Flucloxacillin-Induced Hepatotoxicity - Association with HLA-B*5701

SUMMARY Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) to flucloxacillin is rare and is classified as idiosyncratic, as it is dependent on individual susceptibility, unpredictable, and dose-independent. The authors present the case of a 74 - year - old man with a history of monoclonal gammopathy under investigation and alcoholic habits of 24 g/day, with asthenia, anorexia, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and fever with three days of evolution. He was treated with two courses of antibiotic therapy with flucloxacillin to erysipelas previously (3 months and 2 weeks before admission). Lab tests showed serum AST levels of 349 U/L, ALT 646 U/L, alkaline phosphatase 302 U/L, GGT 652 U/L, total bilirubin 3.3 mg/dL and direct bilirubin 2.72 mg/dL. Infectious, autoimmune, and metabolic causes were ruled out. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed normal results. Liver biopsy showed mild multifocal (predominantly microvesicular) steatosis; marked changes in the centrilobular areas (sinusoidal dilatation, marked congestion, hemorrhage, and multifocal hepatocyte collapse); expansion of the portal areas with the formation of bridges; proliferated bile ducts and inflammatory infiltrate of variable density, predominantly mononuclear type. The HLA-B*5701 screening test was positive. Hepatic biochemical tests remain abnormal with a significative increase in total bilirubin, which reached levels of 24.1 mg/dL, with the development of jaundice, pruritus, and choluria. DILI was assumed, and the patient was treated with ursodeoxycholic acid. There was favorable evolution, without evidence of blood coagulation dysfunction or encephalopathy. The analytic normalization was, however, slow, with evolution to chronicity. The authors present this case to remind the possibility of moderate/severe drug-induced liver injury to flucloxacillin, an antibiotic commonly used in clinical practice and association with the HLA-B * 5701 allele reported in the literature.

RESUMO A hepatotoxicidade à flucloxacilina é rara e classifica-se como idiossincrática, uma vez que é dependente da suscetibilidade individual, não expectável e independente da dose. Apresentamos o caso de um homem, 74 anos, antecedentes de gamapatia monoclonal e hábitos alcoólicos de 24 g/dia, com quadro de astenia, anorexia, náuseas, desconforto abdominal e febrícula com três dias de evolução. Referência a dois ciclos de antibioterapia com flucloxacilina por erisipela (três meses e duas semanas antes da admissão). Analiticamente com AST 349 U/L, ALT 646 U/L, FA 302 U/L, GGT 652 U/L, bilirrubina total 3,3 mg/dL, bilirrubina direta 2,72 mg/dL. Excluídas etiologias infecciosa, autoimune, metabólica, bem como patologia das vias biliares por colangio-RM. Biópsia hepática mostrou esteatose multifocal ligeira (predominantemente microvesicular); alterações acentuadas nas áreas centrolobulares (dilatação sinusoidal, congestão acentuada, hemorragia e colapso multifocal de hepatócitos); expansão das áreas portais com constituição de pontes; ductos biliares proliferados e infiltrado inflamatório de densidade variável, predominantemente de tipo mononucleado. Tipagem de HLA-B*5701 positiva. Agravamento analítico atingindo bilirrubina total 24,1 mg/dL, com desenvolvimento de icterícia, prurido e colúria. Admitida a hepatotoxicidade, iniciou terapêutica com ácido ursodesoxicólico. Verificou-se evolução favorável, sem evidência de coagulopatia ou encefalopatia. A normalização analítica foi, no entanto, lenta, com evolução para cronicidade. Os autores apresentam este caso para alertar para a possibilidade de hepatotoxicidade moderada a grave à flucloxacilina, antibiótico de uso comum na prática clínica e associação com o alelo HLA-B*5701 relatada na literatura.

Essential thrombocythemia - a predisponent factor for stroke

SUMMARY The essential thrombocythemia is one of the seven described forms of myeloproliferative neoplasms. It is characterized by megakaryocytic hyperplasia with consequent thrombocytosis maintained in the peripheral blood, favoring the occurrence of thrombo-hemorrhagic phenomena. We present the case of an 81-year-old woman with a history of ischemic stroke in the context of a sustained thrombocytosis, which led to a spinal study and a search for the V617F mutation in the JAK2 gene, which was positive. The patient started cytoreductive therapy with hydroxyurea with favorable current evolution.

Morpho and Cytological Differentiation of Calli of Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla During Somatic Embryogenesis

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to induce and analyze embryogenic calli from two types of explants (leaves and meristems) of the hybrid Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla. Leaves and meristems of plants kept in a nursery were disinfected and inoculated in Petri dishes containing MS culture medium supplemented with different concentrations of the growth regulator dicamba (1.13, 4.52, and 9.04 µM) and without it. At 60 days of culturing, the calli were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and at 90 days were evaluated by light microscopy in regard to the embryogenic characteristics of the cells. Different type of calli were induced in leaf explants, designated as Type I with light yellow coloring, Type II with dark yellow coloring, and Type III of brown coloring; however, only Type I had embryogenic characteristics. In the meristematic explants, only one type of callus was induced, and it had embryogenic characteristics. At 90 days of culturing, the formation of somatic embryos in the different embryogenic stages was observed and the formation of procambium, protoderm, and ground meristem tissues. At 150 days of culturing, the concentration of 1.13 µM of dicamba was prominent in the formation of somatic embryos in the different embryogenic stages.