Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral activity of GSK2336805, an inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A, in healthy subjects and subjects chronically infected with HCV genotype 1.

GSK2336805 is an orally bioavailable hepatitis C virus (HCV) inhibitor working through an NS5A-mediated mechanism. This first-time-in-human study was conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and efficacy of GSK2336805 in healthy subjects and subjects infected with HCV genotype 1. We performed a three-part, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 46 healthy subjects and 23 HCV-infected subjects. After an overnight fast, healthy subjects received GSK2336805 as 10 mg, 30 mg, 30 mg plus food, and 60 mg in a single dose and 10 mg (7 days), 30 mg (7 days), and 75 mg (14 days) in a once-daily multiple dose. Subjects with HCV received GSK2336805 as a 1- to 120-mg single dose. In subjects with HCV, reductions in HCV RNA were observed within 4 h and a single dose of GSK2336805 of ≥10 mg resulted in a statistically significant ≥2-log reduction in HCV RNA compared with placebo at 24 h postdose. GSK2336805 was readily absorbed in all subjects, and the half-life (t1/2) was suitable for once-daily dosing. Administration of GSK2336805 with food had no effect on plasma GSK2336805 exposure; however, absorption was delayed, with a median tmax (time to maximum concentration of drug in serum) of 4.5 versus 2.0 h. Twenty subjects who received GSK2336805 experienced mild to moderate adverse events; none were serious. GSK2336805 was well tolerated and exhibited rapid, significant antiviral activity after a single dose in HCV-infected subjects. These results support the conduct of further studies evaluating GSK2336805 administered once daily for longer durations in combination with peginterferon, ribavirin, and other direct-acting antivirals. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01277692.).

Nail-patella syndrome and renal involvement. Description of three cases and literature review.

Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder reported in approximatively 1/50,000 individuals. It is characterized by hypoplastic or absent patellae, dystrophic nails, dysplasia of the elbows and iliac horns. Less frequently renal and ocular damages occur. The abnormal gene in NPS is located at the distal end of the long arm of Chromosome 9. Mutations in the human LMX1B gene have been demonstrated to be responsible for NPS. It encodes a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor which plays an important role in limb development in vertebrates. Extensive mutation analysis of different NPS families by different groups failed to demonstrate any genotype-phenotype correlation. Renal involvement occurs in 30-60% of patients and presents with proteinuria and/or microscopic hematuria, edema, hypertension. Progression to nephrotic syndrome occurs in less than 20% of patients, and renal failure in about 10% of NPS patients requiring dialysis and/or transplantation. We report three cases of NPS with different degrees of renal involvement and present a review of the literature on this rare hereditary condition.

[Renal replacement therapies in intensive care units: cost analysis]. / Valutazione dei costi nelle terapie sostitutive renali in area critica.

The medical treatment of intensive care unit patients represents one of the greatest costs in the health care system. Patients affected by acute renal failure account for about -10% of cases: dialysis treatment is of major importance in an economical setting. Recent studies compared continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with intermittent hemodialysis (IHD). Cost comparison of the two methods showed that CRR is more expensive due to the technical device costs, while the intermittent dialysis costs depended mostly on human resources management, e.g. a longer time spent for nurse and hemodyalisis surveillance. Moreover, a higher dialysis dose, easily obtained with CRRT, could improve survival and renal function recovery leading to a reduction in hospitalization and consequently minor health care costs. These parameters, if opportunely evaluated and verified through randomized multicentric trials, could lead to an economical balance between CRRT and IHD; nephrologists, then, could choose a method out of medical and clinical more than economic reasons.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura associated with acetaminophen and codeine.

We report a case of a relapse of Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) associated with intake of paracetamol (also known as acetaminophene) and codeine. A 69-year-old man presented with fever, gross hematuria, acute renal failure, palpable purpuric skin rash over the legs, feet and arms, arthralgias and abdominal discomfort. 1 week before he had started therapy with co-efferalgan (association of paracetamol and codeine) for cervical arthrosis. Blood test revealed increase in serum creatinine levels (2.6 mg/dl), CRP (375 mg/dl), with no thrombocytopenia or hypocomplementemia. Co-efferalgan was discontinued. Gross hematuria resolved in 2 days, purpuric rash disappeared in 10 days, renal function returned to normal after 2 weeks and abdominal pain and arthralgias improved on the following 2 - 3 weeks. An objective causality assessment in accordance with the Naranjo algorithm, revealed that the adverse drug reaction was probable between paracetamol/codeine and Henoch-Schönlein purpura. To our knowledge, and based on a medline search (up to 2005), we believe that this could be considered the first case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura, associated with intake of paracetamol and codein. Although this event could be considered rare, clinicians should to be aware of possible associations between HUS and the intake of paracetamol and/or codeine to provide an early therapeutic intervention and a close monitoring.

