Rapid weight gain during early childhood is associated with overweight in preadolescence: a longitudinal study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between rapid weight gain during early childhood and overweight in preadolescence by sex. METHOD: Study subjects were 676 boys and 620 girls in fourth grade (aged 9 or 10 years) from elementary schools in Ina-town, Japan, during 2010-2012. Height and weight of subjects at birth, age 1.5 and 3 years, were collected from the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, while values at 9-10 years were measured. Rapid weight gain was defined as a change in weight-for-age standard deviation score greater than 0.67 from birth to age 1.5 years (0-1.5 years) or from age 1.5 to 3 years (1.5-3 years). RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding factors, compared with no rapid weight gain, rapid weight gain during 0-1.5 years and 1.5-3 years or rapid weight gain during 1.5-3 years but not during 0-1.5 years significantly increased the odds ratio (OR) for overweight at age 9-10 years in boys (OR, 6.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.84-13.58 and OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.67-6.54, respectively) and girls (OR, 7.55; 95% CI, 2.99-19.07 and OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 1.38-8.49, respectively). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that rapid weight gain during early childhood was associated with being overweight in preadolescence, regardless of sex.

Secretion of intelectin-1 from malignant pleural mesothelioma into pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but fatal tumour. Although most MPM patients show pleural effusion at even the early stage, it is hard to diagnose as MPM at the early stage because a sensitive and reliable diagnostic marker for MPM has not been found in plasma or pleural effusion. METHODS: In this study, we investigated whether intelectin-1 was specifically contained in MPM cells and the pleural effusion of MPM patient by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines, but not lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, secreted intelectin-1. In immunohistochemistry, epithelioid-type MPMs, but neither pleura-invading lung adenocarcinomas nor reactive mesothelial cells near the lung adenocarcinomas, were stained with anti-intelectin antibodies. Pleural effusion of MPM patients contained a higher concentration of intelectin-1 than that of lung cancer patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that detection of intelectin-1 may be useful for a differential diagnosis of epithelioid-type MPM in immunohistochemistry and that a high concentration of intelectin-1 in pleural effusion can be used as a new marker for clinical diagnosis of MPM.

A phase II study of single-agent docetaxel in patients with metastatic esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the activity and toxicity of docetaxel in patients with metastatic esophageal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had histologically confirmed carcinoma of the esophagus with measurable metastatic sites according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Patients were either chemotherapy-naïve or previously treated with one regimen of chemotherapy. Docetaxel 70 mg/m(2) was administered intravenously over 1-2 h, every 21 days. RESULTS: Of 52 patients enrolled in this study, three were excluded because they did not receive docetaxel due to worsening condition after enrollment. Thirty-six patients had received prior platinum-based chemotherapy. The majority of patients (94%) had squamous cell carcinoma. Ten of 49 evaluable patients [20%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 10-34%] showed a partial response. Of the 10 partial responses, six patients had received prior platinum-based chemotherapy. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was noted in 43 of 49 patients (88%), and nine of 49 patients (18%) developed febrile neutropenia. Twenty-eight of 49 patients (57%) required lenograstim. Grade 3 anorexia and fatigue occurred in nine (18%) and six (12%) patients, respectively. Median survival time was 8.1 months (95% CI 6.6-11.3) and the 1-year survival rate was 35% (95% CI 21-48%). CONCLUSIONS: Docetaxel as a single agent is effective in esophageal cancer, but careful management of neutropenia is needed.

Randomized phase II study of biweekly CHOP and dose-escalated CHOP with prophylactic use of lenograstim (glycosylated G-CSF) in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study 9505.

