Basiliximab: efficacy and tolerability in adults and children.

UNLABELLED: An open, single arm, prospective clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of basiliximab (Simulect) combined with cyclosporine microemulsion (Neoral), steroids, and azathioprine was performed in four centers in Chile, two adult and two pediatric. The 23 patients who were enrolled were followed for 12 months. There were four acute rejection episodes (three adults and one child) and three graft losses (two adults and one child) during the study. Renal function in both adult and pediatric patients at 6 and 12 months was good. Basiliximab was well tolerated. The incidence of infections was low, with only one CMV infection. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of acute rejection episodes among renal allograft recipients treated with basiliximab is low, showing that the drug is well tolerated. In particular the number of CMV infections is extremely low.

[Pain and hypnosis]. / Schmerz und Hypnose.

Even though hypnosis is a very old form of therapy, a number of points still need to be made clear. We do know, however, that endorphins are not involved in the pain control process and that hypnosis effects and placebos are quite different. Under the proper conditions, hypnosis is very easy to use, without any risk and without any side effects. The use is more limited in the case of acute pain, because the developments in modern anaesthesia preclude the use of hypnosis in the fields of surgery and dentistry. On the other hand, hypnosis can be helpful for patients suffering from burns, cancer pain, or other chronic pain.

Dynamics of the binding capacity of plasma sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) for testosterone and dihydrotestosterone during puberty.

Plasma sex hormone binding globulin binding capacity (SHBG-b.c.) has been evaluated in 203 normal subjects (114 males and 89 females) aged 3 to 51 years. The subjects were divided into groups: prepubertal, early pubertal (Tanner's Stages 1 and 2), late pubertal (Tanner's Stages 4 and 5) and adult. In both sexes, plasma mean values of SHBG binding capacity both for dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T) were significantly higher in prepubertal subjects, falling during puberty to adult levels. During pubertal development DHT-BG binding capacity and T-BG binding capacity showed different plasma values with respect to sex and phase of puberty. Our data do not support an absolute relationship between sex hormones and SHBG binding capacity, but suggest other mechanisms as well: (a) SHBG modifies its physicochemical properties during puberty, or (b) the binding capacity is the result of a pool of proteins which modifies its composition during pubertal evolution.

Plasma bile pigment conjugation modalities in icterus syndromes of various origin.

Plasma azopigments derived from conjugated bilirubin were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography according to HEIRWEGH et al. in 14 cases of obstructive jaundice and in 11 of acute hepatitis. The chromatographic patterns were compared with those obtained from azopigments derived from 8 normal bile samples. The plasma pigment patterns did not differ from those of the bile in number and chromatographic mobility of the spots. However, the quantitative percentages of the plasma azopigments were significantly modified: the alpha 0 fraction (free azodipyrrolic pigment) increased in both icteric syndromes, while the delta fraction (mainly glucuronide azopigment) decreased. Moreover, the behavior of two closed components of the delta group showed significant differences in both icteric syndromes. It can be postulated that the synthesis of bilirubin diconjugates decreases both in hepatocellular and cholestatic jaundice, while monoglucuronidated as well as saccharide and glucoside conjugates increase. In cholestatic jaundice the conjugation with glucuronic acid mainly takes place in the normal way, whereas compounds with different features are formed in hepatitis.