serum parameters were detected using commercial kits. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to examine mRNA expression. CMS rats exhibited reduced sucrose consumption, increased serum glucose, insulin, triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), glucagon, leptin, and corticosterone levels, as well as impaired insulin sensitivity. Curcumin upregulated the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and protein kinase B (Akt) in the liver, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and reversed the metabolic abnormalities and depressive-like behaviors mentioned above. Moreover, curcumin increased the hepatic glycogen content by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β and prevented gluconeogenesis by inhibiting phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase). These results suggest that curcumin not only exerted antidepressant-like effects, but also reversed the insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities induced by CMS. These data may provide evidence to support the potential use of curcumin against depression and/or metabolic disorders.

  8. Changes of plasma angiogenic factors during chronic resistance exercise in type 1 diabetic rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esfahani, S.P.; Gharakhanlou, R.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Exercise has several beneficial effects on cardiovascular system. However, the exact mechanism is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic resistance exercise on some plasma angiogenic factors in type 1 diabetic rats. Methodology: Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into three groups of control, diabetic and diabetic trained (n = 10 each). Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). The rats in the trained group undertook one training session per day, 3 days/week, for 4 weeks. Blood samples were taken and the concentrations of plasma glucose, lipid profile, nitric oxide (NO), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble form of VEGF receptor-1 (sFlt-1) were determined. Results: We found a significant reduction in plasma NO concentrations in diabetic rats compared to the controls (p 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma VEGF and sFlt-1 concentrations between diabetic sedentary and trained groups (p > 0.05). Moreover, VEGF/sFlt-1 ratios in diabetic animals were lower than the control group and resistance exercise could not increase this ratio in diabetic animals (p > 0.05) Conclusion: Resistance exercise could not change plasma VEGF, sFlt-1 and VEGF/sFlt-1 ratio. However, it increased plasma NO concentrations in diabetic animals. More studies are needed to determine the effects of this type of exercise on the angiogenesis process. (author)

  9. The chronic effects of fish oil with exercise on postprandial lipaemia and chylomicron homeostasis in insulin resistant viscerally obese men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slivkoff-Clark Karin M

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Visceral obesity and insulin resistance are associated with a postprandial accumulation of atherogenic chylomicron remnants that is difficult to modulate with lipid-lowering therapies. Dietary fish oil and exercise are cardioprotective interventions that can significantly modify the metabolism of TAG-rich lipoproteins. In this study, we investigated whether chronic exercise and fish oil act in combination to affect chylomicron metabolism in obese men with moderate insulin resistance. Methods The single blind study tested the effect of fish oil, exercise and the combined treatments on fasting and postprandial chylomicron metabolism. Twenty nine men with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to take fish oil or placebo for four weeks, before undertaking an additional 12 week walking program. At baseline and at the end of each treatment, subjects were tested for concentrations of fasting apo B48, plasma lipids and insulin. Postprandial apo B48 and TAG kinetics were also determined following ingestion of a fat enriched meal. Results Combining fish oil and exercise resulted in a significant reduction in the fasting apo B48 concentration, concomitant with attenuation of fasting TAG concentrations and the postprandial TAGIAUC response (p Conclusion Fish oil was shown to independently improve plasma TAG homeostasis but did not resolve hyper-chylomicronaemia. Instead, combining fish oil with chronic exercise reduced the plasma concentration of pro-atherogenic chylomicron remnants; in addition it reduced the fasting and postprandial TAG response in viscerally obese insulin resistant subjects.

  10. Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Aerobic Organisms in Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Hamadan, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farahani

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Background Although effective strategies have been presented for preventing the spread of antibiotic resistance in Iran, recent reports have revealed increasing antibiotic resistance among children and adults. Objectives In the present study, we tried to provide a clear view of the antibiotic resistance status of aerobic organism as the most prevalent organism in patients with rhinosinusitis in Hamadan, Iran. Patients and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 216 consecutive patients referred to otolaryngology clinics of Imam Khomeini and Besat University hospitals in Hamadan with clinical and radiological manifestations of chronic rhinosinusitis. Two specimens were taken from each patient; one from the affected maxillary sinus by aspiration and another from the middle meatus and nasopharynx by swabbing. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by Kirby Bauer’s method; distributions of the isolates from middle meatus, nasopharynx and sinus were determined and the results of susceptibility test were analyzed. Results Among the aerobic organism from meatus and oropharynx, the most frequent isolated strains were alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus (15.4%, followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (14.6%, and Branhamella catarrhalis (13.2%, and the most prevalent isolated strains from sinus were S. aureus (19.1%, Klebsiella pneumonia (16.4%, and B. catarrhalis (15.6%, respectively. The highest antibiotic susceptibility was detected to ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone in most of the strains; susceptibility to ciprofloxacin ranged from 76.7% (for Pseudomonas aeruginosa to 100% (for Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenza; susceptibility to ceftriaxone ranged from 71.4% (for Acinetobacter baumannii to 100% (for S. pneumonia, Corynebacterium diphtheria, and H. influenza. Besides, regardless of strain, the highest resistance was mostly detected to penicillin (ranging from 33.3% to 91.7%, and to ampicillin (ranging from 38.4% to 83.7%. Conclusions

  11. Multicentre investigation of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in Chinese patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiuqing; Cui, Junchang; Wang, Jing; Chang, Yan; Fang, Qiuhong; Bai, Changqing; Zhou, Xiumei; Zhou, Hong; Feng, Huasong; Wang, Ying; Zhao, Weiguo; Wen, Zhongguang; Wang, Ping; Liu, Yi; Yu, Ling; Li, Chunsun; Chen, Liangan

    2015-10-01

    A prospective observational study to investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic bacteria in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in Beijing, China. Patients with AECOPD were recruited from 11 general hospitals. Sputum specimens were cultured and bacteria identified. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined for each isolate, and presence of antibiotic resistance genes was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 109/318 patients (34.28%); 124 isolates of 22 pathogenic bacterial species were identified, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.94%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.94%), Acinetobacter baumannii (11.29%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (8.87%), and Staphylococcus aureus (7.26%). S. aureus was sensitive to tigecycline, teicoplanin, vancomycin and linezolid but resistant to penicillin and levofloxacin. K.pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii and E. coli were susceptible to amikacin and cefoperazone. K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa are the most common pathogenic bacteria in AECOPD cases in Beijing, China. Our antibiotic resistance findings may be helpful in selecting antibiotic therapy. © The Author(s) 2015.

  12. Molecular pathways associated with stress resilience and drug resistance in the chronic mild stress rat model of depression: a gene expression study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergström, Anders; Jayatissa, Magdalena Niepsuj; Andersen, Thomas Thykjær

    2007-01-01

    The current antidepressant drugs are ineffective in 30 to 40% of the treated patients; hence, the pathophysiology of the disease needs to be further elucidated. We used the chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm to induce anhedonia, a core symptom of major depression, in rats. A fraction of the animals...... exposed to CMS is resistant to the development of anhedonia; they are CMS resilient. In the CMS-sensitive animals, the induced anhedonic state is reversed in 50% of the animals when treating with escitalopram, whereas the remaining animals are treatment resistant. We used the microarray and the real...

  13. Addressing the Challenges of Hepatitis C Virus Resistance and Treatment Failure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Che C. Colpitts

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Chronic hepatitis C is a major cause of chronic liver disease, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs revolutionized hepatitis C virus (HCV treatment by offering genuine prospects for the first comprehensive cure of a chronic viral infection in humans. While antiviral resistance is a significant limitation for interferon-based therapies, resistance and treatment failure still appear to be present in a small fraction of patients even in state-of-the-art DAA combination therapies. Therefore, treatment failure and resistance still remain a clinical challenge for the management of patients not responding to DAAs. In this special issue of Viruses on HCV drug resistance, mechanisms of antiviral resistance for different classes of antiviral drugs are described. Furthermore, the detection and monitoring of resistance in clinical practice, the clinical impact of resistance in different patient groups and strategies to prevent and address resistance and treatment failure using complementary antiviral strategies are reviewed.

  14. Addressing the Challenges of Hepatitis C Virus Resistance and Treatment Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colpitts, Che C; Baumert, Thomas F

    2016-08-16

    Chronic hepatitis C is a major cause of chronic liver disease, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) revolutionized hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment by offering genuine prospects for the first comprehensive cure of a chronic viral infection in humans. While antiviral resistance is a significant limitation for interferon-based therapies, resistance and treatment failure still appear to be present in a small fraction of patients even in state-of-the-art DAA combination therapies. Therefore, treatment failure and resistance still remain a clinical challenge for the management of patients not responding to DAAs. In this special issue of Viruses on HCV drug resistance, mechanisms of antiviral resistance for different classes of antiviral drugs are described. Furthermore, the detection and monitoring of resistance in clinical practice, the clinical impact of resistance in different patient groups and strategies to prevent and address resistance and treatment failure using complementary antiviral strategies are reviewed.

  15. Effects of gamma oryzanol supplementation on anthropometric measurements & muscular strength in healthy males following chronic resistance training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saghar Eslami

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives: Enhanced muscle strength is seen when resistance exercise is combined with the consumption of nutritional supplements. Although there is a limited number of studies available about the efficacy of gamma oryzanol supplementation with resistance exercise in humans, but its usage as a nutritional supplement for strength is common in athletes. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gamma oryzanol supplementation during 9-week resistance training on muscular strength and anthropometric measurements of young healthy males. Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, changes of anthropometric measurements and muscular strength were studied after chronic resistance exercise and gamma oryzanol supplementation in 30 healthy volunteers (16 in supplement and 14 in placebo. Each day, gamma oryzanol supplement (600 mg and placebo (the same amount of lactose were consumed after training. The participants exercised with 80 per cent 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM, for one hour and four days/week. Anthropometric measurements and subjects′ 1-RM for muscular strength were determined at the commencement and end of the 9-week study. Results: There was no significant difference between the baseline characteristics and target variables at baseline between the two groups. After gamma oryzanol supplementation, there was no significant difference in the means of anthropometric and skin fold measurements between the supplement and placebo groups. However, there were significant differences between the supplement and placebo groups for 1-RM of bench press and leg curl, which showed that gamma oryzanol improved muscle strength following resistance training. Interpretation & conclusions: Our findings indicated that 600 mg/day gamma oryzanol supplementation during the 9-week resistance training did not change anthropometric and body measurements, but it increased muscular strength in young healthy males. Further, studies need to be done

  16. Omacetaxine Mepesuccinate for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosshandler, Yasmin; Shen, Ann Q; Cortes, Jorge; Khoury, Hanna Jean

    2016-05-01

    Omacetaxine mepesuccinate is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic or accelerated phase resistant to two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This review summarizes the mode of action, pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of omacetaxine mepesuccinate. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate has activity in chronic myeloid leukemia, especially in the chronic phase, regardless of the presence of ABL1 kinase domain mutations. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate has distinct but manageable adverse events profile. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate is a treatment option for a subset of patients with refractory chronic myeloid leukemia.

  17. β-Catenin is required for intrinsic but not extrinsic BCR-ABL1 kinase-independent resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eiring, A M; Khorashad, J S; Anderson, D J; Yu, F; Redwine, H M; Mason, C C; Reynolds, K R; Clair, P M; Gantz, K C; Zhang, T Y; Pomicter, A D; Kraft, I L; Bowler, A D; Johnson, K; Partlin, M Mac; O'Hare, T; Deininger, M W

    2015-12-01

    Activation of nuclear β-catenin and expression of its transcriptional targets promotes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) progression, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance, and leukemic stem cell self-renewal. We report that nuclear β-catenin has a role in leukemia cell-intrinsic but not -extrinsic BCR-ABL1 kinase-independent TKI resistance. Upon imatinib inhibition of BCR-ABL1 kinase activity, β-catenin expression was maintained in intrinsically resistant cells grown in suspension culture and sensitive cells cultured in direct contact (DC) with bone marrow (BM) stromal cells. Thus, TKI resistance uncouples β-catenin expression from BCR-ABL1 kinase activity. In β-catenin reporter assays, intrinsically resistant cells showed increased transcriptional activity versus parental TKI-sensitive controls, and this was associated with restored expression of β-catenin target genes. In contrast, DC with BM stromal cells promoted TKI resistance, but had little effects on Lef/Tcf reporter activity and no consistent effects on cytoplasmic β-catenin levels, arguing against a role for β-catenin in extrinsic TKI resistance. N-cadherin or H-cadherin blocking antibodies abrogated DC-based resistance despite increasing Lef/Tcf reporter activity, suggesting that factors other than β-catenin contribute to extrinsic, BM-derived TKI resistance. Our data indicate that, while nuclear β-catenin enhances survival of intrinsically TKI-resistant CML progenitors, it is not required for extrinsic resistance mediated by the BM microenvironment.

  18. Impact of Iodinated Contrast on Renal Function and Hemodynamics in Rats with Chronic Hyperglycemia and Chronic Kidney Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Sheila Marques; Martins, Daniel Malisani; da Fonseca, Cassiane Dezoti; Watanabe, Mirian; Vattimo, Maria de Fátima Fernandes

    2016-01-01

    Iodinated contrast (IC) is clinically used in diagnostic and interventional procedures, but its use can result in contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic hyperglycemia (CH) are important predisposing factors to CI-AKI. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of iodinated contrast on the renal function and hemodynamics in rats with chronic hyperglycemia and chronic kidney disease. A total of 30 rats were divided into six groups; Sham: control of chronic renal disease; Citrate: control of chronic hyperglycemia (CH); Nx5/6: rats with 5/6 nephrectomy; Chronic Hyperglycemia: rats receiving Streptozotocin 65 mg/kg; Nx5/6 + IC: rats Nx5/6 received 6 mL/kg of IC; CH + IC: Chronic hyperglycemia rats receiving 6 mL/kg of IC. Renal function (inulin clearance; urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, NGAL) and hemodynamics (arterial blood pressure; renal blood flow; renal vascular resistance) were evaluated. Iodinated contrast significantly increased urinary NGAL and reduced inulin clearance, while the hemodynamics parameters showed changes in arterial blood pressure, renal blood flow, and renal vascular resistance in both CKD and CH groups. The results suggest that the iodinated contrast in risk factors models has important impact on renal function and hemodynamics. NGAL was confirmed to play a role of highlight in diagnosis of CI-AKI. PMID:27034930

  19. Impact of Iodinated Contrast on Renal Function and Hemodynamics in Rats with Chronic Hyperglycemia and Chronic Kidney Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheila Marques Fernandes

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Iodinated contrast (IC is clinically used in diagnostic and interventional procedures, but its use can result in contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI. Chronic kidney disease (CKD and chronic hyperglycemia (CH are important predisposing factors to CI-AKI. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of iodinated contrast on the renal function and hemodynamics in rats with chronic hyperglycemia and chronic kidney disease. A total of 30 rats were divided into six groups; Sham: control of chronic renal disease; Citrate: control of chronic hyperglycemia (CH; Nx5/6: rats with 5/6 nephrectomy; Chronic Hyperglycemia: rats receiving Streptozotocin 65 mg/kg; Nx5/6 + IC: rats Nx5/6 received 6 mL/kg of IC; CH + IC: Chronic hyperglycemia rats receiving 6 mL/kg of IC. Renal function (inulin clearance; urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, NGAL and hemodynamics (arterial blood pressure; renal blood flow; renal vascular resistance were evaluated. Iodinated contrast significantly increased urinary NGAL and reduced inulin clearance, while the hemodynamics parameters showed changes in arterial blood pressure, renal blood flow, and renal vascular resistance in both CKD and CH groups. The results suggest that the iodinated contrast in risk factors models has important impact on renal function and hemodynamics. NGAL was confirmed to play a role of highlight in diagnosis of CI-AKI.

  20. Chronic exposure to triclosan sustains microbial community shifts and alters antibiotic resistance gene levels in anaerobic digesters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Daniel E; Zitomer, Daniel H; Kappell, Anthony D; Choi, Melinda J; Hristova, Krassimira R; McNamara, Patrick J

    2016-08-10

    Triclosan, an antimicrobial chemical found in consumer personal care products, has been shown to stimulate antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Although many studies focus on antibiotic resistance pertinent to medical scenarios, resistance developed in natural and engineered environments is less studied and has become an emerging concern for human health. In this study, the impacts of chronic triclosan (TCS) exposure on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial community structure were assessed in lab-scale anaerobic digesters. TCS concentrations from below detection to 2500 mg kg(-1) dry solids were amended into anaerobic digesters over 110 days and acclimated for >3 solid retention time values. Four steady state TCS concentrations were chosen (30-2500 mg kg(-1)). Relative abundance of mexB, a gene coding for a component of a multidrug efflux pump, was significantly higher in all TCS-amended digesters (30 mg kg(-1) or higher) relative to the control. TCS selected for bacteria carrying tet(L) and against those carrying erm(F) at concentrations which inhibited digester function; the pH decrease associated with digester failure was suspected to cause this selection. Little to no impact of TCS was observed on intI1 relative abundance. Microbial communities were also surveyed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Compared to the control digesters, significant shifts in community structure towards clades containing commensal and pathogenic bacteria were observed in digesters containing TCS. Based on these results, TCS should be included in studies and risk assessments that attempt to elucidate relationships between chemical stressors (e.g. antibiotics), antibiotic resistance genes, and public health.

  1. The role of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in promoting insulin resistance and inflammation in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: a randomised controlled trial

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    Johnson David W

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Approximately 50% of patients with stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease are 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficient, and this prevalence increases with falling glomerular filtration rate. Vitamin D is now recognised as having pleiotropic roles beyond bone and mineral homeostasis, with the vitamin D receptor and metabolising machinery identified in multiple tissues. Worryingly, recent observational data has highlighted an association between hypovitaminosis D and increased cardiovascular mortality, possibly mediated via vitamin D effects on insulin resistance and inflammation. The main hypothesis of this study is that oral Vitamin D supplementation will ameliorate insulin resistance in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease stage 3 when compared to placebo. Secondary hypotheses will test whether this is associated with decreased inflammation and bone/adipocyte-endocrine dysregulation. Methods/Design This study is a single-centre, double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Inclusion criteria include; estimated glomerular filtration rate 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m2; aged ≥18 on entry to study; and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels Discussion To date, no randomised controlled trial has been performed in pre-dialysis CKD patients to study the correlation between vitamin D status with supplementation, insulin resistance and markers of adverse cardiovascular risk. We remain hopeful that cholecalciferol may be a safe intervention, with health benefits beyond those related to bone-mineral homeostasis. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000246280.

  2. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with direct-acting antivirals: The role of resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Pérez, Miguel; González-Grande, Rocío; España Contreras, Pilar; Pinazo Martínez, Isabel; de la Cruz Lombardo, Jesús; Olmedo Martín, Raúl

    2016-08-07

    The use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat chronic hepatitis C has resulted in a significant increase in rates of sustained viral response (around 90%-95%) as compared with the standard treatment of peginterferon/ribavirin. Despite this, however, the rates of therapeutic failure in daily clinical practice range from 10%-15%. Most of these cases are due to the presence of resistant viral variants, resulting from mutations produced by substitutions of amino acids in the viral target protein that reduce viral sensitivity to DAAs, thus limiting the efficacy of these drugs. The high genetic diversity of hepatitis C virus has resulted in the existence of resistance-associated variants (RAVs), sometimes even before starting treatment with DAAs, though generally at low levels. These pre-existing RAVs do not appear to impact on the sustained viral response, whereas those that appear after DAA therapy could well be determinant in virological failure with future treatments. As well as the presence of RAVs, virological failure to treatment with DAAs is generally associated with other factors related with a poor response, such as the degree of fibrosis, the response to previous therapy, the viral load or the viral genotype. Nonetheless, viral breakthrough and relapse can still occur in the absence of detectable RAVs and after the use of highly effective DAAs, so that the true clinical impact of the presence of RAVs in therapeutic failure remains to be determined.

  3. [Influence of cryoglobulinemic syndrome and insulin resistance on the progression of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondratiuk, L O; Bezrodna, O V; Kuliesh, O V

    2014-01-01

    The article presents the results of analysis of the frequency of detection of cryoglobulinemic syndrome (CGS) and insulin resistance (IR) in patients with HCV-associated liver cirrhosis (LC) depending on its stage. There were also evaluated clinical and laboratory features of the disease. The study involved 72 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were divided into 3 main groups according to the presence of LC. The I group included 32 patients with chronic hepatitis C without LC. The II group consisted of 19 patients with compensated HCV-associated LC and III group included 21 patients with decompensated LC. It was shown that terminal stages of the LC (class B-C by Child-Pugh) are characterized by more frequent presence of IR and CGS with more severe clinical picture, which may be caused not only by the influence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), but also by the progression of LC.

  4. Chronic stress enhanced fear memories are associated with increased amygdala zif268 mRNA expression and are resistant to reconsolidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Ann N; Parga, Alejandro; Paode, Pooja R; Watterson, Lucas R; Nikulina, Ella M; Hammer, Ronald P; Conrad, Cheryl D

    2015-04-01

    The chronically stressed brain may present a vulnerability to develop maladaptive fear-related behaviors in response to a traumatic event. In rodents, chronic stress leads to amygdala hyperresponsivity and dendritic hypertrophy and produces a post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like phenotype that includes exaggerated fear learning following Pavlovian fear conditioning and resistance to extinction. It is unknown whether chronic stress-induced enhanced fear memories are vulnerable to disruption via reconsolidation blockade, as a novel therapeutic approach for attenuating exaggerated fear memories. We used a chronic stress procedure in a rat model (wire mesh restraint for 6h/d/21d) to create a vulnerable brain that leads to a PTSD-like phenotype. We then examined freezing behavior during acquisition, reactivation and after post-reactivation rapamycin administration (i.p., 40mg/kg) in a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm to determine its effects on reconsolidation as well as the subsequent functional activation of limbic structures using zif268 mRNA. Chronic stress increased amygdala zif268 mRNA during fear memory retrieval at reactivation. Moreover, these enhanced fear memories were unaffected by post reactivation rapamycin to disrupt long-term fear memory. Also, post-reactivation long term memory processing was also associated with increased amygdala (LA and BA), and decreased hippocampal CA1 zif268 mRNA expression. These results suggest potential challenges for reconsolidation blockade as an effective approach in treating exaggerated fear memories, as in PTSD. Our findings also support chronic stress manipulations combined with fear conditioning as a useful preclinical approach to study a PTSD-like phenotype. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Insulin Resistance and Hyperinsulinemia in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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    Valter Donadon

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives To investigate the role of insulin resistance (IR and insulin plasma levels (IRI in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC. Methods We recruited the following patients: 125 with HCC, 128 with liver cirrhosis (LC and 133 with chronic hepatitis C (CHC. IR was assessed by the HOMA-IR method. To define IR and hyperinsulinemia we selected as a cut-off level, the value of the 80th percentile for HOMA-IR (2.72 and IRI (11.18 in 113 healthy subjects. Results The mean levels of HOMA-IR and IRI increase progressively among CHC (2.7 ± 2.9 and 11.5 ± 10.5, respectively, LC (5.4 ± 4.5 and 17.6 ± 11.2 and HCC (6.4 ± 9.8 and 18.2 ± 18.8. In the upper quintiles for HOMA-IR and IRI, the frequency of patients in the LC and HCC groups was twice as much in CHC cases. HCC with DM2 have the greatest percentage above the 80th percentile of HOMA-IR, their quintiles distribution is inverted and HOMA-IR mean values are significantly higher in comparison with HCC without DM2 cases. Discussion Our study shows that the association between IR and CLD begins in the early stages of liver fibrosis. DM2 increases HOMA-IR and IRI mean levels in HCC patients and these metabolic factors could play a major role in the link between diabetes mellitus and hepatocarcinoma.

  6. The HDAC inhibitor SB939 overcomes resistance to BCR-ABL kinase Inhibitors conferred by the BIM deletion polymorphism in chronic myeloid leukemia.

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    Muhammad Rauzan

    Full Text Available Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML treatment has been improved by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs such as imatinib mesylate (IM but various factors can cause TKI resistance in patients with CML. One factor which contributes to TKI resistance is a germline intronic deletion polymorphism in the BCL2-like 11 (BIM gene which impairs the expression of pro-apoptotic splice isoforms of BIM. SB939 (pracinostat is a hydroxamic acid based HDAC inhibitor with favorable pharmacokinetic, physicochemical and pharmaceutical properties, and we investigated if this drug could overcome BIM deletion polymorphism-induced TKI resistance. We found that SB939 corrects BIM pre-mRNA splicing in CML cells with the BIM deletion polymorphism, and induces apoptotic cell death in CML cell lines and primary cells with the BIM deletion polymorphism. More importantly, SB939 both decreases the viability of CML cell lines and primary CML progenitors with the BIM deletion and restores TKI-sensitivity. Our results demonstrate that SB939 overcomes BIM deletion polymorphism-induced TKI resistance, and suggest that SB939 may be useful in treating CML patients with BIM deletion-associated TKI resistance.

  7. Interleukin-6 is associated with chronic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in patients after acute pancreatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillies, Nicola; Pendharkar, Sayali A; Asrani, Varsha M; Mathew, Juby; Windsor, John A; Petrov, Maxim S

    2016-01-01

    Diabetes is a pervasive disease, with a mounting prevalence and burden on health care systems. Under this collective term of diabetes falls diabetes after diseases of the exocrine pancreas, a condition which was previously under-recognised and often mislabeled as type 2 diabetes mellitus and is now increasingly acknowledged as a stand-alone entity. However, there is a paucity of clinical studies investigating the underlying pathophysiology of diabetes after acute pancreatitis, the most frequent disease of the pancreas. This study aimed to investigate the role of adipocytokines in glucose metabolism after acute pancreatitis. This was a cross-sectional follow-up study of a patient cohort diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Fasting venous blood samples were collected to analyse markers of glucose metabolism (fasting blood glucose, haemoglobin A1c, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) as a measure of insulin resistance) and adypocytokines (adiponectin, interleukin-6, leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, retinol binding protein-4, resistin, and tumor necrosis factor-α). Participants were categorized into two groups: normoglycemia after acute pancreatitis and chronic hyperglycemia after acute pancreatitis (CHAP). Binary logistic regression and linear regression analyses were used to investigate the association between each of the adipocytokines and markers of glucose metabolism. Potential confounders were adjusted for in multivariate analyses. A total of 83 patients with acute pancreatitis were included, of whom 19 developed CHAP. Interleukin-6 was significantly associated with CHAP in both unadjusted and adjusted models (p = 0.030 and p = 0.018, respectively). Further, it was also significantly associated with HOMA-IR in both unadjusted and adjusted models (p = 0.029 and p = 0.037, respectively). Other adipocytokines were not significantly associated with markers of glucose metabolism. Interleukin-6 appears to be implicated in the development of chronic

  8. Chronic intermittent hypoxia from pedo-stage decreases glucose transporter 4 expression in adipose tissue and causes insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lin; Cao, Zhao-long; Han, Fang; Gao, Zhan-cheng; He, Quan-ying

    2010-02-20

    The persistence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) symptoms after tonsil and/or adenoid (T&A) surgery are common in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We tested the hypothesis that disturbances of glucose transporters (GLUTs) in intraabdominal adipose tissue caused by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) from the pedo-period could facilitate the appearance of periphery insulin resistance in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. We tested the hypothesis that the changes of GLUTs in adipose tissue may be one of the reasons for persistent SDB among clinical OSA children after T&A surgery. Thirty 21-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into a CIH group, a chronic continuous hypoxia (CCH) group, and a normal oxygen group (control group) and exposed for 40 days. The changes of weight, fasting blood glucose and fasting blood insulin levels were measured. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp techniques were used to measure insulin resistance in each animal. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to measure GLUT mRNA and proteins in intraabdominal adipose tissue. Additional intraabdomial white adipose tissue (WAT) was also processed into paraffin sections and directly observed for GLUTs1-4 expression. When compared with control group, CIH increased blood fasting insulin levels, (245.07 +/- 53.89) pg/ml vs. (168.63 +/- 38.70) pg/ml, P = 0.038, and decreased the mean glucose infusion rate (GIR), (7.25 +/- 1.29) mg x kg(-1) x min(-1) vs. (13.34 +/- 1.54) mg x kg(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.001. GLUT-4 mRNA and protein expression was significantly reduced after CIH compared with CCH or normal oxygen rats, 0.002 +/- 0.002 vs. 0.039 +/- 0.009, P < 0.001; 0.642 +/- 0.073 vs. 1.000 +/- 0.103, P = 0.035. CIH in young rats could induce insulin resistance via adverse effects on glycometabolism. These findings emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment of insulin insensitivity in obese childhood OSA.

  9. A putative low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet elicits mild nutritional ketosis but does not impair the acute or chronic hypertrophic responses to resistance exercise in rodents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Michael D; Holland, A Maleah; Kephart, Wesley C; Mobley, C Brooks; Mumford, Petey W; Lowery, Ryan P; Fox, Carlton D; McCloskey, Anna E; Shake, Joshua J; Mesquita, Paulo; Patel, Romil K; Martin, Jeffrey S; Young, Kaelin C; Kavazis, Andreas N; Wilson, Jacob M

    2016-05-15

    We examined whether acute and/or chronic skeletal muscle anabolism is impaired with a low-carbohydrate diet formulated to elicit ketosis (LCKD) vs. a mixed macronutrient Western diet (WD). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (9-10 wk of age, 300-325 g) were provided isoenergetic amounts of a LCKD or a WD for 6 wk. In AIM 1, basal serum and gastrocnemius assessments were performed. In AIM 2, rats were resistance exercised for one bout and were euthanized 90-270 min following exercise for gastrocnemius analyses. In AIM 3, rats voluntarily exercised daily with resistance-loaded running wheels, and hind limb muscles were analyzed for hypertrophy markers at the end of the 6-wk protocol. In AIM 1, basal levels of gastrocnemius phosphorylated (p)-rps6, p-4EBP1, and p-AMPKα were similar between diets, although serum insulin (P ketosis, as the LCKD-fed rats in AIM 2 exhibited ∼1.5-fold greater serum β-hydroxybutyrate levels relative to WD-fed rats (diet effect P = 0.003). This study demonstrates that the tested LCKD in rodents, while only eliciting mild nutritional ketosis, does not impair the acute or chronic skeletal muscle hypertrophic responses to resistance exercise. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  10. Effects of a treatment with Se-rich rice flour high in resistant starch on enteric dysbiosis and chronic inflammation in diabetic ICR mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Huaibo; Wang, Wenjuan; Chen, Deyi; Zhu, Xiping; Meng, Lina

    2017-05-01

    Enteric dysbiosis is associated with chronic inflammation and interacts with obesity and insulin resistance. Obesity and diabetes are induced in ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice fed a high-fat diet and administered a streptozocin injection. These mice were treated with normal rice (NR), normal rice with a high resistant starch content (NRRS) or Se-rich rice (selenium-enriched rice) with a high resistant starch content (SRRS). Faecal cell counts of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus were significantly higher in SRRS-treated mice than in diabetic controls, while Enterobacter cloacae were lower. Similar results were also found in NRRS-treated mice. In contrast, no significant difference was found between NR-treated and diabetic control groups. The treatments with SRRS and NRRS reduced the faecal pH values of the diabetic mice. Regarding the inflammatory factor levels, lower levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF-κB) and leptin (LEP) and higher adiponutrin (ADPN) levels were found in the SRRS and NRRS-treated mice compared with the diabetic and NR-treated mice. In addition, the CRP, IL-6 and NF-κB levels in the SRRS-treated mice were significantly reduced compared with those observed in the NRRS-treated mice. The reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) results showed that the SRRS and NRRS-treated mice presented higher expression levels of orphan G protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) and orphan G protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) proteins compared with diabetic mice and NR-treated mice. These results indicate that treatments with rice high in RS exert beneficial effects by improving enteric dysbiosis and chronic inflammation. In addition, selenium and RS may exert synergistic effects on chronic inflammation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. Minimum concentrations of NO/sub 2/ causing acute effects on the respiratory gas exchange and airway-resistance in patients with chronic bronchitis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    von Nieding, G; Wagner, M; Krekeler, H; Smidt, U; Muysers, K

    1971-01-01

    Nitrogen dioxide-air mixtures containing 0.5 to 5.0 ppM NO/sub 2/ were inhaled by 88 patients with chronic bronchitis over a 15-minute period for a total of 30 breaths during studies investigating the effects of the gas on airway resistance and respiratory gas exchange. End-expiratory oxygen pressures remained nearly constant during inhalation of 4 or 5 ppM NO/sub 2/, though significant decreases in arterial oxygen pressure accompanied by increases in end-expiratory-arterial oxygen pressure difference occurred. Inhalation of 2 ppM NO/sub 2/ did not decrease arterial oxygen pressure. Airway resistances increased significantly down to 1.5 ppM NO/sub 2/ concentrations. Lower concentrations caused no significant effects.

  12. Distinct Dasatinib-Induced Mechanisms of Apoptotic Response and Exosome Release in Imatinib-Resistant Human Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells

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    Juan Liu

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Although dasatinib is effective in most imatinib mesylate (IMT-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML patients, the underlying mechanism of its effectiveness in eliminating imatinib-resistant cells is only partially understood. This study investigated the effects of dasatinib on signaling mechanisms driving-resistance in imatinib-resistant CML cell line K562 (K562RIMT. Compared with K562 control cells, exsomal release, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K/protein kinase B (Akt/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR signaling and autophagic activity were increased significantly in K562RIMT cells and mTOR-independent beclin-1/Vps34 signaling was shown to be involved in exosomal release in these cells. We found that Notch1 activation-mediated reduction of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN was responsible for the increased Akt/mTOR activities in K562RIMT cells and treatment with Notch1 γ-secretase inhibitor prevented activation of Akt/mTOR. In addition, suppression of mTOR activity by rapamycin decreased the level of activity of p70S6K, induced upregulation of p53 and caspase 3, and led to increase of apoptosis in K562RIMT cells. Inhibition of autophagy by spautin-1 or beclin-1 knockdown decreased exosomal release, but did not affect apoptosis in K562RIMT cells. In summary, in K562RIMT cells dasatinib promoted apoptosis through downregulation of Akt/mTOR activities, while preventing exosomal release and inhibiting autophagy by downregulating expression of beclin-1 and Vps34. Our findings reveal distinct dasatinib-induced mechanisms of apoptotic response and exosomal release in imatinib-resistant CML cells.

  13. HOMA, BMI, and Serum Leptin Levels Variations during Antiviral Treatment Suggest Virus-Related Insulin Resistance in Noncirrhotic, Nonobese, and Nondiabetic Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1 Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grasso, Alessandro; Malfatti, Federica; Andraghetti, Gabriella; Marenco, Simona; Mazzucchelli, Chiara; Labanca, Sara; Cordera, Renzo; Testa, Roberto; Picciotto, Antonino

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and viral load decay in nondiabetic and noncirrhotic genotype 1 chronic HCV patients during peginterferon and ribavirin treatment and the possible influence of BMI and leptin as metabolic confounders. Methods. 75 consecutive noncirrhotic, nonobese, and nondiabetic patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon alpha 2a plus ribavirin were evaluated. HOMA-IR, serum leptin, and BMI were measured in all patients at baseline and at weeks 12 and 48, whereas viral load was measured at the same time points and then 24 weeks after the end of treatment. Results. HOMA-IR was significantly associated with both BMI and leptin at baseline. During peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment, there was a significant reduction of HOMA-IR at weeks 12 and 48 from baseline (P = 0.033 and 0.048, resp.) in patients who achieved an early viral load decay (EVR), a trend not observed in patients who not achieved EVR. No variations during treatment were observed regarding BMI and leptin irrespective of EVR. Conclusion. The early reduction of HOMA-IR but not of BMI and leptin during antiviral treatment in noncirrhotic, chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients who achieved EVR suggests a viral genesis of insulin resistance in patients with nonmetabolic phenotype.

  14. HOMA, BMI, and Serum Leptin Levels Variations during Antiviral Treatment Suggest Virus-Related Insulin Resistance in Noncirrhotic, Nonobese, and Nondiabetic Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1 Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Grasso

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and viral load decay in nondiabetic and noncirrhotic genotype 1 chronic HCV patients during peginterferon and ribavirin treatment and the possible influence of BMI and leptin as metabolic confounders. Methods. 75 consecutive noncirrhotic, nonobese, and nondiabetic patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon alpha 2a plus ribavirin were evaluated. HOMA-IR, serum leptin, and BMI were measured in all patients at baseline and at weeks 12 and 48, whereas viral load was measured at the same time points and then 24 weeks after the end of treatment. Results. HOMA-IR was significantly associated with both BMI and leptin at baseline. During peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment, there was a significant reduction of HOMA-IR at weeks 12 and 48 from baseline (P=0.033 and 0.048, resp. in patients who achieved an early viral load decay (EVR, a trend not observed in patients who not achieved EVR. No variations during treatment were observed regarding BMI and leptin irrespective of EVR. Conclusion. The early reduction of HOMA-IR but not of BMI and leptin during antiviral treatment in noncirrhotic, chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients who achieved EVR suggests a viral genesis of insulin resistance in patients with nonmetabolic phenotype.

  15. Selective insulin resistance in hepatocyte senescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aravinthan, Aloysious; Challis, Benjamin; Shannon, Nicholas; Hoare, Matthew; Heaney, Judith; Alexander, Graeme J.M.

    2015-01-01

    Insulin resistance has been described in association with chronic liver disease for decades. Hepatocyte senescence has been demonstrated in chronic liver disease and as many as 80% of hepatocytes show a senescent phenotype in advanced liver disease. The aim of this study was to understand the role of hepatocyte senescence in the development of insulin resistance. Senescence was induced in HepG2 cells via oxidative stress. The insulin metabolic pathway was studied in control and senescent cells following insulin stimulation. GLUT2 and GLUT4 expressions were studied in HepG2 cells and human liver tissue. Further, GLUT2 and GLUT4 expressions were studied in three independent chronic liver disease cohorts. Signalling impairment distal to Akt in phosphorylation of AS160 and FoxO1 was evident in senescent HepG2 cells. Persistent nuclear localisation of FoxO1 was demonstrated in senescent cells despite insulin stimulation. Increased GLUT4 and decreased GLUT2 expressions were evident in senescent cells, human cirrhotic liver tissue and publically available liver disease datasets. Changes in GLUT expressions were associated with a poor clinical prognosis. In conclusion, selective insulin resistance is evident in senescent HepG2 cells and changes in GLUT expressions can be used as surrogate markers of hepatocyte senescence. - Highlights: • Senescent hepatocytes demonstrate selective insulin resistance. • GLUT changes act as markers of hepatocyte senescence and have prognostic value. • Study offers insight into long noticed intimacy of cirrhosis and insulin resistance

  16. Selective insulin resistance in hepatocyte senescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aravinthan, Aloysious [Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Challis, Benjamin [Institute of Metabolic Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Shannon, Nicholas [Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Hoare, Matthew [Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Heaney, Judith [Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Foundation for Liver Research, Institute of Hepatology, London (United Kingdom); Alexander, Graeme J.M., E-mail: gja1000@doctors.org.uk [Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

    2015-02-01

    Insulin resistance has been described in association with chronic liver disease for decades. Hepatocyte senescence has been demonstrated in chronic liver disease and as many as 80% of hepatocytes show a senescent phenotype in advanced liver disease. The aim of this study was to understand the role of hepatocyte senescence in the development of insulin resistance. Senescence was induced in HepG2 cells via oxidative stress. The insulin metabolic pathway was studied in control and senescent cells following insulin stimulation. GLUT2 and GLUT4 expressions were studied in HepG2 cells and human liver tissue. Further, GLUT2 and GLUT4 expressions were studied in three independent chronic liver disease cohorts. Signalling impairment distal to Akt in phosphorylation of AS160 and FoxO1 was evident in senescent HepG2 cells. Persistent nuclear localisation of FoxO1 was demonstrated in senescent cells despite insulin stimulation. Increased GLUT4 and decreased GLUT2 expressions were evident in senescent cells, human cirrhotic liver tissue and publically available liver disease datasets. Changes in GLUT expressions were associated with a poor clinical prognosis. In conclusion, selective insulin resistance is evident in senescent HepG2 cells and changes in GLUT expressions can be used as surrogate markers of hepatocyte senescence. - Highlights: • Senescent hepatocytes demonstrate selective insulin resistance. • GLUT changes act as markers of hepatocyte senescence and have prognostic value. • Study offers insight into long noticed intimacy of cirrhosis and insulin resistance.

  17. Bacterial Contribution in Chronicity of Wounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahim, Kashif; Saleha, Shamim; Zhu, Xudong; Huo, Liang; Basit, Abdul; Franco, Octavio Luiz

    2017-04-01

    A wound is damage of a tissue usually caused by laceration of a membrane, generally the skin. Wound healing is accomplished in three stages in healthy individuals, including inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling stages. Healing of wounds normally starts from the inflammatory phase and ends up in the remodeling phase, but chronic wounds remain in an inflammatory stage and do not show progression due to some specific reasons. Chronic wounds are classified in different categories, such as diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), venous leg ulcers (VLU) and pressure ulcer (PU), surgical site infection (SSI), abscess, or trauma ulcers. Globally, the incidence rate of DFU is 1-4 % and prevalence rate is 5.3-10.5 %. However, colonization of pathogenic bacteria at the wound site is associated with wound chronicity. Most chronic wounds contain more than one bacterial species and produce a synergetic effect that results in previously non-virulent bacterial species becoming virulent and causing damage to the host. While investigating bacterial diversity in chronic wounds, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Peptoniphilus, Enterobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Finegoldia, and Serratia were found most frequently in chronic wounds. Recently, it has been observed that bacteria in chronic wounds develop biofilms that contribute to a delay in healing. In a mature biofilm, bacteria grow slowly due to deficiency of nutrients that results in the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. The present review reflects the reasons why acute wounds become chronic. Interesting findings include the bacterial load, which forms biofilms and shows high-level resistance toward antibiotics, which is a threat to human health in general and particularly to some patients who have acute wounds.

  18. Bosutinib in the management of chronic myelogenous leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keller-von Amsberg G

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Gunhild Keller-von Amsberg, Philippe SchafhausenDepartment of Hematology and Oncology and, Stem Cell Transplantation and Pulmonology Division, Oncological Center, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyAbstract: Bosutinib (SKI-606 is an orally available, once-daily dual Src and Abl kinase inhibitor, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with chronic, accelerated, or blast-phase Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia who are intolerant of or resistant to first- or second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Bosutinib effectively overcomes the majority of imatinib-resistance-conferring BCR-ABL mutations except V299L and T315I. In the Bosutinib Efficacy and Safety in chronic myeloid LeukemiA (BELA trial, bosutinib attained a faster and deeper molecular response than imatinib in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia patients. Treatment-emergent adverse events are usually very manageable. Low grade, mostly self-limiting diarrhea represents the most frequently observed toxicity of bosutinib. Anti-diarrheal drugs, antiemetic agents, and/or fluid replacement should be used to treat these patients. The improved hematological toxicity of bosutinib compared with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been ascribed to its minimal activity against platelet-derived growth factor receptor and KIT. In this review, we give an overview on the profile of bosutinib, the clinical potential and treatment-emergent adverse events.Keywords: CML, BCR-ABL, SRC/ABL kinase inhibitor, resistance-conferring mutation

  19. Inhaled Antibiotic Therapy in Chronic Respiratory Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego J. Maselli

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The management of patients with chronic respiratory diseases affected by difficult to treat infections has become a challenge in clinical practice. Conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF and non-CF bronchiectasis require extensive treatment strategies to deal with multidrug resistant pathogens that include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Burkholderia species and non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM. These challenges prompted scientists to deliver antimicrobial agents through the pulmonary system by using inhaled, aerosolized or nebulized antibiotics. Subsequent research advances focused on the development of antibiotic agents able to achieve high tissue concentrations capable of reducing the bacterial load of difficult-to-treat organisms in hosts with chronic respiratory conditions. In this review, we focus on the evidence regarding the use of antibiotic therapies administered through the respiratory system via inhalation, nebulization or aerosolization, specifically in patients with chronic respiratory diseases that include CF, non-CF bronchiectasis and NTM. However, further research is required to address the potential benefits, mechanisms of action and applications of inhaled antibiotics for the management of difficult-to-treat infections in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

  20. Natural Killer Cell Characteristics in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection Are Associated With HBV Surface Antigen Clearance After Combination Treatment With Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a and Adefovir

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stelma, Femke; de Niet, Annikki; Tempelmans Plat-Sinnige, Marjan J.; Jansen, Louis; Takkenberg, R. Bart; Reesink, Hendrik W.; Kootstra, Neeltje A.; van Leeuwen, Ester M. M.

    2015-01-01

    The role of natural killer (NK) cells in the process of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance and whether their phenotype is related to treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis B are currently unknown. Patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV DNA load, >17 000 IU/mL)

  1. AP24534, a Pan-BCR-ABL Inhibitor for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Potently Inhibits the T315I Mutant and Overcomes Mutation-Based Resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    O’Hare, Thomas; Shakespeare, William C.; Zhu, Xiaotian; Eide, Christopher A.; Rivera, Victor M.; Wang, Frank; Adrian, Lauren T.; Zhou, Tianjun; Huang, Wei-Sheng; Xu, Qihong; Metcalf, Chester A.; Tyner, Jeffrey W.; Loriaux, Marc M.; Corbin, Amie S.; Wardwell, Scott; Ning, Yaoyu; Keats, Jeffrey A.; Wang, Yihan; Sundaramoorthi, Raji; Thomas, Mathew; Zhou, Dong; Snodgrass, Joseph; Commodore, Lois; Sawyer, Tomi K.; Dalgarno, David C.; Deininger, Michael W.N.; Druker, Brian J.; Clackson, Tim

    2009-01-01

    SUMMARY Inhibition of BCR-ABL by imatinib induces durable responses in many patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but resistance attributable to kinase domain mutations can lead to relapse and a switch to second-line therapy with nilotinib or dasatinib. Despite three approved therapeutic options, the cross-resistant BCR-ABLT315I mutation and compound mutants selected on sequential inhibitor therapy remain major clinical challenges. We report design and pre-clinical evaluation of AP24534, a potent, orally available multi-targeted kinase inhibitor active against T315I and other BCR-ABL mutants. AP24534 inhibited all tested BCR-ABL mutants in cellular and biochemical assays, suppressed BCR-ABLT315I-driven tumor growth in mice, and completely abrogated resistance in cell-based mutagenesis screens. Our work supports clinical evaluation of AP24534 as a pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor for treatment of CML. PMID:19878872

  2. AP24534, a Pan-BCR-ABL Inhibitor for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Potently Inhibits the T315I Mutant and Overcomes Mutation-Based Resistance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O’Hare, Thomas; Shakespeare, William C.; Zhu, Xiaotian; Eide, Christopher A.; Rivera, Victor M.; Wang, Frank; Adrian, Lauren T.; Zhou, Tianjun; Huang, Wei-Sheng; Xu, Qihong; Metcalf, III, Chester A.; Tyner, Jeffrey W.; Loriaux, Marc M.; Corbin, Amie S.; Wardwell, Scott; Ning, Yaoyu; Keats, Jeffrey A.; Wang, Yihan; Sundaramoorthi, Raji; Thomas, Mathew; Zhou, Dong; Snodgrass, Joseph; Commodore, Lois; Sawyer, Tomi K.; Dalgarno, David C.; Deininger, Michael W.N.; Druker, Brian J.; Clackson, Tim; (OHSU- Cancer Instit.); (ARIAD)

    2010-09-07

    Inhibition of BCR-ABL by imatinib induces durable responses in many patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but resistance attributable to kinase domain mutations can lead to relapse and a switch to second-line therapy with nilotinib or dasatinib. Despite three approved therapeutic options, the cross-resistant BCR-ABL{sup T315I} mutation and compound mutants selected on sequential inhibitor therapy remain major clinical challenges. We report design and preclinical evaluation of AP24534, a potent, orally available multitargeted kinase inhibitor active against T315I and other BCR-ABL mutants. AP24534 inhibited all tested BCR-ABL mutants in cellular and biochemical assays, suppressed BCR-ABL{sup T315I}-driven tumor growth in mice, and completely abrogated resistance in cell-based mutagenesis screens. Our work supports clinical evaluation of AP24534 as a pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor for treatment of CML.

  3. The effects of Jiao-Tai-Wan on sleep, inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity-resistant rats with chronic partial sleep deprivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Xin; Huang, Wenya; Lu, Fuer; Fang, Ke; Wang, Dingkun; Zhao, Shuyong; Jia, Jiming; Xu, Lijun; Wang, Kaifu; Wang, Nan; Dong, Hui

    2017-03-23

    Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW), composed of Rhizome Coptidis and Cortex Cinnamomi, is a classical traditional Chinese prescription for treating insomnia. Several in vivo studies have concluded that JTW could exert its therapeutical effect in insomnia rats. However, the specific mechanism is still unclear. The present study aimed to explore the effect of JTW on sleep in obesity-resistant (OR) rats with chronic partial sleep deprivation (PSD) and to clarify its possible mechanism. JTW was prepared and the main components contained in the granules were identified by 3D-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (3D-HPLC) assay. The Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent 4 h PSD by environmental noise and the treatment with low and high doses of JTW orally for 4 weeks, respectively. Then sleep structure was analyzed by electroencephalographic (EEG). Inflammation markers including high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were examined in the rat plasma. Meanwhile, metabolic parameters as body weight increase rate, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS) levels and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were measured. The expressions of clock gene cryptochromes (Cry1 and Cry2) and inflammation gene nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in peripheral blood monocyte cells (PBMC) were also determined. The result showed that the administration of JTW significantly increased total sleep time and total slow wave sleep (SWS) time in OR rats with PSD. Furthermore, the treatment with JTW reversed the increase in the markers of systemic inflammation and insulin resistance caused by sleep loss. These changes were also associated with the up-regulation of Cry1 mRNA and Cry 2 mRNA and the down-regulation of NF-κB mRNA expression in PBMC. This study suggests that JTW has the beneficial effects of improving sleep, inflammation and insulin sensitivity. The mechanism appears to be related to the modulation of circadian clock and

  4. Dasatinib or imatinib in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia : 2-year follow-up from a randomized phase 3 trial (DASISION)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kantarjian, Hagop M.; Shah, Neil P.; Cortes, Jorge E.; Baccarani, Michele; Agarwal, Mohan B.; Soledad Undurraga, Maria; Wang, Jianxiang; Kassack Ipina, Juan Julio; Kim, Dong-Wook; Ogura, Michinori; Pavlovsky, Carolina; Junghanss, Christian; Milone, Jorge H.; Nicolini, Franck E.; Robak, Tadeusz; Van Droogenbroeck, Jan; Vellenga, Edo; Bradley-Garelik, M. Brigid; Zhu, Chao; Hochhaus, Andreas

    2012-01-01

    Dasatinib is a highly potent BCR-ABL inhibitor with established efficacy and safety in imatinib-resistant/-intolerant patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In the phase 3 DASISION trial, patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase (CP) CML were randomized to receive dasatinib 100 mg (n =

  5. GABA accumulating neurons are relatively resistant to chronic hypoxia in vitro: An autoradiographic study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sher, P.K.; Hu, S.

    1990-01-01

    Whether there is preferential loss of certain types of nerve cells or specific cellular functions after hypoxic or ischemic insults remains unclear. To evaluate this phenomenon in vitro, the vulnerability of GABAergic neurons to hypoxia was investigated both quantitatively and with autoradiography. Immature neuronal cortical cultures obtained from fetal mice were subjected to chronic hypoxia (5% O2) for 24 h or 48 h and then returned to the normoxic condition for 48 h. The shorter hypoxic exposure resulted in significantly reduced numbers of neurons in comparison to the longer exposure and also to controls (29% and 26%, respectively; p less than 0.001). LDH efflux, a reliable indicator of cell damage, also was higher after the shorter exposure insult. Nevertheless, in these same 24 h hypoxic cultures there was prominent sparing of those neurons which accumulate GABA: by 48 h of recovery GABAergic neurons constituted 29.3 +/- 2.0% of the remaining neuronal population in comparison to 11.6 +/- 0.6 and 14.4 +/- 0.8% for controls and 48 h hypoxia, respectively; (p less than 0.001). Although total GABA uptake per neuron was significantly decreased after both types of insult, there was a concomitant increase in glial GABA uptake (i.e., that which could be displaced by beta-alanine). These observations suggest that certain GABAergic cortical neurons are relatively more resistant to chronic hypoxia than the general neuronal population and that depression of overall neuronal GABA uptake may be associated with enhanced glial GABA uptake

  6. Spinal motor neuron neuroaxonal spheroids in chronic aluminum neurotoxicity contain phosphatase-resistant high molecular weight neurofilament (NFH).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaytan-Garcia, S; Kim, H; Strong, M J

    1996-04-15

    It has previously been shown that a single intracisternal inoculum of AlCl3 in young adult New Zealand white rabbits will induce a dose-dependent phosphatase resistance of high molecular weight neurofilament protein (NFH) that is proportionate to the extent of neurofilamentous inclusion formation (Strong and Jakowec, 1994). To determine if the potential for dissolution of aluminum-induced neurofilamentous inclusions was dependent on the degree of NFH phosphatase resistance, we have examined NFH phosphatase sensitivity in a reversible chronic model of aluminum neurotoxicity. Rabbits receiving repeated intracisternal inoculums of 100 microgram AlCl3 at 28 day intervals until day 267 develop spinal motor neuron perikaryal and neuroaxonal neurofilamentous aggregates in a stereotypic, dose-dependent fashion. In the rabbits receiving inoculums until day 156 with survival until day 267 without further aluminum exposure, neuroaxonal spheroids remained prominent while perikaryal inclusions largely resolved. Immunoreactivity to a monoclonal antibody recognizing phosphorylated NFH (SMI 31) was abolished in perikaryal aggregates at each time interval by dephosphorylation with bovine alkaline phosphatase. However, neuroaxonal spheroids maintained their immunoreactivity. Using time-course dephosphorylation studies of spinal cord homogenates, we observed a significant reduction in the rate of dephosphorylation of NFH following 267 days of AlCl3 exposure (P < 0.05). These observations suggest that neuroaxonal spheroids contain phosphatase-resistant NFH isoforms and that the potential for resolution of intraneuronal neurofilamentous inclusions correlates with the susceptibility of NF within these inclusions to enzymatic dephosphorylation.

