Development and verification of a detection method for activity of neutralizing antibody in ELISA antibody positive serum of rats immunized with recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To develop and verify a method for detecting the activity of neutralizing antibodies in ELISA antibody positive serum of rats immunized with recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist(rhIL-1Ra). Methods The SD rats were subcutaneously immunized with 3,20 and 100 mg/kg rhIL-1Ra injection respectively,10 rats in each group,half male and half female,twice a day at an interval of at least 4 h between each dose for 13 consecutive weeks. The blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of rats during the administration period and the recovery period. The serum samples were isolated and detected for the antibody titers by ELISA,and the samples positive for rhIL-1Ra antibody were purified by Protein A chromatographic column. Based on,D10G4·1 cells biological activity assay,a method for the detection of neutralizing antibody activity was developed and verified for the specificity,sensitivity and precision. The neutralizing antibody activity of rhIL-1Ra antibody positive serum determined by ELISA was detected by using the developed method.Results With the increase of doses,the serum antibody titers of rats in various dose groups gradually increased,and there were still antibodies in the recovery period,and the titer was still high. Rabbit anti-rhIL-1Ra monoclonal antibody showed obvious neutralizing effect on rIL-1Ra,while rabbit anti-rIFN-2b monoclonal antibody had no dose-effect relationship with rIL-1Ra. The sensitivity of the method was 171. 93 μg/mL;The CVs of precision verification were not more than 20%. The positive antibody sera detected by ELISA all had neutralizing effect on rhIL-1Ra injection,which was consistent with the results detected by ELISA. Conclusion The method developed in this study has good specificity and high sensitivity in the detection of serum neutralizing antibody activity in rats immunized with rhIL-1Ra,which can be used to detect the serum neutralizing antibody activity of animals with rhIL-1Ra repeated administration.

Navafenterol, a new drug for the treatment of chronic obstructive airway disease / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Navafenterol is a new compound with both muscarinic receptor antagonist and β2 receptor agonist effects in a single molecule, who is being developed for the treatment of chronic obstructive airway disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. These pilot clinical studies found that it can significantly improve lung function and symptoms, and is safe and well tolerated. Common treatment emergent adverse events include headache, nasopharyngitis, and dizziness. It may become a next-generation bronchodilator for chronic obstructive airway disease. This review introduced the prospective of Navafenterol.

Network meta-analysis of triple therapy for the prevention and treatment of acute nausea and vomiting caused by emetogenic chemotherapy drugs with moderate and high risk / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of the triple therapy of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists， neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists and dexamethasone （referred to as “triple therapy”） in the prevention and treatment of acute nausea and vomiting caused by moderately and highly emetogenic chemotherapy drugs. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed， Embase， the Cochrane Library， CNKI and Wanfang data， randomized controlled trials （RCTs） about triple therapy or 5-HT3 receptor antagonist combined with dexamethasone （referred to as “dual therapy”） were collected during the inception to May 2023. After literature screening， data extraction and literature evaluation， network meta-analysis was performed by using Stata 16.0 software. RESULTS A total of 59 RCTs were included， involving 23 418 patients and 15 interventions. Results of network meta-analysis showed that fosaprepitant + palonosetron + dexamethasone （FPD） was most effective in terms of acute nausea and vomiting control rate， followed by fosaprepitant + granisetron + dexamethasone （FGD） and aprepitant + ramosetron + dexamethasone （AMD）. In terms of acute nausea control rate， FPD was the most effective， followed by aprepitant + palonosetron + dexamethasone （APD） and FGD. In terms of acute vomiting control rate， FPD was the most effective， followed by FGD and APD. CONCLUSIONS Fosaprepitant + palonosetron + dexamethasone is better than other triple therapy or dual therapy in preventing acute nausea and vomiting caused by moderately and highly emetogenic chemotherapy drugs.

Rational use of acid suppressant for stress ulcer in PICU / 中国小儿急救医学

Stress-related digestive tract mucosal disease is a common complication in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU). It may progress to stress ulcer and severe ulcer bleeding, which may lead to death.Currently, stress ulcer prophylaxis is recommended for critically ill children with high risk factors for stress ulcer, and the most commonly used acid suppression drugs are proton pump inhibitor and histamine-2 receptor antagonist.However, excessive prophylactic acid suppression is common and can increase the risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia and clostridium difficile infection in PICU.This review aimed to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of preventive acid suppressant therapy and promote the rational use of acid suppressant in PICU.