Azygos arch cannulation by central venous catheters for hemodialysis.

Cannulation of central veins and placement of catheters for temporary haemodialysis is a common procedure in the management of patients with end stage renal failure. The internal jugular vein is the site of choice for central venous catheter placement, being associated with the lowest complication rate. This procedure can be associated with a variety of malpositions of the catheter and rarely, can lead to significant morbidity and even mortality, if this is not recognised and corrected early. For anatomical reasons, the risk of azygos arch cannulation is substantially increased if catheters are inserted via left-sided veins. We report a case with a rare complication associated with the insertion of a catheter for temporary haemodialysis.

[Acute renal failure secondary to retroperitoneal fibrosis as first manifestation of lupus nephritis]. / Insufficienza renale acuta secondaria a fibrosi retroperitoneale come manifestazione iniziale di nefrite lupica.

Retroperitoneal fibrotic is a fibrous process of the retroperitoneum and can result in ureteral obstruction. Although the pathogenesis is unknown, it is suggested that an immunological mechanism plays a role. It can occur as an isolated finding or be associated with several conditions such as malignancies, infections, connective tissue disease and the action of drugs. However, a few cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis, associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been reported. We describe a case of a 23-year-old female with lupus nephritis who presented with bilateral obstructive nephropathy due to retroperitoneal fibrosis. Treatment with steroids improved both conditions. Our case and previously reported cases of SLE and retroperitoneal fibrosis support the hypothesis that this association is not fortuitous, but reflects a common immunological mechanism.

[Chronic renal failure and tuberous sclerosis. Report of two clinical cases]. / L'insufficienza renale cronica avanzata nella sclerosi tuberosa. Descrizione di due casi clinici.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disease characterized by a high rate of spontaneous mutations involving at least two loci: TSC(1) (9q34) and TSC(2) (16p13). It results in hamartomas or tumours which can affect a variety of organs, most commonly the brain, skin and kidneys. At least half of patients with TSC have underlying renal pathology, most commonly angiomyolipomas (AML) and/or cysts with, more rarely, adenocarcinoma, but oncocytomas, sarcomas, interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis have all been reported. Renal disorders may be asymptomatic or associated with acute lumbar ache, hematuria, abdominal mass, retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Renal failure is infrequent. The diagnosis of this disease is often performed, as in the present cases, very late and it is made possible by radiological examinations such as TC scan o RMI (when renal failure is present), usually performed after macrohaematuria or abdominal or renal colics or renal failure. When fatty tissue cannot be demonstrated within renal lesion (as in the female case), biopsy can be undertaken to exclude malignancy. Histology at the edge of an AML may look like renal carcinoma, but recent studies suggest that it can be differentiated by staining for HMB-45 which is positive in AML and negative in carcinoma. Two cases of tuberous sclerosis with different neurological fenotype, with bilateral renal angiomyolipomatosis and heavy renal failure, are presented.

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide-immunoreactivity in dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus neurons of immature rats.

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide, a family of neuropeptides, is shown to inhibit food intake upon intracerebroventricular injection to the rat. CART peptide-immunoreactivity (irCART) was detected in neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) of postnatal day one (P1) rats, the earliest day examined. The number of labeled DMNV neurons reached the peak between P5 and P8 rats and gradually declined thereafter. Few irCART neurons were noted in the DMNV between P22 and P90 rats. Double-labeling the medullary sections from P5 and P8 rats with CART-antiserum and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-antiserum revealed that irCART neurons in the DMNV were ChAT-immunoreactive (irChAT), but not all irChAT neurons were irCART. Intraperitoneal injection of the retrograde tracer Fluorogold to P3 and P5 rats labeled DMNV neurons, the majority of which were also irCART. The number of irCART neurons in other regions of the brain and spinal cord generally showed an increase in adult rats as compared to that of the same regions in immature rats. Our result suggests that expression of irCART in DMNV neurons undergoes developmental changes such that few neurons appear to contain irCART in mature rats. As a corollary, CART may be a signaling molecule to the gastrointestinal tract during the critical period of early development.

