Relapsing and Progressive Complications of Severe Hypertriglyceridemia: Effective Long-Term Treatment with Double Filtration Plasmapheresis

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clemens Grupp ◽  
Johannes Beckermann ◽  
Eric Köster ◽  
Stephen Zewinger ◽  
Markus Knittel ◽  
...  

Background: Severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is associated with major complications such as acute or relapsing pancreatitis (AP) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Rapid elimination of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins (LP) with double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) without need for substitution has been found to be effective for the acute, short-term treatment of HTG-induced AP. Data on the long-term use of DFPP to prevent HTG-associated complications are scarce. Objectives: To evaluate the use and efficacy of regular DFPP treatment in clinical practice for preventing recurrence of HTG-associated complications in thera­py refractory patients. Methods: Retrospective multicenter study in patients with severe symptomatic drug and diet refractory HTG with regular DFPP treatment. Patients’ incidence of HTG-associated pancreatic or cardiovascular complications was compared before treatment and with regular DFPP treatment. Results: Ten patients (3 female) were identified with baseline maximal TG concentrations of 2,587–28,090 mg/dL (median 5,487 mg/dL; interquartile range [IQR] 4,340–12,636). The mean observation period was 3.9 ± 3.4 years before and 3.8 ± 3.0 years after commencement of DFPP. In 5 patients, severe HTG was related to chylomicronemia, 2 patients had familial partial lipodystrophy Dunnigan, and 1 patient had additional LP(a)-hyperlipoproteinemia. The main HTG-associated complication was recurrent AP in 8 patients, including 1 patient treated during pregnancy. Two patients presented severe progressive ASCVD. With long-term DFPP treatment, the annual rate of HTG-associa­ted pancreatic or cardiovascular complications declined from median 1.4 (IQR 0.7–2.6) to 0 (IQR 0.0–0.4; p < 0.005). The absolute number of events was reduced by 77%. In 6 patients (60%) episodes of AP did not occur, nor was progression of ASCVD detected clinically or by routine imaging techniques. DFPP was effective in the elimination of TG-rich LP from plasma, and was safe and well-tolerated. Conclusion: Long-term, regular DFPP treatment resulted in stabilization of patients with severe HTG and related recurrent AP or progression of ASCVD, who were refractory to conventional dietary and drug therapy.

Author(s):  
سعيد مزعل موازي ◽  
يحيى فائق حسين ◽  
عبد المنعم دولاني ◽  
سيف يوسف عبدالله السويدي

Recently, many studies have been conducted to discover or improve cancers treatment. The current study aims to investigate the anticancer effect of thymoquinone, cordyceps, spirulina, ganoderma lucidium, poria cocos, and lion’s mane in four different concentrations 4, 8, 16, and 32 ug (equivalent to 1 mg/mL) in two different time treatments (48 and 96 hours) on human nasal epithelial cell line RPMI 2650. By using cell culture cytotoxicity techniques and assay, the highest anticancer effect on RPMI 2650 was obtained by thymoquinone. The lowest anticancer effect was demonstrated by poria cocos and cordyceps. However, these two medications showed higher anticancer effect when given in short-term treatment (48 hours) compared to long-term treatment (96 hours). Ganoderma lucidium and spirulina showed better impact than poria cocos, cordyceps, and lion’s mane in term of cells cytotoxicity. Mild to moderate antineoplastic effect was seen by utilizing lion’s mane treatment compared other drugs. Therefore, adopting a long-term treatment of high concentrations and doses of thymoquinone, cordyceps, spirulina, ganoderma lucidium, poria cocos, and lion’s mane can be more effective in the treatment of nasal cancer. In conclusion, these drugs were found to be a promising cancer remedy; therefore, they can be utilized as alternative treatment for nasal cancer or any other type of cancer therapy.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 64-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary A. Christenson ◽  
Scott J. Crow ◽  
James E. Mitchell ◽  
Thomas B. Mackenzie ◽  
Ross D. Crosby ◽  
...  

