Feasibility, usability and acceptability of a novel digital hybrid-system for reporting of routine maternal health information in Southern Tanzania: A mixed-methods study.

Health information systems are important for health planning and progress monitoring. Still, data from health facilities are often of limited quality in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries. Quality deficits are partially rooted in the fact that paper-based documentation is still the norm at facility level, leading to mistakes in summarizing and manual copying. Digitization of data at facility level would allow automatization of these procedural steps. Here we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, usability and acceptability of a scanning innovation called Smart Paper Technology for digital data processing. We used a mixed-methods design to understand users' engagement with Smart Paper Technology and identify potential positive and negative effects of this innovation in three health facilities in Southern Tanzania. Eight focus group discussions and 11 in-depth interviews with users were conducted. We quantified time used by health care providers for documentation and patient care using time-motion methods. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear models were generated to compare the difference before and after introduction and adjust for confounders. Health care providers and health care managers appreciated the forms' simple design features and perceived Smart Paper Technology as time-saving and easy to use. The time-motion study with 273.3 and 224.0 hours of observations before and after introduction of Smart Paper Technology, respectively, confirmed that working time spent on documentation did not increase (27.0% at baseline and 26.4% post-introduction; adjusted p = 0.763). Time spent on patient care was not negatively impacted (26.9% at baseline and 37.1% at post-intervention; adjusted p = 0.001). Health care providers described positive effects on their accountability for data and service provision relating to the fact that individually signed forms were filled. Health care providers perceived Smart Paper Technology as feasible, easy to integrate and acceptable in their setting, particularly as it did not add time to documentation.

Correlation to FVIII:C in Two Thrombin Generation Tests: TGA-CAT and INNOVANCE ETP.

INTRODUCTION: Several thrombin-generation tests are available, but few have been directly compared. Our primary aim was to investigate the correlation of two thrombin generation tests, thrombin generation assay-calibrated automated thrombogram (TGA-CAT) and INNOVANCE ETP, to factor VIII levels (FVIII:C) in a group of patients with hemophilia A. The secondary aim was to investigate inter-laboratory variation for the TGA-CAT method. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 45 patients with mild, moderate and severe hemophilia A. The TGA-CAT method was performed at both centers while the INNOVANCE ETP was only performed at the Stockholm center. Correlation between parameters was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation test. For determination of the TGA-CAT inter-laboratory variability, Bland-Altman plots were used. RESULTS: The correlation for the INNOVANCE ETP and TGA-CAT methods with FVIII:C in persons with hemophilia (PWH) was r=0.701 and r=0.734 respectively.The correlation between the two methods was r=0.546.When dividing the study material into disease severity groups (mild, moderate and severe) based on FVIII levels, both methods fail to discriminate between them.The variability of the TGA-CAT results performed at the two centers was reduced after normalization; before normalization, 29% of values showed less than ±10% difference while after normalization the number increased to 41%. CONCLUSIONS: Both methods correlate in an equal manner to FVIII:C in PWH but show a poor correlation with each other. The level of agreement for the TGA-CAT method was poor though slightly improved after normalization of data. Further improvement of standardization of these methods is warranted.

Effects of direct oral anticoagulants on lupus anticoagulant assays in a real-life setting.

