Evaluation of proactive therapeutic drug monitoring application in infliximab users in ulcerative colitis

Objective: To evaluate the application of proactive pro-drug therapy (TDM) at week six in users of infliximab therapy in ulcerative colitis patients and to analyze the need for further disease optimization. Method: This is a retrospective analysis that will be carried out simultaneously at the Hospital de Clínicas de Passo Fundo and at the Endoclin Diagnostic Center in the city of Passo Fundo, with secondary data collection between January 2020 and May 2022. The sample included patients from both sexes, regardless of age, who are being followed up in the services mentioned above, by signing the informed Free and Clarified Consent Term. Results: 63.2% of patients required optimization of their treatment based on the serum level assessment at week six. Conclusion: Proactive TDM performed at week six benefits patients in order to complete indications for treatment to avoid lack of drug response and complications from the disease. (AU)

Rituximab in glomerular diseases: a case series and narrative review / Rituximab em doenças glomerulares: uma série de casos e revisão narrativa

Abstract Introduction: The use of Rituximab (RTX) in glomerular diseases (GD) has increased in the past years, although it is still only used in a small fraction of patients. Methods: A single center retrospective study of adult patients with membranous nephropathy (MN), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), lupus nephritis (LN), and vasculitis treated with RTX as first or second-line therapy was conducted at our center from 2010 to 2020. Results: We identified 19 patients; 36.8% had MN and 25.0% each had FSGS, LN, and vasculitis. RTX was first-line therapy in 26.3% of patients and in 73.7% it was second-line therapy. Mean follow-up time was 7.7 ± 7.2 years. In MN, 2 patients (28.6%) had complete remission (CR), 2 patients (28.6%) had partial remission (PR), and 3 patients (42.9%) had no response (NR). In FSGS, 2 patients (50.0%) presented CR, 1 patient (25.0%) had no response, and 1 patient had renal deterioration. Two patients (50.0%) had a LN class IV with a CR after RTX, 1 patient with LN class IIIC/V had no response, and 1 patient with LN class II had renal deterioration. In vasculitis, 3 patients (75.0%) presented CR and 1 patient had PR. Infusion reactions were present in 2 patients (10.5%) and one patient had multiple infectious complications. Conclusions: The efficacy of RTX in treating different types of immune-mediated GD has been demonstrated with different response rates, but an overall safe profile. In our case series, the results are also encouraging. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the effect of RTX in GD.

Resumo Introdução: O uso de Rituximab (RTX) em doenças glomerulares (DG) aumentou nos últimos anos, embora ainda utilizado apenas em uma pequena fração de pacientes. Métodos: Conduzimos em nosso centro, de 2010-2020, um estudo retrospectivo de único centro de pacientes adultos com nefropatia membranosa (NM), glomeruloesclerose segmentar focal (GESF), nefrite lúpica (NL) e vasculite tratada com RTX como terapia de primeira ou segunda linha. Resultados: Identificamos 19 pacientes; 36,8% tinham NM; 25,0% cada apresentava GESF, NL e vasculite. RTX foi terapia de primeira linha em 26,3% dos pacientes e em 73,7% foi terapia de segunda linha. O tempo médio de acompanhamento foi 7,7 ± 7,2 anos. Em NM, 2 pacientes (28,6%) tiveram remissão completa (RC), 2 pacientes (28,6%) remissão parcial (RP), e 3 pacientes (42,9%) não tiveram resposta (NR). Na GESF, 2 pacientes (50,0%) apresentaram RC, 1 paciente (25,0%) não teve resposta e, 1 paciente, deterioração renal. Dois pacientes (50,0%) apresentaram NL classe IV com RC após RTX, 1 paciente com NL classe IIIC/V não teve resposta, e 1 paciente com NL classe II apresentou deterioração renal. Na vasculite, 3 pacientes (75,0%) apresentaram RC e 1 paciente RP. Reações à infusão ocorreram em 2 pacientes (10,5%) e um paciente apresentou múltiplas complicações infecciosas. Conclusões: A eficácia do RTX em tratar diferentes tipos de DG imunomediada tem sido demonstrada com diferentes taxas de resposta, mas com perfil geral seguro. Em nossa série de casos, os resultados também são encorajadores. Estudos longitudinais são necessários para compreender melhor o efeito do RTX na DG.

