Baseline and on Treatment Biodistribution Variability of 18 F-FLT Uptake in Patients With Advanced Melanoma: Brief Communication.

PURPOSE: This prospective study evaluates the biodistribution of 18 F-FLT PET in patients with advanced melanoma before and after treatment with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen BRAF-positive unresectable stage IIIc or IV melanoma patients referred for 18 F-FLT PET/CT before (BL) and during (D14) BRAF/MEK inhibition were included. 18 F-FLT accumulation in the liver, bone marrow, blood, and muscle was quantified. RESULTS: Baseline interpatient 18 F-FLT uptake had a coefficient-of-variation between 17.5% and 21.5%. During treatment, liver uptake increased (SUV meanBL = 4.86 ± 0.98, SUV meanD14 = 6.31 ± 1.36, P < 0.001) and bone marrow uptake decreased (SUV meanBL = 7.67 ± 1.65, SUV meanD14 = 6.78 ± 1.19, P < 0.025). Both changes were unrelated to baseline metabolic tumor volume or tumor response. CONCLUSIONS: To assess 18 F-FLT PET, both liver and bone marrow uptake may be used as normal tissue references at baseline, but 18 F-FLT biodistribution significantly changes in longitudinal response studies when treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors.

Quantification of uptake in pelvis F-18 FLT PET-CT images using a 3D localization and segmentation CNN.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to develop and validate a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) approach for the automated pelvis segmentation in computed tomography (CT) scans to enable the quantification of active pelvic bone marrow by means of Fluorothymidine F-18 (FLT) tracer uptake measurement in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. This quantification is a critical step in calculating bone marrow dose for radiopharmaceutical therapy clinical applications as well as external beam radiation doses. METHODS: An approach for the combined localization and segmentation of the pelvis in CT volumes of varying sizes, ranging from full-body to pelvis CT scans, was developed that utilizes a novel CNN architecture in combination with a random sampling strategy. The method was validated on 34 planning CT scans and 106 full-body FLT PET-CT scans using a cross-validation strategy. Specifically, two different training and CNN application options were studied, quantitatively assessed, and statistically compared. RESULTS: The proposed method was able to successfully locate and segment the pelvis in all test cases. On all data sets, an average Dice coefficient of 0.9396 ± $\pm$ 0.0182 or better was achieved. The relative tracer uptake measurement error ranged between 0.065% and 0.204%. The proposed approach is time-efficient and shows a reduction in runtime of up to 95% compared to a standard U-Net-based approach without a localization component. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method enables the efficient calculation of FLT uptake in the pelvis. Thus, it represents a valuable tool to facilitate bone marrow preserving adaptive radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical dose calculation. Furthermore, the method can be adapted to process other bone structures as well as organs.

Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of a Single Oral Dose of Abacavir/Dolutegravir/Lamivudine Combination Tablets in Healthy Japanese Study Participants.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of abacavir 600 mg/dolutegravir 50 mg/lamivudine 300 mg were assessed in this phase 1, single-arm, open-label, single-dose study in fasted healthy male (n = 4) and female (n = 8) participants of Japanese heritage. Participants received a single dose of abacavir 600 mg/dolutegravir 50 mg/lamivudine 300 mg after an 8-hour fast, with safety assessments and blood samples for pharmacokinetic parameters collected through 72 hours after dosing. Geometric mean maximum plasma concentrations were 5.22 µg/mL (time to maximum concentration [tmax ], 1.01 hours) for abacavir, 4.13 µg/mL (tmax , 3.50 hours) for dolutegravir, and 3.35 µg/mL (tmax , 2.98 hours) for lamivudine. Geometric mean area under the concentration-time curve values were 18.20, 71.60, and 16.60 µg • h/mL for abacavir, dolutegravir, and lamivudine, respectively. No adverse events were reported, and no clinically significant findings were observed in laboratory values, physical examinations, or 12-lead electrocardiographic parameters. Single-tablet administration of abacavir 600 mg/dolutegravir 50 mg/lamivudine 300 mg was well tolerated in Japanese participants. Exposure to abacavir and lamivudine was comparable with that seen in previous studies. A modest increase in exposure to dolutegravir vs previous clinical studies was observed but is not expected to impact the clinical management of HIV-1 or increase the risk for adverse events.

