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De Novo Patients (de + novo_patient)
Selected AbstractsPreemptive lamivudine therapy based on HBV DNA level in HBsAg-positive kidney allograft recipientsHEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Tak Mao Chan Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive kidney transplant recipients have increased liver-related mortality. The impact of lamivudine treatment on patient survival, the optimal time to start treatment, and the feasibility of discontinuing treatment have not been determined. This study examined these issues with a novel management protocol. Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels were measured serially in HBsAg-positive kidney transplant recipients, and lamivudine was administered preemptively to patients with increasing HBV DNA levels with or without elevation of aminotransferase levels. Outcomes of patients who underwent transplantation before or after institution of this preemptive management strategy (in January 1996) were compared. Eleven de novo patients (91.7%) who underwent transplantation between 1996 and 2000 and 15 existing patients (39.5%) who underwent transplantation between 1983 and 1995 received preemptive lamivudine therapy for 32.6 ± 13.3 months. The treatment criteria were met by de novo patients at 8.4 ± 6.2 months (range, 1-18 months) after transplantation. Suppression of HBV DNA and normalization of aminotransferase levels were achieved in all treated patients, and 21.4% had hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion. The survival of preemptively managed de novo transplant patients was similar to that of HBsAg-negative controls, whereas HBsAg-positive patients who underwent transplantation before January 1996 had inferior survival (relative risk of death, 9.7 [P < .001]; relative risk of liver-related mortality, 68.0 [P < .0001]). Eleven patients (40.7%) developed lamivudine resistance. Discontinuation of lamivudine was attempted in 12 low-risk patients after stabilization and was successful in 5 (41.7%). In conclusion, preemptive lamivudine therapy based on serial HBV DNA levels and clinical monitoring improved the survival of HBsAg-positive renal allograft recipients. Treatment can be discontinued safely in selected patients after stabilization to minimize the selection of drug-resistant HBV mutants. [source] Cyclosporine exposure and calcineurin phosphatase activity in living-donor liver transplant patients: Twice daily vs. once daily dosingLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2006Masahide Fukudo We have compared the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cyclosporine between once- and twice-daily dosing regimens in de novo patients of living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A total of 14 patients were enrolled in this study, who had received cyclosporine microemulsion (Neoral) twice a day (BID, n = 5) or once daily in the morning (QD, n = 9) after transplantation. On postoperative day (POD) 6, the QD regimen significantly increased cyclosporine exposure; the blood concentration at 2 hours postdose (C2) and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) for 4 hours (AUC0,4), compared with the BID regimen. Moreover, the area under the calcineurin (CaN) activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells time-curve (AUA) for 12 hours (AUA0,12) and 24 hours (AUA0,24) were decreased by approximately 42 and 25% with the QD regimen relative to the BID regimen, respectively. The C2 level was significantly correlated with the AUC0,4 (r2 = 0.95), which was negatively related to the AUA0,12 with a large interindividual variability (r2 = 0.59). However, a significant correlation was found between the AUA0,12 or AUA0,24 and CaN activity at trough time points. According to a maximum inhibitory effect attributable to the drug (Emax) model, the mean estimates of Emax and the Cb value that gives a half-maximal effect (EC50) for CaN inhibition were not significantly different between the 2 groups, respectively. These findings suggest that a once daily morning administration of cyclosporine may improve oral absorption and help to provide an effective CaN inhibition early after LDLT. Furthermore, CaN activity at trough time points would be a single surrogate predictor for the overall CaN activity throughout dosing intervals following cyclosporine administration. Liver Transpl 12:292,300, 2006. © 2006 AASLD. [source] How common is delayed cyclosporine absorption following liver transplantation?LIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2005Silvina E. Yantorno The mean time to peak absorption of cyclosporine (CsA) in liver transplant patients is approximately 2 hours, but in some patients the peak occurs later. The goal of this study was, therefore, to investigate the incidence of delayed absorption in 27 de novo liver transplant recipients receiving CsA ,10 mg/kg/day (C2 monitoring) and in 15 maintenance patients. Patients were categorized as ,normal' absorbers (C2 exceeding C4 and C6) or ,delayed' absorbers (C4 or C6 exceeding C2), and as ,good' (>800 ng/mL at C0, C2, C4, or C6) or ,poor' absorbers (C0, C2, C4 and C6 <800 ng/mL) on the day of study. Among de novo patients, 15 (56%) had ,normal' CsA absorption and 12 (44%) ,delayed' absorption. Good CsA absorption occurred in 16 patients (59%) and poor absorption in 11 (41%). The proportion of poor absorbers was similar in patients with normal (6 / 15, 40%) or delayed (5 / 12, 42%) absorption. Among the 12 delayed absorbers, 11 had peak CsA concentration at C4. Mean C0 level was significantly higher in delayed absorbers (282 ± 96 ng/mL) than in normal absorbers (185 ± 88ng/mL; P = .01). Delayed absorbers reverted to normal absorption (C2 > C4) after a median of 6 days from the day of study, and no cases of delayed absorption were found among maintenance patients. In conclusion, almost 50% of the patients had delayed CsA absorption early posttransplant; around half of these exhibited normal CsA exposure. Measurement of C4 in addition to C2 differentiates effectively between delayed and poor absorbers of CsA such that over- or underimmunosuppression can be avoided. (Liver Transpl 2005;11:167,173.) [source] Analysis of the course of Parkinson's disease under dopaminergic therapy: Performance of "fast tapping" is not a suitable parameterMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 3 2005Peter H. Kraus MD Abstract In addition to clinical rating scales, instrumental methods are employed frequently for assessment of performance or motor deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD). Many studies have analyzed such parameters in cross-sectional studies. We employed a battery of tests to investigate fine motor performance over a period of 4 years in 411 de novo parkinsonian patients from the Prado study. Specifically, tapping and pegboard testing ("plugging") were evaluated and performance on these tests compared with clinical ratings. Plugging scores correlated well with tapping scores and clinical rating at each assessment timepoint. Both tests also showed significant differences to healthy controls. Nevertheless "fast tapping" was found to be less impaired than was plugging in de novo patients. Over time, it was observed that plugging scores, but not tapping scores, exhibited changes that paralleled movements in clinical score. Plugging scores exhibited a marked response to dopaminergic therapy whereas fast tapping showed no therapeutic response. Fast tapping is certainly not suitable for assessment of bradykinesia or hypokinesia, and does not respond to dopaminergic therapy. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society [source] | ||||||||||