Investigating the trends in patient-reported outcomes pre-treatment and implications to efficacy analyses: A post-hoc analysis of a cancer clinical trial.

Background: Uncertainty around key elements of an appropriate patient-reported outcome (PRO) baseline assessment introduces trial-specific variation in oncology clinical trials with a poorly understood consequence on drug evaluation decisions. This research investigated the impact of multiple pre-treatment PRO assessments and timing of assessments in a clinical trial. Methods: A post-hoc analysis of a completed phase 3, open-label, randomized, parallel arm clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer with two pre-treatment PRO assessments (screening and Week 1 Day 1 [W1D1]). Descriptive analyses, mixed models for repeated measures and time until definitive deterioration analyses were performed to estimate differences between treatment arms. Through model adjustments, different baseline specifications and assessment timing (pre/post-randomization) on W1D1 PROs were evaluated. Results: Patients with both pre-treatment PRO assessments were included in the analysis (N = 535). Numerically small average change scores were observed between screening and W1D1 (mean change, 0-100 scale ranges): Chest pain (-0.94), Cough (-0.94), Dyspnea (1.27), Physical functioning (-1.19). Both pre-treatment assessments were moderately-highly correlated (r: 0.55-0.78) and no trend was found for deterioration or improvement during this period. Varying baseline definitions in the models produced slight differences in model fit but no impact on the between treatment group effect estimate. W1D1 PRO scores were not statistically influenced by assessment timing pre/post-randomization (p-values: 0.142-0.628). Conclusion: Findings from this study question the need for multiple pre-treatment PRO assessments in oncology drug development trials and the degree of bias thought to be introduced through patient knowledge of treatment assignment. Implications for researchers are presented.

A Review of Causal Inference for External Comparator Arm Studies.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard design to establish the efficacy of new drugs and to support regulatory decision making. However, a marked increase in the submission of single-arm trials (SATs) has been observed in recent years, especially in the field of oncology due to the trend towards precision medicine contributing to the rise of new therapeutic interventions for rare diseases. SATs lack results for control patients, and information from external sources can be compiled to provide context for better interpretability of study results. External comparator arm (ECA) studies are defined as a clinical trial (most commonly a SAT) and an ECA of a comparable cohort of patients-commonly derived from real-world settings including registries, natural history studies, or medical records of routine care. This publication aims to provide a methodological overview, to sketch emergent best practice recommendations and to identify future methodological research topics. Specifically, existing scientific and regulatory guidance for ECA studies is reviewed and appropriate causal inference methods are discussed. Further topics include sample size considerations, use of estimands, handling of different data sources regarding differential baseline covariate definitions, differential endpoint measurements and timings. In addition, unique features of ECA studies are highlighted, specifically the opportunity to address bias caused by unmeasured ECA covariates, which are available in the SAT.

MERGE: A Multinational, Multicenter Observational Registry for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in Asia, including Middle East, Turkey, and Algeria.

Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders of the bone marrow, and are associated with a high disease burden, reduced quality of life (QOL), and shortened survival. This multinational, multicenter, non-interventional registry "MERGE" was initiated with an objective to collect data on the epidemiological indices of classical Ph-MPNs, existing treatment patterns, and impact of MPNs on health-related QOL in various countries/regions in Asia, including the Middle East, Turkey, and Algeria. Of the 884 eligible patients with MPNs, 169 had myelofibrosis (MF), 301 had polycythemia vera (PV), 373 had essential thrombocythemia (ET), and 41 had unclassified MPNs. The median age was 58 years (range, 47-66 years), and 50% of patients were males. The prevalence and incidence of MPNs were estimated to be 57-81 and 12-15 per 100 000 hospital patients per year over the last 4 years, respectively, in these countries. Total symptom score (mean [standard deviation; SD]) at baseline was highest in patients with MF (23.5 [17.47]) compared with patients with ET (14.6 [14.26]) and PV (16.6 [14.84]). Patients with ET had a lower mean (SD) number of inpatient visits (0.9 [0.77] days), and patients with MF had more outpatient visits (5.2 [3.17] days) on an average, compared with the entire MPN group. The study showed that patients with MPNs have a severe disease burden and reduced QOL. A discordance between physician and patient perception of symptom assessment was observed in this study (International clinical trials registry ID: CTRI/2014/05/004598).