BACKGROUND: CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) is accepted as the best available standard treatment for first-line chemotherapy in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). However, the therapeutic efficacy of CHOP remains unsatisfactory, particularly in high-intermediate risk and high risk patients, and a new strategy is warranted in this patient population. The aim of the present study was to explore a suitable therapeutic-intensified regimen for the treatment of aggressive NHL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 1995 and July 1998, a total of 70 patients with high-intermediate risk or high risk aggressive NHL, according to the International Prognostic Index, were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either eight cycles of standard CHOP (cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m(2), doxorubicin 50 mg/m(2), vincristine 1.4 mg/m(2) and prednisolone 100 mg for 5 days) every 2 weeks, or six cycles of dose-escalated CHOP (cyclophosphamide 1500 mg/m(2), doxorubicin 70 mg/m(2), vincristine 1.4 mg/m(2) and prednisolone 100 mg for 5 days) every 3 weeks. Lenograstim (glycosylated rHuG-CSF), at a dose of 2 micro g/kg/day s.c., was administered daily from day 3 until day 13 with biweekly CHOP and until day 20 with the dose-escalated CHOP. The primary endpoint was complete response rate. RESULTS: The complete response rate was 60% [21 of 35; 95% confidence interval (CI) 42% to 76%] with biweekly CHOP and 51% (18 of 35; 95% CI 34% to 69%) with dose-escalated CHOP. The major toxicity was grade 4 neutropenia and was more frequent in the dose-escalated CHOP arm (86%) than in the biweekly CHOP arm (50%). Grade 4 thrombocytopenia was also more frequent in the dose-escalated CHOP arm (20%) than the biweekly CHOP arm (3%). Non-hematological toxicities were acceptable in both arms. One treatment-related death (due to cardiac arrhythmia) was observed in a dose-escalated CHOP patient. Progression-free survival at 3 years was 43% (95% CI 27% to 59%) in the biweekly CHOP arm and 31% (95% CI 16% to 47%) in the dose-escalated CHOP arm. Although seven patients were deemed ineligible by central review of the pathological diagnosis, the results for both eligible and all enrolled patients were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Similar complete response rates and progression-free survival rates, but lower toxicity, indicated that biweekly CHOP was superior to dose-escalated CHOP in the treatment of aggressive NHL. Based on these results, the Lymphoma Study Group of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group is conducting a randomized phase III study comparing biweekly CHOP with standard CHOP in newly diagnosed patients with advanced-stage aggressive NHL.

Factors affecting toxicity, response and progression-free survival in relapsed patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma treated with rituximab: a Japanese phase II study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine factors affecting the toxicity and efficacy of rituximab monotherapy in relapsed patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 90 patients were enrolled and treated with rituximab infusions at 375 mg/m2 once weekly for 4 weeks. Central pathology review revealed that histologically, 81 patients had indolent B-cell lymphoma or MCL: 59 with follicular lymphoma, 17 with MCL, four with marginal zone lymphoma and one with lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma. Of these, four were ineligible due to violation of other eligibility criteria. Pre-treatment variables affecting toxicities were analyzed for all 90 patients, and those affecting response and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed for 77 eligible patients with confirmed indolent B-cell lymphoma or MCL. The relationship between serum rituximab levels and efficacy was also analyzed for 66 eligible patients. RESULTS: Hematological toxicities (grade > or =3) occurred more frequently in females (P <0.05), and thrombocytopenia and leukopenia were more frequent in patients with high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (P <0.05). Non-hematological toxicities (grade > or =2) were more frequent in patients with extranodal disease or bone marrow involvement. The overall response rate (ORR) in patients receiving one prior chemotherapy regimen was higher than those receiving two or more regimens (P <0.05). The median PFS was shorter in MCL patients, in those with extranodal disease, or in those receiving two or more prior chemotherapy regimens (P <0.01). The PFS intervals of patients with higher serum rituximab levels (> or =70 microg/ml) immediately before the third infusion were longer than in other patients (P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Several prognostic factors and serum rituximab levels are useful for predicting the toxicity and efficacy of rituximab monotherapy.

