ABP 501 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, which has a negative impact on the ability to perform activities daily. Tumour necrosis factor α (TNF) is a cytokine with diverse cellular effects, and a key regulator of the inflammatory response. ABP 501 is a biosimilar to adalimumab, a TNF inhibitor.

Areas covered: In this review, we examined ABP 501, as a biosimilar candidate to adalimumab in the treatment of RA focusing on the available data. Current data indicate that ABP 501 is a highly similar alternative to adalimumab in terms of safety, efficacy, tolerability and immunogenicity. ABP 501 has already been approved by health authorities in Europe and the United States of America, as a subcutaneous (s.c.) therapy option for the treatment of patients with RA, but also for the full spectrum approved for its bio-originator adalimumab.

Expert opinion: Current body of evidence suggests that all biologic activities have been demonstrated to be equivalent between ABP 501 and the originator, including binding rates and affinity to TNF, and also the effector functions such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Therefore, it is fully expected to have same efficacy and safety in all indications.     

The vicious circle between physical,psychological, and physiological characteristics of shift work in nurses: a multidimensional approach

Sleep and Breathing - To compare physical, psychological, and physiological adaptations between rotating and morning shift health workers using objective and subjective approaches. Forty nurses...     

p21WAF1 protein expression determined by quantitative immunoassay in relation to non-small-cell lung cancer aggressiveness

Purpose: p21WAF1, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, is an important mediator of the cell-cycle arrest and tumor suppression induced by the protein p53. Although alterations of the p53 gene and its overexpression are frequent in most malignancies, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and may be associated with poor patient prognosis, the clinical utility of p21WAF1 expression in NSCLC has not been established. Methods: We have used a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for p21WAF1 to test soluble extracts of 54 NSCLC specimens with known clinicopathological properties. Results: There was no correlation between p21WAF1 and p53 concentrations, the latter being determined by a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay developed in-house. Furthermore, p21WAF1 levels were not associated with patient age, tumor/node/metastasis (TNM) stage, lymph node metastasis, histological grade or type, or smoking history, in Mann-Whitney analysis. χ²-tests, based on cutoffs equal to the 25th, 50th, or 75th percentiles of the p21WAF1 distribution, similarly did not reveal any statistically significant associations between p21WAF1 and other clinicopathological variables. Because of the small number of patients and the median follow-up of only 18 months, a meaningful survival analysis could not be performed. Conclusion: In summary, this preliminary study suggests that ELISA-quantified p21WAF1 levels in NSCLC extracts are weaker than p53 in terms of prognostic value and do not contribute to the further subclassification of patients. Received: 22 April 1999 / Accepted: 13 July 1999     

Occidental beriberi and sudden death

Beriberi, thiamine deficiency, is classified as "dry" (neurologic) or "wet" (cardiovascular) and may be mixed. Deficiency of this vitamin may be nutritional or secondary to alcohol intoxication. In Western societies (occidental beriberi), the disorder is more commonly observed in long-term alcohol abusers. However, it may go undiagnosed because it is relatively uncommon. In some cases (acute cardiovascular beriberi), early treatment with parenteral vitamin B1 is required to prevent the development of low-output state and sudden death. We report a case of occidental beriberi with fatal outcome despite therapy.     

A Holographic Augmented Reality Interface for Visualizing of MRI Data and Planning of Neurosurgical Procedures

Journal of Digital Imaging - The recent introduction of wireless head-mounted displays (HMD) promises to enhance 3D image visualization by immersing the user into 3D morphology. This work...     

Candida parapsilosis Resistance to Fluconazole: Molecular Mechanisms and In Vivo Impact in Infected Galleria mellonella Larvae

Candida parapsilosis is the main non-albicans Candida species isolated from patients in Latin America. Mutations in the ERG11 gene and overexpression of membrane transporter proteins have been linked to fluconazole resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the molecular mechanisms in fluconazole-resistant strains of C. parapsilosis isolated from critically ill patients. The identities of the nine collected C. parapsilosis isolates at the species level were confirmed through molecular identification with a TaqMan qPCR assay. The clonal origin of the strains was checked by microsatellite typing. The Galleria mellonella infection model was used to confirm in vitro resistance. We assessed the presence of ERG11 mutations, as well as the expression of ERG11 and two additional genes that contribute to antifungal resistance (CDR1 and MDR1), by using real-time quantitative PCR. All of the C. parapsilosis (sensu stricto) isolates tested exhibited fluconazole MICs between 8 and 16 μg/ml. The in vitro data were confirmed by the failure of fluconazole in the treatment of G. mellonella infected with fluconazole-resistant strains of C. parapsilosis. Sequencing of the ERG11 gene revealed a common mutation leading to a Y132F amino acid substitution in all of the isolates, a finding consistent with their clonal origin. After fluconazole exposure, overexpression was noted for ERG11, CDR1, and MDR1 in 9/9, 9/9, and 2/9 strains, respectively. We demonstrated that a combination of molecular mechanisms, including the presence of point mutations in the ERG11 gene, overexpression of ERG11, and genes encoding efflux pumps, are involved in fluconazole resistance in C. parapsilosis.