Combatting neo-Colonialism in Health Research: What can Aboriginal Health Research Ethics and Global Health Research Ethics Teach Each Other?

The ethics of research involving Aboriginal populations and low and middle-income country populations each developed out of a long history of exploitative research projects and partnerships. Commonalities and differences between the two fields have not yet been examined. This study undertook two independent literature searches for Aboriginal health research ethics and global health research ethics. Content analysis identified shared and differently emphasised ethical principles and concepts between the two fields. Shared ethical concepts like "benefit" and "capacity development" have been developed to guide collaborations in both Aboriginal health research and global health research. However, Aboriginal health research ethics gives much greater prominence to ethical principles that assist in decolonising research practice such as "self-determination", "community-control", and "community ownership". The paper argues that global health research ethics would benefit from giving greater emphasis to these principles to guide research practice, while justice as approached in global health research ethics may inform Aboriginal health research practice. With increasing attention being drawn to the need to decolonise global health research, the lessons Aboriginal health research ethics can offer may be especially timely.

460 THE IMPACT OF THE BONE MDT: EXPLORING CHANGES IN BONE PROTECTION DECISIONS BETWEEN 2015 AND 2018

Introduction

The Hip fracture Multidisciplinary metabolic bone Team (MDT) was developed in June 2016 as a collaboration between Orthogeriatricians and the Metabolic Bone Team. The objective was to improve the quality of bone protection treatment decisions. This audit aimed to assess the impact of the new MDT by reviewing treatment decisions prior to and post its introduction. Data collection and.

Methodology

Case notes were reviewed for admissions from September to October 2015 and from September to November 2018. For both time periods the inpatient list, discharge summary and blood tests were reviewed in order to collect data regarding demographics, type of surgery, co-morbidities, calcium and vitamin D levels, bone protection prior to admission and bone protection decisions at discharge.

Results

In 2015, 83% of patients were admitted with no form of bone protection. Around 6% of patients were admitted on a bisphosphonate and 36% were discharged on a bisphosphonate. Less than 2% of people received denosumab prior to their admission, with this number rising to 9.4% at discharge. In 2018, 77% of patients were admitted on no form of bone protection. 5.4% were admitted on a bisphosphonate rising to 16% on discharge. No patients were admitted on denosumab, but 27% were discharged having received it in hospital, or with a plan to receive it from their GP.

Conclusions

There was a fall in bisphosphonate use and a significant increase in the frequency of denosumab prescription after the introduction of the Bone MDT. This MDT facilitated better decision-making through access to the further specialist skills from the endocrinologist and specialist nurses. Individual case discussion enhanced the delivery of personalised medicine.

Atrial fibrillation and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy in the peripartum period

A 31-year-old primiparous woman with a history of bigeminy as a teenager developed atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response during elective caesarean section. Initial postoperative medical management was undertaken on the maternal high dependency unit and involved the administration of beta-blockers and digoxin. On postoperative day 1 the patient was transferred to the coronary care unit where she subsequently required synchronised direct current cardioversion to restore sinus rhythm. The patient remained on the coronary care unit for 5 days before discharge. Magnetic resonance imaging undertaken 6 weeks postpartum showed non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy. In this report, we discuss tachycardia-induced and peripartum cardiomyopathies, along with their potential underlying pathologies, incidence and associated morbidity. We describe potential pharmacological therapies including beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, as well as the implications of such medications for breastfeeding mothers. Patients presenting with palpitations in the antenatal period should receive prompt investigation including electrocardiography with ambulatory monitoring considered for those with persistent symptoms. Anyone with a proven cardiac arrhythmia should undergo echocardiography. This report illustrates the importance of the investigation of the symptoms of arrhythmia during pregnancy and emphasises the role of multidisciplinary working in the management of obstetric patients with complex medical comorbidity.