Progress of immunological surveillance in the treatment-free remission of chronic myelogenous leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

With the wide application of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), to obtain treatment-free remission (TFR) has gradually become the long-term goal for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Self-renewing leukemia stem cells during disease progression are related with the recurrence, and surveillance of residual leukemic cells is hypothesized to be one of the critical factors in successful TFR. On the way to obtain TFR, many breakthroughs have been made in innate and adaptive immunity of CML cells. This paper reviews the immune function of CML patients, the role of the immune markers in maintaining TFR, and the exploration of TKI combined with new immunomodulator therapy to achieve a greater degree of TFR.

The effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on clinical remission in patients with Crohn′s disease treated with infliximab / 中华消化杂志

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on clinical remission of patients with Crohn′s disease (CD) in the treatment of infliximab (IFX).Methods:From January 2014 to January 2020, 73 patients with initial moderate to severe CD (50 patients with vitamin D deficiency (the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)<50 nmol/L)) receiving IFX treatment at Department of Gastroenterology were screened from the clinical database of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI) was applied to evaluate the disease activity of CD patients. All the patients underwent IFX treatment (5 mg/kg) for at least 54 weeks. According to whether vitamin D3 (125 U/d) was supplemented during IFX treatment, the patients were divided into supplemented group ( n=37) and non-supplemented group ( n=36). In supplemented group, the level of 25(OH) D of patients at the 54th week was compared with that before IFX treatment. At the 54th week, the clinical remission rate and decline range of HBI were compared between supplemented group and non-supplemented group. And the influencing factors of clinical remission rate were analyzed in CD patients. Paired t test, independent sample t test, chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results:In supplemented group, the level of serum 25(OH)D at the 54th week was higher than that before IFX treatment ((50.83±15.45) nmol/L vs. (37.68±16.75) nmol/L), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-4.55, P<0.001). At the 54th week, the clinical remission rate of supplemented group was higher than that of non-supplemented group (83.8%, 31/37 vs. 61.1%, 22/36), the decline range of HBI was larger than that of non-supplemented group (7.41±3.00 vs. 6.28±2.75), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.71, t=2.41; P=0.030 and 0.023). The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that vitamin D3 supplementation was an independent factor affecting the clinical remission rate in CD patients ( n=73) and the patients with vitamin D deficiency ( n=50) ( b= -1.67 and -1.92 , P=0.015 and 0.019). Conclusions:Vitamin D3 supplementation can significantly improve the clinical remission rate in CD patients with IFX treatment, especially in CD patients with vitamin D deficiency.

Effectiveness of induction therapy with exclusive enteral nutrition in pediatric Crohn's disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To evaluate the effectiveness of induction therapy with exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 62 children with CD who received EEN in Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from March 2013 to August 2021. The medical data included general information and height, weight, Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI), Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum albumin level before treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment. The changes in the above indicators were compared before and after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Among the 62 children with CD, there were 39 boys (63%) and 23 girls (37%), with a mean age of (11.9±3.0) years at diagnosis. Among the 55 children who completed EEN treatment for at least 8 weeks, 48 (87%) achieved clinical remission at week 8. PCDAI at week 8 was significantly lower than that before treatment (P<0.001). Except for 17 children with involvement of the small intestine alone and 3 children with involvement of the colon who did not receive colonoscopy reexamination, the remaining 35 children with involvement of the colon received colonoscopy reexamination after the 8-week EEN treatment. Of the 35 children, 29 (83%) achieved mucosal healing. As for the 48 children who achieved clinical remission at week 8, there were significant improvements in height-for-age Z-score and body mass index-for-age Z-score at week 8 (P<0.01). As for the 7 children who did not achieve clinical remission at week 8, there were no significant changes in height-for-age Z-score and body mass index-for-age Z-score at week 8 (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The 8-week EEN treatment has a good effect on clinical remission and mucosal healing in children with CD. For the children with CD achieving clinical remission, EEN can improve their height and body mass index.

