A prospective multi-institutional study of eculizumab to treat high-risk stem cell transplantation-associated TMA.

ABSTRACT: High-risk, complement mediated, untreated transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (hrTMA) has dismal outcomes due to multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). The complement C5 blocker eculizumab shows promising results in hrTMA, but has not been prospectively studied in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients. We performed the first multi-institutional prospective study in children and young adults to evaluate eculizumab as an early targeted intervention for hrTMA/MODS. We hypothesized that eculizumab would more than double survival in HCT recipients with hrTMA, compared to our prior study of prospectively screened, untreated hrTMAs serving as historical controls. HrTMA features (elevated terminal complement (sC5b-9) and proteinuria measured by random urine protein/creatinine ratio (≥1mg/mg)) were required for inclusion. The primary endpoint was survival at 6 six-months from hrTMA diagnosis. Secondary endpoints were cumulative incidence of MODS 6 months after hrTMA diagnosis and 1-year posttransplant survival. Eculizumab dosing included intensive loading, induction, and maintenance phases for up to 24 weeks of therapy. All 21 evaluated study subjects had MODS. Primary and secondary study endpoints were met by demonstrating survival of 71% (P < .0001) 6 months after hrTMA diagnosis and 62% 1 year after transplant. Of fifteen survivors, 11 (73%) fully recovered organ function and are well. Our study demonstrates significant improvement in survival and recovery of organ function in hrTMA using an intensified eculizumab dosing and real time biomarker monitoring. This study serves as a benchmark for planning future studies that should focus on preventative measures or targeted therapy to be initiated prior to organ injury. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03518203.

Model-Informed Precision Dosing Guidance of Ethosuximide Developed from a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Childhood Absence Epilepsy.

Ethosuximide was identified as the optimal option for new-onset childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) in a randomized, two-phase dose escalation comparative effectiveness trial of ethosuximide, lamotrigine, and valproic acid. However, 47% of ethosuximide initial monotherapy participants experienced short-term treatment failure. This study aimed to characterize the initial monotherapy ethosuximide exposure-response relationship and to propose model-informed precision dosing guidance. Dose titration occurred over a 16-20-week period until patients experienced seizure freedom or intolerable side effects. Subjects with initial monotherapy failure were randomized to one of the other two medications and dose escalation was repeated. A population pharmacokinetic model was created using plasma concentration data (n = 1,320), collected at 4-week intervals from 211 unique participants during both the initial and second monotherapy phases. A logistic regression analysis was performed on the initial monotherapy cohort (n = 103) with complete exposure-response data. Eighty-four participants achieved seizure freedom with a wide range of ethosuximide area under the curves (AUC) ranging from 420 to 2,420 µg·h/mL. AUC exposure estimates for achieving a 50% and 75% probability of seizure freedom were 1,027 and 1,489 µg·h/mL, respectively, whereas the corresponding cumulative frequency of intolerable adverse events was 11% and 16%. Monte Carlo Simulation indicated a daily dose of 40 and 55 mg/kg to achieve 50% and 75% probability of seizure freedom in the overall population, respectively. We identified the need for adjusted mg/kg dosing in different body weight cohorts. This ethosuximide proposed model-informed precision dosing guidance to achieve seizure freedom carries promise to optimize initial monotherapy success for patients with CAE.

Eculizumab precision-dosing algorithm for thrombotic microangiopathy in children and young adults undergoing HSCT.

Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is a fatal posttransplant complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We recently reported that survival for TA-TMA has been improved by early intervention with eculizumab, a complement C5 inhibitor, guided by pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model-informed precision dosing. However, patients with gastrointestinal bleeding showed poor survival, even when treated with more frequent doses. Our objective was to develop separate models in bleeding and nonbleeding patients with TA-TMA and to propose precision dosing algorithms. Eculizumab PK/PD was analyzed in 19 bleeding and 38 nonbleeding patients (0.5-29.9 years of age). A complement activation biomarker (sC5b-9) and body weight were identified as significant determinants of eculizumab clearance regardless of bleeding. Eculizumab clearance after the first dose was higher in bleeding than in nonbleeding patients (83.8 vs 61.3 mL/h per 70 kg; P = .07). The high clearance was maintained over treatment doses in bleeding patients, whereas nonbleeding patients showed a time-dependent decrease in clearance. sC5b-9 levels were highest before the first dose and decreased over time, regardless of bleeding complications. A Monte Carlo Simulation analysis showed that the current dosing protocols recommended for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome had <15% probability of attaining the target concentration of >100 µg/mL eculizumab in nonbleeding patients. We identified an intensified loading protocol to reach 80% target attainment. Our data clearly showed the need for individualized dosing for patients with significant bleeding and for ongoing dose adjustments to optimize outcomes. The developed models will be incorporated into a clinical decision guideline for precision dosing to improve outcomes in children and young adults with TA-TMA.

Low-dose Dasatinib Ameliorates Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Noonan Syndrome with Multiple Lentigines.

PURPOSE: Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML) is an autosomal dominant disorder presenting with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Up to 85% of NSML cases are caused by mutations in the PTPN11 gene that encodes for the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2). We previously showed that low-dose dasatinib protects from the development of cardiac fibrosis in a mouse model of NSML harboring a Ptpn11Y279C mutation. This study is performed to determine the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties of a low-dose of dasatinib in NSML mice and to determine its effectiveness in ameliorating the development of HCM. METHODS: Dasatinib was administered intraperitoneally into NSML mice with doses ranging from 0.05 to 0.5 mg/kg. PK parameters of dasatinib in NSML mice were determined. PD parameters were obtained for biochemical analyses from heart tissue. Dasatinib-treated NSML mice (0.1 mg/kg) were subjected to echocardiography and assessment of markers of HCM by qRT-PCR. Transcriptome analysis was performed from the heart tissue of low-dose dasatinib-treated mice. RESULTS: Low-dose dasatinib exhibited PK properties that were linear across doses in NSML mice. Dasatinib treatment of between 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg in NSML mice yielded an exposure-dependent inhibition of c-Src and PZR tyrosyl phosphorylation and inhibited AKT phosphorylation. We found that doses as low as 0.1 mg/kg of dasatinib prevented HCM in NSML mice. Transcriptome analysis identified differentially expressed HCM-associated genes in the heart of NSML mice that were reverted to wild type levels by low-dose dasatinib administration. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that low-dose dasatinib exhibits desirable therapeutic PK properties that is sufficient for effective target engagement to ameliorate HCM progression in NSML mice. These data demonstrate that low-dose dasatinib treatment may be an effective therapy against HCM in NSML patients.

Test-dose pharmacokinetics guided melphalan dose adjustment in reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic transplant for non-malignant disorders.

AIMS: We studied melphalan pharmacokinetics (PK) and feasibility of melphalan full-dose adjustment based on test-dose PK in children and young adults with non-malignant disorders (NMD) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) using reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) containing alemtuzumab, fludarabine and melphalan. METHODS: Patients received test-dose melphalan (10% of planned full-dose) prior to conditioning. Blood samples for PK were obtained around test and full-dose melphalan (140 mg/m2 or 4.7 mg/kg in patients <10 kg). Melphalan concentration was measured by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass-spectrometry assay and data were analysed using a population-PK model and Bayesian estimation. Test and full-dose melphalan clearance estimates were evaluated by pairwise Wilcoxon test and Bland-Altman plot. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients undergoing 25 transplants were included in the final analysis. Patients received standard full-dose melphalan in 17 transplants, with median area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 5.5 mg*h/L (range, 3.0-9.5 mg*h/L). Patients received test-dose melphalan in 23 transplants with a test-dose PK predicted full-dose AUC range of 2.9-16.8 mg*h/L. In seven transplants where patients had baseline organ impairment, test-dose PK predicted higher exposure for standard full-dose (median AUC 13.8 mg*h/L). Melphalan full-dose was adjusted in these patients, with achievement of desired target AUC (3.6-5.4 mg*h/L) and no excess toxicity. Mean ratio of test-dose clearance to full-dose clearance was 1.03. Twenty of 22 patients (91%) were within the 95% confidence intervals of the clearance ratio. CONCLUSION: Melphalan test-dose PK reliably predicts full-dose PK and allows for accurate adjustment of full-dose melphalan in RIC-HCT for NMD. This approach can avoid excess toxicity from increased systemic exposure, especially in patients with organ impairment.