MSTO1 mutations cause mtDNA depletion, manifesting as muscular dystrophy with cerebellar involvement

MSTO1 encodes a cytosolic mitochondrial fusion protein, misato homolog 1 or MSTO1. While the full genotype–phenotype spectrum remains to be explored, pathogenic variants in MSTO1 have recently been reported in a small number of patients presenting with a phenotype of cerebellar ataxia, congenital muscle involvement with histologic findings ranging from myopathic to dystrophic and pigmentary retinopathy. The proposed underlying pathogenic mechanism of MSTO1-related disease is suggestive of impaired mitochondrial fusion secondary to a loss of function of MSTO1. Disorders of mitochondrial fusion and fission have been shown to also lead to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion, linking them to the mtDNA depletion syndromes, a clinically and genetically diverse class of mitochondrial diseases characterized by a reduction of cellular mtDNA content. However, the consequences of pathogenic variants in MSTO1 on mtDNA maintenance remain poorly understood. We present extensive phenotypic and genetic data from 12 independent families, including 15 new patients harbouring a broad array of bi-allelic MSTO1 pathogenic variants, and we provide functional characterization from seven MSTO1-related disease patient fibroblasts. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in MSTO1 manifest clinically with a remarkably consistent phenotype of childhood-onset muscular dystrophy, corticospinal tract dysfunction and early-onset non-progressive cerebellar atrophy. MSTO1 protein was not detectable in the cultured fibroblasts of all seven patients evaluated, suggesting that pathogenic variants result in a loss of protein expression and/or affect protein stability. Consistent with impaired mitochondrial fusion, mitochondrial networks in fibroblasts were found to be fragmented. Furthermore, all fibroblasts were found to have depletion of mtDNA ranging from 30 to 70% along with alterations to mtDNA nucleoids. Our data corroborate the role of MSTO1 as a mitochondrial fusion protein and highlight a previously unrecognized link to mtDNA regulation. As impaired mitochondrial fusion is a recognized cause of mtDNA depletion syndromes, this novel link to mtDNA depletion in patient fibroblasts suggests that MSTO1-deficiency should also be considered a mtDNA depletion syndrome. Thus, we provide mechanistic insight into the disease pathogenesis associated with MSTO1 mutations and further define the clinical spectrum and the natural history of MSTO1-related disease.

Toxicity of cytarabine constant rate infusion in dogs with high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma with bone marrow or central nervous system involvement

OBJECTIVE

Cytarabine, a cell-cycle phase-specific antimetabolite, has been reported to improve outcomes in dogs with bone marrow (BM) or central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma involvement receiving combination chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence and severity of toxicity of cytarabine constant rate infusion (CRI) in dogs with high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

METHODS

Medical records of canine lymphoma patients with confirmed or suspected BM (group 1) or CNS (group 2) involvement, treated with a modified cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vincristine and prednisolone protocol, including a single dose of cytarabine given as CRI, were reviewed and adverse events graded.

RESULTS

Twenty-six dogs were included. Gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 17 dogs (65.3%), with 5 (19.2%) experiencing grade III or IV toxicity. Neutropenia occurred in nine dogs (34.6%), but was grade I or II in most cases. Three dogs (11.5%) had thrombocytopenia: one grade III and two grade IV. Four dogs (15.3%) experienced increases in alanine amino transferase: one each grade I and II and two grade III. Five dogs (19.2%) required hospitalisation to manage toxicity after completing cytarabine CRI, and haematological toxicity resulted in treatment delays in five dogs (median delay of 4 days, range: 3-7 days).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that gastrointestinal toxicity should be expected in lymphoma patients undergoing cytarabine CRI.

Biogenic Amine Production by and Phylogenetic Analysis of 23 Photobacterium Species

Photobacterium species are members of the bacterial communities typically associated with scombrotoxin-forming fish. Reclassification and discovery of new Photobacterium species has caused confusion as to which species are capable of biogenic amine production. We analyzed histamine, cadaverine, and putrescine production by 104 Photobacterium strains representing 23 species. The presence of the genes for histidine decarboxylase ( hdc), lysine decarboxylase ( ldc), and ornithine decarboxylase ( odc) was determined by real-time or conventional PCR and whole genome sequencing. Significant histamine production (>200 ppm) was detected in five Photobacterium species: P. angustum, P. aquimaris, P. kishitanii, P. damselae, and P. phosphoreum. The hdc gene was detected in all of these histamine-producing species except P. phosphoreum. Cadaverine was produced by eight Photobacterium species: P. angustum, P. aquimaris, P. damselae, P. iliopiscarium, P. kishitanii, P. leiognathi, P. mandapamensis, and P. phosphoreum. Putrescine was produced by six Photobacterium species: P. angustum, P. aquimaris, P. kishitanii, P. leiognathi, P. mandapamensis, and Photobacterium sp. Cadaverine production correlated closely with the presence of the ldc gene, but putrescine production did not correlate closely with the presence of the odc gene. Characterization of the biogenic amine production by Photobacterium species will allow identification of these marine bacteria and help ensure that current guidelines account for mitigation of these bacteria.

