Individualized Mycophenolate Mofetil Dosing Based on Drug Exposure Significantly Improves Patient Outcomes After Renal Transplantation

Efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may be optimized with individualized doses based on therapeutic monitoring of its active metabolite, mycophenolic acid (MPA). In this 12-month study, 137 renal allograft recipients from 11 French centers receiving basiliximab, cyclosporine A, MMF and corticosteroids were randomized to receive either concentration-controlled doses or fixed-dose MMF. A novel Bayesian estimator of MPA AUC based on three-point sampling was used to individualize doses on posttransplant days 7 and 14 and months 1, 3 and 6. The primary endpoint was treatment failure (death, graft loss, acute rejection and MMF discontinuation). Data from 65 patients/group were analyzed. At month 12, the concentration-controlled group had fewer treatment failures (p = 0.03) and acute rejection episodes (p = 0.01) with no differences in adverse event frequency. The MMF dose was higher in the concentration-controlled group at day 14 (p < 0.0001), month 1 (p < 0.0001) and month 3 (p < 0.01), as were median AUCs on day 14 (33.7 vs. 27.1 mg*h/L; p = 0.0001) and at month 1 (45.0 vs. 30.9 mg*h/L; p < 0.0001). Therapeutic MPA monitoring using a limited sampling strategy can reduce the risk of treatment failure and acute rejection in renal allograft recipients 12 months posttransplant with no increase in adverse events.     

Thrombotic Micro‐Angiopathy with Sirolimus‐Based Immunosuppression: Potentiation of Calcineurin‐Inhibitor‐Induced Endothelial Damage?

Thrombotic microangiopathy is a rare but important finding in the context of organ transplantation. Acute renal insufficiency in the setting of hemolysis and thrombocytopenia, a triad that constitutes 'hemolytic uremic syndrome', can be associated with, or triggered by, conditions such as verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli, viral infections, malignant hypertension, scleroderma, allograft rejection, lupus erythematosus, pregnancy, and medications including mitomycin C, calcineurin inhibitors, and oral contraceptives. After renal transplantation, it can occur, as either a de novo episode, or recurrent disease. Calcineurin inhibitors have long been associated with post-transplantation thrombotic microangiopathy. Sirolimus has been used as a primary immunosuppressant in patients transplanted with a history of earlier hemolytic-uremic syndrome, and also as rescue therapy in patients with calcineurin-inhibitor-associated thrombotic microangiopathy. We describe four cases where there was significant thrombotic microangiopathy in the context of contemporaneous or contiguous calcineurin inhibitor and sirolimus usage. As the intrarenal cyclosporin concentration is thought to be significantly elevated when cyclosporin and sirolimus are used together, this may explain these findings, and mandates caution in their co-administration.     

略述中医刺血术发展史

刺血术是中医学中一种古老而独特的针刺治疗方法，文章对刺血术的发展进行了概述，并对其历史分期进行了总结。刺血术发展的四个历史阶段是：第一阶段为起源及萌芽阶段(春秋以前)，以砭石的出现及其应用标志；第二阶段为理论奠基及经验积累阶段(战国至唐)，以《黄帝内经》的问世为其理论体系形成标志；第三阶段为理论创新及特色形成阶段(宋金元)，以金元四大家刘完素、张从正、李杲、朱震亨的刺血成就为其代表；第四阶段为不断完善及日趋成熟阶段(明清)，以诸医家对瘟毒疫疠的刺血经验为其特征。     

不同针刺深度对前列腺增生症大鼠重量指数的影响及形态学观察

目的与方法 采用深刺和浅刺对丙酸睾酮所致前列增生症（BPH）大鼠模型进行干预，研究其作用殊同。结果 针刺组前列腺，膀胱指数明显小于模型组；形态学观察，针刺组较模型组增生明显减轻，腺上皮呈单层柱状，腺体数目明显减少，间质充血，钙化明显减轻，结缔组织无增生，腺腔内分泌物减少。深刺组好于浅刺组。结论 深刺对实验性BPH大鼠的干预作用好于浅刺方法。     

Peritoneal dialysis patient survival: a comparison between a Swedish and a Korean centre.

