Efficacy of istradefylline for gait disorders with freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: A single-arm,open-label,prospective, multicenter study

Background: Gait disorders are common in Parkinson’s disease patients who respond poorly to dopaminergic treatment. Blockade of adenosine A_2A receptors is expected to improve gait disorders. Istradefylline is a first-in-class selective adenosine A_2A receptor antagonist with benefits for motor complications associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Research design and methods: This multicenter, open-label, single-group, prospective interventional study evaluated changes in total gait-related scores of the Part II/III Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) in 31 Parkinson’s disease patients treated with istradefylline. Gait analysis by portable gait rhythmogram was performed.

Results: MDS-UPDRS Part III gait-related total scores significantly decreased at Weeks 4–12 from baseline with significant improvements in gait, freezing of gait, and postural stability. Significant decreases in MDS-UPDRS Part II total scores and individual item scores at Week 12 indicated improved daily living activities. At Week 12, there were significant improvements in FOG-Q, new FOG-Q, and overall movement per 48 h measured by portable gait rhythmogram. Adverse events occurred in 7/31 patients.

Conclusions: Istradefylline improved gait disorders in Parkinson’s disease patients complicated with freezing of gait, improving their quality of life. No unexpected adverse drug reactions were identified.

Trial registration: UMIN-CTR (UMIN000020288).     

食管癌高、低发区食管鳞癌患者生存及其影响因素分析

目的 探讨食管癌高、低发区食管鳞癌患者的生存状况及其影响因素。方法 收集38 741例经病理学证实为食管鳞癌患者的资料，其中，高发区患者23 273例（60.1%），低发区15 468例（39.9%）。所有患者均行食管癌根治术。运用卡方检验分析不同临床病理特征患者的组间差异，Kaplan-Meier法绘制不同临床病理特征患者的生存曲线并用Log rank进行检验。多因素Cox比例风险回归模型法分析影响生存的主要因素。结果 低发区男性患者所占比例高于高发区（P<0.001），低发区诊断年龄≥50岁食管癌患者所占比例高于高发区（P<0.001）。高发区食管鳞癌患者的整体生存优于低发区患者（P<0.001）。Cox比例风险回归模型综合分析结果表明：高低发区、性别、确诊年龄、肿瘤部位、分化程度、TNM分期和肿瘤家族史均是影响食管鳞癌患者生存的独立因素。结论 高发区食管鳞癌患者整体生存优于低发区；低发区是食管鳞癌患者预后差的独立危险因素。     

Treatment strategies for hypertension in patients with type 1 diabetes

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic, autoimmune disease that is characterized by total absence of insulin production. Hypertension is a common comorbidity in T1DM with complex pathophysiology, while it is also a well-recognized risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as other microvascular diabetic complications.     

Resveratrol attenuates high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by maintaining gut barrier integrity and inhibiting gut inflammation through regulation of the endocannabinoid system

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维生素D与多囊卵巢患者胰岛素抵抗相关性及其机制研究

目的:探讨维生素D对多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者胰岛素抵抗(IR)的影响及其机制研究.方法:选取自2013年2月～2014年2月在该院就诊的48例PCOS患者作为PCOS组,另选30例健康育龄期妇女作为对照组,测量研究者身高、体质量参数,计算体质指数(BMI),采用全自动生化分析仪葡萄糖氧化酶检测空腹血糖浓度(FBG)、化学发光法检测血清空腹胰岛素(FI)及胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)水平、ELISA方法测定血清25-(OH)D3浓度,计算稳态胰岛素评价指数(HOMA-IR)用于评价胰岛素抵抗性,量化胰岛素敏感指数(QUICKI)用于评价胰岛素敏感度,并分析FI、HOMA-IR、QUICKI及IGF-1与血清25-(OH)D3浓度的相关性.结果:PCOS组BMI及FBG与对照组相比,差异无统计学差异(P＞0.05),而FI、HOMA-IR、QUICKI、25-(OH) D3及IGF-1与对照组比较,差异均有统计学差异(P＜0.05);并且PCOS组FI和HOMA-IR与血清25-(OH)D3浓度呈显著负相关,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),QUICKI和IGF-1水平与血清25-(OH)D3浓度呈显著正相关,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论:PCOS患者IR可能与血清中维生素D缺乏有关,而IGF-1分泌减少又可能是导致PCOS患者维生素D缺乏的重要原因.     

Botulinum toxin blocks mast cells and prevents rosacea like inflammation

Background

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition whose etiology has been linked to mast cells and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37. Individuals with refractory disease have demonstrated clinical benefit with periodic injections of onabotulinum toxin, but the mechanism of action is unknown.

A DNA vaccine expressing an optimized secreted FAPα induces enhanced anti-tumor activity by altering the tumor microenvironment in a murine model of breast cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), major components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), promote tumor growth and metastasis and inhibit the anti-tumor immune response. We previously constructed a DNA vaccine expressing human FAPα, which is highly expressed by CAFs, to target these cells in the TME, and observed limited anti-tumor effects in the 4T1 breast cancer model. When the treatment time was delayed until tumor nodes formed, the anti-tumor effect of the vaccine completely disappeared. In this study, to improve the safety and efficacy, we constructed a new FAPα-targeted vaccine containing only the extracellular domain of human FAPα with a tissue plasminogen activator signal sequence for enhanced antigen secretion and immunogenicity. The number of CAFs was more effectively reduced by CD8⁺ T cells induced by the new vaccine. This resulted in decreases in CCL2 and CXCL12 expression, leading to a significant decrease in the ratio of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the TME. Moreover, when mice were treated after the establishment of tumors, the vaccine could still delay tumor growth. To facilitate the future application of the vaccine in clinical trials, we further optimized the gene codons and reduced the homology between the vaccine and the original sequence, which may be convenient for evaluating the vaccine distribution in the human body. These results indicated that the new FAPα-targeted vaccine expressing an optimized secreted human FAPα induced enhanced anti-tumor activity by reducing the number of FAPα⁺ CAFs and enhancing the recruitment of effector T cells in the 4T1 tumor model mice.     

Evaluation of vilazodone for the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders

Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) significantly contribute to the global burden of disease. Vilazodone, a combined serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A partial agonist, is an approved therapy for the treatment of MDD and which has been further investigated for GAD.

Areas covered: This article covers the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of vilazodone and provides an evaluation of the clinical usefulness of vilazodone for the treatment of MDD and anxiety disorders. A literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library.

Expert opinion: Studies have shown that vilazodone is significantly superior to placebo. However, vilazodone cannot as yet be recommended as a first-line treatment option for MDD as it is unclear whether the drug’s dual mechanism of action provides greater efficacy than prevailing treatment options. Moreover, more phase IV studies are needed to establish its efficacy and long-term safety in larger and more diverse populations. Although vilazodone may have an additional advantage for the treatment of anxiety symptoms in MDD, here also additional studies are required to confirm its efficacy over and above SSRI alternatives and other antidepressant treatments. Therefore, presently, vilazodone should be considered as a second- or third-line treatment option for MDD and GAD.