Comparison of the [18F]-FDG and [18F]-FLT PET Tracers in the Evaluation of the Preclinical Proton Therapy Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The main objective of the present study was to compare the 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]-FDG) and 3'-[18F]fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine ([18F]-FLT) PET imaging biomarkers for the longitudinal follow-up of small animal proton therapy studies in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PROCEDURES: SK-HEP-1 cells were injected into NMRI nude mice to mimic human HCC. The behavior of [18F]-FDG and [18F]-FLT tumor uptake was evaluated after proton therapy procedures. The proton single-fraction doses were 5, 10, and 20 Gy, with a dose rate of 10 Gy/min. The experimental protocol consisted of 8 groups of 10 mice, each group experiencing a particular dose/radiotracer condition. A reference PET exam was performed on each mouse the day before the irradiation procedure, followed by PET exams every 3 days up to 16 days after irradiation. RESULTS: [18F]-FDG uptake showed a linear dose-dependent increase in the first days after treatment (37%, p < 0.05), while [18F]-FLT uptake decreased in a dose-dependent manner (e.g., 21% for 5 Gy compared to 10 Gy, p = 1.1e-2). At the later time point, [18F]-FDG normalized activity showed an 85% decrease (p < 0.01) for both 10 and 20 Gy doses and no variation for 5 Gy. Conversely, a significant 61% (p = 0.002) increase was observed for [18F]-FLT normalized activity at 5 Gy and no variation for higher doses. CONCLUSION: We showed that the use of the [18F]-FDG and [18F]-FLT radiolabeled molecules can provide useful and complementary information for longitudinal follow-up of small animal proton therapy studies in the context of HCC. [18F]-FDG PET imaging enables a treatment monitoring several days/weeks postirradiation. On the other hand, [18F]-FLT could represent a good candidate to monitor the treatment few days postirradiation, in the context of hypo-fractioned and close irradiation planning. This opens new perspectives in terms of treatment efficacy verification depending on the irradiation scheme.

The Role of Alcohol Dehydrogenase in Drug Metabolism: Beyond Ethanol Oxidation.

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are most known for their roles in oxidation and elimination of ethanol. Although less known, ADHs also play a critical role in the metabolism of a number of drugs and metabolites that contain alcohol functional groups, such as abacavir (HIV/AIDS), hydroxyzine (antihistamine), and ethambutol (antituberculosis). ADHs consist of 7 gene family numbers and several genetic polymorphic forms. ADHs are cytosolic enzymes that are most abundantly found in the liver, although also present in other tissues including gastrointestinal tract and adipose. Marked species differences exist for ADHs including genes, proteins, enzymatic activity, and tissue distribution. The active site of ADHs is relatively small and cylindrical in shape. This results in somewhat narrow substrate specificity. Secondary alcohols are generally poor substrates for ADHs. In vitro-in vivo correlations for ADHs have not been established, partly due to insufficient clinical data. Fomepizole (4-methylpyrazole) is a nonspecific ADH inhibitor currently being used as an antidote for the treatment of methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning. Fomepizole also has the potential to treat intoxication of other substances of abuse by inhibiting ADHs to prevent formation of toxic metabolites. ADHs are inducible through farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and other transcription factors. Drug-drug interactions have been observed in the clinic for ADHs between ethanol and therapeutic drugs, and between fomepizole and ADH substrates. Future research in this area will provide additional insights about this class of complex, yet fascinating enzymes.