Retroviral vector-mediated gene transfer into umbilical cord blood-derived megakaryocyte and platelet progenitors.

Optimizing platelet engraftment following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is essential for minimizing transplant-related morbidity, particularly following umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT), where platelet engraftment frequently takes >60 days. One strategy for optimizing platelet engraftment following UCBT is to study or alter the genetic program of megakaryocyte/platelet (Mk/plt) progenitors. Retroviral vector gene transfer has previously proven useful for studying the biology of hematopoietic stem cells; however, procedures for transducing UCB cells of the Mk/plt lineage with retroviral vectors have not been described. We report here that Mk/plt progenitors generated from UCB progenitors can be efficiently transduced with retroviral vectors. Transduced Mk/plt cells were identified and quantitated by expression of a vector transgene encoding a truncated version of the human nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR). Vector-mediated NGFR expression could be readily detected in Mk/plt progenitors defined by immunophenotypic, morphologic, and functional criteria. In addition, NGFR expression persisted in mature anucleate platelets generated from the transduced Mk/plt progenitors. These methods may be useful for introducing genetic elements into Mk/plt progenitors to study various aspects of platelet development and biology and for marking ex vivo expanded Mk/plt progenitors to determine their contribution to engraftment.

Erythrocyte autoantibodies in paediatric patients with sickle cell disease receiving transfusion therapy: frequency, characteristics and significance.

The formation of erythrocyte autoantibodies following transfusion therapy has been described in case reports and small series. To determine the frequency, serological characteristics, and clinical significance of this phenomenon in paediatric patients with sickle cell disease, we analysed the patient database at the Duke University Pediatric Hematology Clinic. We identified children who received multiple erythrocyte transfusions, then reviewed clinical records to identify children who developed erythrocyte autoantibodies in association with transfusions. Among 184 paediatric patients who received multiple erythrocyte transfusions, 14 children (7.6%) developed warm (IgG) erythrocyte autoantibodies. Median transfusion exposure at the time of autoantibody formation was 24 erythrocyte units, range 3-341 units. The autoantibody reacted as a panagglutinin in 11 cases but had anti-e specificity in three patients. Surface complement also was detected in five patients. Clinically significant haemolysis was documented in four patients, each of whom had both surface IgG and C3 detected. The development of erythrocyte autoantibodies was associated with the presence of erythrocyte alloantibodies. Formation of warm erythrocyte autoantibodies in association with transfusions is not rare in paediatric patients with sickle cell disease. Clinicians should be aware of this complication and recognize that the presence of surface C3 is often associated with significant haemolysis.

Ewing's tumor and papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid in a 14-year-old girl.

PURPOSE: We describe an adolescent girl with Stage 1 Ewing's tumor and localized papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid gland, a previously unreported association. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 14-year-old girl with right axillary adenopathy was evaluated. RESULTS: Ewing's tumor was diagnosed after a lymph node biopsy. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the axilla, chest wall, and neck demonstrated a nodule in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. A biopsy revealed papillary adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of Ewing's tumor and carcinoma of the thyroid in the same patient.

Relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia: similar outcomes for autologous and allogeneic marrow transplantation in selected children.

The therapy of choice for relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is controversial. We retrospectively compared the outcome of 57 patients who received autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with 17 patients who underwent allogeneic BMT for B cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia after at least one marrow relapse. The allogeneic BMT cohort included only those who would also have been eligible for autologous BMT had they not had a matched sibling donor. Specifically, patients who were not in complete remission, those with T cell positive leukemia, t(9;22) or those with only an extramedullary relapse were excluded from both groups. Conditioning regimens included total body irradiation and chemotherapy. Age, white blood count at diagnosis, and duration of first and longest complete remissions were comparable for the two groups. The median follow-up of the event-free survivors was 4.8 years for those who received an autologous BMT (n = 26) and 4.6 years for those who received an allogeneic BMT (n = 8). The relapse rate was higher in the autologous BMT group and the incidence of non-leukemic deaths higher in the allogeneic BMT group. Event-free survival at 3 years was comparable for the two groups (47% +/- 7 vs 53% +/- 12, autologous vs allogeneic, respectively; P = 0.77). Based upon these findings, we concluded that the outcome for autologous BMT was equivalent to allogeneic BMT for relapsed childhood B cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia in selected clinical situations.