Re-treatment of relapsed indolent B-cell lymphoma with rituximab.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity and the efficacy of re-treatment with rituximab, a chimeric mouse human anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in relapsed patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who responded to rituximab in the previous phase I or phase II study. Thirteen patients with relapsed B-cell NHL, each of whom was confirmed to have Revised European-American Lymphoma Classification type II, 1-6 histology (indolent B-NHL), enrolled in this re-treatment study. All were re-treated with rituximab at 375 mg/m2 weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Rituximab re-treatment was well tolerated with no grade 3/4 nonhematological toxicities, similar to that of the initial treatment. No patients developed detectable human anti-chimeric antibody. Partial responses were observed in 5 of 13 patients (38%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 14% to 68%); 6 patients showed stable disease and 2 showed progressive disease. Overall survival rate was 93% at 19 months of median follow-up after rituximab re-treatment. Median progression-free survival (PFS) after the re-treatment was 5.1 months (95% CI, 4.1 to 5.6 months), and the median PFS after the initial treatment was 8.2 months (95%CI, 5.9 to 11.3 months). Although rituximab re-treatment induced prolonged depletion of normal peripheral blood B cells in all patients, no significant decrease in serum immunoglobulin or complement level was observed. In conclusion, rituximab re-treatment was well tolerated, and it may produce a prolonged PFS in some patients with indolent B-cell NHL who showed initial response to rituximab.

Factors affecting the pharmacokinetics of CPT-11: the body mass index, age and sex are independent predictors of pharmacokinetic parameters of CPT-11.

This study was conducted to describe the relationship between pharmacokinetics of CPT-11 and its active metabolite SN-38, and clinical values with special emphasis on the influence of relative weight referring to the appropriateness of a conventional dose adjustment method by body surface area (BSA). Thirty-six patients received 100 mg/m2 of CPT-11 intravenously over 90 min. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used as a measure of relative weight which is calculated from the equation: BMI=weight(kg)/[height(m)]2. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of CPT-11 was significantly correlated with sex, age, poorer creatinine clearance and indocyanine green retention test (ICG). The peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of CPT-11 was significantly correlated with sex a larger BMI, BSA and age. The AUC of SN-38 was significantly correlated with ICG. The volume of distribution at steady state of CPT-11 inversely correlated with BMI. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the best fitting model with significant independent predictors for AUC of CPT-11 included age and sex (F=6.93, R2=0.29). That of Cmax of CPT-11 included sex and BMI (F=8.96, R2=0.35). The only independent predictor of AUC of SN-38 was ICG (F=7.75, R2=0.19). These results indicated that several factors affect pharmacological behaviors of CPT-11 even in patients with normal organ functions. The dose modification method based solely on BSA is not sufficient to reduce interpatient variability of cancer chemotherapy. The influence of relative weight, sex and age on pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics should be taken into consideration in every pharmacological approach to establish the ideal dose modification method.

Phase I study of intravenous PSC-833 and doxorubicin: reversal of multidrug resistance.

PSC-833 reverses multidrug resistance by P-glycoprotein at concentrations < or = 1000 ng / ml. A phase I study of PSC-833 and doxorubicin was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose and to investigate pharmacokinetics. PSC-833 was intravenously infused as a 2-h loading dose (LD) and a subsequent 24-h continuous dose (CD). Doxorubicin was infused over 5 min, 1 h after the LD. The starting dose was 1 mg / kg for both LD and CD with 30 mg / m(2) doxorubicin; these dosages were increased to 2 and 10 mg / kg and 50 mg / m(2), respectively. Thirty-one patients were treated. Nausea / vomiting was controllable with granisetron and dexamethasone. Neutropenia and ataxia were dose limiting. Steady-state concentrations of PSC-833 > 1000 ng / ml were achieved at a 2 mg / kg LD and a 10 mg / kg CD. Ex-vivo bioassay revealed that activity in serum for reversing multidrug resistance was achieved in all patients; IC(50) of P-glycoprotein expressing 8226 / Dox(6) in patients' serum was decreased from 5.9 to 1.3 microg / ml (P < 0.0001) by PSC-833 administration. Doxorubicin clearance was 24.3 +/- 13.7 (mean +/- SD) liter / h/m(2), which was lower than the 49.0 +/- 16.9 liter / h/m(2) without PSC-833 (P < 0.0001). The relationship between doxorubicin exposure and neutropenia did not differ between patients treated and not treated with PSC-833. The recommended phase II dose of PSC-833 was 2 and 10 mg / kg for LD and CD, respectively, which achieved a sufficient concentration in serum to reverse drug resistance, as confirmed by bioassay. The dose of doxorubicin should be reduced to 40 mg / m(2), not because of the pharmacodynamic interaction between PSC-833 and doxorubicin affecting hematopoiesis, but because of pharmacokinetic interaction.