Cell proliferation detected using [18F]FLT PET/CT as an early marker of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a focal aortic dilatation progressing towards rupture. Non-invasive AAA-associated cell proliferation biomarkers are not yet established. We investigated the feasibility of the cell proliferation radiotracer, fluorine-18-fluorothymidine ([18F]FLT) with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in a progressive pre-clinical AAA model (angiotensin II, AngII infusion). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fourteen-week-old apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice received saline or AngII via osmotic mini-pumps for 14 (n = 7 and 5, respectively) or 28 (n = 3 and 4, respectively) days and underwent 90-minute dynamic [18F]FLT PET/CT. Organs were harvested from independent cohorts for gamma counting, ultrasound scanning, and western blotting. [18F]FLT uptake was significantly greater in 14- (n = 5) and 28-day (n = 3) AAA than in saline control aortae (n = 5) (P < 0.001), which reduced between days 14 and 28. Whole-organ gamma counting confirmed greater [18F]FLT uptake in 14-day AAA (n = 9) compared to saline-infused aortae (n = 4) (P < 0.05), correlating positively with aortic volume (r = 0.71, P < 0.01). Fourteen-day AAA tissue showed increased expression of thymidine kinase-1, equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT)-1, ENT-2, concentrative nucleoside transporter (CNT)-1, and CNT-3 than 28-day AAA and saline control tissues (n = 3 each) (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: [18F]FLT uptake is increased during the active growth phase of the AAA model compared to saline control mice and late-stage AAA.

Whole blood or plasma: what is the ideal matrix for pharmacokinetic-driven drug candidate selection?

In the present era of drug development, quantification of drug concentrations following pharmacokinetic studies has preferentially been performed using plasma as a matrix rather than whole blood. However, it is critical to realize the difference between measuring drug concentrations in blood versus plasma and the consequences thereof. Pharmacokinetics using plasma data may be misleading if concentrations differ between plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) because of differential binding in blood. In this review, factors modulating the partitioning of drugs into RBCs are discussed and the importance of determining RBC uptake of drugs for drug candidate selection is explored. In summary, the choice of matrix (plasma vs whole blood) is an important consideration to be factored in during drug discovery.

The effect of veno-arterial extracorporeal oxygenation and nasogastric tube administration on the pharmacokinetic profile of abacavir, lamivudine and dolutegravir: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacokinetic (PK) changes can affect antiretroviral (ARV) systemic exposure for critically ill patients living with HIV (CI-PLWH). Studies to guide ARV adjustments in this population are limited. METHODS: A PK analysis was conducted in a 44-year-old CI-PLWH who presented for a heart and lung transplant on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO). Home ARV therapy (ART) of co-formulated abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir (ABC/3TC/DTG) was continued. ARV serum concentrations were obtained during and after VA ECMO. Two blood levels were drawn at 1 h, for maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and a serum trough (Ct). ARVs were given as a single tablet crushed via nasogastric tube. RESULTS: Area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-t) was calculated using non-compartmental analysis. Cmax and AUC0-t were higher during VA ECMO compared with post-decannulation. The Cmax of ABC was >2.5-fold higher than the mean in the reference. Cmax and Ct post VA ECMO were within range of referenced literature for all ARVs. Cmax and AUC0-t of DTG post VA ECMO was approximately four- to fivefold lower than referenced literature. HIV virological suppression was maintained throughout the hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: ART adjustments would not be required for this patient. Additional studies are needed to assess effects of VA ECMO and crushed tube administration of ARVs in CI-PLWH.

Abacavir Exposure in Children Cotreated for Tuberculosis with Rifampin and Superboosted Lopinavir-Ritonavir.

