Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Posaconazole in Japanese Patients Receiving Fungal Prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Posaconazole is a vital drug to treat and prevent invasive fungal infections. Several factors, such as sex, body weight, total serum proteins, dietary intake, and severe mucositis, affect posaconazole pharmacokinetics (PKs). However, the relevance of other factors that affect the PKs of posaconazole in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is unknown. This study explored factors influencing the PKs of posaconazole in HSCT recipients and nontransplant patients with hematological diseases. METHODS: The authors conducted a single-institution, retrospective study. Forty-two Japanese inpatients receiving oral posaconazole tablets as prophylaxis for fungal infections were enrolled in this study. A one-compartment model with first-order absorption was used as the structural pharmacokinetic model. A population PK (PopPK) analysis was performed using a nonlinear mixed-effects modeling program, using a first-order conditional estimation method with interactions. Perl-speaks-NONMEM and R were used to evaluate the goodness of fit and visualize the output. RESULTS: In 29% of the enrolled patients, the serum concentration of posaconazole was <0.5 mcg/mL, considered the effective range. PopPK analysis revealed that the patient had undergone HSCT within 1 year, diarrhea occurred more than 5 times a day, and aspartate aminotransferase were covariates that influenced apparent clearance (CL/F). The CL/F of posaconazole was 1.43-fold higher after HSCT and 1.26-fold higher during diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: PopPK analysis revealed that HSCT, diarrhea, and aspartate aminotransferase were factors associated with the CL/F of posaconazole. The trough concentration of posaconazole may be below the therapeutic range in a few patients with diarrhea and/or after HSCT. As invasive fungal infections in patients with hematologic diseases can be life-threatening, therapeutic drug monitoring of posaconazole is strongly recommended, and patients should be carefully monitored.

A case report of a prolonged decrease in tacrolimus clearance due to co-administration of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in a lung transplant recipient receiving itraconazole prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Drug-drug interaction management is complex. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is a potent cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A inhibitor and influences pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs. Although there are several reports about drug-drug interactions of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, an influence of a concomitant use of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and another potent CYP3A inhibitor on tacrolimus remains unclear. Here, we experienced a lung transplant patient with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this patient, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was administered, and the inhibitory effect of itraconazole on CYP3A was prolonged. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case in forties who had undergone lung transplantation. He was administered itraconazole and tacrolimus 1.0 mg/d, with a trough value of 8-12 ng/mL. The patient contracted the COVID-19, and a nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment was initiated. During the antiviral treatment, tacrolimus administration was discontinued for 5 d. Tacrolimus was resumed at 1.0 mg/d after completion of the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment, but the trough value after 7 d was high at 31.6 ng/mL. Subsequently, the patient was placed on another 36-h tacrolimus discontinuation, but the trough value decreased to only 16.0 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Co-administration of ritonavir caused a prolonged decrease in tacrolimus clearance through its inhibitory effects on CYP3A in a patient taking itraconazole. Management of drug-drug interaction by pharmacists can be important for patients with multiple medications.

Association between time in therapeutic range of tacrolimus blood concentration and acute rejection within the first three months after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Tacrolimus is a key drug in immunosuppressive therapy following lung transplantation. The blood tacrolimus levels are likely to fluctuate in the early postoperative period, and failure to maintain the tacrolimus trough level in target ranges is a risk factor for rejection. However, there is little information about the relationship between the time in therapeutic range (TTR) of the tacrolimus trough level (tacrolimus TTR) and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association between tacrolimus TTR and acute rejection (AR) within the first three months after lung transplantation. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent lung transplantation at a single center. The target tacrolimus trough levels were 10-15 ng/mL, and tacrolimus TTR was calculated using the Rosendaal method. The cut-off value of the tacrolimus TTR was estimated by receiver operating characteristic analysis based on AR. RESULTS: The study included 90 patients. AR was observed in 26 patients. In this study, ''early-AR'' was defined as any AR within 2 weeks post-transplant (n = 22) and ''late-AR'' was defined as any AR after 1-month post-transplant (n = 4). For early AR, the relationship between tacrolimus TTR and the onset of AR was examined. There were no differences in the tacrolimus TTR between the early-AR group and non-AR group (35.7 ± 22.4 vs 31.5 ± 19.9%, P = 0.416). For late-AR, the relationship with tacrolimus TTR was examined every 10 d. The tacrolimus TTR during postoperative days (POD) 21-30 and POD 31-onset was significantly lower in the late-AR group than the no-AR group (50.0 ± 7.1 vs. 71.8 ± 18.0% and 37.0 ± 26.6 vs. 68.9 ± 31.5%, P < 0.05, respectively). The cutoff value of the tacrolimus TTR during POD 21-30 was estimated as 55.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a lower tacrolimus TTR is a predictor of late AR. A tacrolimus TTR of 55% or higher is necessary to reduce the risk of AR during this period after lung transplantation.