Comparison between DAS28-ESR and DAS28- CRPus for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: application in a population of southern Brazil

Abstract The Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) shows discrepancies when using erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) scores to assess rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to verify the agreement between the DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR scores in patients with RA from the south of Brazil. A unicentric cross-sectional study was performed (n = 56). The diagnosis of the patients followed the American College of Rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism criteria, and their DAS28 were calculated. The DAS28- ESR score was higher than the DAS28-CRP (DAS28-ESR mean 4.8±1.6; DAS28-CRP mean 4.3±1.4) for 83.9% of the patients. The DAS28-CRP and DAS28-ESR scores showed a very strong correlation (Pearson's coefficient = 0.922; P<0.0001, 95% CI +0.87 to +0.95, statistical power 100%). Spearman's correlation coefficient (0.49; P=0.0001, 95% CI +0.25 to +0.67, statistical power 47.54%) showed a moderate correlation between the unique components of the DAS28 formulas. There was agreement between the tests in only 36 of the patients (64.29%). Among the discordant categories, DAS28-ESR overestimated the classification in 16 patients (28.5%). The Kappa coefficient between the categories was 0.465 (SE 0.084, 95% CI +0.301 to +0.630), showing a moderate degree of agreement between the instruments. Although the DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP were highly correlated, they differed significantly in terms of patient categorization and should not be used interchangeably

Respuesta a medicamentos biológicos en pacientes con artritis reumatoide según nivel de actividad al inicio / Response to biological agents in patients with rheumatoid arthritis according to disease activity state at the beginning of treatmen

Introducción: la Ley Ricarte Soto (LRS) permite a pacientes con artritis reumatoide refractaria acceder a medicamentos biológicos. Sin embargo con esta regulación los pacientes inician éstos con actividad alta de enfermedad por un período prolongado, luego de recibir al menos 3 fármacos sintéticos. Previo a la implementación de esta ley no era necesario cumplir estos requisitos. Objetivos:comparar la respuesta a tratamiento lograda con el uso de medicamentos biológicos según niveles de actividad al inicio mediante la comparación de pacientes con biológicos antes y después de la LRS. Métodos: tomando datos del Programa de atención de pacientes con artritis reumatoide de la Red de Salud UC-Christus se compraró grupos de pacientes que accedieron a biológicos pre y post implementación de la LRS. Se analizó el cambio en DAS28 y la categorización de actividad de enfermedad según DAS28. Se realizó una regresión lineal evaluando edad, seropositividad y DAS28 pre tratamiento. Resultados: se encontró una diferencia significativa en el cambio de DAS28 a los 6 meses de tratamiento (p=0,02) y en la regresión solo con el DAS28 pre tratamiento (p=0,00). Dentro del grupo de pacientes que requirió cambio de biológico, los pacientes post ley iniciaron la terapia más activos y presentaban mayor persistencia de actividad severa a los 6 meses de tratamiento (11% vs 25%).Conclusiones: si bien el nivel de actividad al inicio no influyó en la respuesta a los 6 meses de tratamiento, si influyó en la persistencia de actividad severa en quienes requirieron cambio de biológico.

Introduction: Chilean regulations (Ley Ricarte Soto (RS) allow patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis to have access to biological agents, but because of the requirements of the law, they spend a long period with active disease. Objectives: To compare the effective-ness of treatment with biological agents according to baseline disease activity by comparing subjects initiating biologics previous to and after ley RS. Methods: Using data from the rheumatoid arthritis clinic at Red Salud UC-Christus, we compared groups of patients who had access to biological agents before and after the implementation of the RS law. Change in DAS 28 was analyzed as well as disease activity categories according to DAS 28. We performed linear regression evaluating age, seropositivity, and baseline DAS28. Results: We found a significant difference in the DAS28 score delta at six months of treatment (p=0.02). In linear statistically significant association in the treatment response with the pre-treatment DAS28 (p=0.00), but in the group of patients that required more than one biological agent, the post-LRS group had a higher pre-treatment DAS28 and a higher rate of high disease activity (11% vs. 25%) after six months of treatment. Discussion: Although the baseline disease activity level did not influence the final response to treatment, it had an impact on the persistence of severe activity in patients that required more than one biologic agent

