scholarly journals Epidemiology, predictors and clinical aspects of loss of response to biological therapy

2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (5) ◽  
pp. 163-173
Author(s):  
Katalin Lőrinczy ◽  
Pál Miheller ◽  
Sándor Lajos Kiss ◽  
Péter László Lakatos

In the last two decades, the treatment paradigms for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have significantly changed inclusive of a continuously increasing role of biological therapy (anti TNFs). Some patients, however, experience lack or loss of response to biological treatment, and in such cases the management of patients is often empirical. In this review, the authors aim to summarize the available data regarding epidemiology and predictors of loss of response to biological therapy considering the clinical factors and the relationship between serum concentrations, antibodies against biological agents, respectively. Monitoring drug levels and antibodies is expected to play an important role in the management of loss of response (i.e. to confirm adherence, allow dose adjustment, or provide rationale for switching to another biological agent or to a different class of biological agent) in the coming years. The optimal method of detection and cut-off values are, however, not clear. In clinical practice, meticulous complex assessment of clinical symptoms, confirmation of active disease by endoscopic or radiological imaging, and excluding complications remain necessary. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 163–173.

Life ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Mateusz Kamil Ożóg ◽  
Beniamin Oskar Grabarek ◽  
Magdalena Wierzbik-Strońska ◽  
Magdalena Świder

In the available literature, little attention has been paid to the assessment of psoriasis and the biological therapy used for it and the nervous system. The purpose of this article is to discuss the relationship between psoriasis and the nervous system as well as to analyze the mechanisms that lead to neurological complications during anticytokine therapies in psoriasis. However, this connection requires further analysis. The use of biological drugs in psoriasis, although it yields positive therapeutic results, is not without numerous side effects. Serious neurological side effects of the therapy are most often visible with the use of anti-TNF-alpha, which is why patients should be monitored for their potential occurrence. Early detection of complications and rapid discontinuation of treatment with the drug may potentially increase the patient’s chances of a full recovery or improvement of his/her neurological condition. It also seems reasonable that, in the case of complications occurring during anti-TNF-alpha therapy, some of the drugs from other groups should be included in the therapy.


Author(s):  
Lourdes Rey ◽  
Cirenia Quintana-Orts ◽  
Sergio Mérida-López ◽  
Natalio Extremera

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between being cybervictimised and the presence of clinical symptoms, such as depression. To date, however, there has been no comparative analysis of the personal resources profiles of adolescent victims of cyberbullying with and without depressive symptoms. The current study analysed the relationship between positive personal resources and clinical symptoms in 251 adolescent victims of cyberbullying at several Spanish high schools. It examined how several positive personal resources varied in adolescent victims of cyberbullying who displayed symptoms of depression (n = 89) or did not (n = 162). Victims of cyberbullying who displayed depressive symptoms reported lower levels of personal resources (emotional intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and forgiveness) than those who did not. Logistic regression provided evidence that gratitude was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms in victims of cyberbullying, followed by emotional intelligence and optimism. These findings expand the existing literature on the role of personal resources in mental health and highlight the need for their development in youths to help them cope more effectively and function better after being cyberbullied.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour El Huda Abd Rahim ◽  
Mohd Nabil Fikri Rahim ◽  
Norsidah Ku Zaifah ◽  
Hanisah Mohd Noor ◽  
Kartini Abdullah ◽  
...  

Introduction: The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is based on the fact that hyperdopaminergic state is involved in causing psychosis and antipsychotic drugs block the dopamine receptor. COMT regulates the homeostatic levels of neurotransmitter dopamine in the synapses and plays a role in the neurocognitive function. The dysregulation of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex influences the cognitive function and the severity of the psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. During epigenetic event, methylated COMT gene may cause reduction in its expression and contribute to the clinical presentation of schizophrenia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using COMT DNA methylation for the prediction of specific psychotic presentation of schizophrenia. Materials and method: In this study, 138 schizophrenia patients were recruited from the Psychiatry Clinic, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan Pahang. Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was subjected to the Methylight Taqman® analysis for quantitative measurement of the COMT DNA methylation. The psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results: The regression analysis showed that the Positive and Excited subdomains of PANSS were significant predictors of COMT hypomethylation (β= -0.288, p= -0.031; β= - 0.288, p= -0.031). The Excited subdomain of PANSS was negatively correlated with COMT DNA methylation (r 2 = -0.380, p= 0.000) as well as the Depressed subdomain (r 2 = -0.288, p= 0.001). Conclusion: The relationship between DNA methylation of COMT with the positive, excited and depressed symptoms might indicate the epigenetic role of COMT gene in the manifestation of schizophrenia.


GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-48
Author(s):  
Anna N. Rubashkina ◽  
Nina P. Lapochkina ◽  
Ivan Yu. Torshin ◽  
Olga A. Gromova

Quantitative estimates of the effect of 7-hydroxymatairesinol (7-HMR) intake on estrogen balance and clinical aspects of the course of fibrocystic mastopathy have been carried out. Aim. Assessment of effects 7-HMR on metabolism of estrogen (16a-OHE1, 2-OHE2, 2-OHE1, 2-OMEE1, 4-OMEE2, 4-OHE1, a ratio 2-OHE1/16a-OHE1, 2-OHE1/2-OMeE1 and 4-OHE1/4-OMeE1) and progesterone in daily urine at patients with fibrous and cystous mastopathy in the post-menopausal period. Materials and methods. The analysis of metabolites of estrogen (16a-OHE1, 2-OHE2, 2-OHE1, 2-OMEE1, 4-OMEE2, 4-OHE1, ratios 2-OHE1/16a-OHE1, 2-OHE1/2-OMeE1 and 4-OHE1/4-OMeE1) and progesterone in daily urine with use of solid-phase immunofermental set (IFA) of Amerscham International on the analyzer of Amerkard by means of standard sets is carried out. Statistical 10.0 and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets were used in statistical material processing. Results. It was found that taking 7-HMR (60 mg/day, 1 month) contributes to normalizing estrogen metabolism (decreasing estradiol, estrone, estriol, 16a-OHE1) and improves the clinical symptoms of mastopathy. Conclusions. In patients with FCM, 7-HMR contributes to a decrease in hyperestrogenia-related tumor risks by lowering estrogen metabolites levels.


Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Pinto ◽  
Nayara Medeiros ◽  
Tereza Fontes-Cal ◽  
Isabela Naziazeno ◽  
Rodrigo Correa-Oliveira ◽  
...  

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a potentially life-threatening tropical disease endemic to Latin American countries that affects approximately 8 million people. In the chronic phase of the disease, individuals are classified as belonging to the indeterminate clinical form or to the cardiac and/or digestive forms when clinical symptoms are apparent. The relationship between monocytes and lymphocytes may be an important point to help clarify the complexity that surrounds the clinical symptoms of the chronic phase of Chagas disease. The co-stimulatory signals are essential to determining the magnitude of T cell response to the antigen. The signals are known to determine the regulation of subsequent adaptive immune response. However, little is known about the expression and function of these molecules in Chagas disease. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the possible role of main pathways of co-stimulatory molecule-receptor interactions in this pathology that could be crucial to understand the disease dynamics.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2495
Author(s):  
Laura M. Mongioì ◽  
Sarah Perelli ◽  
Rosita A. Condorelli ◽  
Federica Barbagallo ◽  
Andrea Crafa ◽  
...  

Resveratrol (RSV) (3,4′,5 trihydroxystilbene) is a natural non-flavonoid polyphenol widely present in the Mediterranean diet. In particular, RSV is found in grapes, peanuts, berries, and red wine. Many beneficial effects of this molecule on human health have been reported. In fact, it improves some clinical aspects of various diseases, such as obesity, tumors, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes mellitus. However, little is known about the relationship between this compound and male fertility and the few available results are often controversial. Therefore, this review evaluated the effects of RSV on human male fertility and the mechanisms through which this polyphenol could act on human spermatozoa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 358-384
Author(s):  
Gianluca Santoro ◽  
Laura Rosa Midolo ◽  
Antonino Costanzo ◽  
Adriano Schimmenti

Insecure attachment is linked to mentalizing difficulties and psychopathology. The current study aimed to examine if failures in mentalization, as observed in the form of uncertainty about mental states, mediated the relationship between attachment styles and global psychopathology in a group of 812 adults (66.5% females) from the community. Participants completed measures on attachment styles, uncertainty about mental states, and clinical symptoms. The authors found that uncertainty about mental states was a partial mediator of the associations between attachment styles and psychopathology. Furthermore, the findings supported the role of secure attachment in protecting from mentalization failures and psychopathology; on the contrary, increased scores on attachment styles involving a negative view of the self (preoccupied and fearful attachment styles) predicted high levels of uncertainty about mental states and psychopathology. Accordingly, clinicians may wish to promote mentalizing abilities in individuals who display a negative view of the self embedded in their attachment styles.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Torsten Beyna ◽  
Christian Gerges

Biliary diseases are common, but clinical symptoms are often unspecific and direct access and visualization of the biliopancreatic system for diagnostic purpose is difficult. In the last decades endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become a primary method in the gastrointestinal tract. It significantly changed the role of endoscopy in diagnostic imaging in the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. EUS has become an effective diagnostic tool in biliary stone disease as well as in the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures. Furthermore, an EUS-directed transmural approach emerged as a safe and effective alternative to ERCP in patients requiring biliary drainage, in particular as a backup method if standard ERCP-approach fails. Development of new techniques, specific accessories and stents during the last decade led to an enormous step forward in terms of efficacy and safety of an EUS-directed approach. In the current article technical and clinical aspects of EUS-guided diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in different clinical indications will be discussed together with a review of the available data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Parr

Abstract This commentary focuses upon the relationship between two themes in the target article: the ways in which a Markov blanket may be defined and the role of precision and salience in mediating the interactions between what is internal and external to a system. These each rest upon the different perspectives we might take while “choosing” a Markov blanket.


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