Paperspray Ionization Mass Spectrometry as a Tool for Predicting Real-Time Optimized Dosing of the Chemotherapeutic Drug Melphalan.

BACKGROUND: Melphalan, an important component of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) preparative regimens, is associated with significant toxicity and large between patient variability in pharmacokinetics making it difficult to calculate the optimal dose for pediatric patients. Paperspray (PS) ionization generates gas phase analyte ions directly from a dried blood spot without the need for prior sample preparation or chromatography. With these advantages, a validated PS-MS/MS assay was developed and applied to the 'real-time' determination of melphalan pharmacokinetics (PK). METHODS: Melphalan was quantified by stable-labeled isotope dilution analysis in whole blood by PS-MS/MS. Blood samples were obtained at timed intervals from patients during HSCT after administration of a very low (test) dose of melphalan to avoid toxicity. Pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated using WinNonlin v.6.4. From these data, the optimal therapeutic dose was estimated and full dose PK repeated. RESULTS: PS-MS/MS method was linear over a large dynamic range (25-50 000 ng/mL), intra- and interassay reproducibility of quality control samples was <15% CV. With essentially no prior sample preparation, PS-MS/MS measurement of blood melphalan concentrations showed excellent correlation (R2 = 0.959, n = 62) with a validated electrospray-LC-MS/MS method. Trapezoidal area under the curves calculated for 5 patients administered low dose melphalan showed a high linear correlation (R2 = 0.981) between the PS-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS methods. The faster PS approach permitted real-time PK evaluation of individual patients. CONCLUSIONS: A validated PS-MS/MS assay for melphalan in patients undergoing HSCT is described that facilitates pharmacokinetic-guided individualized precision dosing with immediate bedside dose adjustments to improve outcomes by balancing toxicity and efficacy of melphalan.

The Effect of Tranexamic Acid Administration on Perioperative Bleeding in Patients Undergoing Knee or Hip Arthroplasty: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been used to reduce perioperative bleeding in various surgeries because of its antifibrinolytic effect. Recently, patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery in our institution received a loading dose of TXA (10 00 mg) before surgery, followed by 100 mg h-1 until the end of surgery. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of TXA administration on the perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty or hip arthroplasty. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted for the records in patients who underwent surgery without TXA administration (control group) and patients who underwent surgery with TXA administration (TXA group). Amount of intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative infusion volume, intraoperative blood transfusion volume, postoperative blood transfusion volume, changes in haemoglobin concentrations (ΔHb) and estimated blood loss were collected. Data were adjusted by propensity score method. RESULTS: A total of 126 (63 in the control group and 63 in the TXA group) patients were included during the study period. Intraoperative infusion, postoperative transfusion, ΔHb and estimated blood loss were significantly reduced in the TXA group, although there were no significant differences in the volumes of intraoperative transfusion and blood loss. CONCLUSION: The administration of TXA (loading dose of 1000 mg and continuous infusion of 100 mg h-1) reduced postoperative transfusion and perioperative blood loss. These results indicated that TXA administration is useful for reducing perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing knee or hip arthroplasty.

Complement blockade for TA-TMA: lessons learned from a large pediatric cohort treated with eculizumab.