Single Pill Regimen Leads to Better Adherence and Clinical Outcome in Daily Practice in Patients Suffering from Hypertension and/or Dyslipidemia: Results of a Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent the first cause of mortality in western countries. Hypertension and dyslipidemia are strong risk factors for CVD, and are prevalent either alone or in combination. Although effective substances for the treatment of both factors are available, there is space for optimization of treatment regimens due to poor patient's adherence to medication, which is usually a combination of several substances. Adherence decreases with the number of pills a patient needs to take. A combination of substances in one single-pill (single pill combination, SPC), might increase adherence, and lead to a better clinical outcome. AIM: We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the effect of SPC with that of free-combination treatment (FCT) in patients with either hypertension, dyslipidemia or the combination of both diseases under conditions of daily practice. METHODS: Studies were identified by searching in PubMed from November 2014 until February 2015. Search criteria focused on trials in identical hypertension and/or dyslipidemia treatment as FCT therapy or as SPC. Adherence and persistence outcome included proportion-of-days-covered (PDC), medication possession ratio (MPR), time-to treatment gap of 30 and 60 days and no treatment gap of 30 days (y/n). Clinical outcomes were all cause hospitalisation, hypertension-related hospitalisation, all cause emergency room visits, hypertension-related emergency room visits, outpatient visits, hypertension-related outpatient visits, and number of patients reaching blood pressure goal. Randomized clinical studies were excluded because they usually do not reflect daily practice. RESULTS: 11 out of 1.465 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria. PDC ≥ 80% showed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.78 (95% CI: 1.30-2.45; p = 0.004) after 6 months and an OR of 1.85 (95% CI: 1.71; 2.37; p < 0.001) after ≥ 12 months in favour to the SPC. MPR ≥ 80% after 12 months also was in favour to SPC (OR 2.13; 95% CI: 1.30; 3.47; p = 0.003). Persistence was positively affected by SPC after 6, 12, and 18 months. Time to treatment gap of 60 days resulted in a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.03 (95% CI: 1.77; 2.33, p < 0.001). The use of SPC was associated with a significant improvement in systolic blood pressure reduction, leading to a higher number of patients reaching individual blood pressure goals (FCT vs SPC results in OR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.69; 0.85, p < 0.001). Outpatient visits, emergency room visits and hospitalisations, both overall and hypertension-related were reduced by SPC: all-cause hospitalisation (SPC vs FCT: 15.0% vs 18.2%, OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67; 0.94, p = 0.009), all-cause emergency room visits (SPC vs FCT: 25.7% vs 31.4%, OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.65; 0.87, p = 0.001) and hypertension related emergency room visits (SPC vs FCT: 9.7% vs 14.1%, OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.54; 0.80, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SPC improved medication adherence and clinical outcome parameter in patients suffering from hypertension and/or dyslipidemia and led to a better clinical outcome compared to FCT under conditions of daily practice.

Self-adjuvanted mRNA vaccination in advanced prostate cancer patients: a first-in-man phase I/IIa study.

BACKGROUND: CV9103 is a prostate-cancer vaccine containing self-adjuvanted mRNA (RNActive®) encoding the antigens PSA, PSCA, PSMA, and STEAP1. This phase I/IIa study evaluated safety and immunogenicity of CV9103 in patients with advanced castration-resistant prostate-cancer. METHODS: 44 Patients received up to 5 intra-dermal vaccinations. Three dose levels of total mRNA were tested in Phase I in cohorts of 3-6 patients to determine a recommended dose. In phase II, 32 additional patients were treated at the recommended dose. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability, the secondary endpoint was induction of antigen specific immune responses monitored at baseline and at weeks 5, 9 and 17. RESULTS: The most frequent adverse events were grade 1/2 injection site erythema, injection site reactions, fatigue, pyrexia, chills and influenza-like illness. Possibly treatment related urinary retention occurred in 3 patients. The recommended dose was 1280 µg. A total of 26/33 evaluable patients treated at 1280 µg developed an immune response, directed against multiple antigens in 15 out of 33 patients. One patient showed a confirmed PSA response. In the subgroup of 36 metastatic patients, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of median overall survival was 31.4 months [95 % CI: 21.2; n.a]. CONCLUSIONS: The self-adjuvanted RNActive® vaccine CV9103 was well tolerated and immunogenic. The technology is a versatile, fast and cost-effective platform allowing for creation of vaccines. The follow-up vaccine CV9104 including the additional antigens prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and Muc1 is currently being tested in a randomized phase IIb trial to assess the clinical benefit induced by this new vaccination approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EU Clinical Trials Register: EudraCT number 2008-003967-37, registered 27 Jan 2009.