Dose-escalation study of CHOP with or without prophylactic G-CSF in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: CHOP is accepted as the gold standard for first line chemotherapy of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). A dose-escalation study of CHOP was conducted to determine the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) and toxicity profile of CHOP at three-week intervals with or without prophylactic recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rHuG-CSF) in patients with aggressive NHL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The doses of drugs were escalated from 50 mg/m2 to 70 mg/m2 for doxorubicin and from 750 mg/m2 to 2250 mg/m2 for cyclophosphamide, with conventional doses of vincristine and oral prednisolone. After the MTD was determined without rHuG-CSF, dose escalation was conducted with prophylactic rHuG-CSF. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with NHL were enrolled into the study. The MTD without prophylactic rHuG-CSF was 70 mg/m2 of doxorubicin and 1250 mg/m2 of cyclophosphamide, with neutropenia as a dose-limiting toxicity. The MTD with prophylactic rHuG-CSF was 70 mg/m2 of doxorubicin and 2250 mg/m2 of cyclophosphamide. The overall response rate was 100% (76% complete response and 24% partial response). Progression-free survival and overall survival at five years were 45% and 66%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Significant dose escalation of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide was feasible with prophylactic rHuG-CSF. The efficacy of dose-escalated CHOP should be compared with that of standard CHOP.

Study of dose escalation and sequence switching of administration of the combination of docetaxel and doxorubicin in advanced breast cancer.

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate whether a schedule-dependent pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic interaction exists between two sequences of docetaxel and doxorubicin administration and to determine the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of this combination. Patients with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic or recurrent advanced breast cancer were enrolled. In the crossover design, tandem dose escalation of docetaxel and doxorubicin was performed. Docetaxel, in doses ranging from 50-70 mg/m2, was administered for 1 h by drip infusion either just before or after a 5-min bolus i.v. injection of doxorubicin at dosages from 40-50 mg/ m2. The sequence of drug administration was switched after the first course in each patient, and the sequence of drug administration thereafter depended on the patient's choice. Twenty-five patients were initially assessable for toxicity. The MTD in the sequence of doxorubicin after docetaxel was 40 and 50 mg/m2, respectively, with the dose-limiting toxicity of neutropenia. On the other hand, the MTD of the sequence of docetaxel after doxorubicin was 70 and 50 mg/m2, respectively. The dose-limiting toxicities in this sequence were neutropenia and diarrhea. Duration of grade 4 neutropenia in the sequence of docetaxel followed by doxorubicin was significantly longer than that in the alternate sequence (P = 0.0062). However, there was no difference in pharmacokinetic parameters of docetaxel, doxorubicin, and doxorubicinol between the two sequences. The sequence of 50 mg/m2 doxorubicin followed by 60 mg/m2 docetaxel is recommended for subsequent clinical trials for practical reasons.

Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Ultrafine Particles Prepared in Reverse Micelles.

The imaging of ultrafine Au, Pd, CdS, and ZnS particles prepared in reverse micelles has been studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mica substrates, derivatized with a monolayer of amine or thiol-terminated silanes, were used to immobilize the particles. The substrates were exposed to reverse micellar solutions containing the particles and were then immersed in appropriate solvent media to remove surfactants. This resulted in a partial coating of the surfaces by the particles. The particle size was estimated as the height of protrusion, shown on the AFM images. The size values for the Pd and CdS particles, thus obtained, were found to be almost identical to those obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), whereas those for the Au and ZnS particles were larger than those obtained by TEM. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the Au particles tended to aggregate on the surfaces, while Pd particles were isolated from one another. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

The super anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-xFNK constructed by disturbing intramolecular polar interactions in rat Bcl-xL.