Schneider's first-rank symptoms as predictors of remission in antipsychotic-naive first-episode psychosis

Objective: German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider proposed the concept of first-rank symptoms (FRS) of schizophrenia in 1959. However, their relevance for diagnosis and prediction of treatment response are still unclear. Most studies have investigated FRS in chronic or medicated patients. The present study sought to evaluate whether FRS predict remission, response, or improvement in functionality in antipsychotic-naive first-episode psychosis. Methods: Follow-up study of 100 patients at first episode of psychosis (FEP), with no previous treatment, assessed at baseline and after 2 months of treatment. The participants were evaluated with the standardized Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and for presence of FRS. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that, in this sample, up to three individual FRS predicted remission: voices arguing, voices commenting on one's actions, and thought broadcasting. Conclusion: Specific FRS may predict remission after treatment in FEP patients. This finding could give new importance to Kurt Schneider's classic work by contributing to future updates of diagnostic protocols and improving estimation of prognosis.

The impact of multiple myeloma induction therapy on hematopoietic stem cell mobilization and collection: 25-year experience

ABSTRACT While first-line induction therapy for patients with multiple myeloma has changed over the years, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation still plays a significant role, improving both depth of response and progression-free survival of myeloma patients. Our 25-year experience in mobilizing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for 472 transplant-eligible myeloma patients was retrospectively reviewed. Patients were stratified according to the remission induction therapy received, and the outcomes were compared among the cohorts that received vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone (VAD) (n = 232), bortezomib and dexamethasone (BD) (n = 86), cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (CyBorD) (n = 82) and other regimens (n = 67). Cyclophosphamide plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was the predominant mobilization regimen given. A greater number of CD34+ cells (9.9 × 10E6/kg, p = 0.026) was collected with less hospital admissions in BD patients (13%, p = 0.001), when compared to those receiving VAD (7.5 × 10E6/kg, 29%), CyBorD (7.6 × 10E6/kg, 19%), or other regimens (7.9 × 10E6/kg, 36%). Induction therapy did not influence the overall rate of unscheduled visits or the length of hospitalization because of complications following mobilization. The myeloma response was not significantly deepened following the cyclophosphamide administered for mobilization. This analysis demonstrates the importance of monitoring the impact of initial treatment on downstream procedures such as stem cell mobilization and collection.

Tacrolimus for ulcerative colitis in children: a multicenter survey in Japan

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tacrolimus is effective for refractory ulcerative colitis in adults, while data for children is sparse. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tacrolimus for induction and maintenance therapy in Japanese children with ulcerative colitis.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the multicenter survey data of 67 patients with ulcerative colitis aged < 17 years treated with tacrolimus between 2000 and 2012. Patients’ characteristics, disease activity, Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) score, initial oral tacrolimus dose, short-term (2-week) and long-term (1-year) outcomes, steroid-sparing effects, and adverse events were evaluated. Clinical remission was defined as a PUCAI score < 10; treatment response was defined as a PUCAI score reduction of ≥ 20 points compared with baseline.RESULTS: Patients included 35 boys and 32 girls (median [interquartile range] at admission: 13 [11–15] years). Thirty-nine patients were steroid-dependent and 26 were steroidrefractory; 20 had severe colitis and 43 had moderate colitis. The initial tacrolimus dose was 0.09 mg/kg/day (range, 0.05–0.12 mg/kg/day). The short-term clinical remission rate was 47.8%, and the clinical response rate was 37.3%. The mean prednisolone dose was reduced from 19.2 mg/day at tacrolimus initiation to 5.7 mg/day at week 8 (P< 0.001). The adverse event rate was 53.7%; 6 patients required discontinuation of tacrolimus therapy.CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus was a safe and effective second-line induction therapy for steroid-dependent and steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis in Japanese children.