The screening model for dopamine receptor agonists by a dopamine sensor / 药学学报

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system due to the loss or death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Clinically, levodopa is the most effective and commonly used drug for PD treatment. However, long-term levodopa therapy is prone to motor complications and other side effects caused by excessive peripheral dopamine production, which has become an urgent problem to be solved in PD treatment. Dopamine receptor (DR) agonists are similar to dopamine. They can directly stimulate postsynaptic dopamine receptors, produce the same effect as dopamine, delay the application of levodopa as much as possible, and reduce complications caused by long-term use of levodopa. Therefore, screening effective dopamine receptor agonists has become a key issue in the study and treatment of PD. In order to establish a rapid, stable and reliable method for dopamine receptor agonist screening, this study used the human dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2) gene fused with a circular permuted EGFP (cpEGFP) to construct a recombinant gene, packaged with lentiviral vector, and the vector replaced the parted inner transmembrane domain of the third intracellular loop (ICL3) of genetically-encoded GPCR-activation based (GRAB) sensors. The fluorescence of GPCR-fused cpEGFP is regulated by conformational changes mediated by the interaction of dopamine receptor agonists with GPCRs without altering GPCR activity. The HEK293T cells were infected with viral vector, screened by puromycin to select highly expressed cells. Dopamine receptor agonists (including dopamine, bromocriptine mesylate, cabergoline, pramipexole) were used as positive drugs to explore the best screening and detection conditions, establishing a stable model to evaluate the dopamine receptor agonist. The results showed that the optimal filter for the dopamine receptor agonist in this study was the cell seeding count of 7×104, and the effective concentration of the positive drug was 1-100 µmol·L-1. In addition, pretreated with 10 µmol·L-1 dopamine receptor antagonists (including chlorprothixol hydrochloride, domperidone, and sulpiride), the positive fluorescence signal of overexpressed DRD2-cpEGFP HEK293T cells could not be detected when exposed to 10 µmol·L-1 dopamine receptor agonists, which proved that dopamine receptor antagonists could block the activity of dopamine receptor agonists, so they cannot activate dopamine receptor allosteric, indicating that the model has good specificity and can also be used for the screening and detection of new dopamine receptor antagonists. In summary, the study constructs a stable dopamine sensor detection system, which can effectively screen potential dopamine receptor agonists. The operation procedures are simple and rapid. And it can be used for a large-scale screening providing a fundamental methodology for drug development and PD treatment targeted on DRD2.

Establishment and application of path-based management mode of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in chemotherapy patients / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To establish the path-based management mode of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist （5- HT3RA） in chemotherapy patients， and to improve the rationality of medication in chemotherapy patients. METHODS 5-HT3RA standardized drug use control rules were formulated， with the help of medical intelligence and decision support （MINDS） system， path-based management was carried out for chemotherapy patients using 5-HT3RA in the form of whole-process information capture and prescription pre-review， and whole-process intervention was implemented on medication indications， usage and dosage， course of treatment， etc. The intervention effect was analyzed by comparing the changes in the use of 5-HT3RA without indication， unreasonable usage and dosage， repeated medication， unreasonable course of treatment， and per capita drug cost before and after the implementation of path-based management. RESULTS A total of 9 181 patients were included. After the implementation of path- based management， the proportion of unindicated drugs decreased by 0.48%， and the rate of unreasonable single dosage， unreasonable frequency， repeated medication， unreasonable treatment course （5-HT3RA still used 3 days after chemotherapy） decreased by 10.48%， 0.65%， 1.33% and 0.34%； per capita cost of 5-HT3RA decreased by 13.72 yuan； there were statistical significance （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS 5-HT3RA path-based management mode effectively improves the rationality of medication and provides a new idea for rational clinical drug use.