  7. Clonal dissemination, emergence of mutator lineages and antibiotic resistance evolution in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cystic fibrosis chronic lung infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla López-Causapé

    Full Text Available Chronic respiratory infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF. We investigated the interplay between three key microbiological aspects of these infections: the occurrence of transmissible and persistent strains, the emergence of variants with enhanced mutation rates (mutators and the evolution of antibiotic resistance. For this purpose, 10 sequential isolates, covering up to an 8-year period, from each of 10 CF patients were studied. As anticipated, resistance significantly accumulated overtime, and occurred more frequently among mutator variants detected in 6 of the patients. Nevertheless, highest resistance was documented for the nonmutator CF epidemic strain LES-1 (ST-146 detected for the first time in Spain. A correlation between resistance profiles and resistance mechanisms evaluated [efflux pump (mexB, mexD, mexF, and mexY and ampC overexpression and OprD production] was not always obvious and hypersusceptibility to certain antibiotics (such as aztreonam or meropenem was frequently observed. The analysis of whole genome macrorestriction fragments through Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE revealed that a single genotype (clone FQSE-A produced persistent infections in 4 of the patients. Multilocus Sequence typing (MLST identified clone FQSE-A as the CF epidemic clone ST-274, but striking discrepancies between PFGE and MLST profiles were evidenced. While PFGE macrorestriction patterns remained stable, a new sequence type (ST-1089 was detected in two of the patients, differing from ST-274 by only two point mutations in two of the genes, each leading to a nonpreviously described allele. Moreover, detailed genetic analyses revealed that the new ST-1089 is a mutS deficient mutator lineage that evolved from the epidemic strain ST-274, acquired specific resistance mechanisms, and underwent further interpatient spread. Thus, presented results provide the first evidence of interpatient dissemination

  8. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Subgenotypes C2 and B2 Differ in Lamivudine- and Adefovir-Resistance-Associated Mutational Patterns in HBV-Infected Chinese Patients▿

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Xiaodong; Wang, Lin; Zhong, Yanwei; Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun; Xu, Zhihui; Liu, Yan; Li, Qinghong; Xin, Shaojie; Zhao, Jingmin; Xu, Dongping

    2010-01-01

    We aimed to study the prevalence and clinical implications of hepatitis B virus (HBV) subgenotypes in Chinese patients. A total of 4,300 patients, mainly from northern China, were enrolled, including 182 patients with acute hepatitis B and 4,118 patients with chronic HBV infection who had been exposed to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs. HBV genotypes/subgenotypes were determined by direct sequencing of the HBV S/Pol region. The prevalence rates were 0.40% for HBV/B1, 14.30% for HBV/B2, 0.25%...

  9. [Determination of drug resistance mutations of NS3 inhibitors in chronic hepatitis C patients infected with genotype 1].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şanlıdağ, Tamer; Sayan, Murat; Akçalı, Sinem; Kasap, Elmas; Buran, Tahir; Arıkan, Ayşe

    2017-04-01

    Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) such as NS3 protease inhibitors is the first class of drugs used for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment. NS3 inhibitors (PI) with low genetic barrier have been approved to be used in the CHC genotype 1 infections, and in the treatment of compensated liver disease including cirrhosis together with pegile interferon and ribavirin. Consequently, the development of drug resistance during DAA treatment of CHC is a major problem. NS3 resistant variants can be detected before treatment as they can occurnaturally. The aim of this study was to investigate new and old generation NS3 inhibitors resistance mutations before DAA treatment in hepatitis C virus (HCV) that were isolated from CHC. The present study was conducted in 2015 and included 97 naive DAA patients infected with HCV genotype 1, who were diagnosed in Manisa and Kocaeli cities of Turkey. Magnetic particle based HCV RNA extraction and than RNA detection and quantification were performed using commercial real-time PCR assay QIASypmhony + Rotorgene Q/ArtusHCV QS-RGQ and COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS TaqMan HCV Tests. HCV NS3 viral protease genome region was amplified with PCR and mutation analysis was performed by Sanger dideoxy sequencing technique of NS3 protease codons (codon 32-185). HCV NS3 protease inhibitors; asunaprevir, boceprevir, faldaprevir, grazoprevir, pariteprevir, simeprevir and telaprevir were analysed for resistant mutations by Geno2pheno-HCV resistance tool. HCV was genotyped in all patients and 88 patients (n= 88/97, 91%) had genotype 1. Eight (n= 8/97, 8.2%) and 80 (n= 80/97, 82.4%) HCC patients were subgenotyped as 1a and 1b, respectively. Many aminoacid substitutions and resistance mutations were determined in 39/88 (44%) patients in the study group. Q80L, S122C/N, S138W were defined as potential substitutions (6/88 patients; 7%); R109K, R117C, S122G, I132V, I170V, N174S were described as potential resistance (34/88 patients; 39%); V36L, T54S, V55A, Q80H were

  10. Acute and chronic effects of aerobic exercise on blood pressure in resistant hypertension: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, L S; Santos, A C; Lucena, Jms; Silva, Lgo; Almeida, Aem; Brasileiro-Santos, M S

    2017-06-02

    Resistant hypertension is a specific condition that affects approximately 10% of subjects with hypertension, and is characterized by persistently high blood pressure levels even using therapy of three or more antihypertensive agents or with blood pressure control using therapy with four or more antihypertensive agents. Changes in lifestyle, such as physical exercise, are indicated for controlling blood pressure. However, investigating studies about this therapy in individuals with resistant hypertension are few. This is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Forty-eight patients with resistant hypertension will be submitted to perform four short-term interventions: aerobic exercise sessions (mild-, moderate- and high-intensity) and control session, in random order and on separate days. After the short-term sessions, the patients will be randomly allocated into four groups for 8 weeks of follow-up: mild-, moderate- and high-intensity aerobic exercise, and a control group. The primary outcome is the occurrence of blood pressure reduction (office and ambulatory analysis, and acute and chronic effects). Secondary outcomes are autonomic and hemodynamic mechanisms: cardiac and vasomotor autonomic modulation, spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, forearm blood flow and vascular resistance. The importance of exercise for hypertension has been known for decades, but little is known about the effects on patients with resistant hypertension. This study will help to understand whether different aerobic exercise intensities can induce different responses, as well as by what mechanisms adjustments in blood pressure levels may occur. ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02670681 . Registered on 28 January 2016 (first version); Brazilian Registry Platform Clinical Trials: protocol RBR-5q24zh . Registered on 24 June 2015.

  11. Cost-effectiveness analysis of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for treatment of chronic hepatitis B in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, Weixia; Zhang, Chi; Liu, Li; Gao, Yanhui; Yao, Zhenjiang; Ye, Xiaohua; Zhou, Shudong; Yang, Yi

    2016-11-01

    Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is newly available for treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients in China. To date, no study has been conducted to examine the cost-effectiveness of this treatment. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of TDF versus four oral nucleos(t)ide analogs [lamivudine (LAM), adefovir (ADV), telbivudine (LdT), and entecavir (ETV)] and from a pharmacoeconomic perspective to assess current drug pricing for TDF. Based on Chinese healthcare perspectives, a Markov model was applied to simulate the lifetime (40-year time span) costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for five different monotherapy strategies. Two kinds of rescue combination strategies (base-case: LAM + ADV then ETV + ADV; alternative: directly using ETV + ADV) were separately considered for treatment of patients refractory to monotherapy. Model parameters (including disease transition, cost, and utility) were obtained from previous Chinese population studies. Both branded and generic drugs were separately analyzed. Study model uncertainties were assessed by one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Two-way sensitivity analysis was used to explore uncertainties between efficacy and price of TDF. In the base-case analysis, the lowest lifetime cost and the best cost-effectiveness ratio were obtained by ETV, which was considered the reference treatment. LAM, ADV, and LdT treatments had significantly greater costs and lower efficacies. Compared to ETV, TDF was more effective but also more expensive. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of TDF versus ETV were much higher than the willing-to-pay threshold of $20,466 US dollars (USD) per QALY gained (3 × gross domestic product per capita of China, 2014). TDF would be the most cost-effective strategy if the annual cost did not exceed $2260 USD and $1600 USD for branded and generic drugs, respectively. For Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients, ETV is still the most cost

  12. Resistant and Refractory Hypertension: Antihypertensive Treatment Resistance vs Treatment Failure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siddiqui, Mohammed; Dudenbostel, Tanja; Calhoun, David A.

    2017-01-01

    Resistant or difficult to treat hypertension is defined as high blood pressure that remains uncontrolled with 3 or more different antihypertensive medications, including a diuretic. Recent definitions also include controlled blood pressure with use of 4 or more medications as also being resistant to treatment. Recently, refractory hypertension, an extreme phenotype of antihypertensive treatment failure has been defined as hypertension uncontrolled with use of 5 or more antihypertensive agents, including a long-acting thiazide diuretic and a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. Patients with resistant vs refractory hypertension share similar characteristics and comorbidities, including obesity, African American race, female sex, diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. Patients with refractory vs resistant hypertension tend to be younger and are more likely to have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Refractory hypertension might also differ from resistant hypertension in terms of underlying cause. Preliminary evidence suggests that refractory hypertension is more likely to be neurogenic in etiology (ie, heightened sympathetic tone), vs a volume-dependent hypertension that is more characteristic of resistant hypertension in general. PMID:26514749

  13. Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosomal beta-lactamase in patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic lung infection. Mechanism of antibiotic resistance and target of the humoral immune response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ciofu, Oana

    2003-01-01

    the development of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and the occurrence of high beta-lactamase producing strains and between the MIC of the beta-lactams and the levels of beta-lactamase expression. Partially derepressed mutants, characterized by high basal levels of beta-lactamase with the possibility...... of induction to even higher levels during treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics, were the most frequent phenotype found among resistant Danish P. aeruginosa CF isolates. We have also shown that the high alginate producing P. aeruginosa isolates, that characterize the chronic lung infection in CF patients......, are more susceptible to antibiotics and produce less beta-lactamase than the non-mucoid paired isolates. We propose that the non-mucoid isolates are exposed to a relatively higher antibiotic pressure than the mucoid isolates and therefore, they become easily antibiotic resistant and in consequence produce...

  14. Relationships between respiratory and airway resistances and activity-related dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Plantier L

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Bruno Mahut1,2, Aurore Caumont-Prim3,4, Laurent Plantier1,5, Karine Gillet-Juvin1,6, Etienne Callens1, Olivier Sanchez5,6, Brigitte Chevalier-Bidaud3, Plamen Bokov1, Christophe Delclaux1,5,71Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Service de Physiologie – Clinique de la Dyspnée, F-75015 Paris, France; 2Cabinet La Berma, 4 avenue de la Providence; F-92160 Antony, France; 3AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Unité d'Épidémiologie et de Recherche Clinique, F-75015 Paris, France; 4INSERM, Centre d'Investigation Épidémiologique 4, F-75015 Paris, France; 5Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, F-75015 Paris, France; 6AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Service de Pneumologie; F-75015 Paris, France; 7CIC 9201 Plurithématique, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, F-75015 Paris, FranceBackground: The aims of the study were: (1 to compare numerical parameters of specific airway resistance (total, sRawtot, effective, sRaweff and at 0.5 L • s-1, sRaw0.5 and indices obtained from the forced oscillation technique (FOT: resistance extrapolated at 0 Hz [Rrs0 Hz], mean resistance [Rrsmean], and resistance/frequency slope [Rrsslope] and (2 to assess their relationships with dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD.Methods: A specific statistical approach, principal component analysis that also allows graphic representation of all correlations between functional parameters was used. A total of 108 patients (mean ± SD age: 65 ± 9 years, 31 women; GOLD stages: I, 14; II, 47; III, 39 and IV, 8 underwent spirometry, body plethysmography, FOT, and Medical Research Council (MRC scale assessments.Results: Principal component analysis determined that the functional parameters were described by three independent dimensions (airway caliber, lung volumes and their combination, specific resistance and that resistance parameters of the two techniques

  15. Power and resistance within the hospital's hierarchical system: the experiences of chronically ill patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griscti, Odette; Aston, Megan; Warner, Grace; Martin-Misener, Ruth; McLeod, Deborah

    2017-01-01

    To explore experiences of chronically ill patients and registered nurses when they negotiate patient care in hospital settings. Specifically, we explored how social and institutional discourses shape power relations during the negotiation process. The hospital system is embedded in a hierarchical structure where the voice of the healthcare provider as expert is often given more importance than the patient. This system has been criticised as being oppressive to patients who are perceived to be lower in the hierarchy. In this study, we illustrate how the hospital's hierarchical system is not always oppressing but can also create moments of empowerment for patients. A feminist poststructuralist approach informed by the teaching of Foucault was used to explore power relations between nurses and patients when negotiating patient care in hospital settings. Eight individuals who suffered from chronic illness shared their stories about how they negotiated their care with nurses in hospital settings. The interviews were tape-recorded. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the data. Patients recounted various experiences when their voices were not heard because the current hospital system privileged the healthcare provider experts' advice over the patients' voice. The hierarchical structure of hospital supported these dynamics by privileging nurses as gatekeepers of service, by excluding the patients' input in the nursing notes and through a process of self-regulation. However, patients in this study were not passive recipients of care and used their agency creatively to resist these discourses. Nurses need to be mindful of how the hospital's hierarchical system tends to place nurses in a position of power, and how their authoritative position may positively or adversely affect the negotiation of patient care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Wen-Dien; Lin, Hung-Yu; Lai, Ping-Tung

    2015-03-01

    [Purpose] Through core strength training, patients with chronic low back pain can strengthen their deep trunk muscles. However, independent training remains challenging, despite the existence of numerous core strength training strategies. Currently, no standardized system has been established analyzing and comparing the results of core strength training and typical resistance training. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the results of previous studies to explore the effectiveness of various core strength training strategies for patients with chronic low back pain. [Methods] We searched for relevant studies using electronic databases. Subsequently, we evaluated their quality by analyzing the reported data. [Results] We compared four methods of evaluating core strength training: trunk balance, stabilization, segmental stabilization, and motor control exercises. According to the results of various scales and evaluation instruments, core strength training is more effective than typical resistance training for alleviating chronic low back pain. [Conclusion] All of the core strength training strategies examined in this study assist in the alleviation of chronic low back pain; however, we recommend focusing on training the deep trunk muscles to alleviate chronic low back pain.

  17. The effect of resistance exercise on sleep: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovacevic, Ana; Mavros, Yorgi; Heisz, Jennifer J; Fiatarone Singh, Maria A

    2018-06-01

    Impaired sleep quality and quantity are associated with future morbidity and mortality. Exercise may be an effective non-pharmacological intervention to improve sleep, however, little is known on the effect of resistance exercise. Thus, we performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the acute and chronic effects of resistance exercise on sleep quantity and quality. Thirteen studies were included. Chronic resistance exercise improves all aspects of sleep, with the greatest benefit for sleep quality. These benefits of isolated resistance exercise are attenuated when resistance exercise is combined with aerobic exercise and compared to aerobic exercise alone. However, the acute effects of resistance exercise on sleep remain poorly studied and inconsistent. In addition to the sleep benefits, resistance exercise training improves anxiety and depression. These results suggest that resistance exercise may be an effective intervention to improve sleep quality. Further research is needed to better understand the effects of acute resistance exercise on sleep, the physiological mechanisms underlying changes in sleep, the changes in sleep architecture with chronic resistance exercise, as well its efficacy in clinical cohorts who commonly experience sleep disturbance. Future studies should also examine time-of-day and dose-response effects to determine the optimal exercise prescription for sleep benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Time-series analysis in imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia K562-cells under different drug treatments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yan-Hong; Zhang, Xue-Fang; Zhao, Yan-Qiu; Bai, Fan; Qin, Fan; Sun, Jing; Dong, Ying

    2017-08-01

    Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by the accumulation of active BCR-ABL protein. Imatinib is the first-line treatment of CML; however, many patients are resistant to this drug. In this study, we aimed to compare the differences in expression patterns and functions of time-series genes in imatinib-resistant CML cells under different drug treatments. GSE24946 was downloaded from the GEO database, which included 17 samples of K562-r cells with (n=12) or without drug administration (n=5). Three drug treatment groups were considered for this study: arsenic trioxide (ATO), AMN107, and ATO+AMN107. Each group had one sample at each time point (3, 12, 24, and 48 h). Time-series genes with a ratio of standard deviation/average (coefficient of variation) >0.15 were screened, and their expression patterns were revealed based on Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM). Then, the functional enrichment analysis of time-series genes in each group was performed using DAVID, and the genes enriched in the top ten functional categories were extracted to detect their expression patterns. Different time-series genes were identified in the three groups, and most of them were enriched in the ribosome and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Time-series genes in the three treatment groups had different expression patterns and functions. Time-series genes in the ATO group (e.g. CCNA2 and DAB2) were significantly associated with cell adhesion, those in the AMN107 group were related to cellular carbohydrate metabolic process, while those in the ATO+AMN107 group (e.g. AP2M1) were significantly related to cell proliferation and antigen processing. In imatinib-resistant CML cells, ATO could influence genes related to cell adhesion, AMN107 might affect genes involved in cellular carbohydrate metabolism, and the combination therapy might regulate genes involved in cell proliferation.

  19. Revisión sistemática de evaluaciones económicas de fármacos antivirales para el tratamiento de la hepatitis B crónica Economic evaluation of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lely Solari

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo. Revisar la evidencia disponible acerca de la costo-efectividad de los regímenes antivirales en el tratamiento de la hepatitis B crónica. Material y Métodos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de las bases de datos de MEDLINE, LILACS, NICE guidelines y COCHRANE sobre evaluaciones económicas de regímenes antivirales para el tratamiento de hepatitis B crónica. Se incluyó los estudios originales, revisiones sistemáticas y guías de manejo conteniendo información acerca de la costo-efectividad de dicho tratamiento. Se registró las características y resultados de los documentos obtenidos. Resultados. Se obtuvo 29 artículos originales, cuatro artículos de revisión y cuatro guías de manejo clínico. La mayoría de las publicaciones fueron hechas en los cinco últimos años. Los autores tenían conflicto de interés, por trabajar en la industria farmacéutica, en 73% de los artículos originales. El 93% de los artículos que evalúan costo-efectividad de brindar tratamiento para hepatitis B crónica frente a manejo de complicaciones, encuentran que es costo-efectivo el tratamiento antiviral; 3/6 estudios que evalúan lamivudina frente a otros esquemas la encuentran como estrategia dominante, 3/5 encuentran a entecavir como estrategia dominante, 1/1 a tenofovir como dominante, 1/4 a interferón convencional como dominante y ninguno encuentra a adefovir ni interferón pegilado como estrategia dominante. Conclusiones. Consideramos que la evidencia disponible sugiere que brindar tratamiento antiviral para hepatitis B crónica sea una intervención costo-efectiva para muchos sistemas de salud, incluyendo el nuestro, con índices variables de costo-efectividad de acuerdo con los esquemas evaluados. Idealmente, se debe realizar evaluaciones económicas locales en este aspecto.Objective. To revise the available evidence on the cost-effectiveness of antiviral regimens for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Material and methods. We

  20. Inhibition of Siah2 Ubiquitin Ligase by Vitamin K3 Attenuates Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Chemo-Resistance in Hypoxic Microenvironment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jixian; Lu, Ziyuan; Xiao, Yajuan; He, Bolin; Pan, Chengyun; Zhou, Xuan; Xu, Na; Liu, Xiaoli

    2018-02-05

    BACKGROUND A hypoxic microenvironment is associated with resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and a poor prognosis in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The E3 ubiquitin ligase Siah2 plays a vital role in the regulation of hypoxia response, as well as in leukemogenesis. However, the role of Siah2 in CML resistance is unclear, and it is unknown whether vitaminK3 (a Siah2 inhibitor) can improve the chemo-sensitivity of CML cells in a hypoxic microenvironment. MATERIAL AND METHODS The expression of Siah2 was detected in CML patients (CML-CP and CML-BC), K562 cells, and K562-imatinib-resistant cells (K562-R cells). We measured the expression of PHD3, HIF-1α, and VEGF in both cell lines under normoxia and hypoxic conditions, and the degree of leukemic sensitivity to imatinib and VitaminK3 were evaluated. RESULTS Siah2 was overexpressed in CML-BC patients (n=9) as compared to CML-CP patients (n=13). Similarly, K562-imatinib-resistant cells (K562-R cells) showed a significantly higher expression of Siah2 as compared to K562 cells in a hypoxic microenvironment. Compared to normoxia, under hypoxic conditions, both cell lines had lower PHD3, higher HIF-1α, and higher VEGF expression. Additionally, Vitamin K3 (an inhibitor of Siah2) reversed these changes and promoted a higher degree of leukemic sensitivity to imatinib. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that the Siah2-PHD3- HIF-1α-VEGF axis is an important hypoxic signaling pathway in a leukemic microenvironment. An inhibitor of Siah2, combined with TKIs, might be a promising therapy for relapsing and refractory CML patients.

  1. Prevention of Resistance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: the role of combination therapy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    W. Deenik (Wendy)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractChronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare disease with a worldwide incidence of approximately 1-2 cases per 100,000 individuals. Chronic myeloid leukemia occurs slightly more frequently in men than in women. The median age at diagnosis is approximately 60 years, and although the incidence

  2. Role of anuloma viloma pranayama in reducing stress in chronic alcoholics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, L.R.

    2011-01-01

    Despite improved clinical care, heightened public awareness and wide spread use of health innovations, alcoholism remains a leading cause of death in many parts of the world. Chronic alcoholics suffer from stress and multitude of symptoms. The progressive addiction to alcohol will gradually nullify all other interests in the patient's life so that a deterioration of the physical, psychological, social, cultural and religious values takes place. The role of yoga in healing asthma, arthritis and other disorders has been known. Methods: Breathing technique (Anuloma Viloma Pranayama) was taught to chronic alcoholics. Using galvanic skin resistance, stress levels were measured before and after anuloma viloma yoga in controls and chronic alcoholics. Results: Reduced stress levels were noted using the galvanic skin resistance in both controls and chronic alcoholics after yogic breathing. Conclusion: There is a promising effect of simple yoga techniques in organising effective rehabilitation and treatment programmes to reduce stress in chronic alcoholics. This study would help to chart out a better management programme for enhancing relapse and alleviate the symptoms. (author)

  3. Serum γ-glutamyl transferase levels, insulin resistance and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvatore Petta

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Serum levels of γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase(γ-GT were associated with liver disease severity and metabolic alterations, which in turn are able to affect hepatic damage. In patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (G1CHC and chronic hepatitis B (CHB, we assessed the link between liver fibrosis and γ-GT serum levels, and we evaluated if normal or high γ-GT serum levels affect the association between insulin resistance (IR and severity of liver fibrosis. METHODS: 843 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease (CLD(193 NAFLD, 481 G1CHC, 169 CHB were evaluated by liver biopsy (Kleiner and Scheuer scores and clinical and metabolic measurements. IR was diagnosed if HOMA>3. A serum γ-GT concentration of >36 IU/L in females and >61 IU/L in males was considered the threshold value for identifying high levels of γ-GT. RESULTS: By multivariate logistic regression analysis, abnormal γ-GT serum levels were independently linked to severe liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD (OR2.711,CI1.120-6.564,p = 0.02, G1CHC (OR3.461,CI2.138-5.603,p80%. Interestingly, among patients with high or normal γ-GT values, even if IR prevalence was significantly higher in patients with severe fibrosis compared to those without, IR remained significantly associated with severe fibrosis in patients with abnormal γ-GT values only (OR4.150,CI1.079-15.970,p = 0.03 for NAFLD; OR2.250,CI1.211-4.181,p = 0.01 for G1CHC; OR3.096,CI2.050-34.220,p = 0.01 for CHB. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CLD, IR is independently linked to liver fibrosis only in patients with abnormal γ-GT values, without differences according to liver disease etiology, and suggesting a role of γ-GT as a marker of metabolic-induced liver damage. These data could be useful for the clinical and pharmacologic management of patients with CLD.

  4. Frequency of ABL gene mutations in chronic myeloid leukemia patients resistant to imatinib and results of treatment switch to second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcé, Silvia; Zamora, Lurdes; Cabezón, Marta; Xicoy, Blanca; Boqué, Concha; Fernández, Cristalina; Grau, Javier; Navarro, José-Tomás; Fernández de Sevilla, Alberto; Ribera, Josep-Maria; Feliu, Evarist; Millá, Fuensanta

    2013-08-04

    Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have improved the management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, a significant proportion of patients do not achieve the optimal response or are resistant to TKI. ABL kinase domain mutations have been extensively implicated in the pathogenesis of TKI resistance. Treatment with second-generation TKI has produced high rates of hematologic and cytogenetic responses in mutated ABL patients. The aim of this study was to determine the type and frequency of ABL mutations in patients who were resistant to imatinib or had lost the response, and to analyze the effect of second-generation TKI on their outcome. The presence of ABL mutations in 45 CML patients resistant to imatinib was evaluated by direct sequencing and was correlated with the results of the cytogenetic study (performed in 39 cases). The outcome of these patients after therapy with nilotinib or dasatinib was analyzed. ABL mutations were detected in 14 out of 45 resistant patients. Patients with clonal cytogenetic evolution tended to develop mutations more frequently than those without clonal evolution. Nine out of the 15 patients with ABL mutation responded to a treatment switch to nilotinib (n=4), dasatinib (n=2), interferon (n=1) or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (n=2). The frequency of ABL mutations in CML patients resistant to imatinib is high and is more frequent among those with clonal cytogenetic evolution. The change to second-generation TKI can overcome imatinib resistance in most of the mutated patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  5. Protease Inhibitors Drug Resistance Mutations in Turkish Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sargin Altunok, Elif; Sayan, Murat; Akhan, Sila; Aygen, Bilgehan; Yildiz, Orhan; Tekin Koruk, Suda; Mistik, Resit; Demirturk, Nese; Ural, Onur; Kose, Şükran; Aynioglu, Aynur; Korkmaz, Fatime; Ersoz, Gülden; Tuna, Nazan; Ayaz, Celal; Karakecili, Faruk; Keten, Derya; Inan, Dilara; Yazici, Saadet; Koculu, Safiye; Yildirmak, Taner

    2016-09-01

    Drug resistance development is an expected problem during treatment with protease inhibitors (PIs), this is largely due to the fact that Pls are low-genetic barrier drugs. Resistance-associated variants (RAVs) however may also occur naturally, and prior to treatment with Pls, the clinical impact of this basal resistance remains unknown. In Turkey, there is yet to be an investigation into the hepatitis C (HCV) drug associated resistance to oral antivirals. 178 antiviral-naïve patients infected with HCV genotype 1 were selected from 27 clinical centers of various geographical regions in Turkey and included in the current study. The basal NS3 Pls resistance mutations of these patients were analyzed. In 33 (18.5%) of the patients included in the study, at least one mutation pattern that can cause drug resistance was identified. The most frequently detected mutation pattern was T54S while R109K was the second most frequently detected. Following a more general examination of the patients studied, telaprevir (TVR) resistance in 27 patients (15.2%), boceprevir (BOC) resistance in 26 (14.6%) patients, simeprevir (SMV) resistance in 11 (6.2%) patients and faldaprevir resistance in 13 (7.3%) patients were detected. Our investigation also revealed that rebound developed in the presence of a Q80K mutation and amongst two V55A mutations following treatment with TVR, while no response to treatment was detected in a patient with a R55K mutation. We are of the opinion that drug resistance analyses can be beneficial and necessary in revealing which variants are responsible for pre-treatment natural resistance and which mutations are responsible for the viral breakthrough that may develop during the treatment. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. Knockdown of HOXA10 reverses the multidrug resistance of human chronic mylogenous leukemia K562/ADM cells by downregulating P-gp and MRP-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Ying-Jie; Jia, Xiu-Hong; Wang, Jian-Yong; Li, You-Jie; Wang, Hong; Xie, Shu-Yang

    2016-05-01

    Multidrug resistance (MDR) of leukemia cells is a major obstacle in chemotherapeutic treatment. The high expression and constitutive activation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance protein-1 (MRP-1) have been reported to play a vital role in enhancing cell resistance to anticancer drugs in many tumors. The present study aimed to investigate the reversal of MDR by silencing homeobox A10 (HOXA10) in adriamycin (ADR)-resistant human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) K562/ADM cells by modulating the expression of P-gp and MRP-1. K562/ADM cells were stably transfected with HOXA10-targeted short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The results of reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis showed that the mRNA and protein expression of HOXA10 was markedly suppressed following transfection with a shRNA-containing vector. The sensitivity of the K562/ADM cells to ADR was enhanced by the silencing of HOXA10, due to the increased intracellular accumulation of ADR. The accumulation of ADR induced by the silencing of HOXA10 may be due to the downregulation of P-gp and MRP-1. Western blot analysis revealed that downregulating HOXA10 inhibited the protein expression of P-gp and MRP-1. Taken together, these results suggest that knockdown of HOXA10 combats resistance and that HOXA10 is a potential target for resistant human CML.

  7. Clinical approach in treatment of resistant hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Frank

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Jennifer Frank, David SommerfeldUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Family Medicine, Appleton, WI, USAAbstract: Resistant hypertension, defined as failure to achieve target blood pressure despite the use of optimal or maximum doses of at least 3 agents, one of which is a diuretic, or requiring 4 or more medications to achieve blood pressure goal, is likely to affect up to 20% of all patients with hypertension. Apparent resistant hypertension may be caused by medication nonadherence, substances that either interfere with antihypertensive mediations or cause blood pressure elevation, and under- or inappropriate medication treatment. Certain patient characteristics are associated with the presence of resistant hypertension and include chronic kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, and presence of end-organ damage (microalbuminuria, retinopathy, left-ventricular hypertrophy. Secondary causes of resistant hypertension are not uncommon and include obstructive sleep apnea, chronic kidney disease, primary aldosteronism, renal artery stenosis, pheochromocytoma, and Cushing’s disease. Initial medication management usually includes adding or increasing the dose of a diuretic, which is effective in lowering the blood pressure of a large number of patients with resistant hypertension. Additional management options include maximizing lifestyle modification, combination therapy of antihypertensive agents depending on individual patient characteristics, adding less-commonly used fourth- or fifth-line antihypertensive agents, and referral to a hypertension specialist.Keywords: resistant hypertension, blood pressure, diuretic

  8. Metabolic syndrome criteria as predictors of insulin resistance, inflammation and mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogt, Barbara Perez; Souza, Priscilla L; Minicucci, Marcos Ferreira; Martin, Luis Cuadrado; Barretti, Pasqual; Caramori, Jacqueline Teixeira

    2014-10-01

    Abstract Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and metabolic syndrome are characterized by overlapping disorders, including glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and, in some cases, obesity. However, there are no specific criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in CKD. Metabolic syndrome can also be associated with increased risk of mortality. Some traditional risk factors may protect dialysis patients from mortality, known as "reverse epidemiology." Metabolic syndrome might undergo reverse epidemiology. The objectives were to detect differences in frequency and metabolic characteristics associated with three sets of diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, to evaluate the accuracy of insulin resistance (IR) and inflammation to identify patients with metabolic syndrome, and to investigate the effects of metabolic syndrome by three sets of diagnostic criteria on mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients. An observational study was conducted. Diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome proposed by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and Harmonizing the Metabolic Syndrome (HMetS) statement were applied to 98 hemodialysis patients. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 51%, 66.3%, and 75.3% according to NCEP ATP III, IDF, and HMetS criteria, respectively. Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome by HMetS was simultaneously capable of revealing both inflammation and IR, whereas NCEP ATP III and IDF criteria were only able to identify IR. Mortality risk increased in the presence of metabolic syndrome regardless of the criteria used. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in hemodialysis varies according to the diagnostic criteria used. IR and inflammation predict metabolic syndrome only when diagnosed by HMetS criteria. HMetS was the diagnostic criteria that can predict the highest risk of mortality.

  9. Acute and chronic effects of resistance exercise on the testosterone and cortisol responses in obese males: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Leary, C B; Hackney, A C

    2014-01-01

    The biosynthesis and metabolism of testosterone and cortisol are altered by the high levels of adipose tissue and the constant state of low-grade inflammation of obesity. Resistance exercise (REx) has become one of the main lifestyle interventions prescribed to obese individuals due to its ability to positively influence body composition and some biomarkers, such as cholesterol and insulin resistance. Yet, little research has been done in obese examining the effects of REx on the testosterone and blood cortisol responses, two integral hormones in both exercise and obesity. The obese testosterone response to REx and whether or not it is blunted compared to lean individuals remains elusive. Conflicting findings concerning the blood cortisol response have also been reported, likely due to variance in REx protocol and the level of obesity in the participants in studies. Comparatively, both of these hormones have been extremely well studied in untrained lean males, which could be used as a basis for future research in obese males. However, without this endocrinological information, it is unknown if the current acute REx prescriptions are appropriate for eliciting a favorable acute endocrinological response, and ultimately, a positive chronic adaptation in obese males.

  10. The Renal Arterial Resistance Index Predicts Worsening Renal Function in Chronic Heart Failure Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacoviello, Massimo; Monitillo, Francesco; Leone, Marta; Citarelli, Gaetano; Doronzo, Annalisa; Antoncecchi, Valeria; Puzzovivo, Agata; Rizzo, Caterina; Lattarulo, Maria Silvia; Massari, Francesco; Caldarola, Pasquale; Ciccone, Marco Matteo

    2016-01-01

    Background/Aim The renal arterial resistance index (RRI) is a Doppler measure, which reflects abnormalities in the renal blood flow. The aim of this study was to verify the value of RRI as a predictor of worsening renal function (WRF) in a group of chronic heart failure (CHF) outpatients. Methods We enrolled 266 patients in stable clinical conditions and on conventional therapy. Peak systolic velocity and end diastolic velocity of a segmental renal artery were obtained by pulsed Doppler flow, and RRI was calculated. Creatinine serum levels were evaluated at baseline and at 1 year, and the changes were used to assess WRF occurrence. Results During follow-up, 34 (13%) patients showed WRF. RRI was associated with WRF at univariate (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07–1.20) as well as at a forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03–1.16; p = 0.005) including the other univariate predictors. Conclusions Quantification of arterial renal perfusion provides a new parameter that independently predicts the WRF in CHF outpatients. Its possible role in current clinical practice to better define the risk of cardiorenal syndrome progression is strengthened. PMID:27994601

  11. Erythropoietin treatment does not compromise cardiovascular function in chronic renal failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haedersdal, C; Mehlsen, J; Stenver, Doris Irene

    1994-01-01

    The anemia in patients with chronic renal failure can be corrected through treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin treatment. This correction is associated with changes in the rheologic variables, which could explain the changes in hemodynamics found by many investigators. The authors have...... followed up 11 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis before and during six months of therapy with erythropoietin. The measurements were made before treatment, after four months of therapy, and after six months of therapy. The measurements included hematocrit, osmotic resistance of the red...... were unchanged. The conclude that, in spite of changes in rheologic variables, increasing viscosity of the blood and thus possibly increasing the peripheral resistance, these had no effect on the cardiovascular state. Erythropoietin treatment improves the subjective well-being in patients on chronic...

  12. The effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain, squat biomechanics and MRI-defined lumbar fat infiltration and functional cross-sectional area in those with chronic low back

    OpenAIRE

    Welch, Neil; Moran, Kieran; Antony, Joseph; Richter, Chris; Marshall, Brendan; Coyle, Joe; Falvey, Eanna; Franklyn-Miller, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Background Low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions in the world. Many exercise treatment options exist but few interventions have utilised free-weight resistance training. To investigate the effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain and lumbar fat infiltration in those with chronic low back pain. Methods Thirty participants entered the study, 11 females (age=39.6±12.4 years, height=164 cm±5.3 cm, body mass=70.9±8.2 kg,) and 19 mal...

  13. Color Doppler Indices of Orbital Arterial Flow in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients; Are the Changes Related to Chronic Hemodialysis or Chronic Renal Failure?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rokni Yazdi, Hadi; Faraji, Safoura; Ahmadi, Farokhlegha; Shahmirzae, Reza

    2012-01-01

    Endothelial injury is a well-known complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemodialysis. One of the sites in which early vascular changes may be detected is the retina. Of course, these flow changes may not be detected in ophthalmologic exams, but it seems that color Doppler sonography of retinal arteries may be helpful in these cases. In previous studies on CKD patients who underwent chronic hemodialysis,hemodynamic changes were noted in retinal arteries, but no study has been performed to determine which of the two processes (CKD or chronic hemodialysis) can produce these changes. In this study, we tried to answer this question. Doppler ultrasonography of the orbital vasculature including the ophthalmic artery and the central retinal artery was carried out in 17 patients (34 eyes) with chronic renal failure (CRF) who underwent hemodialysis, 17 patients (34 eyes)with CRF without a history of hemodialysis and 17 normal patients (34 eyes). The peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index were measured excluding hypertensive, diabetic patients and patients with cardiovascular disease. The mean PSV and EDV were lower only in the ophthalmic artery of CRF patients irrespective of the history of hemodialysis (PSV was 35.2 in hemodialysis, 38.8 in CRF and 51.6 in normal patients, P value = 0.001 and EDV was 7.4, 9.4, 11.8, respectively, P value =0.001) with no significant difference in the resistance index of the ophthalmic artery and other parameters [EDV, PSV, Resistance Index (RI)] in the central retinal artery. The mean PSV and DSV in the ophthalmic artery were lower only in the ophthalmic artery of CRF patients regardless of the history of hemodialysis. No significant difference in the resistance index of the ophthalmic artery and other parameters (EDV, PSV) of the central retinal artery were noted between different groups. These findings suggest that microvascular disease and endothelial cell dysfunction of the orbital

  14. Effects of acute and chronic attenuation of postprandial hyperglycemia on postglucose-load endothelial function in insulin resistant individuals: is stimulation of first phase insulin secretion beneficial for the endothelial function?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Major-Pedersen, A; Ihlemann, N; Hermann, T S

    2008-01-01

    The aim of the study is to determine if attenuation of postprandial hyperglycemia, by acutely and chronically enhancing postprandial insulin secretion in insulin-resistant individuals, improves the endothelial dysfunction. We assessed postoral glucose-load endothelial function in 56 insulin....... We found no relationship between postprandial hyperglycemia and post-OGL FMD....

  15. Radotinib and its clinical potential in chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients: an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskazan, Ahmet Emre; Keskin, Dilek

    2017-09-01

    Although imatinib has dramatically improved major outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), there are newer tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) approved worldwide for the treatment of resistant cases, and two second-generation TKIs (dasatinib, nilotinib) are approved in some nations for treating patients in the upfront setting. Radotinib (IY5511HCL, Supect® ) is a novel and selective second-generation BCR-ABL1 TKI, which is currently approved in Korea for the treatment of patients with CML both in the upfront and salvage settings. This review mainly focuses on the clinical potential of radotinib in patients with CML in chronic phase in terms of efficacy and safety.

  16. Lack of Association of Multidrug Resistance Gene-1 Polymorphisms with Treatment Outcome in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated with Imatinib

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaya Kassogue

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Despite the impressive results obtained with imatinib, inadequate response or resistance are observed in certain patients. It is known that imatinib is a substrate of a multidrug resistance gene (MDR1. Thus, interindividual genetic differences linked to single nucleotide polymorphisms in MDR1 may influence the metabolism of imatinib. The present study has aimed to examine the impact of MDR1 polymorphisms on the hematologic and cytogenetic responses in 70 chronic myeloid leukemia patients who received imatinib. Methods: We used a polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism to identify different profiles of 1236C>T, 2677G>T and 3435C>T in MDR1. Results: The distribution of the three SNPs in responders and poor responders did not show any particular trend (P>0.05. The T allele was slightly higher in responders, but not significantly regardless of the type of SNP (40.3% vs. 33.8% for 1236C>T; 25% vs. 14.7% for 2677G>T and 33.3% vs. 22% for 3435C>T. The dominant model showed a similar trend (P>0.05. Diplotypes composed by the T allele in different exons were frequent in responders. Haplotype analysis showed that 1236C-2677G-3435C was slightly higher in poor responders (60.02% compared to responders (50.42%. However, 1236T-2677T-3435T was frequent in responders (16.98% compared to poor responders (13.1%. Overall, none of the haplotypes were associated with IM response in our cohort (global haplotype association test, P=0.39. Conclusion: The identification of 1236C>T, 2677G>T and 3435C>T polymorphisms may not be advantageous to predict imatinib response for our chronic myeloid leukemia patients.

  17. Resistance Training Exercise Program for Intervention to Enhance Gait Function in Elderly Chronically Ill Patients: Multivariate Multiscale Entropy for Center of Pressure Signal Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming-Shu Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Falls are unpredictable accidents, and the resulting injuries can be serious in the elderly, particularly those with chronic diseases. Regular exercise is recommended to prevent and treat hypertension and other chronic diseases by reducing clinical blood pressure. The “complexity index” (CI, based on multiscale entropy (MSE algorithm, has been applied in recent studies to show a person’s adaptability to intrinsic and external perturbations and widely used measure of postural sway or stability. The multivariate multiscale entropy (MMSE was advanced algorithm used to calculate the complexity index (CI values of the center of pressure (COP data. In this study, we applied the MSE & MMSE to analyze gait function of 24 elderly, chronically ill patients (44% female; 56% male; mean age, 67.56±10.70 years with either cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or osteoporosis. After a 12-week training program, postural stability measurements showed significant improvements. Our results showed beneficial effects of resistance training, which can be used to improve postural stability in the elderly and indicated that MMSE algorithms to calculate CI of the COP data were superior to the multiscale entropy (MSE algorithm to identify the sense of balance in the elderly.

  18. Dasatinib in the treatment of imatinib refractory chronic myeloid leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radhakrishnan Ramchandren

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Radhakrishnan Ramchandren, Charles A SchifferDivision of Hematology/Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USAAbstract: The development of imatinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML has proven to be an example of medical success in the era of targeted therapy. However, imatinib resistance or intolerance occurs in a substantial number of patients. Additionally, patients who have progressed beyond the chronic phase of CML do relatively poorly with imatinib therapy. Mechanisms of imatinib resistance include BCR-ABL point mutations resulting in decreased imatinib binding, as well as mutation-independent causes of resistance such as SRC family kinase dysregulation, BCR-ABL gene amplification, drug influx/efflux mechanisms and other poorly understood processes. The options for therapy in these patients include stem cell transplantation, imatinib dose escalation as well as the use of second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Dasatinib is a second-generation multi-kinase inhibitor with several theoretical and mechanistic advantages over imatinib. Moreover, several studies have evaluated dasatinib in patients who have progressed on imatinib therapy with encouraging results. Other novel agents such as mTOR inhibitors, bosutinib and INNO 406 have also shown promise in this setting. Although treatment options have increased, the choice of second-line therapy in patients with CML is influenced by concerns surrounding the duration of response as well as toxicity. Consequently, there is no agreed upon optimal second-line agent. This paper reviews the current data and attempts to address these issues. Keywords: chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, dasatinib, imatinib, resistance (imatinib resistance, nilotinib, tyrosine kinase inhibitor

  19. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Cultured in Serum from Heart Failure Patients Are More Resistant to Simulated Chronic and Acute Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timo Z. Nazari-Shafti

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite regulatory issues surrounding the use of animal-derived cell culture supplements, most clinical cardiac cell therapy trials using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs still rely on fetal bovine serum (FBS for cell expansion before transplantation. We sought to investigate the effect of human serum from heart failure patients (HFS on cord blood MSCs (CB-MSCs during short-term culture under regular conditions and during simulated acute and chronic stress. Cell survival, proliferation, metabolic activity, and apoptosis were quantified, and gene expression profiles of selected apoptosis and cell cycle regulators were determined. Compared to FBS, HFS and serum from healthy donors (CS showed similar effects by substantially increasing cell survival during chronic and acute stress and by increasing cell yields 5 days after acute stress. Shortly after the termination of acute stress, both HFS and CS resulted in a marked decrease in apoptotic cells. Transcriptome analysis suggested a decrease in TNF-mediated induction of caspases and decreased activation of mitochondrial apoptosis. Our data confirm that human serum from both healthy donors and heart failure patients results in increased cell yields and increased resistance to cellular stress signals. Therefore, we consider autologous serum a valid alternative to FBS in cell-based therapies addressing severe heart disease.

  20. Monitoring of celiac plexus block in chronic pancreatitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Myhre, John Gabriel; Hilsted, J; Tronier, B

    1989-01-01

    Pharmacological, percutaneous celiac plexus blockade is often inefficient in the treatment of pain in chronic pancreatitis. Lack of efficiency could be due to incomplete denervation of the plexus; however, a method for measuring the completeness of celiac plexus blockade is not yet available. We...... have, therefore, monitored the physiological completeness of pharmacological percutaneous celiac blockade with 40 ml 25% ethanol by measuring the effect of posture on heart rate, blood pressure, hepato-splanchnic vascular resistance, and pancreatic hormone concentrations before and after celiac plexus...... block in 6 patients with chronic pancreatitis. Blood pressure decreased and heart rate increased after the block (P less than 0.025), whereas no significant change was found in hepato-splanchnic vascular resistance nor in the change of these parameters during transition from the supine to standing...

  1. Structural biology contributions to the discovery of drugs to treat chronic myelogenous leukaemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowan-Jacob, Sandra W.; Fendrich, Gabriele; Floersheimer, Andreas; Furet, Pascal; Liebetanz, Janis; Rummel, Gabriele; Rheinberger, Paul; Centeleghe, Mario; Fabbro, Doriano; Manley, Paul W.

    2006-01-01

    A case study showing how the determination of multiple cocrystal structures of the protein tyrosine kinase c-Abl was used to support drug discovery, resulting in a compound effective in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia. Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) results from the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein, which has a constitutively activated Abl tyrosine kinase domain. Although most chronic phase CML patients treated with imatinib as first-line therapy maintain excellent durable responses, patients who have progressed to advanced-stage CML frequently fail to respond or lose their response to therapy owing to the emergence of drug-resistant mutants of the protein. More than 40 such point mutations have been observed in imatinib-resistant patients. The crystal structures of wild-type and mutant Abl kinase in complex with imatinib and other small-molecule Abl inhibitors were determined, with the aim of understanding the molecular basis of resistance and to aid in the design and optimization of inhibitors active against the resistance mutants. These results are presented in a way which illustrates the approaches used to generate multiple structures, the type of information that can be gained and the way that this information is used to support drug discovery

  2. [Manegement and countermeasures against tuberculous patients with chronic positive sputum].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, K

    1996-01-01

    We studied measures for the prevention and treatment of chronic positive-sputum tuberculosis. Most physicians treating chronic intractable pulmonary tuberculosis are concerned about treatment and control measures. However, both the medical and social aspects of the disease must be dealt with. The study of the medical aspects of tuberculosis used data on patients at the Tokyo National Chest Hospital and other sanitoria in Japan. The socioeconomic study employed data from a health center in Tokyo. Recently, new cases of tuberculosis are concentrated in socioeconomically high risk groups, such as the homeless and illegal aliens, in a few large cities. Patients in these groups often have multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB), including many patients with relapsing tuberculosis. However, it is dificult to keep such patients under treatment because of poor compliance and patient dropout. The results of our study are summarized as follows: 1. Prevention and treatment of chronic intractable tuberculosis should involve both the medical and socioeconomic aspects of the disease. 2. Surgical treatment offers benefits for patients with chronically positive sputum. Therefore, surgery should be recommended to patients with chronic intractable MDRTB. 3. If resistance to both isoniazid and rifampin is demonstrated, it is better to replace all ineffective drugs with a new effective regimen than to add a single drug to a failing regimen.

  3. Tyrosine kinase inhibition: A therapeutic target for the management of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jabbour, Elias J; Cortes, Jorge E; Kantarjian, Hagop M

    2014-01-01

    Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematologic neoplasm with a progressive, ultimately terminal, disease course. In most cases, CML arises owing to the aberrant formation of a chimeric gene for a constitutively active tyrosine kinase. Inhibition of the signaling activity of this kinase has proved to be a highly successful treatment target transforming the prognosis of patients with CML. New tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) continue to improve the management of CML, offering alternative options for those resistant to or intolerant of standard TKIs. Here we review the pathobiology of CML and explore emerging strategies to optimize the management of chronic-phase CML, particularly first-line treatment. PMID:24236822

  4. ANESTHETIC CONSIDERATION S IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMON ARY DISEASE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Awati

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is a spectrum of diseases that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and small airway disease. It i s characterized by progressive increased resistance to breathing. Patients with marked obstructive pulmonary disease are at increased risk for both intraoperative and Postoperative pulmonary complications. These patients require thorough preoperative prepa ration, meticulous intraoperative management & postoperative care. This article describes anesthetic considerations in a patient with COPD.

  5. Insulin resistance and associated dysfunction of resistance vessels and arterial hypertension

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Jens Henrik; Møller, Søren

    2005-01-01

    , calcitonin gene-related peptide, nitric oxide, and other vasodilators, and is most pronounced in the splanchnic area. This provides an effective (although relative) counterbalance to raised arterial blood pressure. Subjects with arterial hypertension (essential, secondary) may become normotensive during......This review looks at the alterations in the systemic haemodynamics of patients with chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) in relation to essential hypertension and arterial hypertension of renal origin. Characteristic findings in patients with cirrhosis are vasodilatation with low overall systemic...... vascular resistance, high arterial compliance, increased cardiac output, secondary activation of counterregulatory systems (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, sympathetic nervous system, release of vasopressin), and resistance to vasopressors. The vasodilatory state is mediated through adrenomedullin...

  6. [Risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, resistant to carbapenem].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghibu, Laura; Miftode, Egidia; Teodor, Andra; Bejan, Codrina; Dorobăţ, Carmen Mihaela

    2010-01-01

    Since their introduction in clinical practice,carbapenems have been among the most powerful antibiotics for treating serious infections cased by Gram-negative nosocomial pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The emergence of betalactamases with carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity is of major clinical concern. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial infection. Risk factors for colonization with carbapenems-resistant Pseudomonas in hospital are: history of P. aeruginosa infection or colonization within the previous year, (length of hospital stay, being bedridden or in the ICU, mechanical ventilation, malignant disease, and history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have all been identified as independent risk factors for MDR P. aeruginosa infection. Long-term-care facilities are also reservoirs of resistant bacteria. Risk factors for colonization of LTCF residents with resistant bacteria included age > 86 years, antibiotic treatment in the previous 3 months, indwelling devices, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, physical disability, and the particular LTCF unit.

  7. Chronic Iron Limitation Confers Transient Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Marine Diatoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graff van Creveld, Shiri; Rosenwasser, Shilo; Levin, Yishai; Vardi, Assaf

    2016-10-01

    Diatoms are single-celled, photosynthetic, bloom-forming algae that are responsible for at least 20% of global primary production. Nevertheless, more than 30% of the oceans are considered "ocean deserts" due to iron limitation. We used the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model system to explore diatom's response to iron limitation and its interplay with susceptibility to oxidative stress. By analyzing physiological parameters and proteome profiling, we defined two distinct phases: short-term (chronic (>5 d, phase II) iron limitation. While at phase I no significant changes in physiological parameters were observed, molecular markers for iron starvation, such as Iron Starvation Induced Protein and flavodoxin, were highly up-regulated. At phase II, down-regulation of numerous iron-containing proteins was detected in parallel to reduction in growth rate, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, respiration rate, and antioxidant capacity. Intriguingly, while application of oxidative stress to phase I and II iron-limited cells similarly oxidized the reduced glutathione (GSH) pool, phase II iron limitation exhibited transient resistance to oxidative stress, despite the down regulation of many antioxidant proteins. By comparing proteomic profiles of P. tricornutum under iron limitation and metatranscriptomic data of an iron enrichment experiment conducted in the Pacific Ocean, we propose that iron-limited cells in the natural environment resemble the phase II metabolic state. These results provide insights into the trade-off between optimal growth rate and susceptibility to oxidative stress in the response of diatoms to iron quota in the marine environment. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  8. Resistant Hypertension : consequences and treatment options

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Beus, E.

    2017-01-01

    Resistant hypertension, uncontrolled blood pressure despite use of ≥3 antihypertensives including a diuretic or use of ≥4 antihypertensives regardless of blood pressure (BP), was studied. In this thesis, 1/3 of patients with chronic kidney disease, including kidney transplant patients, is shown to

  9. Synergism between Medihoney and rifampicin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Müller

    Full Text Available Skin and chronic wound infections caused by highly antibiotic resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA are an increasing and urgent health problem worldwide, particularly with sharp increases in obesity and diabetes. New Zealand manuka honey has potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, has been shown to inhibit the growth of MRSA strains, and bacteria resistant to this honey have not been obtainable in the laboratory. Combinational treatment of chronic wounds with manuka honey and common antibiotics may offer a wide range of advantages including synergistic enhancement of the antibacterial activity, reduction of the effective dose of the antibiotic, and reduction of the risk of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Medihoney in combination with the widely used antibiotic rifampicin on S. aureus. Using checkerboard microdilution assays, time-kill curve experiments and agar diffusion assays, we show a synergism between Medihoney and rifampicin against MRSA and clinical isolates of S. aureus. Furthermore, the Medihoney/rifampicin combination stopped the appearance of rifampicin-resistant S. aureus in vitro. Methylglyoxal (MGO, believed to be the major antibacterial compound in manuka honey, did not act synergistically with rifampicin and is therefore not the sole factor responsible for the synergistic effect of manuka honey with rifampicin. Our findings support the idea that a combination of honey and antibiotics may be an effective new antimicrobial therapy for chronic wound infections.

