Modified IDARAM chemotherapy regimen for primary central nervous system lymphoma: experience of three cases

The use of radiotherapy (RT) with chemotherapy has improved disease free survival and control in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). We have encountered three patients with histologically documented central nervous system lymphoma. In all patients pathological diagnosis was B-cell lymphoma. We modified IDARAM regimen to R-IDARAM to enhance and optimize chemotherapeutic components for the treatment of PCNSL. We made three changes: (i) we added rituximab 375 mg/m(2) day 1; (ii) increased dose of MTX from 2 to 3 g/m(2); and (iii) administered two additional courses of R-IDARAM after cranial RT. Following complete staging after course 2, radiotherapy was applied at a dosage of 3600-4140 cGy in conventional schedule (180 or 200 cGy per day) to whole brain (with 3600 cGy to eyes in one case because of eye involvement) and then 2 additional courses of R-IDARAM (totally four courses) chemotherapy regimen were applied. Complete remission (CR) was achieved after first two cycles of R-IDARAM in patient 1 and 3 and after four cycles in patient 2. Currently, three patients have been alive for 29, 10, 15 months respectively. Currently there is no standard treatment modality for PCNSL. Increased dosage of MTX, adding rituximab and consolidation of the IDARAM to R-IDARAM regimen may improve disease control and outcome in PCNSL patients.     

Therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with neurological diseases: Multicenter retrospective analysis

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), is a procedure, changing pathologic substances in the plasma of patients with replacement fluid. TPE has an increasing list of indications in recent years such as neurological, connective tissue, hematological, nephrological, endocrinological and metabolic disorders. We report our multicenter data about therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with neurological diseases. Six University Hospitals’ aphaeresis units medical records about neurologic diseases were reviewed retrospectively. Hundred and fifteen patients and 771 TPE sessions from six aphaeresis units’ were included to this study. Of the 115 patients, 53 (46%) were men and 62 (54%) were women. The median age was 50 (range: 5–85) years. Of these patients 58.3% were Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS), 17.4% were acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), 10.4% were chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), 7% were multiple sclerosis, 6.1% were myasthenia gravis (MG) and 0.9% were Wilson disease (WD). The median number of TPE sessions per patient was 5 (range 1–72). Human albumin was used as a replacement fluid in 66% and fresh frozen plasma was used in 34% of cases. TPE was done through central venous catheters in 66%, and peripheral venous access in 34% of patients. Some complications were seen in patients (18.3%) during TPE sessions. These complications were, complications related to catheter placement procedure (8.7%), hypotension (3.5%), hypocalcaemia (3.5%) and allergic reactions (1.7%). The complication ratios were 2.7% in total 771 TPE procedures. TPE procedure was terminated in 6% of sessions depending on these complications. Overall responses to TPE were noted in 89.5% of patients.In conclusion; Therapeutic plasma exchange is an effective treatment option in several neurologic diseases.     

Antioxidant properties of propofol and erythropoietin after closed head injury in rats

Reactive oxygen species play a role during brain injury due to closed head trauma. Enzymatic or nonenzymatic antioxidants may protect brain tissue against oxidative damage. The present study was performed to assess the changes of endogenous indices of oxidative stress in serum from rats subjected to head trauma and whether treatment with propofol and/or erythropoietin (EPO) modifies the levels of endogenous indices of oxidative stress. For these purposes, female Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups: non-traumatic sham group, trauma performed control, trauma with propofol (i.p.), trauma with EPO (i.p.) and trauma with propofol and EPO performed study groups. At the end of the experimental procedure, blood was taken by cardiac puncture to determine superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in serum. Serum MDA level of control traumatic brain injury (TBI) group was significantly higher than sham operation group (p<0.012). Serum MDA levels in propofol, EPO and propofol+EPO groups were found to be decreased in comparison with control group (p<0.039, p<0.030 and p<0.018, respectively). Serum NO level was found to be increased in TBI group, but difference was not statistically significant when compared to sham-operated group (p=0.092). Propofol, EPO and propofol+EPO administration efficiently reduced serum NO levels to reach sham-operated group (p<0.002, p<0.001 and p<0.015, respectively). These results suggested that acute administration of both propofol and EPO altered the indices of oxidative stress similarly against brain injury due to trauma.     

Does dexmedetomidine affect intraoperative blood loss and clotting tests in pediatric adenotonsillectomy patients?

BackgroundWe hypothesize that dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective α₂ adrenergic receptor agonist, may affect the intraoperative blood loss and clotting tests such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and international normalized ratio in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (ADT).MethodsSixty patients scheduled for elective ADT under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either DEX 0.5 μg/kg (group D) or placebo bolus (group C) with a total volume of 10 mL, 10 min before the induction of anesthesia. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, blood loss, preoperatively and immediately after awakening clotting tests, agitation, sedation, visual analog scale, and analgesic requirement, were assessed and recorded.ResultsThe postoperative hemoglobin was significantly lower than the preoperative value in both groups (P < 0.05). The postoperative agitation scale and analgesic requirement and visual analog scale at the 15th min were significantly lower in group D than those in group C (P < 0.05). Total blood loss and postoperative sedation score in group D was significantly higher than that in group C (P < 0.05). The postoperative prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio tests between the groups, additionally pre-postoperative MAP, heart rate, and clotting tests were similar in each group.ConclusionsThe premedication with DEX 0.5 μg/kg decreased postoperative agitation, pain, and analgesic requirement without significant change in the clotting tests and MAP but increased bleeding slightly during ADT.     