Overactivated complement is a high-risk feature in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients with transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA), and untreated patients have dismal outcomes. We present our experience with 64 pediatric HSCT recipients who had high-risk TA-TMA (hrTA-TMA) and multiorgan injury treated with the complement blocker eculizumab. We demonstrate significant improvement to 66% in 1-year post-HSCT survival in treated patients from our previously reported untreated cohort with same hrTA-TMA features that had 1-year post-HSCT survival of 16.7%. Responding patients benefited from a brief but intensive course of eculizumab using pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic-guided dosing, requiring a median of 11 doses of eculizumab (interquartile range [IQR] 7-20). Treatment was discontinued because TA-TMA resolved at a median of 66 days (IQR 41-110). Subjects with higher complement activation measured by elevated blood sC5b-9 at the start of treatment were less likely to respond (odds ratio, 0.15; P = .0014) and required more doses of eculizumab (r = 0.43; P = .0004). Patients with intestinal bleeding had the fastest eculizumab clearance, required the highest number of eculizumab doses (20 vs 9; P = .0015), and had lower 1-year survival (44% vs 78%; P = .01). Over 70% of survivors had proteinuria on long-term follow-up. The best glomerular filtration rate (GFR) recovery in survivors was a median 20% lower (IQR, 7.3%-40.3%) than their pre-HSCT GFR. In summary, complement blockade with eculizumab is an effective therapeutic strategy for hrTA-TMA, but some patients with severe disease lacked a complete response, prompting us to propose early intervention and search for additional targetable endothelial injury pathways.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Estimation of Eculizumab in a 2-Year-Old Girl With Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome: A Case Report With 4-Year Follow-Up.

Background: Eculizumab has dramatically changed poor outcomes of complement-mediated atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) as first-line treatment. Discontinuation of eculizumab remains challenging, and doctor's visits every 2 weeks for intravenous injection because of standard dosing protocols is a huge burden. The Ultra-high cost of eculizumab is also an issue. We attempted to establish a personalized dosing regimen of eculizumab based on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in a 2-year-old girl with aHUS with a C3 mutation. Case presentation: She developed aHUS at 5 months of age and was successfully treated with eculizumab. At 2 years of age, we measured eculizumab concentrations and performed pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics analysis to optimize her dosing protocol. Her blood concentrations at every 2-, 3-, and 4-week intervals were simulated. Pharmacokinetics analysis showed that her eculizumab clearance was 40% lower than the population mean reported for aHUS. Pharmacokinetic simulation suggested that the 2- and 3-week interval regimen could be sufficient to achieve an efficient trough concentration (>100 µg/mL). We simulated her individual pharmacokinetics profile at 4 years of age with consideration of her growth, which still showed complete inhibition of the alternative complement pathway with the 3-week interval regimen. We continued the 300-mg eculizumab infusion every 3 weeks while CH50 levels were constantly maintained at undetectably low concentrations with no recurrence until 6 years of age. Conclusions: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics estimation was useful for establishing a personalized dosing regimen for eculizumab and reducing the patient's burden and high medical costs.

TARC expression in the circulation and cutaneous granulomas correlates with disease severity and indicates Th2-mediated progression in patients with sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a systemic disorder characterized by the accumulation of lymphocytes and monocyte/macrophage lineage cells that results in the formation of non-caseating granulomas. Thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17 is an important chemokine in the amplification of Th2 responses, which are achieved by recruiting CCR4-expressing CD4+ T lymphocytes. TARC concentrations are known to increase in the serum of sarcoidosis patients; however, its role in the assessment of severity and prognosis of sarcoidosis remains unknown. The objective of this study is to elucidate the role of TARC in sarcoidosis by investigating its expression in peripheral blood and at inflammatory sites. We also examined its relationship with clinical features. METHODS: Serum levels of TARC, soluble interleukin 2 receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and lysozyme were measured in 82 sarcoidosis patients. The Th1 and Th2 balance in circulating CD4+ T cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. The immunohistochemical staining of TARC and CCR4 was performed in order to identify the source of TARC in affected skin tissues. RESULTS: TARC serum levels were elevated in 78% of patients and correlated with disease severity. The percentage of CCR4+ cells and the CCR4+/CXCR3+ cell ratios were significantly higher in sarcoidosis patients than in normal subjects (P = 0.002 and P = 0.015, respectively). Moreover, TARC was expressed by monocyte/macrophage lineage cells within granulomas. The abundancy as well as distribution of TARC staining correlated with its serum levels. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that elevations in TARC drive an imbalanced Th2- weighted immune reaction and might facilitate prolonged inflammatory reactions in sarcoidosis.