Efficacy and safety of IA regimen containing different doses of idarubicin in de-novo acute myeloid leukemia for adult patients / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the efficacy and safety of IA regimen which contains idarubicin (IDA) 8 mg/m2, 10 mg/m2 or 12 mg/m2 as induction chemotherapy for adult patients with de-novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) .@*Methods@#A total of 1 215 newly diagnosed adult AML patients, ranging from May 2011 to March 2015 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and other 36 clinical blood centers in China were enrolled in the multicenter, single-blind, non-randomized, clinical controlled study. To compare the response rate of complete remission (CR) , adverse events between different dose idarubicin combined with cytarabine (100 mg/m2) as induction chemotherapy in newly diagnosed patients of adult AML.@*Results@#Of 1 207 evaluable AML patients were assigned to this analysis of CR rate. The CR rates of IDA 8 mg/m2 group, IDA 10 mg/m2 group and IDA 12 mg/m2 group were 73.6% (215/292) , 84.1% (662/787) and 86.7% (111/128) , respectively (P<0.001) . After adjusted for age, blast ratio of bone marrow, FAB classification and risk stratification, the odds ratios (95% CI) of IDA 10 mg/m2 group and IDA 12 mg/m2 group were 0.49 (0.34-0.70) and 0.36 (0.18-0.71) , as compared with the IDA 8 mg/m2 group (P<0.001, P=0.003) . In the intermediate and favorable groups, CR rates was 76.5% (163/213) , 86.9% (506/582) and 86.1% (68/79) in different doses of IDA (P=0.007) . Interestingly, IA regimen with IDA 10 mg/m2 was the only beneficial factor affecting CR in this group after adjusted for age, blast ratio of bone marrow and FAB classification[OR=0.47 (95% CI 0.31-0.71) , P<0.001]. CR rates in adverse group was 50.0% (18/36) , 60.6% (43/71) and 81.8% (18/22) respectively (P=0.089) . However, the odds ratios (95% CI) of IDA 12 mg/m2 when compared with the IDA 8 mg/m2 was 0.22 (0.06-0.80) , after adjusted for age, blast ratio of bone marrow and FAB classification. The median time (days) of neutrophil count less than 0.5×109/L in IDA 8 mg/m2 group, IDA 10 mg/m2 group and IDA 12 mg/m2 group were 14 (11-18) , 15 (11-20) and 18 (14-22) , respectively (P=0.012) and of platelet count lower than 20×109/L were 14 (7-17) , 15 (11-20) and 17 (15-21) , respectively (P=0.001) . The incidences of lung infection in the three groups were 9.8%, 13.5% and 25.2%, respectively (P<0.001) .@*Conclusions@#For young adult patients (aged 18-60 years) with AML in China, intensifying induction therapy with idarubicin 10 mg/m2 is clinically superior to IDA 8 mg/m2 and IDA 12 mg/m2 in favorable intermediate AML subgroup. However, idarubicin 12 mg/m2 is more suitable to adverse AML subgroup.

Prognostic significance of blood count at the time of achieving morphologic leukemia-free state in adults with acute myeloid leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To explore prognostic significance of blood count at the time of achieving first morphologic leukemia-free state[complete remission (CR, ANC ≥1×109/L and PLT ≥100×109/L) , CR with incomplete PLT recovery (CRp) and CR with incomplete ANC and PLT recovery (CRi) ]in adult patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) .@*Methods@#From January 2008 to February 2016, data of consecutive newly-diagnosed AML (non-APL) adults who received continuous chemotherapy in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively.@*Results@#352 patients were included in the study. 179 (50.9%) were male. Median age was 44 (17-65) years. Using the SWOG cytogenetic classification, 87 (24.7%) , 171 (48.6%) , 46 (13.1%) and 48 (13.6%) patients belonged to favorable, intermediate, unfavorable and unknown categories, respectively. 16 (4.5%) had monosomal karyotype and 41 (11.6%) had FLT3-ITD mutation positive. Best response achieved at the time of achieving first morphologic leukemia-free state was CR in 299 (84.9%) patients, CRp in 26 (7.4%) and CRi in 27 (8.1%) . With a median follow-up period of 16 (2-94) months in survivors, the probabilities of cumulative incident of relapse (CIR) rate, disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) at 30 months were 47.5%, 46.0% and 58.6%, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that non-CR (CRp or CRi) , was associated with high relapse rate, shorter DFS and OS. In addition, intermediate or high risk of SWOG cytogenetic classification and FLT3-ITD positive were common unfavorable factors affecting CIR, DFS and OS. Peripheral blast ≥60% at diagnosis was adverse factors affecting DFS. Age ≥48 years and bone marrow blasts ≥67% were associated with shorter OS.@*Conclusion@#Blood count at the time of achieving morphologic leukemia-free state was one of the key markers associated with treatment outcomes in adults with AML.