A powerful artificial anti-apoptotic factor will be useful for medical applications of the future therapies for many diseases by prolonging survival of sick cells. For constructing it, we designed the super anti-apoptotic factor by disturbing three intramolecular polar interactions among alpha-helix structures of Bcl-x(L). The resultant mutant Bcl-x(L), named Bcl-xFNK, was expected to make the pore-forming domain more mobile and flexible than the wild-type. When overexpressed in Jurkat cells, Bcl-xFNK was markedly more potent in prolonging survival following apoptosis-inducing treatment with a kind of cell death cytokines (anti-Fas), a protein kinase inhibitor (staurosporine), cell cycle inhibitors (TN-16, camptothecin, hydroxyurea, and trichostatin A), or oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide and paraquat) than wild-type Bcl-x(L). Furthermore, the transfectants of bcl-xFNK became more resistant against a calcium ionophore and even a heat treatment than wild-type Bcl-x(L). In addition, Bcl-xFNK showed marked anti-apoptotic activity in Chinese hamster ovary and Jurkat cells deprived of serum. Thus, Bcl-xFNK may be the first mutant generated by site-directed mutagenesis of Bcl-x(L) with a gain-of-function phenotype. Interestingly, Bcl-xFNK was found to allow interleukin-3-dependent FDC-P1 to grow without interleukin-3, but not BaF/3. In Bcl-xFNK transfectants of FDC-P1 and Jurkat, the p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase was activated by 2 to 5 times, but not in those of BaF/3 and Chinese hamster ovary. Bcl-xFNK might gain a new function to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase in a cell-type specific manner. The findings of this study suggest that the central alpha5-alpha6 pore-forming region of anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-x(L) has a pivotal role in suppressing apoptosis.

Effects of perceived job stress on mental health. A longitudinal survey in a Japanese electronics company.

We conducted a cohort study for 2 years to examine the causal relationship between perceived job stress and mental health. Questionnaire surveys, including a 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and a questionnaire on perceived job stress were carried out every 6 months for 2 years. To clarify the causal relationship between job stress and mental health, we followed a group of workers who initially had a GHQ score < or = 7. Out of 462 workers who were thought to be in a healthy mental state, 282 were successfully followed for 2 years. We considered subjects who developed unhealthy mental health states (GHQ score > or = 8) as hazardous cases. To control potential confounding factors, proportional hazard analysis was done. The overall proportion hazardous cases detected in the development of an unhealthy mental health state over two years was 55.7%. Using Cox's proportional hazard model, workers who complained of perceived job stress had a greater hazard than those without job stress. In particular, the item 'poor relationship with superior' showed the largest adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 1.51 (1.06-2.15). The item 'too much trouble at work' also had a significant hazardous effect on mental health with an adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) of 1.43 (1.00-2.04). Some specific items of perceived job stress could cause mental ill health in workers.

Randomized comparison of mobilization kinetics of circulating CD34+ cells between biweekly CHOP and dose-escalated CHOP with the prophylactic use of lenograstim (glycosylated rHuG-CSF) in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The lenograstim/Lymphoma Study Group.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been expected to result in a promising outcome in high risk aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). However, it remains unknown what type of initial chemotherapy is optimal, especially regarding progenitor cell mobilization. Sixty-three untreated patients with aggressive NHL in a high risk group were randomized to either a biweekly arm with 8 cycles of standard CHOP or 6 cycles of the dose-escalated CHOP arm with cyclophosphamide 1.5 g/m2 and doxorubicin 70 mg/m2. Lenograstim (glycosylated rHuG-CSF 2.0 microg/kg/day) was administered daily from day 3 to patients in both arms. The mobilization effect of the two regimens on circulating CD34+ cells was evaluated. Twenty-seven of 29 patients in the biweekly CHOP arm and 33 of 34 patients in the dose-escalated CHOP were assessable. Dose-escalated CHOP yielded a significantly higher number of circulating CD34+ cells in the first cycle compared with biweekly CHOP (p=0.05). The peak number of circulating CD34+ cells with biweekly CHOP did not significantly change from cycle to cycle; however, in dose-escalated CHOP, the peak number of circulating CD34+ cells mobilized after the fifth and sixth cycle was lower than after the first cycle (p=0.07 and 0.009, respectively). Routine conventional-dose chemotherapy and low-dose G-CSF can mobilize sufficient CD34+ cells in patients with aggressive NHL. The mobilization kinetics of circulating progenitor cells in patients with aggressive NHL is dependent on the dosage and schedule of CHOP.

