ABSTRACT
Background/Aims@#To date, there is no prospective study that specifically investigated the efficacy of infliximab in intestinal Behçet’s disease (BD). This study evaluated the efficacy of infliximab in patients with moderate-to-severe active intestinal BD that are refractory to conventional therapies. @*Methods@#This phase 3, interventional, open-label, single-arm study evaluated clinical outcomes of infliximab treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe intestinal BD. The coprimary endpoints were clinical response, decrease in disease activity index for intestinal BD (DAIBD) score ≥20 from weeks 0 to 8 for the induction therapy and week 32 for the maintenance therapy. @*Results@#A total of 33 patients entered the induction therapy and were treated with infliximab 5 mg/kg intravenously at weeks 0, 2, and 6. The mean DAIBD score changed from 90.8±40.1 at week 0 to 40.3±36.4 at week 8, with a significant mean change of 50.5±36.4 (95% confidence interval, 37.5 to 63.4; p<0.001). Thirty-one (93.9%) continued to receive 5 mg/kg infliximab every 8 weeks during the maintenance therapy. The mean change in the DAIBD score after the maintenance therapy was statistically significant (61.5±38.5; 95% confidence interval, 46.0 to 77.1; p<0.001, from weeks 0 to 32). The proportion of patients who maintained a clinical response was 92.3% at week 32. No severe adverse reactions occurred during the induction and maintenance therapies. @*Conclusions@#This study provided evidence that infliximab 5 mg/kg induction and maintenance therapies are efficacious and well-tolerated in patients with moderate-to-severe active intestinal BD. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02505568)
ABSTRACT
Background@#In psoriasis treatment, not all body regions improve simultaneously after clinical interventions. @*Objective@#This study was aimed at evaluating clinical responses across body regions, which may differentially influence patient treatment plans. @*Methods@#This prospective, observational, and multi-center study was conducted in Koreans who adhered to ustekinumab treatment based on criteria per local label and reimbursement guidelines. A total of 581 were included in this analysis. @*Results@#The mean (±standard deviation) psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score at baseline, age, disease duration, and body surface area (%) were 18.9±9.69, 44.2±13.29 years, 11.3±9.65 years, and 27.8±17.83, respectively. Across the head and neck, upper extremities, trunk, and lower extremities, the correlation between the PASI sub-scores for the upper and lower extremities was the highest (r=0.680). The mean PASI sub-score for the lower extremities was the highest at baseline. PASI90 and PASI100 scores were the highest for the head and neck region, indicating the highest response rates, while those for the lower extremities were consistently low at all visits. @*Conclusion@#We found differences in regional ustekinumab responses, with the lower extremities being the most difficult to treat. These findings should be considered in psoriasis treatment.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence, knowledge and behavior about reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among rural Chinese women in Hunchun, China. METHODS: The study employed a cross-sectional research design with a convenience sample of 190 participants who had received microfinancing. Data were collected by trained research staff, utilizing face to face interviews and physical examinations. RESULTS: About 1 in 5 participants (20.3%) had had more than 5 pregnancies and 26.7% had had 3 or more abortions. More than half (57.3%) of study participants had an RTI at the time of examination, and 92.3% reported having had at least one RTI symptom. Nearly half (49.6%) of the women who exhibited RTI symptoms reported no utilization of any healthcare services. Age, number of pregnancies, RTI knowledge, and behavior were found to be significant correlates in the sample. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of RTI among low-income rural Chinese women were extremely high, indicating the urgent need for effective and culturally sensitive health education, particularly targeted to the poor rural population.