Research Progress in Androgen Receptor and Triple Negative Breast Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

The research on androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer is advancing.Although the prognostic value of AR in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is controversial,a variety of studies have demonstrated that the lack of AR expression exacerbates disease progression.Moreover,the TNBC subtype of AR(-) is more aggressive than that of AR(+) due to the lack of prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.With the discovery and deepening research of novel therapeutic targets such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin and S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 signaling pathways,as well as the emerging of immunotherapies,the treatment options for TNBC are increasing.Regarding the role of AR in TNBC,the studies about the tumor biology of AR(-)TNBC and novel biomarkers for improved management of the disease remain insufficient.In this review,we summarize the research progress of AR in TNBC,put forward avenues for future research on TNBC,and propose potential biomarkers and therapeutic strategies that warrant investigation.

Clinical research progress of dual orexin receptor antagonist lemborexant in the treatment of insomnia / 中华神经科杂志

In past two decades, understanding of the role of the orexin system in regulating sleep and wakefulness has increased rapidly. Lemborexant, as a dual orexin receptor antagonist, has been approved in some countries for the treatment of insomnia disorders. Existing studies have shown that its safety and tolerability are significantly superior to traditional hypnotic drugs, and it will be new option for treating insomnia disorders. This article reviews the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety of lemborexant.

Study on related substances of TSD-1 — a novel P2Y12 receptor antagonist / 药学学报

For quantitative analysis of related substances in TSD-1 active pharmaceutical ingredient, structures of prepared impurities were confirmed by NMR and UHPLC-MS, and a high performance liquid chromatographic method was established to determine the related substances in TSD-1. The analytical column was an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipe XDB-C8 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase A was 50 mmol·L-1 ammonium acetate solution (adjusted pH to 5.8 with acetic acid) and the mobile phase B was acetonitrile. The whole run was carried out by gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. The detection wavelength was set at 240 nm and the column temperature was 30 ℃. The resolutions among peaks of TSD-1, impurity A, impurity B, TSD-D, and TSD-F were good. The calibration curves (n = 7) of TSD-1, impurity A, impurity B, TSD-D and TSD-F were linear in their respective weight ranges of 0.242-48.4 µg·mL-1 (r = 1.000 0), 0.244-9.75 µg·mL-1 (r = 0.999 9), 0.244-4.80 µg·mL-1 (r = 0.999 9), 0.254-1.02 µg·mL-1 (r = 0.999 9), and 0.247-0.987 µg·mL-1 (r = 0.999 9). The lower limits of quantitation were 0.244, 0.244, 0.254, and 0.247 µg·mL-1 for impurity A, impurity B, TSD-D, and TSD-F, respectively, and the average recovery of each impurity ranged from 99.08% to 103.00% with high accuracy. TSD-D and TSD-F were not detected in the three batches of TSD-1 active pharmaceutical ingredients, and impurity A and impurity B were not detected beyond the limit. The established HPLC method is simple, accurate, and suitable for determination of related substances of TSD-1, which can provide a valuable reference for the subsequent development of TSD-1.

New progress on clinical characteristics and related mechanisms of chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease / 器官移植

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) could effectively treat multiple hematological diseases. At present, with persistent improvement of transplantation techniques and rapid development of economy, more and more patients with hematological diseases are able to survive for a long time due to allo-HSCT treatment. Chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease (coGVHD) is the most common ocular complication after allo-HSCT, which is primarily manifested with refractory dry eye. In severe cases, it may cause imbalance of ocular surface homeostasis and limbal stem cell insufficiency, further leading to a series of complications that threaten the visual function and eye health, such as corneal perforation and symblepharon, etc. It is highly difficult to cure these symptoms. At present, relevant studies of clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria, treatment specification and pathogenesis of coGVHD have been gradually deepened within the international community. However, related research and the establishment of clinical specification are still in the primary stage in China. In this article, research progress on clinical characteristics and related mechanisms of coGVHD was reviewed, aiming to deepen the understanding of this disease by ophthalmologists, especially specialists in corneal and ocular surface diseases, and provide novel ideas for subsequent in-depth research.