Laboratory diagnosis of lupus anticoagulant (LA) is based on prolongation in at least one coagulation assay (diluted Russell's viper venom time - dRVVT or activated partial thromboplastin time - aPTT), which normalises after addition of phospholipids. Both assays may be influenced by anticoagulants and therefore LA should not be tested during warfarin or heparin treatment. It has been shown (primarily in vitro) that direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs - dabigatran [DAB], rivaroxaban [RIV] and apixaban [API]) may also influence LA testing. We tested the effects of DOACs on assays routinely used for the diagnosis of LA in patients treated with these drugs in a real-life setting. Plasma from patients with atrial fibrillation treated with DAB (n=30), RIV (n=20) and API (n=17) and not known to have LA were tested using dRVVT (LA-screen and LA-confirm, Life Diagnostics) and aPTT (PTT-LA, Diagnostica Stago and aPTT Actin FS, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics) assays. According to the diagnostics algorithm, dRVVT and aPTT ratios of <1.2 were considered negative, ratios of >1.4 positive, while if the ratios were 1.2-1.4 LA could not be ruled out. Plasma concentrations varied between 8-172 µg/l for DAB, 8-437 µg/l for RIV and 36-178 µg/l for API. LA diagnosis was negative in only eight (27 %) plasma samples from patients treated with DAB, and in five (25 %) and four samples (24 %) from patients treated with RIV and API, respectively. LA Positivity (dRVVT and aPTT ratios >1.4) was found in 5 cases (17 %) among patients treated with DAB, in 10 cases (50 %) treated with RIV and in 7 cases (41 %) treated with API. A concentration-dependent effect of DOACs on dRVVT-based parameters was observed, particularly as regards DAB. At lower concentrations, RIV and API had only minor effects on the confirmatory tests (below 100 µg/l and 70 µg/l, respectively). Our results suggest that a risk of overestimation of LA detection is present in samples from patients treated with DOACs. Therefore, LA testing should not be performed during treatment with DOACs. Prolongation in confirmatory assays may be helpful for the recognition of false positivity, especially as regards DAB.

Evaluation of a diagnostic algorithm for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia.

INTRODUCTION: Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but serious immune-mediated complication of heparin treatment. HIT is characterized by an acute, transient prothrombotic state combined with thrombocytopenia and is caused by platelet-activating IgG antibodies that bind to complexes of heparin and platelet factor 4. The diagnosis of HIT relies on clinical presentation and the demonstration of HIT antibodies. One approach to improve the efficacy of laboratory analysis is to use a diagnostic algorithm. AIM: To evaluate one diagnostic algorithm for HIT where the 4 T's clinical risk score is combined with immunochemical and/or functional assays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The quality of the diagnostic algorithm was retrospectively evaluated in 101 patients with suspected HIT. Laboratory results obtained from the diagnostic algorithm were compared to Heparin-Induced Platelet Aggregation (HIPA) and clinico-pathological evaluation of patients' medical records. RESULTS: We found that the algorithm had a diagnostic efficacy of 94%, with specificity of 94% and sensitivity 94%. Positive likelihood ratio (LR+) was 16.0, and the negative likelihood ratio (LR-) 15.5. The efficacy of PaGIA (n=95) was 0.46, and IgG-specific HPF4-abELISA (n=54) was 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic algorithm for HIT is sufficiently accurate and leads to in overall faster results and decreased cost of analysis. The weakest link of the algorithm is the risk of miscalculated 4T's scores, which is inevitably exacerbated by the insufficient experience most clinicians have with HIT. This highlights the importance of clear instructions from the laboratory and coagulation clinic.

Clinical evaluation of laboratory methods to monitor exposure of rivaroxaban at trough and peak in patients with atrial fibrillation.

PURPOSE: The one-dose daily regime of rivaroxaban could cause a pronounced variability in concentration and effect of which a deeper knowledge is warranted. This study aimed to evaluate the typical exposure range and effect of the direct factor Xa (FXa)-inhibitor rivaroxaban in a cohort of well-characterized patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: Seventy-one AF patients (72 ± 8 years, 55 % men) were treated with rivaroxaban 15 mg/20 mg (n = 10/61) OD. Trough (n = 71) and peak (n = 30) plasma concentrations determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were compared to the coagulation assays anti-FXa for rivaroxaban, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) (venous samples and point-of-care assay (POC) CoaguChek XS Pro), and aPTT. RESULTS: Median rivaroxaban plasma concentrations by LC-MS/MS were 34 (range 5-84) and 233 ng/ml (range 120-375) at trough and peak, respectively. A strong correlation between LC-MS/MS and the anti-FXa assay was found (p < 0.001) for both trough (r (2) = 0.92) and peak (r (2) = 0.91) samples. PT-INR results from the POC assay, but not from the conventional PT assay, correlated significantly with LC-MS/MS in peak samples exclusively (r (2) = 0.41, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In "real-life" AF patients treated with rivaroxaban, we observed a pronounced variability in plasma concentrations at trough and to a lesser extent at peak measured by LC-MS/MS. The anti-FXa assay performed well upon rivaroxaban levels in a normal exposure range, although LC-MS/MS remains the only method that covers the whole concentration range with accuracy. Interestingly, the POC assay for PT-INR could be useful to indicate high exposure to rivaroxaban in emergency situations although further validation is required.