  10. Determinants of Growth Hormone Resistance in Malnutrition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazeli, Pouneh K.; Klibanski, Anne

    2014-01-01

    States of under-nutrition are characterized by growth hormone resistance. Decreased total energy intake, as well as isolated protein-calorie malnutrition and isolated nutrient deficiencies result in elevated growth hormone levels and low levels of IGF-I. We review various states of malnutrition and a disease state characterized by chronic under-nutrition -- anorexia nervosa -- and discuss possible mechanisms contributing to the state of growth hormone resistance, including FGF-21 and SIRT1. We conclude by examining the hypothesis that growth hormone resistance is an adaptive response to states of under-nutrition, in order to maintain euglycemia and preserve energy. PMID:24363451

  11. Longitudinal prospective observational type study about determinants of renal resistive index variations in chronic renal failure patients treated with conventional medical and dietetic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brardi, Simone; Cevenini, Gabriele; Giovannelli, Vanni; Romano, Giuseppe

    2017-12-31

    This longitudinal prospective observational type study was conceived with the aim to examine the impact on renal resistive index (RRI) of the variables that we can manipulate with therapeutic and or dietetic interventions in a chronic kidney disease population in order to known which of these variables was statistically related to changes in RRI and therefore could become the object of the greatest therapeutic effort. This study was undertaken between May 2016 to May 2017 in the outpatient nephrology and urology clinic of San Donato Hospital in Arezzo. The study population (84 patients: 47 males and 37 females) was randomly selected among the chronic kidney patients (with various degrees of renal impairment) affected by hypertension and or diabetes mellitus. After a comprehensive medical examination these patients were submitted to determination of serum creatinine, glycated hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion and finally renal Doppler ultrasonography. Then the patients were submitted to a full therapeutic and dietetic intervention to ameliorate the renal impairment by a wide range of actions and after on average a one-year interval were submitted again to a new medical examination and a second determination of serum creatinine, glycated hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion and a new renal Doppler ultrasonography too. The comparison between basal and final data revealed a slight reduction in the mean of bilateral renal resistance indices (Delta RRI: -0.0182 ± 0.08), associated to a slight increase in the mean glomerular filtration rate (Delta GFR: 0.8738 ± 10.95 ml/min/1.73 m2), a reduction in mean body weight (Delta weight: -1.9548 ± 5.26 Kg) and mean BMI (Delta BMI: -0.7643 ± 2.10 Kg/m2) as well as a reduction in the mean systolic blood pressure (Delta systolic blood pressure: -8.8333 ± 25.19 mmHg). Statistical analysis showed statistically significant correlations (p chronic renal failure and as a valuable tool to drive the clinical

  12. Dasatinib, high-dose imatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia: a systematic review and economic evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loveman, E; Cooper, K; Bryant, J; Colquitt, J L; Frampton, G K; Clegg, A

    2012-01-01

    The present report was commissioned as a supplement to an existing technology assessment report produced by the Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG), which evaluated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of dasatinib and nilotinib in patients who are either resistant or intolerant to standard-dose imatinib. This report evaluates the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of dasatinib, nilotinib and high-dose imatinib within their licensed indications for the treatment of people with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) who are resistant to standard-dose imatinib. Bibliographic databases were searched from inception to January 2011, including The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), and MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations. Bibliographies of related papers were screened, key conferences were searched, and experts were contacted to identify additional published and unpublished references. This report includes systematic reviews of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness studies, an independent appraisal of information submitted by drug manufacturers to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), an independent appraisal of the PenTAG economic evaluation, and new economic analyses adapting the PenTAG economic model. Standard systematic procedures involving two reviewers to maintain impartiality and transparency, and to minimise bias, were conducted. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Four of these studies included new data published since the PenTAG report; all of these were in chronic-phase CML. No relevant studies on the clinical effectiveness of nilotinib were found. The clinical effectiveness studies on dasatinib [one arm of a randomised controlled trial (RCT)] and high-dose imatinib (one arm of a RCT and three single-arm cohort studies) had major methodological limitations. These limitations precluded a comparison of the different arms within the RCT. Data from the studies are

  13. Chronic inhibition of tumor cell-derived VEGF enhances the malignant phenotype of colorectal cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamagishi, Naoko; Teshima-Kondo, Shigetada; Masuda, Kiyoshi; Nishida, Kensei; Kuwano, Yuki; Dang, Duyen T; Dang, Long H; Nikawa, Takeshi; Rokutan, Kazuhito

    2013-01-01

    Vascular endothelial growth factor-a (VEGF)-targeted therapies have become an important treatment for a number of human malignancies. The VEGF inhibitors are actually effective in several types of cancers, however, the benefits are transiently, and the vast majority of patients who initially respond to the therapies will develop resistance. One of possible mechanisms for the acquired resistance may be the direct effect(s) of VEGF inhibitors on tumor cells expressing VEGF receptors (VEGFR). Thus, we investigated here the direct effect of chronic VEGF inhibition on phenotype changes in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. To chronically inhibit cancer cell-derived VEGF, human CRC cell lines (HCT116 and RKO) were chronically exposed (2 months) to an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (mAb) or were disrupted the Vegf gene (VEGF-KO). Effects of VEGF family members were blocked by treatment with a VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI). Hypoxia-induced apoptosis under VEGF inhibited conditions was measured by TUNEL assay. Spheroid formation ability was assessed using a 3-D spheroid cell culture system. Chronic inhibition of secreted/extracellular VEGF by an anti-VEGF mAb redundantly increased VEGF family member (PlGF, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2), induced a resistance to hypoxia-induced apoptosis, and increased spheroid formation ability. This apoptotic resistance was partially abrogated by a VEGFR-TKI, which blocked the compensate pathway consisted of VEGF family members, or by knockdown of Vegf mRNA, which inhibited intracellular function(s) of all Vegf gene products. Interestingly, chronic and complete depletion of all Vegf gene products by Vegf gene knockout further augmented these phenotypes in the compensate pathway-independent manner. These accelerated phenotypes were significantly suppressed by knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α that was up-regulated in the VEGF-KO cell lines. Our findings suggest that chronic inhibition of tumor cell-derived VEGF

  14. The impact of pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination treatment on lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Hee Jae; Kim, Young Seok; Kim, Sang Gyune; Lee, Yun Nah; Jeong, Soung Won; Jang, Jae Young; Lee, Sae Hwan; Kim, Hong Soo; Kim, Boo Sung

    2014-03-01

    Lipid profile and insulin resistance (IR) are associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may predict the chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment response. The aim of this study was to determine the association between CHC treatment response and lipid profile and IR change during treatment. In total, 203 CHC patients were reviewed retrospectively between January 2005 and December 2011 at Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital. The lipid profile, homeostasis model for assessment (HOMA) of IR (HOMA-IR), and HOMA of β cells (HOMA-β) were evaluated before interferon plus ribavirin therapy (BTx), at the end of treatment (DTx), and 24 weeks after the end of treatment (ATx). A sustained virologic response (SVR) was achieved by 81% of all patients (49/60), 60% (n=36) of whom possessed genotype 1, with the remainder being non-genotype-1 (40%, n=24). Apart from age, which was significantly higher in the non-SVR group (SVR, 48.0 ± 11.2 years, mean ± SD; non-SVR, 56.6 ± 9.9 years; PC) had significantly changed at DTx and ATx compared to BTx. In addition, HOMA-IR and HOMA-β were significantly changed at DTx in the SVR group. Among those with a high baseline insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >2.5), HOMA-IR was significantly changed at DTx in the SVR group. LDL-C appears to be associated with HCV treatment in SVR patients. Furthermore, eradication of HCV may improve whole-body IR and insulin hypersecretion, as well as high baseline insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >2.5).

  15. Prevalence of steatosis and insulin resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis B compared with chronic hepatitis C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pais, Raluca; Rusu, Elena; Zilisteanu, Diana; Circiumaru, Alexandra; Micu, Laurentiu; Voiculescu, Mihai; Poynard, Thierry; Ratziu, Vlad

    2015-01-01

    The association of NAFLD with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has been extensively studied but little is known about its coexistence with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). To investigate the prevalence and determinants of steatosis and insulin resistance (IR) in CHB and its consequences on liver injury compared with CHC and NAFLD. Patients with CHB (N=110), CHC (N=111) and NAFLD (N=136) were evaluated by biomarkers of steatosis (SteatoTest>0.38 as a surrogate for steatosis >5%), IR (HOMA-IR>2.7 as a surrogate for IR) and fibrosis (FibroTest>0.48 as a surrogate for significant fibrosis, ≥F2). HOMA-IR gradually increased in CHB, CHC and NAFLD: 2.3±1.8; 3±2.6 and 3.8±2.7 (p5% was 21% (CHB), 43% (CHC) and 82% (NAFLD), (p<0.001). The prevalence of fibrosis≥F2 was 10% (CHB), 42% (CHC) and 21% (NAFLD), p<0.001. In CHB, IR was related to host and not viral factors. CHB patients with steatosis had higher BMI (29±5.7kg/m(2) vs. 24±4kg/m(2), p<0.001), waist circumference (96±14cm vs. 84±11cm, p=0.001) and HOMA-IR (3.9±2.6 vs. 1.8±1.2, p<0.001) than those without steatosis. HOMA-IR independently predicted steatosis in CHB (OR=1.9, 95% CI, 1.09-3.27, p<0.05) and CHC (OR=1.38; 95% CI, 1.07-1.78, p<0.02). In CHB, metabolic risk factors and HOMA-IR were not associated with significant fibrosis. HOMA-IR was an independent predictor of fibrosis in CHC. Steatosis may co-exist in CHB patients but with a lower prevalence than in CHC and NAFLD. In CHB steatosis is related to host and not viral factors, and is not associated with the severity of fibrosis. Copyright © 2014 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Dasatinib in Pediatric Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase: Results From a Phase II Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gore, Lia; Kearns, Pamela R; de Martino, Maria Lucia; Lee; De Souza, Carmino Antonio; Bertrand, Yves; Hijiya, Nobuko; Stork, Linda C; Chung, Nack-Gyun; Cardos, Rocio Cardenas; Saikia, Tapan; Fagioli, Franca; Seo, Jong Jin; Landman-Parker, Judith; Lancaster, Donna; Place, Andrew E; Rabin, Karen R; Sacchi, Mariana; Swanink, Rene; Zwaan, C Michel

    2018-05-01

    Purpose Safe, effective treatments are needed for pediatric patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP). Dasatinib is approved for treatment of adults and children with CML-CP. A phase I study determined suitable dosing for children with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) leukemias. Methods CA180-226/NCT00777036 is a phase II, open-label, nonrandomized prospective trial of patients 30% for imatinib-resistant/intolerant patients and complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) > 55% for newly diagnosed patients were of clinical interest. Results Of 113 patients with CML-CP, 14 (48%) who were imatinib-resistant/intolerant and 61 (73%) who were newly diagnosed remained on treatment at time of analysis. Major cytogenetic response > 30% was reached by 3 months in the imatinib-resistant/intolerant group and CCyR > 55% was reached by 6 months in the newly diagnosed CML-CP group. CCyR and major molecular response by 12 months, respectively, were 76% and 41% in the imatinib-resistant/intolerant group and 92% and 52% in newly diagnosed CML-CP group. Progression-free survival by 48 months was 78% and 93% in the imatinib-resistant/intolerant and newly diagnosed CML-CP groups, respectively. No dasatinib-related pleural or pericardial effusion, pulmonary edema, or pulmonary arterial hypertension were reported. Bone growth and development events were reported in 4% of patients. Conclusion In the largest prospective trial to date in children with CML-CP, we demonstrate that dasatinib is a safe, effective treatment of pediatric CML-CP. Target responses to first- or second-line dasatinib were met early, and deep molecular responses were observed. Safety of dasatinib in pediatric patients was similar to that observed in adults; however, no cases of pleural or pericardial effusion or pulmonary arterial hypertension were reported.

  17. Is Vancomycine Still a Choice for Chronic Osteomyelitis Empirical Therapy in Iran?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izadi, Morteza; Zamani, Mohammad Mahdi; Mousavi, Seyed Ahmad; Sadat, Seyed Mir Mostafa; Siami, Zeinab; Vais Ahmadi, Noushin; Jonaidi Jafari, Nematollah; Shirvani, Shahram; Majidi Fard, Mojgan; Imani Fooladi, Abbas Ali

    2012-01-01

    Background Pyogenic bacteria and especially Staphylococcus aurous (S. aurous) are the most common cause of chronic osteomyelitis. Not only treatment protocol of chronic osteomyelitis occasionally is amiss but also this malady responds to treatment difficultly. Objectives This study investigates antibiotic resistance pattern of S. aurous isolated from Iranian patients who suffer from chronic osteomyelitis by two methods: disk diffusion (Kirby bauyer) and E-test (Epsilometer test) to find Vancomycin susceptibility and MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration). Patients and Methods One hundred and thirty one patients who suffer from chronic osteomyelitis which have been referred to both governmental and private hospitals at 2010 were tried out for culturing of osteomyelitis site (sites). Antibiotic susceptibility and MIC of isolated bacteria were investigated by Kirby bauyer and E-test respectively. Results Samples were collected from bone (73.4%), surrounding tissue (14.6%) and wound discharge (12%). S. aureus was isolated from 49.6% of the samples. According to disc diffusion, methicillin resistance S. aureus (MRSA) was 75% and Vancomycin resistance S. aurous (VRSA) was 0% and based on MIC, MRSA was 68.5% and VRSA was 0%. According to MIC experiments, maximum sensitivity was against to Vancomycin (90.2%) and ciprofloxacin (54.4%) respectively but based on disc diffusion, maximum sensitivity was against to Vancomycin (97.7%) and ciprofloxacin (43.2%), respectively (P = 0.001). E-test (9.8%) in comparison with Disc diffusion (2.3%) showed higher percent of intermediate susceptibility to Vancomycin (P = 0.017). Conclusions Comparison of antibiograms and MICs showed that Kirby bauyer technique especially for detection of VISA strains is not reliable comparison with E-test. Already VRSA strains have not detected in Iranian chronic osteomyelitis, Thus Vancomycin is the first choice for chronic osteomyelitis empirical therapy in Iran yet. PMID:23483042

  18. Naturally occurring mutations associated with resistance to HCV NS5B polymerase and NS3 protease inhibitors in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costantino, Angela; Spada, Enea; Equestre, Michele; Bruni, Roberto; Tritarelli, Elena; Coppola, Nicola; Sagnelli, Caterina; Sagnelli, Evangelista; Ciccaglione, Anna Rita

    2015-11-14

    The detection of baseline resistance mutations to new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in HCV chronically infected treatment-naïve patients could be important for their management and outcome prevision. In this study, we investigated the presence of mutations, which have been previously reported to be associated with resistance to DAAs in HCV polymerase (NS5B) and HCV protease (NS3) regions, in sera of treatment-naïve patients. HCV RNA from 152 naïve patients (84 % Italian and 16 % immigrants from various countries) infected with different HCV genotypes (21,1a; 21, 1b; 2, 2a; 60, 2c; 22, 3a; 25, 4d and 1, 4k) was evaluated for sequence analysis. Amplification and sequencing of fragments in the NS5B (nt 8256-8640) and NS3 (nt 3420-3960) regions of HCV genome were carried out for 152 and 28 patients, respectively. The polymorphism C316N/H in NS5B region, associated with resistance to sofosbuvir, was detected in 9 of the 21 (43 %) analysed sequences from genotype 1b-infected patients. Naturally occurring mutations V36L, and M175L in the NS3 protease region were observed in 100 % of patients infected with subtype 2c and 4. A relevant proportion of treatment naïve genotype 1b infected patients evaluated in this study harboured N316 polymorphism and might poorly respond to sofosbuvir treatment. As sofosbuvir has been approved for treatment of HCV chronic infection in USA and Europe including Italy, pre-treatment testing for N316 polymorphism on genotype 1b naïve patients should be considered for this drug.

  19. Chronic genital ulcer disease with subsequent development of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA urethritis and bacteraemia in an HIV-seropositive person – a case observation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Katusiime

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available HIV-seropositive persons are at increased risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. Genital ulcerative disease and sexually transmitted infection with subsequent MRSA infection in HIV-seropositive persons have been documented only once. We report a case of a 44-year-old man who presented to the Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda, with chronic genital ulcer disease and who subsequently developed MRSA urethritis and bacteraemia. This case also demonstrates that persistent genital ulcer disease in HIV-seropositive persons may be as a result of concurrent MRSA infection.

  20. Insecticide resistance in vector Chagas disease: evolution, mechanisms and management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mougabure-Cueto, Gastón; Picollo, María Inés

    2015-09-01

    Chagas disease is a chronic parasitic infection restricted to America. The disease is caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to human through the feces of infected triatomine insects. Because no treatment is available for the chronic forms of the disease, vector chemical control represents the best way to reduce the incidence of the disease. Chemical control has been based principally on spraying dwellings with insecticide formulations and led to the reduction of triatomine distribution and consequent interruption of disease transmission in several areas from endemic region. However, in the last decade it has been repeatedly reported the presence triatomnes, mainly Triatoma infestans, after spraying with pyrethroid insecticides, which was associated to evolution to insecticide resistance. In this paper the evolution of insecticide resistance in triatomines is reviewed. The insecticide resistance was detected in 1970s in Rhodnius prolixus and 1990s in R. prolixus and T. infestans, but not until the 2000s resistance to pyrthroids in T. infestans associated to control failures was described in Argentina and Bolivia. The main resistance mechanisms (i.e. enhanced metabolism, altered site of action and reduced penetration) were described in the T. infestans resistant to pyrethrods. Different resistant profiles were demonstrated suggesting independent origin of the different resistant foci of Argentina and Bolivia. The deltamethrin resistance in T. infestans was showed to be controlled by semi-dominant, autosomally inherited factors. Reproductive and developmental costs were also demonstrated for the resistant T. infestans. A discussion about resistance and tolerance concepts and the persistence of T. infestans in Gran Chaco region are presented. In addition, theoretical concepts related to toxicological, evolutionary and ecological aspects of insecticide resistance are discussed in order to understand the particular scenario of pyrethroid

  1. The clinical meanings of leptin RIA in patients with chronic renal failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Baoqing; Chen Yongsheng; Zhao Yuexia; Wang Yihai

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To explore the relationship between chronic renal failure and serum leptin levels in patients with chronic renal failure. Methods: Serum leptin levels (with RIA) were determined in 134 patients (male, 73, female 61) with chronic renal failure and 40 controls. Results: The serum levels of leptin in the chronic renal failure group were significantly higher than those in the controls (t=2.39, P<0.01). There were no significant differences among the leptin levels in patients with different stages of renal failure. Conclusion: There were hyper-leptinemia and leptin resistance in patients with chronic renal failure. The increase of leptin levels is thought to be harmful in patients with chronic renal failure, however, the precise mechanism remains to be studied further. (authors)

  2. INFECTIOUS VIRUS-ANTIBODY COMPLEX IN THE BLOOD OF CHRONICALLY INFECTED MICE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Notkins, Abner Louis; Mahar, Suellen; Scheele, Christina; Goffman, Joel

    1966-01-01

    If viremic sera from mice chronically infected with lactic dehydrogenase virus (LDV) were first treated with ether or ultraviolet light to inactivate the infectious virus, neutralizing antibody could be demonstrated. Significant amounts of antibody, however, were not detected until the mice had been infected for about 2½ months and its presence did not result in the elimination of the chronic viremia. Virus isolated from sera containing neutralizing antibody was found to be relatively resistant to neutralization by anti-LDV. Further studies revealed that the resistant virus existed in the form of an infectious virus-antibody complex (sensitized virus). The presence of such a complex was demonstrated by the fact that the virus fraction which persisted after in vivo or in vitro exposure to mouse anti-LDV was readily neutralized by goat anti-mouse sera or goat anti-mouse γ-globulin, whereas virus that had not been previously exposed to mouse anti-LDV was completely resistant to neutralization by goat anti-mouse sera. These findings suggest that (a) sensitization may play an important role in the resistance and susceptibility of a virus to neutralization by antiviral antibody, and (b) an anti-γ-globulin may prove useful in neutralizing the resistant fraction and in demonstrating otherwise undetectable antiviral antibody. PMID:5944351

  3. [Effects of a resistance training program in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cigarroa, Igor; Barriga, Rodrigo; Michéas, Camila; Zapata-Lamana, Rafael; Soto, Claudio; Manukian, Tomas

    2016-07-01

    Exercise may be a therapeutic tool for improving the functional capacity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on hemodialysis (HD). To determine the effects on muscle strength (MS), functional capacity (FC) and quality of life related to health (QOLRH) of a resistance training program in patients with CKD on HD. Thirteen CKD patients aged 38.8 ± 3 years, (7 men) on HD for more than one year participated in an exercise program twice a week during 8 weeks. At the beginning and at the end of the program, MS using a knee extension isometric strength test, FC using the six minutes walking test (6MWT) and QOLRH using the KDQOL CV-36 questionnaire were evaluated. Heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and modified Borg scale were measured as control variables. After training, there were significant improvements in MS in both legs; in the distance travelled during 6MWT and in the physical component summary score of the KDQOL-36. Furthermore, a significant decline in diastolic blood pressure was observed. All other control variables did not change significantly. Exercise training during eight weeks in CKD patients in HD resulted in significant improvements in muscle strength, walking capacity and in the physical component of a quality of life score for patients with CKD.

  4. Nanocoatings for Chronic Wound Repair—Modulation of Microbial Colonization and Biofilm Formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mara Mădălina Mihai

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Wound healing involves a complex interaction between immunity and other natural host processes, and to succeed it requires a well-defined cascade of events. Chronic wound infections can be mono- or polymicrobial but their major characteristic is their ability to develop a biofilm. A biofilm reduces the effectiveness of treatment and increases resistance. A biofilm is an ecosystem on its own, enabling the bacteria and the host to establish different social interactions, such as competition or cooperation. With an increasing incidence of chronic wounds and, implicitly, of chronic biofilm infections, there is a need for alternative therapeutic agents. Nanotechnology shows promising openings, either by the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of nanoparticles or their function as drug carriers. Nanoparticles and nanostructured coatings can be active at low concentrations toward a large variety of infectious agents; thus, they are unlikely to elicit emergence of resistance. Nanoparticles might contribute to the modulation of microbial colonization and biofilm formation in wounds. This comprehensive review comprises the pathogenesis of chronic wounds, the role of chronic wound colonization and infection in the healing process, the conventional and alternative topical therapeutic approaches designed to combat infection and stimulate healing, as well as revolutionizing therapies such as nanotechnology-based wound healing approaches.

  5. Sofa dermatitis presenting as a chronic treatment resistant dermatitis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Lynch, M

    2010-04-01

    There is now a well publicised increase in cases of sofa dermatitis since 2007. These have been linked to allergic contact sensitization to dimethlylfumarate, a novel contact allergen. We report on a case associated with a two year history of a treatment resistant dermatitis.

  6. Early-stage chronic kidney disease, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis as risk factors of sarcopenia in aged population: the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV), 2008-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J E; Lee, Y-H; Huh, J H; Kang, D R; Rhee, Y; Lim, S-K

    2014-09-01

    Sarcopenia means the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength with aging. In this study, we found that insulin resistance, chronic kidney disease stage 3, and osteoporosis at the femur neck were closely associated with sarcopenia in elderly men. These conditions modified to slow down the progression of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is known to have multiple contributing factors; however, its modifiable risk factors have not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to identify the most influential and modifiable risk factors for sarcopenia in elderly. This was a population-based, cross-sectional study using data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV), 2008-2009. This study included 940 men and 1,324 women aged 65 years and older who completed a body composition analysis using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia was defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height(2) of less than 1 standard deviation below the sex-specific mean for a younger reference group. Using univariate analysis, age, body mass index (BMI), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), limitations in daily activities, regular exercise, high-risk drinking, family income, osteoporosis, daily energy, and protein intake were associated with sarcopenia in men; age, BMI, limitations in daily activities, regular exercise, occupation, osteoporosis at the total hip, and daily energy intake were associated with sarcopenia in women. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, HOMA-IR ≥2.5 (odds ratio [OR] for sarcopenia, 2.27; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.21-4.25), chronic kidney disease stage 3 (OR, 3.13; 95 % CI, 1.14-8.61), and osteoporosis at the femur neck (OR, 6.83; 95 % CI, 1.08-43.41) were identified as risk factors for sarcopenia in men. Insulin resistance, chronic kidney disease, and osteoporosis at the femur neck should be modified to prevent the acceleration of skeletal muscle

  7. Progesterone resistance in endometriosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Patel, Bansari G; Rudnicki, Martin; Yu, Jie

    2017-01-01

    Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain and affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age. Aberrant progesterone signaling in the endometrium plays a significant role in impaired decidualization and establishment of ectopic endometrial implants. Eutopic endometrial cells from women...... with endometriosis fail to downregulate genes needed for decidualization, such as those involved in cell cycle regulation, leading to unbridled proliferation. Several causes of progesterone resistance in the endometrium have been postulated, including congenital "preconditioning", whereby the in utero environment...... renders infants susceptible to neonatal uterine bleeding and endometriosis. Progesterone action is crucial to decreasing inflammation in the endometrium, and deviant progesterone signaling results in a proinflammatory phenotype. Conversely, chronic inflammation can induce a progesterone resistant state...

  8. Managing chronic conditions in a South African primary care context ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Managing chronic conditions in a South African primary care context: ... is an approach to motivating behaviour change in general health care settings. ... They had mixed experiences with skills for agenda setting and reducing resistance.

  9. CM363, a novel naphthoquinone derivative which acts as multikinase modulator and overcomes imatinib resistance in chronic myelogenous leukemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Chico, Juan Carlos; McNaughton-Smith, Grant; Jiménez-Alonso, Sandra; Hueso-Falcón, Idaira; Montero, Juan Carlos; Blanco, Raquel; León, Javier; Rodríguez-González, Germán; Estévez-Braun, Ana; Pandiella, Atanasio; Díaz-Chico, Bonifacio Nicolás; Fernández-Pérez, Leandro

    2017-01-01

    Human Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a hematological stem cell disorder which is associated with activation of Bcr-Abl-Stat5 oncogenic pathway. Direct Bcr-Abl inhibitors are initially successful for the treatment of CML but over time many patients develop drug resistance. In the present study, the effects of CM363, a novel naphthoquinone (NPQ) derivative, were evaluated on human CML-derived K562 cells. CM363 revealed an effective cell growth inhibition (IC50 = 0.7 ± 0.5 μM) by inducing cancer cells to undergo cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. CM363 caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction of cells in G0/G1 and G2/M phases. This cell cycle arrest was associated with increased levels of cyclin E, pChk1 and pChk2 whereas CM363 downregulated cyclin B, cyclin D3, p27, pRB, Wee1, and BUBR1. CM363 increased the double-strand DNA break marker γH2AX. CM363 caused a time-dependent increase of annexin V-positive cells, DNA fragmentation and increased number of apoptotic nuclei. CM363 triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway as reflected by a release of cytochrome C from mitochondria and induction of the cleavage of caspase-3 and -9, and PARP. CM363 showed multikinase modulatory effects through an early increased JNK phosphorylation followed by inhibition of pY-Bcrl-Abl and pY-Stat5. CM363 worked synergistically with imatinib to inhibit cell viability and maintained its activity in imatinib-resistant cells. Finally, CM363 (10 mg/Kg) suppressed the growth of K562 xenograft tumors in athymic mice. In summary, CM363 is a novel multikinase modulator that offers advantages to circumvent imanitib resistance and might be therapeutically effective in Bcrl-Abl-Stat5 related malignancies. PMID:27557509

  10. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors induced immune thrombocytopenia in chronic myeloid leukemia?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avital F. Barak

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The outcome and quality of life of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML patients has remarkably changed with the treatment of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT is considered mainly as a third line salvage therapy in cases of TKIs resistance or intolerance. Here we describe a patient with chronic phase CML who developed both resistance and late occurrence of s severe thrombocytopenia on first and second generation TKIs and eventually underwent HSCT. Although the mechanism of the myelosuppression is not fully understood, we showed for the first time the development of dose dependent platelet antibodies in the presence of TKIs, suggesting the possibility of TKIs induced thrombocytopenia. Our case emphasizes that late development of severe myelosuppression during imatinib treatment is probably an important indication for consideration of early HSCT.

  11. Rat Strain Differences in Susceptibility to Alcohol-Induced Chronic Liver Injury and Hepatic Insulin Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah M. DeNucci

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The finding of more severe steatohepatitis in alcohol fed Long Evans (LE compared with Sprague Dawley (SD and Fisher 344 (FS rats prompted us to determine whether host factors related to alcohol metabolism, inflammation, and insulin/IGF signaling predict proneness to alcohol-mediated liver injury. Adult FS, SD, and LE rats were fed liquid diets containing 0% or 37% (calories ethanol for 8 weeks. Among controls, LE rats had significantly higher ALT and reduced GAPDH relative to SD and FS rats. Among ethanol-fed rats, despite similar blood alcohol levels, LE rats had more pronounced steatohepatitis and fibrosis, higher levels of ALT, DNA damage, pro-inflammatory cytokines, ADH, ALDH, catalase, GFAP, desmin, and collagen expression, and reduced insulin receptor binding relative to FS rats. Ethanol-exposed SD rats had intermediate degrees of steatohepatitis, increased ALT, ADH and profibrogenesis gene expression, and suppressed insulin receptor binding and GAPDH expression, while pro-inflammatory cytokines were similarly increased as in LE rats. Ethanol feeding in FS rats only reduced IL-6, ALDH1–3, CYP2E1, and GAPDH expression in liver. In conclusion, susceptibility to chronic steatohepatitis may be driven by factors related to efficiency of ethanol metabolism and degree to which ethanol exposure causes hepatic insulin resistance and cytokine activation.

  12. Dual Drug Targeting of Mutant Bcr-Abl Induces Inactive Conformation: New Strategy for the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Overcoming Monotherapy Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Rashedy, Ahmed A; Olotu, Fisayo A; Soliman, Mahmoud E S

    2018-03-01

    Bcr-Abl is an oncogenic fusion protein which expression enhances tumorigenesis, and has been highly associated with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Acquired drug resistance in mutant Bcr-Abl has enhanced pathogenesis with the use of single therapy agents such as nilotinib. Moreover, allosteric targeting has been identified to consequentially inhibit Bcr-Abl activity, which led to the recent development of ABL-001 (asciminib) that selectively binds the myristoyl pocket. Experimental studies have revealed that the combination of nilotinib and ABL-001 induced a 'bent' conformation in the C-terminal helix of Bcr-Abl; a benchmark of inhibition, thereby exhibiting a greater potency in the treatment of CML, surmounting the setbacks of drug resistance, disease regression and relapse. Therefore, we report the first account of the dynamics and conformational analysis of oncogenic T334I Bcr-Abl by dual targeting. Our findings revealed that unlike in the Bcr-Abl-Nilotinib complex, dual targeting by both inhibitors induced the bent conformation in the C-terminal helix that varied with time. This was coupled with significant alteration in Bcr-Abl stability, flexibility, and compactness and an overall structural re-orientation inwards towards the hydrophobic core, which reduced the solvent-exposed residues indicative of protein folding. This study will facilitate allosteric targeting and the design of more potent allosteric inhibitors for resistive target proteins in cancer. © 2018 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

  13. Molecular characterization of resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): function of a new phosphorylated form of Ku70

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saad, Lina

    2013-01-01

    We have identified a new form of phospho-S27-S33-Ku70 constitutively over expressed in a subset of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells resistant to apoptosis induced by DNA double strand breaks (DSB). Ku70 is one of the essential proteins involved in the maintenance of genomic stability through its role in DNA double strand break repair (non-homologous end-joining, NHEJ) and in telomeric protection. Laboratory previously established that resistant CLL cells disclose an up-regulated NHEJ DNA repair and an impaired structure of telomeres. The goal of this thesis was to characterize the biological function(s) of this new form of Ku70. For this purpose we have constructed specific EBV-based vectors (siRNA / cDNA) enabling a simultaneous inhibition of endogenous Ku70 and an expression of different forms (mutated, wild, phospho-mimetic at ser27-33) of Ku70 resistant to siRNA. Thus, we showed: i) a strict co-localisation of phospho-Ku70 with γ-H2AX foci; ii) that DSB induces the phosphorylation of Ku70 within minutes after genotoxic stress in heterodimer complex Ku70/Ku80. This phosphorylation necessitates both the physical interaction and the activity of pS2056-DNA-PKcs and/or ATM, linking phospho-Ku70 to NHEJ-mediated DNA DSB repair; iii) cells expressing mutated A27-A33-Ku70 exhibit a delayed G2/M cell cycle arrest, slower kinetic of DNA repair, lower level of genotoxic stress-induced chromosomal aberrations, and a higher cellular impedance correlated with translocation of transcriptional factor β-catenin from cytoplasmic membrane to the nucleus. Together, these data unveil an involvement of phospho-Ku70 in fast and inaccurate DNA repair; new paradigm for NHEJ regulation and to the control of resistance and maintenance of malignant cells.In parallel, we have initiated experimental approaches to explore other potential roles of phospho-Ku70. Especially, we were interested to determine whether it could play a role in an initiation of cell senescence induced by

  14. A novel dic (17;18 (p13.1;q11.2 with loss of TP53 and BCR/ABL rearrangement in an Imatinib resistant chronic myeloid leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Al-achkar Walid

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The so-called Philadelphia (Ph chromosome is present in more than 90% of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML cases. It results in juxtaposition of the 5′ part of the BCR gene on chromosome 22 to the 3′ part of the ABL gene on chromosome 9. Since the majority of CML cases are currently treated with Imatinib, variant rearrangements in general have no specific prognostic significance, although the mechanisms involved in resistance to therapy have yet to be investigated. The T315I mutation within the abl-gene is the most frequent one associated with resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Results This study evaluated a Ph chromosome positive CML case resistant to imatinib mesylate. A dic(17;18, loss of TP53 gene, co-expression of b2a2 and b3a2 fusions transcript and a T315I mutation were found. Conclusions We reported here a novel case of a Ph chromosome positive CML with a secondary abnormality [dic(17;18], resulting to Glivec resistance but good response to nilotinib. The dic(17;18 might be a marker for poor prognosis in CML. Our finding indicated for an aggressive progression of the disease. The patient died under the treatment due to unknown reasons.

  15. DNA methylation and histone deacetylation regulating insulin sensitivity due to chronic cold exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoqing; Wang, Lai; Sun, Yizheng; Li, Ruiping; Deng, Jinbo; Deng, Jiexin

    2017-02-01

    In this study, we investigated the causal relationship between chronic cold exposure and insulin resistance and the mechanisms of how DNA methylation and histone deacetylation regulate cold-reduced insulin resistance. 46 adult male mice from postnatal day 90-180 were randomly assigned to control group and cold-exposure group. Mice in cold-exposure group were placed at temperature from -1 to 4 °C for 30 days to mimic chronic cold environment. Then, fasting blood glucose, blood insulin level and insulin resistance index were measured with enzymatic methods. Immunofluorescent labeling was carried out to visualize the insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), Obese receptor (Ob-R, a leptin receptor), voltage-dependent anion channel protein 1 (VDAC1), cytochrome C (cytC), 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) positive cells in hippocampal CA1 area. Furthermore, the expressions of some proteins mentioned above were detected with Western blot. The results showed: ① Chronic cold exposure could reduce the insulin resistance index (P cold-exposure group than in control group with both immunohistochemical staining and Western blot (P cold exposure increased DNA methylation and histone deacetylation in the pyramidal cells of CA1 area and led to an increase in the expression of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and DNA methylation relative enzymes (P cold exposure can improve insulin sensitivity, with the involvement of DNA methylation, histone deacetylation and the regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism. These epigenetic modifications probably form the basic mechanism of cold-reduced insulin resistance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Hepatocyte Toll-like receptor 4 regulates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chronic low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of obesity and thought to contribute to the development of obesity-related insulin resistance. Toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4) is a key mediator of pro-inflammatory responses. Mice lacking Tlr4s are protected from diet-induced insulin resistance and inflammat...

  17. Common Secondary Causes of Resistant Hypertension and Rational for Treatment

    OpenAIRE

    Faselis, Charles; Doumas, Michael; Papademetriou, Vasilios

    2011-01-01

    Resistant hypertension is defined as uncontrolled blood pressure despite the use of three antihypertensive drugs, including a diuretic, in optimal doses. Treatment resistance can be attributed to poor adherence to antihypertensive drugs, excessive salt intake, physician inertia, inappropriate or inadequate medication, and secondary hypertension. Drug-induced hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea, primary aldosteronism, and chronic kidney disease represent the most common secondary causes of ...

  18. Sympatho-renal axis in chronic disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobotka, Paul A; Mahfoud, Felix; Schlaich, Markus P; Hoppe, Uta C; Böhm, Michael; Krum, Henry

    2011-12-01

    Essential hypertension, insulin resistance, heart failure, congestion, diuretic resistance, and functional renal disease are all characterized by excessive central sympathetic drive. The contribution of the kidney's somatic afferent nerves, as an underlying cause of elevated central sympathetic drive, and the consequences of excessive efferent sympathetic signals to the kidney itself, as well as other organs, identify the renal sympathetic nerves as a uniquely logical therapeutic target for diseases linked by excessive central sympathetic drive. Clinical studies of renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension using an endovascular radiofrequency ablation methodology have exposed the sympathetic link between these conditions. Renal denervation could be expected to simultaneously affect blood pressure, insulin resistance, sleep disorders, congestion in heart failure, cardiorenal syndrome and diuretic resistance. The striking epidemiologic evidence for coexistence of these disorders suggests common causal pathways. Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system has been associated with components of the metabolic syndrome, such as blood pressure elevation, obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired fasting glucose with hyperinsulinemia. Over 50% of patients with essential hypertension are hyperinsulinemic, regardless of whether they are untreated or in a stable program of treatment. Insulin resistance is related to sympathetic drive via a bidirectional mechanism. In this manuscript, we review the data that suggests that selective impairment of renal somatic afferent and sympathetic efferent nerves in patients with resistant hypertension both reduces markers of central sympathetic drive and favorably impacts diseases linked through central sympathetics-insulin resistance, heart failure, congestion, diuretic resistance, and cardiorenal disorders.

  19. Chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus predict resistance to vitamin D replacement therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alshayeb, Hala M; Wall, Barry M; Showkat, Arif; Mangold, Therese; Quarles, L Darryl

    2013-04-01

    25-Hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is a marker of nutritional status; however, chronic kidney disease (CKD) results in alterations in vitamin D metabolism, including the loss of vitamin D-binding proteins and alterations in CYP27B1 and CYP24 enzymes that metabolize 25(OH)D. This study was designed to determine the predictors of responsiveness to correction of vitamin D deficiency with oral vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) in adults. A retrospective study of 183 veterans with 25(OH)D level vitamin D2, was performed. Logistic regression models were developed to determine the factors predicting the response to treatment, defined as either the change in serum 25(OH)D level/1000 IU of vitamin D2 or the number of vitamin D2 doses (50,000 IU per dose) administered. The mean age of the patients was 63 ± 12 years. About 87% were men and 51% diabetic, and 29% had an estimated glomerular filtration rate of vitamin D2 doses was 10.91 ± 5.95; the average increase in 25(OH)D level was 18 ± 10.80 ng/mL. 25(OH)D levels remained vitamin D2 treatment in logistic regression models. Patients with CKD required greater amounts of vitamin D2 to achieve similar increases in 25(OH)D levels, versus non-CKD patients. The presence of CKD and diabetes mellitus is associated with resistance to correction of 25(OH)D deficiency with vitamin D2 therapy. The underlying mechanism needs to be evaluated in prospective studies.

  20. The relationship between regional abdominal fat distribution and both insulin resistance and subclinical chronic inflammation in non-diabetic adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Objective Obesity is associated with a high risk of insulin resistance (IR) and its metabolic complications. It is still debated that distributions of adipose tissue relate to an excess risk of IR and chronic inflammation in different race. This study was designed to examine the relation between insulin sensitivity, chronic inflammation and central fat distribution in non-diabetic volunteers in Taiwanese. Methods There were 328 volunteers without family history of diabetes mellitus and with normal oral glucose tolerance test enrolled. Total body fat and abdominal fat were measured. Abdominal fat was categorized into intraperitoneal (IP), retroperitoneal (RP) and subcutaneous (SC) fat. The IR index was estimated by homeostatic model assessment. Five inflammatory markers: adiponectin, leptin, tumor necrosing factor-α (TNF-α), resistin and high sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) were measured. Results IR was related to IP fat (r = 0.23, p fat, SC fat or total body fat. After correcting for age and sex, IP fat was the only significant predictor of IR (r2 = 58%, p = 0.001). Leptin showed the strongest relationship with all fat compartments (IP fat: r = 0.44, p = 0.001; RP fat: r = 0.36, p = 0.005, SC fat: r = 0.54, p fat: r = 0.61, p fat (r = 0.29, p = 0.004; r = -0.29, p = 0.005, respectively), but not RP, or SC fat. TNF-α and resistin were not correlated to any fat compartment. After correcting for age and sex, leptin variance was mostly explained by SC fat (41.3%), followed by IP fat (33.6%) and RP fat (25.3%). The hs-CRP and adiponectin variance were mostly explained by IP fat (40% and 49% respectively). Conclusions IP fat is better predictors of IR and subclinical chronic inflammation in Taiwanese adults. A disproportionate accumulation of abdominal fat is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. PMID:24684833

  1. Progressive Abduction Loading Therapy with Horizontal-Plane Viscous Resistance Targeting Weakness and Flexion Synergy to Treat Upper Limb Function in Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Michael D; Carmona, Carolina; Drogos, Justin; Dewald, Julius P A

    2018-01-01

    Progressive abduction loading therapy has emerged as a promising exercise therapy in stroke rehabilitation to systematically target the loss of independent joint control (flexion synergy) in individuals with chronic moderate/severe upper-extremity impairment. Preclinical investigations have identified abduction loading during reaching exercise as a key therapeutic factor to improve reaching function. An augmentative approach may be to additionally target weakness by incorporating resistance training to increase constitutive joint torques of reaching with the goal of improving reaching function by "overpowering" flexion synergy. The objective was, therefore, to determine the therapeutic effects of horizontal-plane viscous resistance in combination with progressive abduction loading therapy. 32 individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke were randomly allocated to two groups. The two groups had equivalent baseline characteristics on all demographic and outcome metrics including age (59 ± 11 years), time poststroke (10.1 ± 7.6 years), and motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer, 26.7 ± 6.5 out of 66). Both groups received therapy three times/week for 8 weeks while the experimental group included additional horizontal-plane viscous resistance. Quantitative standardized progression of the intervention was achieved using a robotic device. The primary outcomes of reaching distance and velocity under maximum abduction loading and secondary outcomes of isometric strength and a clinical battery were measured at pre-, post-, and 3 months following therapy. There was no difference between groups on any outcome measure. However, for combined groups, there was a significant increase in reaching distance (13.2%, effect size; d  = 0.56) and velocity (13.6%, effect size; d  = 0.27) at posttesting that persisted for 3 months and also a significant increase in abduction, elbow extension, and external rotation strength at posttesting that did not persist 3

  2. A novel model of chronic wounds: importance of redox imbalance and biofilm-forming bacteria for establishment of chronicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandeep Dhall

    Full Text Available Chronic wounds have a large impact on health, affecting ∼6.5 M people and costing ∼$25B/year in the US alone. We previously discovered that a genetically modified mouse model displays impaired healing similar to problematic wounds in humans and that sometimes the wounds become chronic. Here we show how and why these impaired wounds become chronic, describe a way whereby we can drive impaired wounds to chronicity at will and propose that the same processes are involved in chronic wound development in humans. We hypothesize that exacerbated levels of oxidative stress are critical for initiation of chronicity. We show that, very early after injury, wounds with impaired healing contain elevated levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and, much like in humans, these levels increase with age. Moreover, the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes is not elevated, leading to buildup of oxidative stress in the wound environment. To induce chronicity, we exacerbated the redox imbalance by further inhibiting the antioxidant enzymes and by infecting the wounds with biofilm-forming bacteria isolated from the chronic wounds that developed naturally in these mice. These wounds do not re-epithelialize, the granulation tissue lacks vascularization and interstitial collagen fibers, they contain an antibiotic-resistant mixed bioflora with biofilm-forming capacity, and they stay open for several weeks. These findings are highly significant because they show for the first time that chronic wounds can be generated in an animal model effectively and consistently. The availability of such a model will significantly propel the field forward because it can be used to develop strategies to regain redox balance that may result in inhibition of biofilm formation and result in restoration of healthy wound tissue. Furthermore, the model can lead to the understanding of other fundamental mechanisms of chronic wound development that can potentially lead to novel therapies.

  3. Refractory chronic cluster headache

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mitsikostas, Dimos D; Edvinsson, Lars; Jensen, Rigmor H

    2014-01-01

    Chronic cluster headache (CCH) often resists to prophylactic pharmaceutical treatments resulting in patients' life damage. In this rare but pragmatic situation escalation to invasive management is needed but framing criteria are lacking. We aimed to reach a consensus for refractory CCH definition...... for clinical and research use. The preparation of the final consensus followed three stages. Internal between authors, a larger between all European Headache Federation members and finally an international one among all investigators that have published clinical studies on cluster headache the last five years...

  4. Hepatitis B virus treatment in HIV-infected patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thio, Chloe L

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common in HIV-infected persons and is associated with increased risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Agents available to treat HBV infection in coinfected patients include lamivudine, entecavir, emtricitabine, adefovir, peginterferon alfa, and the recently approved telbivudine. Treatment decisions should take into account a number of factors, including antiretroviral therapy status, HBV genotype, prior experience of lamivudine, and the need to avoid drug resistance in both HIV- and HBV-infected persons. This article summarizes a presentation on treatment and management of HBV infection in HIV-infected patients made by Chloe L. Thio, MD, at the 9th Annual Ryan White CARE Act Update in Washington, DC. The original presentation is available as a Webcast at www.iasusa.org.

  5. Arterial hypertension and chronic liver disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl; Møller, S

    2005-01-01

    , calcitonin gene-related peptide, nitric oxide, and other vasodilators, and is most pronounced in the splanchnic area. This provides an effective (although relative) counterbalance to raised arterial blood pressure. Subjects with arterial hypertension (essential, secondary) may become normotensive during......This review looks at the alterations in the systemic haemodynamics of patients with chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) in relation to essential hypertension and arterial hypertension of renal origin. Characteristic findings in patients with cirrhosis are vasodilatation with low overall systemic...... vascular resistance, high arterial compliance, increased cardiac output, secondary activation of counterregulatory systems (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, sympathetic nervous system, release of vasopressin), and resistance to vasopressors. The vasodilatory state is mediated through adrenomedullin...

  6. Resistant starch: promise for improving human health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birt, Diane F; Boylston, Terri; Hendrich, Suzanne; Jane, Jay-Lin; Hollis, James; Li, Li; McClelland, John; Moore, Samuel; Phillips, Gregory J; Rowling, Matthew; Schalinske, Kevin; Scott, M Paul; Whitley, Elizabeth M

    2013-11-01

    Ongoing research to develop digestion-resistant starch for human health promotion integrates the disciplines of starch chemistry, agronomy, analytical chemistry, food science, nutrition, pathology, and microbiology. The objectives of this research include identifying components of starch structure that confer digestion resistance, developing novel plants and starches, and modifying foods to incorporate these starches. Furthermore, recent and ongoing studies address the impact of digestion-resistant starches on the prevention and control of chronic human diseases, including diabetes, colon cancer, and obesity. This review provides a transdisciplinary overview of this field, including a description of types of resistant starches; factors in plants that affect digestion resistance; methods for starch analysis; challenges in developing food products with resistant starches; mammalian intestinal and gut bacterial metabolism; potential effects on gut microbiota; and impacts and mechanisms for the prevention and control of colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Although this has been an active area of research and considerable progress has been made, many questions regarding how to best use digestion-resistant starches in human diets for disease prevention must be answered before the full potential of resistant starches can be realized.

  7. Association between IL28B polymorphism, TNFα and biomarkers of insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C-related insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemoine, M; Chevaliez, S; Bastard, J P; Fartoux, L; Chazouillères, O; Capeau, J; Pawlotsky, J M; Serfaty, L

    2015-11-01

    TNFα has been shown to play a role in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced insulin resistance (IR). Polymorphism of the IL28B gene that encodes IFN-lambda 3 may be associated with IR through modulation of TNFα. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between IL28B rs12979860 genotype, the level of TNFα activation and the degree of IR in patients with chronic hepatitis C. One hundred and thirty-three nondiabetic genotype 1 HCV-infected patients with biopsy proven noncirrhotic hepatitis C were investigated for IR (using HOMA index), IL28B rs12979860 genotype and fasting circulating levels of soluble receptor 1 of TNFα (sTNFR1) and adipokines: leptin, adiponectin and IL-6. The HOMA-IR was positively correlated with serum levels of leptin (r = 0.35, P < 0.0001) and sTNFR1 (r = 0.35, P < 0.0001) but not with IL-6 or adiponectin. IL28B rs12979860 CC genotype was observed in 35% patients. Genotype CC and nongenotype CC patients were similar in terms of HOMA-IR (means 1.6 ± 0.9 vs 1.7 ± 1.4) and had similar circulating levels of sTNFR1 and adipokines. Independent factors associated with IR were ferritin (OR = 1.002, P = 0.02), leptin (OR = 1.06, P = 0.02) and sTNFR1 (OR = 7.9, P = 0.04). This study suggests that in nondiabetic, noncirrhotic, HCV genotype 1-infected patients, there is no relationship between IL28B rs12979860 genotype and HOMA-IR or sTNFR1 level. HCV-related IR may be mediated through TNFα independent of IL28B genotype. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Naturally occurring hepatitis C virus protease inhibitors resistance-associated mutations among chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b patients with or without HIV co-infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Ying; Zhang, Yu; Bao, Yi; Zhang, Renwen; Zhang, Xiaxia; Xia, Wei; Wu, Hao; Xu, Xiaoyuan

    2016-05-01

    The aim of this study was to measure the frequency of natural mutations in hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected protease inhibitor (PI)-naive patients. Population sequence of the non-structural (NS)3 protease gene was evaluated in 90 HCV mono-infected and 96 HIV/HCV co-infected PI treatment-naive patients. The natural prevalence of PI resistance mutations in both groups was compared. Complete HCV genotype 1b NS3 sequence information was obtained for 152 (81.72%) samples. Seven sequences (8.33%) of the 84 HCV mono-infected patients and 21 sequences (30.88%) of the 68 HIV/HCV co-infected patients showed amino acid substitutions associated with HCV PI resistance. There was a significant difference in the natural prevalence of PI resistance mutations between these two groups (P = 0.000). The mutations T54S, R117H and N174F were observed in 1.19%, 5.95% and 1.19% of HCV mono-infected patients. The mutations F43S, T54S, Q80K/R, R155K, A156G/V, D168A/E/G and V170A were found in 1.47%, 4.41%, 1.47%/1.47%, 2.94%, 23.53%/1.47%, 1.47%/1.47%/1.47% and 1.47% of HIV/HCV co-infected patients, respectively. In addition, the combination mutations in the NS3 region were detected only in HIV/HCV genotype 1b co-infected patients. Naturally occurring HCV PI resistance mutations existed in HCV mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected genotype 1b PI-naive patients. HIV co-infection was associated with a greater frequency of PI resistance mutations. The impact of HIV infection on baseline HCV PI resistance mutations and treatment outcome in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients should be further analyzed. © 2015 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

  9. Chronic Fructose Consumption As a Model of Polycystic Ovary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Group 2 served as Chronic fructose group and was fed ad libitum on a special diet ... by cardiac puncture for measurement of serum insulin, estradiol, progesterone, ... fructose fed pregnant rats are consistent with findings in other models of PCOS. ... polycystic ovary morphology, hyperandrogenism, and insulin resistance.

  10. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus causing chronic pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enayet, Iram; Nazeri, Ali; Johnson, Leonard B; Riederer, Kathleen; Pawlak, Joan; Saravolatz, Louis D

    2006-04-01

    A young woman presented with pneumonia of a 3-month duration with predominantly nodular pulmonary infiltrates. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was identified in multiple cultures of sputum specimens. According to findings of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, the isolate was identical to USA 300 and carried a type IV Staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec type IV gene and the genes for Panton-Valentine leukocidin.

  11. Keto-supplemented Low Protein Diet: A Valid Therapeutic Approach for Patients with Steroid-resistant Proteinuria during Early-stage Chronic Kidney Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, J; Xie, H; Fang, M; Wang, K; Chen, J; Sun, W; Yang, L; Lin, H

    2016-04-01

    Low protein diets supplemented with keto acid (sLPD) are recommended for patients with stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study assessed whether sLPD is beneficial for patients with steroid-resistant proteinuria during early-stage CKD. A 1-year randomized controlled trial was conducted from 2010 to 2012. In this study, 108 proteinuric patients who were steroid-resistant were assigned to a sLPD group (0.6 g/kg/d with 0.09 g/kg/d keto acids) or a normal protein diet group (NPD, 1.0 g/kg/d). Estimated dietary protein intake, urinary protein excretion, remission rate, renal function, nutritional status, and blood pressure were measured. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the sLPD group (47 patients) and the NPD group (49 patients). Urinary protein excretion significantly decreased in sLPD compared to NPD in months 6, 9, and 12 (P<0.05). Proteinuria reduction was higher in sLPD than in NPD (P<0.001) at the end of the study. Complete remission and partial remission rates were higher in sLPD than in NPD. Serum albumin and pre-albumin levels were higher in sLPD than in NPD in months 9 and 12 (P<0.05). Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels declined more significantly in sLPD than in NPD (P<0.01) at the end of the study. There were no differences in nutritional status, renal function, hemoglobin, or blood pressure between the two groups. sLPD is both nutritionally safe and beneficial, providing nephroprotective effects for early-stage CKD patients with steroid-resistant proteinuria.

  12. MPT0B169, a New Antitubulin Agent, Inhibits Bcr-Abl Expression and Induces Mitochondrion-Mediated Apoptosis in Nonresistant and Imatinib-Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuit-Mun Wong

    Full Text Available Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML is a clonal disorder of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells that is caused by the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. Clinical resistance to the Bcr-Abl inhibitor imatinib is a critical problem in treating CML. This study investigated the antitumor effect and mechanism of MPT0B169, a new antitubulin agent, in K562 CML cells and their derived imatinib-resistant cells, IMR2 and IMR3. IMR2 and IMR3 cells showed complete resistance to imatinib-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis. Resistance involved ERK1/2 overactivation and MDR1 overexpression. MPT0B169 inhibited the growth of K562, IMR2, and IMR3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. MPT0B169 substantially inhibited the mRNA and protein levels of Bcr-Abl, followed by its downstream pathways including Akt, ERK1/2, and STAT3 in these cells. MPT0B169 treatment resulted in a decrease in the polymer form of tubulin according to Western blot analysis. It triggered cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase before apoptosis, which was related to the upregulation of the mitotic marker MPM2 and the cyclin B1 level, and a change in the phosphorylation of Cdk1. MPT0B169 induced apoptosis in nonresistant and imatinib-resistant cells via a mitochondrion-mediated caspase pathway. Further study showed that the agent led to a decrease in the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1 and an increase in the apoptotic protein Bax. Taken together, our results suggest that MPT0B169 might be a promising agent for overcoming imatinib resistance in CML cells.