Micafungin antifungal prophylaxis in children undergoing HSCT: can we give higher doses, less frequently? A pharmacokinetic study.

Background: Micafungin has a distinct advantage for antifungal prophylaxis in HSCT owing to its better safety profile, specifically in terms of hepatic and renal toxicity. In children, prophylactic micafungin is given as either 1 mg/kg every day or 3 mg/kg every other day. Objectives: We performed a prospective single-centre observational study that investigated the pharmacokinetics (PK) of a single 5 mg/kg dose of micafungin in young children undergoing HSCT, to ascertain the eventual feasibility of twice-weekly prophylactic administration. Methods: Nine children, ≤10 years of age undergoing HSCT, were enrolled and received a single intravenous dose of 5 mg/kg micafungin. Blood samples were obtained for PK analysis. Micafungin plasma concentration of >0.2 mg/L was chosen for target attainment (i.e. considered adequate prophylactic concentration). In addition, a population PK model was developed based on current and our previous PK study data. We also evaluated PK model-based simulation of PK profiles and target attainment using Monte Carlo simulation, for several dosing scenarios. Results: Mean clearance was 15.3 mL/h/kg (range 11.0-21.4 mL/h/kg) and the mean elimination half-life was 11.6 h (range 7.8-16.6 h). The mean concentration at 96 h was 0.11 mg/L (range 0.03-0.26 mg/L). Eleven percent (n = 1) of patients achieved target attainment at the end of 96 h. Simulation data showed that 1 mg/kg daily dosing and 3 mg/kg alternate-day dosing strategies achieved at least 99% and 81% target attainment, respectively, whereas a 5 mg/kg with 3 day-interval dosing strategy resulted in 64%, 72% and 84% target attainments in patients with body weights of 10, 20 and 30 kg, respectively. Conclusions: Micafungin at 5 mg/kg dosing did not achieve target attainment at the end of 96 h for antifungal prophylaxis in children undergoing HSCT. Simulation data suggest that a dosing strategy of micafungin at 5 mg/kg every 72 h is more likely to achieve target attainment in children with a higher body weight in comparison with children with a lower body weight. A cautious approach is advisable when using a high, but less frequent, dosing strategy in very young children.

Population Pharmacokinetics and Optimal Sampling Strategy for Model-Based Precision Dosing of Melphalan in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: High-dose melphalan is an important component of conditioning regimens for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The current dosing strategy based on body surface area results in a high incidence of oral mucositis and gastrointestinal and liver toxicity. Pharmacokinetically guided dosing will individualize exposure and help minimize overexposure-related toxicity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model and optimal sampling strategy. METHODS: A population pharmacokinetic model was developed with NONMEM using 98 observations collected from 15 adult patients given the standard dose of 140 or 200 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion. The determinant-optimal sampling strategy was explored with PopED software. Individual area under the curve estimates were generated by Bayesian estimation using full and the proposed sparse sampling data. The predictive performance of the optimal sampling strategy was evaluated based on bias and precision estimates. The feasibility of the optimal sampling strategy was tested using pharmacokinetic data from five pediatric patients. RESULTS: A two-compartment model best described the data. The final model included body weight and creatinine clearance as predictors of clearance. The determinant-optimal sampling strategies (and windows) were identified at 0.08 (0.08-0.19), 0.61 (0.33-0.90), 2.0 (1.3-2.7), and 4.0 (3.6-4.0) h post-infusion. An excellent correlation was observed between area under the curve estimates obtained with the full and the proposed four-sample strategy (R 2 = 0.98; p < 0.01) with a mean bias of -2.2% and precision of 9.4%. A similar relationship was observed in children (R 2 = 0.99; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The developed pharmacokinetic model-based sparse sampling strategy promises to achieve the target area under the curve as part of precision dosing.

Annular lesions of cutaneous sarcoidosis with granulomatous vasculitis.

