scholarly journals Effects of Rapamycin Combined with Low Dose Prednisone in Patients with Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaming Li ◽  
Zhaoyue Wang ◽  
Lan Dai ◽  
Lijuan Cao ◽  
Jian Su ◽  
...  

We conducted this randomized trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of rapamycin treatment in adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Eighty-eight patients were separated into the control (cyclosporine A plus prednisone) and experimental (rapamycin plus prednisone) groups. The CD4+CD25+CD127lowregulatory T (Treg) cells level, Foxp3 mRNA expression, and the relevant cytokines levels were measured before and after treatment. The overall response (OR) was similar in both groups (experimental group versus control group: 58% versus 62%,P=0.70). However, sustained response (SR) was more pronounced in the experimental group than in the control group (68% versus 39%,P<0.05). Both groups showed similar incidence of adverse events (7% versus 11%,P=0.51). As expected, the low pretreatment baseline level of Treg cells was seen in all patients (P<0.001); however, the experimental group experienced a significant rise in Treg cell level, and there was a strong correlation between the levels of Treg cells and TGF-beta after the treatment. In addition, the upregulation maintained a stable level during the follow-up phase. Thus, rapamycin plus low dose prednisone could provide a new promising option for therapy of ITP.

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Mei-ying Wang ◽  
Yong-nan Teng ◽  
Xiao-dan Wang ◽  
Hai-tao Cao

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (HDIVIG) single dose and pulse therapy combined with small-dose prednisone acetate in the treatment of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods: Eighty patients with KD from Baoding Children’s Hospital, China, were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group, each with 40 cases. Patients in the experimental group were treated with HDIVIG single dose, pulse therapy combined with low-dose prednisone acetate, while patients in the control group were treated with conventional-dose immunoglobulin. Patients in both groups were treated with aspirin orally, and given symptomatic treatment including anti-inflammatory, nutritional support, correction of water and electrolyte disturbance and acid-base balance. Peripheral venous blood samples were drawn from all patients at the time of admission, Day-1, Day-7 and Day-14 after treatment, and in the basic state of getting up in the morning, and then the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The time of body temperature falling to normal, lymph node swelling recovery, hands and feet swelling, mucosal hyperemia regression after treatment in the two groups was recorded, and the treatment effect of the two groups was comprehensively evaluated. Results: After treatment, the levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-a, CRP, IL-6 in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). In addition, the time of body temperature falling to normal, lymph node swelling recovery, hands and feet swelling, and mucosal hyperemia regression in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (p=0.00). The effective rate of the experimental group was 95% and that of the control group was 80%, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.04). Conclusion: HDIVIG single dose, pulse therapy combined with small-dose prednisone acetate has a favourable therapeutic effect in the treatment of patients with KD, by which the inflammatory factors can be significantly improved, clinical symptoms and weight can be quickly ameliorated, and therapeutic effect can be enhanced. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.4.4023 How to cite this:Zhang H, Wang MY, Teng YN, Wang XD, Cao HT. Observation on the clinical effect of high-dose Intravenous Immunoglobulin combined with low-dose prednisone acetate in the treatment of patients with Kawasaki Disease. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.4.4023 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003151252110100
Author(s):  
Liangshan Dong ◽  
Bo Shen ◽  
YanLi Pang ◽  
Mingting Zhang ◽  
Yuan Xiang ◽  
...  

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a motor program that specifically targeted fundamental motor skills (FMS) in children with ASD. The experimental group (n=21) participated in a 9-week program with motor instructions for 80 minutes/day, three days/week, while the control group (n=29) did not participate in the program. We measured FMS (using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3) one-week before, one-week after, and two-months after the program. Children in the experimental group had significantly larger FMS improvements than the controls on both locomotor and ball skills immediately following the program, and these participants showed continuous improvement on locomotor, but not ball skills, at 2-months follow-up. In individual analyses, 80% of children in the experimental group versus 29% of children in the control group showed continuous locomotor skills improvement beyond their pre-test levels. These findings highlight the importance of both a long-term motor development intervention and an individualized approach for evaluating improved FMS among children with ASD.


