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Therapy Use (therapy + use)
Selected AbstractsCognitive models of complementary therapy useFOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH, Issue 4 2003LG Balneaves [source] Ankle,branch index and HIV: the role of antiretroviralsHIV MEDICINE, Issue 1 2009J Olalla Objective To study the relationship between antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and abnormal ankle,branch index (ABI) and to compare the risk factors for altered ABI. Methods Patients coming to the office from April 2007 until July 2007 were offered the chance to take part in the study. ABI was obtained by the standard technique. Those ,0.9 or ,1.3 were considered altered ABI. Clinical reports were reviewed to examine traditional vascular risk factors, coinfection with hepatitis C virus and/or hepatitis B virus, tobacco use, highly active antiretroviral therapy use and its components and length of use of each ARV drug. Results ABI was measured in 147 patients, 82.3% males. Thirty-three patients (22.45%) had an altered ABI, and it was related to CD4 cell nadir, dyslipidaemia and protease inhibitor (PI) use. When logistic regression was carried out, only dyslipidaemia (OR 2.68, CI 95%: 1.06,6.91) and PI use (OR 2.79, CI 95%: 1.15,6.54) remained in the model. Conclusions Altered ABI is associated with PI use independently of dyslipidaemia. Probably, it marks patients with high vascular risk not identified with traditional scales. [source] Hepatitis B or hepatitis C coinfection in HIV-infected pregnant women in EuropeHIV MEDICINE, Issue 7 2008M Landes Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for hepatitis C or B virus (HCV or HBV) coinfection among HIV-infected pregnant women, and to investigate their immunological and virological characteristics and antiretroviral therapy use. Methods Information on HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity and HCV antibody (anti-HCV) was collected retrospectively from the antenatal records of HIV-infected women enrolled in the European Collaborative Study and linked to prospectively collected data. Results Of 1050 women, 4.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.6,6.3] were HBsAg positive and 12.3% (95% CI 10.4,14.4) had anti-HCV antibody. Women with an injecting drug use(r) (IDU) history had the highest HCV-seropositivity prevalence (28%; 95% CI 22.8,35.7). Risk factors for HCV seropositivity included IDU history [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.92; 95% CI 1.86,4.58], age (for ,35 years vs. <25 years, AOR 3.45; 95% CI 1.66,7.20) and HBsAg carriage (AOR 5.80; 95% CI 2.78,12.1). HBsAg positivity was associated with African origin (AOR 2.74; 95% CI 1.20,6.26) and HCV seropositivity (AOR 6.44; 95% CI 3.08,13.5). Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use was less likely in HIV/HCV-seropositive than in HIV-monoinfected women (AOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.20,0.58). HCV seropositivity was associated with a higher adjusted HIV RNA level (+0.28log10 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL vs. HIV-monoinfected women; P=0.03). HIV/HCV-seropositive women were twice as likely to have detectable HIV in the third trimester/delivery as HIV-monoinfected women (AOR 1.95; P=0.049). Conclusions Although HCV serostatus impacted on HAART use, the association between HCV seropositivity and uncontrolled HIV viraemia in late pregnancy was independent of HAART. [source] A Population-Based Osteoporosis Screening Program: Who Does Not Participate, and What Are the Consequences?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 7 2004Diana S. M. Buist PhD Objectives: To describe differences in osteoporosis risk factors and rates of fracture and antiresorptive therapy use in women who did and did not participate in an osteoporosis screening program. Setting: Group Health Cooperative, a health maintenance organization in western Washington state. Participants: A total of 9,268 women (aged 60,80) who were not using any antiresorptive therapy were invited to participate in an osteoporosis screening program. This study compares the 35% who participated with the 65% who did not. Design: This observational cohort study of women invited to participate in a randomized, controlled trial of an osteoporosis screening program provided all participants with personalized feedback on their risk of osteoporosis. Some participants also received bone density testing. Automated administrative data were used to examine differences between participants and nonparticipants in fracture outcomes and medication initiation before and after invitation. Results: Baseline fracture rates did not differ between participants and nonparticipants. After age adjustment, nonparticipants had a higher hip fracture rate (14.1 vs 8.3 per 1,000) and a lower rate of initiating any antiresorptive therapy (10.3 vs 17.9 per 100) than participants after an average of 28 to 29 months of follow-up. Conclusion: Participants had reduced hip fracture rates and increased initiation of antiresorptive therapy compared with nonparticipants. It was not possible to determine whether participating in the screening program, unmeasured confounding, or selection bias accounted for differences in hip fracture or therapy initiation rates. These results suggest that women who do not participate in osteoporosis screening should be pursued to idenepsy individuals who could benefit from primary and secondary osteoporosis prevention. [source] Prognostic factors in endometrial carcinomaJOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2008Peter Uhar Abstract Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract in industrialized countries, and occurs predominantly after the menopause. Although most endometrial carcinomas are detected at low stage, there is still a significant mortality from the disease. In postmenopausal women, prolonged life expectancy, changes in reproductive behavior and prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as hormone replacement therapy use, may partially account for the observed increases of incidence rates in some countries. In order to improve treatment and follow-up of endometrial carcinoma patients, the importance of various prognostic factors has been extensively studied. The identification of high-risk groups would make it possible to avoid unnecessary adjuvant treatment among patients with a good prognosis. Over the past few decades, several studies have demonstrated the prognostic importance of different parameters including lymph node status, histological type of carcinoma (serous carcinoma and clear cell carcinomas are poor prognostic types), histological grade, stage of disease, depth of myometrial invasion, lymphovascular space involvement and cervical involvement. Other factors currently being investigated are estrogen and progesterone receptor status, p53 status, flow cytometric analysis for ploidy and S-phase fraction, and oncogenes such as HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2). [source] Response to hepatitis A vaccine in HIV-positive patients,JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 2 2006S. Weissman Summary., The USPHS/IDSA guidelines for Prevention of Opportunistic Infections in Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) recommends that all susceptible HIV+ patients at increased risk for hepatitis A virus (HAV) or with chronic liver disease, be vaccinated against HAV. Immune response to HAV vaccine has not been well studied in HIV+ patients. In particular, there is little information in the literature regarding the effect and relationship of the CD4 count and the immune response in HIV patients. A retrospective analysis of HIV+ patients who received HAV vaccine was performed, and the antibody response to HAV (anti-HAV) measured. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine predictors of response to vaccine administration. Of the 503 patients evaluated, 138 patients completed their HAV vaccination series and 48% of them had postvaccine anti-HAV positive results (responders). There was no difference in age, race, antiretroviral therapy use, or hepatitis C virus exposure between responders and nonresponders. In univariate analysis, responders were more likely to be female (40.3%vs 21.1%, P = 0.01), have a higher CD4 count at vaccine (508.6 cells/mm3vs 344.3 cells/mm3, P = 0.001) and marginally lower viral load at vaccine (2.65 log copies vs 2.94 log copies, P = 0.07). Multivariate analysis showed that female gender and higher CD4 count at vaccine were independent predictors of response to vaccine. Forty-eight per cent of our HIV+ patients responded to HAV vaccine administration. This is much lower than reported rates of 100% in HIV-negative patients. Female gender and CD4 count at vaccine, but not CD4 nadir, predicted response to vaccine. [source] Long-term follow-up of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's diseaseMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 1 2008Eugenia Mamikonyan MS Abstract Recent studies have linked dopamine agonist (DA) usage with the development of impulse control disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Little is known about optimal management strategies or the long-term outcomes of affected patients. To report on the clinical interventions and long-term outcomes of PD patients who developed an ICD after DA initiation. Subjects contacted by telephone for a follow-up interview after a mean time period of 29.2 months. They were administered a modified Minnesota Impulse Disorder Interview for compulsive buying, gambling, and sexuality, and also self-rated changes in their ICD symptomatology. Baseline and follow-up dopamine replacement therapy use was recorded and verified by chart review. Of 18 subjects, 15 (83.3%) participated in the follow-up interview. At follow-up, patients were receiving a significantly lower DA levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD) (Z = ,3.1, P = 0.002) and a higher daily levodopa dosage (Z = ,1.9, P = 0.05), but a similar total LEDD dosage (Z = ,0.47, P = 0.64) with no changes in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score (Z = ,1.3, P = 0.19). As part of ICD management, 12 (80.0%) patients discontinued or significantly decreased DA treatment, all of whom experienced full or partial remission of ICD symptoms by self-report, and 10 (83.3%) of whom no longer met diagnostic criteria for an ICD. For PD patients who develop an ICD in the context of DA treatment, discontinuing or significantly decreasing DA exposure, even when offset by an increase in levodopa treatment, is associated with remission of or significant reduction in ICD behaviors without worsening in motor symptoms. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society [source] Complementary medicine use by Australian women with gynaecological cancerPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Milica Markovic Abstract Aims and objectives: Social and cultural factors are identified that impact on complementary therapy use among Australia-born and immigrant women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. Methods: A qualitative study design including in-depth interviews with women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer (N=53) and participant observation was conducted. Results: Approximately one-third of women utilized complementary and alternative medicine, with this being determined by current health concerns and health beliefs related to the efficacy of different modalities. Four types of complementary therapy users emerged: consequential, therapeutic, informed and exploratory. Conclusion: There was a relatively low uptake of complementary treatments. Choice was influenced by women's socio-demographic background, clinical and personal history, lack of personal experiences of gynaecological cancer among study participants' kin and friends, and lack of popular alternative literature on such cancer. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The relationship between breast density and bone mineral density in postmenopausal womenCANCER, Issue 9 2004Diana S. M. Buist Ph.D., M.P.H. Abstract BACKGROUND It is not well understood whether breast density is a marker of cumulative exposure to estrogen or a marker of recent exposure to estrogen. The authors examined the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD; a marker of lifetime estrogen exposure) and breast density. METHODS The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 1800 postmenopausal women , 54 years. BMD data were taken from two population-based studies conducted in 1992,1993 (n = 1055) and in 1998,1999 (n = 753). The authors linked BMD data with breast density information collected as part of a mammography screening program. They used linear regression to evaluate the density relationship, adjusted for age, hormone therapy use, body mass index (BMI), and reproductive covariates. RESULTS There was a small but significant negative association between BMD and breast density. The negative correlation between density measures was not explained by hormone therapy or age, and BMI was the only covariate that notably influenced the relationship. Stratification by BMI only revealed the negative correlation between bone and breast densities in women with normal BMI. There was no relationship in overweight or obese women. The same relationship was seen for all women who had never used hormone therapy, but it was not significant once stratified by BMI. CONCLUSIONS BMD and breast density were not positively associated although both are independently associated with estrogen exposure. It is likely that unique organ responses obscure the relationship between the two as indicators of cumulative estrogen exposure. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society. [source] Neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cellsJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2008Sujoy K. Dhara Abstract Availability of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) has enhanced human neural differentiation research. The derivation of neural progenitor (NP) cells from hESC facilitates the interrogation of human embryonic development through the generation of neuronal subtypes and supporting glial cells. These cells will likely lead to novel drug screening and cell therapy uses. This review will discuss the current status of derivation, maintenance and further differentiation of NP cells with special emphasis on the cellular signaling involved in these processes. The derivation process affects the yield and homogeneity of the NP cells. Then when exposed to the correct environmental signaling cues, NP cells can follow a unique and robust temporal cell differentiation process forming numerous phenotypes. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 633,640, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Second-generation tetracycline-regulatable promoter: repositioned tet operator elements optimize transactivator synergy while shorter minimal promoter offers tight basal leakinessTHE JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE, Issue 7 2004Siamak Agha-Mohammadi Abstract Background The tetracycline-regulatable system is one of the most valuable tools for controlling gene expression. In its current form, however, the system is less than ideal for in vivo or gene therapy uses due to difficulties in set-up procedures, high basal leakiness, and unpredictable delivery and efficiency. Methods To address these issues, we have devised a second generation of tetracycline-regulated promoters (TREs). The second-generation TRE (SG-TRE) contains a shortened cytomegalovirus (CMV) minimal promoter together with eight tet operator sequences positioned in an optimized manner upstream of the TATA box. This construct displays far greater reduction in basal leakiness than maximal transgene expression. Conversely, maximal transgene expression is increased to a greater degree than basal leakiness by post-translational stabilization with bovine growth hormone poly A. Results In transient studies, the SG-TRE displays over 100 000-fold regulation efficiency in HeLa cells at 1:1 ratio of transactivator to reporter plasmid in the Tet-Off system. This novel promoter achieves a regulation efficiency 500- to 1000-fold higher than that of the original TRE (PhCMV*-1) in HeLa cells by displaying undetectable levels of basal leakiness without compromised maximal expression. In other cell lines, the SG-TRE proves to be more efficient than the original PhCMV*-1 in a cell-dependent manner. Furthermore, the SG-TRE preserves its enhanced regulation efficiency and its reduced basal leakiness in the context of a single positive feedback regulatory vector that presents ease of delivery of the system for use in vivo. Finally, in vivo, the biological function of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor is tightly regulated in the context of SG-TRE delivered via adeno-associated viruses. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||