Tirofiban interferes with antibody-mediated transfusion-related acute lung injury by inhibiting platelet-neutrophil binding / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To explore the feasibility of tirofiban, a platelet surface glycoprotein (GP)Ⅱb/Ⅲa receptor antagonist intervene in transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), by inhibiting platelet activation and by preventing platelet and neutrophil binding to form aggregates. 【Methods】 1) Fifty wild-type male Balb/c mice, aged 8 to 10 weeks, were randomly divided into TRALI, normal, tirofiban TRALI intervention, isotype control and tirofiban normal intervention groups. In the TRALI model, tirofiban TRALI intervention and isotype control groups, each mouse was injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 0.1 mg/kg, and after 18 h with 4.5 mg/kg anti-MHC-I or IgG2a isotype control antibody, in which 0.5 μg/g tirofiban was injected 30 min before anti-MHC-I injection, and was labeled as tirofiban TRALI intervention. The group without any treatment was set as normal group. The tirofiban normal intervention group was injected with only 0.5 μg/g tirofiban into the tail vein, 30 min before the injection of anti-MHC-I. 2) After antibody injection, the mice were observed for 2 h, then executed with their lungs removed, and the extent of lung injury and the intervention effect of tirofiban were analyzed by comparing the differences in lung dry to wet ratio, total protein, myeloperoxidase (MPO), inflammatory factors and quantitative results of HE staining. The platelet activation level in whole blood and immunofluorescence (IF) quantification of platelet and neutrophil fluorescence were detected by flow cytometry to analyze the mechanism of tirofiban on TRALI. 【Results】 1) The indexes of lung injury in the tirofiban TRALI intervention group and TRALI model group for HE staining were 0.663 3±0.141 9 vs. 0.173 3±0.120 4 (P<0.05), respectively; 2) Platelet activation levels(%)in whole blood in the TRALI group, normal group and tirofiban TRALI intervention group were 22.87±9.943 vs 5.070±2.234 vs 5.767±3.224(P<0.05), respectively. 3) The mean fluorescence density of platelet neutrophil aggregates for IF detection in the tirofiban intervention group and TRALI model group was 21.89±3.536 vs. 32.77±0.9624 (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 The platelet GP Ⅱ b/Ⅲa-specific inhibitor tirofiban inhibited platelet-neutrophil binding in mice, thus could possibly intervene in TRALI.

New progress in research and application of fenneridone / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Aldosterone is a mineralocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, which acts on receptors in the distal and collecting tubules of the nephron, causing reabsorption of sodium and secretion of potassium. Aldosterone can promote inflammatory response and lead to myocardial remodeling and fibrosis. Aldosterone acts through mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), which is mainly expressed in heart, kidney and blood vessels. Excessive activation of MR can cause endothelial dysfunction, fibrinolysis disorder, oxidative stress, cardiovascular and renal fibrosis, and eventually lead to organ injury, dysfunction and even organ failure. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) can achieve cardiorenal protection by inhibiting inflammation and fibrosis caused by MR activation. The novel nonsteroidal MRA fenneridone can effectively block MR with its high selectivity and bring definite cardiac and renal protective effects.

Research progress of glucagon receptor related compounds / 药学学报

Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disease, accompanied by insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose. As the disease progresses, hyperglucagonemia will occur. Glucagon has a significant effect on glucose increase and energy expenditure. In recent years, several glucagon receptor (GCGR) antagonists were developed. They lowered blood glucose in clinical studies, along with side effects, such as increased blood lipids and elevated liver transaminase. In order to solve these problems, glucagon like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R)/GCGR co-agonists were developed, which not only lower blood glucose, but also reduce weight and promote lipolysis. In this review, we will focus on the biological effects of glucagon, the treatments of GCGR antagonists, and GLP-1R/GCGR co-agonists on type 2 diabetes.

The role of montelukast in the prevention and treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants / 国际儿科学杂志

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases in premature infants, especially in very low birth weight infants.Lung immaturity, inflammatory injury, oxidative stress and abnormal repair after injury are the important factors.Leukotriene is an inflammatory mediator of 5-lipoxygenase pathway and participates in the occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Montelukast, as a leukotriene receptor antagonist, may play a role in the treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia through anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and anti-fibrosis.This article will review the potential mechanism and related clinical researches of montelukast which is used in treating bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Expression and clinical significance of IL-1β and IL-1β receptor antagonist in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborns secondary to sepsis / 国际儿科学杂志