Population pharmacokinetics of everolimus in adult liver transplant patients: Comparison to tacrolimus disposition and extrapolation to pediatrics.

Everolimus has recently been used to prevent graft rejection in liver transplantation and reduces the incidence of kidney dysfunction caused by calcineurin inhibitors. In this study, a population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted to improve the individualization of everolimus therapy. Japanese post-liver transplant patients whose blood everolimus concentrations were measured between March 2018 and December 2020 were included in this study. A nonlinear mixed-effect modeling program was used to explore covariates that affect everolimus pharmacokinetics. Individual everolimus pharmacokinetic parameters estimated by the post-hoc Bayesian analysis using the final model were compared with the tacrolimus dose per trough concentration (D/C) ratio in each patient. The final model was extrapolated to pediatric liver transplant patients for external evaluation. A total of 937 concentrations from 87 adult patients were used in the model-building process. Everolimus clearance was significantly affected by the estimated glomerular filtration rate, concomitant use of fluconazole, sex, as well as total daily dose of everolimus (TDM effect). The estimated individual apparent clearance of everolimus by the post-hoc Bayesian analysis was moderately correlated with the D/C ratio of tacrolimus in each patient (R2  = 0.330, p < 0.0001). The estimation accuracy in pediatric patients was considerably high, except for one infant out of 13 patients. In conclusion, population pharmacokinetic analysis clarified several significant covariates for everolimus pharmacokinetics in liver transplant patients. Everolimus pharmacokinetics moderately correlated with tacrolimus pharmacokinetics and could be extrapolated from adult to pediatric patients by body size correction, except for infants.

Improved absorption of itraconazole tablet by co-administration with lemon beverages in a lung transplant recipient: A case report.

After lung transplantation, itraconazole (ITCZ) is used as a prophylaxis for aspergillosis. ITCZ is a weak base with high lipophilicity, and the dissolution and absorption of ITCZ tablets and capsules are pH dependent. Therefore, ITCZ may not achieve sufficient serum concentrations in patients with higher gastric pH because of its poor bioavailability. We report a case of a woman in fifties with post-COVID-19 respiratory failure who successfully underwent lung transplantation, followed by improved bioavailability of ITCZ tablets when given with acidic lemon beverages. The patient was initially administered ITCZ oral solution; this was discontinued because of its unpleasant taste, nausea, and vomiting. The ITCZ oral solution was replaced with ITCZ tablets 78 days after transplantation; however, serum concentrations of ITCZ and hydroxy-ITCZ were below the detection limit (100 ng/mL). We co-administered ITCZ tablets with commercially available lemon beverages. Subsequently, serum concentrations of ITCZ and hydroxy-ITCZ increased to 341 and 673 ng/mL, respectively, on the 125th day after transplantation. Infection with fungi, including Aspergillus spp., was not observed in this case. The patient had no adverse events such as gastric ulcer or hyperglycemia. These results suggest that the co-administration of lemon beverages and ITCZ tablets may help achieve better absorption of ITCZ in patients taking acid suppressants.

Effect of Itraconazole and Its Metabolite Hydroxyitraconazole on the Blood Concentrations of Cyclosporine and Tacrolimus in Lung Transplant Recipients.