AbstractThis short-term, open-label study investigates short- and long-term effects of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluvoxamine for the treatment of trichotillomania (TTM). Additionally, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that the presence of hair pulling compulsiveness is predictive of SSRI response. Nineteen subjects meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition Revised, (DSM-III-R) criteria for TTM were treated with fluvoxamine at doses up to 300 mg/day. Random regression analysis of change across time for patients who completed the study (n=14) and those who dropped out (n=5) revealed statistically significant improvements in Physician Rating Scale, hair-pulling episodes, Trichotillomania Impairment Scale, and Trichotillomania Symptom Severity Scale, but not in estimated amount of hair pulled. In addition, the percentage of patients' focused or compulsive hair-pulling symptoms was predictive of treatment response. Unfortunately, all three subjects who entered long-term treatment displayed substantial movement back toward baseline by the end of 6 months. We concluded that fluvoxamine produces moderate reductions in symptoms during the short-term treatment of TTM and that the presence of focused or compulsive hair pulling may be predictive of treatment response. However, responses may be short lived when treatment is extended.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-124
Author(s):  
Joy E. Ikekpeazu ◽  
Oliver C. Orji ◽  
Ikenna K. Uchendu ◽  
Lawrence U.S. Ezeanyika

Background and Objective: There may be a possible link between the use of HAART and oxidative stress-related mitochondrial dysfunction in HIV patients. We evaluated the mitochondrial and oxidative impacts of short and long-term administration of HAART on HIV patients attending the Enugu State University Teaching (ESUT) Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria following short and long-term therapy. Methods: 96 patients categorized into four groups of 24 individuals were recruited for the study. Group 1 comprised of age-matched, apparently healthy, sero-negative individuals (the No HIV group); group 2 consisted of HIV sero-positive individuals who had not started any form of treatment (the Treatment naïve group). Individuals in group 3 were known HIV patients on HAART for less than one year (Short-term treatment group), while group 4 comprised of HIV patients on HAART for more than one year (Long-term treatment group). All patients were aged between 18 to 60 years and attended the HIV clinic at the time of the study. Determination of total antioxidant status (TAS in nmol/l), malondialdehyde (MDA in mmol/l), CD4+ count in cells/μl, and genomic studies were all done using standard operative procedures. Results: We found that the long-term treatment group had significantly raised the levels of MDA, as well as significantly diminished TAS compared to the Short-term treatment and No HIV groups (P<0.05). In addition, there was significantly elevated variation in the copy number of mitochondrial genes (mtDNA: D-loop, ATPase 8, TRNALEU uur) in the long-term treatment group. Interpretation and Conclusion: Long-term treatment with HAART increases oxidative stress and causes mitochondrial alterations in HIV patients.


2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 184-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon B. Routhouska ◽  
Pranav B. Sheth ◽  
Neil J. Korman

Background: Infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor α antagonist, has recently been shown to be successful for the short-term treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) in multiple case reports. Objective: The goal of this case series was to assess the efficacy of the longer-term management of GPP with infliximab. Methods: Three patients with severe GPP were followed to assess the efficacy of long-term treatment with infliximab. Results: Infliximab therapy was more efficacious with infusion every 6 to 8 weeks in combination with methotrexate. Conclusion: Infliximab may be efficacious for some patients for the long-term management of GPP. Maintaining a strict infliximab infusion schedule and concomitant methotrexate therapy may decrease infusion reactions and increase efficacy.


1992 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomio Johjima ◽  
Joyce G. Latimer ◽  
Hiroshi Wakita

Pot-grown seedlings of seven lines [`Red Cherry' (RC), `Moneymaker' (MM), `Dantobi-yohzu' (DY), `Furikoma' (FK), RC × FK, MM × DY, and MM × FK] of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were brushed with a suspended steel bar for 1.5 minutes twice daily for 18 days (short-term treatment) before being transplanted to beds in a plastic greenhouse. Brushing was continued on a selected group of plants for an additional 10 days (long-term treatment). Short-term brushing slightly reduced the number of leaves, but markedly reduced leaf size and stem elongation of all lines. Dry weights of lamina, petioles, and stems of brushed plants of each cultivar except FK were less than those of the respective controls. However, the ratios of root: shoot dry weight of brushed plants were unchanged or higher than those of the respective controls. Short-term brushing did not increase the total number or weight of tomato fruits harvested over 1 month and did not improve fruit quality, size, or color. Long-term brushing reduced the total yield (number and weight) of fruits of RC and total fruit weight of DY. With respect to sensitivity to mechanical stress, cultivars with taller growth habits were more responsive to brushing than were those with shorter growth habits. These characteristic responses to mechanical stress also were exhibited by the hybrid lines.