Phase Ib study evaluating a self-adjuvanted mRNA cancer vaccine (RNActive®) combined with local radiation as consolidation and maintenance treatment for patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a significant unmet medical need. Despite advances with targeted therapies in a small subset of patients, fewer than 20% of patients survive for more than two years after diagnosis. Cancer vaccines are a promising therapeutic approach that offers the potential for durable responses through the engagement of the patient's own immune system. CV9202 is a self-adjuvanting mRNA vaccine that targets six antigens commonly expressed in NSCLC (NY-ESO-1, MAGEC1, MAGEC2, 5 T4, survivin, and MUC1). METHODS/DESIGN: The trial will assess the safety and tolerability of CV9202 vaccination combined with local radiation designed to enhance immune responses and will include patients with stage IV NSCLC and a response or stable disease after first-line chemotherapy or therapy with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Three histological and molecular subtypes of NSCLC will be investigated (squamous and non-squamous cell with/without EGFR mutations). All patients will receive two initial vaccinations with CV9202 prior to local radiotherapy (5 GY per day for four successive days) followed by further vaccinations until disease progression. The primary endpoint of the study is the number of patients experiencing Grade >3 treatment-related adverse events. Pharmacodynamic analyses include the assessment of immune responses to the antigens encoded by CV9202 and others not included in the panel (antigen spreading) and standard efficacy assessments. DISCUSSION: RNActive self-adjuvanted mRNA vaccines offer the potential for simultaneously inducing immune responses to a wide panel of antigens commonly expressed in tumors. This trial will assess the feasibility of this approach in combination with local radiotherapy in NSCLC patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01915524/EudraCT No.: 2012-004230-41.

A Search for subgroups of patients with ARDS who may benefit from surfactant replacement therapy: a pooled analysis of five studies with recombinant surfactant protein-C surfactant (Venticute).

BACKGROUND: Studies to date have shown no survival benefit for the use of exogenous surfactant to treat patients with the ARDS. To identify specific patient subgroups for future study, we performed an exploratory post hoc analysis of clinical trials of recombinant surfactant protein-C (rSP-C) surfactant (Venticute; Nycomed GmbH; Konstanz, Germany). METHODS: We performed a pooled analysis of all five multicenter studies in which patients with ARDS due to various predisposing events were treated with rSP-C surfactant. Patients received either usual care (n = 266) or usual care plus up to four intratracheal doses (50 mg/kg) of rSP-C surfactant (n = 266). Factors influencing the study end points were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance, and logistic regression models. RESULTS: ARDS was most often associated with pneumonia or aspiration, sepsis, and trauma or surgery. For the overall patient population, treatment with rSP-C surfactant significantly improved oxygenation (p = 0.002) but had no effect on mortality (32.6%). Multivariate analysis showed age and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score to be the strongest predictors of mortality. In the subgroup of patients with severe ARDS due to pneumonia or aspiration, surfactant treatment was associated with markedly improved oxygenation (p = 0.0008) and improved survival (p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: rSP-C surfactant improved oxygenation in patients with ARDS irrespective of the predisposition. Post hoc evidence of reduced mortality associated with surfactant treatment was obtained in patients with severe respiratory insufficiency due to pneumonia or aspiration. Those patients are the focus of a current randomized, blinded, clinical trial with rSP-C surfactant.

Effect of recombinant surfactant protein C-based surfactant on the acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies suggest that exogenous surfactant may be of value in the treatment of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and two phase 2 clinical trials have shown a trend toward benefit. We conducted two phase 3 studies of a protein-containing surfactant in adults with ARDS. METHODS: In two multicenter, randomized, double-blind trials involving 448 patients with ARDS from various causes, we compared standard therapy alone with standard therapy plus up to four intratracheal doses of a recombinant surfactant protein C-based surfactant given within a period of 24 hours. RESULTS: The overall survival rate was 66 percent 28 days after treatment, and the median number of ventilator-free days was 0 (68 percent range, 0 to 26); there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of mortality or the need for mechanical ventilation. Patients receiving surfactant had a significantly greater improvement in blood oxygenation during the initial 24 hours of treatment than patients receiving standard therapy, according to both univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The use of exogenous surfactant in a heterogeneous population of patients with ARDS did not improve survival. Patients who received surfactant had a greater improvement in gas exchange during the 24-hour treatment period than patients who received standard therapy alone, suggesting the potential benefit of a longer treatment course.