Sarcoidosis is known to be involved in diseases with vasculitis as sarcoid vasculitis. However, vasculitis in cutaneous sarcoidal lesions is extremely rare. Here we describe a case of sarcoidosis with multiple annular skin lesions with granulomatous vasculitis. A 62-year-old female was diagnosed with sarcoidosis by chest-abdominal computed tomographic examination and laboratory tests. The skin lesions had appeared on her lower limbs 2 years before. Physical examination showed multiple infiltrated annular eruptions on the lower extremities. A skin biopsy of an area of erythema showed multiple non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas in the dermis and subcutaneous fat and granulomatous vasculitis with fibrinoid degeneration in the subcutaneous fat. There are two types of vasculitis in sarcoidosis: leukocytoclastic and granulomatous vasculitis. Ulcers and livedo were more common in granulomatous vasculitis than in leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The present case had unique annular skin lesions of sarcoidosis with granulomatous vasculitis.

A Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of Maraviroc as Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis in Pediatric Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients with Nonmalignant Diagnoses.

Maraviroc is an allosteric small molecule antagonist of chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) and has been used in adult allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and liver. The goal of this study was to establish feasibility and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of maraviroc in pediatric HSCT recipients. Children ages 2 to 12 years were enrolled and maraviroc was added to standard GVHD prophylaxis, which included a calcineurin inhibitor and either steroids or mycophenolate mofetil. Maraviroc was started on day -3 and administered at a dose of approximately 300 mg/m(2) orally twice daily until day +30 after stem cell infusion. On days 0 and day +10, samples for pharmacokinetic analysis were collected before the dose and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after maraviroc administration. Additional trough concentrations were collected on days +7, 14, and 21. Patients were followed until day +100 for acute GVHD. Functional blockade of CCR5 was assessed in a pharmacodynamic assay by flow cytometry. Thirteen patients, median age of 4 years (range, 2 to 11 years), were prospectively enrolled. Underlying diagnoses included a primary immune deficiency (n = 6), hemoglobinopathy (n = 4), metabolic disorder (n = 1), and bone marrow failure syndrome (n = 2). Patients received either a myeloablative preparative regimen (n = 7) or a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen (n = 6). Cyclosporine and methylprednisolone (n = 7) was the predominant GVHD prophylactic regimen, followed by tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (n = 4) and tacrolimus and steroids (n = 2). Two formulations of maraviroc (150-mg tablets and 20-mg/mL solution) were used on study. Mean (± SD) area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 hours was 4805 ± 3265 hour * ng/mL on day 0 and 5917 ± 4048 hour * ng/mL on day +10. Four patients developed grade 1 or 2 acute skin GVHD before day +100 and were successfully treated. Two patients developed grade 3 acute GI GVHD on days +23 and +24 after HSCT and both had discontinued maraviroc before development of GI GVHD. No adverse effects attributable to maraviroc were observed and administration by enteral tubes was well tolerated by children and accepted by parents. All evaluable patients demonstrated functional CCR5 blockade on day 0. Administration of maraviroc is feasible in most pediatric HSCT recipients with good safety and tolerability profile.

Obesity and overweight as CAE comorbidities and differential drug response modifiers.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether overweight and obesity are pretreatment comorbidities and predictors of short-term drug response in newly diagnosed untreated childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). We also examined whether dietary intake accounts for observed pretreatment body mass index (BMI) distribution. METHODS: Pretreatment height and weight were available for 445 of 446 participants in the NIH-funded CAE comparative effectiveness trial (NCT00088452). Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were collected. Calculated BMI and dietary intake were standardized for age, sex, and race/ethnicity and compared to age-matched US population from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Logistic regression models tested BMI as a predictor of treatment response. Pharmacokinetic variables were explored as contributors to differential drug response. RESULTS: After standardizing for demographic differences, children with CAE were more likely to be overweight (19.3% vs 13.8%; p < 0.001) or obese (14.5% vs 11.5%; p < 0.001) than NHANES controls. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 33.8% in the CAE cohort and 25.3% among controls (p < 0.001). Mean daily energy intake (difference -79.5 kcal/day, p = 0.04) and daily carbohydrate intake (difference -10.7 g/day, p = 0.04) were lower in the CAE group than in NHANES controls. With increasing baseline BMI z score, the efficacy and effectiveness of ethosuximide and valproic acid over lamotrigine became more pronounced, despite no significant differences in drug exposure and trough levels. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity are more prevalent in children with newly diagnosed CAE than in age-matched peers, despite lower caloric and carbohydrate intake. Baseline BMI may also predict differential drug response, which cannot be attributed to pharmacokinetic differences.