Impact ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (5) ◽  
pp. 51-53
Author(s):  
Yuya Yoshida

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body begins to attack normal cells instead of fighting off diseases and infections. There are ways of treating autoimmune diseases, but these provide only short-term relief, and there is no cure. Therefore, relapse tends to be an inevitable part of autoimmune diseases. Dr Yuya Yoshida is a specialist in immunology based in the Department of Pathological Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Japan, who is investigating the possibility of inducing immune tolerance and, in doing so, eliminating the need for long-term treatment. He and his team are working to devise a treatment strategy that enables complete short-term treatment and can then maintain long-term remission without the need for drug treatment. The ultimate goal for the team is a breakthrough in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, which would have far-reaching benefits for patients and the field of medicine. A key focus for Yoshida and his team is how an immunomodulating medication called fingolimod (FTY720) could be used to induce immune tolerance and, in doing so, stop the cycle of remission and relapse. There is potential for FTY720 to be used to develop new treatments and eliminate the need for patients to rely on long-term treatment. In particular, the researchers are focusing on multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. One investigation involves the use of animal models to explore the construction of effective induction of immune tolerance to rheumatoid arthritis using FTY720.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 890-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jubayer A Hossain ◽  
Md A Latif ◽  
Lars A R Ystaas ◽  
Sandra Ninzima ◽  
Kristoffer Riecken ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Suicide gene therapy for malignant gliomas has shown encouraging results in the latest clinical trials. However, prodrug application was most often restricted to short-term treatment (14 days), especially when replication-defective vectors were used. We previously showed that a substantial fraction of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) transduced tumor cells survive ganciclovir (GCV) treatment in an orthotopic glioblastoma (GBM) xenograft model. Here we analyzed whether these TK+ tumor cells are still sensitive to prodrug treatment and whether prolonged prodrug treatment can enhance treatment efficacy. Methods Glioma cells positive for TK and green fluorescent protein (GFP) were sorted from xenograft tumors recurring after suicide gene therapy, and their sensitivity to GCV was tested in vitro. GBM xenografts were treated with HSV-TK/GCV, HSV-TK/valganciclovir (valGCV), or HSV-TK/valGCV + erlotinib. Tumor growth was analyzed by MRI, and survival as well as morphological and molecular changes were assessed. Results TK-GFP+ tumor cells from recurrent xenograft tumors retained sensitivity to GCV in vitro. Importantly, a prolonged period (3 mo) of prodrug administration with valganciclovir (valGCV) resulted in a significant survival advantage compared with short-term (3 wk) application of GCV. Recurrent tumors from the treatment groups were more invasive and less angiogenic compared with primary tumors and showed significant upregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. However, double treatment with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib did not increase therapeutic efficacy. Conclusion Long-term treatment with valGCV should be considered as a replacement for short-term treatment with GCV in clinical trials of HSV-TK mediated suicide gene therapy.


1992 ◽  
Vol 6 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 330-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Glen

There is no increase in the overall mortality of patients undergoing long-term lithium treatment compared with those receiving short-term treatment. Lithium causes a reduction in the incidence of suicide in patients suffering from manic depressive illness. Long-term treatment with lithium is more effective than treatment with imipramine or amitriptyline. Drug interactions may cause problems during long-term therapy with lithium. A reduction in plasma levels of lithium should be considered in stable patients on long-term prophylaxis. Discontinuation of therapy often results in a relapse. The toxicity of lithium is related to its effects on calcium transport.


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