In children requiring lopinavir coformulated with ritonavir in a 4:1 ratio (lopinavir-ritonavir-4:1) and rifampin, adding ritonavir to achieve a 4:4 ratio with lopinavir (LPV/r-4:4) overcomes the drug-drug interaction. Possible drug-drug interactions within this regimen may affect abacavir concentrations, but this has never been studied. Children weighing <15 kg needing rifampin and LPV/r-4:4 were enrolled in a pharmacokinetic study and underwent intensive pharmacokinetic sampling on 3 visits: (i) during the intensive and (ii) continuation phases of antituberculosis treatment with LPV/r-4:4 and (iii) 1 month after antituberculosis treatment completion on LPV/r-4:1. Pharmacometric modeling and simulation were used to compare exposures across weight bands with adult target exposures. Eighty-seven children with a median (interquartile range) age and weight of 19 (4 to 64) months and 8.7 (3.9 to 14.9) kg, respectively, were included in the abacavir analysis. Abacavir pharmacokinetics were best described by a two-compartment model with first-order elimination and transit compartment absorption. After allometric scaling adjusted for the effect of body size, maturation could be identified: clearance was predicted to be fully mature at about 2 years of age and to reach half of this mature value at about 2 months of age. Abacavir bioavailability decreased 36% during treatment with rifampin and LPV/r-4:4 but remained within the median adult recommended exposure, except for children in the 3- to 4.9-kg weight band, in which the exposures were higher. The observed predose morning trough concentrations were higher than the evening values. Though abacavir exposure significantly decreased during concomitant administration of rifampin and LPV/r-4:4, it remained within acceptable ranges. (This study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT02348177.).

Case Report of Increased Exposure to Antiretrovirals following Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Bariatric surgery is increasingly performed in morbidly obese HIV patients. Limited data exist regarding antiretroviral drug exposure after bariatric surgery. We report a case of a morbidly obese HIV patient who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Abacavir, lamivudine, and dolutegravir therapeutic drug monitoring was performed at several time points pre- and postsurgery. Significantly increased levels were measured, particularly for abacavir, whose levels increased ∼12-fold. Several mechanistic explanations for these findings are discussed.

HIV-1 Tat and opioids act independently to limit antiretroviral brain concentrations and reduce blood-brain barrier integrity.

Poor antiretroviral penetration may contribute to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persistence within the brain and to neurocognitive deficits in opiate abusers. To investigate this problem, HIV-1 Tat protein and morphine effects on blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and drug brain penetration were explored using a conditional HIV-1 Tat transgenic mouse model. Tat and morphine effects on the leakage of fluorescently labeled dextrans (10-, 40-, and 70-kDa) into the brain were assessed. To evaluate effects on antiretroviral brain penetration, Tat+ and Tat- mice received three antiretroviral drugs (dolutegravir, abacavir, and lamivudine) with or without concurrent morphine exposure. Antiretroviral and morphine brain and plasma concentrations were determined by LC-MS/MS. Morphine exposure, and, to a lesser extent, Tat, significantly increased tracer leakage from the vasculature into the brain. Despite enhanced BBB breakdown evidenced by increased tracer leakiness, morphine exposure led to significantly lower abacavir concentrations within the striatum and significantly less dolutegravir within the hippocampus and striatum (normalized to plasma). P-glycoprotein, an efflux transporter for which these drugs are substrates, expression and function were significantly increased in the brains of morphine-exposed mice compared to mice not exposed to morphine. These findings were consistent with lower antiretroviral concentrations in brain tissues examined. Lamivudine concentrations were unaffected by Tat or morphine exposure. Collectively, our investigations indicate that Tat and morphine differentially alter BBB integrity. Morphine decreased brain concentrations of specific antiretroviral drugs, perhaps via increased expression of the drug efflux transporter, P-glycoprotein.

Population pharmacokinetics of abacavir and lamivudine in severely malnourished human immunodeficiency virus-infected children in relation to treatment outcomes.