  13. Personalized Medicine for Chronic Respiratory Infectious Diseases: Tuberculosis, Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Diseases, and Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salzer, Helmut J F; Wassilew, Nasstasja; Köhler, Niklas; Olaru, Ioana D; Günther, Gunar; Herzmann, Christian; Kalsdorf, Barbara; Sanchez-Carballo, Patricia; Terhalle, Elena; Rolling, Thierry; Lange, Christoph; Heyckendorf, Jan

    2016-01-01

    Chronic respiratory infectious diseases are causing high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Tuberculosis, a major cause of chronic pulmonary infection, is currently responsible for approximately 1.5 million deaths per year. Although important advances in the fight against tuberculosis have been made, the progress towards eradication of this disease is being challenged by the dramatic increase in multidrug-resistant bacilli. Nontuberculous mycobacteria causing pulmonary disease and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis are emerging infectious diseases. In contrast to other infectious diseases, chronic respiratory infections share the trait of having highly variable treatment outcomes despite longstanding antimicrobial therapy. Recent scientific progress indicates that medicine is presently at a transition stage from programmatic to personalized management. We explain current state-of-the-art management concepts of chronic pulmonary infectious diseases as well as the underlying methods for therapeutic decisions and their implications for personalized medicine. Furthermore, we describe promising biomarkers and techniques with the potential to serve future individual treatment concepts in this field of difficult-to-treat patients. These include candidate markers to improve individual risk assessment for disease development, the design of tailor-made drug therapy regimens, and individualized biomarker-guided therapy duration to achieve relapse-free cure. In addition, the use of therapeutic drug monitoring to reach optimal drug dosing with the smallest rate of adverse events as well as candidate agents for future host-directed therapies are described. Taken together, personalized medicine will provide opportunities to substantially improve the management and treatment outcome of difficult-to-treat patients with chronic respiratory infections. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. A Case of Resistance to Thyroid Hormone with Chronic Thyroiditis: Discovery of a Novel Mutation (I54V

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Kammoun

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH is a rare disorder characterized by variable tissue hyporesponsiveness to thyroid hormone, usually caused by mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRβ. It has been reported that the serum of patients with RTH is free of auto-antibodies against thyroglobulin (Tg and thyroid peroxidase (TPO, except in rare cases where coincidental autoimmune thyroiditis is also present. We describe a 13-year-old girl with chronic thyroiditis and RTH. This patient had increased plasma free T3, free T4 at the upper limits with unsuppressed TSH. She had peripheral manifestations of thyroid hormone excess, hypertension and growth acceleration. Anti-TPO antibodies were positive. Sequence analysis of the TRβ gene was performed and revealed a novel mutation I54V in exon 4. The same mutation was also found in the mother and two asymptomatic sisters. The clinical presentation of our patient is not habitual in RTH because growth retardation is frequently reported in this syndrome. The association between RTH and thyroiditis complicate the management of the hypothyroidism.

  15. Metabolic syndrome and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The interplay among smoking, insulin resistance and vitamin D.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piazzolla, Giuseppina; Castrovilli, Anna; Liotino, Vito; Vulpi, Maria Rosaria; Fanelli, Margherita; Mazzocca, Antonio; Candigliota, Mafalda; Berardi, Elsa; Resta, Onofrio; Sabbà, Carlo; Tortorella, Cosimo

    2017-01-01

    A close relationship between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has been described, but the exact nature of this link remains unclear. Current epidemiological data refer exclusively to the MetS prevalence among patients with COPD and data about the prevalence of COPD in MetS patients are still unavailable. To analyse and compare risk factors, clinical and metabolic characteristics, as well as the main respiratory function parameters, among patients affected by MetS, COPD or both diseases. We recruited 59 outpatients with MetS and 76 outpatients with COPD. After medical history collection, physical examination, blood sampling for routine analysis, spirometric evaluation, they were subdivided into MetS (n = 46), MetS+COPD (n = 60), COPD (n = 29). A MetS diagnosis was assigned to 62% of COPD patients recruited in the COPD Outpatients Clinic of the Pneumology Department, while the COPD prevalence in MetS patients enrolled in the Internal Medicine Metabolic Disorders Outpatients Clinic was 22%. More than 60% of subjects enrolled in each Department were unaware that they suffered from an additional disease. MetS+COPD patients exhibited significantly higher C-peptide levels. We also found a positive relation between C-peptide and pack-years in all subjects and a negative correlation between C-peptide and vitamin D only in current smokers. Finally, a negative association emerged between smoking and vitamin D. We have estimated, for the first time, the COPD prevalence in MetS and suggest a potential role of smoking in inducing insulin resistance. Moreover, a direct effect of smoking on vitamin D levels is proposed as a novel mechanism, which may account for both insulin resistance and COPD development.

  16. Patients’ Acceptance of Smartphone Health Technology for Chronic Disease Management: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Kaili; Yu, Ping; Liu, Fang; Guan, YingPing; Li, Zhenye; Ji, Yumeng; Du, Ningkai; Lu, Xudong; Duan, Huilong

    2017-01-01

    Background Chronic disease patients often face multiple challenges from difficult comorbidities. Smartphone health technology can be used to help them manage their conditions only if they accept and use the technology. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model to predict and explain the factors influencing patients’ acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Methods Multiple theories and factors that may influence patients’ acceptance of smartphone health technology have been reviewed. A hybrid theoretical model was built based on the technology acceptance model, dual-factor model, health belief model, and the factors identified from interviews that might influence patients’ acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Data were collected from patient questionnaire surveys and computer log records about 157 hypertensive patients’ actual use of a smartphone health app. The partial least square method was used to test the theoretical model. Results The model accounted for .412 of the variance in patients’ intention to adopt the smartphone health technology. Intention to use accounted for .111 of the variance in actual use and had a significant weak relationship with the latter. Perceived ease of use was affected by patients’ smartphone usage experience, relationship with doctor, and self-efficacy. Although without a significant effect on intention to use, perceived ease of use had a significant positive influence on perceived usefulness. Relationship with doctor and perceived health threat had significant positive effects on perceived usefulness, countering the negative influence of resistance to change. Perceived usefulness, perceived health threat, and resistance to change significantly predicted patients’ intentions to use the technology. Age and gender had no significant influence on patients’ acceptance of smartphone technology. The study also

  17. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adaptation to lungs of cystic fibrosis patients leads to lowered resistance to phage and protist enemies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ville-Petri Friman

    Full Text Available Pathogenic life styles can lead to highly specialized interactions with host species, potentially resulting in fitness trade-offs in other ecological contexts. Here we studied how adaptation of the environmentally transmitted bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to cystic fibrosis (CF patients affects its survival in the presence of natural phage (14/1, ΦKZ, PNM and PT7 and protist (Tetrahymena thermophila and Acanthamoebae polyphaga enemies. We found that most of the bacteria isolated from relatively recently intermittently colonised patients (1-25 months, were innately phage-resistant and highly toxic for protists. In contrast, bacteria isolated from long time chronically infected patients (2-23 years, were less efficient in both resisting phages and killing protists. Moreover, chronic isolates showed reduced killing of wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella probably due to weaker in vitro growth and protease expression. These results suggest that P. aeruginosa long-term adaptation to CF-lungs could trade off with its survival in aquatic environmental reservoirs in the presence of microbial enemies, while lowered virulence could reduce pathogen opportunities to infect insect vectors; factors that are both likely to result in poorer environmental transmission. From an applied perspective, phage therapy could be useful against chronic P. aeruginosa lung infections that are often characterized by multidrug resistance: chronic isolates were least resistant to phages and their poor growth will likely slow down the emergence of beneficial resistance mutations.

  18. High intensity aerobic exercise training improves chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced insulin resistance without basal autophagy modulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauly, Marion; Assense, Allan; Rondon, Aurélie; Thomas, Amandine; Dubouchaud, Hervé; Freyssenet, Damien; Benoit, Henri; Castells, Josiane; Flore, Patrice

    2017-03-03

    Chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (insulin resistance: IR). Autophagy is involved in the pathophysiology of IR and high intensity training (HIT) has recently emerged as a potential therapy. We aimed to confirm IH-induced IR in a tissue-dependent way and to explore the preventive effect of HIT on IR-induced by IH. Thirty Swiss 129 male mice were randomly assigned to Normoxia (N), Intermittent Hypoxia (IH: 21-5% FiO 2 , 30 s cycle, 8 h/day) or IH associated with high intensity training (IH HIT). After 8 days of HIT (2*24 min, 50 to 90% of Maximal Aerobic Speed or MAS on a treadmill) mice underwent 14 days IH or N. We found that IH induced IR, characterized by a greater glycemia, an impaired insulin sensitivity and lower AKT phosphorylation in adipose tissue and liver. Nevertheless, MAS and AKT phosphorylation were greater in muscle after IH. IH associated with HIT induced better systemic insulin sensitivity and AKT phosphorylation in liver. Autophagy markers were not altered in both conditions. These findings suggest that HIT could represent a preventive strategy to limit IH-induced IR without change of basal autophagy.

  19. The use of rhG-CSF in chronic autoimmune neutropenia: reversal of autoimmune phenomena, a case history

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuijpers, T. W.; de Haas, M.; de Groot, C. J.; von dem Borne, A. E.; Weening, R. S.

    1996-01-01

    An 8-year-old boy had been suffering from chronic autoimmune neutropenia for more than 5 years. The neutropenia proved to be resistant to high-dose steroids and intravenous (either low-or high-dose) immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy. The chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenia and recurrent phases of

  20. Effect of two contrasting interventions on upper limb chronic pain and disability: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundstrup, Emil; Jakobsen, Markus D; Andersen, Christoffer H; Jay, Kenneth; Persson, Roger; Aagaard, Per; Andersen, Lars L

    2014-01-01

    Chronic pain and disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand severely affect labor market participation. Ergonomic training and education is the default strategy to reduce physical exposure and thereby prevent aggravation of pain. An alternative strategy could be to increase physical capacity of the worker by physical conditioning. To investigate the effect of 2 contrasting interventions, conventional ergonomic training (usual care) versus resistance training, on pain and disability in individuals with upper limb chronic pain exposed to highly repetitive and forceful manual work. Examiner-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial with allocation concealment. Slaughterhouses located in Denmark, Europe. Sixty-six adults with chronic pain in the shoulder, elbow/forearm, or hand/wrist and work disability were randomly allocated to 10 weeks of specific resistance training for the shoulder, arm, and hand muscles for 3 x 10 minutes per week, or ergonomic training and education (usual care control group). Pain intensity (average of shoulder, arm, and hand, scale 0 - 10) was the primary outcome, and disability (Work module of DASH questionnaire) as well as isometric shoulder and wrist muscle strength were secondary outcomes. Pain intensity, disability, and muscle strength improved more following resistance training than usual care (P effect size of 0.91 (Cohen's d). Blinding of participants is not possible in behavioral interventions. However, at baseline outcome expectations of the 2 interventions were similar. Resistance training at the workplace results in clinical relevant improvements in pain, disability, and muscle strength in adults with upper limb chronic pain exposed to highly repetitive and forceful manual work. NCT01671267.

  1. Bacterial strain changes during chronic otitis media surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, G J; Yoo, S; Han, S; Bu, J; Hong, Y; Kim, D-K

    2017-09-01

    Cultures obtained from pre-operative middle-ear swabs from patients with chronic otitis media have traditionally been used to guide antibiotic selection. This study investigated changes in the bacterial strains of the middle ear during chronic otitis media surgery. Pre-operative bacterial cultures of otorrhoea, and peri-operative cultures of the granulation tissue in either the middle ear or mastoid cavity, were obtained. Post-operative cultures were selectively obtained when otorrhoea developed after surgery. Bacterial growth was observed in 45.5 per cent of pre-operative cultures, 13.5 per cent of peri-operative cultures and 4.5 per cent of post-operative cultures. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was identified as the most common bacteria in all pre-operative (32.4 per cent), peri-operative (52.4 per cent) and post-operative (71.4 per cent) tests, and the percentage of Methicillin-resistant S aureus increased from the pre- to the post-operative period. The bacterial culture results for post-operative otorrhoea showed low agreement with those for pre-operative or peri-operative culture, and strain re-identification was required.

  2. Analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii resistance patterns in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in terms of choice of effective empiric antibiotic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grochowalska, Aneta; Kozioł-Montewka, Maria; Sobieszczańska, Anna

    2017-06-12

    Introduction. Multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from patients has become one of the most hazardous pathogens in health care settings. The aim of the study was to analyze pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in patients hospitalized because of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), who were admitted to the Pulmonology Ward of the Masovian Specialistic Hospital in Radom (MSS). The incidence and drug sensitivity of these non-fermenting rods were evaluated, and compliance with antimicrobial procedure with the algorithm of the guidelines in applicable recommendations, was estimated. This should result in determining the local patterns of resistance and verifying therapeutic procedures in accordance with the assumptions of hospital antibiotic policy. In addition, the study examined the effectiveness of empiric and targeted therapy according to the clinical condition of the patient, and the eradication of A. baumannii, in comparison with the aggravating factors of the patient. Materials and Method. The retrospective study included 90 patients with exacerbation of COPD whose etiological factor of infection was A. baumannii, hospitalized in the Department of Pulmonology (MSS) in 2012-2016. Results. Studies were conducted on 90 patients with COPD exacerbation from which A. baumannii was isolated. Co-infections with other bacterial species among 41 patients were additionally noted. The majority of A. baumannii strains showed a high resistance (90%) to fluoroquinolones, ceftazidime, piperacillin/tazobactam. For strains causing a co-infection, drug resistance was successively 44-56%, 44%, 44%. All of patients received empirical therapy. The most commonly used drug was amoxicillin with a clavulanic acid, often combined with fluoroquinolone. This type of therapy was effective among 10% of patients. The mortality in this group was determined at 29%. Among 79% of patients with COPD, a targeted therapy was performed which proved to be

  3. Risk Factors for Heart Failure in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: The CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Jiang; Shlipak, Michael; Anderson, Amanda; Roy, Jason A; Feldman, Harold I; Kallem, Radhakrishna Reddy; Kanthety, Radhika; Kusek, John W; Ojo, Akinlolu; Rahman, Mahboob; Ricardo, Ana C; Soliman, Elsayed Z; Wolf, Myles; Zhang, Xiaoming; Raj, Dominic; Hamm, Lee

    2017-05-17

    Heart failure is common in patients with chronic kidney disease. We studied risk factors for incident heart failure among 3557 participants in the CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study. Kidney function was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using serum creatinine, cystatin C, or both, and 24-hour urine albumin excretion. During an average of 6.3 years of follow-up, 452 participants developed incident heart failure. After adjustment for age, sex, race, and clinical site, hazard ratio (95% CI) for heart failure associated with 1 SD lower creatinine-based eGFR was 1.67 (1.49, 1.89), 1 SD lower cystatin C-based-eGFR was 2.43 (2.10, 2.80), and 1 SD higher log-albuminuria was 1.65 (1.53, 1.78), all P failure. After adjusting for eGFR, albuminuria, and other traditional cardiovascular risk factors, anemia (1.37, 95% CI 1.09, 1.72, P =0.006), insulin resistance (1.16, 95% CI 1.04, 1.28, P =0.006), hemoglobin A1c (1.27, 95% CI 1.14, 1.41, P failure. Our study indicates that cystatin C-based eGFR and albuminuria are better predictors for risk of heart failure compared to creatinine-based eGFR. Furthermore, anemia, insulin resistance, inflammation, and poor glycemic control are independent risk factors for the development of heart failure among patients with chronic kidney disease. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  4. The critical role of ERK in death resistance and invasiveness of hypoxia-selected glioblastoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jee-Youn; Kim, Yong-Jun; Lee, Sun; Park, Jae-Hoon

    2009-01-01

    The rapid growth of tumor parenchyma leads to chronic hypoxia that can result in the selection of cancer cells with a more aggressive behavior and death-resistant potential to survive and proliferate. Thus, identifying the key molecules and molecular mechanisms responsible for the phenotypic changes associated with chronic hypoxia has valuable implications for the development of a therapeutic modality. The aim of this study was to identify the molecular basis of the phenotypic changes triggered by chronic repeated hypoxia. Hypoxia-resistant T98G (HRT98G) cells were selected by repeated exposure to hypoxia and reoxygenation. Cell death rate was determined by the trypan blue exclusion method and protein expression levels were examined by western blot analysis. The invasive phenotype of the tumor cells was determined by the Matrigel invasion assay. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of proteins in the brain tumor samples. The Student T-test and Pearson Chi-Square test was used for statistical analyses. We demonstrate that chronic repeated hypoxic exposures cause T98G cells to survive low oxygen tension. As compared with parent cells, hypoxia-selected T98G cells not only express higher levels of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-X L , and phosphorylated ERK, but they also have a more invasive potential in Matrigel invasion chambers. Activation or suppression of ERK pathways with a specific activator or inhibitor, respectively, indicates that ERK is a key molecule responsible for death resistance under hypoxic conditions and a more invasive phenotype. Finally, we show that the activation of ERK is more prominent in malignant glioblastomas exposed to hypoxia than in low grade astrocytic glial tumors. Our study suggests that activation of ERK plays a pivotal role in death resistance under chronic hypoxia and phenotypic changes related to the invasive phenotype of HRT98G cells compared to parent cells

  5. Pathogenic agents of chronic suppurative otitis media in Ilorin, Nigeria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: Chronic suppurative otitis media is still highly prevalent in our environment, affecting mainly children. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of pathogenic isolates is different from those of other regions of Nigeria with increasing resistance recorded for some organisms. Hence, where possible and available, ...

  6. Serum cystatin C is an independent biomarker associated with the renal resistive index in patients with chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa-Akiyama, Ayu; Sugiyama, Hitoshi; Kitagawa, Masashi; Tanaka, Keiko; Onishi, Akifumi; Yamanari, Toshio; Morinaga, Hiroshi; Uchida, Haruhito Adam; Nakamura, Kazufumi; Ito, Hiroshi; Wada, Jun

    2018-01-01

    Cystatin C is a cysteine protease inhibitor that is produced by nearly all human cells. The serum level of cystatin C is a stronger predictor of the renal outcome and the risk of cardiovascular events than the creatinine level. The resistive index (RI) on renal Doppler ultrasonography is a good indicator of vascular resistance as well as the renal outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it is unclear whether serum cystatin C is associated with signs of vascular dysfunction, such as the renal RI. We measured the serum cystatin C levels in 101 CKD patients and investigated the relationships between cystatin C and markers of vascular dysfunction, including the renal RI, ankle-brachial pulse wave velocity (baPWV), intima-media thickness (IMT), and cardiac function. The renal RI was significantly correlated with the serum cystatin C level (p < 0.0001, r = 0.6920). The serum cystatin C level was found to be a significant determinant of the renal RI (p < 0.0001), but not the baPWV, in a multivariate regression analysis. The multivariate odds ratio of the serum cystatin C level for a renal RI of more than 0.66 was statistically significant (2.92, p = 0.0106). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve comparing the sensitivity and specificity of cystatin C for predicting an RI of more than 0.66 was 0.882 (cutoff value: 2.04 mg/L). In conclusion, the serum cystatin C level is an independent biomarker associated with the renal RI in patients with CKD.

  7. Effect of two contrasting interventions on upper limb chronic pain and disability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sundstrup, Emil; Jakobsen, Markus D; Andersen, Christoffer H

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Chronic pain and disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand severely affect labor market participation. Ergonomic training and education is the default strategy to reduce physical exposure and thereby prevent aggravation of pain. An alternative strategy could be to increase physical...... capacity of the worker by physical conditioning. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of 2 contrasting interventions, conventional ergonomic training (usual care) versus resistance training, on pain and disability in individuals with upper limb chronic pain exposed to highly repetitive and forceful manual...... interval -2.0 to -0.9) following resistance training compared with usual care, corresponding to an effect size of 0.91 (Cohen's d). LIMITATIONS: Blinding of participants is not possible in behavioral interventions. However, at baseline outcome expectations of the 2 interventions were similar. CONCLUSION...

  8. [The use of motivational interviewing (MI) in patients with chronic renal failure].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zawadzka, Barbara; Kleja, Justyna

    2014-01-01

    Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease must submit to numerous medical procedures and burdensome changes in lifestyle that make it difficult to adapt to the disease. Therefore, an important issue is to stimulate the patients motivation to comply with medical recommendations. This article describes a therapy tool for developing patient's motivation to change, called therapy or motivational interview (MI), the type of approach that is increasingly being used inhealth care, as an aid to chronically ill patients. Characteristics of this approach generally relies on the assumption that the Motivation for a change should come from a patient, not the provider, and a patient should articulate arnd resolve ambivalence provider persuassion is not effective and enhance resistance from a change. Persuasion by a person healing can only strengthen and enhance the patient's resistance to unwanted habits.

  9. Interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 in chronic hepatitis C: Correlations with insulin resistance, histological features & sustained virological response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crisan, Dana; Grigorescu, Mircea Dan; Radu, Corina; Suciu, Alina; Grigorescu, Mircea

    2017-04-01

    One of the multiple factors contributing to virological response in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10). Its level reflects the status of interferon-stimulated genes, which in turn is associated with virological response to antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of serum IP-10 levels on sustained virological response (SVR) and the association of this parameter with insulin resistance (IR) and liver histology. Two hundred and three consecutive biopsy proven CHC patients were included in the study. Serum levels of IP-10 were determined using ELISA method. IR was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR). Histological features were assessed invasively by liver biopsy and noninvasively using FibroTest, ActiTest and SteatoTest. Predictive factors for SVR and their interrelations were assessed. A cut-off value for IP-10 of 392 pg/ml was obtained to discriminate between responders and non-responders. SVR was obtained in 107 patients (52.70%). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for SVR was 0.875 with a sensitivity of 91.6 per cent, specificity 74.7 per cent, positive predictive value 80.3 per cent and negative predictive value 88.7 per cent. Higher values of IP-10 were associated with increasing stages of fibrosis (P<0.01) and higher grades of inflammation (P=0.02, P=0.07) assessed morphologically and noninvasively through FibroTest and ActiTest. Significant steatosis and IR were also associated with increased levels of IP-10 (P=0.01 and P=0.02). In multivariate analysis, IP-10 levels and fibrosis stages were independently associated with SVR. Our findings showed that the assessment of serum IP-10 level could be a predictive factor for SVR and it was associated with fibrosis, necroinflammatory activity, significant steatosis and IR in patients with chronic HCV infection.

  10. Mechanisms Underlying the Antidepressant Response and Treatment Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjorie Rose Levinstein

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Depression is a complex and heterogeneous disorder affecting millions of Americans. There are several different medications and other treatments that are available and effective for many patients with depression. However, a substantial percentage of patients fail to achieve remission with these currently available interventions, and relapse rates are high. Therefore, it is necessary to determine both the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant response and the differences between responders and non-responders to treatment. Delineation of these mechanisms largely relies on experiments that utilize animal models. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the various mouse models that are currently used to assess the antidepressant response, such as chronic mild stress, social defeat, and chronic corticosterone. We discuss how these mouse models can be used to advance our understanding of the differences between responders and non-responders to antidepressant treatment. We also provide an overview of experimental treatment modalities that are used for treatment-resistant depression, such as deep brain stimulation and ketamine administration. We will then review the various genetic polymorphisms and transgenic mice that display resistance to antidepressant treatment. Finally, we synthesize the published data to describe a potential neural circuit underlying the antidepressant response and treatment resistance.

  11. Drug-Driven Phenotypic Convergence Supports Rational Treatment Strategies of Chronic Infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Imamovic, Lejla; Ellabaan, Mostafa Mostafa Hashim; Dantas Machado, Ana Manuel

    2018-01-01

    Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections evade antibiotic therapy and are associated with mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We find that in vitro resistance evolution of P. aeruginosa toward clinically relevant antibiotics leads to phenotypic convergence toward distinct states. These s...

  12. Cardiac Insulin Resistance and MicroRNA Modulators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmi Pulakat

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cardiac insulin resistance is a metabolic and functional disorder that is often associated with obesity and/or the cardiorenal metabolic syndrome (CRS, and this disorder may be accentuated by chronic alcohol consumption. In conditions of over-nutrition, increased insulin (INS and angiotensin II (Ang II activate mammalian target for rapamycin (mTOR/p70 S6 kinase (S6K1 signaling, whereas chronic alcohol consumption inhibits mTOR/S6K1 activation in cardiac tissue. Although excessive activation of mTOR/S6K1 induces cardiac INS resistance via serine phosphorylation of INS receptor substrates (IRS-1/2, it also renders cardioprotection via increased Ang II receptor 2 (AT2R upregulation and adaptive hypertrophy. In the INS-resistant and hyperinsulinemic Zucker obese (ZO rat, a rodent model for CRS, activation of mTOR/S6K1signaling in cardiac tissue is regulated by protective feed-back mechanisms involving mTOR↔AT2R signaling loop and profile changes of microRNA that target S6K1. Such regulation may play a role in attenuating progressive heart failure. Conversely, alcohol-mediated inhibition of mTOR/S6K1, down-regulation of INS receptor and growth-inhibitory mir-200 family, and upregulation of mir-212 that promotes fetal gene program may exacerbate CRS-related cardiomyopathy.

  13. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Insulin Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Negro

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are associated with hepatitis C virus infection. A wealth of clinical and experimental data suggests that the virus is directly interfering with the insulin signalling in hepatocytes. In the case of at least one viral genotype (the type 3a, insulin resistance seems to be directly mediated by the downregulation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. Whether and how this interaction may be manipulated pharmacologically, in order to improve the responsiveness to antivirals of insulin resistant chronic hepatitis C, patients remain to be fully explored.

  14. Hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor-resistance mutations: our experience and review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shuang; Kanda, Tatsuo; Nakamoto, Shingo; Imazeki, Fumio; Yokosuka, Osamu

    2013-12-21

    Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are one of the major advances in its medical treatment. The HCV protease inhibitors boceprevir and telaprevir were the first approved DAAs in the United States, Europe, and Japan. When combined with peginterferon plus ribavirin, these agents increase sustained virologic response rates to 70%-80% in treatment-naïve patients and previous-treatment relapsers with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection. Without peginterferon plus ribavirin, DAA mono-therapies increased DAA-resistance mutations. Several new DAAs for HCV are now in clinical development and are likely to be approved in the near future. However, it has been reported that the use of these drugs also led to the emergence of DAA-resistance mutations in certain cases. Furthermore, these mutations exhibit cross-resistance to multiple drugs. The prevalence of DAA-resistance mutations in HCV-infected patients who were not treated with DAAs is unknown, and it is as yet uncertain whether such variants are sensitive to DAAs. We performed a population sequence analysis to assess the frequency of such variants in the sera of HCV genotype 1-infected patients not treated with HCV protease inhibitors. Here, we reviewed the literature on resistance variants of HCV protease inhibitors in treatment naïve patients with chronic HCV genotype 1, as well as our experience.

  15. Genomic regions associated with ventro-cranial chronic pleuritis in pig

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Kirsten Kørup; Gregersen, Vivi Raundahl; Christensen, Ole Fredslund

    2011-01-01

    Ventro-cranial chronic pleuritis can be a result of pleuropneumonia and enzootic pneumonia. These diseases cause severe losses in intensive pig production worldwide, but host resistance is difficult to breed for. It could be beneficial to use marker-assisted selection, and a step towards this is ...

  16. The effect of chronic heart failure and type 2 diabetes on insulin-stimulated endothelial function is similar and additive

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Falskov, Britt; Hermann, Thomas Steffen; Rask-Madsen, Christian

    2011-01-01

    AIM: Chronic heart failure is associated with endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance. The aim of this investigation was to study insulin-stimulated endothelial function and glucose uptake in skeletal muscles in patients with heart failure in comparison to patients with type 2 diabetes. ME...... in similar vascular insulin resistance and reduced muscular insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. The effects of systolic heart failure and type 2 diabetes appear to be additive.......AIM: Chronic heart failure is associated with endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance. The aim of this investigation was to study insulin-stimulated endothelial function and glucose uptake in skeletal muscles in patients with heart failure in comparison to patients with type 2 diabetes...

  17. Complement activation, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance and chronic heart failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerre, M.; Kistorp, C.; Hansen, T.K.

    2010-01-01

    CRP), endothelial activation (soluble E-selectin, sEsel)), endothelial damage/dysfunction (von Willebrand factor, vWf) and insulin resistance (IR) and prognosis in CHF remains unknown. Design. We investigated the association(s) between plasma sMAC, hsCRP, sEsel, vWf and IR (assessed by homeostatic model assessment...

  18. Bacterial biofilms and antibiotic resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana Caldas-Arias

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Biofilms give to bacteria micro-environmental benefits; confers protection against antimicrobials. Bacteria have antibiotic resistance by conventional and unusual mechanisms leading to delayed wound healing, to increase recurrent chronic infections and nosocomial contamination of medical devices. Objective: This narrative review aims to introduce the characteristics of Bacteria-biofilms, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and potential alternatives for prevention and control of its formation. Methods: Search strategy was performed on records: PubMed / Medline, Lilacs, Redalyc; with suppliers such as EBSCO and thesaurus MeSH and DeCS. Conclusions: Knowledge and research performance of biofilm bacteria are relevant in the search of technology for detection and measuring sensitivity to antibiotics. The identification of Bacterial-biofilms needs no-traditional microbiological diagnosis.

  19. Nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae as a cause of chronic adenoiditis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheshil Dixit

    2016-01-01

    We present the case of a child with chronic adenoiditis caused by a PspK+ NESp. We tested the pneumococcal isolate, designated C144.66, for antimicrobial resistance, the presence of the pspK gene and the expression of PspK. Sequence typing and genome sequencing were performed. C144.66 was found to be resistant to erythromycin and displayed intermediate resistance to penicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. C144.66 has the pspK gene in place of the capsule locus. Additionally, PspK expression was confirmed by flow cytometry. NESp are a growing concern as an emerging human pathogen, as current pneumococcal vaccines do not confer immunity against them. An inability to vaccinate against NESp may result in increased carriage and associated pathology.

  20. [Chronic mild inflammation links obesity, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis and diabetes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andel, M; Polák, J; Kraml, P; Dlouhý, P; Stich, V

    2009-01-01

    Chronic low grade inflammation is relatively new concept in metabolic medicine. This concept describes the relations between the inflammation and adipose tissue, insulin resistence, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Macrophages and lymphocytes deposed in adipose tissue produce proinflammatory cytokines which directly or through the CRP liver secretion are targeting endothelial cells, hepatocytes and beta cells of Langerhans islets of pancreas. The dysfunction of these cells follows often further disturbances and in case of beta cells - the cell death. The connection between the adipose tissue insulin resistence, atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes was earlier described with endocrine and metabolic descriptors. The concept of chronic low grade inflammation creates also another description of multilateral connections in metabolic syndome. The salicylates and the drugs related to them seem to have some glucose lowering properties. The recent development in the field ofchronic low grade inflammation represents also certain therapeutic hope for antiinflammatory intervention in type 2 diabetes.

  1. Longitudinal prospective observational type study about determinants of renal resistive index variations in chronic renal failure patients treated with conventional medical and dietetic therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Brardi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This longitudinal prospective observational type study was conceived with the aim to examine the impact on renal resistive index (RRI of the variables that we can manipulate with therapeutic and or dietetic interventions in a chronic kidney disease population in order to known which of these variables was statistically related to changes in RRI and therefore could become the object of the greatest therapeutic effort. Material and methods: This study was undertaken between May 2016 to May 2017 in the outpatient nephrology and urology clinic of San Donato Hospital in Arezzo. The study population (84 patients: 47 males and 37 females was randomly selected among the chronic kidney patients (with various degrees of renal impairment affected by hypertension and or diabetes mellitus. After a comprehensive medical examination these patients were submitted to determination of serum creatinine, glycated hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion and finally renal Doppler ultrasonography. Then the patients were submitted to a full therapeutic and dietetic intervention to ameliorate the renal impairment by a wide range of actions and after on average a one-year interval were submitted again to a new medical examination and a second determination of serum creatinine, glycated hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion and a new renal Doppler ultrasonography too. Results: The comparison between basal and final data revealed a slight reduction in the mean of bilateral renal resistance indices (Delta RRI: -0.0182 ± 0.08, associated to a slight increase in the mean glomerular filtration rate (Delta GFR: 0.8738 ± 10.95 ml/min/1.73 m2, a reduction in mean body weight (Delta weight: -1.9548 ± 5.26 Kg and mean BMI (Delta BMI: -0.7643 ± 2.10 Kg/m2 as well as a reduction in the mean systolic blood pressure (Delta systolic blood pressure: -8.8333 ± 25.19 mmHg. Statistical analysis showed statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05 between

  2. Increasing trend of metronidazole resistance in the treatment of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Helicobacter pylori are gram negative spiral bacteria that colonize the human stomach. Infection with H. pylori is associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric mucosaassociated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Antibiotic resistance is an ever increasing problem with the treatment of ...

  3. Preventive effects of chronic exogenous growth hormone levels on diet-induced hepatic steatosis in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian Ya-ping

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, which is characterized by hepatic steatosis, can be reversed by early treatment. Several case reports have indicated that the administration of recombinant growth hormone (GH could improve fatty liver in GH-deficient patients. Here, we investigated whether chronic exogenous GH levels could improve hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet in rats, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Results High-fat diet-fed rats developed abdominal obesity, fatty liver and insulin resistance. Chronic exogenous GH improved fatty liver, by reversing dyslipidaemia, fat accumulation and insulin resistance. Exogenous GH also reduced serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha levels, and ameliorated hepatic lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Hepatic fat deposition was also reduced by exogenous GH levels, as was the expression of adipocyte-derived adipokines (adiponectin, leptin and resistin, which might improve lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis. Exogenous GH seems to improve fatty liver by reducing fat weight, improving insulin sensitivity and correcting oxidative stress, which may be achieved through phosphorylation or dephosphorylation of a group of signal transducers and activators of hepatic signal transduction pathways. Conclusions Chronic exogenous GH has positive effects on fatty liver and may be a potential clinical application in the prevention or reversal of fatty liver. However, chronic secretion of exogenous GH, even at a low level, may increase serum glucose and insulin levels in rats fed a standard diet, and thus increase the risk of insulin resistance.

  4. Treinamento resistido progressivo nas doenças musculoesqueléticas crônicas Progressive resistance training in chronic musculoskeletal disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Trajano Jorge

    2009-12-01

    physical exercises in physical therapy, besides optimizing the results of the treatment. OBJECTIVE: To review studies that used progressive resistance training in chronic musculoskeletal diseases and to demonstrate the importance of including this type of training in the rehabilitation of those diseases. SOURCE OF THE DATA: Pubmed, Medline, and Lilacs databases were reviewed without restrictions of date and/or language. REVIEW: Due to the countless benefits attributed to this treatment modality, the importance of exercises in physical therapy has been well documented. Despite the proven efficacy, high-intensity exercises are not routinely prescribed, and this prescription is usually not standardized, which does not allow a consensus on the type of strengthening used, as well as load calculation and progression. Progressive resistance training implies the gradual increase in load during the training period. The number of repetitions that each individual can complete depends on the calculation of the maximal repetition. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this review, the use of progressive resistance training to complement traditional exercises used in rehabilitation of chronic musculoskeletal diseases is recommended in order to standardize treatment protocols, with adequate control of individual load, and to optimize training results. However, it should be emphasized that further studies are necessary for more reliable conclusions.

  5. Antibiotic resistance of bacterial biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoiby, N.; Bjarnsholt, T.; Givskov, M.

    2010-01-01

    A biofilm is a structured consortium of bacteria embedded in a self-produced polymer matrix consisting of polysaccharide, protein and DNA. Bacterial biofilms cause chronic infections because they show increased tolerance to antibiotics and disinfectant chemicals as well as resisting phagocytosis...... and other components of the body's defence system. The persistence of, for example, staphylococcal infections related to foreign bodies is due to biofilm formation. Likewise, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients is caused by biofilm-growing mucoid strains....... Characteristically, gradients of nutrients and oxygen exist from the top to the bottom of biofilms and these gradients are associated with decreased bacterial metabolic activity and increased doubling times of the bacterial cells; it is these more or less dormant cells that are responsible for some of the tolerance...

  6. Acyclic nucleoside phosphonates: A key class of antiviral drugs

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    De Clercq, E.; Holý, Antonín

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 4, č. 13 (2005), 928-940 ISSN 1474-1776 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4055905 Keywords : tenofovir * adefovir * cidofovir Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 18.775, year: 2005

  7. Dasatinib for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia: patient selection and special considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keskin, Dilek; Sadri, Sevil; Eskazan, Ahmet Emre

    2016-01-01

    Dasatinib is one of the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in imatinib resistance and/or intolerance, as well as in the frontline setting in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia-chronic phase, and also in patients with advanced disease. It is also utilized in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia. While choosing the appropriate tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ie, dasatinib) for each individual patient, comorbidities and BCR-ABL1 kinase domain mutations should always be taken into consideration, among other things. This review mainly focuses on patient selection prior to dasatinib administration in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.

  8. Erythropoietin treatment does not compromise cardiovascular function in chronic renal failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haedersdal, C; Mehlsen, J; Stenver, Doris Irene

    1994-01-01

    The anemia in patients with chronic renal failure can be corrected through treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin treatment. This correction is associated with changes in the rheologic variables, which could explain the changes in hemodynamics found by many investigators. The authors have...... followed up 11 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis before and during six months of therapy with erythropoietin. The measurements were made before treatment, after four months of therapy, and after six months of therapy. The measurements included hematocrit, osmotic resistance of the red...

  9. Effects of functional resistance training on fitness and quality of life in females with chronic nonspecific low-back pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortell-Tormo, Juan M; Sánchez, Pablo Tercedor; Chulvi-Medrano, Ivan; Tortosa-Martínez, Juan; Manchado-López, Carmen; Llana-Belloch, Salvador; Pérez-Soriano, Pedro

    2018-02-06

    Exercise is important as adjuvant in the chronic low back pain (CLBP) treatment. Functional training could involve benefits for low back pain (LBP) patients. To evaluate the effects of a 12-week period of functional resistance training on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), disability, body pain, and physical fitness in CLBP females. Nineteen females CLBP were recruited according to Paris Task Force on Back Pain criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to an exercise group (EG); and a control group (CG). Subjects were tested at baseline and at week 12 after 24 sessions, 2 days per week. Body pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS), disability with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and HRQOL with Short Form 36 questionnaire. Physical fitness was measured using: flamingo test, back endurance test, side bridge test, abdominal curl-up tests, and 60-s squat test. EG showed significant improvements in physical function (10%; ptraining decreased pain and disability and improved HRQOL, balance and physical fitness in females with CLBP, and can thus be used safely in this population.

  10. Using Epigenetic Therapy to Overcome Chemotherapy Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strauss, Julius; Figg, William D

    2016-01-01

    It has been known for decades that as cancer progresses, tumors develop genetic alterations, making them highly prone to developing resistance to therapies. Classically, it has been thought that these acquired genetic changes are fixed. This has led to the paradigm of moving from one cancer therapy to the next while avoiding past therapies. However, emerging data on epigenetic changes during tumor progression and use of epigenetic therapies have shown that epigenetic modifications leading to chemotherapy resistance have the potential to be reversible with epigenetic therapy. In fact, promising clinical data exist that treatment with epigenetic agents can diminish chemotherapy resistance in a number of tumor types including chronic myelogenous leukemia, colorectal, ovarian, lung and breast cancer. The potential for epigenetic-modifying drugs to allow for treatment of resistant disease is exciting and clinical trials have just begun to evaluate this area. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of chronic kidney disease on serum resistin level | Dan ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... between two groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study is probably the first study in India comparing serum resistin levels of CKD patients vis-à-vis control subjects. Further cellular research may be needed to explore this relation. Key words: Chronic kidney disease, HOMA-IR, insulin resistance, resistin ...

  12. Complement activation, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance and chronic heart failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerre, M.; Kistorp, C.; Hansen, T.K.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives. Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have an exaggerated immune response, endothelial damage/dysfunction, and increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). The inter-relationship(s) between indices of complement activation (soluble membrane attack complex, sMAC), inflammation (hs...... to ischemic heart disease (IHD) as compared with CHF patients with non-ischemic ethiology (p = 0.02), but were not predictive of survival or progression of CHF. A moderate strong relation between sMAC and sEsel levels was found beta = 0.33 (p ... damaging of the heart tissue...

  13. Patients' Acceptance of Smartphone Health Technology for Chronic Disease Management: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Kaili; Yu, Ping; Deng, Ning; Liu, Fang; Guan, YingPing; Li, Zhenye; Ji, Yumeng; Du, Ningkai; Lu, Xudong; Duan, Huilong

    2017-12-06

    Chronic disease patients often face multiple challenges from difficult comorbidities. Smartphone health technology can be used to help them manage their conditions only if they accept and use the technology. The aim of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model to predict and explain the factors influencing patients' acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Multiple theories and factors that may influence patients' acceptance of smartphone health technology have been reviewed. A hybrid theoretical model was built based on the technology acceptance model, dual-factor model, health belief model, and the factors identified from interviews that might influence patients' acceptance of smartphone health technology for chronic disease management. Data were collected from patient questionnaire surveys and computer log records about 157 hypertensive patients' actual use of a smartphone health app. The partial least square method was used to test the theoretical model. The model accounted for .412 of the variance in patients' intention to adopt the smartphone health technology. Intention to use accounted for .111 of the variance in actual use and had a significant weak relationship with the latter. Perceived ease of use was affected by patients' smartphone usage experience, relationship with doctor, and self-efficacy. Although without a significant effect on intention to use, perceived ease of use had a significant positive influence on perceived usefulness. Relationship with doctor and perceived health threat had significant positive effects on perceived usefulness, countering the negative influence of resistance to change. Perceived usefulness, perceived health threat, and resistance to change significantly predicted patients' intentions to use the technology. Age and gender had no significant influence on patients' acceptance of smartphone technology. The study also confirmed the positive relationship between intention to use

  14. Hepatitis C Virus and Antiviral Drug Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seungtaek; Han, Kwang-Hyub; Ahn, Sang Hoon

    2016-11-15

    Since its discovery in 1989, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been intensively investigated to understand its biology and develop effective antiviral therapies. The efforts of the previous 25 years have resulted in a better understanding of the virus, and this was facilitated by the development of in vitro cell culture systems for HCV replication. Antiviral treatments and sustained virological responses have also improved from the early interferon monotherapy to the current all-oral regimens using direct-acting antivirals. However, antiviral resistance has become a critical issue in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, similar to other chronic viral infections, and retreatment options following treatment failure have become important questions. Despite the clinical challenges in the management of chronic hepatitis C, substantial progress has been made in understanding HCV, which may facilitate the investigation of other closely related flaviviruses and lead to the development of antiviral agents against these human pathogens.

  15. The effects of endurance and resistance training on blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, R S; Hirth, V A

    1995-10-01

    There now exists substantial clinical data supporting a blood pressure lowering effect of endurance training. Though the effect is modest (5-10 mmHg), epidemiologic studies indicate the possibility of protection against the development of hypertension and also indicate significantly reduced cardiovascular mortality and increased longevity associated with chronic endurance exercise. The data for blood pressure lowering effects of resistive training are much less compelling, and this area requires additional investigation. However, it appears that resistance training is not associated with chronic elevations in blood pressure. Future studies need to focus on: 1) the relative efficacy of low-, moderate- and high-intensity training on lowering blood pressure; 2) the effect of training on ambulatory blood pressure; 3) targeting of at risk and high responding populations; and 4) the importance of insulinemia, SNS tone and central adiposity in the mechanism of any blood pressure lowering effect of training.

  16. Long-term efficacy of omalizumab in seven patients with treatment-resistant chronic spontaneous urticaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, P M; Costa, A C; Mendes, A; Barbosa, M P

    2015-01-01

    Monoclonal anti-IgE antibody omalizumab is a promising therapeutic option in patients with chronic urticaria (CU) resistant to non-sedating H1-antihistamines (nsAH). However, data about its long-term efficacy and safety are still scant. We retrospectively analysed the clinical course of patients with severe recalcitrant CU that were treated in our department with omalizumab for a period greater than 24 months. Seven patients (six females, median 43 years) treated for a median of 35 months have been evaluated. Before treatment, all suffered from persistent symptoms despite receiving high doses of nsAH [4×/day], leukotriene antagonists and prednisolone (10-30 mg/day for a median duration of 48 months). Response to treatment was assessed using urticaria activity score (UAS) and a combined symptom/medication score. There was a complete remission of disease in four patients after the first dose of omalizumab. Before the 5th administration, all patients had a UAS of 0. We found a significant improvement in UAS between pre-treatment and first dose (p=0.017) and a gradual decrease in the symptom/medication score over the course of the first five administrations. Tapering of prednisolone was possible in all patients. Administration intervals were gradually increased, although all experienced resurgence of symptoms in cycles greater than six weeks. There were no reported adverse reactions attributable to the drug. Omalizumab was a safe and effective corticosteroid alternative for maintaining long-term remission of symptoms in these patients. Treatment intervals required individual patient-by-patient determination. The drug did not seem to alter the natural history of the disease. Copyright © 2013 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  17. Alterations in mouse hypothalamic adipokine gene expression and leptin signaling following chronic spinal cord injury and with advanced age.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory E Bigford

    Full Text Available Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI results in an accelerated trajectory of several cardiovascular disease (CVD risk factors and related aging characteristics, however the molecular mechanisms that are activated have not been explored. Adipokines and leptin signaling are known to play a critical role in neuro-endocrine regulation of energy metabolism, and are now implicated in central inflammatory processes associated with CVD. Here, we examine hypothalamic adipokine gene expression and leptin signaling in response to chronic spinal cord injury and with advanced age. We demonstrate significant changes in fasting-induced adipose factor (FIAF, resistin (Rstn, long-form leptin receptor (LepRb and suppressor of cytokine-3 (SOCS3 gene expression following chronic SCI and with advanced age. LepRb and Jak2/stat3 signaling is significantly decreased and the leptin signaling inhibitor SOCS3 is significantly elevated with chronic SCI and advanced age. In addition, we investigate endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress and activation of the uncoupled protein response (UPR as a biological hallmark of leptin resistance. We observe the activation of the ER stress/UPR proteins IRE1, PERK, and eIF2alpha, demonstrating leptin resistance in chronic SCI and with advanced age. These findings provide evidence for adipokine-mediated inflammatory responses and leptin resistance as contributing to neuro-endocrine dysfunction and CVD risk following SCI and with advanced age. Understanding the underlying mechanisms contributing to SCI and age related CVD may provide insight that will help direct specific therapeutic interventions.

  18. Chronic urinary tract infections in patients with spinal cord lesions - biofilm infection with need for long-term antibiotic treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tofte, Nete; Nielsen, Alex C Y; Trøstrup, Hannah; Andersen, Christine B; Von Linstow, Michael; Hansen, Birgitte; Biering-Sørensen, Fin; Høiby, Niels; Moser, Claus

    2017-04-01

    Patients suffering from spinal cord injuries resulting in complete or incomplete paraplegia or tetraplegia are highly disposed to frequent, recurrent or even chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). The reason for the increased risk of acquiring UTIs is multifactorial, including reduced sensation of classical UTI symptoms, incomplete bladder emptying, frequent catheterizations or chronic urinary tract catheters. Biofilms in relation to UTIs have been shown both on catheters, on concrements or as intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs). Due to the increased risk of acquiring recurrent or chronic UTIs and frequent antibiotic treatments, patients experience an increased risk of being infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria like extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli or Klebsiella spp., but also bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa inherently resistant to several antibiotics. Diagnosing the UTI can also be challenging, especially distinguishing harmless colonization from pathogenic infection. Based on a previous study showing activation of humoral immune response toward UTI pathogens in patients with spinal cord lesions (SCL), the present mini review is an evaluation of using antibody response as an indicator of chronic biofilm UTI. In addition, we evaluated the effect of long-term treatment with antibiotics in patients with SCLs and chronic UTI, defined by culturing of a uropathogen in the urine and elevated specific precipitating antibodies against the same uropathogen in a blood sample. Elimination of chronic UTI, decrease in specific precipitating antibody values and avoiding selection of new multidrug-resistant (MDR) uropathogens were the primary markers for effect of treatment. The results of this evaluation suggest that the long-term treatment strategy in SCL patients with chronic UTI may be effective; however, randomized prospective results are needed to confirm this. © 2017 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Vitamin D and insulin resistance in postmenopausal Indian women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niti Agarwal

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD level with markers of insulin resistance (IR in postmenopausal Indian women. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital in New Delhi, India. Seventy one postmenopausal women (mean age 56.3 ± 7.6 years were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were known or newly detected diabetics, subjects with chronic renal failure, chronic liver disease or any other chronic inflammatory condition, chronic smokers and chronic alcoholics. Serum calcium (and albumin for calculating corrected calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and 25-OHD were measured as parameters of calcium homeostasis. Fasting blood glucose (FBG, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, body mass index (BMI, fasting serum insulin, calculated glucose insulin ratio (GIR, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR were studied as parameters of IR. Data was then analyzed for statistical significance. Results: The mean serum 25-OHD level was 12.73 ± 7.63 ng/ml. The mean BMI was 27.78 ± 5.37 kg/m 2 . The mean calculated GIR was 13.14 ± 9.39 and HOMA-IR was 2.31 ± 1.70. Serum 25-OHD was inversely correlated with BMI (correlation coefficient −0.234, P value 0.050 and with HOMA-IR (correlation coefficient −0.237, P value 0.047. However, when 25-OHD was adjusted for BMI the correlation between 25-OHD and HOMA-IR lost its significance. No correlation was found between serum 25-OHD and any other parameters of IR studied. Conclusions: There is a significant negative linear correlation between 25-OHD and BMI. The significant negative linear correlation between 25-OHD and HOMA-IR was confounded by BMI. There is no correlation between 25-OHD and parameters of IR.

  20. Isolated Lactobacillus chronic prosthetic knee infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, David M; Shekhel, Tatyana; Radelet, Matt; Miller, Michael D

    2014-01-01

    Lactobacillus is a gram-positive rod bacteria found primarily in the gastrointestinal and female genital tracts. Prosthetic infections in implants are being increasingly reported. The authors present a case of a 58-year-old patient with Lactobacillus septic prosthetic knee joint infection. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of chronic prosthetic knee infection with isolated Lactobacillus species. Lactobacillus has been most commonly implicated with bacteremia and endocarditis and rarely with pneumonia, meningitis, and endovascular infection, and a vast majority of the cases are reported in immunocompromised patients. In the current case, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis, malnutrition, anemia, and liver failure were comorbid conditions, placing the patient at increased risk of infection. The findings suggest that further case series are necessary to establish the significance of Lactobacillus as an etiologic agent in chronic low-virulence, and potentially vancomycin-resistant, prosthetic joint infection. The need also exists for further research aimed at the risk of prosthetic joint infection with oral intake of certain probiotic foods and supplements. The goal of this case report is to bring to light the potential of this organism to be a cause of subtle chronic prosthetic joint infection.

  1. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adaptation to lungs of cystic fibrosis patients leads to lowered resistance to phage and protist enemies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friman, Ville-Petri; Ghoul, Melanie; Molin, Søren

    2013-01-01

    ) patients affects its survival in the presence of natural phage (14/1, ΦKZ, PNM and PT7) and protist (Tetrahymena thermophila and Acanthamoebae polyphaga) enemies. We found that most of the bacteria isolated from relatively recently intermittently colonised patients (1-25 months), were innately phage......-resistant and highly toxic for protists. In contrast, bacteria isolated from long time chronically infected patients (2-23 years), were less efficient in both resisting phages and killing protists. Moreover, chronic isolates showed reduced killing of wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella) probably due to weaker...

  2. Phylogenomics and antimicrobial resistance of the leprosy bacillus Mycobacterium leprae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjak, Andrej; Avanzi, Charlotte; Singh, Pushpendra; Loiseau, Chloé; Girma, Selfu; Busso, Philippe; Fontes, Amanda N Brum; Miyamoto, Yuji; Namisato, Masako; Bobosha, Kidist; Salgado, Claudio G; da Silva, Moisés B; Bouth, Raquel C; Frade, Marco A C; Filho, Fred Bernardes; Barreto, Josafá G; Nery, José A C; Bührer-Sékula, Samira; Lupien, Andréanne; Al-Samie, Abdul R; Al-Qubati, Yasin; Alkubati, Abdul S; Bretzel, Gisela; Vera-Cabrera, Lucio; Sakho, Fatoumata; Johnson, Christian R; Kodio, Mamoudou; Fomba, Abdoulaye; Sow, Samba O; Gado, Moussa; Konaté, Ousmane; Stefani, Mariane M A; Penna, Gerson O; Suffys, Philip N; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Moraes, Milton O; Rosa, Patricia S; Baptista, Ida M F Dias; Spencer, John S; Aseffa, Abraham; Matsuoka, Masanori; Kai, Masanori; Cole, Stewart T

    2018-01-24

    Leprosy is a chronic human disease caused by the yet-uncultured pathogen Mycobacterium leprae. Although readily curable with multidrug therapy (MDT), over 200,000 new cases are still reported annually. Here, we obtain M. leprae genome sequences from DNA extracted directly from patients' skin biopsies using a customized protocol. Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of 154 genomes from 25 countries provides insight into evolution and antimicrobial resistance, uncovering lineages and phylogeographic trends, with the most ancestral strains linked to the Far East. In addition to known MDT-resistance mutations, we detect other mutations associated with antibiotic resistance, and retrace a potential stepwise emergence of extensive drug resistance in the pre-MDT era. Some of the previously undescribed mutations occur in genes that are apparently subject to positive selection, and two of these (ribD, fadD9) are restricted to drug-resistant strains. Finally, nonsense mutations in the nth excision repair gene are associated with greater sequence diversity and drug resistance.

