Greater traditionalism predicts COVID-19 precautionary behaviors across 27 societies.

People vary both in their embrace of their society's traditions, and in their perception of hazards as salient and necessitating a response. Over evolutionary time, traditions have offered avenues for addressing hazards, plausibly resulting in linkages between orientations toward tradition and orientations toward danger. Emerging research documents connections between traditionalism and threat responsivity, including pathogen-avoidance motivations. Additionally, because hazard-mitigating behaviors can conflict with competing priorities, associations between traditionalism and pathogen avoidance may hinge on contextually contingent tradeoffs. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a real-world test of the posited relationship between traditionalism and hazard avoidance. Across 27 societies (N = 7844), we find that, in a majority of countries, individuals' endorsement of tradition positively correlates with their adherence to costly COVID-19-avoidance behaviors; accounting for some of the conflicts that arise between public health precautions and other objectives further strengthens this evidence that traditionalism is associated with greater attention to hazards.

An HPLC-UV method for determining plasma dimethylacetamide concentrations in patients receiving intravenous busulfan.

Dimethylacetamide (DMA) is a solvent used in the preparation of intravenous busulfan, an alkylating agent used in blood or marrow transplantation. DMA may contribute to hepatic toxicity, so it is important to monitor its clearance. The aim of this study was to develop an HPLC-UV assay for measurement of DMA in human plasma. After precipitation of plasma proteins with acetonitrile followed by dilution (1:4) with water, the extract was injected onto the HPLC and detected at 195 nm. Separation was performed using a Cogent-HPS 5 µm C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm) preceded by a Brownlee 7 µm RP18 , pre-column (1.5 cm × 3.2 mm). The mobile phase was 25 mm sodium phosphate buffer (pH 3), containing 2.5% (v/v) acetonitrile and 0.0005% (v/v) sodium-octyl-sulfonate. Using a flow rate of 1 mL/min, the retention times of DMA and the internal standard (IS), 2-chloroacetamide, were 9.5 and 3.5 min, respectively. Peak area ratio (DMA:IS) was a linear function of concentration from 1 to 1000 µg/mL. There was excellent intraday precision (<5% for 5-700 µg/mL DMA), accuracy (<3% deviation from the true concentration) and recovery (74-98%). The limits of detection and quantification were 1 and 5 µg/mL, respectively. In eight children who received intravenous busulfan, DMA concentrations ranged from 110 to 438 µg/mL.

B Cell, Th17, and Neutrophil Related Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytokine/Chemokines Are Elevated in MOG Antibody Associated Demyelination.

BACKGROUND: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG Ab) associated demyelination represents a subgroup of autoimmune demyelination that is separate from multiple sclerosis and aquaporin 4 IgG-positive NMO, and can have a relapsing course. Unlike NMO and MS, there is a paucity of literature on immunopathology and CSF cytokine/chemokines in MOG Ab associated demyelination. AIM: To study the differences in immunopathogenesis based on cytokine/chemokine profile in MOG Ab-positive (POS) and -negative (NEG) groups. METHODS: We measured 34 cytokines/chemokines using multiplex immunoassay in CSF collected from paediatric patients with serum MOG Ab POS [acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM = 8), transverse myelitis (TM = 2) n = 10] and serum MOG Ab NEG (ADEM = 5, TM = 4, n = 9) demyelination. We generated normative data using CSF from 20 non-inflammatory neurological controls. RESULTS: The CSF cytokine and chemokine levels were higher in both MOG Ab POS and MOG Ab NEG demyelination groups compared to controls. The CSF in MOG Ab POS patients showed predominant elevation of B cell related cytokines/chemokines (CXCL13, APRIL, BAFF and CCL19) as well as some of Th17 related cytokines (IL-6 AND G-CSF) compared to MOG Ab NEG group (all p<0.01). In addition, patients with elevated CSF MOG antibodies had higher CSF CXCL13, CXCL12, CCL19, IL-17A and G-CSF than patients without CSF MOG antibodies. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that MOG Ab POS patients have a more pronounced CNS inflammatory response with elevation of predominant humoral associated cytokines/chemokines, as well as some Th 17 and neutrophil related cytokines/chemokines suggesting a differential inflammatory pathogenesis associated with MOG antibody seropositivity. This cytokine/chemokine profiling provides new insight into disease pathogenesis, and improves our ability to monitor inflammation and response to treatment. In addition, some of these molecules may represent potential immunomodulatory targets.