Quantitative morphometric analysis of the submucous plexus in age-related control groups.

An increased number and density of the so-called "giant ganglia" (seven or greater ganglion cells per ganglion) serve as histopathological criteria for a bowel motility disorder called intestinal neuronal dysplasia of the submucous plexus (IND B). However, because these morphological criteria have been defined based upon observations in constipated patients, the diagnostic value of previous studies is open to controversy. Moreover, no age-related reference data from unaffected controls are available. This study reports on data from unaffected controls on the variability of size and distribution of ganglia in the submucous plexus during development. Therefore, for the first time, the normal status has been defined. Four age groups have been defined: (a) premature births, gestational age less than 35 weeks; (b) 1-365 days; (c) 1-14 years and (d) 15 years to greater than 70 years). All of these groups revealed giant ganglia in the submucous plexus. With advancing age, there was a decrease in the number of giant ganglia (from 32.7% in group a to 11.2% in group d) accompanied by an inverse increase in the mean distance between all ganglia (from 0.52 mm in group a to 1.17 mm in group d). The data presented permit the conclusion that the criteria mentioned above are not apt to define IND B as an entity, since they do not allow a sufficient demarcation from the age-correlated normal values presented here.

Reduction of polymerization shrinkage stress and marginal microleakage using soft-start polymerization.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the influence of a soft-start light-curing exposure on polymerization shrinkage stress and marginal integrity of adhesive restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six resin-based composites (Pertac II, Tetric Ceram, Definite, Surefil, Solitaire, and Visio-Molar) were adhesively bonded to a cylindrical cavity (n = 9 per material/light) in a photoelastic material. Visible light-curing was applied using either the standard polymerization mode (800 mW/cm2 exposure duration 40 s) of the curing light (Elipar TriLight, 3M ESPE) or the exponential mode from the same device (ramp-curing: 150 mW/cm2 to 800 mW/cm2 within the first 15 s of a total curing time of 40 s). Polymerization stress was calculated at 5 minutes, 1 hour, and 24 hours postexposure from the second-order isochromatic curves obtained from photoelastic images (Matrox-Inspector). Two standardized Class V preparations were made each on the facial and lingual surfaces of 80 extracted human molars and premolars. Resin restorative systems (Pertac II/EBS Multi, Tetric Ceram/Syntac, Definite/Etch&Prime 3.0, and Surefil/Prime & Bond 2.1) were exposed using both light exposure modes (n = 20). Marginal dye penetration (2% methylene blue) was investigated separately for enamel and cementum margins after thermocycling. To obtain information on equivalent depth of cure, relative surface hardness measurements were performed on resin samples of the same material at the top surface and at 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm thickness (Zwick 3212, 10 N). RESULTS: A significant (p < .01) reduction in polymerization stress of 7.1% for Pertac II, 4.1% for Tetric Ceram, 3.6% for Definite, 3.7% for Surefil, and 6.2% for Solitaire was observed when using the exponential mode as opposed to the standard. A significant (p = .04) reduction of marginal dye penetration was found only for Pertac II/EBS Multi at the cementum margins when the soft-start polymerization was used. For the sample thickness of 3 mm, a significant higher relative bottom to top surface ratio in favor of the standard exposure mode was found (p = .001). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Depending on the restorative material, soft-start polymerization may lead to a significant reduction in marginal microleakage of adhesive Class V restorations. This effect might be attributable to a significantly lower polymerization stress, as seen from photoelastic analysis, and/or a decrease in the degree of conversion, as deducted from surface hardness ratios. However, the effect of soft-start curing mode depends on the material itself, with the most effective response from hybrid resin-based composites.

Marginal integrity of different resin-based composites for posterior teeth: an in vitro dye-penetration study on eight resin-composite and compomer-/adhesive combinations with a particular look at the additional use of flow-composites.