AIMS: Describe the pharmacokinetics (PK) of the antiretroviral drugs abacavir and lamivudine in malnourished paediatric patients and relate to viral load outcomes after 12 and 48 weeks of treatment. METHODS: Severely malnourished human immunodeficiency virus-infected children were randomized to early (within 14 days) or delayed (after nutritional recovery) initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) using World Health Organization weight-band dosages. Abacavir and lamivudine concentrations were measured as a secondary objective on day 1 and day 14 and patients were followed-up to week 48. Population PK of abacavir and lamivudine were described using NONMEM. RESULTS: In total, 623 abacavir and 627 lamivudine concentrations were collected from 75 paediatric patients aged 0.1-10.8 (median 1.4) years. Abacavir PK was described by a 2-compartment model, patients randomized to early ART showed increased bioavailability of 31%. Apparent clearance (CL/F, L/h/7 kg) of abacavir increased from day 1 to day 14 from 3.33 (95% confidence interval 2.71-4.12) to 5.86 (95% confidence interval 4.78-7.3). A 1-compartment model described lamivudine PK, variability on CL/F was explained by maturation with age, with age at half-matured CL/F being 4 months. For both drugs allometrically scaled total body weight was related to CL/F and apparent volume of distribution. PK exposure did not correlate with virological outcomes or death at 12 or 48 weeks. CONCLUSION: Increases in Abacavir's CL/F between day 1 to day 14, bioavailability and PK variability with early start of ART was found in this cohort of severely malnourished children; however, these changes did not influence virological outcomes. The study supports the use of weight-band dosage tables.

Spatial Concordance of Tumor Proliferation and Accelerated Repopulation from Pathologic Images to 3'-[18F]Fluoro-3'-Deoxythymidine PET Images: a Basic Study Guided for PET-Based Radiotherapy Dose Painting.

PURPOSE: To assess tumor cell proliferation and repopulation during fractionated radiotherapy and investigate the spatial concordance of cell proliferation and repopulation according to the uptake of 3'-[18F]fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine ([18F]FLT). PROCEDURES: Mice bearing A549 xenograft tumors were assigned to five irradiated groups, including 3 fraction (f)/6 days (d), 6f/12d, 9f/18d, 12f/24d, and 18f/36d with 2 Gy/f irradiations performed every other day and one non-irradiated group. Serial [18F]FLT positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed at different time points as the groups finished the radiotherapy. The maximum of standard uptake values (SUVmax) were measured to confirm the likely time of tumor repopulation. A layer-by-layer comparison between SUVmax of PET images and Ki-67 LI of pathology images, including the thresholds at which maximum overlap occurred between FLT-segmented areas and cell proliferation areas were conducted to evaluate the spatial correlation. RESULTS: The SUVmax decreased in the 3f/6d group (P = 0.000) compared to the non-irradiated group, increased in the 6f/12d group and then gradually reduced with prolonged treatment. Proliferation changes in 6f/12d group on pathology images were also confirmed. Significant correlations were found between the SUVmax and Ki-67 LI in each in vitro tumor of cell proliferation group and accelerated repopulation group (both of the P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean overlap region rates (ORRs) were 56.21 % and 57.82 % in the proliferation group and repopulation group, respectively. The data represented the preferable registration. CONCLUSIONS: [18F]FLT PET is a promising imaging surrogate of tumor proliferative response to fractionated radiotherapy and may help make an adaptive radiation oncology treatment plan to realize radiotherapy dose painting.

3'-Deoxy-3'-[18F]Fluorothymidine Positron Emission Tomography Depicts Heterogeneous Proliferation Pathology in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patient Lung.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vascular cell hyperproliferation is characteristic of pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension. A noninvasive imaging biomarker is needed to track the pathology and assess the response to novel treatments targeted at resolving the structural changes. Here, we evaluated the application of radioligand 3'-deoxy-3'-[18F]-fluorothymidine (18FLT) using positron emission tomography. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed dynamic 18FLT positron emission tomography in 8 patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and applied in-depth kinetic analysis with a reversible 2-compartment 4k model. Our results show significantly increased lung 18FLT phosphorylation (k3) in patients with IPAH compared with nonpulmonary arterial hypertension controls (0.086±0.034 versus 0.054±0.009 min-1; P<0.05). There was heterogeneity in the lung 18FLT signal both between patients with IPAH and within the lungs of each patient, compatible with histopathologic reports of lungs from patients with IPAH. Consistent with 18FLT positron emission tomographic data, TK1 (thymidine kinase 1) expression was evident in the remodeled vessels in IPAH patient lung. In addition, hyperproliferative pulmonary vascular fibroblasts isolated from patients with IPAH exhibited upregulated expression of TK1 and the thymidine transporter, ENT1 (equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1). In the monocrotaline and SuHx (Sugen hypoxia) rat pulmonary arterial hypertension models, increased lung 18FLT uptake was strongly associated with peripheral pulmonary vascular muscularization and the proliferation marker, Ki-67 score, together with prominent TK1 expression in remodeled vessels. Importantly, lung 18FLT uptake was attenuated by 2 antiproliferative treatments: dichloroacetate and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic 18FLT positron emission tomography imaging can be used to report hyperproliferation in pulmonary hypertension and merits further study to evaluate response to treatment in patients with IPAH.