BACKGROUND: Dialysis patient mortality remains high, and this high mortality may be due to many factors. In peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, old age, co-morbid diseases, malnutrition, low residual renal function (RRF) and a high peritoneal transport rate have been shown to influence survival, but the relative importance of these factors may differ between different patient populations. Besides, centre practice patterns may differ between centres and may influence patient survival. In addition, the literature suggests that dialysis patient survival may be better in Asian than in Caucasian patients. METHODS: The influence of centre and patient characteristics on patient survival was investigated in 132 Korean and 106 Swedish incident PD patients, who underwent initial biochemical measurements and assessment of adequacy of dialysis, nutritional status, RRF and peritoneal transport characteristics. RESULTS: At the start of PD, Korean patients had a higher prevalence of diabetes, peritoneal Kt/V(urea), peritoneal creatinine clearance and peritoneal fluid removal, and lower body mass index, RRF and dialysate to plasma creatinine concentration ratio (D/P Cr) compared with Swedish patients. Significantly more patients from Korea were placed on temporary haemodialysis before PD (100 out of 132) when compared with Swedish patients (21 out of 106). During the follow-up, there was a significantly higher rate of transfer to other units in Korea and a significantly higher rate of kidney transplantation in Sweden. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, overall patient survival did not differ and relative risk for death was also not different between the two centres even after adjustment for age, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, RRF and D/P Cr. On Cox proportional hazards multivariate analysis, age, diabetes, RRF and D/P Cr were found to be independent predictors of mortality in the combined cohort of patients. While age, diabetes and D/P Cr were independent predictors of mortality in Korean patients, age and RRF independently predicted mortality in Swedish patients. CONCLUSION: Although there were significant differences in centre and patient characteristics, we were unable to confirm a survival advantage for Korean over Swedish PD patients. The results of this study suggest that the reported difference in survival between Asian and Caucasian dialysis patients may have been due, in part, to differences in centre and patient characteristics rather than to race as such. The genetic influence on patient characteristics remains, however, to be elucidated.     

利福昔明对比环丙沙星治疗急性肠炎临床研究

目的　研究利福昔明对比环丙沙星治疗急性肠炎的有效性和安全性。　方法　采用随机对照方法 ,共治疗 5 1例急性肠炎。利福昔明治疗 2 5例 ,环丙沙星 2 6例 ,用药时间方法相同。观察治疗前后临床症状、大便性状、大便次数、便常规、血常规、尿常规及肝肾功能 ,以了解其疗效及不良反应情况。　结果　利福昔明组 (治疗组 )与环丙沙星组 (对照组 )相比 ,显效率分别为 92 .0 %和 80 .8% ,总有效率分别为 92 .0 %和 96 .2 % ,止泻时间治疗组 2 8.6 7± 15 .92h ,对照组 36 .12± 2 0 .70h ,均未见明显毒副作用。以上各项指标及两组在治疗过程中大便次数变化、大便常规复常率经统计学处理均无显著性差异 (P >0 0 5 )。　结论　利福昔明可用于治疗急性肠炎 ,与环丙沙星比较 ,疗效相仿 ,但耐受性好 ,口服不吸收 ,故值得推广     

中风毒邪论与神经保护治疗的研究

中风毒邪论是一种与传统中医中风病理有所不同的理论 ,在中风毒邪论指导下形成解毒通络方是较为理想的神经保护剂 ,可解决目前神经保护治疗的主要障碍 ,有望成为提高中医治疗中风急性期疗效的关键     

川芎嗪对肾缺血再灌注时c-fos bcl-2 ICAM-1蛋白表达的影响

目的　探讨大鼠肾缺血再灌注损伤不同时间c -fos、细胞淋巴瘤 /白血病 - 2、细胞间粘附分子- 1蛋白的表达及川芎嗪对其影响。方法　用免疫组化法检测大鼠急性肾缺血再灌注不同时间内及川芎嗪干预后c -fos、细胞淋巴瘤 /白血病 - 2、细胞间粘附分子 - 1蛋白表达的分布及强度变化。结果　c -fos蛋白分布于近曲小管、远曲小管、集合管上皮细胞的细胞核、细胞浆内 ,再灌注后 1h表达明显增强 ,3h达高峰 ,6h锐减。细胞淋巴瘤 /白血病 - 2蛋白主要分布于近曲小管上皮细胞的细胞浆 ,再灌注后 1h表达明显增强 ,6h达高峰 ,2 4h仍有较强表达。细胞间粘附分子 - 1蛋白分布在肾血管、肾小管等部位 ,其中以肾血管为著 ,其表达增强于再灌注后 1h ,直到 2 4h仍有增高趋势。川芎嗪干预后c -fos、细胞间粘附分子 - 1蛋白表达明显下降 (P <0 0 1 )。细胞淋巴瘤 /白血病 - 2表达明显增高 (P <0 .0 1 )。结论　川芎嗪对肾缺血再灌注损伤有较好的保护作用     

Bereavement therapy with adolescents: facilitating a process of spiritual growth

TOPIC: Bereavement therapy as a catalyst for spiritual growth. PURPOSE: This study aims to review the literature and reflect on the bereavement therapy undertaken with two adolescents who had been bereaved during childhood. SOURCES: Research articles and books identified through a combination of electronic and manual searches. CONCLUSIONS: It would appear that grief therapy could facilitate spiritual growth in such circumstances. Further in-depth studies are required to identify how typical or atypical this experience is, and to contribute to the evidence base for working with bereaved children and adolescents.