Efficacy of Infliximab as Rescue Therapy in Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis / 胃肠病学

Background:Of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC),30% -40% is steroid-refractory and required second-line medical therapy or colectomy. Infliximab (IFX)may be effective as rescue therapy. Aims:To explore preliminarily the efficacy and safety of IFX as rescue therapy in ASUC in China. Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in 10 consecutive ASUC patients receiving IFX as rescue therapy from June 2012 to September 2016 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The modified Mayo score and laboratory parameters were compared at baseline and on week 2,week 12 and week 30 of the treatment course. Results:The response rates on week 2,week 12 and week 30 of IFX treatment were 90. 0% (9/ 10),90. 0% (9/ 10)and 71. 4% (5/ 7),respectively,and the remission rates were 20. 0% (2/10),30. 0% (3/ 10)and 28. 6% (2/ 7),respectively. One patient was primary non-responder to IFX,and two lost response on week 30 (secondary non-response). Seven patients were followed up for 38 weeks. Two patients underwent colectomy. After (9. 6 ± 7. 0)months on average,endoscopic improvement occurred in 50. 0% (5/ 10)of patients,of which one achieved mucosal healing. During treatment course,one case of herpes zoster virus infection and one case of cytomegalovirus infection were recorded. Conclusions:This retrospective study revealed good short-term response to IFX treatment in patients with ASUC in China. It may reduce colectomy rate and promote mucosal healing. However,the rate of secondary loss of response is relatively high. During treatment course,viral infection should be monitored.

Efficacy of Infliximab as Rescue Therapy in Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis / 胃肠病学

Background:Of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC),30% -40% is steroid-refractory and required second-line medical therapy or colectomy. Infliximab (IFX)may be effective as rescue therapy. Aims:To explore preliminarily the efficacy and safety of IFX as rescue therapy in ASUC in China. Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in 10 consecutive ASUC patients receiving IFX as rescue therapy from June 2012 to September 2016 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The modified Mayo score and laboratory parameters were compared at baseline and on week 2,week 12 and week 30 of the treatment course. Results:The response rates on week 2,week 12 and week 30 of IFX treatment were 90. 0% (9/ 10),90. 0% (9/ 10)and 71. 4% (5/ 7),respectively,and the remission rates were 20. 0% (2/10),30. 0% (3/ 10)and 28. 6% (2/ 7),respectively. One patient was primary non-responder to IFX,and two lost response on week 30 (secondary non-response). Seven patients were followed up for 38 weeks. Two patients underwent colectomy. After (9. 6 ± 7. 0)months on average,endoscopic improvement occurred in 50. 0% (5/ 10)of patients,of which one achieved mucosal healing. During treatment course,one case of herpes zoster virus infection and one case of cytomegalovirus infection were recorded. Conclusions:This retrospective study revealed good short-term response to IFX treatment in patients with ASUC in China. It may reduce colectomy rate and promote mucosal healing. However,the rate of secondary loss of response is relatively high. During treatment course,viral infection should be monitored.

Factores pronósticos de remisión en pacientes con leucemia linfoblástica aguda posterior a primer recaída / Prognostic factors of remission in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after a first relapse