Linear IgA disease with IgA antibodies directed against 200- and 280-kDa epidermal antigens.

We report an 80-year-old man with the lamina lucida type of linear IgA disease, with IgA autoantibodies reactive with 200-kDa and 280-kDa epidermal proteins. The patient presented with widespread bullous lesions on his trunk and extremities without mucosal involvement. Histopathology of lesional skin showed a subepidermal blister with papillary microabscesses of neutrophils and a few eosinophils. Direct immunofluorescence microscopy of perilesional skin showed linear deposits of IgA and C3 at the basement membrane zone. The patient's serum contained IgA autoantibodies that bound exclusively to the epidermal side of 1 mol L-1 NaCl split skin as determined by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Circulating IgA autoantibodies to 200- and 280-kDa antigens were detected in the patient's serum by immunoblot analysis using extracts from normal human epidermis and human epidermal keratinocytes. These two antibodies, eluted from individual nitrocellulose membranes, reacted with the epidermal side of 1 mol L-1 NaCl split skin on indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, and bound to hemidesmosomes as determined by immunoperoxidase electron microscopy. This observation suggests the presence of hitherto uncharacterized 200- and 280-kDa hemidesmosomal proteins distinct from BPAG1, BPAG2 and beta4 integrin as target antigens in linear IgA disease.

Acute myocardial infarction following toxic epidermal necrolysis?

We describe a 29-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who suffered an acute myocardial infarction 70 days after an initial presentation with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). The trigger for the TEN was probably an over-the-counter anti-influenza treatment containing tipepidine hibenzate. Although the patient had familial hypercholesterolemia, we believe that thrombocytosis, induced by the inflammatory response and metabolic stress resulting from the TEN, may also have played a significant role in the pathogenesis of the myocardial infarction. Although TEN manifests itself principally as a skin disease, the potential for systemic morbidity, including cardiovascular abnormalities, should also be remembered.

Indirect-response model for the time course of leukopenia with anticancer drugs.

BACKGROUND: Because both the nadir count and the duration of leukopenia after chemotherapy with anticancer drugs are important, a pharmacodynamic model describing the entire time course of leukopenia is valuable. In this study, a pharmacodynamic model was developed to simulate leukopenia. METHODS: The model was developed with the 3-hour infusion data of paclitaxel. A concentration-time curve of paclitaxel for each patient estimated by a 3-compartment pharmacokinetic model was used as input to the model, which had 2 compartments corresponding to leukocytes in bone marrow and peripheral blood, respectively. Differentiation stages of myeloid cells sensitive to anticancer drugs were assumed, and exposure to a drug during their sensitive period as a function of time was used to inhibit the production of leukocytes in bone marrow. The model was validated by fitting the data of 24-hour infusion of paclitaxel or 14-day infusion of etoposide. RESULTS: Successful fitting of the leukopenia after a 3-hour infusion of paclitaxel was achieved. The following parameters were estimated: lag-time, 58 +/- 38 (mean +/- SD) hours before the leukocyte count started to decline; exposure giving 50% inhibition of leukocyte production (IC), 12.1 +/- 6.1 microg x h/mL; and sensitive period, 288 +/- 64 hours. These estimations were within physiologic ranges. In validation, leukopenia after 24-hour infusion of paclitaxel or 14-day infusion of etoposide was also explained by the model. Age was significantly negatively correlated with IC of paclitaxel (P = .039). CONCLUSIONS: This mechanistic model describes the time course of leukopenia and may provide a platform for pharmacodynamic analysis of anticancer drugs.

