A phase 2 dose-finding study of lonafarnib and ritonavir with or without interferon alpha for chronic delta hepatitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Proof-of-concept studies demonstrated lonafarnib (LNF), a first-in-class oral prenylation inhibitor, efficacy in patients infected with HDV. The lonafarnib with ritonavir for HDV-2 (LOWR-2) study's aim was to identify optimal combination regimens of LNF + ritonavir (RTV) ± pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) with efficacy and tolerability for longer-term dosing. Here we report the safety and efficacy at end of treatment for up to 24 weeks.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Fifty-five patients with chronic HDV were consecutively enrolled in an open-label, single-center, phase 2 dose-finding study. There were three main treatment groups: high-dose LNF (LNF ≥ 75 mg by mouth [po] twice daily [bid] + RTV) (n = 19, 12 weeks); all-oral low-dose LNF (LNF 25 or 50 mg po bid + RTV) (n = 24, 24 weeks), and combination low-dose LNF with PEG-IFNα (LNF 25 or 50 mg po bid + RTV + PEG-IFNα) (n = 12, 24 weeks). The primary endpoint, ≥2 log10 decline or < lower limit of quantification of HDV-RNA from baseline at end of treatment, was reached in 46% (6 of 13) and 89% (8 of 9) of patients receiving the all-oral regimen of LNF 50 mg bid + RTV, and combination regimens of LNF (25 or 50 mg bid) + RTV + PEG-IFNα, respectively. In addition, multiple patients experienced well-tolerated transient posttreatment alanine aminotransferase increases, resulting in HDV-RNA negativity and alanine aminotransferase normalization. The proportions of grade 2 and 3 gastrointestinal adverse events in the high-dose versus low-dose groups were 49% (37 of 76) and only 22% (18 of 81), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

LNF, boosted with low-dose RTV, is a promising all-oral therapy, and maximal efficacy is achieved with PEG-IFNα addition. The identified optimal regimens support a phase 3 study of LNF for the treatment of HDV.

Evaluation of olfactory function in Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVE

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing type of vasculitis of unknown etiology and is characterized by oral and urogenital ulcers and ocular inflammation with cutaneous, musculoskeletal, vascular, and nervous system manifestations. Few cases involving the nasal mucosa have been reported in the literature, and the true prevalence of BD remains unknown. Neurological involvement associated with BD might play a more important role in causing olfactory dysfunction than mucosal involvement, but sufficient clinical data are not available on the effect of BD on olfaction in adults. We therefore evaluated the olfactory function of patients diagnosed with BD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients were chosen from among a consecutive patient group population who visited the internal medicine rheumatology polyclinic and otolaryngology departments of Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital. A total of 50 patients (both males and females) aged 18 to 60 years with a diagnosis of BD and 46 healthy controls (matched to the study group in terms of age and gender) were included. BD was diagnosed based on the criteria defined by the International Study Group for BD. A complete clinical history was taken for and a physical examination was performed in all participants. Patients with other rheumatic diseases; obstructive nasal pathologies leading to conductive-type olfactory dysfunction (e.g., septum deviation or nasal polyp); advanced systemic disease (e.g., hypertension or malignancy); a history of antithyroid, antihistamine, antidepressant, or steroid medication use within the past month; or who were current smokers, had an active upper respiratory infection, or had a history of otolaryngologic operations were excluded. The results of the "Sniffin' Sticks" (SS) olfactory test were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 50 BD patients was 35.3±10 years; that of the 46 health controls was 36.9±11 years. There was no significant group difference in age or gender distribution (p>0.05). Odor identification and overall scores were significantly lower in the BD group than in the control group. There were no significant differences in odor discrimination scores between the BD and control groups (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate olfactory function in patients diagnosed with BD using the SS test. Odor identification was more impaired in BD patients than in healthy controls, but there was no group difference in odor discrimination. BD patients should also be assessed for the involvement of olfactory function and may require treatment due to a malfunction of the olfactory system that affects the quality of life.

Sjögren's syndrome after silicone breast implantation

Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the lacrimal and salivary glands, leads to dryness of the mouth and eyes. Herein, we present a case of Sjögren's syndrome that developed after silicone breast implantation. A cause-effect relationship between breast implantation and Sjögren's syndrome has not been established. However, the possibility of such an association should be considered when a patient with silicone implants is admitted to the hospital for treatment of Sjögren's syndrome.

The value of red blood cell distribution width in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a routinely examined parameter with the complete blood count. In recent studies, RDW levels have been associated with cardiovascular, liver and renal diseases and solid tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the alterations of RDW levels in benign and malignant causes of postmenopausal bleeding and to investigate the association of RDW levels with clinicopathological parameters of endometrial cancer (EC) patients.

METHODS

A retrospective study was made of a total of 884 females who were admitted to hospital for postmenopausal bleeding between May 2009 and December 2013. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 222 patients remained. Complete blood count data was obtained from the recorded computerized database. After pathological evaluation, the patients were divided into two groups, benign and malignant (EC).

RESULTS

The EC group (n=113) had significantly higher RDW levels compared to the benign group (14.78±2.02 vs. 13.88±1.05; p=0.000). Grade II and above EC patients had higher levels of RDW than Grade I patients (15.2±2.3 vs. 14.1±1.00; p=0.005). Correlation analyses also revealed a negative correlation between RDW and hemoglobin levels (p=0.000), RDW and mean corpuscular volume (p=0.000), RDW and lymphocyte count (p=0.035) but a positive correlation between RDW and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (p=0.030).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study revealed the potential predicitve role of RDW in patients with postmenopausal bleeding. Significant associations were also determined between RDW and clinicopathological characteristics in EC patients.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by several immunological abnormalities. We wish to communicate the case of a patient with SLE and lupus nephritis (LN) who developed pseudothrombocytopenia. Pseudothrombocytopenia can occur in patients with SLE and LN and should be considered when diagnosing patients with thrombocytopenia without bleeding.