  3. Benefits of dietary sodium restriction in the management of chronic kidney disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krikken, Jan A.; Laverman, Gozewijn D.; Navis, Gerjan

    2009-01-01

    Purpose of review To evaluate the role of restricting dietary sodium intake in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its complications. Recent findings A consistent line of evidence shows that high dietary sodium intake is a determinant of therapy resistance to blockade of the

  4. TLR4 and Insulin Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jane J. Kim

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic inflammation is a key feature of insulin resistance and obesity. Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4, involved in modulating innate immunity, is an important mediator of insulin resistance and its comorbidities. TLR4 contributes to the development of insulin resistance and inflammation through its activation by elevated exogenous ligands (e.g., dietary fatty acids and enteric lipopolysaccharide and endogenous ligands (e.g., free fatty acids which are elevated in obese states. TLR4, expressed in insulin target tissues, activates proinflammatory kinases JNK, IKK, and p38 that impair insulin signal transduction directly through inhibitory phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS on serine residues. TLR4 activation also leads to increased transcription of pro-inflammatory genes, resulting in elevation of cytokine, chemokine, reactive oxygen species, and eicosanoid levels that promote further insulin-desensitization within the target cell itself and in other cells via paracrine and systemic effects. Increased understanding of cell type-specific TLR4-mediated effects on insulin action present the opportunity and challenge of developing related therapeutic approaches for improving insulin sensitivity while preserving innate immunity.

  5. Skeletal muscle inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Huaizhu; Ballantyne, Christie M.

    2017-01-01

    Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation, which contributes to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Under normal conditions, skeletal muscle is responsible for the majority of insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose disposal; thus, dysregulation of skeletal muscle metabolism can strongly influence whole-body glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation occurs in skeletal muscle in obesity and is mainly manifested by increased immune cell infiltration and proinflammatory activation in intermyocellular and perimuscular adipose tissue. By secreting proinflammatory molecules, immune cells may induce myocyte inflammation, adversely regulate myocyte metabolism, and contribute to insulin resistance via paracrine effects. Increased influx of fatty acids and inflammatory molecules from other tissues, particularly visceral adipose tissue, can also induce muscle inflammation and negatively regulate myocyte metabolism, leading to insulin resistance. PMID:28045398

  6. Neurocognitive similarities between severe chronic schizophrenia and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Hui-Minn; Stolwyk, Rene; Neath, Joanna; Kelso, Wendy; Walterfang, Mark; Mocellin, Ramon; Pantelis, Christos; Velakoulis, Dennis

    2015-02-28

    This study focuses on a group of patients with chronic schizophrenia who have a more severe form of the disorder, as indicated by socio-functional decline, treatment resistance, and recurrent hospitalisation. Previous research has suggested that the pattern and severity of cognitive deficits in people with severe chronic schizophrenia is similar to that observed in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). In the current study, we compared neurocognitive performance in 16 cognitive domains in 7 inpatients with severe chronic schizophrenia, 13 community-dwelling outpatients with chronic schizophrenia, 12 patients with bvFTD, and 18 healthy controls. Our findings revealed more similar cognitive profiles between the schizophrenia inpatient and bvFTD groups compared to the schizophrenia outpatient group, who outperformed the former groups. The current results provide preliminary evidence for a distinct schizophrenia subgroup, distinguishable from other chronic schizophrenia patients by poorer clinical and functional status, who have levels of cognitive impairment comparable to those seen in bvFTD patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Hepatic inflammatory biomarkers and its link with obesity and chronic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro Volp, Ana Carolina; Santos Silva, Fernanda Cacilda; Bressan, Josefina

    2015-05-01

    The low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance are two events that could be present in varying degrees, on obesity and chronic diseases. The degree of subclinical inflammation can be gauged by measuring the concentrations of some inflammatory biomarkers, including the hepatic origin ones. Some of those biomarkers are sialic acid, α1-antitrypsin and the C-terminal fragment of alpha1-antitrypsin, ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, haptoglobin, homocystein and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. To approach the relation between adiposity and hepatic inflammatory markers, and to assess the possible associations between hepatic inflammatory biomarkers and obesity, as well as their capacity of predicting chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and atherotrombotic cardiovascular diseases. We used electronic scientific databases to select articles without restricting publication year. The sialic acid predicts the chance increase to become type 2 diabetic independently of BMI. Moreover, the α1-antitripsin, ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen and haptoglobulin biomarkers, seem predict the chance increase to become type 2 diabetic, dependently, of BMI. So, this process could be aggravated by obesity. The concentrations of fibrinogen, homocystein and PAI-1 increase proportionally to insulin resistance, showing its relation with metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance state) and with type 2 diabetes. In relation to cardiovascular diseases, every biomarkers reported in this review seem to increase the risk, becoming useful in add important prognostic. This review integrates the knowledge concerning the possible interactions of inflammatory mediators, in isolation or in conjunction, with obesity and chronic diseases, since these biomarkers play different functions and follow diverse biochemical routes in human body metabolism. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stout Jeffrey R

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Regardless of age or gender, resistance training or provision of adequate amounts of dietary protein (PRO or essential amino acids (EAA can increase muscle protein synthesis (MPS in healthy adults. Combined PRO or EAA ingestion proximal to resistance training, however, can augment the post-exercise MPS response and has been shown to elicit a greater anabolic effect than exercise plus carbohydrate. Unfortunately, chronic/adaptive response data comparing the effects of different protein sources is limited. A growing body of evidence does, however, suggest that dairy PRO, and whey in particular may: 1 stimulate the greatest rise in MPS, 2 result in greater muscle cross-sectional area when combined with chronic resistance training, and 3 at least in younger individuals, enhance exercise recovery. Therefore, this review will focus on whey protein supplementation and its effects on skeletal muscle mass when combined with heavy resistance training.

  9. Nutritional Modulation of Insulin Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin O. Weickert

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Insulin resistance has been proposed as the strongest single predictor for the development of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM. Chronic oversupply of energy from food, together with inadequate physical activity, have been recognized as the most relevant factors leading to overweight, abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, and finally T2DM. Conversely, energy reduced diets almost invariably to facilitate weight loss and reduce abdominal fat mass and insulin resistance. However, sustained weight loss is generally difficult to achieve, and distinct metabolic characteristics in patients with T2DM further compromise success. Therefore, investigating the effects of modulating the macronutrient composition of isoenergetic diets is an interesting concept that may lead to additional important insights. Metabolic effects of various different dietary concepts and strategies have been claimed, but results from randomized controlled studies and particularly from longer-term-controlled interventions in humans are often lacking. However, some of these concepts are supported by recent research, at least in animal models and short-term studies in humans. This paper provides an update of the current literature regarding the role of nutrition in the modulation of insulin resistance, which includes the discussion of weight-loss-independent metabolic effects of commonly used dietary concepts.

  10. Investigation of CT diagnostic imaging of 'Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogino, Nobuhiro; Matsuwaki, Yoshinori; Ojiri, Hiroya; Kanou, Asami; Fukuda, Kunihiko

    2011-01-01

    'Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS)' is a newly developed entity of chronic rhinosinusitis, which shows resistance against conventional treatment and poor prognosis. Pathologically, ECRS is manifested by high-degree of eosinophilic infiltration in the paranasal sinus mucosa. We structure the CT diagnostic criteria of ECRS and assess its availability. This diagnostic criteria consists of disease distribution (bilateral and predominant in the ethmoid sinus), existence of nasal polyp (s) and high attenuation which suggestive of allergic mucine. We retrospectively review CT of clinically diagnosed 14 ECRS cases to see if CT features of each case fit the criteria or not. The current CT diagnostic criteria of ECRS were proven to be useful to evaluate cases with clinical suspicion of ECRS. (author)

  11. Role of the Kidneys in Resistant Hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Khawaja

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Resistant hypertension is a failure to achieve goal BP (<140/90 mm Hg for the overall population and <130/80 mm Hg for those with diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease in a patient who adheres to maximum tolerated doses of 3 antihypertensive drugs including a diuretic. The kidneys play a critical role in long-term regulation of blood pressure. Blunted pressure natriuresis, with resultant increase in extracellular fluid volume, is an important cause of resistant hypertension. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, increased renal sympathetic nervous system activity and increased sodium reabsorption are important renal mechanisms. Successful treatment requires identification and reversal of lifestyle factors or drugs contributing to treatment resistance, diagnosis and appropriate treatment of secondary causes of hypertension, use of effective multidrug regimens and optimization of diuretic therapy. Since inappropriate renal salt retention underlies most cases of drug-resistant hypertension, the therapeutic focus should be on improving salt depleting therapy by assessing and, if necessary, reducing dietary salt intake, optimizing diuretic therapy, and adding a mineralocorticoid antagonist if there are no contraindications.

  12. Progesterone resistance in endometriosis: origins, consequences and interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Bansari G; Rudnicki, Martin; Yu, Jie; Shu, Yimin; Taylor, Robert N

    2017-06-01

    Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain and affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age. Aberrant progesterone signaling in the endometrium plays a significant role in impaired decidualization and establishment of ectopic endometrial implants. Eutopic endometrial cells from women with endometriosis fail to downregulate genes needed for decidualization, such as those involved in cell cycle regulation, leading to unbridled proliferation. Several causes of progesterone resistance in the endometrium have been postulated, including congenital "preconditioning", whereby the in utero environment renders infants susceptible to neonatal uterine bleeding and endometriosis. Progesterone action is crucial to decreasing inflammation in the endometrium, and deviant progesterone signaling results in a proinflammatory phenotype. Conversely, chronic inflammation can induce a progesterone-resistant state. Repetitive retrograde endometrial shedding begets chronic peritoneal inflammation, which further exacerbates progesterone resistance. Genetic causes of progesterone resistance include progesterone receptor gene polymorphisms, altered microRNA expression, and epigenetic modifications to progesterone receptors and their targets. Environmental toxins such as dioxin play a possible role in the genesis of endometriosis by permitting an inflammatory milieu. A consequence of impaired progesterone action is that hormonal therapy is rendered ineffective for a subset of women with endometriosis. Synthetic progestins, such as dienogest, may overcome this phenomenon by increasing progesterone receptor expression and decreasing proinflammatory cytokines. Other modalities include high dose depot formulations of progestins, medicated intrauterine devices and the likely advent of oral GnRH antagonists. Unearthing root causes of progesterone inaction in endometriosis will aid in the development of novel therapeutics geared toward prevention and treatment. © 2017 Nordic Federation of

  13. p53-dependent non-coding RNA networks in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blume, C. J.; Hotz-Wagenblatt, A.; Hüllein, J.; Sellner, L.; Jethwa, A.; Stolz, T.; Slabicki, M.; Lee, K.; Sharathchandra, A.; Benner, A.; Dietrich, S.; Oakes, C. C.; Dreger, P.; te Raa, D.; Kater, A. P.; Jauch, A.; Merkel, O.; Oren, M.; Hielscher, T.; Zenz, T.

    2015-01-01

    Mutations of the tumor suppressor p53 lead to chemotherapy resistance and a dismal prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Whereas p53 targets are used to identify patient subgroups with impaired p53 function, a comprehensive assessment of non-coding RNA targets of p53 in CLL is missing. We

  14. Self-dilation for therapy-resistant benign esophageal strictures: towards a systematic approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Halsema, Emo E.; 't Hoen, Chantal A.; de Koning, Patricia S.; Rosmolen, Wilda D.; van Hooft, Jeanin E.; Bergman, Jacques J.

    2018-01-01

    Patients with therapy-resistant benign esophageal strictures (TRBES) suffer from chronic dysphagia and generally require repeated endoscopic dilations. For selected patients, esophageal self-dilation may improve patient's autonomy and reduce the number of endoscopic dilations. We evaluated the

  15. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment for Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radich, Jerald P; Mauro, Michael J

    2017-08-01

    Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder that accounts for approximately 10% of new cases of leukemia. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has led to a reduction in mortalities. Thus, the estimated prevalence of CML is increasing. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the European Leukemia Net guidelines incorporate frequent molecular monitoring of the fusion BCR-ABL transcript to ensure that patients reach and keep treatment milestones. Most patients with CML are diagnosed in the chronic phase, and approximately 10% to 30% of these patients will at some time in their course meet definition criteria of resistance to imatinib. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Cumulative clinical experience from a decade of use: imatinib as first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baran Y

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Yusuf Baran,1 Guray Saydam21Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey; 2Department of Hematology, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, TurkeyAbstract: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML is a malignant disease that originates in the bone marrow and is designated by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph+ chromosome, a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. Targeted therapy against CML commenced with the development of small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs exerting their effect against the oncogenic breakpoint cluster region (BCR-ABL fusion protein. Imatinib emerged as the first successful example of a TKI used for the treatment of chronic-phase CML patients and resulted in significant improvements in response rate and overall survival compared with previous treatments. However, a significant portion of patients failed to respond to the therapy and developed resistance against imatinib. Second-generation TKIs nilotinib and dasatinib were to have higher efficiency in clinical trials in imatinib- resistant or intolerant CML patients compared with imatinib. Identification of novel strategies such as dose escalation, drug combination therapy, and use of novel BCR-ABL inhibitors may eventually overcome resistance against BCR-ABL TKIs. This article reviews the history of CML, including the treatment strategies used prediscovery of TKIs and the preclinical and clinical data obtained after the use of imatinib, and the second-generation TKIs developed for the treatment of CML.Keywords: drug resistance, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, chronic myeloid leukemia, imatinib, BCR/ABL

  17. The role of polycarbonate monomer bisphenol-A in insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pjanic, Milos

    2017-01-01

    Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic unit of polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins, the types of plastics that could be found in essentially every human population and incorporated into almost every aspect of the modern human society. BPA polymers appear in a wide range of products, from liquid storages (plastic bottles, can and glass linings, water pipes and tanks) and food storages (plastics wraps and containers), to medical and dental devices. BPA polymers could be hydrolyzed spontaneously or in a photo- or temperature-catalyzed process, providing widespread environmental distribution and chronic exposure to the BPA monomer in contemporary human populations. Bisphenol A is also a xenoestrogen, an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that interferes with the endocrine system mimicking the effects of an estrogen and could potentially keep our endocrine system in a constant perturbation that parallels endocrine disruption arising during pregnancy, such as insulin resistance (IR). Gestational insulin resistance represents a natural biological phenomenon of higher insulin resistance in peripheral tissues of the pregnant females, when nutrients are increasingly being directed to the embryo instead of being stored in peripheral tissues. Gestational diabetes mellitus may appear in healthy non-diabetic females, due to gestational insulin resistance that leads to increased blood sugar levels and hyperinsulinemia (increased insulin production from the pancreatic beta cells). The hypothesis states that unnoticed and constant exposure to this environmental chemical might potentially lead to the formation of chronic low-level endocrine disruptive state that resembles gestational insulin resistance, which might contribute to the development of diabetes. The increasing body of evidence supports the major premises of this hypothesis, as exemplified by the numerous publications examining the association of BPA and insulin resistance, both epidemiological and mechanistic. However, to

  18. Evidence to Support a Putative Role for Insulin Resistance in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction: The primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the renal patient is a cardiovascular event. Insulin resistance (IR) contributes to this event by increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and accelerating rates of decline in kidney function. Here we review the historical background of IR in patients with chronic ...

  19. Infection by multidrug-resistant Elizabethkingia meningoseptica: case reports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jailton Lobo da Costa Lima

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available We report two cases of sepsis in critically ill patients in two tertiary care hospitals in Recife-PE, Brazil. The first case is an 87-year-old patient with chronic myeloid leukemia and sepsis; and the second case is a 93-year-old patient with prostate cancer and septic shock caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR Elizabethkingia meningoseptica.

  20. Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase-2 Prevents Chronic and Recurrent Cystitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas J. Hannan

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms globally has created an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to combat urinary tract infections (UTIs. Immunomodulatory therapy may provide benefit, as treatment of mice with dexamethasone during acute UTI improved outcome by reducing the development of chronic cystitis, which predisposes to recurrent infection. Here we discovered soluble biomarkers engaged in myeloid cell development and chemotaxis that were predictive of future UTI recurrence when elevated in the sera of young women with UTI. Translation of these findings revealed that temperance of the neutrophil response early during UTI, and specifically disruption of bladder epithelial transmigration of neutrophils by inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2, protected mice against chronic and recurrent cystitis. Further, proteomics identified bladder epithelial remodeling consequent to chronic infection that enhances sensitivity to neutrophil damage. Thus, cyclooxygenase-2 expression during acute UTI is a critical molecular trigger determining disease outcome and drugs targeting cyclooxygenase-2 could prevent recurrent UTI.

  1. Sustained activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin nutrient sensing pathway is associated with hepatic insulin resistance, but not with steatosis, in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Korsheninnikova, E.; van der Zon, G. C. M.; Voshol, P. J.; Janssen, G. M.; Havekes, L. M.; Grefhorst, A.; Kuipers, F.; Reijngoud, D.-J.; Romijn, J. A.; Ouwens, D. M.; Maassen, J. A.

    2006-01-01

    Activation of nutrient sensing through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been linked to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. We examined activation of mTOR-signalling in relation to insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in mice. Chronic hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance

  2. Insulin Resistance in Alzheimer's Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dineley, Kelly T; Jahrling, Jordan B; Denner, Larry

    2014-01-01

    Insulin is a key hormone regulating metabolism. Insulin binding to cell surface insulin receptors engages many signaling intermediates operating in parallel and in series to control glucose, energy, and lipids while also regulating mitogenesis and development. Perturbations in the function of any of these intermediates, which occur in a variety of diseases, cause reduced sensitivity to insulin and insulin resistance with consequent metabolic dysfunction. Chronic inflammation ensues which exacerbates compromised metabolic homeostasis. Since insulin has a key role in learning and memory as well as directly regulating ERK, a kinase required for the type of learning and memory compromised in early Alzheimer's disease (AD), insulin resistance has been identified as a major risk factor for the onset of AD. Animal models of AD or insulin resistance or both demonstrate that AD pathology and impaired insulin signaling form a reciprocal relationship. Of note are human and animal model studies geared toward improving insulin resistance that have led to the identification of the nuclear receptor and transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) as an intervention tool for early AD. Strategic targeting of alternate nodes within the insulin signaling network has revealed disease-stage therapeutic windows in animal models that coalesce with previous and ongoing clinical trial approaches. Thus, exploiting the connection between insulin resistance and AD provides powerful opportunities to delineate therapeutic interventions that slow or block the pathogenesis of AD. PMID:25237037

  3. Profile of bosutinib and its clinical potential in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keller-von Amsberg G

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Gunhild Keller-von Amsberg,1 Steffen Koschmieder21Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, 2Department of Medicine (Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center of Aachen and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, GermanyAbstract: Bosutinib (SKI-606 is an orally available, once-daily, dual Src and Abl kinase inhibitor with promising clinical potential in first-, second-, and third-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML. Bosutinib effectively inhibits wild-type BCR-ABL and most imatinib-resistant BCR-ABL mutations except for V299L and T315I. Low hematologic toxicity is a remarkable characteristic of this novel second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and this has been ascribed to its minimal activity against the platelet-derived growth factor receptor and KIT. Low-grade, typically self-limiting diarrhea, which usually appears within the first few weeks after treatment initiation, represents the predominant toxicity of bosutinib. Other treatment-associated adverse events are mostly mild to moderate. Bosutinib has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic, accelerated, or blast phase Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML in adult patients with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy. This review summarizes the main properties of bosutinib and the currently available data on its clinical potential in the treatment of CML.Keywords: bosutinib, chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL, Src/Abl kinase inhibitor, point mutation, imatinib resistance

  4. Development of imatinib and dasatinib resistance: dynamics of expression of drug transporters ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCG2, MVP, and SLC22A1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gromicho, Marta; Dinis, Joana; Magalhães, Marta; Fernandes, Alexandra R; Tavares, Purificação; Laires, António; Rueff, José; Rodrigues, António Sebastião

    2011-10-01

    About 20% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) do not respond to treatment with imatinib either initially or because of acquired resistance. To study the development of CML drug resistance, an in vitro experimental system comprising cell lines with different resistance levels was established by exposing K562 cells to increasing concentrations of imatinib and dasatinib anticancer agents. The mRNA levels of BCR- ABL1 and of genes involved in drug transport or redistribution (ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCC3, ABCG2, MVP, and SLC22A1) were measured and the ABL1 kinase domain sequenced. Results excluded BCR- ABL1 overexpression and mutations as relevant resistance mechanisms. Most studied transporters were overexpressed in the majority of resistant cell lines. Their expression pattern was dynamic: varying with resistance level and chronic drug exposure. Studied efflux transporters may have an important role at the initial stages of resistance, but after prolonged exposure and for higher doses of drugs other mechanisms might take place.

  5. Pulmonary endarterectomy outputs in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López Gude, María Jesús; Pérez de la Sota, Enrique; Pérez Vela, Jose Luís; Centeno Rodríguez, Jorge; Muñoz Guijosa, Christian; Velázquez, María Teresa; Alonso Chaterina, Sergio; Hernández González, Ignacio; Escribano Subías, Pilar; Cortina Romero, José María

    2017-07-07

    Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; extremely high pulmonary vascular resistance constitutes a risk factor for hospital mortality. The objective of this study was to analyze the immediate and long-term results of the surgical treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in patients with very severe pulmonary hypertension. Since February 1996, we performed 160 pulmonary thromboendarterectomies. We divided the patient population in 2 groups: group 1, which included 40 patients with pulmonary vascular resistance≥1090dyn/sec/cm -5 , and group 2, which included the remaining 120 patients. Hospital mortality (15 vs. 2.5%), reperfusion pulmonary edema (33 vs. 14%) and heart failure (23 vs. 3.3%) were all higher in group 1; however, after one year of follow-up, there were no significant differences in the clinical, hemodynamic and echocardiographic conditions of both groups. Survival rate after 5 years was 77% in group 1 and 92% in group 2 (P=.033). After the learning curve including the 46 first patients, there was no difference in hospital mortality (3.8 vs. 2.3%) or survival rate after 5 years (96.2% in group 1 and 96.2% in group 2). Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is linked to significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates in patients with severe chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Nevertheless, these patients benefit the same from the procedure in the mid-/long-term. In our experience, after the learning curve, this surgery is safe in severe pulmonary hypertension and no level of pulmonary vascular resistance should be an absolute counter-indication for this surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  6. Genetic mutation analysis of HBV covalently closed circular DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from chronic hepatitis B patients with nucleos(tide analog-resistant mutations in serum virions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhong-bin LI

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective  To analyze the characteristics of genetic mutations in reverse-transcriptase (RT domain of HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs obtained from chronic hepatitis B (CHB patients with drug-resistant mutations in serum virions during nucleoside/nucleotide analog (NA therapy. Methods  A total of 30 CHB patients admitted to 302 Hospital of PLA from July 2010 to August 2011 were included in this study. All the patients were confirmed to harbor the drug-resistant mutations in serum virions during an NA therapy longer than 6 months. Total DNA was extracted from PBMCs isolated from 30 whole blood samples at the same time point as that of serum analysis. Plasmid-safe ATP-dependent DNase (PSAD digestion in combination with rolling circle amplification and gap-spanning semi-nested PCR were used to amplify the RT region of HBV cccDNA. NA-resistant-associated mutations were analyzed at nine sites. Results  HBV cccDNA was efficiently amplified in 16 out of 30 (53.3% PBMC samples, and the detection rate was not correlated with HBeAg-positive rate, serum ALT level or HBV DNA load. Five of 16 (31.3% patients were sustained to have genotype B HBV infection, and 11 of 16 (68.8% were of genotype C HBV infection, and the result was consistent with the genotyping results using serum HBV. Different from drug-resistant mutations detected in the serum virions, the viruses detected in HBV cccDNA of 16 PBMC samples were all wild-type viruses without NA-resistant-associated mutations in RT region. Conclusions  During NA antiviral treatment, if drug-resistant mutations occur in serum HBV DNA of CHB patients, the dominant species of HBV cccDNA in PBMCs from the same patient is still the original wild-type strains. It is speculated that PBMCs might be the potential "repository" of HBV wild-type strain in vivo.

  7. Cytokine and surface receptor diversity of NK cells in resistant C3H/HeN and susceptible BALB/c mice with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Calum, Henrik; Moser, Claus; Jensen, Peter Østrup

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether NK cells from resistant C3H/HeN mice and susceptible BALB/c mice showed different release of cytokines and expression of surface molecules during chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection using alginate-embedded P. aeruginosa mimicking...... expression of the LFA-1 and Fc receptors on NK cells. At day 2, IFN-gamma levels increased in C3H/HeN mice but decreased in BALB/c mice. The GM-CSF levels increased only in the C3H/HeN mice at day 1 and 2. Surface expression of LFA-1 on the NK cells was higher in C3H/HeN mice at day 1 and 2. In contrast...

  8. [HOMA-IR in patients with chronic hepatitis C].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botshorishvili, T; Vashakidze, E

    2012-02-01

    The aim of investigation was to study the frequency of IR in type of viral hepatitis C, correlation with the degree of hepatic lesion and liver cirrhosis. 130 patients were investigated: 20 with acute hepatitis C; 38 with chronic hepatitis C; 72 with cirrhosis: among them 10 with Stage A, 14 with Stage B and 48 with Stage C. Also we used 30 healthy people as the controls. The study demonstrates significant changes of insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR type of viral hepatitis C, correlation with the degree of hepatic lesion and liver cirrhosis. In patients with liver cirrhosis levels of HOMA-IR is higher than in patients with chronic hepatitis C. In patients with acute hepatitis C levels of HOMA-IR was normal as in the control group. The results showed that various types of chronic viral hepatitis C and stages of cirrhosis set to increase HOMA-IR versus the controls., which were the most prominent in cases of severe hepatic lesion, which indicates that insulin resistance is a frequent companion of CHC.

  9. Go-6976 Reverses Hyperglycemia-Induced Insulin Resistance Independently of cPKC Inhibition in Adipocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Katherine A.; Hegyi, Krisztina; Hannun, Yusuf A.; Buse, Maria G.; Sethi, Jaswinder K.

    2014-01-01

    Chronic hyperglycemia induces insulin resistance by mechanisms that are incompletely understood. One model of hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance involves chronic preincubation of adipocytes in the presence of high glucose and low insulin concentrations. We have previously shown that the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) plays a partial role in the development of insulin resistance in this model. Here, we demonstrate that treatment with Go-6976, a widely used “specific” inhibitor of cPKCs, alleviates hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance. However, the effects of mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin and Go-6976 were not additive and only rapamycin restored impaired insulin-stimulated AKT activation. Although, PKCα, (but not –β) was abundantly expressed in these adipocytes, our studies indicate cPKCs do not play a major role in causing insulin-resistance in this model. There was no evidence of changes in the expression or phosphorylation of PKCα, and PKCα knock-down did not prevent the reduction of insulin-stimulated glucose transport. This was also consistent with lack of IRS-1 phosphorylation on Ser-24 in hyperglycemia-induced insulin-resistant adipocytes. Treatment with Go-6976 did inhibit a component of the mTORC1 pathway, as evidenced by decreased phosphorylation of S6 ribosomal protein. Raptor knock-down enhanced the effect of insulin on glucose transport in insulin resistant adipocytes. Go-6976 had the same effect in control cells, but was ineffective in cells with Raptor knock-down. Taken together these findings suggest that Go-6976 exerts its effect in alleviating hyperglycemia-induced insulin-resistance independently of cPKC inhibition and may target components of the mTORC1 signaling pathway. PMID:25330241

  10. Chronic mitragynine (kratom) enhances punishment resistance in natural reward seeking and impairs place learning in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismail, Nurul Iman W; Jayabalan, Nanthini; Mansor, Sharif Mahsufi; Müller, Christian P; Muzaimi, Mustapha

    2017-07-01

    Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a widely abused herbal drug preparation in Southeast Asia. It is often consumed as a substitute for heroin, but imposing itself unknown harms and addictive burdens. Mitragynine is the major psychostimulant constituent of kratom that has recently been reported to induce morphine-like behavioural and cognitive effects in rodents. The effects of chronic consumption on non-drug related behaviours are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic mitragynine treatment on spontaneous activity, reward-related behaviour and cognition in mice in an IntelliCage® system, and compared them with those of morphine and Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). We found that chronic mitragynine treatment significantly potentiated horizontal exploratory activity. It enhanced spontaneous sucrose preference and also its persistence when the preference had aversive consequences. Furthermore, mitragynine impaired place learning and its reversal. Thereby, mitragynine effects closely resembled that of morphine and THC sensitisation. These findings suggest that chronic mitragynine exposure enhances spontaneous locomotor activity and the preference for natural rewards, but impairs learning and memory. These findings confirm pleiotropic effects of mitragynine (kratom) on human lifestyle, but may also support the recognition of the drug's harm potential. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  11. Antiviral therapy of hepatitis C in 2014: do we need resistance testing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Maximilian David; Sarrazin, Christoph

    2014-05-01

    The treatment of chronic hepatitis C has fundamentally changed since the approval of the first direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in 2011. In addition to telaprevir and boceprevir, in 2014 two new NS3 protease inhibitors (simeprevir and faldaprevir), one non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor (sofosbuvir) and one NS5a replication complex inhibitor (daclatasvir) have expanded the treatment options for chronic hepatitis C. Resistance-associated variants (RAV) are naturally produced during the HCV life cycle. The frequency of RAVs within HCV quasispecies mainly depends on their replicational fitness. Variants conferring resistance to nucleos(t)ide analogues have not been detected, and the majority of NS3 protease-resistant variants are present at low frequencies (0.1-3%) before initiation of DAA-based therapies. However, the Q80K variant conferring resistance to simeprevir has been observed in 9-48% of untreated HCV genotype 1a-infected patients, leading to reduced SVR rates. Resistant variants are detectable in the majority of patients with treatment failure to NS3 protease inhibitor- or NS5a inhibitor-based antiviral therapy. Long-term follow-up studies by population-based sequence analysis have shown the disappearance of resistant variants in the majority of patients, with median times to loss of mutations of 4-64weeks. For the nucleotide analogue sofosbuvir, the emergence of the S282T resistant variant has been observed only in single patients, with reversion to wild-type within several weeks. Data are sparse on retreatment of patients with the same DAA or the same class of DAAs. However, retreatment with a different class of DAAs after failure of NS3 protease inhibitor-based therapy has been successful in small studies. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "Hepatitis C: next steps toward global eradication." Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Sarcopenia in patients with and without chronic renal insufficiency: diagnosis, evaluation and treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana María Cusumano

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of muscle mass and function, not only due to muscle fiber decrease in size but also in number. Highly prevalent in older adults, it also appears in patients with chronic diseases. In the chronic renal failure (CRF, the facts that contribute to its appearance are: chronic disease per se, advanced age, sedentary lifestyle, added to multiple factors which deteriorate the nutritional status such as reduction of in-take associated or not to anorexic drugs, chronic inflammation, anabolic hormone deficit, vitamin D low levels, insulin resistance and gelsolin decrease ( key protein in the assembly and disassembly of actin filaments. Presence of sarcopenia correlates with greater mortality, disability and falls risk increase. Diagnosis is based on measuring muscle strength and physical performance, for the first one a dynamometer is used, and for the second one: walking speed measurement (records the needed period of time to walk a determined distance and the test “Time Up and Go” (which evaluates the needed period of time to stand up, walk 3 meters and sit down again. In patients with CRF, an appropriate protein ingestion, added to physical activity, (specially resistance exercises improve physical performance, respiratory aptitude and survival in general, and reduce cardiovascular mortality. Additionally, exercise increases IGF-1 muscle content, as well as the mRNA for insulin-like growth factor type II, muscle oxidative capacity and the number of required satellite cells to regenerate muscle fibers.

  13. Chronic Respiratory Infection in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: What Is the Role of Antibiotics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miravitlles, Marc; Anzueto, Antonio

    2017-06-23

    Chronic infections are associated with exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The major objective of the management of these patients is the prevention and effective treatment of exacerbations. Patients that have increased sputum production, associated with purulence and worsening shortness of breath, are the ones that will benefit from antibiotic therapy. It is important to give the appropriate antibiotic therapy to prevent treatment failure, relapse, and the emergence of resistant pathogens. In some patients, systemic corticosteroids are also indicated to improve symptoms. In order to identify which patients are more likely to benefit from these therapies, clinical guidelines recommend stratifying patients based on their risk factor associated with poor outcome or recurrence. It has been identified that patients with more severe disease, recurrent infection and presence of purulent sputum are the ones that will be more likely to benefit from this therapy. Another approach related to disease prevention could be the use of prophylactic antibiotics during steady state condition. Some studies have evaluated the continuous or the intermittent use of antibiotics in order to prevent exacerbations. Due to increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the presence of side effects, several antibiotics have been developed to be nebulized for both treatment and prevention of acute exacerbations. There is a need to design long-term studies to evaluate these interventions in the natural history of the disease. The purpose of this publication is to review our understanding of the role of bacterial infection in patients with COPD exacerbation, the role of antibiotics, and future interventions.

  14. Insulin resistance and response to telaprevir plus peginterferon alpha and ribavirin in treatment-naive patients infected with HCV genotype 1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Serfaty, L.; Forns, X.; Goeser, T.; Ferenci, P.; Nevens, F.; Carosi, G.; Drenth, J.P.H.; Lonjon-Domanec, I.; DeMasi, R.; Picchio, G.; Beumont, M.; Marcellin, P.

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Insulin resistance is a predictor of poor response to peginterferon/ribavirin in patients infected with the chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). There are no data on direct-acting antivirals. This exploratory analysis assessed the effect of metabolic factors and insulin resistance, measured

  15. Pristimerin induces apoptosis in imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia cells harboring T315I mutation by blocking NF-κB signaling and depleting Bcr-Abl

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the chimeric tyrosine kinase Bcr-Abl. Bcr-Abl-T315I is the notorious point mutation that causes resistance to imatinib and the second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, leading to poor prognosis. CML blasts have constitutive p65 (RelA NF-κB) transcriptional activity, and NF-κB may be a potential target for molecular therapies in CML that may also be effective against CML cells with Bcr-Abl-T315I. Results In this report, we discovered that pristimerin, a quinonemethide triterpenoid isolated from Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae, inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in CML cells, including the cells harboring Bcr-Abl-T315I mutation. Additionally, pristimerin inhibited the growth of imatinib-resistant Bcr-Abl-T315I xenografts in nude mice. Pristimerin blocked the TNFα-induced IκBα phosphorylation, translocation of p65, and expression of NF-κB-regulated genes. Pristimerin inhibited two steps in NF-κB signaling: TAK1→IKK and IKK→IκBα. Pristimerin potently inhibited two pairs of CML cell lines (KBM5 versus KBM5-T315I, 32D-Bcr-Abl versus 32D-Bcr-Abl-T315I) and primary cells from a CML patient with acquired resistance to imatinib. The mRNA and protein levels of Bcr-Abl in imatinib-sensitive (KBM5) or imatinib-resistant (KBM5-T315I) CML cells were reduced after pristimerin treatment. Further, inactivation of Bcr-Abl by imatinib pretreatment did not abrogate the TNFα-induced NF-κB activation while silencing p65 by siRNA did not affect the levels of Bcr-Abl, both results together indicating that NF-κB inactivation and Bcr-Abl inhibition may be parallel independent pathways. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first report to show that pristimerin is effective in vitro and in vivo against CML cells, including those with the T315I mutation. The mechanisms may involve inhibition of NF-κB and Bcr-Abl. We concluded that pristimerin could be a lead compound for further drug development to

  16. Multidrug Resistance Acinetobacter Bacteremia Secondary to Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: Risk Factors and Outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brotfain, Evgeni; Borer, Abraham; Koyfman, Leonid; Saidel-Odes, Lisa; Frenkel, Amit; Gruenbaum, Shaun E; Rosenzweig, Vsevolod; Zlotnik, Alexander; Klein, Moti

    2017-10-01

    Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug resistant (MDR), gram-negative bacterium commonly implicated in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients. Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with VAP often subsequently develop A baumannii bacteremia, which may significantly worsen outcomes. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical and laboratory records of 129 ICU patients spanning 6 years with MDR A baumannii VAP; 46 (35%) of these patients had concomitant MDR A baumannii bacteremia. The ICU mortality rate was higher in patients with VAP having A baumannii bacteremia compared to nonbacteremic patients (32.4% vs 9.6% respectively, P 65 years, an Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) score higher than 20, a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score higher than 7 on the day of bacteremia, and the presence of comorbid disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and chronic renal failure) were found to be independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in this population. Multidrug resistant A baumannii was not an independent risk factor for mortality. Although the presence of comorbid diseases (COPD and chronic renal failure) and severity of disease (APACHE > 20 and SOFA >7) were found to be independent risk factors for ICU mortality, MDR A baumannii bacteremia was not an independent risk factor for mortality in our critically ill population.

  17. [Management of high blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease : Summary of recent guidelines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hougardy, J M; Leeman, M

    Chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure are two common diseases that mutually maintain during their evolution. In the advanced stages of chronic kidney disease, most pat ients are hypertensive and show signs of vascular disease (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular or peripheral). Almost one third of the patients with advanced chronic kidney disease exhibit resistant hypertension that requires complex therapeutic management. In chronic kidney disease, antihypertensive treatment is conditioned by comorbidities, but also by proteinuria, which is an independent cardiovascular risk factor in addition to the rate of glomerular filtration rate. The treatment of high blood pressure is a cornerstone of the management of the chronic kidney disease. It limits the risk of cardiovascular events (eg. myocardial infarction, stroke), but also slows the progression of chronic kidney disease. Various recommendations have been recently published on the subject in order to offer assistance to the therapeutic management of hypertension in the patient suffering from chronic kidney disease. The purpose of this article is to highlight these main key elements.

  18. Chronic hypophosphatemic osteopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koppers, B.; Schmid, L.; Hofmann, E.; Sauer, E.; Technische Univ. Muenchen; Technische Univ. Muenchen; Technische Univ. Muenchen

    1980-01-01

    The process of chronic hypophosphatemic vitamine D-resistant rickets - observation of two cases. With the male patient - our first case - the disease was sporadic and had not been recognized for a long time. In his early adulthood it manifested itself as Umbauzonen (pseudofractures) in the larger context of active osteomalacia. It was possible to observe the pseudofractures before and while the patient was medicamentously treated. High doses of vitamine D 3 and dosage of phosphate mitigated the complains although with respect to the radiological, scintigraphical, humoral and histological findings there was only slow improvement or nor improvement at all. The patient's daughter is affected by the disease as well. In her case the pathological signs of her bones became better when treated with vitamine D 3. (orig.) [de

  19. Chronic hypophosphatemic osteopathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koppers, B.; Schmid, L.; Hofmann, E.; Sauer, E.

    1980-07-01

    The process of chronic hypophosphatemic vitamine D-resistant rickets is described by observation of two cases. With the male patient - our first case - the disease was sporadic and had not been recognized for a long time. In his early adulthood it manifested itself as Umbauzonen (pseudofractures) in the larger context of active osteomalacia. It was possible to observe the pseudofractures before and while the patient was medicamentously treated. High doses of vitamine D 3 and dosage of phosphate mitigated the complaints although with respect to the radiological, scintigraphical, humoral and histological findings there was only slow improvement or no improvement at all. The patient's daughter is affected by the disease as well. In her case the pathological signs of her bones became better when treated with vitamine D 3.

  20. Research progress in antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YU Guoying

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Antiviral therapy is the most important treatment for chronic hepatitis C. This paper reviews the progress in antiviral treatment over recent years, including the combination therapy with polyethylene glycol-Interferon (PEG-IFN and ribavirin (RBV, specific target therapy, and gene therapy. The paper believes that the anti-hepatitis C virus treatment needs more effective drug combination therapies, shorter courses, less side effect, higher drug resistance threshold, etc.

  1. Biofilm Formation Protects Salmonella from the Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin In Vitro and In Vivo in the Mouse Model of chronic Carriage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Juan F; Alberts, Halley; Lee, Joel; Doolittle, Lauren; Gunn, John S

    2018-01-09

    Typhoid fever is caused by the human-restricted pathogen Salmonella enterica sv. Typhi. Approximately 5% of people that resolve the disease become chronic carriers, with the gallbladder as the main reservoir of the bacteria. Of these, about 90% present with gallstones, on which Salmonella form biofilms. Because S. Typhi is a human-restricted pathogen, these carriers are the main source of dissemination of the disease; unfortunately, antibiotic treatment has shown to be an ineffective therapy. This is believed to be caused by the inherent antibiotic resistance conferred by Salmonella biofilms growing on gallstones. The gallstone mouse model with S. Typhimurium has proven to be an excellent surrogate for S. Typhi chronic infection. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the biofilm state confers Salmonella with the increased resistance to antibiotics observed in cases of chronic carriage. We found that, in the biofilm state, Salmonella is significantly more resistant to ciprofloxacin, a common antibiotic used for the treatment of Salmonella, both in vitro (p < 0.001 for both S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium with respect to planktonic cells) and in vivo (p = 0.0035 with respect to control mice).

  2. Role of Adipose Tissue in Determining Muscle Mass in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition is a powerful predictor of mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, its etiology is unclear. We hypothesized that the adipocyte-derived proteins leptin and adiponectin, inflammation (as measured by C-reactive protein, CRP), and insulin resistance (as measured by ho...

  3. The Role of the Immune System in Obesity and Insulin Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Payal S. Patel

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The innate immune system provides organisms with rapid and well-coordinated protection from foreign pathogens. However, under certain conditions of metabolic dysfunction, components of the innate immune system may be activated in the absence of external pathogens, leading to pathologic consequences. Indeed, there appears to be an intimate relationship between metabolic diseases and immune dysfunction; for example, macrophages are prime players in the initiation of a chronic inflammatory state in obesity which leads to insulin resistance. In response to increases in free fatty acid release from obese adipose depots, M1-polarized macrophages infiltrate adipose tissues. These M1 macrophages trigger inflammatory signaling and stress responses within cells that signal through JNK or IKKβ pathways, leading to insulin resistance. If overnutrition persists, mechanisms that counteract inflammation (such as M2 macrophages and PPAR signaling are suppressed, and the inflammation becomes chronic. Although macrophages are a principal constituent of obese adipose tissue inflammation, other components of the immune system such as lymphocytes and mast cells also contribute to the inflammatory cascade. Thus it is not merely an increased mass of adipose tissue that directly leads to attenuation of insulin action, but rather adipose tissue inflammation activated by the immune system in obese individuals that leads to insulin resistance.

  4. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty: a treatment option for inoperable patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiko eOgawa

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, stenoses or obstructions of the pulmonary arteries due to organized thrombi can cause an elevation in pulmonary artery resistance, which in turn can result in pulmonary hypertension. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension can be cured surgically by pulmonary endarterectomy; however, patients deemed unsuitable for pulmonary endarterectomy due to lesion, advanced age, or comorbidities have a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Recently, advances have been made in balloon pulmonary angioplasty for these patients, and this review highlights this recent progress.

  5. Does Helicobacter pylori play a role in the pathogenesis of childhood chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Maghbool

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP is an acute self-limited bleeding disorder that can progress to chronic form in 10-15% of the cases. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori infection is a possible cause of chronic ITP. We studied 30 children with resistant chronic ITP for H. pylori infection based on the detection of H. pylori fecal antigen. This retrospective study was based on data obtained from medical records of 30 children aged between five and 17 years (median age at ITP diagnosis was ten years. A specially-designed data sheet was used to record information on age, sex, duration of disease, family history of bleeding disorders, previous treatments and median platelet count. In patients with H. pylori infection, antimicrobial treatment consisted of amoxicillin, metronidazol and omeprazol. Response was assessed every month for one year and defined as complete (platelet count >150x109/L or partial (platelet count between 50 and 150x109/L. We detected H. pylori infection in 5 patients. In 4 of them increased platelet count was seen during one year of follow-up and in one patient the platelet count was acceptable during six months. Although the pathological mechanism of H. pylori-induced thrombocytopenia was unclear in our patient sample, the assessment of H. pylori infection and use of eradication therapy should be attempted in chronic and resistant ITP patients.

  6. Chronic pancreatitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chronic pancreatitis - chronic; Pancreatitis - chronic - discharge; Pancreatic insufficiency - chronic; Acute pancreatitis - chronic ... abuse over many years. Repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis can lead to chronic pancreatitis. Genetics may be ...

  7. Exploiting mitochondrial dysfunction for effective elimination of imatinib-resistant leukemic cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jérome Kluza

    Full Text Available Challenges today concern chronic myeloid leukemia (CML patients resistant to imatinib. There is growing evidence that imatinib-resistant leukemic cells present abnormal glucose metabolism but the impact on mitochondria has been neglected. Our work aimed to better understand and exploit the metabolic alterations of imatinib-resistant leukemic cells. Imatinib-resistant cells presented high glycolysis as compared to sensitive cells. Consistently, expression of key glycolytic enzymes, at least partly mediated by HIF-1α, was modified in imatinib-resistant cells suggesting that imatinib-resistant cells uncouple glycolytic flux from pyruvate oxidation. Interestingly, mitochondria of imatinib-resistant cells exhibited accumulation of TCA cycle intermediates, increased NADH and low oxygen consumption. These mitochondrial alterations due to the partial failure of ETC were further confirmed in leukemic cells isolated from some imatinib-resistant CML patients. As a consequence, mitochondria generated more ROS than those of imatinib-sensitive cells. This, in turn, resulted in increased death of imatinib-resistant leukemic cells following in vitro or in vivo treatment with the pro-oxidants, PEITC and Trisenox, in a syngeneic mouse tumor model. Conversely, inhibition of glycolysis caused derepression of respiration leading to lower cellular ROS. In conclusion, these findings indicate that imatinib-resistant leukemic cells have an unexpected mitochondrial dysfunction that could be exploited for selective therapeutic intervention.

  8. Lifestyle and nutritional imbalances associated with Western diseases : causes and consequences of chronic systemic low-grade inflammation in an evolutionary context

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ruiz-Nunez, Begona; Pruimboom, Leo; Dijck-Brouwer, D.A. Janneke; Muskiet, Frits A. J.

    In this review, we focus on lifestyle changes, especially dietary habits, that are at the basis of chronic systemic low grade inflammation, insulin resistance and Western diseases. Our sensitivity to develop insulin resistance traces back to our rapid brain growth in the past 2.5 million years. An

  9. Comparative antibacterial activity of topical antiseptic eardrops against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and quinolone-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youn, Cha Kyung; Jang, Sook-Jin; Jo, Eu-Ri; Choi, Ji Ae; Sim, Ju-Hwan; Cho, Sung Il

    2016-06-01

    Aural irrigation using antiseptic solutions can be an effective medical treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) owing to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant CSOM infections. In the present study, we compared the antimicrobial activities of 100% Burow's solution, 50% Burow's solution, 2% acetic acid, vinegar with water (1:1), and 4% boric acid solution against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), quinolone-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (QRPA), and quinolone-susceptible P. aeruginosa (QSPA) in vitro. We examined the antimicrobial activities of five antiseptic solutions against MRSA, MSSA, QRPA, and QSPA. The antimicrobial activities of the solutions were calculated as a percentage of the surviving microorganisms by dividing the viable count in each antiseptic solution with that in control. The time (D10 value) required for each of the five solutions to inactivate 90% of the microorganism population was also investigated. Burow's solution exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity and the lowest D10 value against MRSA, MSSA, QRPA, and QSPA, followed by 2% acetic acid, vinegar with water (1:1), and 4% boric acid solution. Our results indicate that Burow's solution has the most potent activity against bacteria including antibiotic-resistant strains. Twofold dilution of the solution is recommended to avoid ototoxicity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Monitoring of celiac plexus block in chronic pancreatitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Myhre, John Gabriel; Hilsted, J; Tronier, B

    1989-01-01

    have, therefore, monitored the physiological completeness of pharmacological percutaneous celiac blockade with 40 ml 25% ethanol by measuring the effect of posture on heart rate, blood pressure, hepato-splanchnic vascular resistance, and pancreatic hormone concentrations before and after celiac plexus...... regarding pain after 1 week. In conclusion, pancreatic hormone concentrations in response to standing are not useful for monitoring celiac plexus block, whereas heart rate, blood pressure and hepato-splanchnic blood flow may yield useful information. From such measurements it was concluded that permanent...... block in 6 patients with chronic pancreatitis. Blood pressure decreased and heart rate increased after the block (P less than 0.025), whereas no significant change was found in hepato-splanchnic vascular resistance nor in the change of these parameters during transition from the supine to standing...

  11. Linezolid Trough Concentrations Correlate with Mitochondrial Toxicity-Related Adverse Events in the Treatment of Chronic Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Taeksun; Lee, Myungsun; Jeon, Han-Seung; Park, Yumi; Dodd, Lori E; Dartois, Véronique; Follman, Dean; Wang, Jing; Cai, Ying; Goldfeder, Lisa C; Olivier, Kenneth N; Xie, Yingda; Via, Laura E; Cho, Sang Nae; Barry, Clifton E; Chen, Ray Y

    2015-11-01

    Long-term linezolid use is limited by mitochondrial toxicity-associated adverse events (AEs). Within a prospective, randomized controlled trial of linezolid to treat chronic extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, we serially monitored the translational competence of mitochondria isolated from peripheral blood of participants by determining the cytochrome c oxidase/citrate synthase activity ratio. We compared this ratio with AEs associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Linezolid trough concentrations were determined for 38 participants at both 600 mg and 300 mg doses. Those on 600 mg had a significantly higher risk of AE than those on 300 mg (HR 3·10, 95% CI 1·23-7 · 86). Mean mitochondrial function levels were significantly higher in patients before starting linezolid compared to their concentrations on 300 mg (P = 0·004) or 600 mg (P linezolid trough concentrations were associated with lower mitochondrial function levels (Spearman's ρ = - 0.48; P = 0.005). Mitochondrial toxicity risk increased with increasing linezolid trough concentrations, with all patients with mean linezolid trough > 2 μg/ml developing an AE related to mitochondrial toxicity, whether on 300 mg or 600 mg. Therapeutic drug monitoring may be useful to prevent the development of mitochondrial toxicity associated with long-term linezolid use.

  12. Peripheral nerve field stimulation for chronic neuropathic pain: a single institution experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Ammando, A; Messina, G; Franzini, A; Dones, I

    2016-04-01

    Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) is a novel neurosurgical procedure consisting of implantation of subcutaneous leads in specific painful areas in different types of painful, drug-resistant syndromes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of PNFS in several patients affected by different chronic neuropathic pain syndromes, along with its risks, limits and possible correlation between the results achieved and the patients' main symptoms. Twenty-two patients affected by different types of chronic neuropathic pain were submitted to PNFS at the Department of Neurosurgery of the Istituto Neurologico "C. Besta" in Milan between July 2009 and July 2013. The visual analog scale (VAS) and variations in the use of analgesic drugs, along with complications, were considered to assess results. In 59 % of our patients, an average pain reduction of 5.50 points on the visual analog scale was observed (average pre-implant score 8.86 and average post-implant score 3.36). These patients reduced their analgesic drug use after PNFS. We observed no early or long-term complications after our last follow-up evaluation. PNFS can be considered an effective and safe option to treat carefully selected, drug-resistant and chronic neuropathic pain patients; the reversibility of the procedure and its lack, at least in our hands, of long-term complications may contribute to wider use of this procedure.

  13. Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Wen-Dien; Lin, Hung-Yu; Lai, Ping-Tung

    2015-01-01

    [Purpose] Through core strength training, patients with chronic low back pain can strengthen their deep trunk muscles. However, independent training remains challenging, despite the existence of numerous core strength training strategies. Currently, no standardized system has been established analyzing and comparing the results of core strength training and typical resistance training. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the results of previous studies to explore the effectiveness ...

  14. Associations between Zinc Deficiency and Metabolic Abnormalities in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi Himoto

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Zinc (Zn is an essential trace element which has favorable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and apoptotic effects. The liver mainly plays a crucial role in maintaining systemic Zn homeostasis. Therefore, the occurrence of chronic liver diseases, such as chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or fatty liver, results in the impairment of Zn metabolism, and subsequently Zn deficiency. Zn deficiency causes plenty of metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and hepatic encephalopathy. Inversely, metabolic abnormalities like hypoalbuminemia in patients with liver cirrhosis often result in Zn deficiency. Recent studies have revealed the putative mechanisms by which Zn deficiency evokes a variety of metabolic abnormalities in chronic liver disease. Zn supplementation has shown beneficial effects on such metabolic abnormalities in experimental models and actual patients with chronic liver disease. This review summarizes the pathogenesis of metabolic abnormalities deriving from Zn deficiency and the favorable effects of Zn administration in patients with chronic liver disease. In addition, we also highlight the interactions between Zn and other trace elements, vitamins, amino acids, or hormones in such patients.