Acute radiotherapy toxicity in 57 dogs with gross and microscopic mast cell tumours

Mast cell tumours (MCTs) are commonly treated with radiation therapy, most often in a microscopic disease setting. Poorer outcomes are expected in patients with gross disease, and irradiation of gross disease may be associated with greater toxicity. The aim of this study was to compare acute radiation adverse events (AE) in dogs with gross and microscopic MCTs receiving radiotherapy. Fifty-seven dogs were included, 28 with gross disease and 29 with microscopic. In order to assess mucosal and skin toxicity, patients were assigned to 2 groups: head (29 patients, 14 patients with gross and 15 microscopic) and other sites (28 patients, 14 each). All were treated with external beam radiotherapy, and toxicity assessed at the end of treatment and 10 to 14 days later (first recheck). All patients developed some acute radiation toxicity by the end of the course. However, there was no difference in the severity of toxicity between gross and microscopic disease in either site group at either time point. The only variable associated with an increased frequency of grade 2 or 3 toxicity at the first recheck was the use of prednisolone prior to radiotherapy (P = .05). No other factors were identified which were associated with increased toxicity. For the head group, the site of highest grade toxicity was mucosa or, if included in the field, nasal planum, which was often more severely affected than the mucosa. No significant late toxicity was identified. Two dogs developed acute haematemesis during the radiotherapy course, but both completed the course without further events.

Evaluation of a multi-agent chemotherapy protocol combining lomustine, procarbazine and prednisolone (LPP) for the treatment of relapsed canine non-Hodgkin high-grade lymphomas

The standard of care treatment for canine lymphoma is multi-agent chemotherapy containing prednisolone, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and an anthracycline such as doxorubicin (CHOP) or epirubicin (CEOP). Lomustine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (LOPP) has been evaluated as a rescue, with encouraging results; however, resistance to vincristine is likely in patients relapsing on CHOP/CEOP, and this agent may enhance LOPP toxicity without improving efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate responses to a modified-LOPP protocol that does not include vincristine (LPP) and is administered on a 21-day cycle. Medical records of dogs with high-grade multicentric lymphoma from 2012 to 2017 were reviewed. Dogs with relapsed lymphoma that received LPP as a rescue protocol were enrolled. Response, time from initiation to discontinuation (TTD) and toxicity of LPP were assessed. Forty-one dogs were included. Twenty-five dogs (61%) responded to LPP including 12 complete responses (CR) and 13 partial responses (PR). Responders had a significantly longer TTD (P < .001) compared to non-responders with 84 days for CR and 58 days for PR. Neutropenia was documented in 20 dogs (57%): 12 grade I to II, 8 grade III to IV. Thrombocytopenia was infrequent (20%): 5 grade I to II, 2 grade III to IV. Twelve dogs developed gastrointestinal toxicity (30%): 10 grade I to II and 2 grade III. Nineteen dogs had elevated ALT (59%): 9 grade I to II, 10 grade III to IV. Treatment was discontinued due to toxicity in 8 dogs (19%). The LPP protocol shows acceptable efficacy and toxicity-profile and minimizes in-hospital procedures.

Two-year outcomes of "treat and extend" intravitreal therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

To report 24-month outcomes of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for treatment-naïve eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) using a treat and extend treatment regimen in routine clinical practice.

DESIGN

Database observational study.

PARTICIPANTS

We included treatment-naïve eyes receiving predominantly ranibizumab for nAMD in routine clinical practice treated using a treat and extend regimen that were tracked in the Fight Retinal Blindness observational registry.

METHODS

A cohort of eyes treated by practitioners using exclusively a treat and extend regimen was extracted from the Fight Retinal Blindness observational registry.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Change in visual acuity (VA) over 2 years and number of injections and visits.