High melphalan exposure is associated with improved overall survival in myeloma patients receiving high dose melphalan and autologous transplantation.

AIM: High dose melphalan (HDM) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) retains a central role in the treatment of myeloma. The aim of this study was to determine whether HDM exposure (area under the concentration vs. time curve, AUC), is significantly associated with transplant outcomes. METHODS: Melphalan concentrations were measured in six to 11 plasma samples collected after HDM (median 192 mg m(-) (2) ) to determine melphalan AUC for a total of 114 patients. Binary logistic regression was used to assess whether melphalan AUC was associated with severe (≥ grade 3) oral mucositis. Multivariate Cox regression was used to assess whether melphalan AUC was significantly associated with time to progression, progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Melphalan AUC ranged from 4.9 to 24.6 mg l(-1)  h, median 12.84 mg l(-1) h. Melphalan AUC above the median was a risk factor for severe mucositis (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06, 1.38, P = 0.004) but was also associated with significantly improved overall survival (OS) (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.20, 0.81, P = 0.001), with an estimated median survival of 8.50 years vs. 5.38 years for high vs. low AUC groups. Multivariate analysis did not identify melphalan AUC as being significantly associated with time to progression or progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: This large scale pharmacodynamic analysis of HDM demonstrates that high melphalan exposure is associated with improved survival, with an acceptable increase in transplant toxicity. These results suggest studies targeting a higher AUC are warranted in patients undergoing HDM and ASCT for myeloma.

Development and Validation of a High Pressure Liquid Chromatography-UV Method for the Determination of Treosulfan and Its Epoxy Metabolites in Human Plasma and Its Application in Pharmacokinetic Studies.

Treosulfan (l-threitol-1,4-di-methanesulfonate) is a prodrug of a bifunctional alkylating agent that is being used increasingly in pediatric bone marrow transplantation regimens. The activation pathway is a complex reaction, which consists of two consecutive reactions leading to epoxybutane derivatives which are responsible for DNA alkylation. A simple, sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of the sum of treosulfan and its epoxy metabolites by UV detection after derivatization with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate in human plasma was developed and validated. Plasma samples containing treosulfan and epoxy metabolites were converted into thiocarbamate derivative with 10% sodium diethyldithiocarbamate. Dinitrobiphenyl was used as an internal standard. The analysis was carried out using a reversed phase C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-water (65:35, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The eluent was monitored at 254 nm. The standard calibration curve was established between 2.5 and 50 µg/mL, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9987. Intra- and interday precision and accuracy of the method was <8% and met the analytical criteria. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined in six children who received intravenous treosulfan (dose range 12-24 g/m(2)) in combination with fludarabine prior to blood or marrow transplantation.

Cirrhosis associated with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate treatment of pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency.

We report the case of an 8-year-old boy with pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) deficiency. He developed seizures at 24 h of age that were refractory to standard anticonvulsant therapy and a trial of pyridoxine but responded to pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) at 28 days of life. Genetic testing identified compound heterozygous mutations in the PNPO gene. Management of encephalopathic episodes required escalation of PLP dose to 100 mg/kg/day by 2 years of age. Routine blood tests at this time showed significantly deranged liver function tests (LFTs). A wedge liver biopsy showed early cirrhosis with marked elevation of pyridoxal and pyridoxic acid levels in the liver sample. Despite extensive investigation, no cause other than PLP therapy could be identified for the cirrhosis. The PLP dose was weaned to 50 mg/kg/day before episodes of encephalopathy recurred. Concurrent with the reduction of his PLP dose, LFTs showed improvement. However, at 8 years of age, there is persistent evidence of hepatic fibrosis and early portal hypertension. We hypothesise that hepatic toxicity due to PLP or its degradation products is the cause of cirrhosis in this boy. Until further evidence becomes available, we would suggest that people with PNPO deficiency are treated with the minimum dose of PLP required to prevent episodes of encephalopathy.

Efficacy of high-dose versus standard-dose influenza vaccine in older adults.