  15. Emergence of drug resistance-associated variants and changes in serum lipid profiles in sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir-treated chronic hepatitis C patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kan, Hiromi; Imamura, Michio; Kawakami, Yoshiiku; Daijo, Kana; Teraoka, Yuji; Honda, Fumi; Nakamura, Yuki; Morio, Kei; Kobayashi, Tomoki; Nakahara, Takashi; Nagaoki, Yuko; Kawaoka, Tomokazu; Tsuge, Masataka; Aikata, Hiroshi; Hayes, Clair Nelson; Miki, Daiki; Ochi, Hidenori; Honda, Yoji; Mori, Nami; Takaki, Shintaro; Tsuji, Keiji; Chayama, Kazuaki

    2017-11-01

    Combination of sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir therapy has been expected to enhance sustained virological response (SVR) rates in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 chronic infected patients. We analyzed the emergence of drug resistance-associated variants (RAVs) in treatment failure and changes in lipid profiles in sofosbuvir/ledipasvir-treated patients. A total of 176 patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection without decompensated liver cirrhosis were treated with sofosbuvir/ledipasvir for 12 weeks. NS5A and NS5B RAVs were determined by either Invader assay or direct sequencing. Serum lipid-related markers were measured at the start of treatment and at week 4 in patients who received sofosbuvir/ledipasvir and ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir therapies. SVR was achieved in 94.9% (167 out of 176) of patients. SVR12 rate was 97.1% for patietns with low frequncy (75%) of NS5A RAVs. In multivariate regression analysis, higher albumin (odds ratio [OR] = 0.020 for presence; P = 0.007), and NS5A-L31/Y93 RAVs with a population frequency <75% (OR = 29.860 for presence; P = 0.023) were identified as significant independent predictors for SVR12. NS5A-Y93H substitutions were detected in all nine treatment failures at HCV relapse, and three out of six patients with NS5A inhibitor-naïve patients achieved additional NS5A RAVs. Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels were significantly elevated at week 4 in sofosbuvir/ledipasvir-treated patients. These elevations were greater than in ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir-treated patients. In conclusion, NS5A multi-RAVs are likely to develop in patients who fail to respond to sofosbuvir/ledipasvir therapy. Inhibition of HCV replication with sofosbuvir might affect lipid metabolism. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Performance of Molecular Approaches for Aspergillus Detection and Azole Resistance Surveillance in Cystic Fibrosis

    OpenAIRE

    Hélène Guegan; Sylviane Chevrier; Chantal Belleguic; Eric Deneuville; Florence Robert-Gangneux; Florence Robert-Gangneux; Jean-Pierre Gangneux; Jean-Pierre Gangneux

    2018-01-01

    Aspergillus fumigatus triazole resistance is an emerging concern for treating chronically infected/colonized patients. This study sought to evaluate the performance of PCR assays to detect Aspergillus fungi together with azole resistance in sputum samples from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In total, 119 sputum samples from 87 CF patients were prospectively processed for Aspergillus detection by means of mycological culture and four qPCR assays, 2 in-house methods and two commercial multiplex...

  17. Diagnóstico e tratamento da hepatite B Diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Simão Ferreira

    2000-08-01

    Full Text Available A hepatite B constitui grave problema de saúde pública. Estima-se que 350 milhões de pessoas, ou seja, 5% da população mundial sejam portadores dessa virose. Admite-se que a infecção evolui para a cura em 90% a 95% dos casos e para o estado de portador crônico nos restantes 5% a 10%; a infecção persistente pode resultar também em cirrose, insuficiência hepática e carcinoma hepatocelular. O diagnóstico de qualquer das formas clínicas da hepatite B realiza-se através de técnicas sorológicas. Os médicos, hoje, possuem acesso a modernas técnicas laboratoriais capazes de avaliar a carga viral, o índice de replicação do agente infeccioso e a eficácia das novas medicações utilizadas. Vários agentes antivirais têm sido usados no tratamento dos indivíduos com hepatite crônica, como o intérferon alfa, a lamivudina, o famciclovir, e o adefovir dipivoxil, entre outros. A imunização ativa utilizando as modernas vacinas recombinantes constitui, na atualidade, a arma mais importante no combate à infecção pelo vírus da hepatite B.Hepatitis B constitutes a serious public health problem. It has been estimated that 350 million people - approximately 5% of the world population - have been infected by this virus. Of the people infected, in 90% to 95% of them there will be a spontaneous resolution of the disease. In 5% to 10% of the cases, though, the infection will persist and a chronic hepatitis will develop that may evolve leading, in the end, to liver cirrhosis, liver failure and/or carcinoma of the liver. The diagnosis of the different stages of the disease (i.e., acute, chronic infection is performed using modern serologic techniques. Physicians, more recently, are having access to a series of laboratory tests which permit them to evaluate the viral load, replication of the virus and to testing of the efficacy of new anti-viral drugs. For the treatment of chronic hepatitis B new agents have been tested and some are being

  18. Chronic, refractory CRPS involving 3 limbs: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zyluk, A

    2013-06-01

    We report the case of a 26-year-old woman with CRPS involving consecutively 3 extremities during 8 years. None of the treatments used was effective and each CRPS episode resulted in persistence and chronification of the disease. We suggest that this patient presents a specific subtype of the disease, called "chronic, refractory CRPS" which is extremely severe, disabling and resistant to treatment. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. Adverse reactions among patients being treated for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at Abbassia Chest Hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad A. Tag El Din

    2015-10-01

    Conclusions: There is a relation between both tobacco smoking and drug addiction, and MDR TB. The most common type of resistance is acquired resistance because of lack of adherence to treatment or inappropriate treatment. The most common co-morbidities associated with MDR TB are diabetes and chronic obstructive lung diseases. The most important predictors of patients’ outcome are sputum conversion, number of previous TB treatment and presence of co-morbidities.

  20. Management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamil, K. F.

    2018-03-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB). 10.4 million new TB cases will appear in 2015 worldwide. There were an estimated 1.4 million TB deaths in 2015, and an additional 0.4 million deaths resulting from TB disease among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Multidrug- resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR and XDR-TB) are major public health concerns worldwide. 480.000 new cases of MDR-TB will appear in 2015 and an additional 100,000 people with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) who were also newly eligible for MDR-TB treatment. Their association with HIV infection has contributed to the slowing down of TB incidence decline over the last two decades, therefore representing one important barrier to reach TB elimination. Patients infected with MDR-TB require more expensive treatment regimens than drug-susceptible TB, with poor treatment.Patients with multidrug- resistant tuberculosis do not receive rifampin; drug interactions risk is markedly reduced. However, overlapping toxicities may limit options for co-treatment of HIV and multidrug- resistant tuberculosis.

  1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder; chronic versus non-chronic symptoms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, H.A.; van Oppen, P.C.; van Megen, H.J.; Eikelenboom, M.; van Balkom, A.J.L.M.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Understanding chronicity in OCD is hampered by contradictory findings arising from dissimilar definitions of chronic OCD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude of chronicity in OCD and to examine if chronic OCD is critically different from non-chronic OCD, using a

  2. Long term cardiovascular consequences of chronic lung disease of prematurity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poon, Chuen Yeow; Edwards, Martin Oliver; Kotecha, Sailesh

    2013-12-01

    Pulmonary arterial (PA) hypertension in preterm infant is an important consequence of chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD) arising mainly due to impaired alveolar development and dysregulated angiogenesis of the pulmonary circulation. Although PA pressure and resistance in these children normalise by school age, their pulmonary vasculature remains hyper-reactive to hypoxia until early childhood. Furthermore, there is evidence that systemic blood pressure in preterm born children with or without CLD is mildly increased at school age and in young adulthood when compared to term-born children. Arterial stiffness may be increased in CLD survivors due to increased smooth muscle tone of the pre-resistance and resistance vessels rather than the loss of elasticity in the large arteries. This review explores the long term effects of CLD on the pulmonary and systemic circulations along with their clinical correlates and therapeutic approaches. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. [Etiology of acute and chronic pyelonephritis in children in Khabarovsk region].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozlova, E A; Kholodok, G N; Alekseeva, I N; Kozlov, V K

    2008-01-01

    Microflora of urinary tract was studied in 419 children aged 1 - 17 years and hospitalized due to acute or chronic pyelonephritis. Etiology of inflammatory process was established in 57.8% of cases. According to our study, etiologic structure of causative agents of pyelonephritis did not differ from all-Russian data. The leading positions belonged to Gram-negative microorganisms from Enterobacteriaceae family: Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella spp. Results of the study point to high susceptibility of main causative agents of pyelonephritis to cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. High resistance to aminopenicillines was noted. In several isolates from Enterobacteriaceae family significant resistance to nalidixic acid and furazidin was observed.

  4. Amide side chain amphiphilic polymers disrupt surface established bacterial bio-films and protect mice from chronic Acinetobacter baumannii infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uppu, Divakara S S M; Samaddar, Sandip; Ghosh, Chandradhish; Paramanandham, Krishnamoorthy; Shome, Bibek R; Haldar, Jayanta

    2016-01-01

    Bacterial biofilms represent the root-cause of chronic or persistent infections in humans. Gram-negative bacterial infections due to nosocomial and opportunistic pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii are more difficult to treat because of their inherent and rapidly acquiring resistance to antibiotics. Due to biofilm formation, A. baumannii has been noted for its apparent ability to survive on artificial surfaces for an extended period of time, therefore allowing it to persist in the hospital environment. Here we report, maleic anhydride based novel cationic polymers appended with amide side chains that disrupt surface established multi-drug resistant A. baumannii biofilms. More importantly, these polymers significantly (p polymers also show potent antibacterial efficacy against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE) and multi-drug resistant clinical isolates of A. baumannii with minimal toxicity to mammalian cells. We observe that optimal hydrophobicity dependent on the side chain chemical structure of these polymers dictate the selective toxicity to bacteria. Polymers interact with the bacterial cell membranes by causing membrane depolarization, permeabilization and energy depletion. Bacteria develop rapid resistance to erythromycin and colistin whereas no detectable development of resistance occurs against these polymers even after several passages. These results suggest the potential use of these polymeric biomaterials in disinfecting biomedical device surfaces after the infection has become established and also for the topical treatment of chronic bacterial infections. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Chronic hepatitis B management based on standard guidelines in community primary care and specialty clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ku, Kevin C; Li, Jiayi; Ha, Nghi B; Martin, Marina; Nguyen, Vincent G; Nguyen, Mindie H

    2013-12-01

    Prior studies have underlined the need for increased screening and awareness of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), especially in certain high-risk populations. However, few studies have examined the patterns of evaluation and management of CHB between primary care physicians (PCP) and specialists according to commonly-used professional guidelines. Our goal was to examine whether necessary laboratory parameters used to determine disease status and eligibility for antiviral therapy were performed by PCPs and specialists. We conducted a retrospective study of 253 treatment-naïve CHB patients who were evaluated by PCP only (n=63) or by specialists (n=190) for CHB at a community multispecialty medical center between March 2007 and June 2009. Criteria for CHB management and treatment eligibility were based on the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 2007 guideline and the US Panel 2006 algorithm. Required parameters for optimal evaluation for CHB included hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Preferred antiviral agents for CHB included pegylated interferon, adefovir, and entecavir. The majority of patients were Asians (90%) and (54%) with a mean age of 43±11.6 years. Compared to PCPs, specialists were more likely to order laboratory testing for ALT (94 vs. 86%, P=0.05), HBeAg (67 vs. 41%, P<0.0001) and HBV DNA (83 vs. 52%, P<0.0001). The proportion of patients having all three laboratory parameters was significantly higher among those evaluated by specialists compared to PCP (62 vs. 33%, P<0.0001). A total of 55 patients were initiated on antiviral treatment (n=47 by specialists and n=6 by PCPs). Lamivudine was prescribed more often by PCPs than specialists (33 vs. 2%, P=0.05). Preferred agents were used 96% of the time by specialists compared to 67% of those treated by PCPs (P=0.05). Patients evaluated by specialists for CHB are more likely to undergo more complete laboratory evaluation and, if eligible, are also more

  6. Deletion of skeletal muscle SOCS3 prevents insulin resistance in obesity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beck Jørgensen, Sebastian; O'Neill, Hayley M; Sylow, Lykke

    2013-01-01

    Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation that contributes to defects in energy metabolism and insulin resistance. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 expression is increased in skeletal muscle of obese humans. SOCS3 inhibits leptin signaling in the hypothalamus and insulin...... of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance because of enhanced skeletal muscle insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and Akt phosphorylation that resulted in increased skeletal muscle glucose uptake. These data indicate that skeletal muscle SOCS3 does not play a critical role in regulating muscle development or energy...... expenditure, but it is an important contributing factor for inhibiting insulin sensitivity in obesity. Therapies aimed at inhibiting SOCS3 in skeletal muscle may be effective in reversing obesity-related glucose intolerance and insulin resistance....

  7. Mechanisms of Hepatitis C Viral Resistance to Direct Acting Antivirals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Asma; Felmlee, Daniel J

    2015-12-18

    There has been a remarkable transformation in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in recent years with the development of direct acting antiviral agents targeting virus encoded proteins important for viral replication including NS3/4A, NS5A and NS5B. These agents have shown high sustained viral response (SVR) rates of more than 90% in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials; however, this is slightly lower in real-life cohorts. Hepatitis C virus resistant variants are seen in most patients who do not achieve SVR due to selection and outgrowth of resistant hepatitis C virus variants within a given host. These resistance associated mutations depend on the class of direct-acting antiviral drugs used and also vary between hepatitis C virus genotypes and subtypes. The understanding of these mutations has a clear clinical implication in terms of choice and combination of drugs used. In this review, we describe mechanism of action of currently available drugs and summarize clinically relevant resistance data.

  8. Descending volleys generated by efficacious epidural motor cortex stimulation in patients with chronic neuropathic pain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lefaucheur, Jean-Pascal; Holsheimer, J.; Goujon, Colette; Keravel, Yves; Nguyen, Jean-Paul

    Epidural motor cortex stimulation (EMCS) is a therapeutic option for chronic, drug-resistant neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. In two patients with refractory hand pain successfully treated by EMCS, the presence of implanted epidural cervical electrodes for

  9. Efficacy of escalated imatinib combined with cytarabine in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deenik, Wendy; Janssen, Jeroen J. W. M.; van der Holt, Bronno; Verhoef, Gregor E. G.; Smit, Willem M.; Kersten, Marie José; Daenen, Simon M. G. J.; Verdonck, Leo F.; Ferrant, Augustin; Schattenberg, Anton V. M. B.; Sonneveld, Pieter; van Marwijk Kooy, Marinus; Wittebol, Shulamit; Willemze, Roelof; Wijermans, Pierre W.; Beverloo, H. Berna; Löwenberg, Bob; Valk, Peter J. M.; Ossenkoppele, Gert J.; Cornelissen, Jan J.

    2010-01-01

    In order to improve the molecular response rate and prevent resistance to treatment, combination therapy with different dosages of imatinib and cytarabine was studied in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the HOVON-51 study. Having reported feasibility previously, we hereby

  10. Efficacy of escalated imatinib combined with cytarabine in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deenik, W.; Janssen, J.J.W.M.; van der Holt, B.; Verhoef, G.E.G.; Smit, W.M.; Kersten, M.J.; Daenen, S.M.G.J.; Verdouck, L.F.; Ferrant, A.; Schattenberg, A.V.M.B.; Sonneveld, P.; Kooy, M.V.M.; Wittebol, S.; Willemze, R.; Wijermans, P.W.; Beverloo, H.B.; Lowenberg, B.; Valk, P.J.M.; Ossenkoppele, G.J.; Cornelissen, J.J.

    2010-01-01

    Background In order to improve the molecular response rate and prevent resistance to treatment, combination therapy with different dosages of imatinib and cytarabine was studied in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the HOVON-51 study. Design and Methods Having reported

  11. Efficacy of escalated imatinib combined with cytarabine in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deenik, Wendy; Janssen, Jeroen J. W. M.; van der Holt, Bronno; Verhoef, Gregor E. G.; Smit, Willem M.; Kersten, Marie Jose; Daenen, Simon M. G. J.; Verdouck, Leo F.; Ferrant, Augustin; Schattenberg, Anton V. M. B.; Sonneveld, Pieter; Kooy, Marinus van Marwijk; Wittebol, Shulamit; Willemze, Roelof; Wijermans, Pierre W.; Beverloo, H. Berna; Lowenberg, Bob; Valk, Peter J. M.; Ossenkoppele, Gert J.; Cornelissen, Jan J.

    Background In order to improve the molecular response rate and prevent resistance to treatment, combination therapy with different dosages of imatinib and cytarabine was studied in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the HOVON-51 study. Design and Methods Having reported

  12. Clinical and haemodynamic evaluation of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients scheduled for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy: Is schistosomiasis hypertension an important confounding factor?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Terra-Filho

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is a disease affecting approximately 4,000 people per year in the United States. The incidence rate in Brazil, however, is unknown. The estimated survival for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension without treatment is approximately three years. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for select patients is a potentially curative procedure when correctly applied. In Brazil, the clinical and hemodynamic profiles of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients have yet to be described. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients scheduled for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in a referral center for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension treatment in Brazil. METHODS: From December 2006 to November 2009, patients were evaluated and scheduled for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. The subjects were classified according to gender, age and functional class and were tested for thrombofilia and brain natriuretic peptide levels. RESULTS: Thirty-five consecutive chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients were evaluated. Two patients tested positive for schistosomiasis, and 31 were enrolled in the study (19 female, 12 male. The majority of patients were categorized in functional classes III and IV. Hemodynamic data showed a mean pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR of 970.8 ± 494.36 dynas·s·cm-5 and a low cardiac output of 3.378 ± 1.13 L/min. Linear regression revealed a direct relation between cardiac output and pulmonary vascular resistance. Paradoxical septal movement was strongly correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance and cardiac output (p=0.001. Brain natriuretic peptide serum levels were elevated in 19 of 27 patients. CONCLUSIONS: In a referral center for pulmonary hypertension in Brazil, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients evaluated for

  13. The Effect of Interdialytic Combined Resistance and Aerobic Exercise Training on Health Related Outcomes in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: The Tunisian Randomized Controlled Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bechir Frih

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Tunisia has the highest prevalence of hemodialysis patients compared to the other countries in North Africa. Dialysis centers rarely offer an exercise program to prevent physiological and psychological dialysis therapy-related alterations in chronic hemodialysis patients.Aim: To examine the effect of combined endurance-resistance training program on physiological and psychological outcomes in patients undergoing hemodialysis.Methods: We designed a single blinded, randomized, controlled study for a period of 4 months. Patients were randomized to intervention group or control group. Intervention group patients received 4 training sessions per week, held on non-hemodialysis days for a period of 4 months, whereas control group patients continued their regular lifestyle practice without direct intervention from the personnel of this investigation. Patients were evaluated at baseline (initial assessment and after the four-month study period (final assessment by the same investigator blinded to treatment group assignment using physical, physiological, and psychological measurements.Results: Compared with control group, intervention group showed significant improvement in physical performance during the sit-to-stand-to-sit tests (STS-10: −16.2%, ES = −1.65; STS-60: +23.43%, ES = 1.18, handgrip force task (+23.54%, ES = 1.16, timed up and go test (−13.86%, ES = −1.13, and 6-min walk test (+15.94%, ES = 2.09. Likewise, mini nutritional assessment long form scores after intervention period were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (ES = 1.43. Physical and mental component scores of SF-36 questionnaire increased significantly in the intervention group (ES = 1.10 and ES = 2.06, respectively, whereas hospital anxiety and depression scale scores decreased significantly (ES = −1.65 and ES = −2.72, respectively. Regarding biological parameters, intervention group displayed improvement in systolic

  14. Pelvis dilatation and mucosal thickening of transplanted kidney: comparative study of resistive index and ultrasonographic finding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Myung Joon; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Lee, Jong Tae; Kim, Yu Seun; Park, Ki Il

    1992-01-01

    Diagnostic ability of duplex Doppler ultrasonography relying on resistive index is limited when clinical symptoms and signs of rejection are subtle or renal dysfunction is caused by other conditions such as urinary tract infection. To investigate the significance in the changes of renal pelvis, a combined analysis of resistive index and ultrasonographic findings in cases of renal pelvis dilatation and mucosal thickening was undertaken. A mean resistive index was calculated from Doppler measurements of the main, segmental and interlobar arteries. The cause of mucosal thickening was retrospectively analysed using the clinical and laboratory findings. Twenty three cases of renal pelvis dilatation and 17 cases of mucosal thickening were found in a total of 159 renal transplantation cases. In 14 of the 23 cases with renal pelvis dilatation, renal function was normal and their mean resistive index was 0.64 ± 0.04. Pelvis and ureter dilatation caused by ureteral stenosis or compression was demonstrated in 6 cases and their mean resistive index (0.72 ± 0.05) was increased. Mucosal thickening of renal pelvis was found in 7 of 32 cases with acute injection and in 2 of 13 cases with chronic rejection, but their mean resistive index was not different from that of the cases without pelvic mucosal changes. Three cases of acute rejection associated with urinary tract infection and 2 cases of chronic rejection in whom resistive indices were indeterminate, but mucosal thickening of the renal pelvis was prominent at ultrasonography. In renal transplant patients having indeterminate resistive index and mucosal thickening of the renal pelvis, ultrasonographic features must be correlated with the clinical and laboratory findings for an accurate diagnosis and treatment of renal dysfunction

  15. Drug resistance in leishmaniasis: current drug-delivery systems and future perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasinzai, Masoom; Khan, Momin; Nadhman, Akhtar; Shahnaz, Gul

    2013-10-01

    Leishmaniasis is a complex of diseases with numerous clinical manifestations for instance harshness from skin lesions to severe disfigurement and chronic systemic infection in the liver and spleen. So far, the most classical leishmaniasis therapy, despite its documented toxicities, remains pentavalent antimonial compounds. The arvailable therapeutic modalities for leishmaniasis are overwhelmed with resistance to leishmaniasis therapy. Mechanisms of classical drug resistance are often related with the lower drug uptake, increased efflux, the faster drug metabolism, drug target modifications and over-expression of drug transporters. The high prevalence of leishmaniasis and the appearance of resistance to classical drugs reveal the demand to develop and explore novel, less toxic, low cost and more promising therapeutic modalities. The review describes the mechanisms of classical drug resistance and potential drug targets in Leishmania infection. Moreover, current drug-delivery systems and future perspectives towards Leishmaniasis treatment are also covered.

  16. Biopsychosocial model of chronic recurrent pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zlatka Rakovec-Felser

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Pain is not merely a symptom of disease but a complex independent phenomenon where psychological factors are always present (Sternberg, 1973. Especially by chronic, recurrent pain it's more constructive to think of chronic pain as a syndrome that evolves over time, involving a complex interaction of physiological/organic, psychological, and behavioural processes. Study of chronic recurrent functional pain covers tension form of headache. 50 suffering persons were accidentally chosen among those who had been seeking medical help over more than year ago. We tested their pain intensity and duration, extent of subjective experience of accommodation efforts, temperament characteristics, coping strategies, personal traits, the role of pain in intra- and interpersonal communication. At the end we compared this group with control group (without any manifest physical disorders and with analyse of variance (MANOVA. The typical person who suffers and expects medical help is mostly a woman, married, has elementary or secondary education, is about 40. Pain, seems to appear in the phase of stress-induced psychophysical fatigue, by persons with lower constitutional resistance to different influences, greater irritability and number of physiologic correlates of emotional tensions. Because of their ineffective style of coping, it seems they quickly exhausted their adaptation potential too. Through their higher level of social–field dependence, reactions of other persons (doctor, spouse could be important factors of reinforcement and social learning processes. In managing of chronic pain, especially such as tension headache is, it's very important to involve bio-psychosocial model of pain and integrative model of treatment. Intra- and inter-subjective psychological functions of pain must be recognised as soon as possible.

  17. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as a reliable marker to predict insulin resistance and fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Razik, Ahmed; Mousa, Nasser; Besheer, Tarek A; Eissa, Mohamed; Elhelaly, Rania; Arafa, Mohammad; El-Wakeel, Niveen; Eldars, Waleed

    2015-12-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most noxious infectious diseases. Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) had biochemical evidence of insulin resistance (IR). The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) integrates information on the inflammatory milieu and physiological stress. We aimed to investigate the clinical utility of NLR to predict the presence of IR and fibrosis in CHCvirus infection. The study included 234 CHC patients and 50 healthy controls. The CHC group was divided into two subgroups ; CHC with HOMA-IR>3 and CHC with HOMA-IR≤3. Liver biopsy, homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR), neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were recorded ; and NLR was calculated. Proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients with HOMA-IR>3 had a higher NLR compared with patients with HOMA-IR≤3 [2.61±0.95 and 1.92±0.86, respectively, PC-reactive protein, TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines ; P3 and advanced fibrosis. This ratio can be used as a novel noninvasive marker to predict IR and advanced disease. © Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica.

  18. PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN CHRONIC SUPPURATIVE OTITIS MEDIA- A DRUGSENSITIVITY STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anoop M

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Chronic suppurative otitis media is one among the commonest ENT disease seen in day-to-day practice. It is seen mainly among low socioeconomic class. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was conducted in the Department of ENT, Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences. Fifty patients with CSOM of all age groups and both sexes attending the Outpatient Department of ENT were selected randomly for the study. RESULTS From our study, we found mainly children of age group 10-11 years commonly affected. They belong to poor socioeconomic background. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common organism isolated in the present study. Ciprofloxacin was found to be the most sensitive antibiotic to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSION We noticed that drug resistance is on the rise due to misuse of antibiotics, over-the-counter treatment, inadequate period of therapy and less awareness among public regarding drug resistance. Constant monitoring of antibiotic sensitivity is needed to prevent drug resistance in CSOM.

  19. Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booth, Frank W.; Roberts, Christian K.; Laye, Matthew J.

    2014-01-01

    Chronic diseases are major killers in the modern era. Physical inactivity is a primary cause of most chronic diseases. The initial third of the article considers: activity and prevention definitions; historical evidence showing physical inactivity is detrimental to health and normal organ functional capacities; cause vs. treatment; physical activity and inactivity mechanisms differ; gene-environment interaction [including aerobic training adaptations, personalized medicine, and co-twin physical activity]; and specificity of adaptations to type of training. Next, physical activity/exercise is examined as primary prevention against 35 chronic conditions [Accelerated biological aging/premature death, low cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), sarcopenia, metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin resistance, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease, hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure, endothelial dysfunction, arterial dyslipidemia, hemostasis, deep vein thrombosis, cognitive dysfunction, depression and anxiety, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, balance, bone fracture/falls, rheumatoid arthritis, colon cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, polycystic ovary syndrome, erectile dysfunction, pain, diverticulitis, constipation, and gallbladder diseases]. The article ends with consideration of deterioration of risk factors in longer-term sedentary groups; clinical consequences of inactive childhood/adolescence; and public policy. In summary, the body rapidly maladapts to insufficient physical activity, and if continued, results in substantial decreases in both total and quality years of life. Taken together, conclusive evidence exists that physical inactivity is one important cause of most chronic diseases. In addition, physical activity primarily prevents, or delays, chronic diseases, implying that chronic disease need not be an inevitable outcome during life

  20. ON012380: A Non-ATP Competitive Inhibitor of BCR-ABL for the Therapy of Imatinib-Resistant CMLs

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reddy, E. P

    2007-01-01

    Because it is now apparent that a significant proportion of patients chronically treated with imatinib develop resistance due to the acquisition of mutations in the kinase domain of BCR-ABL our aim...

  1. Dysregulated stress signal sensitivity and inflammatory disinhibition as a pathophysiological mechanism of stress-related chronic fatigue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strahler, Jana; Skoluda, Nadine; Rohleder, Nicolas; Nater, Urs M

    2016-09-01

    Chronic stress and its subsequent effects on biological stress systems have long been recognized as predisposing and perpetuating factors in chronic fatigue, although the exact mechanisms are far from being completely understood. In this review, we propose that sensitivity of immune cells to glucocorticoids (GCs) and catecholamines (CATs) may be the missing link in elucidating how stress turns into chronic fatigue. We searched for in vitro studies investigating the impact of GCs or CATs on mitogen-stimulated immune cells in chronically stressed or fatigued populations, with 34 original studies fulfilling our inclusion criteria. Besides mixed cross-sectional findings for stress- and fatigue-related changes of GC sensitivity under basal conditions or acute stress, longitudinal studies indicate a decrease with ongoing stress. Research on CATs is still scarce, but initial findings point towards a reduction of CAT sensitivity under chronic stress. In the long run, resistance of immune cells to stress signals under conditions of chronic stress might translate into self-maintaining inflammation and inflammatory disinhibition under acute stress, which in turn lead to fatigue. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Efficacy of ponatinib against ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant leukemia cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okabe, Seiichi; Tauchi, Tetsuzo; Tanaka, Yuko; Ohyashiki, Kazuma

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Efficacy of ponatinib against ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant leukemia cells okabe et al. •Imatinib or nilotinib resistance was involved Src family kinase. •The BCR-ABL point mutation (E334V) was highly resistant to imatinib or nilotinib. •Ponatinib was a powerful strategy against imatinib or nilotinib resistant Ph-positive cells. -- Abstract: Because a substantial number of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia acquire resistance to ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), their management remains a challenge. Ponatinib, also known as AP24534, is an oral multi-targeted TKI. Ponatinib is currently being investigated in a pivotal phase 2 clinical trial. In the present study, we analyzed the molecular and functional consequences of ponatinib against imatinib- or nilotinib-resistant (R) K562 and Ba/F3 cells. The proliferation of imatinib- or nilotinib-resistant K562 cells did not decrease after treatment with imatinib or nilotinib. Src family kinase Lyn was activated. Point mutation Ba/F3 cells (E334 V) were also highly resistant to imatinib and nilotinib. Treatment with ponatinib for 72 h inhibited the growth of imatinib- and nilotinib-resistant cells. The phosphorylation of BCR-ABL, Lyn, and Crk-L was reduced. This study demonstrates that ponatinib has an anti-leukemia effect by reducing ABL and Lyn kinase activity and this information may be of therapeutic relevance

  3. Efficacy of ponatinib against ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant leukemia cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okabe, Seiichi, E-mail: okabe@tokyo-med.ac.jp; Tauchi, Tetsuzo; Tanaka, Yuko; Ohyashiki, Kazuma

    2013-06-07

    Highlights: •Efficacy of ponatinib against ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant leukemia cells okabe et al. •Imatinib or nilotinib resistance was involved Src family kinase. •The BCR-ABL point mutation (E334V) was highly resistant to imatinib or nilotinib. •Ponatinib was a powerful strategy against imatinib or nilotinib resistant Ph-positive cells. -- Abstract: Because a substantial number of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia acquire resistance to ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), their management remains a challenge. Ponatinib, also known as AP24534, is an oral multi-targeted TKI. Ponatinib is currently being investigated in a pivotal phase 2 clinical trial. In the present study, we analyzed the molecular and functional consequences of ponatinib against imatinib- or nilotinib-resistant (R) K562 and Ba/F3 cells. The proliferation of imatinib- or nilotinib-resistant K562 cells did not decrease after treatment with imatinib or nilotinib. Src family kinase Lyn was activated. Point mutation Ba/F3 cells (E334 V) were also highly resistant to imatinib and nilotinib. Treatment with ponatinib for 72 h inhibited the growth of imatinib- and nilotinib-resistant cells. The phosphorylation of BCR-ABL, Lyn, and Crk-L was reduced. This study demonstrates that ponatinib has an anti-leukemia effect by reducing ABL and Lyn kinase activity and this information may be of therapeutic relevance.

  4. [Experimental validation of the efficacy of laser-magnetic therapy for chronic placental insufficiency].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordzhonikidze, N V; Filimonov, V G; Klimenko, P A; Kondrikov, N I; Akin'shina, V S; Berlin, Iu V

    1994-01-01

    A new pathogenetically based non-medicamentous method for correction of uteroplacental bloodflow disturbances has been developed on the model of chronic placental insufficiency in rats. A single 5 min laser-magnetic exposure on day 21 of normal pregnancy resulted in a vasodilating effect with reduction of the peripheral resistance in the uterine horn vessels and with improvement of their blood supply. A new LAMA laser magneto-therapeutic device was employed. Daily 5 min sessions of laser magnetic therapy administered to rats with chronic placental insufficiency from pregnancy days 15-16 to 21 normalized uterine horn contractility and resulted in positive morphofunctional changes in the components of the uterine horns and placenta, being associated with a noticeable improvement of fetal functions. Hence, laser magnetic therapy may be regarded as an effective non-drug method for therapy of chronic placental insufficiency.

  5. Polycystic ovary syndrome and chronic inflammation: pharmacotherapeutic implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sirmans, Susan Maureen; Weidman-Evans, Emily; Everton, Victoria; Thompson, Daniel

    2012-03-01

    To examine the relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic inflammation and analyze data regarding pharmacologic therapies that are recommended to reduce CVD risk in PCOS and the impact of those therapies on chronic inflammation. A search of MEDLINE (1950-October 2011) was conducted to identify clinical studies pertaining to the identification and treatment of CVD and chronic low-grade inflammation in PCOS. Search terms included polycystic ovary syndrome, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, metformin, thiazolidinedione, and statin. Bibliographies of these studies and review articles were also examined. English-language clinical studies evaluating the effect of metformin, thiazolidinediones, and statins on inflammatory markers, endothelial function, adhesion molecules, fibrinolysis, cytokines, and adipokines in PCOS were included. Women with PCOS have an increased prevalence of many cardiovascular risk factors including obesity, android fat distribution, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Markers of chronic low-grade inflammation, which are associated with an increased risk of CVD, are also elevated in PCOS. Clinical guidelines recommend the use of insulin sensitizers and statins to prevent CVD in some patients with PCOS. Current literature indicates that each of these medication classes has beneficial effects on inflammation, as well. Although there are currently no studies to determine whether these treatments decrease CVD in PCOS, it can be hypothesized that drugs impacting chronic inflammation may reduce cardiovascular risk. Some studies show that metformin, thiazolidinediones, and statins have beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in PCOS; however, the data are inconsistent. There is insufficient information to recommend any pharmacologic therapies for their antiinflammatory effects in PCOS in the

  6. Clinical efficiency of cyclosporine in chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V.I. Petrov

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the research is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of cyclosporine and other antihistamines in patients with chronic forms of urticaria resistant to basic first-line therapy. Open randomized controlled study has been performed in parallel groups. 53 patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria ages 18-50 years have been examined. In case of ineffectiveness of previous therapy, patients have been randomized into 2 groups: group I receiving cyclosporine (Sandimmune Neoral ® 2,5 mg/kg/day, group II receiving cetirizine (Zyrtec ® 10 mg/day and ranitidine (Zantac ® 300 mg/day orally. It has been found that the administration of cyclosporine in patients with severe chronic idiopathic urticaria provides a more rapid achievement of clinical effect than the therapy with H1/H2 histamine antagonists. It is confirmed by a significant decrease of total index of severity of illness and major symptoms of skin lesions. This tendency towards normalization of quality of life of patients taking cyclosporine remains during 8 weeks after the medication. Thus administration of cyclosporine can be considered as therapy of choice in patients with chronic idio-pathic urticaria with a severe course and ineffective long-term therapy with antihistamines / systemic corticosteroids

  7. Sustained activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin nutrient sensing pathway is associated with hepatic insulin resistance, but not with steatosis, in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Korsheninnikova, E.; van der Zon, G. C. M.; Voshol, P. J.; Janssen, G. M.; Havekes, L. M.; Grefhorst, A.; Kuipers, F.; Reijngoud, D. -J.; Romijn, J. A.; Ouwens, D. M.; Maassen, J. A.

    2006-01-01

    Aims/hypothesis Activation of nutrient sensing through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been linked to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. We examined activation of mTOR-signalling in relation to insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in mice. Materials and methods Chronic hepatic

  8. Tele-yoga for Chronic Pain: Current Status and Future Directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathersul, Danielle C; Mahoney, Louise A; Bayley, Peter J

    2018-01-01

    Pain is a pervasive, debilitating disorder that is resistant to long-term pharmacological interventions. Although psychological therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy demonstrate moderate efficacy, many individuals continue to have ongoing difficulties following treatment. There is a current trend to establish complementary and integrative health interventions for chronic pain, for which yoga has been found to have exciting potential. Nevertheless, an important consideration within the field is accessibility to adequate care. Telehealth can be used to provide real-time interactive video conferencing leading to increased access to health care for individuals located remotely or who otherwise have difficulty accessing services, perhaps through issues of mobility or proximity of adequate services. This article assesses the current status and feasibility of implementing tele-yoga for chronic pain. Methodological limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

  9. Impact of carbapenem resistance on the outcome of patients' hospital-acquired bacteraemia caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussein, K; Raz-Pasteur, A; Finkelstein, R; Neuberger, A; Shachor-Meyouhas, Y; Oren, I; Kassis, I

    2013-04-01

    Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, especially Klebsiella spp., have become a major health problem recently worldwide. Since 2006 the incidence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections has increased substantially in Israel. Bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by these strains have been associated with high rates of treatment failure and mortality. This study was designed to identify risk factors for carbapenem resistance among patients with healthcare-related (HCR) K. pneumoniae bacteraemia and predictors of mortality associated with HCR-CRKP bacteraemia compared with carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae (CSKP). In this retrospective case-control study, all cases of K. pneumoniae bacteraemia during 2006-2008 were identified. Resistance patterns, underlying morbidities, risk factors for drug resistance and mortality rates were compared for patients with CRKP and CSKP bacteraemia. Two hundred and fourteen patients with CSKP bacteraemia were compared with 103 patients with CRKP bacteraemia. Severe, chronic comorbidities and prior antibiotic use were more frequent among patients with CRKP bacteraemia. On multivariate analysis prior use of macrolides and antibiotic exposure for ≥14 days remained the only independent factors associated with CRKP bacteraemia. Mortality rates of CRKP patients were significantly higher than those of CSKP patients. On multivariate analyses: bedridden status, chronic liver disease, Charlson comorbidity index ≥5, mechanical ventilation, and haemodialysis remained independently associated with mortality among patients with K. pneumoniae bacteraemia. Carbapenem resistance was not a risk factor for mortality. Previous antibiotic exposure is a risk factor for CRKP-BSI. Mortality among patients with K. pneumoniae bacteraemia is associated with serious comorbidities, but not with carbapenem resistance. Copyright © 2012 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. A case report of IPA with chronic mass calcification in a neutropenic patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudheesh Raveendran

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Aspergillosis is a serious pathologic condition caused by Aspergillus organisms and is frequently seen in immunocompromised patients. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA which is rare, has been identified as one of the histological subtypes of aspergillosis. It is one of the rare chronic infectious diseases of respiratory system in China, and presents high morbidity, high drug resistance and specific imaging characteristics. This paper focused on a rare case report of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with chronic mass calcification. CT imaging was discussed by contrast with clinical manifestations, aiming to survey the invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and the mass calcification and to improve the clinical differential diagnosis.

  11. [Clinical significance of drug resistance-associated mutations in treatment of hepatitis C with direct-acting antiviral agents].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Z; Chen, Z W; Ren, H; Hu, P

    2017-03-20

    Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) achieve a high sustained virologic response rate in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. However, drug resistance-associated mutations play an important role in treatment failure and have attracted more and more attention. This article elaborates on the clinical significance of drug resistance-associated mutations from the aspects of their definition, association with genotype, known drug resistance-associated mutations and their prevalence rates, the impact of drug resistance-associated mutations on treatment naive and treatment-experienced patients, and the role of clinical detection, in order to provide a reference for clinical regimens with DAAs and help to achieve higher sustained virologic response rates.

  12. Chronic periodontitis, inflammatory cytokines, and interrelationship with other chronic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardoso, Elsa Maria; Reis, Cátia; Manzanares-Céspedes, Maria Cristina

    2018-01-01

    Periodontal diseases, such as chronic periodontitis, share common inflammatory risk factors with other systemic and chronic inflammatory disorders. Mucosal tissues, such as oral epithelia, are exposed to environmental stressors, such as tobacco and oral bacteria, that might be involved in promoting a systemic inflammatory state. Conversely, chronic disorders can also affect oral health. This review will summarize recent evidence for the interrelationship between chronic periodontitis and other prevalent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. The association with pregnancy is also included due to possible obstetric complications. We will focus on inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6, because they have been shown to be increased in patients with chronic periodontitis, in patients with chronic systemic diseases, and in patients with both chronic periodontitis and other chronic diseases. Therefore, an imbalance towards a proinflammatory immune response could underline a bidirectional link between chronic periodontitis and other chronic diseases. Finally, we highlight that a close coordination between dental and other health professionals could promote oral health and prevent or ameliorate other chronic diseases.

  13. Development of resistance to Puccinia graminis avenae in Avena sativa by mutagen treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martens, J.W.; Brown, P.D.; McKenzie, R.I.H.; Harder, D.E.

    1983-01-01

    The evaluation of over seven million M 2 oat plants derived from irradiated and chemical mutagen treated seeds (about 50,000) or low-level chronically irradiated growing plants produced no new sources of useful resistance. However, preliminary results indicate that the gene Pg-16 has been transferred from the tetraploid Avena barbata L. to the hexaploid A. sativa L. by irradiation of disomic alien addition lines and monosomic alien substitution lines. This gene is highly effective and confers resistance to all but two of the known races of stem rust occurring in North America. (author)

  14. Effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on mouse resistance to systemic Candida albicans infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gideon W Blumstein

    Full Text Available Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, is known to suppress the immune responses to bacterial, viral and protozoan infections, but its effects on fungal infections have not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the effects of chronic Δ9-THC treatment on mouse resistance to systemic Candida albicans (C. albicans infection. To determine the outcome of chronic Δ9-THC treatment on primary, acute systemic candidiasis, c57BL/6 mice were given vehicle or Δ9-THC (16 mg/kg in vehicle on days 1-4, 8-11 and 15-18. On day 19, mice were infected with 5×10(5 C. albicans. We also determined the effect of chronic Δ9-THC (4-64 mg/kg treatment on mice infected with a non-lethal dose of 7.5×10(4 C. albicans on day 2, followed by a higher challenge with 5×10(5 C. albicans on day 19. Mouse resistance to the infection was assessed by survival and tissue fungal load. Serum cytokine levels were determine to evaluate the immune responses. In the acute infection, chronic Δ9-THC treatment had no effect on mouse survival or tissue fungal load when compared to vehicle treated mice. However, Δ9-THC significantly suppressed IL-12p70 and IL-12p40 as well as marginally suppressed IL-17 versus vehicle treated mice. In comparison, when mice were given a secondary yeast infection, Δ9-THC significantly decreased survival, increased tissue fungal burden and suppressed serum IFN-γ and IL-12p40 levels compared to vehicle treated mice. The data showed that chronic Δ9-THC treatment decreased the efficacy of the memory immune response to candida infection, which correlated with a decrease in IFN-γ that was only observed after the secondary candida challenge.

  15. Fanconi syndrome and chronic renal failure in a chronic hepatitis B monoinfected patient treated with tenofovir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Magalhães-Costa

    Full Text Available Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF is one of the first-line treatment options in chronic hepatitis B (CHB. Despite its efficacy in suppressing viral load and a high resistance barrier, long life maintenance therapy is required. Registration studies demonstrated TDF to be a safe drug. However, post-marketing experience reported cases of serious nephrotoxicity associated with hypophosphatemia, osteomalacia and, even more recently, Fanconi syndrome associated with TDF therapy in CHB monoinfected patients. Here the authors report a case of a 40 year-old male, with a CHB monoinfection, that, three years after TDF therapy, developed a progressive chronic kidney disease with a serious hypophosphatemia and a secondary osteomalacia that was manifested by bone pain and multiple bone fractures. Further investigational analyses unveiled a proximal renal tubular dysfunction, which fulfilled most of the diagnostic criteria for a Fanconi syndrome. After TDF withdrawal and oral supplementation with phosphate and calcitriol, his renal function stabilized (despite not returning to normal, proximal renal tubular dysfunction abnormalities resolved as well as osteomalacia. In conclusion, physicians should be aware that, in CHB monoinfected patients under TDF therapy, serious renal damage is possible and preventable by timely monitoring serum creatinine and phosphate.

  16. Combined inhibition of β-catenin and Bcr–Abl synergistically targets tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant blast crisis chronic myeloid leukemia blasts and progenitors in vitro and in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, H; Mak, P Y; Mu, H; Mak, D H; Zeng, Z; Cortes, J; Liu, Q; Andreeff, M; Carter, B Z

    2017-01-01

    Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance and progression to blast crisis (BC), both related to persistent β-catenin activation, remain formidable challenges for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We observed overexpression of β-catenin in BC-CML stem/progenitor cells, particularly in granulocyte–macrophage progenitors, and highest among a novel CD34+CD38+CD123hiTim-3hi subset as determined by CyTOF analysis. Co-culture with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) induced the expression of β-catenin and its target CD44 in CML cells. A novel Wnt/β-catenin signaling modulator, C82, and nilotinib synergistically killed KBM5T315I and TKI-resistant primary BC-CML cells with or without BCR–ABL kinase mutations even under leukemia/MSC co-culture conditions. Silencing of β-catenin by short interfering RNA restored sensitivity of primary BCR–ABLT315I/E255V BC-CML cells to nilotinib. Combining the C82 pro-drug, PRI-724, with nilotinib significantly prolonged the survival of NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ null mice injected with primary BCR–ABLT315I/E255V BC-CML cells. The combined treatment selectively targeted CML progenitors and inhibited CD44, c-Myc, survivin, p-CRKL and p-STAT5 expression. In addition, pretreating primary BC-CML cells with C82, or the combination, but not with nilotinib alone, significantly impaired their engraftment potential in NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ-null-3/GM/SF mice and significantly prolonged survival. Our data suggest potential benefit of concomitant β-catenin and Bcr–Abl inhibition to prevent or overcome Bcr–Abl kinase-dependent or -independent TKI resistance in BC-CML. PMID:28321124

  17. Combined inhibition of β-catenin and Bcr-Abl synergistically targets tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant blast crisis chronic myeloid leukemia blasts and progenitors in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, H; Mak, P Y; Mu, H; Mak, D H; Zeng, Z; Cortes, J; Liu, Q; Andreeff, M; Carter, B Z

    2017-10-01

    Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance and progression to blast crisis (BC), both related to persistent β-catenin activation, remain formidable challenges for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We observed overexpression of β-catenin in BC-CML stem/progenitor cells, particularly in granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, and highest among a novel CD34 + CD38 + CD123 hi Tim-3 hi subset as determined by CyTOF analysis. Co-culture with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) induced the expression of β-catenin and its target CD44 in CML cells. A novel Wnt/β-catenin signaling modulator, C82, and nilotinib synergistically killed KBM5 T315I and TKI-resistant primary BC-CML cells with or without BCR-ABL kinase mutations even under leukemia/MSC co-culture conditions. Silencing of β-catenin by short interfering RNA restored sensitivity of primary BCR-ABL T315I/E255V BC-CML cells to nilotinib. Combining the C82 pro-drug, PRI-724, with nilotinib significantly prolonged the survival of NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ null mice injected with primary BCR-ABL T315I/E255V BC-CML cells. The combined treatment selectively targeted CML progenitors and inhibited CD44, c-Myc, survivin, p-CRKL and p-STAT5 expression. In addition, pretreating primary BC-CML cells with C82, or the combination, but not with nilotinib alone, significantly impaired their engraftment potential in NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ-null-3/GM/SF mice and significantly prolonged survival. Our data suggest potential benefit of concomitant β-catenin and Bcr-Abl inhibition to prevent or overcome Bcr-Abl kinase-dependent or -independent TKI resistance in BC-CML.

  18. Chronic Stress Facilitates the Development of Deep Venous Thrombosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Dong

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The increasing pressure of modern social life intensifies the impact of stress on the development of cardiovascular diseases, which include deep venous thrombosis (DVT. Renal sympathetic denervation has been applied as one of the clinical approaches for the treatment of drug-resistant hypertension. In addition, the close relationship between oxidative stress and cardiovascular diseases has been well documented. The present study is designed to explore the mechanism by which the renal sympathetic nerve system and the oxidative stress affect the blood coagulation system in the development of DVT. Chronic foot shock model in rats was applied to mimic a state of physiological stress similar to humans. Our results showed that chronic foot shock procedure could promote DVT which may be through the activation of platelets aggregation. The aggravation of DVT and activation of platelets were alleviated by renal sympathetic denervation or antioxidant (Tempol treatment. Concurrently, the denervation treatment could also reduce the levels of circulating oxidation factors in rats. These results demonstrate that both the renal sympathetic nerve system and the oxidative stress contribute to the development of DVT in response to chronic stress, which may provide novel strategy for treatment of clinic DVT patients.

  19. Resource competition may lead to effective treatment of antibiotic resistant infections.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio L C Gomes

    Full Text Available Drug resistance is a common problem in the fight against infectious diseases. Recent studies have shown conditions (which we call antiR that select against resistant strains. However, no specific drug administration strategies based on this property exist yet. Here, we mathematically compare growth of resistant versus sensitive strains under different treatments (no drugs, antibiotic, and antiR, and show how a precisely timed combination of treatments may help defeat resistant strains. Our analysis is based on a previously developed model of infection and immunity in which a costly plasmid confers antibiotic resistance. As expected, antibiotic treatment increases the frequency of the resistant strain, while the plasmid cost causes a reduction of resistance in the absence of antibiotic selection. Our analysis suggests that this reduction occurs under competition for limited resources. Based on this model, we estimate treatment schedules that would lead to a complete elimination of both sensitive and resistant strains. In particular, we derive an analytical expression for the rate of resistance loss, and hence for the time necessary to turn a resistant infection into sensitive (tclear. This time depends on the experimentally measurable rates of pathogen division, growth and plasmid loss. Finally, we estimated tclear for a specific case, using available empirical data, and found that resistance may be lost up to 15 times faster under antiR treatment when compared to a no treatment regime. This strategy may be particularly suitable to treat chronic infection. Finally, our analysis suggests that accounting explicitly for a resistance-decaying rate may drastically change predicted outcomes in host-population models.

  20. Resource competition may lead to effective treatment of antibiotic resistant infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Antonio L C; Galagan, James E; Segrè, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    Drug resistance is a common problem in the fight against infectious diseases. Recent studies have shown conditions (which we call antiR) that select against resistant strains. However, no specific drug administration strategies based on this property exist yet. Here, we mathematically compare growth of resistant versus sensitive strains under different treatments (no drugs, antibiotic, and antiR), and show how a precisely timed combination of treatments may help defeat resistant strains. Our analysis is based on a previously developed model of infection and immunity in which a costly plasmid confers antibiotic resistance. As expected, antibiotic treatment increases the frequency of the resistant strain, while the plasmid cost causes a reduction of resistance in the absence of antibiotic selection. Our analysis suggests that this reduction occurs under competition for limited resources. Based on this model, we estimate treatment schedules that would lead to a complete elimination of both sensitive and resistant strains. In particular, we derive an analytical expression for the rate of resistance loss, and hence for the time necessary to turn a resistant infection into sensitive (tclear). This time depends on the experimentally measurable rates of pathogen division, growth and plasmid loss. Finally, we estimated tclear for a specific case, using available empirical data, and found that resistance may be lost up to 15 times faster under antiR treatment when compared to a no treatment regime. This strategy may be particularly suitable to treat chronic infection. Finally, our analysis suggests that accounting explicitly for a resistance-decaying rate may drastically change predicted outcomes in host-population models.

  1. Flaxseed Oil Alleviates Chronic HFD-Induced Insulin Resistance through Remodeling Lipid Homeostasis in Obese Adipose Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiao; Tang, Yuhan; Liu, Peiyi; Xiao, Lin; Liu, Liegang; Shen, Ruiling; Deng, Qianchun; Yao, Ping

    2017-11-08

    Emerging evidence suggests that higher circulating long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) levels were intimately associated with lower prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance. However, the understanding of bioactivity and potential mechanism of α-linolenic acid-rich flaxseed oil (ALA-FO) against insulin resistance was still limited. This study evaluated the effect of FO on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance in C57BL/6J mice focused on adipose tissue lipolysis. Mice after HFD feeding for 16 weeks (60% fat-derived calories) exhibited systemic insulin resistance, which was greatly attenuated by medium dose of FO (M-FO), paralleling with differential accumulation of ALA and its n-3 derivatives across serum lipid fractions. Moreover, M-FO was sufficient to effectively block the metabolic activation of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs), thereby improving adipose tissue insulin signaling. Importantly, suppression of hypoxia-inducible factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α were involved in FO-mediated modulation of adipose tissue lipolysis, accompanied by specific reconstitution of n-3PUFA within adipose tissue lipid fractions.

  2. Adropin and irisin levels in relation to nutrition, body composition, and insulin resistance in patients with end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kałużna, Małgorzata; Hoppe, Krzysztof; Schwermer, Krzysztof; Ibrahim, Aisha Y; Pawlaczyk, Krzysztof; Ziemnicka, Katarzyna

    2016-07-25

    INTRODUCTION    Newly discovered myokines, adropin, and irisin, are regulators of energy homeostasis and metabolism in humans. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the significance and role of irisin and adropin as metabolism regulators are still unclear. OBJECTIVES    The aim of this study was to evaluate serum adropin and irisin levels and establish their relation to insulin resistance, nutritional status, and hydration status in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) and on peritoneal dialysis (PD). PATIENTS AND METHODS    The study consisted of 71 subjects, including 48 patients (18 women, 30 men; median age, 56.5 years; range, 26-84 years) either on HD (n = 41) or PD (n = 7) and 36 healthy controls matched for age and sex. We measured the serum levels of adropin, irisin, creatinine, albumin, glucose, and insulin, as well as the plasma levels of lipids. The bioimpedance method was used to evaluate the body composition and overhydration in patients with ESRD. RESULTS    Irisin levels were significantly lower in patients with ESRD compared with controls, but there were no differences in adropin levels between both study groups. Adropin levels were inversely correlated with body mass, lean tissue mass, total, intracellular, and extracellular water, and albumin concentrations in patients with ESRD. Irisin levels were positively correlated with glucose levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. No significant correlations were observed between adropin and irisin concentrations and overhydration. CONCLUSIONS    Adropin may be considered as a new marker of nutritional status in patients with ESRD. The significance and cause of low irisin levels characteristic for these patients are still unclear. Adropin and irisin should be further investigated as possible markers of cachexia and insulin resistance in patients with ESRD.

  3. Optimized Treatment Schedules for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qie He

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Over the past decade, several targeted therapies (e.g. imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib have been developed to treat Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML. Despite an initial response to therapy, drug resistance remains a problem for some CML patients. Recent studies have shown that resistance mutations that preexist treatment can be detected in a substantial number of patients, and that this may be associated with eventual treatment failure. One proposed method to extend treatment efficacy is to use a combination of multiple targeted therapies. However, the design of such combination therapies (timing, sequence, etc. remains an open challenge. In this work we mathematically model the dynamics of CML response to combination therapy and analyze the impact of combination treatment schedules on treatment efficacy in patients with preexisting resistance. We then propose an optimization problem to find the best schedule of multiple therapies based on the evolution of CML according to our ordinary differential equation model. This resulting optimization problem is nontrivial due to the presence of ordinary different equation constraints and integer variables. Our model also incorporates drug toxicity constraints by tracking the dynamics of patient neutrophil counts in response to therapy. We determine optimal combination strategies that maximize time until treatment failure on hypothetical patients, using parameters estimated from clinical data in the literature.

