Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: Medical or surgical treatment? Report of an interactive workshop

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. With the introduction of proton pump inhibitors medical treatment of GERD has been significantly improved. However, the development of laparoscopic antireflux surgery resulted in an increasing interest of surgeons in this disease. An interactive meeting was organized in order to develop an agreement between gastoenterologists and surgeons regarding therapeutic decisions and this is the main topic of this paper.     

A 3-month double-blind cross-over study of the effect of benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide on functional class in symptomatic mild heart failure.

The non-sulfhydryl selective angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril (20 mg daily) was compared with hydrochlorothiazide (50 mg daily) in post-infarction (6-24 months) patients with symptomatic (NYHA functional class 2) mild heart failure. No concomitant drug therapy was given. The study had a double-blind cross-over design with 3-month treatment periods. Both drugs were well tolerated, and both caused a similar reduction in systolic blood pressure. Heart rate was higher with the diuretic. Benazepril improved the NYHA functional class in 17 out of 29 (59%) patients, whereas one patient improved with hydrochlorothiazide (P = 0.0004). With regard to global efficacy score, benazepril was also superior. Thus, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may be superior to diuretics as first-choice therapy in symptomatic mild heart failure.     

Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease across the spectrum of severity

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia affecting nearly 18 million people around the world and 4.5 million in the US. It is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is estimated to dramatically increase in prevalence as the elderly population continues to grow. As the cognitive and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms of AD progresses in severity over time, affected individuals become increasingly dependent on others for assistance in performing all activities of daily living. The burden of caring for someone affected by the disorder is great and has substantial impact on a family’s emotional, social and financial well-being. In the US, the currently approved medications for the treatment of mild to moderate stages of AD are the cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs). Cholinesterase inhibitors have shown modest efficacy in terms of symptomatic improvement and stabilization for periods generally ranging from 6 to 12 months. There are additional data that have emerged, which suggest longer-term benefits. For the moderate to severe stages of AD, memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist is in widespread use and has shown modest benefit as monotherapy and in combination with ChEIs. The cost effectiveness of the currently available therapeutic agents for AD has undergone great scrutiny and remains controversial, especially outside the US. Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as agitation and psychosis are common in AD. Unfortunately, in the US there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents for the treatment of these symptoms, although atypical antipsychotics have shown some efficacy and have been widely used. However, the use of these agents has recently warranted special caution due to reports of associated adverse effects such as weight gain, hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance, cerebrovascular events, and an increased risk for death. Alternative agents used to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms include serotonergic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and anticonvulsant medications.     

Influence of statins on postoperative wound complications after inguinal or ventral herniorrhaphy

The lipid-lowering agents, statins, are the most commonly prescribed class of drugs in the western world. Because of their widespread use, many patients undergo surgical procedures while on statins. Statins, in addition to cholesterol-lowering effects, also have anticoagulant, immunosuppressive, and antiproliferative properties that may affect the risk of local wound complications. This study investigated the relationship between statins and postoperative wound complications in a large cohort of patients undergoing inguinal or ventral hernia repair. Data mining was performed in the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN)16 Data Warehouse. This database contains clinical and demographic information about all veterans cared for at the ten VA Medical Centers that comprise the South Central VA Healthcare Network in the mid-south region of the US. Aggregate data (age, body mass index, smoking history, gender, race, history of diabetes, statin use, and postoperative wound complications) were obtained for all patients who underwent inguinal or ventral hernia repair during the period October 1, 1996–November 30, 2004. During the period of the query, 10,782 patients (10,676 male, 106 female), 1,242 (11.5%) of whom received statins, underwent herniorrhaphy. Statin use did not affect the risk of wound infection or delayed wound healing. Statin use was, however, associated with an increased rate of local postoperative bleeding complications (P=0.01). When the type of hernia, age, smoking, diabetes, and body mass index were included in a multivariate analysis, statins remained borderline significant as an independent predictor of wound hematoma/postoperative bleeding (P=0.04), odds ratio 1.6 (95% CI 1.03–2.44). Patients who undergo inguinal herniorrhaphy while on statins have an increased risk of postoperative wound hematoma/hemorrhage. Focus on additional factors that may affect the propensity to postoperative bleeding and on meticulous intraoperative hemostasis are particularly important in such patients.     

Interaction of amfonelic acid with antipsychotic drugs on dopaminergic neurons.