BACKGROUND: As compared with a standard-dose vaccine, a high-dose, trivalent, inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3-HD) improves antibody responses to influenza among adults 65 years of age or older. This study evaluated whether IIV3-HD also improves protection against laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. METHODS: We conducted a phase IIIb-IV, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial to compare IIV3-HD (60 µg of hemagglutinin per strain) with standard-dose trivalent, inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3-SD [15 µg of hemagglutinin per strain]) in adults 65 years of age or older. Assessments of relative efficacy, effectiveness, safety (serious adverse events), and immunogenicity (hemagglutination-inhibition [HAI] titers) were performed during the 2011-2012 (year 1) and the 2012-2013 (year 2) northern-hemisphere influenza seasons. RESULTS: A total of 31,989 participants were enrolled from 126 research centers in the United States and Canada (15,991 were randomly assigned to receive IIV3-HD, and 15,998 to receive IIV3-SD). In the intention-to-treat analysis, 228 participants in the IIV3-HD group (1.4%) and 301 participants in the IIV3-SD group (1.9%) had laboratory-confirmed influenza caused by any viral type or subtype associated with a protocol-defined influenza-like illness (relative efficacy, 24.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.7 to 36.5). At least one serious adverse event during the safety surveillance period was reported by 1323 (8.3%) of the participants in the IIV3-HD group, as compared with 1442 (9.0%) of the participants in the IIV3-SD group (relative risk, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85 to 0.99). After vaccination, HAI titers and seroprotection rates (the percentage of participants with HAI titers ≥ 1:40) were significantly higher in the IIV3-HD group. Conclusions: Among persons 65 years of age or older, IIV3-HD induced significantly higher antibody responses and provided better protection against laboratory-confirmed influenza illness than did IIV3-SD. (Funded by Sanofi Pasteur; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01427309.).

Typical and atypical phenotypes of PNPO deficiency with elevated CSF and plasma pyridoxamine on treatment.

Pyridox(am)ine phosphate oxidase (PNPO) deficiency causes severe early infantile epileptic encephalopathy and has been characterized as responding to pyridoxal-5'-phosphate but not to pyridoxine. Two males with PNPO deficiency and novel PNPO mutations are reported and their clinical, metabolic, and video-electroencephalographic (EEG) findings described. The first child showed electro-clinical responses to pyridoxine and deterioration when pyridoxine was withheld. At last review, he has well-controlled epilepsy with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate monotherapy and an autism spectrum disorder. The second child had a perinatal middle cerebral artery infarct and a myoclonic encephalopathy. He failed to respond to pyridoxine but responded well to pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. At the age of 21 months he has global developmental delay and hemiparesis but is seizure-free with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate monotherapy. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid pyridoxamine levels were increased in both children during treatment with pyridoxine or pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. These observations indicate that differential responses to pyridoxine and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate treatment cannot be relied upon to diagnose PNPO deficiency.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, tryptophan catabolism, and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis: a model for chronic mycobacterial infections.

Virulent mycobacterial infections progress slowly, with a latent period that leads to clinical disease in a proportion of cases. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen that causes paratuberculosis or Johne's disease (JD), a chronic intestinal disease of ruminants. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an enzyme that regulates tryptophan metabolism, was originally reported to have a role in intracellular pathogen killing and has since been shown to have an important immunoregulatory role in chronic immune diseases. Here we demonstrate an association between increased IDO levels and progression to clinical mycobacterial disease in a natural host, characterizing gene expression, protein localization, and functional effects. IDO mRNA levels were significantly increased in M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-infected monocytic cells. Levels of both IDO gene and protein expression were significantly upregulated within the affected tissues of sheep with JD, particularly at the site of primary infection, the ileum, of animals with severe multibacillary disease. Lesion severity was correlated with the level of IDO gene expression. IDO gene expression was also increased in the peripheral blood cells of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-exposed sheep and cattle. IDO breaks down tryptophan, and systemic increases were functional, as shown by decreased plasma tryptophan levels, which correlated with the onset of clinical signs, a stage well known to be associated with Th1 immunosuppression. IDO may be involved in downregulating immune responses to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and other virulent mycobacteria, which may be an example of the pathogen harnessing host immunoregulatory pathways to aid survival. These findings raise new questions about the host-mycobacterium interactions in the progression from latent to clinical disease.

Population pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid in children and young people undergoing blood or marrow and solid organ transplantation.