An investigation of the binding site of alpha 2u-globulin using isotopically labeled ligands and inverse nuclear magnetic resonance techniques.

A series of isotopically labeled ligands were bound to the protein alpha 2u-globulin. These protein complexes were studied using 13C, 19F, and selective inverse detection NMR experiments to determine chemical shifts and nuclear Overhauser effect correlations for the labeled sites of the ligands. The NMR data indicate that the labeled portions of the ligands are located in a highly aromatic region of the alpha 2u-globulin binding pocket. Molecular modeling based on the NMR data and a medium resolution X-ray crystal structure of alpha 2u-globulin predicts a model for ligand binding which is consistent with experimental observations and calculated ring current effects. Conformational changes in the aromatic region of the binding site upon binding these ligands in solution may be supported by this model.

Anthracyclines.

The genotoxicity and carcinogenicity data from in vitro and in vivo studies conducted during preclinical safety assessment of doxorubicin (DOXO), epirubicin (EPI) and idarubicin (IDA), are reviewed. The genotoxicity assays included a) gene mutation in Salmonella typhimurium with 5 tester strains; b) gene mutation in the V79 mammalian (lung) cell line; c) chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes cultured in vitro; and d) chromosome aberrations in mouse bone marrow cells after intravenous (i.v.) administration in vivo. The long-term toxicity studies in the rat included a) single dose administration (3 mg/kg DOXO, 3.6 EPI and 0.75 IDA) to female rats of two different age groups, i.e. younger (7 weeks old at dosing) and older (13 weeks old), followed by one-year observation; and b) multiple dose administration to male and female rats (7 weeks old at dosing), consisting of i.v. administration of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg DOXO or EPI and 0.06, 0.125 and 0.25 mg/kg IDA, once every 3 weeks for 10 cycles, followed by 18 months of observation. The genotoxicity studies revealed activity in gene mutation assays in bacterial and mammalian cells, and in chromosome aberration assays in human lymphocytes in vitro and in mouse bone marrow in vivo. In the two long-term studies in the rat, only mammary tumors were present. This finding was expected and, according to the literature, can be considered as species specific and not directly compound-related. The lack of tumor induction at the usual target organs for DNA reactive compounds, which are almost the same as those considered as target organs in anthracycline-exposed animals, indicates that the type and the extent of DNA damage precludes stimulation for proliferation and induction of neoplasia. Although an epigenetic mechanism can be hypothesized, support for such a mechanism is lacking.

Flunarizine enhancement of melphalan activity against drug-sensitive/resistant rhabdomyosarcoma.

Flunarizine, a diphenylpiperazine calcium channel blocker, is known to increase tumor blood flow. It also interferes with calmodulin function, repair of DNA damage and drug resistance associated with P-glycoprotein. Flunarizine was tested for its ability to modulate either cyclophosphamide- or melphalan-induced growth delay for a drug-resistant rhabdomyosarcoma xenograft (TE-671 MR) and the drug-sensitive parent line (TE-671), in which P-glycoprotein is not involved in the mechanism of drug resistance. Tumour blood flow was increased by 30% after a flunarizine dose of 4 mg kg-1, but no modification in growth delay was induced by melphalan (12 mg kg-1). In contrast, a 60 mg kg-1 dose of flunarizine had no effect on tumour blood flow, but the same dose created significant enhancement in melphalan-induced tumour regrowth delay in both tumour lines. The dose-modifying factor for flunarizine as an adjuvant to melphalan was approximately 2 for both tumour lines. Although blood flow measurements were not performed with the combination of flunarizine and melphalan, the results from flunarizine alone suggested that augmentation of melphalan cytotoxicity is not mediated by changes in blood flow. In contrast, flunarizine did not affect drug sensitivity to cyclophosphamide in groups of animals bearing the drug-sensitive parent tumour line. These results suggest that the mechanism of drug sensitivity modification by flunarizine is not related to modification of tumour blood flow, but may be mediated by modification of transport mechanisms that are differentially responsible for cellular uptake and retention of melphalan as compared with cyclophosphamide.

Overview of toxicological data on rifabutin.