RESULTS

Data from 1198 eyes from 1011 patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy using a treat and extend regimen for treatment-naïve nAMD between January 2007 and December 2012 and with 24-month follow-up were included in the analysis. Mean VA increased by +5.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution letters from 56.5 letters (20/80+1) at initial visit to 61.8 (20/60+2) letters at 24 months. Mean VA gains improved and number of injections increased with successive years from +2.7 letters for eyes commencing in 2007 after a mean of 9.7 injections in 2 years, to +7.8 letters for eyes commencing in 2012 after a mean of 14.2 injections over 2 years. The proportion of eyes with VA >20/40 increased from 27% when starting treatment to 45% after 24 months; the proportion with vision of <20/200 remained unchanged (13% initial, 11% at 24 months). Of the included eyes, 90.5% avoided a vision loss of ≥15 letters. There was an overall mean of 13.0 injections over the 24 months, 7.5 injections in the first year and 5.5 in the second year, with a mean of 14.8 clinic visits.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that eyes managed in routine clinical practice with a treat and extend regimen can achieve good visual outcomes while decreasing the burden of treatments and clinic visits.

Dose-response associations between cycling activity and risk of hypertension in regular cyclists: The UK Cycling for Health Study

Most population studies on physical activity and health have involved largely inactive men and women, thus making it difficult to infer if health benefits occur at exercise levels above the current minimum guidelines. The aim was to examine associations between cycling volume and classical cardiovascular risk markers, including hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, in a population sample of habitual cyclists. A nationwide sample comprising 6949 men and women (aged 47.6 years on average) completed questions about their cycling levels, demographics and health. Nearly the entire sample (96.3%) achieved the current minimum physical activity recommendation through cycling alone. There was a dose–response association between cycling volume and risk of diagnosed hypertension (P-trend =0.001), with odds ratios of 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80–1.21), 0.86 (0.70, 1.06), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.53–0.83) across categories of 23–40, 40–61 and >61 metabolic equivalent hours/week (MET-h/week) compared with <23 MET-h/week. These associations persisted in models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, alcohol, body mass index (BMI) and other moderatevigorous physical activities. We also observed inverse associations between cycling volume and other risk factors including BMI and hypercholesterolemia. In summary, results from a population sample of cyclists suggest that additional cardiovascular health benefits can be achieved beyond the current minimum physical activity recommendation.

Kidney, pancreas and liver allocation and distribution in the United States

Kidney transplant and liver transplant are the treatments of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease and end-stage liver disease, respectively. Pancreas transplant is most commonly performed along with kidney transplant in diabetic end-stage renal disease patients. Despite a steady increase in the numbers of kidney and liver transplants performed each year in the United States, a significant shortage of kidneys and livers available for transplant remains. Organ allocation is the process the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) uses to determine which candidates are offered which deceased donor organs. OPTN is charged with ensuring the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of organ sharing in the national system of organ allocation. The policy has changed incrementally over time in efforts to optimize allocation to meet these often competing goals. This review describes the history, current status and future direction of policies regarding the allocation of abdominal organs for transplant, namely the kidney, liver and pancreas, in the United States.

An early regional experience with expansion of Milan Criteria for liver transplant recipients

The Milan Criteria (MC) showed that orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) was an effective treatment for patients with nonresectable, nonmetastatic HCC. There is growing evidence that expanding the MC does not adversely affect patient or allograft survival following OLT. The adult OLT programs in UNOS Region 4 reached an agreement allowing lesions outside MC (one lesion <6 cm, ≤3 lesions, none >5 cm and total diameter <9 cm-[R4 T3]) to receive the same exception points as MC lesions. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to compare survival data. Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare patient data. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. All statistical analyses were performed on SPSS 15 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). Four hundred and forty-five patients were transplanted for HCC (363-MC and 82-R4 T3). Patient demographics were found to be similar between the two groups. Three year patient, allograft and recurrence free survival between MC and R4 T3 were found to be 72.9% and 77.1%, 71% and 70.2% and 90.5% and 86.9%, respectively (all p > 0.05). We report the first regionalized multicenter, prospective study showing benefit of OLT in patients exceeding MC based on preoperative imaging.