Invasive Aspergillus infection is a major factor for poor prognosis in patients receiving lung transplantation (LT). An antifungal agent, itraconazole (ITCZ), that has antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus species, is used as a prophylactic agent against Aspergillus infection after LT. ITCZ and its metabolite, hydroxyitraconazole (OH-ITCZ), potently inhibit CYP3A and P-glycoprotein that metabolize or excrete calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), which are the first-line immunosuppressants used after LT; thus, concomitant use of ITCZ and CNIs could induce an increase in the blood concentration of CNIs. However, no criteria for dose reduction of CNIs upon concomitant use with ITCZ in LT recipients have been defined. In this study, the effect of ITCZ and OH-ITCZ on the blood concentrations of two CNIs, tacrolimus and cyclosporine, after LT were retrospectively evaluated. A total of 39 patients who received LT were evaluated. Effects of ITCZ and OH-ITCZ on the concentration/dosage (C/D) ratio of tacrolimus and cyclosporine were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. The plasma concentrations of OH-ITCZ were about 2.5-fold higher than those of ITCZ. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the plasma concentrations of ITCZ and OH-ITCZ. Based on parameters obtained in the linear regression analysis, the C/D ratios of cyclosporine and tacrolimus increase by an average of 2.25- and 2.70-fold, respectively, when the total plasma concentration of ITCZ plus OH-ITCZ is 1000 ng/mL. In conclusion, the plasma levels of ITCZ and OH-ITCZ could be key factors in drawing up the criterion for dose reduction of CNIs.

Association of Initial Trough Concentrations of Vancomycin with Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with Gram-Positive Bacterial Infection.

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic used for the treatment of Gram-positive infections. For adult patients, treatment with vancomycin requires effective therapeutic drug-monitoring (TDM) to achieve clinical outcomes and reduce the incidence of adverse effects. However, it remains still unclear whether the TDM with vancomycin is beneficial in yielding better clinical outcomes in pediatrics. The objective of our study was to evaluate whether the clinical response to treatment was associated with initial trough concentrations of vancomycin in pediatric patients. A retrospective observation study of 60 patients (age: 1 month-15 years) who had completed and qualified for analysis was conducted at Kyoto University Hospital. The response to treatment was assessed by the time to resolution of fever and time to 50% decline in C-reactive protein (CRP). In addition, we explored whether vancomycin trough level was associated with the baseline characteristics. Trend analysis showed that there were significant correlations between vancomycin trough level and age, body weight, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and serum albumin levels. The time to resolution of fever of the patients with higher initial trough level (≥ 5 µg/mL) was significantly lower than that of the patients with lower trough level (< 5 µg/mL). The higher vancomycin concentration tended to be associated with the shorter time to 50% decline in CRP. The findings suggest that initial trough concentration is important in achieving better outcomes with vancomycin treatment in pediatrics.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Once-Daily Tacrolimus Compared With Twice-Daily Tacrolimus in the Early Stage After Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of tacrolimus using the once-daily (OD) formulation in the early stage after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in comparison with those using the twice-daily (TD) formulation. METHODS: Nine patients undergoing primary LDLT and treated with the OD tacrolimus formulation were included. The trough blood concentration (C0) of tacrolimus was monitored every day for 3 weeks after LDLT. A time course study of the blood tacrolimus concentrations and calcineurin (CN) phosphatase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed 3 weeks after LDLT. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were compared with previously reported data using the TD formulation. RESULTS: The interindividual variability in the daily dose of tacrolimus was significantly larger in the OD formulation than in the TD formulation (P < 0.001). In the time course study, the tacrolimus blood concentrations at 4, 8, and 12 hours after administration and the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 hours (AUC0-24) in the OD group were significantly higher than in the TD group, although the C0 was equivalent. In addition, the C0 was not significantly correlated with the AUC0-24 in the OD formulation. The apparent clearance and the pharmacodynamic parameters examined were not significantly different between the OD and TD groups. CONCLUSIONS: The C0 monitoring of the OD formulation may not be optimal in patients at the early stage after LDLT because the C0 was not correlated with the AUC0-24. If clinicians target the same C0 using the OD and TD formulations, the exposure of tacrolimus can be higher in the OD formulation, and excessive immunosuppression should be noted. Particular attention should be paid to the patients in the early stage after LDLT in the use of the OD oral formulation of tacrolimus.

A relationship between a level of hemoglobin after delivery and exclusive breastfeeding initiation at a baby friendly hospital in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The recent National Nutrition Survey of 2013 demonstrated that 16.7% of women in childbearing age are underweight, and 5.0-10.0% of these women manifested a Hemoglobin (Hb) level less than 11.0 g/dl. The purpose of this study was to investigate if such maternal nutritional status affects success of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated 1532 dyads of mothers and infants with full-term singleton pregnancies delivered during 2011 at a perinatal center in Tokyo. Outcome is EBF initiation defined as the successful practice at discharge and 1 month after discharge. A logistic regression model was applied to investigate the impact of Hb levels (<9.0, 9.0-10.9, and ≥11.0 g/dl) measured within 2-3 days after delivery on successful EBF initiation adjusting for covariates including bleeding at delivery. RESULTS: Mean age was 34 years, 23.0% were underweight and 63.0% were nulliparous. The success rate for EBF initiation at discharge and at 1 month after discharge was 72.7 and 63.0% for a Hb level <9.0 g/dl, 81.9 and 68.9% for a Hb level of 9.0-10.9 g/dl, and 85.7 and 75.9% for a Hb level ≥11.0 g/dl, respectively. A logistic regression model showed that risk factors of unsuccessful EBF practice at discharge and 1 month after discharge included lower level Hb categories (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), postpartum hemorrhage > 500 ml (P = 0.089 and P = 0.011), maternal age (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), nulliparity (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001), pregnancy-induced hypertension (P = 0.002 and P = 0.012), gestational week (P = 0.006 and P = 0.002), Low Birth Weight (LBW) (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), and immediate separation (P < 0.001 and P = 0.020). After adjusting for the covariates, compared with a Hb level ≥11.0 g/dl, a Hb level <9.0 g/dl was significantly associated with unsuccessful EBF initiation at discharge [odds ratio (OR): 2.15; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.37-3.39] and at 1 month after discharge (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.10-2.42), and a Hb level of 9.0-10.9 g/dl also was significant at 1 month after discharge (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.04-1.75). Pre-pregnancy underweight was not associated with success of EBF practice both at hospital discharge and 1 month after discharge. CONCLUSION: Maternal severe anemia after delivery was associated with the risk of unsuccessful initiation of EBF even after adjusting for bleeding at delivery, suggesting the importance of dietary management especially in the later trimester.

Recurrence of Ovarian Cancer with Placental Metastasis: A Case Report.

A 39-year-old primiparous Japanese female was admitted to the obstetrical emergency department of our hospital because of respiratory distress resulting from a large amount of pleural effusion, soon after a caesarean delivery (CD) at another hospital. While she was undergoing the CD, a giant ovarian tumour was identified. However, the tumour could not be removed at that facility and she was transferred to our hospital. Three days after the CD, a left salpingo-oophorectomy was performed with the purpose of controlling pleural and peritoneal effusions. Based on her past treatment history and the information gathered from this surgery, recurrence of ovarian cancer was considered the final diagnosis. Earlier, at the age of 37 years, she had been diagnosed with stage IC ovarian adenocarcinoma arising from a mature cystic teratoma detected after a right salpingo-oophorectomy. These kinds of situations of accidental detection of recurrent advanced ovarian cancer in a newly pregnant patient in the emergency department are rare. Amongst them, we have identified an extremely rare case showing placental metastasis. The important lesson learnt from this case report is that detailed medical interviews and physical examinations are crucial when a pregnant woman visits a hospital without a letter of referral, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Pre-pregnancy body mass index as a predictor of low birth weight infants in Japan.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) infants in Japan has doubled in the last several decades. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) on LBW infants of Japanese women. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective study was conducted using data on 1,336 mothers (mean age, 34.0 years)whose pre-pregnancy BMI was less than 23 kg/m2 and their singleton infants were born at full term between January and December in 2011. The outcome of interest was LBW infants (less than 2,500 g). The main exposure variables were pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG. The effects of these two variables on LBW were determined after adjusting for confounder variables such as maternal age, smoking, drinking, parity, gestational week at birth and infant gender. RESULTS: The proportion of LBW infants was 4.2% in total, 6.1% among underweight mothers (<18.5 kg/m2) and 3.5% among normal weight mothers (18.5-22.9 kg/m2).A stepwise multivariable logistic regression model showed that underweight mother were more likely [odds ratio (OR) 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-3.31] than normal weight mother to deliver a LBW infant. Mothers with inadequate GWG <8.5 kg were more likely to deliver a LBW infant (OR 1.66, 95% CI: 0.80-3.45) compared with mothers who gained 10.5-12.4 kg (the third lowest quartile) but this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that mothers who were underweight before pregnancy were independently associated with the delivery of LBW infants.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Topiramate in Japanese Pediatric and Adult Patients With Epilepsy Using Routinely Monitored Data.

BACKGROUND: Topiramate is a second-generation antiepileptic drug used as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in adults and children with partial seizures. A population pharmacokinetic (PPK) analysis was performed to improve the topiramate dosage adjustment for individualized treatment. METHODS: Patients whose steady-state serum concentration of topiramate was routinely monitored at Kyoto University Hospital from April 2012 to March 2013 were included in the model-building data. A nonlinear mixed effects modeling program was used to evaluate the influence of covariates on topiramate pharmacokinetics. The obtained PPK model was evaluated by internal model validations, including goodness-of-fit plots and prediction-corrected visual predictive checks, and was externally confirmed using the validation data from January 2015 to December 2015. RESULTS: A total of 177 steady-state serum concentrations from 93 patients were used for the model-building analysis. The patients' age ranged from 2 to 68 years, and body weight ranged from 8.6 to 105 kg. The median serum concentration of topiramate was 1.7 mcg/mL, and half of the patients received carbamazepine coadministration. Based on a one-compartment model with first order absorption and elimination, the apparent volume of distribution was 105 L/70 kg, and the apparent clearance was allometrically related to the body weight as 2.25 L·h·70 kg without carbamazepine or phenytoin. Combination treatment with carbamazepine or phenytoin increased the apparent clearance to 3.51 L·h·70 kg. Goodness-of-fit plots, prediction-corrected visual predictive check, and external validation using the validation data from 43 patients confirmed an appropriateness of the final model. Simulations based on the final model showed that dosage adjustments allometrically scaling to body weight can equalize the serum concentrations in children of various ages and adults. CONCLUSIONS: The PPK model, using the power scaling of body weight, effectively elucidated the topiramate serum concentration profile ranging from pediatric to adult patients. Dosage adjustments based on body weight and concomitant antiepileptic drug help obtain the dosage of topiramate necessary to reach an effective concentration in each individual.

Factors Associated with Blood Loss after Delivery in 1,294 Mothers with Full-Term Singleton Baby.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the predisposing factors associated with blood loss after delivery in mothers with full-term singleton babies. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated 1,294 women who delivered singleton babies vaginally in 2011 at a medical center in Tokyo. We determined the amount of blood loss after delivery and covariates of age, parity, pre pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), gestational week, pregnancy complications, lifestyles of smoking and drinking, placental weight, and infant weight and sex. RESULTS: The majority of participants had lost less than 500 ml of blood (n=868, 67%), 21% lost between 500-799 ml of blood (n=273), 12% lost 800 ml or more of blood (n=153). The amount of blood loss statistically increased (p<0.001) as pre pregnancy BMI category level increased from underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5-22.9 kg/m2), to overweight/obesity (≥23 kg/m2). Compared with the least category of GWG <8.2 kg, ≥8.2 kg GWG was statistically associated with a larger amount of blood loss category (p=0.032). Multinomial logistic regression analyses demonstrated that with the reference pre pregnancy BMI 18.5-22.9 kg/m2, obese and obesity mothers with pre pregnancy BMI ≥23 kg/m2 were at an increased risk of blood loss [OR 2.28, 95%confidence interval (95%CI): 1.48-3.50 for the category of 500-799 ml and OR 2.15, 95%CI: 1.29-3.59 for a category of 800 ml≤)]. In addition, pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) (p=0.010) and infant weight (p<0.0001) significantly increased the risk of blood loss. CONCLUSIONS: In mothers with full-term singleton babies, increased pre pregnancy BMI overweight/obesity, PIH, and infant weight, were suggested to be risk factors for increased amount of blood loss.

Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Levetiracetam in Pediatric and Adult Patients With Epilepsy by Using Routinely Monitored Data.