Clinical evaluation of laboratory methods to monitor apixaban treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: The direct factor-Xa inhibitor apixaban is approved e.g. for the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Although routine monitoring of apixaban therapy is currently not recommended, selective monitoring could be useful to optimize efficacy and safety in certain clinical situations. We studied the exposure and effect of apixaban using different laboratory methods in a clinical setting with a well-defined cohort of AF patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy AF patients (72±7.4years, 64 % men, mean CHADS2 score 1.7) treated with apixaban 2.5 (n=10) or 5mg BID (n=60). Trough plasma apixaban concentrations determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were compared to the coagulation assays Anti-factor Xa, PT-INR and aPTT. RESULTS: The apixaban plasma concentration determined by LC-MS/MS varied more than 10-fold overall. The range was between 15-83 and 29-186ng/mL for the 2.5mg BID and 5mg BID respectively, with patients receiving 5mg BID having significantly higher apixaban concentrations (p<0.001). A strong correlation between LC-MS/MS and anti-FXa-assay was found (p<0.001), while aPTT and PT-INR were not sensitive enough. There were no significant correlations between gender, creatinine clearance, body weight or age and apixaban exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-FXa-assay performed well upon apixaban concentrations in a normal exposure range. Still LC-MS/MS remains the "gold standard" method, covering also low concentrations. Compared to clinical trials, we observed relatively lower apixaban exposure and a more pronounced difference between high and low dose. Additional information regarding apixaban exposure and benefit-risk profile is needed in order to individualize treatment.

Thrombin generation test in children and adolescents with chronic liver disease.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate if real-time thrombin generation assay provides additional information to assess the hemostatic balance in children with liver disease as compared to routine coagulation tests. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-three children with chronic liver disease were enrolled at our tertiary referral center for pediatric hepatology, eight whose routine coagulation tests gave abnormal results (Group A) and 55 whose test results were normal (Group B). Abnormal routine coagulation test was defined as at least one of the following: international normalized ratio≥1.4, activated partial thromboplastin time>44 sec., fibrinogen<1.5 g/L. Platelet-poor plasma was analyzed with the fluorogenic Calibrated Automated Thrombogram to test for thrombin generation, including endogenous thrombin potential. Further, routine coagulation tests and plasma levels of pro- and anticoagulant factors were measured. Twenty age-matched children without liver disease served as controls. RESULTS: The endogenous thrombin potential in the 55 patients with normal routine coagulation tests was not significantly different from that in controls. Group A had significantly lower levels not only of procoagulant factors (II, V, VII, X) but simultaneously also of the anticoagulant factors antithrombin, protein S free, and protein C. These patients had a reduced endogenous thrombin potential compared to Group B, in agreement with their routine coagulation test results. CONCLUSION: Thrombin generation analysis seems to give information on the hemostatic balance consistent with routine coagulation test results in children with liver disease. Further development and clinical evaluation of the method are warranted.

Restriction of cisplatin induction of acute apoptosis to a subpopulation of cells in a three-dimensional carcinoma culture model.