Objetivos: Identificar aquellos factores que impactan en la respuesta terapéutica para alcanzar una segunda remisión (2 RC) en pacientes con leucemia aguda linfobl´stica (LAL) en recaída. Métodos: Estudio observacional y analítico anidado en una cohorte retrospectiva de adultos (>18 años) portadores de LAL que fueron atendidos durante 2008-2014 y que interrumpieron el protocolo HGMLAL07 al detectarse recaída e iniciaron otro esquema. Resultados: Se estudiaron 69 pacientes y el 62,3% (n = 43) correspondía a hombres. La media de edad fue de 29 años. Los regímenes terapéuticos empleados fueron: alta intensidad (55,1%) [Hyper-CVAD (n = 34), IDA-Flag (n = 1), mitoxantrona-DARAC (n = 3) ], moderada intensidad (4,3%) [Esquemas de reinducción (n = 3) ] y tratamiento paliativo de baja intensidad con soporte transfusional (40,6%, n = 28). Solo 19 pacientes (27,5%) integraron una 2 RC. La media de supervivencia fue 120 (2- 575) días y el 29% sobrevivió al año de seguimiento. El uso de un segundo régimen intensivo o moderado no brindó ventaja sobre el esquema conservador (prueba log-Rank, p = 0,812). Ninguna variable demostró valor pronóstico sobre la supervivencia a 1 año. La duración de la primera RC (OR 6,78, p = 0,005, 95% IC: 1,7532-26,2803) y recibir un primer tratamiento intensivo (OR 0,22, p = 0,018, 95% IC: 0,0661-0,7813) fueron variables pronósticas de falla terapéutica para alcanzar la 2 RC. Conclusiones: Poseer una primera RC < 1 año fue un factor de riesgo importante para no integrar una 2 RC. No se identificaron factores pronósticos de supervivencia ni superioridad de alguno de los esquemas de rescate empleados.

Aims: To identify those factors that affect therapeutic response to achieve a second remission (2 RC) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in relapse. Methods: Observational, descriptive and analytical study nested in a retrospective cohort of adults (> 18 years-old) ALL carriers treated during the period from 2008 to 2014 that disrupted the HGMLAL07 protocol when relapse was detected and began another therapeutic scheme. Results: The study included 69 patients, of whom 62.3% (n = 43) were males, and the mean age was 29 years-old. The therapeutic regimens used were: high intensity (55.1%) [Hyper-CVAD (n = 34), IDA-Flag (n = 1), mitoxantrone-DARAC (n = 3) ], moderate intensity (4.3%) [Re-induction schemes (n = 3) ], and palliative treatment of low intensity with transfusion support (40.6%, n = 28).Only 19 patients (27.5%) achieved a 2 RC. The median overall survival was 120 (2-575) days, 29% of patients were alive at one year. Using a high or moderate intensity regime as the rescue scheme gave no advantage over the conservative one (log-rank test, P = .812). None of the variables showed prognostic value of survival at one year. The duration of the first RC (OR 6.78, P = .005, 95% CI; 1.75 -26.28) and receiving high intensity treatment (OR 0.22, P = 018, 95% CI: 0.06 -0.78) were predictors of treatment failure to achieve 2 RC. Conclusions: To achieve a first RC < 1 year was an important risk factor for not achieving a 2 RC. No prognostic factors for survival were identified. None of the schemes used for rescue showed superiority.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Oral Enteral Nutrition in Pediatric Crohn's Disease: A Single Center Non-Comparative Retrospective Study

PURPOSE: Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) therapy effectively induces clinical remission in Crohn's disease (CD). It remains unclear, however, whether partial enteral nutrition (PEN) can maintain remission. This study was performed to determine the abilities of oral EEN and oral PEN to induce and maintain clinical remission in pediatric patients with CD, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pediatric patients with CD who received oral EEN at a single center in 2000-2014 were identified retrospectively. Remission rates of the EEN and PEN during the 2 years study period were determined. Risk factors for EEN and PEN failure were identified. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients who started EEN, 61 (92%) completed the course. Clinical remission was achieved in 88% (58/66) of the patients. All 58 patients with remission continued with PEN: 43 (74%) were treatment adherent. The cumulative remission rates at 1 and 2 years were 67% and 52%, respectively. Differing from EEN, limited therapeutic efficacy of PEN was shown in severe CD patients. Female gender associated significantly with non-adherence. CONCLUSION: Oral EEN and PEN effectively induced and maintained remission in a pediatric population. Non-adherence was a limiting factor in the success of therapy.