  4. European recommendations for the clinical use of HIV drug resistance testing: 2011 update

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vandamme, Anne-Mieke; Camacho, Ricardo J; Ceccherini-Silberstein, Francesca

    2011-01-01

    , and other drug targets (integrase and envelope) if such drugs were part of the failing regimen; (iii) consider testing for CCR5 tropism at virologic failure or when a change of therapy has to be made in absence of detectable viral load, and in the latter case test DNA or last detectable plasma RNA; (iv...... the following recommendations concerning the indications for resistance testing: for HIV-1 (i) test earliest sample for protease and reverse transcriptase drug resistance in drug-naive patients with acute or chronic infection; (ii) test protease and reverse transcriptase drug resistance at virologic failure...... is needed after treatment failure. The Panel recommends genotyping in most situations, using updated and clinically evaluated interpretation systems. It is mandatory that laboratories performing HIV resistance tests take part regularly in external quality assurance programs, and that they consider storing...

  5. Activated ClpP kills persisters and eradicates a chronic biofilm infection.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conlon, Brian P.; Nakayasu, Ernesto S.; Fleck, Laura E.; LaFleur, Michael D.; Isabella, Vincent M.; Coleman, K.; Leonard, Steve N.; Smith, Richard D.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Lewis, Kim

    2013-11-21

    The current antibiotic crisis stems from two distinct phenomena-drug resistance, and drug tolerance. Resistance mechanisms such as drug efflux or modification prevent antibiotics from binding to their targets 1, allowing pathogens to grow. Antibiotic tolerance is the property of persister cells, phenotypic variants of regular bacteria 2. Antibiotics kill by corrupting targets, but these are inactive in dormant persisters, leading to tolerance. Persisters were first identified by Joseph Bigger in 1944, when he discovered a surviving sub-population of Staphylococcus following treatment with penicillin3. Persisters are largely responsible for recalcitrance of chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, and various infections associated with biofilms - endocarditis, osteomyelitis, infections of catheters and indwelling devices, and deep-seated infections of soft tissues 4. There are a number of redundant pathways involved in persister formation5,6 precluding development of drugs inhibiting their formation. The acyldepsipeptide antibiotic (ADEP 4) has been shown to activate the ClpP protease resulting in death of growing cells 7. Here we show that ADEP4 activated ClpP becomes a fairly non-specific protease and kills persister cells by degradation of over 400 intracellular targets. clpP mutants are resistant to ADEP4 7, but we find that they display increased susceptibility to killing by a range of conventional antibiotics. Combining ADEP4 with rifampicin leads to eradication of persisters, stationary and biofilm populations of Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in a deep-seated murine infection. Target corruption/activation provides an approach to killing persisters and eradicating chronic infections.

  6. Linking mitochondrial bioenergetics to insulin resistance via redox biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher-Wellman, Kelsey H.; Neufer, P. Darrell

    2012-01-01

    Chronic overnutrition and physical inactivity are major risk factors for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Recent research indicates that overnutrition generates an increase in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) emission from mitochondria, serving as a release valve to relieve the reducing pressure created by fuel overload, as well as a primary signal to ultimately decrease insulin sensitivity. H2O2 is a major input to cellular redox circuits that link to cysteine residues throughout the entire proteome to regulate cell function. Here we review the principles of mitochondrial bioenergetics and redox systems biology and offer new insight as to how H2O2 emission may be linked via redox biology to the etiology of insulin resistance. PMID:22305519

  7. MRP proteins as potential mediators of heavy metal resistance in zebrafish cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Yong; Li, Qing; Wang, Youhui; Cui, Zongbin

    2011-04-01

    Acquired resistance of mammalian cells to heavy metals is closely relevant to enhanced expression of several multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRP), but it remains unclear whether MRP proteins confer resistance to heavy metals in zebrafish. In this study, we obtained zebrafish (Danio rerio) fibroblast-like ZF4 cells with resistance to toxic heavy metals after chronic cadmium exposure and selection for 6months. These cadmium-resistant cells (ZF4-Cd) were maintained in 5μM cadmium and displayed cross-resistance to cadmium, mercury, arsenite and arsenate. ZF4-Cd cells remained the resistance to heavy metals after protracted culture in cadmium-free medium. In comparison with ZF4-WT cells, ZF4-Cd cells exhibited accelerated rate of cadmium excretion, enhanced activity of MRP-like transport, elevated expression of abcc2, abcc4 and mt2 genes, and increased content of cellular GSH. Inhibition of MRP-like transport activity, GSH biosynthesis and GST activity significantly attenuated the resistance of ZF4-Cd cells to heavy metals. The results indicate that some of MRP transporters are involved in the efflux of heavy metals conjugated with cellular GSH and thus play crucial roles in heavy metal detoxification of zebrafish cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Acquired MET expression confers resistance to EGFR inhibition in a mouse model of glioblastoma multiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, H J; Acquaviva, J; Chi, D; Lessard, J; Zhu, H; Woolfenden, S; Bronson, R T; Pfannl, R; White, F; Housman, D E; Iyer, L; Whittaker, C A; Boskovitz, A; Raval, A; Charest, A

    2012-06-21

    Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor for which there is no cure. Overexpression of wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and loss of the tumor suppressor genes Ink4a/Arf and PTEN are salient features of this deadly cancer. Surprisingly, targeted inhibition of EGFR has been clinically disappointing, demonstrating an innate ability for GBM to develop resistance. Efforts at modeling GBM in mice using wild-type EGFR have proven unsuccessful to date, hampering endeavors at understanding molecular mechanisms of therapeutic resistance. Here, we describe a unique genetically engineered mouse model of EGFR-driven gliomagenesis that uses a somatic conditional overexpression and chronic activation of wild-type EGFR in cooperation with deletions in the Ink4a/Arf and PTEN genes in adult brains. Using this model, we establish that chronic activation of wild-type EGFR with a ligand is necessary for generating tumors with histopathological and molecular characteristics of GBMs. We show that these GBMs are resistant to EGFR kinase inhibition and we define this resistance molecularly. Inhibition of EGFR kinase activity using tyrosine kinase inhibitors in GBM tumor cells generates a cytostatic response characterized by a cell cycle arrest, which is accompanied by a substantial change in global gene expression levels. We demonstrate that an important component of this pattern is the transcriptional activation of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase and that pharmacological inhibition of MET overcomes the resistance to EGFR inhibition in these cells. These findings provide important new insights into mechanisms of resistance to EGFR inhibition and suggest that inhibition of multiple targets will be necessary to provide therapeutic benefit for GBM patients.

  9. Mechanisms of Hepatitis C Viral Resistance to Direct Acting Antivirals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asma Ahmed

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available There has been a remarkable transformation in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in recent years with the development of direct acting antiviral agents targeting virus encoded proteins important for viral replication including NS3/4A, NS5A and NS5B. These agents have shown high sustained viral response (SVR rates of more than 90% in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials; however, this is slightly lower in real-life cohorts. Hepatitis C virus resistant variants are seen in most patients who do not achieve SVR due to selection and outgrowth of resistant hepatitis C virus variants within a given host. These resistance associated mutations depend on the class of direct-acting antiviral drugs used and also vary between hepatitis C virus genotypes and subtypes. The understanding of these mutations has a clear clinical implication in terms of choice and combination of drugs used. In this review, we describe mechanism of action of currently available drugs and summarize clinically relevant resistance data.

  10. Hematopoietic-Derived Galectin-3 Causes Cellular and Systemic Insulin Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pingping; Liu, Shuainan; Lu, Min; Bandyopadhyay, Gautum; Oh, Dayoung; Imamura, Takeshi; Johnson, Andrew M F; Sears, Dorothy; Shen, Zhufang; Cui, Bing; Kong, Lijuan; Hou, Shaocong; Liang, Xiao; Iovino, Salvatore; Watkins, Steven M; Ying, Wei; Osborn, Olivia; Wollam, Joshua; Brenner, Martin; Olefsky, Jerrold M

    2016-11-03

    In obesity, macrophages and other immune cells accumulate in insulin target tissues, promoting a chronic inflammatory state and insulin resistance. Galectin-3 (Gal3), a lectin mainly secreted by macrophages, is elevated in both obese subjects and mice. Administration of Gal3 to mice causes insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, whereas inhibition of Gal3, through either genetic or pharmacologic loss of function, improved insulin sensitivity in obese mice. In vitro treatment with Gal3 directly enhanced macrophage chemotaxis, reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in myocytes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes and impaired insulin-mediated suppression of glucose output in primary mouse hepatocytes. Importantly, we found that Gal3 can bind directly to the insulin receptor (IR) and inhibit downstream IR signaling. These observations elucidate a novel role for Gal3 in hepatocyte, adipocyte, and myocyte insulin resistance, suggesting that Gal3 can link inflammation to decreased insulin sensitivity. Inhibition of Gal3 could be a new approach to treat insulin resistance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Insulin resistance, role of metformin and other noninsulin therapies in pediatric type 1 diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in youth is a challenging chronic medical condition. Its management should address not only the glycemic control but also insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease risk factors which are increasingly recognized to be present in youth with TID. Current knowledge on...

  12. Treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia: a qualitative systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferdin

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Roxanne Ferdinand,1 Stephen A Mitchell,2 Sarah Batson,2 Indra Tumur11Pfizer, Tadworth, UK; 2Abacus International, Bicester, UKBackground: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML is a myeloproliferative disorder of blood stem cells. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI imatinib was the first targeted therapy licensed for patients with chronic-phase CML, and its introduction was associated with substantial improvements in response and survival compared with previous therapies. Clinical trial data are now available for the second-generation TKIs (nilotinib, dasatinib, and bosutinib in the first-, second-, and third-line settings. A qualitative systematic review was conducted to qualitatively compare the clinical effectiveness, safety, and effect on quality of life of TKIs for the management of chronic-, accelerated-, or blast-phase CML patients.Methods: Included studies were identified through a search of electronic databases in September 2011, relevant conference proceedings and the grey literature.Results: In the first-line setting, the long-term efficacy (up to 8 years of imatinib has been confirmed in a single randomized controlled trial (International Randomized Study of Interferon [IRIS]. All second-generation TKIs reported lower rates of transformation, and comparable or superior complete cytogenetic response (CCyR, major molecular response (MMR, and complete molecular response rates compared with imatinib by 2-year follow-up. Each of the second-generation TKIs was associated with a distinct adverse-event profile. Bosutinib was the only second-generation TKI to report quality-of-life data (no significant difference compared with imatinib treatment. Data in the second- and third-line setting confirmed the efficacy of the second-generation TKIs in either imatinib-resistant or -intolerant patients, as measured by CCyR and MMR rates.Conclusion: Data from first-line randomized controlled trials reporting up to 2-year follow-up indicate superior response

  13. Lifestyle and nutritional imbalances associated with Western diseases: causes and consequences of chronic systemic low-grade inflammation in an evolutionary context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Núñez, Begoña; Pruimboom, Leo; Dijck-Brouwer, D A Janneke; Muskiet, Frits A J

    2013-07-01

    In this review, we focus on lifestyle changes, especially dietary habits, that are at the basis of chronic systemic low grade inflammation, insulin resistance and Western diseases. Our sensitivity to develop insulin resistance traces back to our rapid brain growth in the past 2.5 million years. An inflammatory reaction jeopardizes the high glucose needs of our brain, causing various adaptations, including insulin resistance, functional reallocation of energy-rich nutrients and changing serum lipoprotein composition. The latter aims at redistribution of lipids, modulation of the immune reaction, and active inhibition of reverse cholesterol transport for damage repair. With the advent of the agricultural and industrial revolutions, we have introduced numerous false inflammatory triggers in our lifestyle, driving us to a state of chronic systemic low grade inflammation that eventually leads to typically Western diseases via an evolutionary conserved interaction between our immune system and metabolism. The underlying triggers are an abnormal dietary composition and microbial flora, insufficient physical activity and sleep, chronic stress and environmental pollution. The disturbance of our inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance is illustrated by dietary fatty acids and antioxidants. The current decrease in years without chronic disease is rather due to "nurture" than "nature," since less than 5% of the typically Western diseases are primary attributable to genetic factors. Resolution of the conflict between environment and our ancient genome might be the only effective manner for "healthy aging," and to achieve this we might have to return to the lifestyle of the Paleolithic era as translated to the 21st century culture. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Brain natriuretic peptide and insulin resistance in older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, F; Biggs, M L; Kizer, J R; Brutsaert, E F; de Filippi, C; Newman, A B; Kronmal, R A; Tracy, R P; Gottdiener, J S; Djoussé, L; de Boer, I H; Psaty, B M; Siscovick, D S; Mukamal, K J

    2017-02-01

    Higher levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been associated with a decreased risk of diabetes in adults, but whether BNP is related to insulin resistance in older adults has not been established. N-terminal of the pro hormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) was measured among Cardiovascular Health Study participants at the 1989-1990, 1992-1993 and 1996-1997 examinations. We calculated measures of insulin resistance [homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), Gutt index, Matsuda index] from fasting and 2-h concentrations of glucose and insulin among 3318 individuals with at least one measure of NT-proBNP and free of heart failure, coronary heart disease and chronic kidney disease, and not taking diabetes medication. We used generalized estimating equations to assess the cross-sectional association of NT-proBNP with measures of insulin resistance. Instrumental variable analysis with an allele score derived from nine genetic variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms) within or near the NPPA and NPPB loci was used to estimate an un-confounded association of NT-proBNP levels on insulin resistance. Lower NT-proBNP levels were associated with higher insulin resistance even after adjustment for BMI, waist circumference and other risk factors (P insulin resistance (P = 0.38; P = 0.01 for comparison with the association of measured levels of NT-proBNP). In older adults, lower NT-proBNP is associated with higher insulin resistance, even after adjustment for traditional risk factors. Because related genetic variants were not associated with insulin resistance, the causal nature of this association will require future study. © 2016 Diabetes UK.

  15. Treatment resistant adolescent depression with upper airway resistance syndrome treated with rapid palatal expansion: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miller Paul

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of treatment-resistant depression in which the patient was evaluated for sleep disordered breathing as the cause and in which rapid palatal expansion to permanently treat the sleep disordered breathing produced a prolonged symptom-free period off medication. Case presentation An 18-year-old Caucasian man presented to our sleep disorders center with chronic severe depression that was no longer responsive to medication but that had recently responded to electroconvulsive therapy. Ancillary, persistent symptoms included mild insomnia, moderate to severe fatigue, mild sleepiness and severe anxiety treated with medication. Our patient had no history of snoring or witnessed apnea, but polysomnography was consistent with upper airway resistance syndrome. Although our patient did not have an orthodontic indication for rapid palatal expansion, rapid palatal expansion was performed as a treatment of his upper airway resistance syndrome. Following rapid palatal expansion, our patient experienced a marked improvement of his sleep quality, anxiety, fatigue and sleepiness. His improvement has been maintained off all psychotropic medication and his depression has remained in remission for approximately two years following his electroconvulsive therapy. Conclusions This case report introduces the possibility that unrecognized sleep disordered breathing may play a role in adolescent treatment-resistant depression. The symptoms of upper airway resistance syndrome are non-specific enough that every adolescent with depression, even those responding to medication, may have underlying sleep disordered breathing. In such patients, rapid palatal expansion, by widening the upper airway and improving airflow during sleep, may produce a prolonged improvement of symptoms and a tapering of medication. Psychiatrists treating adolescents may benefit from having another treatment option for

  16. Towards Comprehension of the ABCB1/P-Glycoprotein Role in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel C. Maia

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: The introduction of imatinib (IM, a BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI, has represented a significant advance in the first-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML. However, approximately 30% of patients need to discontinue IM due to resistance or intolerance to this drug. Both resistance and intolerance have also been observed in treatment with the second-generation TKIs—dasatinib, nilotinib, and bosutinib—and the third-generation TKI—ponatinib. The mechanisms of resistance to TKIs may be BCR-ABL1-dependent and/or BCR-ABL1-independent. Although the role of efflux pump P-glycoprotein (Pgp, codified by the ABCB1 gene, is unquestionable in drug resistance of many neoplasms, a longstanding question exists about whether Pgp has a firm implication in TKI resistance in the clinical scenario. The goal of this review is to offer an overview of ABCB1/Pgp expression/activity/polymorphisms in CML. Understanding how interactions, associations, or cooperation between Pgp and other molecules—such as inhibitor apoptosis proteins, microRNAs, or microvesicles—impact IM resistance risk may be critical in evaluating the response to TKIs in CML patients. In addition, new non-TKI compounds may be necessary in order to overcome the resistance mediated by Pgp in CML.

  17. Nutrient Excess in AMPK Downregulation and Insulin Resistance

    OpenAIRE

    Coughlan, Kimberly A.; Valentine, Rudy J.; Ruderman, Neil B.; Saha, Asish K.

    2013-01-01

    It is well established that chronic exposure to excess nutrients leads to insulin resistance (IR) in skeletal muscle. Since skeletal muscle is responsible for 70-80% of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, skeletal muscle IR is a key pathological component of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recent evidence suggests that inhibition of the nutrient-sensing enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an early event in the development of IR in response to high glucose, branched chain amino acids (BCAA), o...

  18. Frequency of Streptococcus pneumonia and Haemophilus influenza in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive airway disease and their sensitivity to levofloxacin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furqan, S.; Paracha, S.A.U.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequency of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their sensitivity to levofloxacin. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, AbbasiShaheed Hospital, Karachi, between July 2009 and January 2010. Patients already diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and admitted with symptoms of acute exacerbation were included in the study and their sputum samples were sent for microbiological evaluation. SPSS 16 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the total 105 patients in the study, 90 (85.17%) were males. Overall mean age at presentation was 62+-10.2 years. S. pneumoniae was isolated from sputum culture of 33 (31.4%) patients, while 13 (12.4%) patients showed growth of H. influenzae. Out of the 33 sputum specimens of S. pneumoniae, 32 (97.0%) were sensitive to levofloxacin, while 1 (3.0%) was resistant. All the 13 isolates of H. influenzae were sensitive to levofloxacin. Conclusion: S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae are still the most prevalent organisms isolated in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in our population. Levofloxacin is still considered a highly sensitive antibiotic against these common micro-organisms in our population, but S. pneumoniae has started developing resistance against levofloxacin. Therefore, intermittent surveillance regarding development of resistance pattern of common micro-organisms against commonly prescribed antibiotics is required. (author)

  19. Clinical and morphological characteristics of chronic uretheroprostatitis associated with chlamydial and mycoplasmal infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu. S. Kondratyeva

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical symptoms, features of morphological structure of prostate in patients with chronic recurrent prostatitis associated with chlamydial and mycoplasmal infections. 60 male patients were examined. Anamnesis and interview data, results of laboratory and instrumental tests were analyzed. In 73.3% of cases cultural test and PCR allowed to identify M. hominis, U. urealiticum, M. genitalium, C. trachomatis in patients with chronic uretheroprostatitis. Out of 16 patients (26,6% of all examined with chronic recurrent uretheroprostatitis for whom neither chlamidial nor mycoplasmal infection was diagnosed by laboratory tests, for 14 patients (87,5% it was confirmed that patogenic urogenital infectious agents were localized intracellularly. Pathomorphological investigation of prostate bioptates allowed to estimate the type and degree of specific changes in the prostate tissue in cases of recurrent uretheroprostatitis resistant to the therapy and with frequent relapses.

  20. Ceftriaxone-induced immune hemolytic anemia as a life-threatening complication of antibiotic treatment of 'chronic Lyme disease'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Wilde, Maarten; Speeckaert, Marijn; Callens, Rutger; Van Biesen, Wim

    2017-04-01

    'Chronic Lyme disease' is a controversial condition. As any hard evidence is lacking that unresolved systemic symptoms, following an appropriately diagnosed and treated Lyme disease, are related to a chronic infection with the tick-borne spirochaetes of the Borrelia genus, the term 'chronic Lyme disease' should be avoided and replaced by the term 'post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.' The improper prescription of prolonged antibiotic treatments for these patients can have an impact on the community antimicrobial resistance and on the consumption of health care resources. Moreover, these treatments can be accompanied by severe complications. In this case report, we describe a life-threatening ceftriaxone-induced immune hemolytic anemia with an acute kidney injury (RIFLE-stadium F) due to a pigment-induced nephropathy in a 76-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with a so-called 'chronic Lyme disease.'

  1. The effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain, squat biomechanics and MRI-defined lumbar fat infiltration and functional cross-sectional area in those with chronic low back.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Neil; Moran, Kieran; Antony, Joseph; Richter, Chris; Marshall, Brendan; Coyle, Joe; Falvey, Eanna; Franklyn-Miller, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions in the world. Many exercise treatment options exist but few interventions have utilised free-weight resistance training. To investigate the effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain and lumbar fat infiltration in those with chronic low back pain. Thirty participants entered the study, 11 females (age=39.6±12.4 years, height=164 cm±5.3 cm, body mass=70.9±8.2 kg,) and 19 males (age=39.7±9.7 years, height=179±5.9 cm, body mass=86.6±15.9 kg). A 16-week, progressive, free-weight-based resistance training intervention was used. Participants completed three training sessions per week. Participants completed a Visual Analogue Pain Scale, Oswestry Disability Index and Euro-Qol V2 quality of life measure at baseline and every 4 weeks throughout the study. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic measures were used for biomechanical analysis of a bodyweight squat movement. Maximum strength was measured using an isometric mid-thigh pull, and lumbar paraspinal endurance was measured using a Biering-Sorensen test. Lumbar paraspinal fat infiltration was measured preintervention and postintervention using MRIs. Postintervention pain, disability and quality of life were all significantly improved. In addition, there was a significant reduction in fat infiltration at the L3L4 and L4L5 levels and increase in lumbar extension time to exhaustion of 18%. A free-weight-based resistance training intervention can be successfully utilised to improve pain, disability and quality of life in those with low back pain.

  2. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Ligands and Their Role in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Therapeutic Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefi, Bahman; Samadi, Nasser; Baradaran, Behzad; Shafiei-Irannejad, Vahid; Zarghami, Nosratollah

    2016-07-01

    Imatinib therapy remains the gold standard for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia; however, the acquired resistance to this therapeutic agent in patients has urged the scientists to devise modalities for overcoming this chemoresistance. For this purpose, initially therapeutic agents with higher tyrosine kinase activity were introduced, which had the potential for inhibiting even mutant forms of Bcr-Abl. Furthermore, coupling imatinib with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ligands also showed beneficial effects in chronic myeloid leukemia cell proliferation. These combination protocols inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis as well as differentiation in chronic myeloid leukemia cell lines. In addition, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ligands increased imatinib uptake by upregulating the expression of human organic cation transporter 1. Taken together, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ligands are currently being considered as novel promising therapeutic candidates for chronic myeloid leukemia treatment, because they can synergistically enhance the efficacy of imatinib. In this article, we reviewed the potential of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ligands for use in chronic myeloid leukemia treatment. The mechanism of action of these therapeutics modalities are also presented in detail. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  3. Class I and II histone deacetylase expression in human chronic periodontitis gingival tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantley, M D; Dharmapatni, A A S S K; Algate, K; Crotti, T N; Bartold, P M; Haynes, D R

    2016-04-01

    Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are being considered to treat chronic inflammatory diseases at low doses. Currently HDACi that are more specific are being developed to target particular HDACs; therefore, this study aimed to determine levels and distribution of class I and II HDAC in human gingival samples obtained from patients with chronic periodontitis. Gingival biopsies were obtained from patients with and without (mild inflammation, no bone loss) periodontitis. Total RNA was isolated for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine expression of HDACs 1-10. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine protein distribution of HDACs 1, 5, 8 and 9. Factor VIII, CD3 and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) were detected in serial sections to identify blood vessels, lymphocytes, pre-osteoclasts and osteoclasts cells respectively. Tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) expression was also assessed. mRNA for HDAC 1, 5, 8 and 9 were significantly upregulated in chronic periodontitis gingival tissues compared to non-periodontitis samples (p chronic periodontitis samples (p chronic periodontitis gingival tissues. HDAC 1, 5, 8 and 9 expression was higher in gingival tissues from patients with chronic periodontitis compared to non-periodontitis samples. Results suggest that these HDACs could therefore be targeted with specific acting HDACi. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Clinical Significance of Inflammatory Markers in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Their Relationship to Insulin Resistance and Body Mass Index

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nervana Samy

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS have an increased prevalence of insulin resistance (IR and related disorders. Elevated serum levels of high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP, interleukin-6 (IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α reflect low-grade chronic inflammation and have been associated with several insulin-resistant states; they are useful cardiovascular risk markers. The objective of this study was to investigate whether soluble inflammatory markers are altered in PCOS focusing on its relationship with obesity and indexes of insulin resistance.

  5. High amylose resistant starch diet ameliorates oxidative stress, inflammation, and progression of chronic kidney disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nosratola D Vaziri

    Full Text Available Inflammation is a major mediator of CKD progression and is partly driven by altered gut microbiome and intestinal barrier disruption, events which are caused by: urea influx in the intestine resulting in dominance of urease-possessing bacteria; disruption of epithelial barrier by urea-derived ammonia leading to endotoxemia and bacterial translocation; and restriction of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables which are common sources of fermentable fiber. Restriction of these foods leads to depletion of bacteria that convert indigestible carbohydrates to short chain fatty acids which are important nutrients for colonocytes and regulatory T lymphocytes. We hypothesized that a high resistant starch diet attenuates CKD progression. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a chow containing 0.7% adenine for 2 weeks to induce CKD. Rats were then fed diets supplemented with amylopectin (low-fiber control or high fermentable fiber (amylose maize resistant starch, HAM-RS2 for 3 weeks. CKD rats consuming low fiber diet exhibited reduced creatinine clearance, interstitial fibrosis, inflammation, tubular damage, activation of NFkB, upregulation of pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant, and pro-fibrotic molecules; impaired Nrf2 activity, down-regulation of antioxidant enzymes, and disruption of colonic epithelial tight junction. The high resistant starch diet significantly attenuated these abnormalities. Thus high resistant starch diet retards CKD progression and attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in rats. Future studies are needed to explore the impact of HAM-RS2 in CKD patients.

  6. Chronic Pancreatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stram, Michelle; Liu, Shu; Singhi, Aatur D

    2016-12-01

    Chronic pancreatitis is a debilitating condition often associated with severe abdominal pain and exocrine and endocrine dysfunction. The underlying cause is multifactorial and involves complex interaction of environmental, genetic, and/or other risk factors. The pathology is dependent on the underlying pathogenesis of the disease. This review describes the clinical, gross, and microscopic findings of the main subtypes of chronic pancreatitis: alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, obstructive chronic pancreatitis, paraduodenal ("groove") pancreatitis, pancreatic divisum, autoimmune pancreatitis, and genetic factors associated with chronic pancreatitis. As pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma may be confused with chronic pancreatitis, the main distinguishing features between these 2 diseases are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Chronic parenteral nutrition induces hepatic inflammation, steatosis and insulin resistance in neonatal pigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prematurity and overfeeding in infants are associated with insulin resistance in childhood and may increase the risk of adult disease. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a major source of infant nutrition support and may influence neonatal metabolic function. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that...

  8. Mechanism of action of direct-acting antiviral agents in treatment of chronic hepatitis C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WEN Xiaoyu

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available With the development and launch of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs in the world in recent years, therapeutic regimens for chronic hepatitis C are constantly evolving. DAAs will also be launched in China in the near future. DAAs mainly target at the non-structural proteins of HCV and can inhibit HCV RNA replication. This article introduces the targets, mechanism of action, and resistance characteristics of different DAAs, as well as their current research and development in China and the results of phase Ⅲ clinical studies, in order to provide a reference for combined therapeutic strategies with DAAs in the treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

  9. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from canine chronic otitis externa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silva N.

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Swab samples obtained from 96 dogs with chronic otitis externa were cultured for the isolation of Staphylococcus species. Of 57 staphylococcal strains, 41 (72% were coagulase-negative (CNS. The identification of staphylococci strains was made by standard procedures for the routine identification of staphylococci in clinical practice. S. sciuri was the most frequent species isolated (22.8% from chronic otitis externa in dogs followed by S. intermedius (12.3%, S. auricularis (10.5% and S. aureus (8.8%. Three (5.2% CNS strains could not be identified. Bacterial isolates were susceptible to enrofloxacin, gentamicin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol and neomycin. Resistance was most common to penicillin G, oxacillin and ampicillin.

  10. Infective endocarditis caused by multidrug-resistant Streptococcus mitis in a combined immunocompromised patient: an autopsy case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsui, Natsuko; Ito, Makoto; Kuramae, Hitoshi; Inukai, Tomomi; Sakai, Akiyoshi; Okugawa, Masaru

    2013-04-01

    An autopsy case of infective endocarditis caused by multidrug-resistant Streptococcus mitis was described in a patient with a combination of factors that compromised immune status, including autoimmune hemolytic anemia, post-splenectomy state, prolonged steroid treatment, and IgA deficiency. The isolated S. mitis strain from blood culture was broadly resistant to penicillin, cephalosporins, carbapenem, macrolides, and fluoroquinolone. Recurrent episodes of bacterial infections and therapeutic use of several antibiotics may underlie the development of multidrug resistance for S. mitis. Because clinically isolated S. mitis strains from chronically immunocompromised patients have become resistant to a wide spectrum of antibiotics, appropriate antibiotic regimens should be selected when treating invasive S. mitis infections in these compromised patients.

  11. Acute and Chronic Fetal Anemia as a Result of Fetomaternal Hemorrhage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Singh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Fetomaternal hemorrhage represents a transfer of fetal blood to the maternal circulation. Although many etiologies have been described, most causes of fetomaternal hemorrhage remain unidentified. The differentiation between acute and chronic fetomaternal hemorrhage may be accomplished antenatally and may influence perinatal management. Case. A 36-year-old gravida 6 para 3 presented at 37 and 5/7 completed gestational weeks with ultrasound findings suggestive of chronic fetal anemia such as right ventricular enlargement, diminished cerebral vascular resistance, and elevated middle cerebral artery end-diastolic velocity. On the other hand, signs of acute fetal decompensation such as deterioration of the fetal heart tracing, diminished biophysical score, decreased cord pH, and increased cord base deficit were noted. Following delivery, the neonate’s initial hemoglobin was 4.0 g/dL and the maternal KB ratio was 0.015 indicative of a significant fetomaternal hemorrhage. Discussion. One should consider FMH as part of the differential diagnosis for fetal or immediate neonatal anemia. We describe a unique case of FMH that demonstrated both acute and chronic clinical features. It is our hope that this case will assist practitioners in differentiating acute FMH that may require emergent delivery from chronic FMH which may be able to be expectantly managed.

  12. Acute and chronic fetal anemia as a result of fetomaternal hemorrhage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Paul; Swanson, Tara

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. Fetomaternal hemorrhage represents a transfer of fetal blood to the maternal circulation. Although many etiologies have been described, most causes of fetomaternal hemorrhage remain unidentified. The differentiation between acute and chronic fetomaternal hemorrhage may be accomplished antenatally and may influence perinatal management. Case. A 36-year-old gravida 6 para 3 presented at 37 and 5/7 completed gestational weeks with ultrasound findings suggestive of chronic fetal anemia such as right ventricular enlargement, diminished cerebral vascular resistance, and elevated middle cerebral artery end-diastolic velocity. On the other hand, signs of acute fetal decompensation such as deterioration of the fetal heart tracing, diminished biophysical score, decreased cord pH, and increased cord base deficit were noted. Following delivery, the neonate's initial hemoglobin was 4.0 g/dL and the maternal KB ratio was 0.015 indicative of a significant fetomaternal hemorrhage. Discussion. One should consider FMH as part of the differential diagnosis for fetal or immediate neonatal anemia. We describe a unique case of FMH that demonstrated both acute and chronic clinical features. It is our hope that this case will assist practitioners in differentiating acute FMH that may require emergent delivery from chronic FMH which may be able to be expectantly managed.

  13. Nutritional status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: role of hypoxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raguso, Comasia A; Luthy, Christophe

    2011-02-01

    In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), malnutrition and limited physical activity are very common and contribute to disease prognosis, whereas a balance between caloric intake and exercise allows body weight stability and muscle mass preservation. The goal of this review is to analyze the implications of chronic hypoxia on three key elements involved in energy homeostasis and its role in COPD cachexia. The first one is energy intake. Body weight loss, often observed in patients with COPD, is related to lack of appetite. Inflammatory cytokines are known to be involved in anorexia and to be correlated to arterial partial pressure of oxygen. Recent studies in animals have investigated the role of hypoxia in peptides involved in food consumption such as leptin, ghrelin, and adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase. The second element is muscle function, which is strongly related to energy use. In COPD, muscle atrophy and muscle fiber shift to the glycolytic type might be an adaptation to chronic hypoxia to preserve the muscle from oxidative stress. Muscle atrophy could be the result of a marked activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway as found in muscle of patients with COPD. Hypoxia, via hypoxia inducible factor-1, is implicated in mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy. Third, hormonal control of energy balance seems to be affected in patients with COPD. Insulin resistance has been described in this group of patients as well as a sort of "growth hormone resistance." Hypoxia, by hypoxia inducible factor-1, accelerates the degradation of tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine, decreasing cellular oxygen consumption, suggesting an adaptive mechanism rather than a primary cause of COPD cachexia. COPD rehabilitation aimed at maintaining function and quality of life needs to address body weight stabilization and, in particular, muscle mass preservation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Prolonged Exposure Treatment of Chronic PTSD in Juvenile Sex Offenders: Promising Results from Two Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, John A.

    2010-01-01

    Prolonged exposure (PE) was used to treat chronic PTSD secondary to severe developmental trauma in two adolescent male sex offenders referred for residential sex offender treatment. Both youth were treatment resistant prior to initiation of PE and showed evidence of long-standing irritability and depression/anxiety. Clinical observation and…

  15. Natural product-derived pharmacological modulators of Nrf2/ARE pathway for chronic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Hemant; Kim, In-Su; More, Sandeep Vasant; Kim, Byung-Wook; Choi, Dong-Kug

    2014-01-01

    Covering: 2000 to 2013. Oxidative stress is the central component of chronic diseases. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant response element (Nrf2/ARE) pathway is vital in the up-regulation of cytoprotective genes and enzymes in response to oxidative stress and treatment with certain dietary phytochemicals. Herein, we classify bioactive compounds derived from natural products that are Nrf2/ARE pathway activators and recapitulate the molecular mechanisms for inducing Nrf2 to provide favorable effects in experimental models of chronic diseases. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of Nrf2 signalling has emerged as promising strategy against multi-drug resistance thereby improving the treatment efficacy. We have also enlisted natural product-derived inhibitors of Nrf2/ARE pathway.

  16. The association between TNF-α and insulin resistance in euglycemic women.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Walsh, Jennifer M

    2013-10-01

    Chronic low levels of inflammation have links to obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance. We sought to assess the relationship between cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and insulin resistance in a healthy, euglycemic population. This is a prospective study of 574 non-diabetic mother and infant pairs. Maternal body mass index (BMI), TNF-α, glucose and insulin were measured in early pregnancy and at 28 weeks. Insulin resistance was calculated by HOMA index. At delivery birthweight was recorded and cord blood analysed for fetal C-peptide and TNF-α. In a multivariate model, maternal TNF-α in early pregnancy was predicted by maternal insulin resistance at the same time-point, (β=0.54, p<0.01), and maternal TNF-α at 28 weeks was predicted by maternal insulin resistance in early pregnancy (β=0.24, p<0.01) and at 28 weeks (β=0.39, p<0.01). These results, in a large cohort of healthy, non-diabetic women have shown that insulin resistance, even at levels below those diagnostic of gestational diabetes, is associated with maternal and fetal inflammatory response. These findings have important implications for defining the pathways of fetal programming of later metabolic syndrome and childhood obesity.

  17. Radiation resistance in mice increased following chronic application of Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vacek, A.; Sikulova, J.; Bartonickova, A. (Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, Brno. Biofysikalni Ustav)

    1982-01-01

    In experiments on strain H mice the increased radiation resistance of mice was analysed after three weeks' feeding with a diet including Li given as lithium carbonicum. The concentration of Li in the serum during the first three days of feeding was increased to 0.5 mmol/l and remained at that level to the end of feeding. The application of Li increased the overall number of stem cells in the spleen by 80 per cent compared with the control group. D/sub 0/ of the line of dependence of the number of endogenous colonies on radiation dose increased following Li application by 1.2 Gy compared with controls. The proliferation activity of haemopoietic stem cells observed 90 min after injection of hydroxyurea was, after 21 days feeding with a mixture containing Li, increased by 200 per cent. The results support the idea that the increased radiation resistance of mice following feeding with Li salts before irradiation may be due to the increased content and resistance of the haemopoietic stem cells, as well as activation of granulopoiesis.

  18. Understanding the molecular mechanism(s) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) induced interferon resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qashqari, Hanadi; Al-Mars, Amany; Chaudhary, Adeel; Abuzenadah, Adel; Damanhouri, Ghazi; Alqahtani, Mohammed; Mahmoud, Maged; El Sayed Zaki, Maysaa; Fatima, Kaneez; Qadri, Ishtiaq

    2013-10-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the foremost causes of chronic liver disease affecting over 300 million globally. HCV contains a positive-stranded RNA of ~9600 nt and is surrounded by the 5' and 3'untranslated regions (UTR). The only successful treatment regimen includes interferon (IFN) and ribavirin. Like many other viruses, HCV has also evolved various mechanisms to circumvent the IFN response by blocking (1) downstream signaling actions via STAT1, STAT2, IRF9 and JAK-STAT pathways and (2) repertoire of IFN Stimulatory Genes (ISGs). Several studies have identified complex host demographic and genetic factors as well as viral genetic heterogeneity associated with outcomes of IFN therapy. The genetic predispositions of over 2000 ISGS may render the patients to become resistant, thus identification of such parameters within a subset of population are necessary for management corollary. The ability of various HCV genotypes to diminish IFN antiviral responses plays critical role in the establishment of chronic infection at the acute stage of infection, thus highlighting importance of the resistance in HCV treated groups. The recently defined role of viral protein such as C, E2, NS3/NS4 and NS5A proteins in inducing the IFN resistance are discussed in this article. How the viral and host genetic composition and epistatic connectivity among polymorphic genomic sites synchronizes the evolutionary IFN resistance trend remains under investigation. However, these signals may have the potential to be employed for accurate prediction of therapeutic outcomes. In this review article, we accentuate the significance of host and viral components in IFN resistance with the aim to determine the successful outcome in patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. [Chronic otitis mediaChronic Otitis Media].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohles, N; Schulz, T; Eßer, D

    2015-11-01

    There are 2 different kinds of chronic otitis media: Otitis media chronica mesotympanalis and otitis media chronica epitympanalis (cholesteatoma). The incidence of chronic otitis media as reported in literature differs in a wide range. The incidence rates vary between 0.45 and 46%. Both, otitis media chronica mesotympanalis and cholesteatoma, lead to eardrum perforation due to lengthy and recurring inflammations. Furthermore, chronic otitis media is characterized by frequently recurring otorrhea and conductive hearing loss. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  20. Proliferation and mitogenic response to PDGF-BB of fibroblasts isolated from chronic venous leg ulcers is ulcer-age dependent

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agren, M S; Steenfos, H H; Dabelsteen, S

    1999-01-01

    Several pathophysiologic mechanisms have been proposed to explain slow-healing leg ulcers, but little is known about the growth behavior of cells in these wounds. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB applied topically to chronic wounds has shown beneficial effects, although the effects have been less...... pronounced than would have been expected based on studies on acute wounds. The objective of this study was to compare fibroblasts in culture obtained from chronic wounds (non-healing chronic venous leg ulcers), acute wounds and normal dermis regarding growth, mitogenic response to platelet-derived growth...... chronic wounds have approached or even reached the end of their lifespan (phase III). This might provide one explanation for the non-healing state and therapy resistance to topical platelet-derived growth factor-BB of some venous leg ulcers....

  1. Hepatitis C virus resistance to the new direct-acting antivirals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esposito, Isabella; Trinks, Julieta; Soriano, Vicente

    2016-10-01

    The treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has dramatically improved in recent years with the widespread use of interferon-free combination regimens. Despite the high sustained virological response (SVR) rates (over 90%) obtained with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), drug resistance has emerged as a potential challenge. The high replication rate of HCV and the low fidelity of its RNA polymerase result in a high degree of genetic variability in the HCV population, which ultimately explains the rapid selection of drug resistance associated variants (RAVs). Results from clinical trials and real-world experience have both provided important information on the rate and clinical significance of RAVs. They can be present in treatment-naive patients as natural polymorphisms although more frequently they are selected upon treatment failure. In patients engaged in high-risk behaviors, RAVs can be transmitted. Although DAA failures generally occur in less than 10% of treated chronic hepatitis C patients, selection of drug resistance is the rule in most cases. HCV re-treatment options are available, but first-line therapeutic strategies should be optimized to efficiently prevent DAA failure due to baseline HCV resistance. Considerable progress is being made and next-generation DAAs are coming with pangenotypic activity and higher resistance barrier.

  2. Ionizing Radiation Potentiates High Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance and Reprograms Skeletal Muscle and Adipose Progenitor Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nylander, Vibe; Ingerslev, Lars R; Andersen, Emil

    2016-01-01

    Exposure to ionizing radiation increases the risk of chronic metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes later in life. We hypothesized that irradiation reprograms the epigenome of metabolic progenitor cells, which could account for impaired metabolism after cancer treatment...... mice. Mice subjected to total body irradiation showed alterations in glucose metabolism and, when challenged with HFD, marked hyperinsulinemia. Insulin signaling was chronically disrupted in skeletal muscle and adipose progenitor cells collected from irradiated mice and differentiated in culture...

  3. Personality traits and chronic disease: implications for adult personality development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutin, Angelina R; Zonderman, Alan B; Ferrucci, Luigi; Terracciano, Antonio

    2013-11-01

    Personality traits have been associated with chronic disease. Less is known about the longitudinal relation between personality and disease and whether chronic disease is associated with changes in personality. Method. Participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (N = 2,008) completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and a standard medical interview at regularly scheduled visits; the Charlson Comorbidity Index, a weighted sum of 19 serious diseases, was derived from this interview. Using data from 6,685 visits, we tested whether personality increased risk of disease and whether disease was associated with personality change. Measured concurrently, neuroticism and conscientiousness were associated with greater disease burden. The impulsiveness facet of neuroticism was the strongest predictor of developing disease across the follow-up period: For every standard deviation increase in impulsiveness, there was a 26% increased risk of developing disease and a 36% increased risk of getting more ill. Personality traits changed only modestly with disease: As participants developed chronic illnesses, they became more conservative (decreased openness). Discussion. This research indicates that personality traits confer risk for disease, in part, through health-risk behaviors. These traits, however, were relatively resistant to the effect of serious disease.

  4. Evaluation of nucleoside phosphonates and their analogs and prodrugs for inhibition of orthopoxvirus replication

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Keith, K. A.; Hitchcock, M. J. M.; Lee, W. A.; Holý, Antonín; Kern, E. R.

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 47, č. 7 (2003), s. 2193-2198 ISSN 0066-4804 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IBS4055109 Grant - others:Public Health Service(US) NO1-AI-85347 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4055905 Keywords : adefovir * cidofovir * tenofovir Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.246, year: 2003

  5. Efficacy and safety on tenofovire therapy in patients with hepatitis B viral infections resistent to lamivudin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katanić N.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB still represents a significant world health problem despite obligatory and worldwide immunization against infections of viral hepatitis B. In some patients with chronic viral hepatitis B infections, in the natural course of the disease, progression towards cirhossis and hepatocellular carcinoma is primarily targeted by antiviral CHB therapy stopping further progression of the disease. Today on the market there exist two classes of pharmnaceutical drugs for treatment of CHB: a immunomodulatory therapy with conventional interferon alpha (INF and PEGylated interferon alpha-2a, b and oral antiviral therapy with nucleos( tide analogues. Lamivudine was for quite a period the only medicament available on our market for the treatment of HVB and in most of our patients led to the development of resistance. As of two years ago, a new oral analogue from the group of nucleotides is being registered in Serbia for market use: tenofovir disoproxil (TDF. In our work we have analysed 69 patients with chronic viral hepatitis B treated in the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases KCS Belgrade in the period between years 2012 and 2014. All patients involved in this reasearch were previously treated with LAM, and on subsequent development of resistance to LAM, TDF was used. TDF showed an excellent efficacy, a high resistance barrier and very few unwanted side effects over several years of treatment. Our experience with the use of this drug does not pertain to and acount for its long term use, in view of its brief availability on our market.

  6. Resistance training and testosterone levels in male patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Molsted, Stig; Andersen, Jesper L.; Eidemak, Inge

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: We investigated serum testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels' associations with muscle fibre size and resistance training in male dialysis patients. METHODS: Male patients were included in a 16-week control period followed by 16 weeks of resistance training thrice...... weekly. Blood samples were obtained to analyse testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), IGF-1, and IGF-binding protein 3. Muscle fibres' size was analysed in biopsies from m. vastus lateralis. RESULTS: The patients' testosterone levels were within the normal range at baseline (n = 20) (19.5 (8......-9370) ng/mL versus 3244 (3020-3983), P muscle fibre size (n = 12) remained stable throughout the study. Age-adjusted IGF-1 was associated with type 1 and 2 fibre sizes (P testosterone values were normal due to markedly increased...

  7. Antimicrobial peptides as potential anti-biofilm agents against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Pooi Yin; Khanum, Ramona

    2017-08-01

    Bacterial resistance to commonly used drugs has become a global health problem, causing increased infection cases and mortality rate. One of the main virulence determinants in many bacterial infections is biofilm formation, which significantly increases bacterial resistance to antibiotics and innate host defence. In the search to address the chronic infections caused by biofilms, antimicrobial peptides (AMP) have been considered as potential alternative agents to conventional antibiotics. Although AMPs are commonly considered as the primitive mechanism of immunity and has been extensively studied in insects and non-vertebrate organisms, there is now increasing evidence that AMPs also play a crucial role in human immunity. AMPs have exhibited broad-spectrum activity against many strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including drug-resistant strains, and fungi. In addition, AMPs also showed synergy with classical antibiotics, neutralize toxins and are active in animal models. In this review, the important mechanisms of action and potential of AMPs in the eradication of biofilm formation in multidrug-resistant pathogen, with the goal of designing novel antimicrobial therapeutics, are discussed. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Systolic and Diastolic Left Ventricular Mechanics during and after Resistance Exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stöhr, Eric J; Stembridge, Mike; Shave, Rob; Samuel, T Jake; Stone, Keeron; Esformes, Joseph I

    2017-10-01

    To improve the current understanding of the impact of resistance exercise on the heart, by examining the acute responses of left ventricular (LV) strain, twist, and untwisting rate ("LV mechanics"). LV echocardiographic images were recorded in systole and diastole before, during and immediately after (7-12 s) double-leg press exercise at two intensities (30% and 60% of maximum strength, one-repetition maximum). Speckle tracking analysis generated LV strain, twist, and untwisting rate data. Additionally, beat-by-beat blood pressure was recorded and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and LV wall stress were calculated. Responses in both exercise trials were statistically similar (P > 0.05). During effort, stroke volume decreased, whereas SVR and LV wall stress increased (P mechanics (P 0.05). Immediately after exercise, systolic LV mechanics returned to baseline levels (P mechanics, but increases diastolic mechanics after exercise, suggesting that resistance exercise has a differential impact on systolic and diastolic heart muscle function. The findings may explain why acute resistance exercise has been associated with reduced stroke volume but chronic exercise training may result in increased LV volumes.

  9. Determinants of Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) in Cardiorenal Patients : RDW is Not Related to Erythropoietin Resistance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Emans, Mireille E.; van der Putten, Karien; van Rooijen, Karlijn L.; Kraaijenhagen, Rob J.; Swinkels, Dorine; van Solinge, Wouter W.; Cramer, Maarten J.; Doevendans, Pieter A. F. M.; Braam, Branko; Gaillard, Carlo A. J. M.

    Background: Studies have shown that red cell distribution width (RDW) is related to outcome in chronic heart failure (CHF). The pathophysiological process is unknown. We studied the relationship between RDW and erythropoietin (EPO) resistance, and related factors such as erythropoietic activity,

  10. Dominant inheritance of retinal ganglion cell resistance to optic nerve crush in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schlamp Cassandra L

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several neurodegenerative diseases are influenced by complex genetics that affect an individual's susceptibility, disease severity, and rate of progression. One such disease is glaucoma, a chronic neurodegenerative condition of the eye that targets and stimulates apoptosis of CNS neurons called retinal ganglion cells. Since ganglion cell death is intrinsic, it is reasonable that the genes that control this process may contribute to the complex genetics that affect ganglion cell susceptibility to disease. To determine if genetic background influences susceptibility to optic nerve damage, leading to ganglion cell death, we performed optic nerve crush on 15 different inbred lines of mice and measured ganglion cell loss. Resistant and susceptible strains were used in a reciprocal breeding strategy to examine the inheritance pattern of the resistance phenotype. Because earlier studies had implicated Bax as a susceptibility allele for ganglion cell death in the chronic neurodegenerative disease glaucoma, we conducted allelic segregation analysis and mRNA quantification to assess this gene as a candidate for the cell death phenotype. Results Inbred lines showed varying levels of susceptibility to optic nerve crush. DBA/2J mice were most resistant and BALB/cByJ mice were most susceptible. F1 mice from these lines inherited the DBA/2J phenotype, while N2 backcross mice exhibited the BALB/cByJ phenotype. F2 mice exhibited an intermediate phenotype. A Wright Formula calculation suggested as few as 2 dominant loci were linked to the resistance phenotype, which was corroborated by a Punnett Square analysis of the distribution of the mean phenotype in each cross. The levels of latent Bax mRNA were the same in both lines, and Bax alleles did not segregate with phenotype in N2 and F2 mice. Conclusion Inbred mice show different levels of resistance to optic nerve crush. The resistance phenotype is heritable in a dominant fashion involving

  11. Laser acupuncture therapy in patients with treatment-resistant temporomandibular disorders.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Long Hu

    Full Text Available To investigate the clinical effects of laser acupuncture therapy for temporomandibular disorders (TMD after ineffective previous treatments.A retrospective observational study was conducted in 29 treatment-resistant TMD patients (25 women, 4 men; age range, 17-67 years. Subjects were treated 3 times per week for 4 weeks with the Handylaser Trion (GaAlAs laser diode, 810 nm, 150 mW, pulsed waves, which delivered 0.375 J of energy (5 s to ST7, ST6, and LI4 and 3 J (40 s to each Ashi point, 7.5-26.25 J/cm2 in total. The visual analog scale (VAS and maximal mouth opening (MMO were evaluated before and after treatment.VAS analysis showed that the patients were free of pain at rest (endpoint after 5.90±6.08 sessions of laser acupuncture for acute TMD and after 16.21±17.98 sessions for chronic TMD. The VAS score on palpation of the temporomandibular joint reduced to 0.30±0.67 for patients with acute TMD (p = 0.005 and to 0.47±0.84 for those with chronic TMD (p<0.001. The MMO significantly increased in patients with acute TMD (7.80±5.43 mm, p = 0.008 and in patients with chronic TMD (15.58±7.87 mm, p<0.001.Our study shows that laser acupuncture therapy improves the symptoms of treatment-resistant TMD. Further studies with a more appropriate design, involving long-term follow-up examinations in a larger patient sample, are needed to evaluate its efficacy.

  12. ON012380: A Non-ATP Competitive Inhibitor of BCR-ABL for the Therapy of Imatinib-Resistant CMLs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-01

    imatinib resistance with a novel ABL kinase inhibitor. Science. 2004; 305(5682):399-401 3. Weisberg E, Manley PW, Breitenstein W, Bruggen J, Cowan-Jacob... Manley PW, Cowan-Jacob SW, Hochhaus A, Griffin JD. Second generation inhibitors of BCR-ABL for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid...araldehyde (5) (10 mmol), glacial acetic acid (5 mL), and a catalytic amount (100 lL ) of benzyl amine was re- fluxed for 5–8 h. After completion of

  13. Chronic disease management in rural and underserved populations: innovation and system improvement help lead to success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolin, Jane; Gamm, Larry; Kash, Bita; Peck, Mitchell

    2005-03-01

    Successful implementation of disease management (DM) is based on the ability of an organization to overcome a variety of barriers to deliver timely, appropriate care of chronic illnesses. Such programs initiate DM services to patient populations while initiating self-management education among medication-resistant patients who are chronically ill. Despite formidable challenges, rural health care providers have been successful in initiating DM programs and have discovered several ways in which these programs benefit their organizations. This research reports on six DM programs that serve large rural and underserved populations and have demonstrated that DM can be successfully implemented in such areas.

  14. Pulmonary Rehabilitation: The Reference Therapy for Undernourished Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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    Nikolaos Samaras

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD combines the deleterious effects of chronic hypoxia, chronic inflammation, insulin-resistance, increased energy expenditure, muscle wasting, and exercise deconditioning. As for other chronic disorders, loss of fat-free mass decreased survival. The preservation of muscle mass and function, through the protection of the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, is an important challenge in the management of COPD patients. As the prevalence of the disease is increasing and the medical advances make COPD patients live longer, the prevalence of COPD-associated nutritional disorders is expected to increase in future decades. Androgenopenia is observed in 40% of COPD patients. Due to the stimulating effects of androgens on muscle anabolism, androgenopenia favors loss of muscle mass. Studies have shown that androgen substitution could improve muscle mass in COPD patients, but alone, was insufficient to improve lung function. Two multicentric randomized clinical trials have shown that the association of androgen therapy with physical exercise and oral nutritional supplements containing omega-3 polyinsaturated fatty acids, during at least three months, is associated with an improved clinical outcome and survival. These approaches are optimized in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation which is the reference therapy of COPD-associated undernutrition.