Cisplatin is a clinically important chemotherapeutical agent used to treat epithelial malignancies. High concentrations (20-100 microM) of cisplatin have been used in numerous studies to induce apoptosis of carcinoma cells grown in monolayer culture over 24-48 hr. These conditions may not be relevant to 3-D tumor tissue in vivo and the importance of apoptosis for tumor response is controversial. We here studied the effects of cisplatin on a 3-D colon carcinoma in vitro model (multicellular spheroids). Cisplatin at a dose of 40 microM induced active caspase-3 preferentially in the peripheral 30 microm cell layer of spheroids, mainly during late stages (72-96 hr). The p53 response to cisplatin was also largely confined to peripheral cell layers. Despite the use of a high cisplatin concentration, a significant fraction of the cells in the spheroids survived treatment. A high proportion of surviving cells stained positive for beta-galactosidase, a marker of premature senescence. Cells growth-arrested by cisplatin treatment showed a higher spontaneous cell death rate than untreated proliferating cells. We propose that acute apoptosis is of minor significance for the overall response of carcinoma cells to cisplatin treatment.

Conditional drug screening shows that mitotic inhibitors induce AKT/PKB-insensitive apoptosis.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway is frequently upregulated in human cancer. Activation of this pathway has been reported to be associated with resistance to various chemotherapeutical agents. We here used a chemical biology/chemical informatic approach to identify apoptotic mechanisms that are insensitive to activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Mechanistic Set drug library was screened for agents that induce apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells expressing a constitutively active form of AKT1. The cytotoxicity screening data available as self-organized maps at the Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP) of the NCI was then used to classify the identified compounds according to mechanism of action. The results showed that drugs that interfere with the mitotic process induce apoptosis which is comparatively insensitive to constitutive AKT1 activity. The conditional screening approach described here is expected to be useful for identifying relationships between the state of activation of signaling pathways and sensitivity to anticancer agents.

Cisplatin and oxaliplatin toxicity: importance of cochlear kinetics as a determinant for ototoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is a cornerstone anticancer drug with pronounced ototoxicity, whereas oxaliplatin, a platinum derivative with a different clinical profile, is rarely ototoxic. This difference has not been explained. METHODS: In HCT-116 cells, cisplatin (20 microM)-induced apoptosis was reduced by a calcium chelator from 9.9-fold induction (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.1- to 11.7-fold), to 3.1-fold induction (95% CI = 2.0- to 4.2-fold) and by superoxide scavenging from 9.3-fold (95% CI = 8.8- to 9.8-fold), to 5.1-fold (95% CI = 4.4- to 5.8-fold). A guinea pig model (n = 23) was used to examine pharmacokinetics. Drug concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization. The total platinum concentration in cochlear tissue was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Drug pharmacokinetics was assessed by determining the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC). Statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: In HCT-116 cells, cisplatin (20 microM)-induced apoptosis was reduced by a calcium chelator from 9.9-fold induction (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.1- to 11.7-fold to 3.1-fold induction) (95% CI = 2.0- to 4.2-fold) and by superoxide scavenging (from 9.3-fold, 95% CI = 8.8- to 9.8-fold, to 5.1-fold, 95% CI = 4.4- to 5.8-fold). Oxaliplatin (20 microM)-induced apoptosis was unaffected by calcium chelation (from 7.1- to 6.2-fold induction) and by superoxide scavenging (from 5.9- to 5.6-fold induction). In guinea pig cochlea, total platinum concentration (0.12 vs 0.63 microg/kg, respectively, P = .008) and perilymphatic drug concentrations (238 vs 515 microM x minute, respectively, P < .001) were lower after intravenous oxaliplatin treatment (16.6 mg/kg) than after equimolar cisplatin treatment (12.5 mg/kg). However, after a non-ototoxic cisplatin dose (5 mg/kg) or the same oxaliplatin dose (16.6 mg/kg), the AUC for perilymphatic concentrations was similar, indicating that the two drugs have different cochlear pharmacokinetics. CONCLUSION: Cisplatin- but not oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis involved superoxide-related pathways. Lower cochlear uptake of oxaliplatin than cisplatin appears to be a major explanation for its lower ototoxicity.

