Ultra-low-dose rituximab is effective for the treatment of patients with minimal change disease - A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND PURPOSE: Rituximab (RTX),an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody can effectively treat minimal change disease (MCD),with low toxicity and a reduced steroid dosage. The optimal dosage of RTX for treating MCD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an ultra-low-dose regimen of RTX (100 mg per week for 4 weeks) for treating MCD. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 31 patients with MCD who received RTX. Seventeen patients received ultra-low-dose RTX (ULD-RTX) therapy, and 14 patients received standard-dose RTX (SD-RTX) therapy (500 mg weekly for 4 weeks). All patients were followed up for at least 6 months. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant increases in the serum albumin levels and notable decreases in the urinary protein levels in the 1st and 6th months after RTX therapy. There were no significant differences in the plasma albumin or urinary protein levels between the groups (p > 0.05). B-cell depletion was observed in all patients after 1 month of RTX administration. At 6 months after RTX treatment, the remission rate was 93% in the SD-RTX group and 88% in the ULD-RTX group (p > 0.05). The ULD-RTX therapy incurred lower costs than did the SD-RTX therapy. One patient in the SD-RTX group developed community-acquired pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Ultra-low-dose RTX is effective at inducing remission in patients with MCD at a lower cost.

Gadolinium-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging of orthotopic hepatocarcinoma and primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents with high sensitivity and good biocompatibility is of great value for the diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, a novel MRI contrast agent based on calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles modified with a liver cancer cell targeting peptide A54 (A54-CaP) was fabricated. The T1-positive contrast agent Gd-DTPA was encapsulated inside the nanoparticles (A54-CaPNPs), with a mean diameter of 30 nm and a high encapsulation efficiency of 92.73%. The A54-CaPNP solution exhibited higher longitudinal relaxivity (6.07 mM-1 s-1) than that of the clinically used MRI contrast agent Gd-DTPA (3.56 mM-1 s-1). A much higher accumulation of the nanoparticles in the liver cells was observed, which was directed by the A54 targeting peptide. Furthermore, the MRI diagnostic efficiency of A54-CaPNPs was systematically investigated in an orthotopic liver cancer model and primary HCC model. In vivo MRI experiments showed that A54-CaPNPs had higher sensitivity in the BEL-7402 orthotopic liver cancer model with a more remarkable contrast enhancement and a longer imaging time compared to those without A54 modification. Moreover, the experiments on primary HCC models suggested that A54-CaPNPs showed greatly enhanced MR imaging performance in comparison with Gd-DTPA. These results suggest that A54-CaPNPs possess great potential to enable the non-invasive early diagnosis of primary HCC for timely surgical resection.

Visual targeted therapy of hepatic cancer using homing peptide modified calcium phosphate nanoparticles loading doxorubicin guided by T1 weighted MRI.

Effective treatment and real-time monitoring of hepatic cancer are essential. A multifunctional calcium phosphate nanoparticles loading chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gadolinium (A54-CaP/Gd-DTPA/DOX) was developed for visual targeted therapy of hepatic cancer via T1-weighted MRI in real-time. A54-CaP/Gd-DTPA/DOX exhibited a higher longitudinal relaxivity (6.02 mM-1 s-1) than commercial MR contrast agent Gd-DTPA (3.3765 mM-1 s-1). The DOX release from the nanoparticles exhibited a pH dependent behavior. The cellular uptake results showed that the internalization of A54-CaP/Gd-DTPA/DOX into BEL-7402 cells was1.9-fold faster than that of HepG2 cells via A54 binding. In vivo experiments presented that A54-CaP/Gd-DTPA/DOX had higher distribution and longer retention time in tumor tissue than CaP/Gd-DTPA/DOX and free DOX, and also displayed great antitumor efficacy (95.38% tumor inhibition rate) and lower toxicity. Furthermore, the Gd-DTPA entrapped in the nanoparticles could provide T1-weighted MRI for real-time monitoring the progress of tumor treatment.

[Effects of guizhi fuling capsule on sex hormone levels and breast issue morphology of mammary gland hyperplasia model rats].

OBJECTIVE: To research the effects of Guizhi Fuling capsule on sex hormones levels in blood serum and breast issue morphology of hyperplasia of mammary glands model rats. METHOD: The unpregnancy SD rat models of hyperplasia of mammary glands were established by injecting 0.5 mg x kg(-1) benzoate estradiol. After five weeks doses,the effects of Guizhi Fuling capsule 2.0, 1.0, 0.5 g x kg(-1) and Rupixiao tablet 0.5 g x kg(-1) on the changes of papilla diameter, height and breast issue morphology of the naimal models were explored, and sex hormones levels in blood serum were measured. RESULT: Guizhi Fuling capsule can inhibitnipple swell, improve breast tissue morphology pathological profiles of the animal models, and decrease oestradiol (E2) level and increase progesterone (P) level in blood serum. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that Guizhi Fuling capsule could, improve mammary gland pathological profiles. Regulating sex hormone levels may be its important mechanism for treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands.