Aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity: modeling,simulation, and control

The main constraints on the administration of aminoglycosides are the risks of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity, which can lead to acute, renal, vestibular, and auditory toxicities. In the present study we focused on nephrotoxicity. No reliable predictor of nephrotoxicity has been found to date. We have developed a deterministic model which describes the pharmacokinetic behavior of aminoglycosides (with a two-compartment model), the kinetics of aminoglycoside accumulation in the renal cortex, the effects of aminoglycosides on renal cells, the resulting effects on renal function by tubuloglomerular feedback, and the resulting effects on serum creatinine concentrations. The pharmacokinetic parameter values were estimated by use of the NPEM program. The estimated pharmacodynamic parameter values were obtained after minimization of the least-squares objective function between the measured and the calculated serum creatinine concentrations. A simulation program assessed the influences of the dosage regimens on the occurrence of nephrotoxicity. We have also demonstrated the relevancy of modeling of the circadian rhythm of the renal function. We have shown the ability of the model to fit with 49 observed serum creatinine concentrations for a group of eight patients treated for endocarditis by comparison with 49 calculated serum creatinine concentrations (r(2) = 0.988; P < 0.001). We have found that for the same daily dose, the nephrotoxicity observed with a thrice-daily administration schedule appears more rapidly, induces a greater decrease in renal function, and is more prolonged than those that occur with less frequent administration schedules (for example, once-daily administration). Moreover, for once-daily administration, we have demonstrated that the time of day of administration can influence the incidence of aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity. The lowest level of nephrotoxicity was observed when aminoglycosides were administered at 1:30 p.m. Clinical application of this model might make it possible to adjust aminoglycoside dosage regimens by taking into account both the efficacies and toxicities of the drugs.     

Neutrophil derived CSF1 induces macrophage polarization and promotes transplantation tolerance

The colony‐stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) regulates the differentiation and function of tissue macrophages and determines the outcome of the immune response. The molecular mechanisms behind CSF1‐mediated macrophage development remain to be elucidated. Here we demonstrate that neutrophil‐derived CSF1 controls macrophage polarization and proliferation, which is necessary for the induction of tolerance. Inhibiting neutrophil production of CSF1 or preventing macrophage proliferation, using targeted nanoparticles loaded with the cell cycle inhibitor simvastatin, abrogates the induction of tolerance. These results provide new mechanistic insights into the developmental requirements of tolerogenic macrophages and identify CSF1 producing neutrophils as critical regulators of the immunological response.     

Haplotype XV of the Y-chromosome is the main haplotype in West-Europe.

We have analyzed Y-chromosome variation in a large sample of males from Western Europe by surveying p49a,f TaqI polymorphisms. Haplotype XV (A3, Cl, D2, Fl, Il) is the main Y-chromosome haplotype in West Europe, with a Basque focus in Southwestern Europe. This study demonstrates that the geographic distribution of Y-chromosome variation for p49a,f TaqI haplotype XV reveals an important genetic identity for populations that live in the Occidental part of Europe.     

Defibrotide for Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome/Veno-Occlusive Disease Prophylaxis in High-Risk Adult Patients: A Single-Center Experience Study

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), also known as hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), is a serious complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). SOS/VOD usually occurs within 3 weeks of HSCT, but the 2016 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation diagnosis criteria have been revised to include late forms. Prophylactic use of defibrotide is recommended in the pediatric setting, but its value remains uncertain in the adult population. We report here a single-center series of 63 adult patients considered at high risk for SOS/VOD who received defibrotide prophylaxis in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid between May 2012 and August 2016. The median duration of defibrotide therapy was 23 days. Bleeding occurred in 14 patients (21.5%). Defibrotide prophylaxis was discontinued in 7 patients (10.8%): 4 cases (6.3%) due to bleeding and 3 cases (4.6%) because of the need for antithrombotic therapy. Overall, SOS/VOD occurred in 4 cases (6.3%) within 21 days after HSCT (days 13 and 14) in 2 cases and late-onset SOS/VOD (days 57 and 58) in the other 2 cases. SOS/VOD was moderate in 1 case, very severe in 3 cases, with 2 deaths related to SOS/VOD. Cumulative incidence of grades II to IV acute graft-versus-host disease and transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy were 22.2% and 3.2%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 10.7 to 60.3), the rates of 2-year overall survival, progression-free survival, incidence of relapse, and nonrelapse mortality were 56.5%, 49%, 28.7%, and 22.3%, respectively. In our experience defibrotide prophylaxis is associated with a low incidence of SOS/VOD after allogeneic HSCT in a high-risk adult population with an acceptable safety profile.