Induction of the lysosomal apoptosis pathway by inhibitors of the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

The lysosomal apoptosis pathway is a potentially interesting therapeutic target. Since apoptosis involving the lysosomal pathway has been described to involve cathepsins, we screened a drug library for agents that induce cathepsin-dependent apoptosis. Using pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA, we identified 2 structurally related agents (NSC687852 and NSC638646) that induced cathepsin D-dependent caspase-cleavage activity in human breast cancer cells. Both agents were found to induce the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. NSC687852 and NSC638646 were found to inhibit the activity of ubiquitin isopeptidases and to induce the accumulation of high-molecular-mass ubiquitins in cells. We show that 3 other inhibitors of the proteasome degradation pathway induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and that cathepsin-D siRNA inhibits apoptosis induced by these agents. We conclude that a screen for cathepsin-dependent apoptosis-inducing agents resulted in the identification of ubiquitin isopeptidase inhibitors and that proteasome inhibitors with different mechanisms of action induce LMP and cathepsin D-dependent apoptosis.

Screening for compounds that induce apoptosis of cancer cells grown as multicellular spheroids.

Screening and initial characterization of anticancer drugs are typically performed using monolayer cultures of tumor cells. It is well established that such monolayer cultures do not represent the characteristics of 3-dimensional solid tumors. The multicellular tumor spheroid model is of intermediate complexity between in vivo tumors and in vitro monolayer cultures and would be more suitable for drug screening. The authors describe a procedure in which multicellular spheroids are used to screen for compounds that induce tumor cell apoptosis. Multicellular spheroids were generated in 96-well plates, and apoptosis was determined using the M30-Apoptosense enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. A Z' factor of approximately 0.5 was observed for HCT116 colon carcinoma spheroids using staurosporine to induce apoptosis. This procedure is attractive for secondary screening of hits from larger cell-based screens.

Mechanisms of action of DNA-damaging anticancer drugs in treatment of carcinomas: is acute apoptosis an "off-target" effect?

DNA damage induces apoptosis of cells of hematological origin. Apoptosis is also widely believed to be the major antiproliferative mechanism of DNA damaging anticancer drugs in other cell types, and a large number of laboratories have studied drug-induced acute apoptosis (within 24 hours) of carcinoma cells. It is, however, often overlooked that induction of apoptosis of carcinoma cells generally requires drug concentrations that are at least one order of magnitude higher than those required for loss of clonogenicity. This is true for different DNA damaging drugs such as cisplatin, doxorubicin and camptothecin. We here discuss apoptosis induction by DNA damaging agents using cisplatin as an example. Recent studies have shown that cisplatin induces caspase activation in enucleated cells (cytoplasts lacking a cell nucleus). Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in both cells and cytoplasts is associated with rapid induction of cellular reactive oxygen species and increases in [Ca(2+)](i). Cisplatin has also been reported to induce clustering of Fas/CD95 in the plasma membrane. Available data suggest that the primary responses to cisplatin-induced DNA damage are induction of long-term growth arrest ("premature cell senescence") and mitotic catastrophe, whereas acute apoptosis may be due to "off-target effects" not necessarily involving DNA damage.

Acute apoptosis by cisplatin requires induction of reactive oxygen species but is not associated with damage to nuclear DNA.

Cisplatin is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug that is also widely used in experimental studies on DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis within 24-48 hr requires cisplatin concentrations that are at least one order of magnitude higher than the IC(50). Here, we show that such high, apoptosis-inducing cisplatin concentrations induce cellular superoxide formation and that apoptosis is inhibited by superoxide scavengers. The same concentration limit and the requirement for superoxide are also true for induction of caspase activation in enucleated cells (cytoplasts), showing that cisplatin-induced apoptosis occurs independently of nuclear DNA damage. In contrast, lower cisplatin concentrations, which do not induce acute apoptosis, are sufficient for induction of DNA damage signaling. We propose that the antiproliferative effects of cisplatin at IC(50) doses involve premature senescence and secondary, nonstress-induced apoptosis. The higher doses currently used in in vitro studies lead to acute, stress-induced apoptosis that involves induction of superoxide but is largely DNA damage-independent.

Phosphorylation of BAD at Ser-128 during mitosis and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis.

Phosphorylation of BCL-2 family member BAD at different residues triggers different physiological effects, either inhibiting or promoting apoptosis. The recently identified phosphorylation site at Ser-128 enhances the apoptotic activity of BAD. We here show that BAD becomes phosphorylated at Ser-128 in the mitotic phase of the cell cycle in NIH3T3 cells. We also show that BAD-S128 is phosphorylated in taxol-treated mouse fibroblasts and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. However, expression of a phosphorylation-defective dominant negative BAD mutant did not block taxol-induced apoptosis. These data support the view that the phosphorylation of BAD Serine 128 exerts cell-specific effects on apoptosis. Whereas the BAD Serine 128 phosphorylation induces apoptosis in neuronal cells, it does not appear to promote apoptosis in proliferating non-neural cells during mitosis or upon exposure to the antineoplastic agent taxol.

Induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization by compounds that activate p53-independent apoptosis.

The p53 protein activates cellular death programs through multiple pathways. Because the high frequency of p53 mutations in human tumors is believed to contribute to resistance to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents, it is important to identify drugs that induce p53-independent cell death and to define the mechanisms of action of such drugs. Here we screened a drug library (the National Cancer Institute mechanistic set; 879 compounds with diverse mechanisms of actions) and identified 175 compounds that induced caspase cleavage of cytokeratin-18 in cultured HCT116 colon cancer cells at <5 microM. Interestingly, whereas most compounds elicited a stronger apoptotic response in cells with functional p53, significant apoptosis was observed also in p53-null cells. A subset of 15 compounds showing weak or no dependence on p53 for induction of apoptosis was examined in detail. Of these compounds, 11 were capable of activating caspase-3 in enucleated cells. Seven such compounds with nonnuclear targets were found to induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP). Translocation of the lysosomal proteases cathepsin B and cathepsin D into the cytosol was observed after treatment with these drugs, and apoptosis was inhibited by pepstatin A, an inhibitor of cathepsin D. Apoptosis depended on Bax, suggesting that LMP induced a mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. We conclude that a large number of potential anticancer drugs induce p53-independent apoptosis and that LMP is a mediator of many such responses.

Induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress by ellipticine plant alkaloids.

Anticancer drugs often show complex mechanisms of action, including effects on multiple cellular targets. Detailed understanding of these intricate effects is important for the understanding of cytotoxicity. In this study, we examined apoptosis induction by ellipticines, a class of cytotoxic plant alkaloids known to inhibit topoisomerase II. The potent ellipticine derivative 6-propanamine ellipticine (6-PA-ELL) induced rapid apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, preceded by a conformational change in Bak and cytochrome c release. Experiments using knock-out mouse embryo fibroblasts established that Bak was of particular importance for cytotoxicity. 6-PA-ELL increased the expression of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperones GRP78/BiP and GRP94, suggesting induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Induction of GRP78 expression was dependent on the endoplasmic reticulum stress response element (ERSE) of the GRP78 promoter. Examination of different ellipticine derivatives revealed a correlation between pro-apoptotic activity and the ability to induce GRP78 expression. Furthermore, 6-PA-ELL was found to induce splicing of the mRNA encoding the XBP1 transcription factor, characteristic of endoplasmic reticulum stress, and to induce activation of the endoplasmic reticulum-specific caspase-12 in mouse colon cancer cells. We finally demonstrate that 6-PA-ELL induces apoptotic signaling also in enucleated cells, consistent with the existence of a cytoplasmic target for this compound. Our data suggest that induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress may contribute to the cytotoxicity of ellipticines.