OBJECTIVE: To determine improvements in marginal adaptation of resin-based composite restorative systems by means of flow-composites (Solitaire 2/Gluma Solid Bond, Solitaire 2/Flow Line/Gluma Solid Bond, Point 4/Optibond Solo Plus, Point 4/Revolution/Optibond Solo Plus) and to determine the equality of simplified bonding systems (Solitaire 2/Gluma Comfort Bond, Tetric Ceram/Tetric Flow/Excite, Dyract AP/Prime & Bond NT/NRC, Pertac II/Prompt-L-Pop) in marginal gap formation. METHODS: The marginal dye penetration (2% methylene-blue) was investigated separately for the approximal boxes of Class II mod-cavities with one cervical margin of the approximal box within enamel, the other within cementum. The surface analysis determined the percentage of dye-penetrated cervical and lateral margins of the approximal boxes, while the in depth investigation reported the mean dye penetration (mm) at both different cervical margins. RESULTS: After thermocycling (5000 x , 5-55 degrees C) the percentage of dye penetration at the cervical cementum margins ranged from 16.5 +/- 5.9% (Solitaire/Flow Line/Gluma Solid Bond) to 82.8 +/- 5.7% (Pertac II/Prompt L-Pop), for the cervical enamel margins from 10.1 +/- 5.2% (Dyract AP/NRC/P & B NT) to 72.7 +/- 7.9% (Pertac II/Prompt L-Pop), and for the lateral enamel margins of the approximal boxes from 4.8 +/- 2.3% (Dyract AP/NRC/P & B NT) to 53.9 +/- 6.8% (Pertac II/Prompt L-Pop). In the in-depth dye penetration investigation the mean dye penetration ranged from 0.2 +/- 0.2 mm (Point 4/Revolution/Optibond Solo Plus) to 1.7 +/- 0.2 mm (Pertac II/Prompt L-Pop) at the cementum margins. At the enamel margins only Pertac II/Prompt L-Pop and Solitaire 2/Gluma Solid Bond showed mean in depth dye-penetrations deeper than 0.1 mm. SIGNIFICANCE: Pertac II/Prompt-L-Pop showed a statistically significant (significance level alpha = 0.05, Wilcoxon test) higher percentage of dye-penetrated margins than most of the other restorative systems.

Relation of markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and leukocyte count) and statin therapy to long-term mortality in patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease.

We evaluated a possible interaction between statins and inflammation in 1,246 patients with angiographically diagnosed coronary artery disease. Four different inflammatory markers were determined: high, sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p = 0.001), fibrinogen (p = 0.006), von Willebrand factor (p = 0.006), and leukocyte count (p = 0.03); these levels were significantly higher among the 88 patients who died of cardiac causes during follow-up (median 2.9 years) than among survivors. In a multivariate backward stepwise Cox regression mode, only hs-CRP was evaluated to be a significant predictor of death from coronary artery disease. This prediction was lost in statin-treated patients. Compared with patients receiving statin medication, patients without statins did not have increased cardiac mortality (even when low-density lipoprotein [LDL] levels were >125 mg/dl) when hs-CRP levels were not elevated. In contrast, patients without statins and elevated hs-CRP (top quartile) had a 2.3-fold increase in risk for fatal coronary events, independent of LDL levels. In conclusion, only elevated hs-CRP was selected as an independent predictor of death. Statin therapy is associated with elevated hs-CRP, with a risk reduction for fatal coronary events, independent of LDL levels; this, in part, may be explained by the anti-inflammatory effects on atherosclerosis.

Serum uric acid as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease.

It is a matter of controversy as to whether uric acid is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or whether it represents only an indirect marker of adverse outcome by reflecting the association between uric acid and other cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, we studied the influence of uric acid levels on mortality in patients with CAD. In 1,017 patients with angiographically proven CAD, classic risk factors and uric acid levels were determined at enrollment. A follow-up over a median of 2.2 years (maximum 3.1) was performed. Death from all causes was defined as an end point of the study. In CAD patients with uric acid levels <303 micromol/L (5.1 mg/dl) (lowest quartile) compared with those with uric acid levels >433 micromol/L (7.1 mg/dl) (highest quartile), the mortality rate increased from 3.4% to 17.1% (fivefold increase). After adjustment for age, both sexes demonstrated an increased risk for death with increasing uric acid levels (female patients: hazard ratio [HR] 1.30, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.14 to 1.49, p < or = 0.001; male patients: HR 1.39 [95% CI 1.21 to 1.59], p < or = 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis performed with 12 variables that influence overall mortality-including diuretic use-elevated levels of uric acid demonstrated an independent, significant positive relation to overall mortality (HR 1.23 [95% CI 1.11 to 1.36], p <0.001) in patients with CAD. Thus, uric acid is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with CAD.