AIMS: To characterize the population pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and evaluate dose regimens using a simulation approach and accepted therapeutic drug monitoring targets in children and young people undergoing blood or marrow, kidney and liver transplantation. METHODS: MPA concentration-time data were collected using an age specific sampling protocol over 12h. Some patients provided randomly timed but accurately recorded blood samples. Total and unbound MPA were measured by HPLC. NONMEM was employed to analyze MPA pharmacokinetic data. Simulations (n= 1000) were conducted to assess the suitability of the MPA dose regimens to maintain total MPA AUC(0,12h) within the range 30 and 60mg l(-1) h associated with optimal outcome. RESULTS: A two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order elimination best described MPA concentration-time data. Population mean estimates of MPA clearance, inter-compartmental clearance, volumes of distribution in the central and peripheral compartments, absorption rate constant and bioavailability were 6.42 l h(-1) , 3.74 l h(-1) , 7.24 l, 16.8l, 0.39h(-1) and 0.48, respectively. Inclusion of bodyweight and concomitant ciclosporin reduced the inter-individual variability in CL from 54.3% to 31.6%. Children with a bodyweight of 10kg receiving standard MPA dose regimens achieve an MPA AUC below the target range suggesting they may be at a greater risk of acute rejection. CONCLUSIONS: The population pharmacokinetic model for MPA can be used to explore dosing guidelines for safe and effective immunotherapy in children and young people undergoing transplantation.

Population pharmacokinetics of melphalan in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing high dose therapy.

AIMS: To i) investigate the pharmacokinetics of total and unbound plasma melphalan using a population approach, ii) identify clinical factors that affect melphalan disposition and iii) evaluate the role of melphalan exposure in melphalan-related toxicity and disease response. METHODS: Population pharmacokinetic modelling (using NONMEM) was performed with total and unbound concentration-time data from 100 patients (36-73 years) who had received a median 192 mg m(-2) melphalan dose. Model derived estimates of total and unbound melphalan exposure (AUC) in patients with serious melphalan toxicity and those who had a good disease response (>or=90% decrease in paraprotein concentrations) were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: A two compartment model generated population mean estimates for total and unbound melphalan clearance (CL) of 27.8 and 128 l h(-1), respectively. Estimated creatinine clearance, fat free mass and haematocrit were important determinants of total and unbound CL, reducing the inter-individual variability in total CL from 34% to 27% and in unbound CL from 42% to 30%. Total AUC (range 4.9-24.4 mg l(-1) h) and unbound AUC (range 1.0-6.5 mg l(-1) h) were significantly higher in patients who had oral mucositis (>or=grade 3) and long hospital admissions (P < 0.01). Patients who responded well had significantly higher unbound AUC (median 3.2 vs. 2.8 mg l(-1) h, P < 0.05) when assessed from diagnosis to post-melphalan and higher total AUC (median 21.3 vs. 13.4 mg l(-1) h, P= 0.06), when assessed from pre- to post-melphalan. CONCLUSIONS: Creatinine clearance, fat free mass and haematocrit influence total and unbound melphalan plasma clearance. Melphalan exposure is related to melphalan toxicity while the association with efficacy shows promising trends that will be studied further.

Familial paroxysmal exercise-induced dystonia: atypical presentation of autosomal dominant GTP-cyclohydrolase 1 deficiency.

Paroxysmal exercise-induced dystonia (PED) is one of the rarer forms of paroxysmal dyskinesia, and can occur in sporadic or familial forms. We report a family (male index case, mother and maternal grandfather) with autosomal dominant inheritance of paroxysmal exercise-induced dystonia. The dystonia began in childhood and was only ever induced after many minutes of exercise, and was never present at rest, or on initiation of movements. In addition, family members suffered restless legs syndrome (RLS), depression, and adult-onset Parkinsonism. The index case had low cerebrospinal fluid neurotransmitters and pterins. The PED and RLS stopped on initiation of L-Dopa therapy. Both live family members were found to have a nonsense mutation (p.E84X) in exon 1 of the GTP-cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH-1) gene. We propose that GCH-1 mutations should be considered a genetic cause of familial PED, especially if additional clinical features of monoaminergic deficiency are present in affected individuals.