BACKGROUND: Levetiracetam, a second-generation antiepileptic drug, is frequently used for managing partial-onset seizures. About 70% of the administered dose is excreted in urine unchanged, and dosage adjustment is recommended based on the individual's renal function. In this study, a population pharmacokinetic model of levetiracetam was developed using routinely monitored serum concentration data for individualized levetiracetam therapy. METHODS: Patients whose serum concentrations of levetiracetam at steady-state were routinely monitored at Kyoto University Hospital from April 2012 to March 2013 were enrolled. The influence of patient characteristics on levetiracetam pharmacokinetics was evaluated using the nonlinear mixed-effects modeling (NONMEM) program. RESULTS: A total of 583 steady-state concentrations from 225 patients were used for the analysis. The median patient age and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were 38 (range: 1-89) years and 98 (15-189) mL·min·1.73 m, respectively. Serum concentration-time data of levetiracetam were well described by a 1-compartment model with first-order absorption. Oral clearance was allometrically related to the individual body weight and eGFR. An increase in the dose significantly increased oral clearance. No improvement in model fit was observed by including the covariate of any concomitant antiepileptic drugs. The population mean clearance for an adult weighing 70 kg and with a normal renal function was 4.8 and 5.9 L/h for 500 mg bis in die (bid) and 1500 mg bid, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Oral clearance allometrically related with body weight and eGFR can well predict the routine therapeutic drug monitoring data from pediatric to aged patients with varying renal function. Dosage adjustments based on renal function are effective in controlling the trough and peak concentrations in similar ranges.

Combined effects of maternal age and parity on successful initiation of exclusive breastfeeding.

Maternal age at first childbirth has increased in most developed countries in the past 20 years. The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of maternal age at delivery and parity on successful initiation of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). This retrospective study investigated 1193 singleton dyads with vaginal-delivered at 37-42 gestational weeks during January and December in 2011 at one large "Baby-Friendly" certified hospital in Japan. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate individual and combined effects of maternal age and parity on successful initiation of EBF after adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, pregnancy complications, mothers' underlying illness, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, gestational week at delivery, child's sex and nurturing support from grandparents. Success rates of EBF at one month after child delivery was 69.4% in primiparous aged ≥ 35 (group A: n = 284), 73.5% in multiparous aged ≥ 35 (group B: n = 268), 74.3% in primiparous aged < 35 (group C: n = 432), and 82.3% in multiparous aged < 35 (group D: n = 209). Older maternal age and primiparous became independently associated with EBF initiation. The combined effect for successful initiation of EBF was the lowest in group A referent to group D both at discharge and at one month (odds ratio (OR) 5.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.0-11.9, and OR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4-3.4, respectively). Primiparous mothers in late child-bearing aged 35 years or older are at the greatest risk of EBF initiation.

Effectiveness of sirolimus in combination with cyclosporine against chronic rejection in a pediatric liver transplant patient.

The patient is a 3-year-old boy who received living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatoblastoma, with his mother as the donor. Oral tacrolimus was started at a dose of 0.3 mg every 12 h from day 1, with the dosage adjusted on the basis of trough concentrations. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), and total bilirubin (T-bil) were 110 U/L, 182 U/L, and 12.6 mg/dL, respectively, when chronic rejection (CR) was pathologically diagnosed. Then, sirolimus at a dose of 1.0 mg/d was added to the tacrolimus-based regimen. The T-bil level rapidly decreased to 5.4 mg/dL, without changes in AST and ALT. Because the intracellular receptor of sirolimus and tacrolimus is FK506-binding protein 12, we switched tacrolimus to cyclosporine at a dose of 60 mg/d to avoid competitive inhibition between these 2 drugs. The target trough concentration of sirolimus and cyclosporine was set to around 15 ng/mL and 180 ng/mL, respectively. The concentration/dose ratio of sirolimus was significantly correlated with the blood cyclosporine level (r=0.5293, p<0.05), suggesting the pharmacokinetic interaction between these 2 drugs. Thereafter, the levels of AST and ALT as well as the T-bil were successfully decreased to 73 U/L, 83 U/L, and 3.0 mg/dL, respectively. These results suggest that sirolimus therapy in combination with cyclosporine may be an effective treatment against CR after liver transplantation.

Guidelines for office gynecology in Japan: Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2011 edition.

Gynecology in the office setting is developing worldwide. Clinical guidelines for office gynecology were first published by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2011. These guidelines include a total of 72 clinical questions covering four areas (Infectious disease, Malignancies and benign tumors, Endocrinology and infertility, and Healthcare for women). These clinical questions were followed by several answers, backgrounds, explanations and references covering common problems and questions encountered in office gynecology. Each answer with a recommendation level of A, B or C has been prepared based principally on evidence or consensus among Japanese gynecologists.These guidelines would promote a better understanding of the current standard care practices for gynecologic outpatients in Japan.