Impact of infectious burden on extent and long-term prognosis of atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Recent findings suggest a causative role of infections in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In hypothesizing an association between infectious agents and the development of atherosclerosis, we would expect a correlation to the extent of atherosclerosis. Moreover, this effect could be multiplied by the number of pathogens to which an individual had been exposed. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 572 patients, IgG or IgA antibodies to herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Hemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Helicobacter pylori were measured. The extent of atherosclerosis was determined by coronary angiography, carotid duplex sonography, and evaluation of the ankle-arm index. Elevated IgA antibodies against C pneumoniae (P<0.04) and IgG antibodies against H pylori (P<0.02), cytomegalovirus (P<0.05), and herpes simplex virus 2 (P<0.01) were associated with advanced atherosclerosis (> or =2 vascular regions), adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and highly sensitive C-reactive protein. Infectious burden divided into 0 to 3, 4 to 5, and 6 to 8 seropositivities was significantly associated with advanced atherosclerosis, with an odds ratio (95% CI) of 1.8 (1.2 to 2.6) for 4 to 5 (P<0.01) and 2.5 (1.2 to 5.1) for 6 to 8 seropositivities (P<0.02) (adjusted). After a mean follow-up of 3.2 years, cardiovascular mortality rate was 7.0% in patients with advanced atherosclerosis and seropositive for 0 to 3 pathogens compared with 20.0% in those seropositive for 6 to 8 pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that infectious agents are involved in the development of atherosclerosis. We showed a significant association between infectious burden and the extent of atherosclerosis. Moreover, the risk for future death was increased by the number of infectious pathogens, especially in patients with advanced atherosclerosis.

Influence of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on markers of coagulation, systemic inflammation and soluble cell adhesion.

BACKGROUND: Beneath its lipid-lowering properties additional non-lipid effects of statin therapy are discussed. We therefore examined the impact of statins on laboratory markers of coagulation, inflammation and soluble cell adhesion to further explore these effects in 950 hospitalised patients with angiographically proven CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Although no significant differences were found in total cholesterol, LDL and HDL and triglyceride levels a statistically lower value in 277 statin-treated patients was found for von Willebrand factor [162(130/224) vs. 208(154/283)%, P=0.0001], leukocyte count [6.9(5.8/8.4) vs. 7.3(6.1/9.4)/nl, P=0.0005], high sensitive CRP [4.3(1.8/10.8) vs. 7.6(2.8/20.0) mg/dl, P=0.0001], interleukin-6 [9.5(5.1/18.7) vs. 14.4(7.2/28.1) mg/dl, P=0.0001] and soluble p-selectin [112.6(82.0/146.0) vs. 127.8(93.8/162.4) mg/dl, P=0.001] compared to 673 patients without statin therapy. This result was confirmed in a subgroup of 510 patients matched for age, gender and percentage of acute coronary syndromes. CONCLUSIONS: In statin treated patients significantly lower levels of coagulation, systemic inflammation and soluble cell adhesion markers were found. Therefore the effect of statin therapy may also be mediated by additional non-lipid-lowering effects.

Quantitative Tissue Doppler Echocardiography: Physiological Nonuniformity of Left Ventricular Transmural Myocardial Wall-Motion Velocities and Gradients.

Tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) is a new method by which transmural myocardial function can be studied noninvasively. In order to investigate physiology and reproducibility, 24 young, healthy volunteers were examined by M-mode TDE. Nonuniformity of transmural tissue layer velocities became apparent: Subendocardial and subepicardial velocities of the anteroseptal myocardial wall (AW) were 3.5 +/- 0.7 and 1.3 +/- 0.5 cm/sec (P < 0.0001, t-test), whereas in the posterolateral wall (PW) values of 3.6 +/- 0.6 and 1.2 +/- 0.4 cm/sec (P < 0.0001, t-test), respectively, were revealed. The ratios, termed "myocardial velocity gradients" as a new indicator of left ventricular performance, were 3.1 +/- 1.0 and 3.4 +/- 1.1, respectively. AW and PW did not differ (N.S.). Tolerance borders did not overlap, and intraobserver variability did not reach intersubject variability (P < 0.0001, F-ratio test). TDE provides new and more sophisticated insights into left ventricular performance. It seems to be accurate and reliable and therefore worth introducing into the clinical arena.