Effects of sepiapterin supplementation and NOS inhibition on glucocorticoid-induced hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoid-induced hypertension is associated with imbalance between nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide. One of the pathways that causes this imbalance is endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) uncoupling. In the present study, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)- and dexamethasone-treated rats were further treated with sepiapterin, a precursor of tetrahydrobiopterin, or N-nitro-L-arginine (NOLA), an inhibitor of NOS, to investigate the role of eNOS uncoupling in glucocorticoid-induced hypertension. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n = 7-13/group) were treated with either sepiapterin (5 mg/kg/day, IP) or saline (sham) 4 days before and during ACTH (0.2 mg/kg/day, SC), dexamethasone (0.03 mg/kg/day, SC), or saline treatment. NOLA (0.4 mg/ml in drinking water) was given to rats 4 days before and during dexamethasone treatment. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured by the tail-cuff method. RESULTS: Both ACTH (116 +/- 2 to 135 +/- 3 mm Hg (mean +/- s.e.m.), P < 0.001) and dexamethasone (114 +/- 4 to 133 +/- 3 mm Hg, P < 0.0005) increased SBP. Sepiapterin alone did not alter SBP. Sepiapterin did not prevent ACTH- (129 +/- 4 mm Hg, NS) or dexamethasone-induced hypertension (135 +/- 3 mm Hg, NS), although plasma total biopterin concentrations were increased. NOLA increased SBP in rats prior to dexamethasone or saline treatment. NOLA further increased SBP in both saline- (133 +/- 4 to 157 +/- 3 mm Hg, P < 0.05) and dexamethasone-treated rats (135 +/- 5 to 170 +/- 6 mm Hg, P < 0.05). ACTH and dexamethasone increased plasma F(2)-isoprostane concentrations. Neither sepiapterin nor NOLA significantly affected this marker of oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: Sepiapterin did not prevent ACTH- or dexamethasone-induced hypertension. NOLA exacerbated dexamethasone-induced hypertension. These data suggest that eNOS uncoupling does not play a major role in the genesis of glucocorticoid-induced hypertension in the rat.

Perinatal hypophosphatasia presenting as neonatal epileptic encephalopathy with abnormal neurotransmitter metabolism secondary to reduced co-factor pyridoxal-5'-phosphate availability.

We describe two neonates presenting with perinatal hypophosphatasia and severe epileptic encephalopathy resulting in death. Both had increased levels of urinary vanillactate, indicating functional deficiency of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, a pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme required for dopamine and serotonin biosynthesis. Clinical findings and results of subsequent metabolic investigations were consistent with secondary pyridoxine-deficient encephalopathy. These patients highlight the importance of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase in the neuronal PLP-dependent metabolism of neurotransmitters. In addition, the disturbance of PLP metabolism appears to underlie the predominant neurological presentation in our patients. We recommend the measurement of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) during the assessment of perinatal seizures.

Cerebrospinal fluid neopterin in paediatric neurology: a marker of active central nervous system inflammation.

AIM: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neopterin production is increased by interferon-gamma stimulation and appears to act as a marker of intrathecal immune activation. We aimed to test the usefulness of elevated CSF neopterin as a biological marker of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed CSF neopterin in 158 children (89 males, 69 females, mean age 4y 1mo, SD 3y 11mo, range 1mo-15y). RESULTS: CSF neopterin levels in children with chronic static CNS disorders (n=105) were predominantly low, suggesting that inflammation is rare in these patients. We created an upper value of normal (chronic static group 95th centile 27.4 nmol/l). CSF neopterin was elevated in all 10 patients with acute encephalitis and in 10 of 12 patients with other acute inflammatory CNS disorders (demyelination, post-infectious ataxia, myelitis). CSF neopterin was also significantly elevated in patients with chronic progressive disorders of inflammatory origin. Interestingly, CSF neopterin was elevated in four of six patients with chronic static disorders who were tested during a febrile exacerbation of seizures or dystonia, suggesting that intrathecal immune activation may be important in this setting. INTERPRETATION: Neopterin has a short half-life and was useful for monitoring inflammation activity in a patient with relapsing-remitting encephalitis. CSF neopterin is a useful marker of inflammation in a broad range of acute and chronic CNS disorders, and is a significantly more sensitive marker of inflammation than CSF pleocytosis.