Rifabutin is a wide spectrum antibiotic particularly active on atypical and rifampicin-resistant mycobacteria. Rifabutin is more potent than rifampicin on Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro. Its mode of action is characterized by a high intracellular penetration in treated individuals. Clinical trials have proven the therapeutic value of rifabutin especially in AIDS patients with concomitant MAC. The preclinical safety evaluation of this compound included single and repeated dose toxicity studies of up to one year in rodents and non-rodents, reproduction and carcinogenicity studies and mutagenicity tests. During toxicological studies the most significant finding after repeated administration of rifabutin was the presence of multinucleated hepatocytes (MNH) in rats. This is a species specific finding which did not affect the life span of the hepatocytes. As shown in carcinogenicity studies, there was no tendency to further proliferative changes. Another specific histological feature among the species studied was the presence of a lipofuscin-like brown pigment, which was seen in many organs. This is a common finding with amphipilic compounds, such as rifabutin, which bind lipids and proteins, forming membrane-bound complexes. Even in carcinogenicity studies this change did not constitute a stimulus to cell proliferation and did not cause any secondary changes. In rodents, there was a mild hemolytic anemia at doses higher than 10 mg/kg/day. At doses ranging from 160-200 mg/kg/day rifabutin inhibited the functions of the male gonads in rats. This effect was reflected in a reduction of implantations observed in the fertility studies. Doses of 40 mg/kg/day did not induce any embryotoxic effects or changes in reproductive performance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anthracyclines - a review of general and special toxicity studies.

Preclinical safety assessment data on doxorubicin (DOXO), epirubicin (EPI), idarubicin (IDA) and methoxymorpholinodoxorubicin (MORPHO), from mouse, rat and dog studies are reviewed. These data are put into perspective allowing for extrapolations across species, doses and dose regimens with recommendations for proper human use. The compounds were administered intravenously or intraperitoneally in studies ranging from single dose to multiple dose studies of different durations. The compounds were given once, daily, weekly or cyclically. In the cyclic administration studies, DOXO, EPI, and IDA were given for 3 consecutive days a week for 6 or 13 weeks; MORPHO was given for 3 consecutive days a week every three weeks for a total of 9 cycles. The duration of the cyclic studies was from 6-26 weeks. Daily dose studies lasted from 4-26 weeks. In the single dose studies the recovery ranged from 4 weeks to one year; in the multiple dose studies from 4 to 8 weeks. A few special studies were also considered. In all studies reviewed, 2 different types of toxicity were observed. These toxicities occur also in man. The first is the acute toxicity, which is the consequence of cytotoxicity and expresses the exaggerated pharmacological activity of the compounds. The target sites in all 3 species and in man include the hemolymphopoietic system (HLPS), the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, skin and testes; all renewing cell types. The second type of toxicity is the chronic progressive toxicity. This toxicity is the expression and result of sustained disruption of cytoplasmic homeostasis and occurs in non-renewing cell types. The target sites include the heart (both animals and man), kidneys (rodents) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) (rodents). From single administration animal data, chronicity, site and magnitude of toxicities can be predicted in man. Despite strong mitogenic stimuli in the rat, there is no evidence that there is a potential for hemolympho- or hepatocarcinogenicity with these compounds.

Simultaneous detection of and differentiation between herpes simplex and varicella-zoster viruses with two fluorescent probes in the same test system.

Specimens from skin lesions were examined simultaneously for herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) by direct specimen testing and shell vial culture in single-test systems. For direct testing, cells in a single specimen well were stained with a combination direct-indirect immunofluorescence stain by using two fluorescent tags. A total of 203 fresh specimens were tested in parallel. Of these, 100 specimens contained too few cells for the direct VZV comparison and 91 contained too few cells for the HSV comparison. After these specimens were eliminated, the sensitivities and specificities, respectively, of the dual direct test were 86.1 and 97.3% for HSV compared with single culture and 92.2 and 100% for VZV compared with single direct testing. Shell vial monolayers in the combined cultures were stained for both viruses by the same method. A total of 305 fresh specimens were cultured in parallel by dual- and single-culture methods. The sensitivities and specificities, respectively, of the combined culture compared with separate cultures were 100 and 98.4% for HSV and 87.9 and 99.2% for VZV. The combined methods gave a performance comparable to those of single tests, required less specimen volume, and were less costly to perform.