Significance of trough monitoring for tacrolimus blood concentration and calcineurin activity in adult patients undergoing primary living-donor liver transplantation.

PURPOSE: Tacrolimus pharmacokinetics and calcineurin activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were investigated in adult patients undergoing primary living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in order to clarify the significance of monitoring the tacrolimus blood trough concentration during the early post-transplantation period. METHODS: Fourteen patients were enrolled in this study, and time-course data following the oral administration of a conventional tacrolimus formulation twice daily were obtained at 1 and 3 weeks post-transplantation. The concentration of tacrolimus in whole blood and calcineurin activity in PBMCs were measured. RESULTS: The apparent clearance of tacrolimus significantly increased at 3 weeks versus 1 week post-transplantation, although the trough concentration did not significantly differ at these time points. The concentration at each sampling time, except at 1 h post-dose, correlated well with the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h (AUC(0-12)). Neither the concentration at the trough time point nor AUC(0-12) was correlated with the area under the calcineurin activity-time curve from 0 to 12 h; however, calcineurin activity at the trough time point was strongly correlated with the latter (r (2) > 0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, trough concentration monitoring can be considered an appropriate procedure for routine tacrolimus dosage adjustment in adult LDLT patients. Monitoring of calcineurin activity at the trough time point was also found to be potentially useful for predicting the immunological status of the patient during the tacrolimus dosing interval.

Absence of influence of concomitant administration of rabeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus in adult living-donor liver transplant patients: a case-control study.

This study assesses the effects of rabeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus, considering the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 and CYP3A5 genotypes of living-donor liver transplant patients (native intestine) and their corresponding donors (graft liver). We examined the concentration/dose ratio of tacrolimus in transplant patients treated with (n=17) or without (n=38) rabeprazole at 10 mg/day on postoperative days 22-28. A stratified analysis revealed no significant differences between the control and rabeprazole groups in the median (range) concentration/dose ratio of tacrolimus [(ng/mL)/(mg/day)] for CYP2C19 extensive/intermediate metabolizers [2.71 (1.00-6.15) versus 2.55 (0.96-9.25); P=0.85] and for poor metabolizers [4.92 (2.44-7.00) versus 3.82 (2.00-7.31); P=0.68], respectively. Even based on the classification of CYP2C19 genotypes of donors, no significant difference in the concentration/dose ratio of tacrolimus was found for the two groups (CYP2C19 extensive/intermediate metabolizers, P=0.52; poor metabolizers, P=0.51). The same was observed for CYP3A5(*)1 carriers (P=0.97 for native intestine; P=0.87 for graft liver) and CYP3A5(*)3/(*)3 carriers (P=0.89 for native intestine; P=0.56 for graft liver). These findings suggest a safer dosing and monitoring of tacrolimus coadministered with rabeprazole early on after liver transplantation regardless of the CYP2C19 and CYP3A5 genotypes of transplant patients and their donors.

Comparison of mesenchymal stem cells derived from arterial, venous, and Wharton's jelly explants of human umbilical cord.

We isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from arteries (UCA), veins (UCV), and Wharton's jelly (UCWJ) of human umbilical cords (UC) and determined their relative capacities for sustained proliferation and multilineage differentiation. Individual UC components were dissected, diced into 1-2 mm(3) fragments, and aligned in explant cultures from which migrating cells were isolated using trypsinization. Preparations from 13 UCs produced 13 UCWJ, 11 UCV, and 10 UCA cultures of fibroblast-like, spindle-shaped cells negative for CD31, CD34, CD45, CD271, and HLA-class II, but positive for CD13, CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, and HLA-class I. UCV cells exhibited a significantly higher frequency of colony-forming units fibroblasts than did UCWJ and UCA cells. Individual MSCs could be selectively differentiated into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. When compared for osteogenic potential, UCWJ cells were the least effective precursors, whereas UCA-derived cells developed alkaline phosphatase activity with or without an osteogenic stimulus. UC components, especially blood vessels, could provide a promising source of MSCs with important clinical applications.