Overexpression of indoleamine dioxygenase in rat liver allografts using a high-efficiency adeno-associated virus vector does not prevent acute rejection.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of local overexpression of indoleamine dioxygenase (IDO) to abrogate rat liver transplant rejection by the use of an adeno-associated virus vector [recombinant adeno-associated virus 2/8 (rAAV2/8)] to deliver the transgene to the allograft prior to transplantation. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing vector [recombinant adeno-associated virus 2/8-liver-specific promoter 1-enhanced green fluorescent protein (rAAV2/8-LSP1-eGFP)] was used to examine the kinetics of expression and optimal dosing for transduction of Piebald Virol Glaxo (PVG) rat livers. A vector encoding the rat IDO gene (rAAV2/8-LSP1-rIDO) was constructed and tested by its ability to induce tryptophan catabolism and kynurenine production in vitro and in vivo. PVG donor rats were injected, via the portal vein, with rAAV2/8-LSP1-rIDO 2 weeks before transplantation into PVG strain isograft or Lewis (LEW) strain allograft recipients. With the enhanced GFP vector, 29.5% and 47.4% of hepatocytes were found to express GFP at 3 and 6 weeks after injection, respectively. In untransplanted PVG animals, the rAAV2/8-LSP1-rIDO vector induced, 3 weeks after administration, a 1.8-fold increase (P = 0.0161) in liver IDO activity, which was associated with a fall in serum tryptophan to 0.5 times the baseline level (P < 0.001). PVG recipients of PVG liver isografts pretreated with the IDO-expressing vector had a 45% lower level of serum tryptophan than recipients of isografts pretreated with the GFP-expressing vector (P = 0.03). LEW recipients of PVG liver allografts pretreated with the rat IDO vector had a median survival time of 12 days, whereas recipients of allografts pretreated with rAAV2/8-LSP1-eGFP had a median survival time of 13 days (P = 0.38). Both groups displayed similar histological features of acute cellular rejection. In conclusion, rAAV2/8 vectors produce highly efficient, though delayed, hepatocyte transduction in vivo and provide a useful gene delivery tool for transplantation models. However, gene delivery using IDO was unsuccessful in prolonging rat liver allograft survival.

An isocratic fluorescence HPLC assay for the monitoring of l-asparaginase activity and l-asparagine depletion in children receiving E. colil-asparaginase for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

A novel assay for the determination of l-asparaginase activity in human plasma is described that is based on the HPLC quantitation of l-aspartic acid produced during enzyme incubation. Methods for monitoring l-asparagine depletion are also described. Chromatography of l-aspartic acid, l-asparagine and l-homoserine (the internal standard) involved derivatization with o-pthaldialdehyde, then separation from other amino acids on a Phenomenex Luna C(18) column using a 1 mL/min flow rate and a mobile phase consisting of di-potassium hydrogen orthophosphate propionate buffer, pH 6, with 10% methanol and 10% acetonitrile. Fluoresence detection was at excitation/emission wavelengths of 357/455 nm. Under these conditions l-aspartic acid, l-asparagine and l-homoserine had retention times of 3.5, 9.8 and 17.7 min, respectively. The l-asparaginase assay was linear from 0.1 to 10 U/mL activity and interday precision and accuracy were less than 13%. The limit of quantitation was approximately 0.03 U/mL. The assay utility was established in 12 children who received E. coli l-asparaginase as treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Variability in the pharmacokinetics of intravenous busulphan given as a single daily dose to paediatric blood or marrow transplant recipients.

