Vitamin D and autoimmunity.

OBJECTIVES: To review and evaluate the role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases based on current studies. METHOD: We searched PubMed using keywords such as 'vitamin D', 'autoimmune disease', and 'autoimmunity'. We compiled and reviewed various studies including prospective cohorts, cross-sectional studies, longitudinal evaluations, genetic studies, and experimental models that investigated the role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases. RESULTS: There is evidence based on these various studies that several key autoimmune diseases are modulated by vitamin D. These diseases include, but are not limited to, multiple sclerosis (MS), scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc), autoimmune thyroid diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). CONCLUSIONS: Although there is evidence for vitamin D as a factor in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases, the mechanism for this association has yet to be elucidated. Additional data are needed to corroborate these findings.

Single-dose fosaprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting associated with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: results of a randomized, double-blind phase III trial.

BACKGROUND: To establish the role of antiemetic therapy with neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonists (RAs) in nonanthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC)-based moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) regimens, this study evaluated single-dose intravenous (i.v.) fosaprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) associated with non-AC MEC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this international, phase III, double-blind trial, adult cancer subjects scheduled to receive ≥1 non-AC MEC on day 1 were randomized to a regimen comprising single-dose i.v. fosaprepitant 150 mg or placebo along with ondansetron and dexamethasone on day 1; control regimen recipients received ondansetron on days 2 and 3. Primary end points were the proportion of subjects achieving a complete response (CR; no vomiting and no use of rescue medication) in the delayed phase (25-120 h after MEC initiation) and safety. Secondary end points included CR in the overall and acute phases (0-120 and 0-24 h after MEC initiation, respectively) and no vomiting in the overall phase. Nausea and the Functional Living Index-Emesis were assessed as exploratory end points. RESULTS: The fosaprepitant regimen improved CR significantly in the delayed (78.9% versus 68.5%; P < 0.001) and overall (77.1% versus 66.9%; P < 0.001) phases, but not in the acute phase (93.2% versus 91.0%; P = 0.184), versus control. In the overall phase, the proportion of subjects with no vomiting (82.7% versus 72.9%; P < 0.001) and no significant nausea (83.2% versus 77.9%; P = 0.030) was also significantly improved with the fosaprepitant regimen. The fosaprepitant regimen was generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Single-dose fosaprepitant added to a 5-HT3 RA and dexamethasone was well tolerated and demonstrated superior control of CINV (primary end point achieved) associated with non-AC MEC. This is the first study to evaluate NK1 RA therapy as an i.v. formulation in a well-defined non-AC MEC population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV: NCT01594749 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01594749).

Antibiotic susceptibility of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus aureus from dogs in Grenada.

Sixty-nine Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from various clinical conditions in dogs over a 3 year period were evaluated for in vitro susceptibility to 8 antibiotics using the disk diffusion method. The majority of the isolates originated from cases of pyoderma (30.4%), and otitis externa (29.0%). The least resistance was seen against cephalothin (1.6% of the 64 isolates, followed by chloramphenicol (3.9% of 26 isolates). Highest resistance was seen against ampicillin (34.4% of 32 isolates), followed by tertracycline (29.0% of 69 isolates). Resistance rates to other drugs were as follows: enrofloxacin 17.1%, gentamicin 7.3%, neomycin 6.1% and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, 4.6%. Eleven isolates of S. aureus, showed no resistance to cephalothin. Overall the S. intermedius and S. aureus isolates were highly sensitive to cephalothin (98.7% susceptibility), suggesting that the first generation cephalosporins may be most useful drugs for treatment of Staphylococcus infection in dogs in Grenada.

Antibiotic susceptibility of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus aureus from dogs in Grenada.

Sixty-nine Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from various clinical conditions in dogs over a 3 year period were evaluated for in vitro susceptibility to 8 antibiotics using the disk diffusion method. The majority of the isolates originated from cases of pyoderma (30.4%), and otitis externa (29.0%). The least resistance was seen against cephalothin (1.6% of the 64 isolates, followed by chloramphenicol (3.9% of 26 isolates). Highest resistance was seen against ampicillin (34.4% of 32 isolates), followed by tertracycline (29.0% of 69 isolates). Resistance rates to other drugs were as follows: enrofloxacin 17.1%, gentamicin 7.3%, neomycin 6.1% and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, 4.6%. Eleven isolates of S. aureus, showed no resistance to cephalothin. Overall the S. intermedius and S. aureus isolates were highly sensitive to cephalothin (98.7% susceptibility), suggesting that the first generation cephalosporins may be most useful drugs for treatment of Staphylococcus infection in dogs in Grenada.