Variable Eculizumab Clearance Requires Pharmacodynamic Monitoring to Optimize Therapy for Thrombotic Microangiopathy after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) associated with terminal complement activation, as measured by elevated plasma terminal complement (sC5b-9) concentrations, has a very high mortality. The complement inhibitor eculizumab may be a therapeutic option for HSCT-associated TMA. We examined the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of eculizumab in children and young adult HSCT recipients with TMA and activated complement to determine drug dosing requirements for future efficacy trials. We analyzed prospectively collected laboratory samples and clinical data from 18 HSCT recipients with high-risk TMA presenting with complement activation who were treated with eculizumab. We measured eculizumab serum concentrations, total hemolytic complement activity, and plasma sC5b-9 concentrations. Population PK/PD analyses correlated eculizumab concentrations with complement blockade and clinical response and determined interindividual differences in PK parameters. We also compared transplant survival in patients treated with eculizumab (n = 18) with patients with the same high-risk TMA features who did not receive any targeted therapy during a separate prospective observational study (n = 11). In the PK analysis, we found significant interpatient variability in eculizumab clearance, ranging from 16 to 237 mL/hr/70 kg in the induction phase. The degree of complement activation measured by sC5b-9 concentrations at the start of therapy, in addition to actual body weight, was a significant determinant of eculizumab clearance and disease response. Sixty-one percent of treated patients had complete resolution of TMA and were able to safely discontinue eculizumab without disease recurrence. Overall survival was significantly higher in treated subjects compared with untreated patients (56% versus 9%, P = .003). Complement blocking therapy is associated with improved survival in HSCT patients with high-risk TMA who historically have dismal outcomes, but eculizumab pharmacokinetics in HSCT recipients differ significantly from reports in other diseases like atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Our eculizumab dosing algorithm, including pr-treatment plasma sC5b-9 concentrations, patient's actual body weight, and the first eculizumab dose (mg), accurately determined eculizumab concentration-time profiles for HSCT recipients with high-risk TMA. This algorithm may guide eculizumab treatment and ensure that future efficacy studies use the most clinically appropriate and cost-efficient dosing schedules.

Serum levels of soluble CD163 as a specific marker of macrophage/monocyte activity in sarcoidosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Monocyte-macrophage lineage cells are the main immunocompetent cells in sarcoidosis. The main cellular elements of sarcoidal granulomas are epithelioid cells and multinucleated giant cells (MGC). MGC are also produced in vitro by human blood monocytes following various stimuli. The in vitro formation of MGC is a useful tool for understanding granulomas. CD163, a scavenger receptor for the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex, is expressed on monocytes/macrophages and shed into blood in a soluble form (sCD163) after stimulation from Toll-like receptors and oxidative stress. sCD163 serum levels have been reported to increase in inflammatory or infectious conditions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between serum levels of sCD163 and the conventional disease markers of sarcoidosis, and also to evaluate sCD163 levels in culture supernatants following the formation of MGC by human peripheral monocytes in vitro. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty sarcoidosis patients and twenty healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. sCD163 serum levels were evaluated using sCD163 ELISA. MGC were formed from peripheral blood monocytes by treatment with supernatant of concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and sCD163 levels in the culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: sCD163 serum levels were significantly higher in sarcoidosis patients than in healthy controls and correlated with ACE and soluble interleukin-2 receptor serum levels. sCD163 levels in culture supernatants increased with the production of MGC. CONCLUSIONS: sCD163 may be used as a favorable specific marker of macrophage/monocyte activity in order to more clearly understand the disease activity of sarcoidosis.