Efficacy of Adalimumab in Korean Patients with Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adalimumab is effective for both remission induction and the maintenance of Crohn's disease (CD) in Western countries. We evaluated the efficacy of adalim-umab in the conventional step-up treatment approach for CD in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 62 patients with CD who were treated with adalimumab. Their Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) was measured at weeks 4, 8, and 52. Clinical remission was defined as a CDAI score <150. Induction and maintenance outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-one patients (66.1%) achieved a reduction of 70 CDAI points at week 8. Among them, 28 (45.2%) achieved clinical remission at week 8, 20 (32.3%) maintained remission at week 52. The absence of prior anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy and Montreal classification L1 at baseline predicted clinical remission at week 8 in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the Cox proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio for the secondary loss of response during maintenance therapy after clinical remission induction was significantly higher in patients who showed initial mild CDAI severity or Montreal classification A3. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, anti-TNF therapy-naive and Montreal classification L1 were associated with adalimumab efficacy as induction therapy in CD. Further studies are warranted to determine the prognostic factors for the long-term response after adalimumab therapy.

Efficacy and safety of thalidomide in the treatment of 29 refractory Crohn's disease patients / 中华消化杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of thalidomide (100 to 200mg per day) in the treatment of adult refractory Crohn's disease (CD).Methods From July 2008 to February 2013,29 refractory CD patients were enrolled in thalidomide (100 to 200 mg per day)cohort study.The clinical activity was evaluated by simplified CD activity index.Patients in clinical remission underwent colon endoscope examination,and mucosal healing was assessed by simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD).Adverse reactions (ADR) were also observed.Results Among the 29 CD patients,23 males and six females,the baseline of 19 patients (65.5％) were in clinical active period and 10 in clinical remission period.Among patients with baseline in clinical active period,three patients did not reach the target dose because of ADR,the left 16 patients were treated with thalidomide for one year and 14 patients achieved clinical remission.The median time of inducing clinical remission was one month.A totle of 24 patients with clinical remission induced by thalidomide and with baseline in clinical remission period were assessed in efficacy evaluation of mucosal healing.Thalidomide was withdrawn in three patients in six months because of ADR and colonoscopy evaluation did not complete,while the other 21 patients received colonoscopy evaluation among whom 33.3％ (7/21) achieved mucosal healing after two years of thalidomide treatment.Numbness of the hands,feet or mouth,somnolence and dermatitis were the top three ADR of thalidomide treatment.A total of nine patients withdrew the medication because of ADR (four (13.8％) with numbness of the hands,feet or mouth,four (13.8％) with dermatitis and one (3.4％) with leukopenia).Conclusions Thalidomide 100 to 200 mg per day can induce clinical remission and mucosal healing in refractory CD.However,it has some adverse reactions and close monitoring and follow up are required during treatment.

Long-Term Survival after T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Treated with One Cycle of Hyper-CVAD Regimen / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a rare form of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The standard approach for management of T-LBL involves intensive multiagent chemotherapy regimens for induction and consolidation phases with central nervous system prophylaxis and a maintenance phase lasting 12-18 months. We report on a case of long-term survival after one cycle of hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (hyper-CVAD) and high-dose methotrexate. A 30-year-old woman diagnosed with T-LBL with a large mediastinal mass underwent one cycle of hyper-CVAD. Four days after the start of treatment, the mediastinal mass was markedly reduced. Treatment continued with one cycle of consolidation chemotherapy, comprising high-dose methotrexate and high-dose cytarabine. The patient then refused all further chemotherapeutic treatment. Seven years have passed without relapse.

A Case of Crohn's Disease Showing Favorable Response to Induction and Maintenance Therapy with Methotrexate after Failure of Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy / 대한소화기학회지

Thanks to the introduction of immumomodulators and biologics, therapeutic approaches in Crohn's disease have changed significantly during the past decade. Although new biologic therapy has dramatically improved the treatment of Crohn's disease, a substantial number of patients are refractory to these therapies or lose their initial response. Methotrexate (MTX) is a structural analogue of folic acid that can competitively inhibit the binding of dihydrofolic acid to the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase and has been widely used as immunomodulator in rheumatology area for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Although MTX has also been shown to be an effective agent for remission induction and maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease, the use of MTX in Crohn's disease has not yet been reported in Korea. Herein, we report a case of Crohn's disease patient who was successfully treated with MTX after treatment failure with thiopurine and anti-tumor necrosis factor.