Objective:To explore the expression and clinical significance of IL-1β and IL-1β receptor antagonist(IL-1ra)in persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn(PPHN)secondary to sepsis.Methods:The newborns with sepsis were enrolled in the Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU)of Xi′an Children′s Hospital from January 2018 to November 2020.The newborns with sepsis were divided into two groups: the newborns without PPHN( n=108)were the control group and the newborns with PPHN( n=44)were the experimental group.Clinical data, laboratory examination and bedside echocardiography of all the newborns were collected to analyze the differences between the two groups.The expression levels of IL-1β and IL-1ra in neonatal plasma of the two groups were detected by enzym-linked immunosorbination(ELISA), and their roles in neonatal sepsis with PPHN were further analyzed.The risk factors of neonatal sepsis with PPHN were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression, and the early prediction value of the risk factors for neonatal sepsis with PPHN were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve. Results:There were no significant differences in gestational age[(39.11±0.55)w vs(38.85±0.72)w], birth weight[(3.30±0.49)kg vs(3.24±0.55)kg]and proportions of males[60(55.6%)vs 30(68.2%)]between the two groups( P>0.05). The right ventricular diameter[(9.57±0.35)mm], pulmonary artery pressure[(51.36±5.91)mmHg]and the level of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)[(25436.83±12343.18)ng/L)]significantly increased in the experimental group than those in the control group[(8.77±0.41)mm, (31.24±5.11)mmHg, (11267.09±4405.48)ng/L, respectively, P<0.05]. Before treatment, the expression levels of plasma IL-1β[(31.24±5.25)ng/L]and IL-1ra[(41.94±10.13)ng/L]in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group[(18.27±4.47)ng/L, (21.47±8.76)ng/L, respectively, P<0.05]. The expression levels of plasma IL-1β[(10.46±3.17)ng/L]and IL-1ra[(10.58±2.94)ng/L]in the experimental group after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment[(31.24±5.25)ng/L, (41.94±10.13)ng/L , respectively, P<0.05]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that IL-1β and NT-proBNP were the independent risk factors for neonatal sepsis with PPHN( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that IL-1β and NT-proBNP had the good predictive value for the occurrence of neonatal sepsis with PPHN( P<0.05). IL-1β combined with NT-proBNP has the better predictive value for neonatal sepsis with PPHN. Conclusion:IL-1β combined with NT-proBNP have the high predictive value for PPHN of the newborns secondary to sepsis.

Application progress of individualized immune induction therapy in kidney transplantation / 器官移植

The risk of early acute rejection after kidney transplantation is relatively high, which severely affects the quality of life of the recipients. In 2009, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) recommended that immune inducers should be included in the immune-inducing regime before kidney transplantation, aiming to provide certain strength of immunosuppression during this critical phase and effectively reduce the incidence of acute rejection following kidney transplantation. At present, the selection, efficacy and safety of immune inducers remain controversial among transplantation centers around the world. In this article, clinical efficacy of monoclonal antibodies including interleukin-2 receptor antagonist, alemtuzumab, rituximab and polyclonal antibody antithymocyte globulin in immune induction therapy before kidney transplantation were compared and literature review was performed at home and abroad, aiming to provide reference for promoting the individualized selection of immune inducers for kidney transplantation and improving the quality of life of recipients.

The progress on the relationship between P2X7 receptor and pancreatic cancer / 医学研究生学报

Pancreatic cancer is one of the cancers with poor prognosis at present, which has high resistance to various anti-tumor drugs as a result of the interaction among pancreatic cancer cells, cancer stem cells, and the tumor microenvironment. P2X7 receptors are extracellular adenosine triphosphate(ATP)-gated nonselective cation channels, which have many biological functions including being involved in cell signal transduction and cytokine secretion, mediate cell survival and growth. Studies have shown that P2X7 receptor is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells by supporting proliferation of pancreatic stellate cells and regulating the expressed of the MMP2/MMP9 protein. The paper reviews the recent research advances of P2X7 receptor in pancreatic cancer.