Acute myelogenous leukemia with monosomy 7, inv(3) (q21q26), involving activated EVI 1 gene occurring after a complete remission of lymphoblastic lymphoma: a case report.

A 42-year-old female with a mediastinal tumor and massive pleural effusion ws admitted to our hospital in June 1993. Biopsy revealed lymphoblastic lymphoma. She had no evidence of distant metastasis except pleural effusion. Bone marrow examination revealed a normal karyotype (46, XY). The patient had been progression-free for more than 1 year after achieving complete remission by induction, consolidation and maintenance therapy according to the standard chemotherapy and involved-field radiation for lymphoblastic lymphoma. From May 1996 progressive leukopenia and thrombocytopenia developed. The diagnosis of refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) was made. Subsequently, in November 1996, she developed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), M4 type by FAB classification. The karyotype of MDS and AML clones involved inversion (3) (q21q26) and monosomy 7. The EVI 1 gene was examined and was proved to be rearranged and activated. This may be the first case among the therapy-related cases of MDS/AML reported whose karyotypes were followed and in which the mRNA expression of EVI 1 gene involved was directly proved in the leukemogenesis process of chemotherapy-induced secondary MDS and AML.

Unexpected hepatotoxicities in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with irinotecan (CPT-11) and etoposide.

BACKGROUND: Irinotecan (CPT-11) is a topoisomerase I inhibitor that has been confirmed to be active against a broad spectrum of neoplasms including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Because the combination of topoisomerase I and II inhibitors seemed to be an attractive therapeutic strategy owing to their complementary functions, we conducted a combination phase I study of CPT-11 and etoposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS: The starting doses of CPT-11 and etoposide were 30 mg/m2/day (days 1-3 and 8-10) and 40 mg/m2 (days 1-3), respectively. RESULTS: All three patients who received the starting dose developed dose-limiting toxicities including one case of grade 4 neutropenia lasting for > 7 days, one of grade 3 serum transaminase elevation and one of grade 3 hyperbilirubinemia. All three patients presented hepatotoxicity > or = grade 2. The starting dose level was judged to be the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and further dose escalation of this combination was halted. The patient who developed grade 3 hyperbilirubinemia presented a second peak of plasma SN-38, an active metabolite of CPT-11, on the concentration-time curve for day 3, suggesting the possibility of the enterohepatic circulation of SN-38 and of a drug-to-drug interaction. No durable objective response was observed in the three patients treated at the starting dose. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that etoposide is not recommended for combination with CPT-11 in NHL patients because of unexpected frequent hepatotoxicities.

Successful treatment with nedaplatin in patients with ovarian cancer that recurred after platinum-containing chemotherapy: report of two cases.

We report the successful treatment with nedaplatin of two cases of ovarian cancer that recurred after platinum-containing chemotherapy. A 52-year-old woman presented in June 1994 with massive accumulation of ascitic fluid. Pathological diagnosis of the specimen obtained at surgery in July 1994 was serous papillary adenocarcinoma of the ovary. In September 1995, approximately seven months after the completion of six cycles of CAP chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and cisplatinum), she was referred to our hospital because of massive accumulation of ascitic fluid. The carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA-125) value was 485 U/ml. Cytologic study of her ascitic fluid was positive for adenocarcinoma cells. She did not respond to intravenous irinotecan and two cycles of intraperitoneal cisplatin. Nedaplatin 100 mg/m2 was administered. Complete response was achieved in September 1996 and continued for four months with a total of seven cycles of nedaplatin. The second case was a 60-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital in December 1994 because of ascitic fluid. Diagnosis of ovarian cancer was based on an elevated level of CA-125 (1380 U/ml). Treatment with CAP and CC (cyclophosphamide and carboplatin) maintained a partial response for seven months. In August 1996, her disease progressed, although she was receiving CC therapy. Nedaplatin 100 mg/m2 was administered. Partial response was achieved again in November 1996 and continued for four months, with a total of five cycles of nedaplatin. In the light of our experience, treatment with nedaplatin in a patient with recurrent ovarian cancer might be worthwhile as palliative chemotherapy.