Effects of Low- and High-Mineral Content Water on the Relative Bioavailability of a Coformulated Abacavir/Dolutegravir/Lamivudine Dispersible Tablet in Healthy Adults.

BACKGROUND: The fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet formulation of abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and pediatric patients weighing ≥40 kg. Alternative formulations with acceptable palatability and convenient dosing are needed for children who require smaller doses and have difficulty swallowing tablets. SETTING: A phase 1, open-label, randomized study was conducted in healthy adults to evaluate the relative bioavailability of a novel dispersible FDC tablet of abacavir 150 mg/dolutegravir 10 mg/lamivudine 75 mg administered under 4 different dosing conditions compared with dolutegravir plus abacavir/lamivudine nondispersible, film-coated tablets. METHODS: The test treatments were 4 dispersible FDC tablets reconstituted in water with high- or zero-mineral content and administered either immediately or after a 30-minute delay. The reference treatment was 4 nondispersible dolutegravir 10-mg tablets plus 1 nondispersible abacavir 600-mg/lamivudine 300-mg tablet administered with zero-mineral content water. The primary endpoints were area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity and the maximum observed plasma concentration. RESULTS: Following administration of dispersible abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine, the relative bioavailability of dolutegravir was approximately 50% higher. Abacavir and lamivudine demonstrated bioequivalence when administered as the dispersible FDC tablet compared with coadministration of dolutegravir plus abacavir/lamivudine nondispersible, film-coated tablets. Neither the mineral content of the water nor dosing times affected the pharmacokinetics of individual components. The dispersible tablet was safe and well tolerated, and the palatability was acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: These pharmacokinetic results support further development of a dispersible FDC tablet of abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine for future use in pediatric patients.

Crushing of dolutegravir fixed-dose combination tablets increases dolutegravir exposure.

Background: If HIV patients are unconscious or cannot swallow tablets for other reasons, antiretroviral medication is crushed and dissolved prior to administration. Crushing can alter drug exposure, possibly leading to treatment failure, development of resistance or toxicity. Currently, there is no information about crushing of the branded fixed-dose combination of dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (Triumeq®, referred to as TRI); therefore, crushing of TRI is not recommended. Objectives: To investigate whether the TRI fixed-dose combination tablet can be crushed and combined with enteral nutrition without influencing pharmacokinetics (PK). Methods: We carried out an open-label, three-period, randomized, single-dose, crossover trial in 22 healthy adult volunteers. Subjects randomly received whole-tablet TRI with fasting (reference), crushed and suspended TRI with fasting or crushed and suspended TRI with oral intake of enteral nutrition. Bioequivalence criteria (80%-125% acceptance range) of AUC0-∞ and Cmax were used. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02569346. Results: Crushing TRI leads to higher dolutegravir exposure (AUC0-∞: +26% and Cmax: +30%) and, if crushed TRI is combined with enteral nutrition, to a decrease in abacavir Cmax (-17%). Lamivudine concentrations were not affected as geometric mean ratios with 90% CIs fell within the 80%-125% range. Conclusions: Bioequivalence could not be demonstrated for a crushed and suspended tablet or a crushed and suspended tablet with oral intake of enteral nutrition compared with whole-tablet TRI with fasting. Both scenarios led to higher dolutegravir exposure, but this did not exceed exposure after intake with food or in twice-daily dosing. In our opinion, TRI can be crushed for patients with swallowing difficulties and can be simultaneously administered with enteral nutrition.