Author(s):  
Eva Vegue Parra ◽  
Jose Manuel Hernández Garre ◽  
Paloma Echevarría Pérez

(1) Background: Currently, the scientific evidence on the benefits of assisted therapy with dogs in dementia is not clear. In this study, we want to evaluate such benefits through a randomized controlled clinical trial in multiple centers across the country. (2) Methods: The participants were people over 65 years old with dementia, residing in senior centers in Spain (n = 334). The experimental group underwent assisted therapy with dogs based on the Comprehensive Cognitive Activation Program in Dementia, for 8 months, with weekly sessions of 45 min. Data were collected at the commencement, middle, and end of the program, to evaluate the aspects using the Mini-Examination Cognitive, the modified Bartell Index, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. (3) Results: The results show significant improvements in the experimental group versus the control group in the affective (T1 = p 0.000; T2 = p 0.000) and behavioral (T1 = p 0.005; T2 = p 0.000) aspects, with the affective aspect displaying greater progress in participants with additional depressive (p = 0.022) or anxiety (p = 0.000) disorders, shorter institutionalization periods (r = −0.222, p = 0.004), and those undergoing complementary psychotherapy (p = 0.033) or alternative therapy (p = 0.011). (4) Conclusions: Dog therapy is effective in improving the affective and behavioral aspects of institutionalized patients with dementia.


Author(s):  
D. Skafar ◽  
D. Shumeyko

Purpose: to study the effect of ethanol on the parameters of THC, the percentage of granulocytes and total protein in the hemolymph of the Red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus).Materials and methods. The object of this experiment was 26 males of the Australian red-clawed crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) weighing from 23 to 83 g. The individuals were evenly divided into two experimental groups - with an injection of ethanol and a control group without an injection of 13 crayfish for each group. The injection dose was 2515 mg per 100 g of body weight. A day after the introduction of ethanol, hemolymph was taken with a syringe from the ventral sinus, the syringe was pre-washed with a 4% EDTA-Na2 solution. Three parameters were determined: the total hemocyte count (THC), percent granulocytes and percent total protein content. Counting of hemocytes and determination of granulocytes were performed in a Goryaev chamber under a light microscope. The total protein was determined by the refractometric method.Results. Differences in THC and total protein between the groups were statistically unreliable (p>0,05). THC in the experimental group is 36% more than in the control group. The total protein after the introduction of ethanol actually increased by 0,7%, and relatively by 14%. There were statistically different indicators of the proportion of granulocytes (p<0,05) - the average value of 33,1% in the experimental group versus 24,5% in the control group. A reliable (p<0,05) strong feedback was revealed between the total protein and the mass of individuals in both experimental groups, while in the experimental group there is a visible shift in the values of dependent hemolymph indicators towards an increase in smaller individuals.Conclusion. A single injection of ethyl alcohol with a dosage of 2515 mg per 100 g of body weight into the hemolymph of C. quadricarinatus does not cause significant changes in the THC and total protein after 24 hours. At the same time, the proportion of granulocytes actually increases by 9%, relative to 37%. This may indicate that granulocytes are involved in the formation of cancer defense mechanisms when exposed to toxic substances. The effect of different dosages of ethanol injections and the duration of its effect on hematological parameters requires additional consideration. It is necessary to investigate its effect on other indicators, such as the pH and buffer capacity of the hemolymph, the concentration of hemocyanin, glucose, lactates and calcium.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (31) ◽  
pp. 33-36
Author(s):  
Джиоев ◽  
Inal Dzhioev ◽  
Джанаев ◽  
Robert Dzhanaev

Anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin, which has proven cardiovascular toxicity, is often used in the treatment of cancer. The research project was carried out in 21 sexually mature Wistar male rats divided into three groups: control group, high-dose experimental group, in which rats were once injected intraperitoneally with doxorubicin hydrochloride at a dose of 10 mg/kg and low-dose experimental group, in which animals twice received intraperitoneal 2.5 mg/kg doses of doxorubicinhydrochloride at 10-day interval.An increase of malondialdehyde was revealed in the membranes of red blood cells in the high-dose experimental group, while in the low-dose experimental group a reduction in the levels of malondialdehyde and plasma hydroperoxides as well as a decreasing of catalase activity was observed. Intake of doxorubicin also causes venous hyperemia in wide areas of myocardiumalong with increasing of cardiomyocytic cross striation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 462-462
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Matsuo ◽  
Yasuyoshi Miyata ◽  
Yuji Sagara ◽  
Kojiro Ohba ◽  
Hideki Sakai