AIM: To examine inter- and intrapatient variability in the pharmacokinetics of intravenous (i.v.) busulphan given as a single daily dose to children with malignant (n = 19) and nonmalignant (n = 21) disease. METHODS: Busulphan (120 mg m(-2), 130 mg m(-2) or 3.2 mg kg(-1)) was administered over median 2.1 h. Blood samples (4-10) were collected after the first dose, busulphan concentrations were measured and pharmacokinetic parameters, including clearance (CL) and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), were determined using the Kinetica software (Innaphase). Interpatient variability was assessed as percent coefficient of variation (% CV). Intrapatient variability was assessed by calculating percent differences between observed full dose AUC and AUC predicted from an initial 65 mg m(-2) dose in 13 children who had busulphan pharmacokinetic monitoring. RESULTS: Clearance of i.v. busulphan in 40 children was 4.78 +/- 2.93 l h(-1) (% CV 61%), 0.23 +/- 0.08 l h(-1) kg(-1) (% CV 35%) and 5.79 +/- 1.59 l h(-1) m(-2) (% CV 27%). Age correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with CL (l h(-1)) and CL (l h(-1) kg(-1)), but not with CL (l h(-1) m(-2)). AUC normalized to the 130 mg m(-2) dose ranged from 14.1 to 56.3 mg l(-1) x h (% CV 37%) and also did not correlate with age. Interpatient variability in CL (l h(-1) m(-2)) was highest in six children with immune deficiencies (60%) and lowest in seven children with solid tumours (14%). Intrapatient variability was <13% for nine (of 13) children, but between 20 and 44% for four children. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable inter- and intrapatient variability in i.v. busulphan CL (l h(-1) m(-2)) and exposure that is unrelated to age, especially in children with immune deficiencies. These results suggest that monitoring of i.v. busulphan pharmacokinetics is required.

Population pharmacokinetics of melphalan in paediatric blood or marrow transplant recipients.

AIM: To develop a population pharmacokinetic model for melphalan in children with malignant diseases and to evaluate limited sampling strategies for melphalan. METHODS: Melphalan concentration data following a single intravenous dose were collected from 59 children with malignant diseases aged between 0.3 and 18 years. The data were split into two sets: the model development dataset (39 children, 571 concentration observations) and the model validation dataset (20 children, 277 concentration observations). Population pharmacokinetic modelling was performed with the NONMEM software. Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to develop a limited sampling model for melphalan. RESULTS: A two-compartment model was fitted to the concentration-vs.-time data. The following covariate population pharmacokinetic models were obtained: (i) Clearance (l h(-1)) = 0.34.WT - 3.17.CPT + 0.0377.GFR, where WT = weight (kg), CPT = prior carboplatin therapy (0 = no, 1 = yes), and GFR = glomerular filtration rate (ml min(-1) 1.73 m(-2)); (ii) Volume of distribution (l) = 1.12 + 0.178.WT. Interpatient variability (coefficient of variation) was 27.3% for clearance and 33.8% for volume of distribution. There was insignificant bias and imprecision between observed and model-predicted melphalan concentrations in the validation dataset. A three-sample limited sampling model was developed which adequately predicted the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) in the development and validation datasets. CONCLUSIONS: A population pharmacokinetic model for melphalan has been developed and validated and may now be used in conjunction with pharmacodynamic data to develop safe and effective dosing guidelines in children with malignant diseases.

Folic acid prevents and partially reverses glucocorticoid-induced hypertension in the rat.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of folic acid on the increased pressure in rats treated with either adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or dexamethasone (Dex), and to further investigate the role of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) in any effect of folic acid by comparing the effect of BH(4) with that of folic acid in Dex hypertension. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were treated with saline, subcutaneous ACTH (0.2 mg/kg/d) or Dex (10 microg/rat/d). Folic acid (0.04 g/L drinking) or BH(4) (10 mg/kg/d intraperitoneally) was started before (prevention) and during (reversal) glucocorticoid treatment. RESULTS: Saline, BH(4), vehicle for BH(4), or folic acid alone did not change systolic blood pressure (BP). Systolic BP was increased by ACTH and Dex. Folic acid, but not BH(4), prevented the development of hypertension caused by ACTH and Dex treatment. The ACTH and Dex hypertension were partially reversed by folic acid. The BH(4) increased plasma total biopterin concentrations. The Dex decreased plasma NOx concentrations but had no effect on plasma biopterin concentrations. The ACTH and Dex increased plasma F(2)-isoprostane concentrations and decreased serum homocysteine concentrations compared with control but had no effect on serum folate concentrations. Folic acid increased serum folate concentrations compared with control but had no effect on homocysteine concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Folic acid prevented and partially reversed both ACTH and Dex hypertension in rats without modifying the increase in plasma F(2)-isoprostane concentrations. Given that BH(4) failed to prevent ACTH or Dex hypertension, folic acid is unlikely to be acting through increased BH(4) production. The precise mechanism for the BP-lowering effect of folic acid in this model of hypertension remains to be determined.