0000000000018639
AUTHOR
E. Hermann
Enterobacterial Antigens with Tropism for Joint Structures and HLA-B27=Restricted Cytotoxic T-Cells in Reactive Arthritis
In reactive arthritis (ReA), sterile synovitis is an immunological sequela following gastrointestinal or urogenital infection with facultatively intracellular bacteria (Yersinia, Salmonella, Shigella, Chlamydia). It is widely accepted now that the development of arthritis is closely related to the persistance of bacteria or bacterial antigens in extraarticular mucosal or lymphoid tissues (i.e. gut mucosa, gut associated lymphoid tissue, genitourinary mucosa); however, it is still unclear which host mechanisms are responsible for the poorer elimination of arthritis-causing microorganisms in those ReA patients. Bacterial components are also camed to the joints where they can be demonstrated i…
Therapeutic drug monitoring of tricyclic antidepressants: how does it work under clinical conditions?
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) is established in the treatment of depression to optimize outcome and safety. However, there are few reports on TDM under naturalistic clinical conditions. In the present study, we investigated a TDM group (TDM) and a randomly assigned parallel group without TDM (no-TDM) while on TCA treatment. Serum levels were analyzed in both cohorts, but feedback and dose recommendation were only provided for the TDM group. Serum levels of TCA were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The outcome was measured weekly using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), and…