462 Background: Platinum-based regimens are standard therapy for advanced urothelial cancer (UC). However, second-line chemotherapy is still not established. Therefore, best supportive care is often selected in patients with poor performance status (PS). In our hospital, combination therapy of low-dose gemcitabine and paclitaxel every 4 weeks is administered as second-line therapy for platinum-resistant patients with PS 2 or 3. We investigated the quality of life (QoL) and safety of our regimen in these patients. Methods: Forty-two advanced UC patients were treated with gemcitabine (700 mg/m2 on day 1) and paclitaxel (70 mg/m2 on day 1) every 4 weeks (experimental group). The QoL was evaluated using the short-form survey (SF)-36, and the data were collected on the day before the first cycle was started and 8 weeks after starting the therapy. In addition, survival analysis was performed between these patients and 30 patients who received no second-line therapy (control group). Results: In experimental group, one patient showed grade 3 anemia after the treatment. However, this patient also had severe hematuria before staring of the therapy. No patient had severe adverse events (grade 3 and higher) because of this therapy. The QoL score decreased after the therapy; however, the difference was not significant. With regard to efficacy, partial response was found in two patients, and the mean/SD survival period of the experimental group was 9.2/7.2 months. This period was significantly (P < 0.01) longer than that in the control group (5.8/2.4 months). In addition, 13 (31.0%) and 6 patients (14.3%) survived over 12 and 18 months, respectively. Conclusions: Combined therapy of low-dose gemcitabine and paclitaxel every 4 weeks was well tolerated, and the patient’s QoL was maintained after treatment. Some patients showed relatively long survival periods. We suggest that this treatment regimen is worthy of consideration as second-line therapy for patients with advanced UC with PS 2 or 3.


2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 245-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui Li ◽  
Jianghong Yuan ◽  
Yuan-feng Zhu ◽  
Xiang-ju Yang ◽  
Qiong Wang ◽  
...  

Aims: To clarify the imbalance of Th17/Treg in different subtypes of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) including Graves' disease(GD), Hashimoto's thyroiditis(HT) and Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). Methods: 47 patients with AITD (including 16 GD, 15 HT, and 16 GO) and 12 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The percentages of Th17 and Treg cells, the ratio of Th17/Treg, as well as their related transcription factors RORγt and Foxp3 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured by flow cytometry and real-time quantitative PCR Results: Compared with those in control group, the percentage of CD4+IL-17+T cell(Th17) and the mRNA expression of its transcription factor RORγt were higher in PBMCs of AITDs (P<0.05), particularly in HT subgroup (P<0.01). The percentage of CD4+Foxp3+T (Treg) cells and its transcription factor Foxp3 mRNA were significantly decreased in PBMCs of GD (P<0.05). In addition, the ratio of Th17/Treg was elevated in AITD group and GO subgroup (P<0.01). In GO subgroup, the patients with clinical activity score (CAS) above 4.5 had higher percentages of Th17 than those with CAS ranging from 3 to 4.5 (P<0.05). Conclusion: Increased Th17 lymphocytes may play a more important role in the pathogenesis of HT and GO while decreased Treg may be greatly involved in GD.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Li ◽  
YiShui Chen ◽  
XiaoLiang Li ◽  
ShuJie Lei ◽  
QingFeng Chen ◽  
...  

Objective.The aim of the study is to estimate the immune function through cytokine profiles in sera of uranium mines.Methods.Antibody arrays were used to detect 50 cytokines in sera of uranium miners. Miners who had continuously worked underground for <5 years were treated as control group and those who worked for⩾5 years as experimental group.Results.Of 28 measurable cytokines, the release of IL-1α, IL-1RI, IL-15, IL-3, and IP-10 were significantly upregulated in the experimental group, and no cytokine was found significantly downregulated. Other proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-6, and TNFαlevels were slightly upregulated in the experimental group. With adjustment to age, BMI, and cigarette smoking, IL-1αand IL-3 levels increased significantly with underground time.Conclusion.Alteration of cytokine profiles in this study may indicate persistent inflammatory responses in uranium miners exposed to long-term low doses radiation.


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