A prospective randomized trial of colchicine in prevention of liver cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients

Background : The clinical course of chronic hepatitis B is variable. Patients with hepatic decompensation, bridging necrosis or an alpha-fetoprotein level greater than 100 ng/mL during an exacerbation of hepatitis have a high risk of developing cirrhosis. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of colchicine in the prevention of cirrhosis in such patients.
Methods : Patients with risk factor(s) were randomized to receive either colchicine 5 mg/week or no specific treatment, the end point being development of cirrhosis.
Results : After a follow up period of 4 years, the treatment group had a marked reduction in exacerbations of acute hepatitis (32% vs. 63%/patient/year, P <0.005). Seven out of 38 patients in the treatment group and 10 out of 27 patients in the control group developed cirrhosis. The calculated cumulative incidence of cirrhosis by the end of first, second, third and fourth years in the treatment group was 8.7, 18.6, 32 and 32%, respectively. The corresponding figures in the control group were 30, 35.5, 46.3 and 73.2%, respectively, with a P -value of 0.057.
Conclusions : The results suggest that colchicine may prevent cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with risk factor(s), possibly by suppressing exacerbations of hepatitis through an anti-inflammatory effect.     

Effect of maternal and infant covariates on sibship correlation in birth weight

Birth weight on 12,644 singleton infants from 6,196 sibships born in Maryland between 1980 and 1984 were used to estimate the effects of nine maternal and infant covariates on the sibship correlation in birth weight. Assuming a homogeneous correlation across all families, the estimated intraclass correlation was 0.4664 (+/- 0.0099). This high sibship correlation makes it possible to predict, with reasonable accuracy, the birth weight of a child given information on previous sibs, as well as covariates on the mother and/or infant pertinent to a given pregnancy. The reduction in variance associated with incorporating information on the nine covariates used here was approximately equal to that obtained by conditioning on a single previous sib. Testing for heterogeneity in correlation among different groups of families showed that a crude measure of parity (first live birth vs. other), time between births, mother's marital status, and maternal age at the birth of the last child significantly influenced the sibship correlation in birth weight.     

Unraveling the mysteries of serum theophylline levels: a patient care report in the light of pharmacokinetics

One of our patients had trouble maintaining therapeutic and safe levels of theophylline, even though we were careful in planning and monitoring her drug regimen. This case report shows how we were able to use principles of pharmacokinetics to distinguish among plausible explanations for her experience. We discovered that she was not taking the drug consistently as prescribed and that supervised administration resolved apparent contradictions between doses and serum levels. We believe that physicians can use the same information and methods that we used to get better and safer results from theophylline therapy.     

The rotating contact glass holder

A rotating contact lens holder for the three-mirror Goldmann lens permits circular examination of the fundus or chamber angle without having to change the position of the fingers on the edge of the lens. The contact lens holder consists of an outer polygonal ring hold by the thumber and index finger. An inner rotating ring holds the contact lens. Continuous rotation of the contact lens is performed with the free middle Finger. This device permits circular examination of the retina without interruption of fixation. The instrument improves not only the speed but also the reliability of the examination.