New Radiation Dosimetry Estimates for [18F]FLT based on Voxelized Phantoms.

3'-Deoxy-3-[18F]fluorothymidine, or [18F]FLT, is a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer used in clinical studies for noninvasive assessment of proliferation activity in several types of cancer. Although the use of this PET tracer is expanding, to date, few studies concerning its dosimetry have been published. In this work, new [18F]FLT dosimetry estimates are determined for human and mice using Monte Carlo simulations. Modern voxelized male and female phantoms and [18F]FLT biokinetic data, both published by the ICRP, were used for simulations of human cases. For most human organs/tissues the absorbed doses were higher than those reported in ICRP Publication 128. An effective dose of 1.70E-02 mSv/MBq to the whole body was determined, which is 13.5% higher than the ICRP reference value. These new human dosimetry estimates obtained using more realistic human phantoms represent an advance in the knowledge of [18F]FLT dosimetry. In addition, mice biokinetic data were obtained experimentally. These data and a previously developed voxelized mouse phantom were used for simulations of animal cases. Concerning animal dosimetry, absorbed doses for organs/tissues ranged from 4.47 ± 0.75 to 155.74 ± 59.36 mGy/MBq. The obtained set of organ/tissue radiation doses for healthy Swiss mice is a useful tool for application in animal experiment design.

Intentional overdose of dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (Triumeq) in a 26-year-old man.

Triumeq is a single-tablet regimen for patients with HIV infection comprising dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine. Overdoses with Triumeq have not been reported previously. We present a case of a 26-year-old man who presented to our hospital after intentionally ingesting 30 tablets of Triumeq. An intoxication with Triumeq can lead to several side effects. An overdose of abacavir and lamivudine can cause mitochondrial toxicity and lactic acidosis. An intoxication with dolutegravir appears to be relatively harmless. As Triumeq will be used on a regular basis as treatment for patients with HIV-1 infection, these intoxications are expected to be encountered more often.

Repeatability of quantitative 18F-FLT uptake measurements in solid tumors: an individual patient data multi-center meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: 3'-deoxy-3'-[18F]fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) positron emission tomography (PET) provides a non-invasive method to assess cellular proliferation and response to antitumor therapy. Quantitative 18F-FLT uptake metrics are being used for evaluation of proliferative response in investigational setting, however multi-center repeatability needs to be established. The aim of this study was to determine the repeatability of 18F-FLT tumor uptake metrics by re-analyzing individual patient data from previously published reports using the same tumor segmentation method and repeatability metrics across cohorts. METHODS: A systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE.com and the Cochrane Library from inception-October 2016 yielded five 18F-FLT repeatability cohorts in solid tumors. 18F-FLT avid lesions were delineated using a 50% isocontour adapted for local background on test and retest scans. SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, proliferative volume and total lesion uptake (TLU) were calculated. Repeatability was assessed using the repeatability coefficient (RC = 1.96 × SD of test-retest differences), linear regression analysis, and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The impact of different lesion selection criteria was also evaluated. RESULTS: Images from four cohorts containing 30 patients with 52 lesions were obtained and analyzed (ten in breast cancer, nine in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and 33 in non-small cell lung cancer patients). A good correlation was found between test-retest data for all 18F-FLT uptake metrics (R2 ≥ 0.93; ICC ≥ 0.96). Best repeatability was found for SUVpeak (RC: 23.1%), without significant differences in RC between different SUV metrics. Repeatability of proliferative volume (RC: 36.0%) and TLU (RC: 36.4%) was worse than SUV. Lesion selection methods based on SUVmax ≥ 4.0 improved the repeatability of volumetric metrics (RC: 26-28%), but did not affect the repeatability of SUV metrics. CONCLUSIONS: In multi-center studies, differences ≥ 25% in 18F-FLT SUV metrics likely represent a true change in tumor uptake. Larger differences are required for FLT metrics comprising volume estimates when no lesion selection criteria are applied.