The effects of two inhibitors of dopamine (DA) reuptake, amfonelic acid and GBR 12909, on the clozapine- and haloperidol-induced increases in DA synthesis, release, and metabolism were investigated in the rat. In the striatum, as well as in the nucleus accumbens, the haloperidol-induced increase in tissue concentrations of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) or the accumulation of dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) was potentiated or unaltered, respectively, in rats treated with amfonelic acid. In contrast, amfonelic acid attenuated the stimulatory effects of clozapine on DOPAC concentrations and DOPA accumulation in both brain regions. GBR 12909 also differentially affected the haloperidol- and clozapine-induced increases in DOPAC concentrations. However, the clozapine-induced increase in DOPA accumulation in the median eminence was not significantly altered by treatment with amfonelic acid. The haloperidol-induced increase in the extracellular concentrations of DA and DOPAC in the striatum also was potentiated by amfonelic acid, whereas the increase elicited by clozapine was suppressed. The increase in extracellular DA produced by the administration of morphine or the coadministration of ritanserin, a 5-HT2 antagonist, and haloperidol also was potentiated by amfonelic acid. The ability of amfonelic acid to distinguish between the actions of clozapine and haloperidol on nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic DA neurons does not appear to be related to differences in the effects of the drugs on DA autoreceptors or 5-HT2 receptors. Moreover, the mechanism through which clozapine activates tuberoinfundibular DA neurons may differ from that which is involved in the activation of nigrostriatal or mesocorticolimbic DA neurons.     

Efficacy in intra-oesophageal acid suppression may decrease after 2-year continuous treatment with proton pump inhibitors

BACKGROUND: Long-term intra-oesophageal acid suppression with proton pump inhibitors represents a management option for Barrett's oesophagus and severe reflux oesophagitis, but its stability over time has not been adequately assessed. AIM: Our aim was to evaluate prospectively the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors in suppressing intra-oesophageal acidity after 2-year continuous treatment. METHODS: Forty-five patients with Barrett's oesophagus or severe reflux oesophagitis on a proton pump inhibitor regimen (once or twice daily) that normalised the total percentage acid exposure time were re-evaluated by means of 24-h oesophageal pH-monitoring after 2-year of continuous unmodified treatment. RESULTS: A significant rise in the total percentage acid exposure time was observed at 2-year follow-up (P=0.029), owing to an increased value in 27 (60%) cases (9 on a twice daily regimen), higher than normal in 10 of them (22% of the whole group) (3 on a twice daily regimen). In 18 patients (40%) the total percentage acid exposure time was stable or decreased. Heartburn remained efficiently suppressed in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of proton pump inhibitors in suppressing intra-oesophageal acidity during continuous treatment may decrease over time, up to abnormal levels of oesophageal acid exposure in a minority of cases. This may occur without heartburn recurrence and with both once and twice daily regimens.     

History of haemophilia

Summary.  Haemophilia, an ancient disease, now has sophisticated methods for diagnosis and treatment. The genetically missing factors can now be supplied by fractionation of human-derived (HD) plasma or with recombinant technology (r). Making therapeutic choices is complicated by past transfusion-transmitted diseases. HD and r products now have similar safety profiles. Several diseases have only HD products for treatment. These products remain important in our treatment armamentarium.     

预防肝硬化上消化道出血的临床研究

目的　探讨普萘洛尔和低剂量兰索拉唑长期维持治疗对预防肝硬化门脉高压消化道出血的疗效。方法　1 1 9例肝硬化门脉高压患者随机分为 3组 :Ⅰ组 :给予口服普萘洛尔加上护肝治疗。Ⅱ组 :联合给予低剂量兰索拉唑和普萘洛尔。Ⅲ组 :仅给予护肝治疗。兰索拉唑维持服药 6个月 ,普萘洛尔及一般对症治疗维持 1年。观察治疗前后各组患者所伴发溃疡、门脉高压性胃病 (PHG)、急性胃黏膜病变 (AGML)情况 (发生率 ) ,各组消化道出血的复发率、门静脉直径 (PVD)、脾静脉直径 (SVD)的变化。结果　经 1年观察 ,结果显示 ,普萘洛尔组、联合治疗组、对照组出血的复发率分别为 1 5 0 %、2 2 %、48 5 % ,组Ⅰ、组Ⅱ复发率显著低于组Ⅲ ,同时 ,组Ⅰ与组Ⅱ间的差异有显著性意义。治疗可见组Ⅰ、组Ⅱ患者所伴发的溃疡、PHG、AGML明显改善 ,PVD、SVD缩小。结论　普萘洛尔组联合抑制酸维持治疗 ,可预防引起消化道出血多种病因 ,较单用普萘洛尔的疗效好     

Synthesis of a new hydroxyethylene dipeptide isostere Phe ψ[CH2CH(OH)]Phe as HIV-1 protease inhibitor

A new type of pseudodipeptide isostere exampled by Phe ψ[CH2CH(OH)]Phe was synthesized from phenylalanine. The H]V protease inhibitory activity (IC50) of Noa-His-Pheψ[CH2CH(OH)]Phe-Ile-Amp was 0. 8 pmol·L-1.