Pegvisomant in acromegaly: a multicenter real-life study in Argentina

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the long term safety and efficacy of pegvisomant (PEGV), and the predictors of treatment response in patients with acromegaly in the real life setting. Subjects and methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, hormonal and radiological data of acromegalic patients treated with PEGV in 17 Argentine centers. Results Seventy-five patients (age range 22-77, 51 females) with acromegaly have been treated with PEGV for up to 118 months (median 27 months). Before PEGV, 97.3% of patients had been treated with medical therapy, surgery and/or radiotherapy, two patients had no previous treatment. At that time, all patients had an IGF-1 above the upper normal limit (ULN) (mean 2.4 x ULN ± 0.98, range 1.25-7). At diagnosis of acromegaly 84% presented macroadenomas, prior to PEGV only 23,5% of patients remained with tumor remnant > 1 cm, the remaining showed normal or less than 1 cm images. Disease control (IGF-1 ≤ 1.2 x ULN) was achieved in 62.9% of patients with a mean dose of 11.8 mg/day. Thirty-four patients (45%) received PEGV monotherapy, while 41 (55%) received combined therapy with either somatostatin analogues and/or cabergoline. Adverse events related to PEGV were: local injection site reaction in 5.3%, elevated liver enzymes in 9.3%, and tumor size growth in 9.8%. Pre-PEGV IGF-I level was the only predictor of treatment response: 2.1 x ULN vs 2.8 x ULN in controlled and uncontrolled patients respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion this long term experience indicates PEGV treatment was highly effective and safe in our series of Argentine patients with acromegaly refractory to standard therapies. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2019;63(4):320-7

Anti-interleukin-1 treatment among patients with familial Mediterranean fever resistant to colchicine treatment. Retrospective analysis

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Up to 5% of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) cases are unresponsive to colchicine, through resistance, side effects and toxicity. Anakinra is an alternative treatment for FMF patients whose disease remains uncontrolled with colchicine. We aimed to evaluate anti-interleukin-1 treatment regarding clinical findings, laboratory parameters and quality of life (QoL) among FMF patients presenting resistance and toxicity towards colchicine. DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive observational study at the rheumatology clinic, Adnan Menderes University Medical School, Aydın, Turkey. METHODS: Among the patients included, age, sex, MEFV genotypes, acute-phase reactants, hepatic/renal function tests, average colchicine dose, disease duration, attack frequency, attack duration, disease severity, proteinuria, amyloidosis and QoL were evaluated. Colchicine resistance was defined as > 6 typical episodes/year or > 3 per 4-6 months. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Friedman and two-way analysis of variance tests were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2017, 14 FMF patients receiving anakinra were enrolled. The mean colchicine dose was 1.7 ± 0.3 mg/day before use of anakinra. Ten patients were attack-free after treatment, while three showed reductions of at least 50% in attack frequency, attack duration and disease severity. Proteinuria levels in all patients with renal amyloidosis decreased after treatment. QoL among patients with renal amyloidosis differed significantly from QoL among non-amyloidosis patients. Mean visual analogue scale scores significantly improved in both groups after use of anakinra. CONCLUSIONS: Use of anakinra reduced attack frequency and proteinuria and acute-phase reactant levels, and improved QoL, with only a few uncomplicated side effects among colchicine-resistant or intolerant FMF patients. Injection-site reactions of severity insufficient to require discontinuation of treatment were seen.

Systematic Review on the Efficacy and Safety of Erenumab for the Prevention of Migraine

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide efficacy and safety information on the use of erenumab for prevention of episodic and chronic migraines. METHODS: The keywords “Erenumab and migraine” were used to search the PubMed database to then compile efficacy and safety data for erenumab. Data from relevant Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials were analyzed, using RevMan for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Three clinical trials (one Phase 2 and two Phase 3 studies) were retrieved. All three trials used the same primary endpoint (change from baseline in monthly migraine days (CBMD)) to evaluate efficacy and safety of erenumab use for prevention of episodic and chronic migraines. Subcutaneous doses of erenumab (70 or 140 mg) were administered monthly in each trial, for 3 months (Studies 2, and 3) or 6 months (Study 1). The mean differences in CBMD in the 70 mg and 140 mg erenumab arms were −1.36 and −1.98, respectively, compared to that in the placebo arm. Some adverse events, such as nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infection, were reported, but no differences in safety between erenumab and placebo were found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: Erenumab showed superior efficacy in prevention of migraines compared to placebo. However, additional information regarding the long-term safety of erenumab should be collected. Therefore, post-marketing surveillance for adverse events is needed.