  15. Intensive interdisciplinary outpatient pain management program for chronic back pain: a pilot study

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    Artner J

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Juraj Artner, Stephan Kurz, Balkan Cakir, Heiko Reichel, Friederike LattigDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Ulm, RKU, GermanyBackground: Chronic back pain is relatively resistant to unimodal therapy regimes. The aim of this study was to introduce and evaluate the short-term outcome of a three-week intensive multidisciplinary outpatient program for patients with back pain and sciatica, measured according to decrease of functional impairment and pain.Methods: The program was designed for patients suffering from chronic back pain to provide intensive interdisciplinary therapy in an outpatient setting, consisting of interventional injection techniques, medication, exercise therapy, back education, ergotherapy, traction, massage therapy, medical training, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, aquatraining, and relaxation.Results: Based on Oswestry Disability Index (ODI and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS scores, a significant improvement in pain intensity and functionality of 66.83% NRS and an ODI of 33.33% were achieved by our pain program within 3 weeks.Conclusion: This paper describes the organization and short-term outcome of an intensive multidisciplinary program for chronic back pain on an outpatient basis provided by our orthopedic department, with clinically significant results.Keywords: chronic back pain, intense, multidisciplinary, program, outpatient

  16. Inflammation-induced microvascular insulin resistance is an early event in diet-induced obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lina; Fu, Zhuo; Wu, Jing; Aylor, Kevin W.; Barrett, Eugene J.; Cao, Wenhong

    2015-01-01

    Endothelial dysfunction and vascular insulin resistance usually coexist and chronic inflammation engenders both. In the present study, we investigate the temporal relationship between vascular insulin resistance and metabolic insulin resistance. We assessed insulin responses in all arterial segments, including aorta, distal saphenous artery and the microvasculature, as well as the metabolic insulin responses in muscle in rats fed on a high-fat diet (HFD) for various durations ranging from 3 days to 4 weeks with or without sodium salicylate treatment. Compared with controls, HFD feeding significantly blunted insulin-mediated Akt (protein kinase B) and eNOS [endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase] phosphorylation in aorta in 1 week, blunted vasodilatory response in small resistance vessel in 4 weeks and microvascular recruitment in as early as 3 days. Insulin-stimulated whole body glucose disposal did not begin to progressively decrease until after 1 week. Salicylate treatment fully inhibited vascular inflammation, prevented microvascular insulin resistance and significantly improved muscle metabolic responses to insulin. We conclude that microvascular insulin resistance is an early event in diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance and inflammation plays an essential role in this process. Our data suggest microvascular insulin resistance contributes to the development of metabolic insulin resistance in muscle and muscle microvasculature is a potential therapeutic target in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its related complications. PMID:26265791

  17. Epidemiological, virological and clinical characteristics of HBV infection in 223 HIV co-infected patients: a French multi-centre collaborative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibault, Vincent; Gaudy-Graffin, Catherine; Colson, Philippe; Gozlan, Joël; Schnepf, Nathalie; Trimoulet, Pascale; Pallier, Coralie; Saune, Karine; Branger, Michel; Coste, Marianne; Thoraval, Francoise Roudot

    2013-03-15

    Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a clinical concern in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals due to substantial prevalence, difficulties to treat, and severe liver disease outcome. A large nationwide cross-sectional multicentre analysis of HIV-HBV co-infected patients was designed to describe and identify parameters associated with virological and clinical outcome of CHB in HIV-infected individuals with detectable HBV viremia. A multicenter collaborative cross-sectional study was launched in 19 French University hospitals distributed through the country. From January to December 2007, HBV load, genotype, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 223 HBV-HIV co-infected patients with an HBV replication over 1000 IU/mL were investigated. Patients were mostly male (82%, mean age 42 years). Genotype distribution (A 52%; E 23.3%; D 16.1%) was linked to risk factors, geographic origin, and co-infection with other hepatitis viruses. This genotypic pattern highlights divergent contamination event timelines by HIV and HBV viruses. Most patients (74.7%) under antiretroviral treatment were receiving a drug with anti-HBV activity, including 47% receiving TDF. Genotypic lamivudine-resistance detected in 26% of the patients was linked to duration of lamivudine exposure, age, CD4 count and HIV load. Resistance to adefovir (rtA181T/V) was detected in 2.7% of patients. Advanced liver lesions were observed in 54% of cases and were associated with an older age and lower CD4 counts but not with viral load or genotype. Immune escape HBsAg variants were seldom detected. Despite the detection of advanced liver lesions in most patients, few were not receiving anti-HBV drugs and for those treated with the most potent anti-HBV drugs, persistent replication suggested non-optimal adherence. Heterogeneity in HBV strains reflects epidemiological differences that may impact liver disease progression. These findings are strong arguments to further optimize clinical management

  18. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chronic myelogenous leukemia Overview Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is an uncommon type of cancer of the blood cells. The term "chronic" in chronic myelogenous leukemia indicates that this cancer ...

  19. Indolcarboxamide is a preclinical candidate for treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Srinivasa P S; Lakshminarayana, Suresh B; Kondreddi, Ravinder R; Herve, Maxime; Camacho, Luis R; Bifani, Pablo; Kalapala, Sarath K; Jiricek, Jan; Ma, Ng L; Tan, Bee H; Ng, Seow H; Nanjundappa, Mahesh; Ravindran, Sindhu; Seah, Peck G; Thayalan, Pamela; Lim, Siao H; Lee, Boon H; Goh, Anne; Barnes, Whitney S; Chen, Zhong; Gagaring, Kerstin; Chatterjee, Arnab K; Pethe, Kevin; Kuhen, Kelli; Walker, John; Feng, Gu; Babu, Sreehari; Zhang, Lijun; Blasco, Francesca; Beer, David; Weaver, Margaret; Dartois, Veronique; Glynne, Richard; Dick, Thomas; Smith, Paul W; Diagana, Thierry T; Manjunatha, Ujjini H

    2013-12-04

    New chemotherapeutic compounds against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are urgently needed to combat drug resistance in tuberculosis (TB). We have identified and characterized the indolcarboxamides as a new class of antitubercular bactericidal agent. Genetic and lipid profiling studies identified the likely molecular target of indolcarboxamides as MmpL3, a transporter of trehalose monomycolate that is essential for mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Two lead candidates, NITD-304 and NITD-349, showed potent activity against both drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Mtb. Promising pharmacokinetic profiles of both compounds after oral dosing in several species enabled further evaluation for efficacy and safety. NITD-304 and NITD-349 were efficacious in treating both acute and chronic Mtb infections in mouse efficacy models. Furthermore, dosing of NITD-304 and NITD-349 for 2 weeks in exploratory rat toxicology studies revealed a promising safety margin. Finally, neither compound inhibited the activity of major cytochrome P-450 enzymes or the hERG (human ether-a-go-go related gene) channel. These results suggest that NITD-304 and NITD-349 should undergo further development as a potential treatment for multidrug-resistant TB.

  20. Vitamin C and E chronic supplementation differentially affect hepatic insulin signaling in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Mennatallah A; Eid, Rania M H M; Hanafi, Mervat Y

    2018-02-01

    Vitamin C and vitamin E supplementations and their beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been subjected to countless controversial data. Hence, our aim is to investigate the hepatic molecular mechanisms of any diabetic predisposing risk of the chronic administration of different doses of vitamin E or vitamin C in rats. The rats were supplemented with different doses of vitamin C or vitamin E for eight months. Vitamin C and vitamin E increased fasting blood glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (HOMA). Vitamin C disrupted glucose tolerance by attenuating upstream hepatic insulin action through impairing the phosphorylation and activation of insulin receptor and its subsequent substrates; however, vitamin E showed its effect downstream insulin receptor in the insulin signaling pathway, reducing hepatic glucose transporter-2 (GLUT2) and phosphorylated protein kinase (p-Akt). Moreover, both vitamins showed their antioxidant capabilities [nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), total and reduced glutathione] and their negative effect on Wnt pathway [phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3β (p-GSK-3β)], by altering the previously mentioned parameters, inevitably leading to severe reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) below the physiological levels. In conclusion, a detrimental effect of chronic antioxidant vitamins supplementation was detected; leading to insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance obviously through different mechanisms. Overall, these findings indicate that the conventional view that vitamins promote health benefits and delay chronic illnesses and aging should be modified or applied with caution. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. New developments in endoscopic treatment of chronic pancreatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Didden, P; Bruno, M; Poley, J W

    2012-12-01

    The aim of endoscopic therapy of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is to treat pain by draining the pancreatic duct or managing loco-regional complications. Recent decennia were characterized by continuous improvement of endoscopic techniques and devices, resulting in a better clinical outcome. Novel developments now also provide the opportunity to endoscopically treat refractory CP-related complications. Especially suboptimal surgical candidates could potentially benefit from these new developments, consequently avoiding invasive surgery. The use of fully covered self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) has been explored in pancreatic and CP-related biliary duct strictures, resistant to conventional treatment with plastic endoprotheses. Furthermore, endosonography-guided transmural drainage of the main pancreatic duct via duct-gastrostomy is an alternative treatment option in selected cases. Pancreatic pseudocysts represent an excellent indication for endoscopic therapy with some recent case series demonstrating effective drainage with the use of a fully covered SEMS. Although results of these new endoscopic developments are promising, high quality randomized trials are required to determine their definite role in the management of chronic pancreatitis.

  2. Chronic Hepatitis B with Spontaneous Severe Acute Exacerbation

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    Wei-Lun Tsai

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV infection is a major global health problem with an estimated 400 million HBV carriers worldwide. In the natural history of chronic hepatitis B (CHB, spontaneous acute exacerbation (AE is not uncommon, with a cumulative incidence of 10%–30% every year. While exacerbations can be mild, some patients may develop hepatic decompensation and even die. The underlying pathogenesis is possibly related to the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated immune response against HBV. An upsurge of serum HBV DNA usually precedes the rise of alanine aminotransferase (ALT and bilirubin. Whether antiviral treatment can benefit CHB with severe AE remains controversial, but early nucleos(tide analogues treatment seemed to be associated with an improved outcome. There has been no randomized study that compared the effects of different nucleos(tide analogues (NA in the setting of CHB with severe AE. However, potent NAs with good resistance profiles are recommended. In this review, we summarized current knowledge regarding the natural history, pathogenetic mechanisms, and therapeutic options of CHB with severe AE.

  3. Hb D/Talassemia beta associada à anemia crônica Hb D/ Beta thalassaemia associated with chronic anaemia

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    Paulo C. Naoum

    2002-03-01

    Full Text Available We describe a case of Hb D/Beta thalassemia associated with chronic anemia. Hematological analyses performed in a patient with chronic anemia demonstrating microcytosis and hypochromic in his erythrocytes. Specific laboratory diagnosis performed by alkaline and acid electrophoresis, and fetal determination by alkali resistance, indicated it to be Hb D associated with beta thalassemia. Analyses carried out on his family (father, mother and brother confirmed the suspected diagnosis. Hb D/Beta thalassemia is a very rare interaction in the Brazilian population, and its determination required specific laboratorial techniques and hematological analyses.

  4. Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Recruits Muscle Microvasculature and Improves Insulin’s Metabolic Action in the Presence of Insulin Resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, Weidong; Zhang, Xingxing; Barrett, Eugene J.

    2014-01-01

    Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) acutely recruits muscle microvasculature, increases muscle delivery of insulin, and enhances muscle use of glucose, independent of its effect on insulin secretion. To examine whether GLP-1 modulates muscle microvascular and metabolic insulin responses in the setting of insulin resistance, we assessed muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV), flow velocity, and blood flow in control insulin-sensitive rats and rats made insulin-resistant acutely (systemic lipid infusion) or chronically (high-fat diet [HFD]) before and after a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (3 mU/kg/min) with or without superimposed systemic GLP-1 infusion. Insulin significantly recruited muscle microvasculature and addition of GLP-1 further expanded muscle MBV and increased insulin-mediated glucose disposal. GLP-1 infusion potently recruited muscle microvasculature in the presence of either acute or chronic insulin resistance by increasing muscle MBV. This was associated with an increased muscle delivery of insulin and muscle interstitial oxygen saturation. Muscle insulin sensitivity was completely restored in the presence of systemic lipid infusion and significantly improved in rats fed an HFD. We conclude that GLP-1 infusion potently expands muscle microvascular surface area and improves insulin’s metabolic action in the insulin-resistant states. This may contribute to improved glycemic control seen in diabetic patients receiving incretin-based therapy. PMID:24658303

  5. Resistance of the peripheral nervous system to the effects of chronic canine hypothyroidism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossmeisl, J H

    2010-01-01

    Hypothyroidism has been implicated in the development of multiple peripheral mono- and polyneuropathies in dogs. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical and electrophysiologic effects of experimentally induced hypothyroidism on the peripheral nervous system of dogs. Chronic hypothyroidism will induce peripheral nerve sensorimotor dysfunction. Eighteen purpose-bred, female dogs. Prospective, longitudinal study: Hypothyroidism was induced by radioactive iodine administration in 9 dogs, and the remaining 9 served as untreated controls. Neurological examinations were performed monthly. Electrophysiologic testing consisting of electromyography (EMG); motor nerve conduction studies of the sciatic-tibial, radial, ulnar, and recurrent laryngeal nerves; sciatic-tibial and ulnar F-wave studies; sensory nerve conduction studies of the tibial, ulnar, and radial nerves; and evaluation of blink reflex and facial responses were performed before and 6, 12, and 18 months after induction of hypothyroidism and compared with controls. Clinical evidence of peripheral nervous dysfunction did not occur in any dog. At 6 month and subsequent evaluations, all hypothyroid dogs had EMG and histologic evidence of hypothyroid myopathy. Hypothyroid dogs had significant (Pmuscle action potentials over time, which were attributed to the concurrent myopathy. No significant differences between control and hypothyroid dogs were detected in electrophysiologic tests of motor (P>or=.1) or sensory nerve conduction velocity (P>or=.24) or nerve roots (P>or=.16) throughout the study period, with values remaining within reference ranges in all dogs. Chronic hypothyroidism induced by thyroid irradiation does not result in clinical or electrophysiologic evidence of peripheral neuropathy, but does cause subclinical myopathy.

  6. Protective human leucocyte antigen haplotype, HLA-DRB1*01-B*14, against chronic Chagas disease in Bolivia.

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    Florencia del Puerto

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chagas disease, caused by the flagellate parasite Trypanosoma cruzi affects 8-10 million people in Latin America. The mechanisms that underlie the development of complications of chronic Chagas disease, characterized primarily by pathology of the heart and digestive system, are not currently understood. To identify possible host genetic factors that may influence the clinical course of Chagas disease, Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA regional gene polymorphism was analyzed in patients presenting with differing clinical symptoms. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred and twenty nine chronic Chagas disease patients in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, were examined by serological tests, electrocardiogram (ECG, and Barium enema colon X-ray. 31.4% of the examinees showed ECG alterations, 15.7% megacolon and 58.1% showed neither of them. A further 62 seropositive megacolon patients who had undergone colonectomy due to acute abdomen were recruited. We analyzed their HLA genetic polymorphisms (HLA-A, HLA-B, MICA, MICB, DRB1 and TNF-alpha promoter region mainly through Sequence based and LABType SSO typing test using LUMINEX Technology. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The frequencies of HLA-DRB1*01 and HLA-B*14:02 were significantly lower in patients suffering from megacolon as well as in those with ECG alteration and/or megacolon compared with a group of patients with indeterminate symptoms. The DRB1*0102, B*1402 and MICA*011 alleles were in strong Linkage Disequilibrium (LD, and the HLA-DRB1*01-B*14-MICA*011 haplotype was associated with resistance against chronic Chagas disease. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of HLA haplotype association with resistance to chronic Chagas disease.

  7. INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS IN CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA

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    AnnaMaria Nosari

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Infectious complications have been known to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in CLL patients who are predisposed to infections because of both the humoral immunodepression inherent to hematologic disease, which is related to stage and duration of CLL, and to further immunosuppression related to therapy. The majority of infections in CLL patients treated with alkilating agents is of bacterial origin. The immunodeficiency and natural infectious history of alkylator-resistant, corticosteroid-treated patients appears to have changed with the administration of purine analogs, which has been complicated by very severe and unusual infections and also more viral infections due to sustained reduction of CD4-positive T lymphocytes. The following introduction of monoclonal antibody therapies, in particular alemtuzumab, further increased the immunodepression, increasing also infections which appeared more often in patients with recurrent neutropenia due to chemotherapy cycles. Epidemiological data regarding fungal infections in lymphoproliferative disorders are scarce. Italian SEIFEM group in a retrospective multicentre study regarding CLL patients reported an incidence of mycoses 0.5%; however, chronic lymphoproliferative disorders emerged as second haematological underlying disease after acute leukemia in a French study on aspergillosis; in particular CLL with aspergillosis accounted for a third of these chronic lymphoproliferative diseases presenting mould infection.

  8. Sensory dissociation in chronic low back pain: Two case reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamczyk, Wacław M; Luedtke, Kerstin; Saulicz, Oskar; Saulicz, Edward

    2018-08-01

    Patients with chronic low back pain often report that they do not perceive their painful back accurately. Previous studies confirmed that sensory dissociation and/or discrepancy between perceived body image and actual size is one of the specific traits of patients with chronic pain. Current approaches for measuring sensory dissociation are limited to two-point-discrimination or rely on pain drawings not allowing for quantitative analysis. This case study reports the sensory dissociation of two cases with chronic low back pain using a recently published test (point-to-point-test (PTP)) and a newly developed test (two-point-estimation (TPE)). Both patients mislocalized tactile stimuli delivered to the painful location compared to non-painful locations (PTP test). In addition, both patients perceived their painful lumbar region differently from non-painful sites above and below and contralateral to the painful site. TPE data showed two distinct clinical patterns of sensory dissociation: one patient perceived the two-point distance in the painful area as expanded, while the other patient perceived it as shrunk. The latter pattern of sensory dissociation (i.e., pattern shrunk) is likely to respond to sensory training. Whether enlarged patterns of sensory dissociation are more resistant to treatment remains unknown but would explain the low effectiveness of previous studies using sensory training in chronic low back pain populations. Subgrouping patients according to their sensory discrimination pattern could contribute to the choice and effectiveness of the treatment approach.

  9. New Introductions, Spread of Existing Matrilines, and High Rates of Pyrethroid Resistance Result in Chronic Infestations of Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L. in Lower-Income Housing.

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    Ronald W Raab

    Full Text Available Infestations of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L. have increased substantially in the United States in the past 10-15 years. The housing authority in Harrisonburg, Virginia, conducts heat-treatments after bed bugs are detected in a lower-income housing complex, by treating each infested unit at 60°C for 4-6 hours. However, a high frequency of recurrent infestations called into question the efficacy of this strategy. Genetic analysis using Bayesian clustering of polymorphic microsatellite loci from 123 bed bugs collected from 23 units from May 2012 to April 2013 in one building indicated that (a 16/21 (73% infestations were genetically similar, suggesting ineffective heat-treatments or reintroductions from within the building or from a common external source, followed by local spread of existing populations; and (b up to 5 of the infestations represented new genotypes, indicating that 5 new populations were introduced into this building in one year, assuming they were not missed in earlier screens. There was little to no gene flow among the 8 genetic clusters identified in the building. Bed bugs in the U.S. often possess one or both point mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel, termed knockdown resistance (kdr, from valine to leucine (V419L and leucine to isoleucine (L925I that confer target-site resistance against pyrethroid insecticides. We found that 48/121 (40% bed bugs were homozygous for both kdr mutations (L419/I925, and a further 59% possessed at least one of the kdr mutations. We conclude that ineffective heat treatments, new introductions, reintroductions and local spread, and an exceptionally high frequency of pyrethroid resistance are responsible for chronic infestations in lower-income housing. Because heat treatments fail to protect from reintroductions, and pesticide use has not decreased the frequency of infestations, preventing new introductions and early detection are the most effective strategies to avoid bed bug

  10. Factors affecting regional pulmonary blood flow in chronic ischemic heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pistolesi, M.; Miniati, M.; Bonsignore, M.

    1988-01-01

    To assess the effect of left heart disease on pulmonary blood flow distribution, we measured mean pulmonary arterial and wedge pressures, cardiac output, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary blood volume, and arterial oxygen tension before and after treatment in 13 patients with longstanding ischemic heart failure and pulmonary edema. Pulmonary edema was evaluated by a radiographic score, and regional lung perfusion was quantified on a lung scan by the upper to lower third ratio (U:L ratio) of pulmonary blood flow per unit of lung volume. In all cases, redistribution of lung perfusion toward the apical regions was observed; this pattern was not affected by treatment. After treatment, pulmonary vascular pressures, resistance, and edema were reduced, while pulmonary blood volume did not change. At this time, pulmonary vascular resistance showed a positive correlation with the U:L ratio (r = 0.78; P less than 0.01), whereas no correlation was observed between U:L ratio and wedge pressure, pulmonary edema, or arterial oxygen tension. Hence, redistribution of pulmonary blood flow, in these patients, reflects chronic structural vascular changes prevailing in the dependent lung regions

  11. Antibacterial susceptibility patterns of Porphyromonas gingivalis isolated from chronic periodontitis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Japoni, Aziz; Vasin, Afsaneh; Noushadi, Sadighah; Kiany, Farin; Japoni, Sara; Alborzi, Abdolvahab

    2011-11-01

    To test the antimicrobial sensitivity of Porphyromonas gingivalis to a panel of eight orally administrable antibiotics in chronic periodontal diseases and to evaluate factors associated with periodontitis in adult patients. A total of fifty strains of P. gingivalis were isolated from one hundred and twenty adult patients with chronic perio-dontitis. Identification of bacteria was carried out by anaerobic culture and biochemical tests. Selected colonies of P. gingivalis were used to evaluate the antibacterial activities of penicillin, metronidazole, amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, clindamycin, doxy-cycline, ciprofloxacin and azithromycin. Most of the patients were female, age ranging between 40 to 50 years. Majority of the patients frequently had scaling and depths of periodontal pockets in infected teeth were 5-8 mm and most of them had hemorrhage during sampling. Susceptibility testing revealed a sensitivity of 100% of P. gingivalis to azithromycin, doxycycline and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid but lower susceptibilities were found for the rest of antibiotic agents evaluated. Frequent scaling in women aged between 40-50 years had positive correlation with chronic periodontitis. The application of antibiotics in conjuction with mechanical debridation, may reflect in the level of resistance of P. gingivalis in patients with chronic periodontal infections. This could suggest periodical antibiotic susceptibility testing is necessary to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial agents if the perfect curing of chronic periodontal diseases after mechanical debridation is meant. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the in vitro results. The only limitation in this study was identification of bacteria to species rather than subspecies level.

  12. Altered Circulating Inflammatory Cytokines Are Associated with Anovulatory Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Women Resistant to Clomiphene Citrate Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, LianLian; Qi, HongBo; Baker, Philip N; Zhen, QianNa; Zeng, Qing; Shi, Rui; Tong, Chao; Ge, Qian

    2017-03-01

    BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological disease characterized by chronic oligoanovulation, clinical/biochemical hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovaries, and insulin resistance. Accumulating evidence has shown that PCOS-related ovarian dysfunction is the main cause of anovulatory infertility. Clomiphene citrate (CC) is the first-line therapy for PCOS patients; however, approximately 15-40% PCOS patients are resistant to CC treatment. It has been demonstrated that PCOS is a chronic pro-inflammatory state, as some pro-inflammatory cytokines were elevated in the peripheral circulation of PCOS patients, but whether altered inflammatory cytokines expression in PCOS patients is associated with blunted response to CC remains unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS We recruited 44 CC-resistant PCOS patients, along with 55 age and body mass index (BMI)-matched CC-sensitive PCOS patients. Ovulation was induced by administrating 50-100 mg/day CC on days 5 to 9 of each menstrual cycle. The cytokine profiles were detected by cytokine antibody microarrays and further validated by ELISAs. RESULTS CC-resistant patients had higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) than the CC-sensitive individuals. A growth factor, angiopoietin-2, was significantly reduced [1.64 (0.93-1.95) vs. 1.08 (0.85-1.34), p<0.05], while a chemokine CXCL-16 was significantly increased (9.10±2.35 vs. 10.41±2.82, p<0.05) in CC-resistant patients compared to the CC-sensitive subjects. CXCL-16 was positively correlated with hsCRP (r=0.33, p<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that angiopoietin-2 and CXCL-16 are associated with CC resistance. CONCLUSIONS Circulating cytokines are disturbed in CC-resistant PCOS patients. Altered angiopoietin-2 and CXCL-16 levels might compromise the responsiveness of the ovary to CC through up-regulating angiogenesis and inflammation.

  13. Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance in Shigella flexneri Isolated From Macaques

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    Anthony J. Mannion

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Non-human primates (NHPs for biomedical research are commonly infected with Shigella spp. that can cause acute dysentery or chronic episodic diarrhea. These animals are often prophylactically and clinically treated with quinolone antibiotics to eradicate these possible infections. However, chromosomally- and plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance has become an emerging concern for species in the family Enterobacteriaceae. In this study, five individual isolates of multi-drug resistant Shigella flexneri were isolated from the feces of three macaques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing confirmed resistance or decreased susceptibility to ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cephalosporins, gentamicin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, and nalidixic acid. S. flexneri isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and this drug was used to eradicate infection in two of the macaques. Plasmid DNA from all isolates was positive for the plasmid-encoded quinolone resistance gene qnrS, but not qnrA and qnrB. Conjugation and transformation of plasmid DNA from several S. flexneri isolates into antibiotic-susceptible Escherichia coli strains conferred the recipients with resistance or decreased susceptibility to quinolones and beta-lactams. Genome sequencing of two representative S. flexneri isolates identified the qnrS gene on a plasmid-like contig. These contigs showed >99% homology to plasmid sequences previously characterized from quinolone-resistant Shigella flexneri 2a and Salmonella enterica strains. Other antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factor genes were also identified in chromosome and plasmid sequences in these genomes. The findings from this study indicate macaques harbor pathogenic S. flexneri strains with chromosomally- and plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance in S. flexneri isolated from NHPs and warrants

  14. Laboratory determination of chemotherapeutic drug resistance in tumor cells from patients with leukemia, using a fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay (FMCA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, R; Kristensen, J; Sandberg, C; Nygren, P

    1992-01-21

    An automated fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay (FMCA) based on the measurement of fluorescence generated from cellular hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) to fluorescein was employed for chemotherapeutic-drug-sensitivity testing of tumor-cell suspensions from patients with leukemia. Fluorescence was linearly related to cell number, and reproducible measurements of drug sensitivity could be performed using fresh or cryopreserved leukemia cells. A marked heterogeneity with respect to chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity was observed for a panel of cytotoxic drugs tested in 43 samples from 35 patients with treated or untreated acute and chronic leukemia. For samples obtained from patients with chronic lymphocytic and acute myelocytic leukemia, sensitivity profiles for standard drugs corresponded to known clinical activity and the assay detected primary and acquired drug resistance. Individual in vitro/in vivo correlations indicated high specificity with respect to the identification of drug resistance. The results suggest that the FMCA may be a simple and rapid method for in vivo-representative determinations of chemotherapeutic drug resistance in tumor cells obtained from patients with leukemia.

  15. Chronic myelogenous leukemia: molecular monitoring in clinical practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. R. Ryabchikova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Use of tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib has led to significant progress in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML treatment. To date, genetic monitoring is a mandatory attribute of therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The purpose of this study was to access the imatinib therapy efficacy in CML patients using complete molecular genetic monitoring by standard cytogenetics, realtime polymerase chain reaction and mutational analysis. Correlation between cytogenetic and molecular response was shown. Heterogeneity of molecular response in each patient group was revealed by expression of BCR-ABL. Kinase domain mutations were detected in 32 % of CML patients resistant to imatinib.

  16. Protein and energy intake in advanced chronic kidney disease: how much is too much?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikizler, T Alp

    2007-01-01

    Uremic wasting is strongly associated with increased risk of death and hospitalization events in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recent evidence indicates that patients with advanced chronic kidney disease are prone to uremic wasting due to several factors, which include the dialysis procedure and certain comorbid conditions, especially chronic inflammation and insulin resistance or deficiency. While the catabolic effects of dialysis can be readily avoided with intradialytic nutritional supplementation, there are no established alternative strategies to avoid the catabolic consequences of comorbid conditions other than treatment of their primary etiology. To this end, there is no indication that simply increasing dietary protein and energy intake above the required levels based on level of kidney disease is beneficial in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. However, aside from the potential adverse effects such as uremic toxin production, dietary protein and energy intake in excess of actual needs might be beneficial in maintenance dialysis patients as it may lead to weight gain over time. Clearly, the role of obesity in advanced uremia needs to be examined in detail prior to making any clinically applicable recommendations, both in terms of ''low'' and ''high'' dietary protein and energy intake.

  17. Role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and associated hepatic co-morbidities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Morrison, M.C.; Kleemann, Robert

    2015-01-01

    Obesity is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammatory state that drives the -development of obesity-related co-morbidities such as insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cardiovascular disease. This metabolic inflammation is thought to originate

  18. Experimental Alcohol-Related Peripheral Neuropathy: Role of Insulin/IGF Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Gilchrist

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The mechanisms of alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy (ALPN are poorly understood. We hypothesize that, like alcohol-related liver and brain degeneration, ALPN may be mediated by combined effects of insulin/IGF resistance and oxidative stress. Adult male Long Evans rats were chronically pair-fed with diets containing 0% or 37% ethanol (caloric, and subjected to nerve conduction studies. Chronic ethanol feeding slowed nerve conduction in the tibial (p = 0.0021 motor nerve, and not plantar sensory nerve, but it did not affect amplitude. Histological studies of the sciatic nerve revealed reduced nerve fiber diameters with increased regenerative sprouts, and denervation myopathy in ethanol-fed rats. qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated reduced mRNA levels of insulin, IGF-1, and IGF-2 polypeptides, IGF-1 receptor, and IRS2, and ELISAs revealed reduced immunoreactivity for insulin and IGF-1 receptors, IRS-1, IRS-4, myelin-associated glycoprotein, and tau in sciatic nerves of ethanol-fed rats (all p < 0.05 or better. The findings suggest that ALPN is characterized by (1 slowed conduction velocity with demyelination, and a small component of axonal degeneration; (2 impaired trophic factor signaling due to insulin and IGF resistance; and (3 degeneration of myelin and axonal cytoskeletal proteins. Therefore, ALPN is likely mediated by molecular and signal transduction abnormalities similar to those identified in alcoholic liver and brain degeneration.

  19. Minoxidil for Treatment of Resistant Hypertension in Chronic Kidney Disease--A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundt, Heiko M; Matenaer, Matthias; Lammert, Alexander; Göttmann, Uwe; Krämer, Bernhard K; Birck, Rainer; Benck, Urs

    2016-11-01

    Resistant hypertension is still a challenge and reserve antihypertensive agents are often necessary to achieve blood pressure control. One reserve antihypertensive is minoxidil, a direct vasodilator that is known for its strong blood pressure-lowering effect, but contemporary studies are sparse. The authors retrospectively analyzed 54 inpatients with uncontrolled hypertension despite the combined use of current antihypertensive agents. To investigate the effect of minoxidil when added to other antihypertensive agents, blood pressure was evaluated at the time minoxidil treatment was initiated and at discharge. Minoxidil treatment was associated with a significant reduction in blood pressure from 162.4±15.1/83.2±12.7 mm Hg to 135.8±12.2/72.8±6.9 mm Hg (Pminoxidil limit its widespread use, these data show that minoxidil as a reserve antihypertensive agent still has a niche indication in the particular subgroup of patients with treatment-resistant or uncontrolled hypertension. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Bioactive Components in Moringa Oleifera Leaves Protect against Chronic Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergara-Jimenez, Marcela; Almatrafi, Manal Mused

    2017-01-01

    Moringa Oleifera (MO), a plant from the family Moringacea is a major crop in Asia and Africa. MO has been studied for its health properties, attributed to the numerous bioactive components, including vitamins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, tannins and saponins, which are present in significant amounts in various components of the plant. Moringa Oleifera leaves are the most widely studied and they have shown to be beneficial in several chronic conditions, including hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, non-alcoholic liver disease, cancer and overall inflammation. In this review, we present information on the beneficial results that have been reported on the prevention and alleviation of these chronic conditions in various animal models and in cell studies. The existing limited information on human studies and Moringa Oleifera leaves is also presented. Overall, it has been well documented that Moringa Oleifera leaves are a good strategic for various conditions associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and fatty liver. PMID:29144438

  1. Bioactive Components in Moringa Oleifera Leaves Protect against Chronic Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcela Vergara-Jimenez

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Moringa Oleifera (MO, a plant from the family Moringacea is a major crop in Asia and Africa. MO has been studied for its health properties, attributed to the numerous bioactive components, including vitamins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, tannins and saponins, which are present in significant amounts in various components of the plant. Moringa Oleifera leaves are the most widely studied and they have shown to be beneficial in several chronic conditions, including hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, non-alcoholic liver disease, cancer and overall inflammation. In this review, we present information on the beneficial results that have been reported on the prevention and alleviation of these chronic conditions in various animal models and in cell studies. The existing limited information on human studies and Moringa Oleifera leaves is also presented. Overall, it has been well documented that Moringa Oleifera leaves are a good strategic for various conditions associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and fatty liver.

  2. Bioactive Components in Moringa Oleifera Leaves Protect against Chronic Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergara-Jimenez, Marcela; Almatrafi, Manal Mused; Fernandez, Maria Luz

    2017-11-16

    Moringa Oleifera ( MO ), a plant from the family Moringacea is a major crop in Asia and Africa. MO has been studied for its health properties, attributed to the numerous bioactive components, including vitamins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, tannins and saponins, which are present in significant amounts in various components of the plant. Moringa Oleifera leaves are the most widely studied and they have shown to be beneficial in several chronic conditions, including hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, non-alcoholic liver disease, cancer and overall inflammation. In this review, we present information on the beneficial results that have been reported on the prevention and alleviation of these chronic conditions in various animal models and in cell studies. The existing limited information on human studies and Moringa Oleifera leaves is also presented. Overall, it has been well documented that Moringa Oleifera leaves are a good strategic for various conditions associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and fatty liver.

  3. Ibrutinib in CLL: a focus on adverse events, resistance, and novel approaches beyond ibrutinib.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Varinder; Swami, Arjun

    2017-07-01

    Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a mediator in B cell receptor signaling has been successfully exploited as a therapeutic target in treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). Ibrutinib is a BTK inhibitor that has shown excellent efficacy in treatment-naïve, heavily pre-treated, and high-risk CLL/SLL. With remarkable efficacy, good oral bioavailability, and modest adverse events profile, ibrutinib use is likely to continue to increase. As data with ibrutinib use in CLL matures, concerns regarding adverse events and drug resistance have emerged. New insights into mechanisms of ibrutinib resistance in CLL have uncovered potential therapeutic targets. Several promising novel agents are currently in early phases of development for overcoming ibrutinib resistance in CLL/SLL. We provide a comprehensive analysis of emerging adverse events profile of ibrutinib, summarize our current understanding of ibrutinib resistance in CLL, and review promising novel therapeutic tools to overcome this challenge.

  4. Antimicrobial-resistant Klebsiella species isolated from free-range chicken samples in an informal settlement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fielding, Burtram C; Mnabisa, Amanda; Gouws, Pieter A; Morris, Thureyah

    2012-02-29

    Sub-therapeutic doses of antimicrobial agents are administered routinely to poultry to aid growth and to prevent disease, with prolonged exposure often resulting in bacterial resistance. Crossover of antibiotic resistant bacteria from poultry to humans poses a risk to human health. In this study, 17 chicken samples collected from a vendor operating in an informal settlement in the Cape Town Metropolitan area, South Africa were screened for antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacilli using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion assay. IN TOTAL, SIX ANTIBIOTICS WERE SCREENED: ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and trimethoprim. Surprisingly, Klebsiella ozaenae was identified in 96 and K. rhinoscleromatis in 6 (n=102) of the samples tested. Interestingly, ∼40% of the isolated Klebsiella spp. showed multiple resistance to at least three of the six antibiotics tested. Klebsiella ozaenae and K. rhinoscleromatis cause clinical chronic rhinitis and are almost exclusively associated with people living in areas of poor hygiene.

  5. Pathogenesis of Chronic Hyperglycemia: From Reductive Stress to Oxidative Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang-Jun Yan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic overnutrition creates chronic hyperglycemia that can gradually induce insulin resistance and insulin secretion impairment. These disorders, if not intervened, will eventually be followed by appearance of frank diabetes. The mechanisms of this chronic pathogenic process are complex but have been suggested to involve production of reactive oxygen species (ROS and oxidative stress. In this review, I highlight evidence that reductive stress imposed by overflux of NADH through the mitochondrial electron transport chain is the source of oxidative stress, which is based on establishments that more NADH recycling by mitochondrial complex I leads to more electron leakage and thus more ROS production. The elevated levels of both NADH and ROS can inhibit and inactivate glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, respectively, resulting in blockage of the glycolytic pathway and accumulation of glycerol 3-phospate and its prior metabolites along the pathway. This accumulation then initiates all those alternative glucose metabolic pathways such as the polyol pathway and the advanced glycation pathways that otherwise are minor and insignificant under euglycemic conditions. Importantly, all these alternative pathways lead to ROS production, thus aggravating cellular oxidative stress. Therefore, reductive stress followed by oxidative stress comprises a major mechanism of hyperglycemia-induced metabolic syndrome.

  6. Evaluation of persistence of resistant variants with ultra-deep pyrosequencing in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with telaprevir.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiomara V Thomas

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND & AIMS: Telaprevir, a hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease inhibitor has significantly improved sustained viral response rates when given in combination with pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin, compared with current standard of care in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infected patients. In patients with a failed sustained response, the emergence of drug-resistant variants during treatment has been reported. It is unclear to what extent these variants persist in untreated patients. The aim of this study was to assess using ultra-deep pyrosequencing, whether after 4 years follow-up, the frequency of resistant variants is increased compared to pre-treatment frequencies following 14 days of telaprevir treatment. METHODS: Fifteen patients from 2 previous telaprevir phase 1 clinical studies (VX04-950-101 and VX05-950-103 were included. These patients all received telaprevir monotherapy for 14 days, and 2 patients subsequently received standard of care. Variants at previously well-characterized NS3 protease positions V36, T54, R155 and A156 were assessed at baseline and after a follow-up of 4±1.2 years by ultra-deep pyrosequencing. The prevalence of resistant variants at follow-up was compared to baseline. RESULTS: Resistance associated mutations were detectable at low frequency at baseline. In general, prevalence of resistance mutations at follow-up was not increased compared to baseline. Only one patient had a small, but statistically significant, increase in the number of V36M and T54S variants 4 years after telaprevir-dosing. CONCLUSION: In patients treated for 14 days with telaprevir monotherapy, ultra-deep pyrosequencing indicates that long-term persistence of resistant variants is rare.

  7. Insulin modulates energy and substrate sensing and protein catabolism induced by chronic peritonitis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acute infection promotes skeletal muscle wasting and insulin resistance, but the effect of insulin on energy and substrate sensing in skeletal muscle of chronically infected neonates has not been studied. Eighteen 2-d-old pigs underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham surgery (CON) to ind...

  8. Resistance Training and Testosterone Levels in Male Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Dialysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stig Molsted

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. We investigated serum testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1 levels’ associations with muscle fibre size and resistance training in male dialysis patients. Methods. Male patients were included in a 16-week control period followed by 16 weeks of resistance training thrice weekly. Blood samples were obtained to analyse testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH, IGF-1, and IGF-binding protein 3. Muscle fibres’ size was analysed in biopsies from m. vastus lateralis. Results. The patients’ testosterone levels were within the normal range at baseline (n=20 (19.5 (8.2–52.1 nmol/L versus 17.6 (16.1–18.0, resp. whereas LH levels were higher (13.0 (5.5–82.8 U/L versus 4.3 (3.3–4.6, P<0.001, resp.. IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein 3 levels were higher in the patients compared with reference values (203 (59–590 ng/mL versus 151 (128–276, P=0.014, and 5045 (3370–9370 ng/mL versus 3244 (3020–3983, P<0.001, resp.. All hormone levels and muscle fibre size (n=12 remained stable throughout the study. Age-adjusted IGF-1 was associated with type 1 and 2 fibre sizes (P<0.05. Conclusion. Patients’ total testosterone values were normal due to markedly increased LH values, which suggest a compensated primary insufficiency of the testosterone producing Leydig cell. Even though testosterone values were normal, resistance training was not associated with muscle hypertrophy. This trial is registered with ISRCTN72099857.

  9. Response of Boreal forest tree canopy cover to chronic gamma irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amiro, B.D.

    1994-01-01

    A section of the Canadian Boreal forest was irradiated chronically by a point source of 137 Cs from 1973 to 1986. Tree canopy cover was measured at permanently marked locations during the pre-irradiation, irradiation and post-irradiation phases, spanning a period of two decades. The tree canopy was severely affected at dose rates greater than 10 mGy/h delivered chronically. The canopy of sensitive coniferous tree species, such as Abies balsamea and Picea Mariana, decreased at dose rates greater than 2 mGy/h, but in some cases the tree canopy was replaced by more resistant species, such as Populus tremuloides and Salix bebbiana. Effects on canopy cover could not be detected at dose rates less than 0.1 mGy/h. Even at dose rates of 5 mGy/h, the forest canopy is recovering six years after irradiation stopped. (author)

  10. Skeletal muscle metaboreflex in patients with chronic renal failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Paulo J C; Silva, Leonardo R; Maldamer, Vinicius Z; Cipriano, Gerson; Chiappa, Adriana M G; Schuster, Rodrigo; Boni, Victor H F; Grandi, Tatiani; Wolpat, Andiara; Roseguini, Bruno T; Chiappa, Gaspar R

    2017-03-01

    The sympathetic nervous system is affected in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). This study tested the hypothesis that patients with CRF have an altered skeletal muscle metaboreflex. Twenty patients with CRF and 18 healthy subjects of similar age participated in the study. The muscle metaboreflex was determined based on heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure, calf blood flow and calf vascular resistance (CVR) in response to handgrip exercise. The control of vascular resistance in the calf muscle mediated by the metaboreflex was estimated by subtracting the area under the curve with circulatory occlusion from that without occlusion. Arterial pressure and HR responses during exercise and recovery were similar in two groups of subjects. In the control group, CVR increased during exercise and remained elevated during circulatory occlusion, whereas no significant change was seen in the patients. Thus, the index of the metaboreflex was 7·82 ± 9·57 in the patients versus16·52 ± 14 units in the controls. The findings demonstrate that patients with CRF have a decreased vascular resistance response in the calf during the handgrip exercise, which suggests that CRF condition attenuates this reflex. © 2015 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Chronic blood pressure and appetite responses to central leptin infusion in rats fed a high fat diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubinion, John H; da Silva, Alexandre A; Hall, John E

    2011-04-01

    Obesity has been suggested to induce selective leptin resistance whereby leptin's anorexic effects are attenuated, whereas the effects to increase sympathetic nervous system activity and blood pressure remain intact. Most studies, however, have tested only the acute responses to leptin administration. This study tested whether feeding a high-fat diet causes resistance to the appetite and cardiovascular responses to chronic central leptin infusion. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed high-fat diet (40% kcal from fat, n=5) or normal-fat diet (13% kcal from fat, n=5) for a year. Radiotelemeters were implanted for continuous monitoring of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). A 21G steel cannula was implanted in the lateral cerebral ventricle [intracerebroventricular (ICV)]. After recovery, leptin was infused ICV at 0.02 μg/kg per min for 10 days. High-fat rats were heavier than normal-fat rats (582±12 vs. 511±19 g) and exhibited significantly higher MAP (114±3 vs. 96±7 mmHg). Although the acute (24 h) effects of leptin were attenuated in high-fat rats, chronic ICV leptin infusion decreased caloric intake in both groups similarly (50±8 vs. 40±10%) by day 5. Despite decreased food intake and weight loss, leptin infusion significantly increased MAP and HR in both high-fat and normal-fat rats (7±2 and 5±1 mmHg; 18±11 and 21±10 b.p.m., respectively). These results suggest that obesity induced by feeding a high-fat diet blunts the acute anorexic effects of leptin but does not cause significant resistance to the chronic central nervous system effects of leptin on appetite, MAP, or HR.

  12. Elevated serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase isoform 5a levels in metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yi-Jhih; Huang, Tsai-Wang; Chao, Tsu-Yi; Sun, Yu-Shan; Chen, Shyi-Jou; Chu, Der-Ming; Chen, Wei-Liang; Wu, Li-Wei

    2017-09-29

    Tartrate-resistant phosphatase isoform 5a is expressed in tumor-associated macrophages and is a biomarker of chronic inflammation. Herein, we correlated serum tartrate-resistant phosphatase isoform 5a levels with metabolic syndrome status and made comparisons with traditional markers of inflammation, including c-reactive protein and interleukin-6. One hundred healthy volunteers were randomly selected, and cut-off points for metabolic syndrome related inflammatory biomarkers were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Linear and logistic regression models were subsequently used to correlate inflammatory markers with the risk of metabolic syndrome. Twenty-two participants met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, and serum tartrate-resistant phosphatase isoform 5a levels of >5.8 μg/L were associated with metabolic syndrome (c-statistics, 0.730; p = 0.001; 95% confidence interval, 0.618-0.842). In addition, 1 μg/L increases in tartrate-resistant phosphatase isoform 5a levels were indicative of a 1.860 fold increase in the risk of metabolic syndrome (p = 0.012). Elevated serum tartrate-resistant phosphatase isoform 5a levels are associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome, with a cut-off level of 5.8 μg/L.

  13. Cytokine and surface receptor diversity of NK cells in resistant C3H/HeN and susceptible BALB/c mice with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Calum, Henrik; Moser, Claus; Jensen, Peter Østrup

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether NK cells from resistant C3H/HeN mice and susceptible BALB/c mice showed different release of cytokines and expression of surface molecules during chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection using alginate-embedded P. aeruginosa mimicking...... the infection in cystic fibrosis. Lung cell suspensions were depleted of lymphocytes by magnetic cell sorting. The concentrations of IFN-gamma, IL-1beta and GM-CSF were estimated by ELISA at day 1 and 2 after infection. Non-infected mice were used as controls. Flow cytometry was used to estimate the surface...... expression of the LFA-1 and Fc receptors on NK cells. At day 2, IFN-gamma levels increased in C3H/HeN mice but decreased in BALB/c mice. The GM-CSF levels increased only in the C3H/HeN mice at day 1 and 2. Surface expression of LFA-1 on the NK cells was higher in C3H/HeN mice at day 1 and 2. In contrast...

  14. Response change in winter-wheat types to the pathogen complex under chronic gamma-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budanov, V.E.; Lysenkov, V.I.; Shcherbakov, V.K.

    1975-01-01

    Disease reactions in plants that have been gamma-irradiated are discussed. Damage to different types of soft winter wheat, due to pathogenic fungi, is evaluated. The Mironovski Jubilee variety showed high resistance to the leaf form of powdery mildew, along with the opposite phenomenon of a high susceptibility to the stem form of this disease. Chronic gamma irradiation of plants of this variety increased the susceptibility to this disease

  15. Midkine, a potential link between obesity and insulin resistance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nengguang Fan

    Full Text Available Obesity is associated with increased production of inflammatory mediators in adipose tissue, which contributes to chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. Midkine (MK is a heparin-binding growth factor with potent proinflammatory activities. We aimed to test whether MK is associated with obesity and has a role in insulin resistance. It was found that MK was expressed in adipocytes and regulated by inflammatory modulators (TNF-α and rosiglitazone. In addition, a significant increase in MK levels was observed in adipose tissue of obese ob/ob mice as well as in serum of overweight/obese subjects when compared with their respective controls. In vitro studies further revealed that MK impaired insulin signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, as indicated by reduced phosphorylation of Akt and IRS-1 and decreased translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4 to the plasma membrane in response to insulin stimulation. Moreover, MK activated the STAT3-suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3 pathway in adipocytes. Thus, MK is a novel adipocyte-secreted factor associated with obesity and inhibition of insulin signaling in adipocytes. It may provide a potential link between obesity and insulin resistance.

  16. Comparative risk of renal, cardiovascular, and mortality outcomes in controlled, uncontrolled resistant, and non-resistant hypertension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sim, John J.; Bhandari, Simran K.; Shi, Jiaxiao; Reynolds, Kristi; Calhoun, David A.; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Jacobsen, Steven J.

    2015-01-01

    We sought to compare the risk of end stage renal disease (ESRD), ischemic heart event (IHE), congestive heart failure (CHF), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and all-cause mortality among 470,386 individuals with resistant and nonresistant hypertension (non-RH). Resistant hypertension (60,327 individuals) was sub-categorized into 2 groups; 23,104 patients with cRH (controlled on 4 or more medicines) and 37,223 patients with uRH (uncontrolled on 3 or more medicines) in a 5 year retrospective cohort study. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios adjusting for age, gender, race, body mass index, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and co-morbidities. Resistant hypertension (cRH and uRH) compared to non-RH, had multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.32 (1.27–1.37), 1.24 (1.20–1.28), 1.46 (1.40–1.52), 1.14 (1.10–1.19), and 1.06 (1.03–1.08) for ESRD, IHE, CHF, CVA, and mortality, respectively. Comparison of uRH to cRH had hazard ratios of 1.25 (1.18–1.33), 1.04 (0.99–1.10), 0.94 (0.89–1.01), 1.23 (1.14–1.31), and 1.01 (0.97–1.05) for ESRD, IHE, CHF, CVA, and mortality, respectively. Males and Hispanics had greater risk for ESRD within all 3 cohorts. Resistant hypertension had greater risk for ESRD, IHE, CHF, CVA, and mortality. The risk of ESRD and CVA and were 25% and 23% greater, respectively, in uRH compared to cRH supporting the linkage between blood pressure and both outcomes. PMID:25945406

  17. Erlotinib is a viable treatment for tumors with acquired resistance to cetuximab

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brand, Toni M; Dunn, Emily F; Iida, Mari; Myers, Rebecca A; Kostopoulos, Kellie T; Li, Chunrong; Peet, Chimera R

    2011-01-01

    The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an ubiquitously expressed receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and is recognized as a key mediator of tumorigenesis in many human tumors. Currently there are five EGFR inhibitors used in oncology, two monoclonal antibodies (panitumumab and cetuximab) and three tyrosine kinase inhibitors (erlotinib, gefitinib and lapatinib). Both strategies of EGFR inhibition have demonstrated clinical success; however, many tumors remain non-responsive or acquire resistance during therapy. To explore potential molecular mechanisms of acquired resistance to cetuximab we previously established a series of cetuximab-resistant clones by chronically exposing the NCI-H226 NSCLC cell line to escalating doses of cetuximab. Cetuximab-resistant clones exhibited a dramatic increase in the activation of EGFR, HER2 and HER3 receptors as well as increased signaling through the MAP K and AKT pathways. RNAi studies demonstrated dependence of cetuximab-resistant clones on the EGFR signaling network. These findings prompted investigation on whether or not cells with acquired resistance to cetuximab would be sensitive to the EGFR targeted TKI erlotinib. In vitro, erlotinib was able to decrease signaling through the EGFR axis, decrease cellular proliferation and induce apoptosis. To determine if erlotinib could have therapeutic benefit in vivo, we established cetuximab-resistant NCI-H226 mouse xenografts, and subsequently treated them with erlotinib. Mice harboring cetuximab-resistant tumors treated with erlotinib exhibited either a tumor regression or growth delay as compared with vehicle controls. Analysis of the erlotinib treated tumors demonstrated a decrease in cell proliferation and increased rates of apoptosis. The work presented herein suggests that (1) cells with acquired resistance to cetuximab maintain their dependence on EGFR and (2) tumors developing resistance to cetuximab can benefit from subsequent treatment with erlotinib, providing rationale

  18. Increased Muscular 5α-Dihydrotestosterone in Response to Resistance Training Relates to Skeletal Muscle Mass and Glucose Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

    OpenAIRE

    Horii, Naoki; Sato, Koji; Mesaki, Noboru; Iemitsu, Motoyuki

    2016-01-01

    Regular resistance exercise induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improvement of glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a sex steroid hormone precursor, increases 5?-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) synthesis and is associated with improvements in fasting blood glucose level and skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether increase in muscle DHT levels, induced by chronic resistance exercise, can co...

  19. Chronic shin splints. Classification and management of medial tibial stress syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Detmer, D E

    1986-01-01

    A clinical classification and treatment programme has been developed for chronic medial tibial stress syndrome. Medial tibial stress syndrome has been reported to be either tibial stress fracture or microfracture, tibial periostitis, or distal deep posterior chronic compartment syndrome. Three chronic types exist and may coexist: Type I (tibial microfracture, bone stress reaction or cortical fracture); type II (periostalgia from chronic avulsion of the periosteum at the periosteal-fascial junction); and type III (chronic compartment syndrome syndrome). Type I disease is treated nonoperatively. Operations for resistant types II and III medial tibial stress syndrome were performed in 41 patients. Bilaterality was common (type II, 50% type III, 88%). Seven had coexistent type II/III; one had type I/II. Preoperative symptoms averaged 24 months in type II, 6 months in type III, and 33 months in types II/III. Mean age was 22 years (15 to 51). Resting compartment pressures were normal in type II (mean 12 mm Hg) and elevated in type III and type II/III (mean 23 mm Hg). Type II and type II/III patients received fasciotomy plus periosteal cauterisation. Type III patients had fasciotomy only. All procedures were performed on an outpatient basis using local anaesthesia. Follow up was complete and averaged 6 months (2 to 14 months). Improved performance was as follows: type II, 93%, type III, 100%; type II/III, 86%. Complete cures were as follows: type II, 78%; type III, 75%; and type II/III, 57%. This experience suggests that with precise diagnosis and treatment involving minimal risk and cost the athlete has a reasonable chance of return to full activity.

  20. Resistance training, insulin sensitivity and muscle function in the elderly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dela, Flemming; Kjaer, Michael

    2006-01-01

    Ageing is associated with a loss in both muscle mass and in the metabolic quality of skeletal muscle. This leads to sarcopenia and reduced daily function, as well as to an increased risk for development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A major part, but not all, of these changes......, and likewise to improve muscle strength in both elderly healthy individuals and in elderly individuals with chronic disease. The increased strength is coupled to improved function and a decreased risk for fall injuries and fractures. Elderly individuals have preserved the capacity to improve muscle strength...... are associated with an age-related decrease in the physical activity level and can be counteracted by increased physical activity of a resistive nature. Strength training has been shown to improve insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in both healthy elderly individuals and patients with manifest diabetes...