Hepatocellular carcinoma patients are advantaged in the current liver transplant allocation system

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan criteria receive priority on the liver transplant waiting list (WL) and compete with non-HCC patients. Dropout from the WL is an indirect measure of transplant access. Competing risks (CR) evaluation of dropout for HCC and non-HCC patients has not previously been reported. Patients listed between 16 March 2005 and 30 June 2008 were included. Probability of dropout was estimated using a CR technique as well as a Cox model for time to dropout. Overall, non-HCC patients had a higher dropout rate from the WL than HCC patients (p < 0.0001). This was reproducible throughout all regions. In Cox regression, tumor size, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were associated with increased dropout risk. Multivariable analysis with CR showed that MELD score and AFP, were most influential in predicting dropout for HCC patients. The index of concordance for predicting dropout with the CR was 0.70. HCC patients appear to be advantaged in the current allocation scheme based on lower dropout rates without regard to geography. A continuous score incorporating MELD, AFP and tumor size may help to prioritize HCC patients to better equate dropout rates with non-HCC patients and equalize access.

Incidence and management of bevacizumab associated hypertension in outpatient oncology clinic

e20677

Background: Bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor is utilized to treat a wide range of cancers. However, clinical trials of bevacizumab reported the incidence of hypertension (HTN) up to 36%. A national guideline has not been established to manage bevacizumab-induced HTN. The incidence and management of bevacizumab associated HTN were evaluated in an outpatient oncology clinic. Methods: A randomized, retrospective chart review of 100 patients who received at least one dose of bevacizumab from 1/1/07 to 12/31/07 was conducted. The overall incidence and management of hypertension were evaluated. Other bevacizumab associated toxicities were compared in patients with or without hypertension. Results: The overall incidence of bevacizumab-induced HTN was 31% (95%CI: 22%-40%) with CTC (v 3.0) grade 3 HTN rate of 10%. The number of patients with a history of HTN or uncontrolled BP prior to bevacizumab therapy was significantly different across the four HTN grade groups (p= 0.0019). Out of 31 patients who had grade 1–3 HTN, 8 patients (26%) were managed by the oncologists, 8 patients (26%) by the primary care physicians, and 15 patients (48%) had no management. Bevacizumab was held in 3 patients due to high blood pressure (BP) resulting in one patient discontinuing bevacizumab therapy. The odds of other bevacizumab associated adverse events in patients with grades 1–3 HTN was 2.776 times than that of patients with grade 0 HTN (p=0.0201). Conclusions: Bevacizumab was associated with HTN in 31% of patients. Patients with history of HTN or uncontrolled BP prior to initiating bevacizumab were at an increased risk to develop a higher grade of HTN. Management of bevacizumab-induced HTN could be improved since BP of 63% of patients with grades 2 and 3 HTN was not adequately controlled.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Blood pressure control and awareness among patients with diabetes and hypertension attending a tertiary ophthalmic clinic

AIMS

To assess the proportion of patients who had diabetes and hypertension with optimal blood pressure (BP) control and to describe patients' awareness of the importance of BP control.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of out-patients with diabetes who attended the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Melbourne, Australia) was conducted between October 2006 and February 2007. Of 245 patients invited, 220 (90%) participated. Optimal BP control was defined as BP < 130/80 mmHg recorded at the latest visit; proportions of patients with awareness of BP control were defined non-exclusively by: (i) ability to recall a previous BP record and rate the appropriateness of that BP level; (ii) ability to recall the recommended optimal BP control level by current diabetes management guidelines; (iii) knowledge that optimal BP control is important to diabetes management; and (iv) knowledge that optimal BP control is important to eye health.

RESULTS

Of the 220 patients, 176 had both diabetes and hypertension. Of these, 49 of 176 (28%) had BP controlled optimally, and 30 of 176 (17%) recalled and rated a previous recorded BP level appropriately. Fewer than one in four (22%) acknowledged the recommended optimum BP level of < 130/80 mmHg, fewer than one in two (48%) rated BP as important to diabetes management, and one in three (35%) rated BP control as important to eye health.

