Value appropriation in hepatitis C

The European Journal of Health Economics - In 2015, the Swedish government in an unprecedented move decided to allocate 150 million € to provide funding for new drugs for hepatitis C. This...     

Mucolytic activity of azelastine in mice and rats

The mucolytic activity of azelastine, an antiallergic/antiasthmatic drug, in mice and rats was investigated. The oral administration of test compounds 30 min before phenol red i.p. injection stimulated dye secretion in the trachea of mice. The resulting oral ED₅₀'s (mg/kg) were: azelastine, 0.16; salbutamol, 2.5;N-acetylcysteine, 61.8;S-Carboxymethyl-l-cysteine, <100; bromhexine, >100; and potassium iodide, 200. In rats, several drugs stimulated secretion of fluorescein sodium (FINa) in the tracheobronchial lumen. The resulting oral ED₅₀'s (mg/kg) were: azelastine, 0.33; terbutaline, 0.3; salbutamol, 0.89; andS-carboxymethyl-l-cysteine, 56.8. Terfenadine and diphenhydramine (1–10 mg/kg, p.o.) did not stimulate tracheal secretion in rats and mice. The mucolytic activity of azelastine may contribute to its overall effectiveness, including antitussive activity in asthmatics. Finally, this activity seems to be dissociated from its H₁-histamine receptor blocking activity.     

Surgical scar endometriosis after Cesarean section: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous endometriosis is a rare condition. CASE REPORT: A 37-year-old woman came to our observation 3 years after Cesarean section for a nodule under the scar that became spontaneously painful during menstrual bleeding. Transabdominal ultrasound examination, serum CA125 determination and histopathological analysis of the nodule were performed. Ultrasound revealed the presence of an oval-shaped hypoechogenic neoformation, while the serum CA125 level was slightly increased, and a diagnosis of endometriosis was confirmed by the histopathological analysis of a surgical specimen. CONCLUSION: This is an interesting case of surgical scar endometriosis, and the etiopathogenetic mechanism of this location may be explained by a dissemination of endometrial tissue during the Cesarean section.     

Abdominal compartment syndrome after laparoscopic salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy

Abdominal compartment syndrome is a consequence of increased intraabdominal pressure. It can be triggered by inflammation, hemorrhage, chemical peritonitis, or prolonged insufflations during laparoscopy. It is a well-known phenomenon for intensive care specialists, but gynecologists are relatively unfamiliar with its occurrence. A woman with heterotopic pregnancy underwent urgent laparoscopy because of abdominal hemorrhage. The postoperative course was complicated by abdominal pain, ascites, bowel dysfunction, and renal failure, which resolved rapidly after catheterization and paracentesis. In this case, abdominal compartment syndrome developed after unremarkable laparoscopy, and appeared to be triggered by change of progesterone formulation. Decompression by paracentesis was lifesaving, and led to rapid resolution of the symptoms.     

The opposing effects of the flavonoids isoquercitrin and sissotrin, isolated from Pterospartum tridentatum, on oral glucose tolerance in rats

The effect of an aqueous extract of Pterospartum tridentatum on the blood glucose levels of normal Wistar rats was investigated in a situation of oral glucose challenge. The extract at 300 mg/kg showed an antihyperglycaemic effect in the first 30 min after glucose challenge but then the blood glucose levels rose above those of the control group, indicating the presence of compounds with different effects on glucose tolerance. Nine compounds of isoflavone and flavonol skeletons were identified in the extract by HPLC-ESI-MS(n), four of them being identified for the first time in this species. The isoflavone sissotrin and the flavonol derivative, isoquercitrin, were selected for the oral glucose tolerance test. Isoquercitrin (100 mg/kg) showed time-dependent antihyperglycaemic activity by delaying the post-oral glucose load glycaemic peak at 30 min, as did the sodium-dependent glucose transporter inhibitor phloridzin (100 mg/kg). In contrast, sissotrin (100 mg/kg) showed an opposite effect, impairing glucose tolerance. In conclusion, these preliminary results indicate that the effect of the extract on blood glucose may be either antihyperglycaemic or hyperglycaemic. Additionally, as far as is known, these are the first in vivo results on the acute antihyperglycaemic potential of isoquercitrin.     

Chondrosarcoma of the uterus: case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Pure heterologous sarcomas of the uterine corpus are extremely rare, accounting for 4% of all uterine sarcomas. Primary chondrosarcoma, which is characterized by the absence of epithelial or other heterologous mesenchymal elements, is included in this group. To this date, only 17 cases, including the presenting case, have been reported. CASE: A 55-year-old female presenting with post-menopausal bleeding was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma of the uterus, after abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy. After 8 months of surgery, there is no evidence of recurrence after receiving external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. CONCLUSION: Primary chondrosarcoma of the uterus is an extremely rare uterine tumour most frequently diagnosed by the pathologist. They are usually aggressive malignant tumours with an early relapse and metastases.     

Case of benralizumab‐induced exacerbations of chronic spontaneous urticaria

The role of IL‐5 in chronic spontaneous urticarial (CSU) is unclear. It may be that benralizumab is an important bidirectional modifier of CSU; that is, blocking IL‐5 may improve CSU in some patients, but it is possible that it may worsen CSU in others.     

The Role of Social Support in Machismo and Acceptance of Violence Among Adolescents in Europe: Lights4Violence Baseline Results

PurposeTo analyze the potential association between social support, experiences of violence, and sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents and the likelihood of acceptance of violence and machismo in different European countries.MethodsCross-sectional design. We recruited 1,555 participants ages 13–16 from secondary schools in Alicante (Spain), Rome (Italy), Iasi (Romania), Matosinhos (Portugal), Poznan (Poland), and Cardiff (UK). We used linear regression models to identify how social support from teachers and parents, experiences of violence—dating violence, bullying, cyberbullying, abuse in childhood—and sociodemographic characteristics were associated with violent thinking, specifically: machismo and acceptance of violence. The analysis was stratified by sex.ResultsAcceptance of violence was higher for those who had lower perceived social support from parents (β_girls = ?154, p < .001; β_boys = ?.114, p = .019) for both sexes. Perpetration of bullying and/or cyberbullying was associated with higher scores for machismo and acceptance of violence for both sexes (β_girls = .067, p = .035; β_boys = .225, p < .001; (β_girls = .118, p < .001; β_boys = .210, p < .001). Being the victim of dating violence, having suffered physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood, and lower perceived social support from teachers were associated with higher scores for both machismo and acceptance of violence. These associations differed between girls and boys.ConclusionsMachismo and acceptance of violence are widely present amongst adolescents in different European countries. Our results suggest the importance of providing educational/psycho-educational interventions with boys and girls to prevent these attitudes and, in turn, prevent interpersonal violence, including bullying and dating violence.     

Hyperimmunized Chickens Produce Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic. Effective interventions are urgently needed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and likely require multiple strategies. Egg-extracted antibody therapies are a low-cost and scalable strategy to protect at-risk individuals from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Commercial laying hens were hyperimmunized against the SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein using three different S1 recombinant proteins and three different doses. Sera and egg yolk were collected at three and six weeks after the second immunization for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plaque-reduction neutralization assay to determine antigen-specific antibody titers and neutralizing antibody titers, respectively. In this study we demonstrate that hens hyperimmunized against the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant S1 and receptor binding domain (RBD) proteins produced neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. We further demonstrate that antibody production was dependent on the dose and type of antigen administered. Our data suggests that antibodies purified from the egg yolk of hyperimmunized hens can be used as immunoprophylaxis in humans at risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.