The effects of DEX premedication on volatile induction of mask anesthesia (VIMA) and sevoflurane requirements

We investigated the effect of intravenous premedication with single dose of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on volatile anesthetic induction time and sevoflurane requirements of anesthesia maintenance in adults by monitoring the bispectral index (BIS). Sixty adult patients with status of ASA I–II undergoing general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation were randomly divided into two groups: The first group; a control group (group C, n = 30) and the second group; DEX group (group D, n = 30). Each patient in group D was premedicated with intravenous DEX 0.5 μg/kg or placebo 10 min before the induction of anesthesia. Anesthesia was induced by fentanyl 1 μg/kg, 1:1 ratio of nitrous oxide and oxygen and sevoflurane of 5–8 % and rocuronium bromur (Esmeron) 0.5 mg/kg keeping BIS values at 40–50. Time to induction of anesthesia, BIS, End-tidal sevoflurane concentration (Et_sevoflurane), End-tidal CO₂ concentration, duration of surgery, recovery time, hemodynamic variables, adverse effects were recorded intraoperatively. Analgesic requirement was noted in postoperative 24 h-period. The time to induction of anesthesia (p < 0.0001) and Et_sevoflurane at 1 min (p < 0.05) were significantly lower in group D than in group C. Intravenous premedication with 0.5 μg/kg of DEX decreased the induction time by almost 75 % and provided a significant decrease in Et_sevoflurane.     

Prefrontal cortical response to emotional faces in individuals with major depressive disorder in remission

Abnormalities in the response of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to negative emotional stimuli have been reported in acutely depressed patients. However, there is a paucity of studies conducted in unmedicated individuals with major depressive disorder in remission (rMDD) to assess whether these are trait abnormalities. To address this issue, 19 medication-free rMDD individuals and 20 healthy comparison (HC) participants were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an implicit emotion processing task in which they labeled the gender of faces depicting negative (fearful), positive (happy) and neutral facial expressions. The rMDD and HC groups were compared using a region-of-interest approach for two contrasts: fear vs. neutral and happy vs. neutral. Relative to HC, rMDD showed reduced activation in left OFC and DLPFC to fearful (vs. neutral) faces. Right DLPFC activation to fearful (vs. neutral) faces in the rMDD group showed a significant positive correlation with duration of euthymia. The findings support deficits in left OFC and DLPFC responses to negative emotional stimuli during euthymic periods of MDD, which may reflect trait markers of the illness or a 'scar' due to previous depression. Recovery may also be associated with compensatory increases in right DLPFC functioning.     

Effects of long-term antidepressant treatment on oxidative status in major depressive disorder: a 24-week follow-up study

Purpose

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating disease that afflicts large populations and has also been accepted to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Oxidative stress seems to play an essential role in the relationship of MDD and CVD. We aimed to determine the level of oxidative stress in patients with MDD and to investigate the effects of long-term antidepressant (AD) treatment on the oxidative-antioxidative system parameters and CVD risk factors.

Method

Fifty patients who fully met the fourth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for MDD and 44 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Control visits of the patients were repeated 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks after beginning of the AD treatment. Lipid profiles, oxidation and oxidizability of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins (expressed as apo B-b-MDA and apo B-Δ-MDA, respectively), levels of plasma malondialdehyde (p-MDA), total antioxidative capacity (TAOC), antioxidant molecules and antioxidant enzyme activities including paraoxonase/arylesterase, red blood cell superoxide dismutase (RBC-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase were determined during 24-week of follow-up period.

Results

According to the results of the study, p-MDA, apo B-b-MDA and RBC-SOD activity were increased and arylesterase activity was decreased in MDD patients. Body mass index (BMI), vitamin A and total cholesterol levels in MDD patients increased after 24-weeks of AD treatment. RBC-SOD activity, TAOC, p-MDA and apo B-b-MDA levels were decreased; paraoxonase/arylesterase activities and apo B-Δ-MDA were increased at the end of 24th week.

Conclusion

Oxidative stress, demonstrated in MDD patients, was partly improved during 24 weeks of AD treatment. Increase in paraoxonase/arylesterase activities and decrease in p-MDA and apo B-b-MDA levels after 24 weeks seem to be beneficial for reduction of CVD risk in MDD patients. However increased BMI and apo B-Δ-MDA levels are negative cardiovascular effects of long-term AD treatment.     

The angle kappa in strabismic individuals

PURPOSE: To determine angle kappa values in strabismic individuals by means of a synoptophore. METHODS: One hundred-and-eight strabismic subjects and 102 healthy subjects who served as a control group were enrolled in the study. A complete ophthalmologic examination, including determination of refractive status, best-corrected visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp biomicroscopic anterior segment evaluation, intraocular pressure measurements with a Goldmann applanation tonometer, and dilated fundus examination, was done on all study participants. Orthoptic examination included Krimsky prism reflex test, prism cover test, and duction tests. Strabismic patients were grouped into two categories according to their deviation types: exotropic and esotropic. A synoptophore (Clement Clarke, London, England) with a specially designed slide (Maddox test slide series A White Binding No: 16; Clement Clarke, London, England) was used to measure angle kappa. RESULTS: Of the 108 strabismic patients, 62 were males and 46 were females with a mean age of 23.38 +/- 3.68 years (range: 8 to 82 years). There were 54 males and 48 females with a mean age of 32.74 +/- 1.63 years (range: 7 to 68 years) in the control group. The exotropic group had significantly higher angle kappa values than either the controls or the esotropic group (independent sample t-test, p < 0.001). None of the study participants had negative angle kappa values. Higher average kappa values were obtained in left eyes than in right eyes in all three groups (student t-test, p < 0.01 for all groups). CONCLUSION: This study showed that exotropic patients have higher angle kappa values when compared to esotropic patients. Ophthalmologists must take the kappa angle into account when performing a Hirschberg or Krimsky test in young and uncooperative patients in order to improve surgical results.