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of patients with diabetes and hypertension, fewer than one-third achieved the BP level recommended by clinical guidelines, and fewer than half were aware of the importance of BP control.

Crystal structures of the methylene chloride disolvates of tetrakis(3,5- dimethoxyphenyl)porphyrin and its isotypic copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes, C52H46N4O8 · 2CH2Cl2, Cu(C52H44N4O8) · 2CH2Cl2, Ni(C52H44N4O8) · 2CH2Cl2

C54H50Cl4N4O8, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 11.295(1) Å, b = 11.255(1) Å, c = 11.797(1) Å, α = 108.904(2)°, β = 101.091(2)°, γ = 110.992(2)°, V = 1241.4 Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.056, wRref(F2) = 0.135, T = 100 K.

C54H48Cl4CuN4O8, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 11.2204(5) Å, b = 11.3499(6) Å, c = 11.7610(6) Å, α = 109.187(1)°, β = 100.830(1)°, γ = 110.681(1)°, V = 1242.7 Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.033, wRref(F2) = 0.092, T = 100 K.

C54H48Cl4N4NiO8, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 11.196(1) Å, b = 11.329(1) Å, c = 11.785(1) Å, α = 109.486(2)°, β = 101.230(2)°, γ = 110.607(2)°, V = 1233.8 Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.040, wRref(F2) = 0.110, T = 100 K.

Patient satisfaction with antihypertensive therapy

The objective of the study was to assess factors associated with treatment satisfaction among patients receiving antihypertensive therapy. A weighted cross-sectional online survey was conducted with hypertensive patients participating in a chronic disease panel in the US. Patients on monotherapy with medications from the following classes were identified: ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta blockers (BBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics. The control group included patients without treatment. Pairwise comparisons between groups were conducted for factors that may affect patients' satisfaction. The study population had a mean age of 54.7+/-14.2 years and was 56.7% female. Participants with blood pressure (BP) controlled to JNC 7 guidelines were more satisfied with their medication than those with uncontrolled BP (90.3 vs 71.5%, P<0.05). Patients who had not experienced adverse events had higher satisfaction than patients experiencing adverse events (90.9 vs 75.8%, P<0.05). The most frequently self-reported adverse events were frequent urination, sexual dysfunction, and fatigue ranging from 7.0 to 9.6% across classes. The adverse event rates differed by class and were lowest among the ARBs. Patients on ARBs were the most likely to have switched from a previous antihypertensive class as compared to other classes (57.1% ARBs vs 49.8% ACEIs, 38.7% diuretics, 36.3% CCBs, and 31.7% BBs). Physician recommendation was the most common reason for switching. In conclusion, the ability to effectively treat hypertension depends upon a patient's satisfaction with antihypertensive therapy, which may be improved by achieving BP control and minimizing the occurrence of adverse events.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in congenital hypothyroidism: comparison of initial T4 dose and time to reach target T4 and TSH

OBJECTIVES

To compare neurodevelopmental outcomes in severe and moderate congenital hypothyroidism (CH) among 3 different initial L-thyroxine doses and to examine the effect of the time to thyroid function normalization on neurodevelopmental outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

Neurodevelopmental assessments of 31 subjects included the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Wide-Range Achievement Test, and Child Behavioral Checklist.

RESULTS

Subjects started on higher initial L-thyroxine doses (50 mug) had full-scale IQ scores 11 points higher than those started on lower (37.5 mug) initial doses. However, verbal IQ, performance IQ, and achievement scores did not differ among the 3 treatment cohorts. Subjects with moderate CH had higher full-scale IQ scores than subjects with severe CH, regardless of the initial treatment dose. Subjects who took longer than 2 weeks to normalize thyroid function had significantly lower cognitive, attention, and achievement scores than those who achieved normal thyroid function at 1 or 2 weeks of therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial L-thyroxine dose and faster time to normalization of thyroid function are important to optimal neurodevelopmental outcome. In severe CH, it is important to choose an initial dose at the higher end of the recommended range to achieve these goals.

Excellent Liver Transplant Survival Rates Under the MELD/PELD System

The MELD/PELD (M/P) system for liver allocation was implemented on February 27, 2002, in the United States. Since then sufficient time has elapsed to allow for assessment of posttransplant survival rates under this system. We analyzed 4163 deceased donor liver transplants performed between February 27, 2002, and December 31, 2003, for whom follow-up reporting was 95% and 67% complete at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed 1-year patient and graft survival rates for status 1 of 76.9% and 70.4%, respectively, and 87.3% and 82.9% for patients prioritized by M/P (P < .0001 for status 1 vs M/P). When adult candidates were stratified by MELD score quartile at transplant, 1-year survival rates were 89.5%, 88.3%, 86.6%, and 78.1% for lowest to highest quartile (P = .0002) and graft survival rates were similarly distributed (85.0%, 84.5%, 82.7%, 73.0%, P < .0001). Candidates with hepatocellular cancer (89.6%) and other MELD score exceptions (88.8%) had slightly higher 1-year survival rates compared with standard MELD recipients (86.0%), which did not reach statistical significance (P = .089). Pediatric recipients had slightly better patient (88.7%) and graft (86.5%) survival rates at 1 year than adults but there were no significant differences among the PELD strata due to small numbers of patients in each PELD quartile. We conclude that patient and graft survival have remained excellent since implementation of the MELD/PELD system. Although recipients with MELD scores in the highest quartile have reduced survival compared with other quartiles, their 1-year survival rate is acceptable when their extreme risk of dying without a transplant is taken into consideration.

Imatinib produces significantly superior molecular responses compared to interferon alfa plus cytarabine in patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase

We analyzed molecular responses in 55 newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients enrolled in a phase 3 study (the IRIS trial) comparing imatinib to interferon-alfa plus cytarabine (IFN+AraC). BCR-ABL/BCR% levels were measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and were significantly lower for the imatinib-treated patients at all time points up to 18 months, P<0.0001. The median levels for imatinib-treated patients continued to decrease and had not reached a plateau by 24 months. A total of 24 IFN+AraC-treated patients crossed over to imatinib. Once imatinib commenced, the median BCR-ABL/BCR% levels in these patients were not significantly different to those on first-line imatinib for the equivalent number of months. The incidence of progression in imatinib-treated patients, defined by hematologic, cytogenetic or quantitative PCR criteria, was significantly higher in the patients who failed to achieve a 1 log reduction by 3 months or a 2 log reduction by 6 months, P=0.002. A total of 49 patients were screened for BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations. Mutations were detected in two imatinib-treated patients who crossed over from IFN+AraC and both lost their imatinib response. In conclusion, first-line imatinib-treated patients had profound reductions in BCR-ABL/BCR%, which significantly exceeded those of IFN+AraC-treated patients and early measurements were predictive of subsequent response.

Perceived food and drug allergies in functional and organic gastrointestinal disorders

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal symptoms are often due to functional disorders. Many individuals with abdominal symptoms believe they are allergic to or intolerant of various foods.

AIM

To assess whether self-reported allergy is linked to a subsequent functional or organic diagnosis.

METHODS

One thousand new patients attending a district hospital gastroenterology clinic completed a questionnaire about believed drug and food allergies and foodstuffs thought to worsen symptoms. No attempt was made to confirm patients' self-reported allergies or intolerances. Final diagnoses were classified as organic or functional.

RESULTS

Nineteen per cent of patients reported drug allergies, 14% reported food allergies and 30% identified foods that worsened symptoms. Atopic patients reported more allergies. Forty-eight per cent of patients had a functional diagnosis. Women were twice as likely as men to have a functional diagnosis. Patients subsequently diagnosed with a functional disorder were more likely than those with organic disease to report drug allergies (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.39-2.65), food allergies (odds ratio, 4.14; 95% CI, 2.73-6.26) or foods that worsened their abdominal symptoms (odds ratio, 3.08; 95% CI, 2.31-4.10). The likelihood of symptoms being functional increased even further if adverse reactions to both drugs and foods were reported. Patients with weight gain were more likely to report food allergy, and those with both features were very likely to have a functional disorder (odds ratio, 4.58; 95% CI, 3.08-6.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with gastrointestinal symptoms who report drug or food allergies or worsening of symptoms with various foods are more likely to have functional than organic illness. Enquiry about perceived allergies and intolerances may help in the early identification of functional gastrointestinal disorders.