0000000000306337
AUTHOR
Frank Hoffmann
Severe meningo-/encephalitis after daclizumab therapy for multiple sclerosis.
Background: Daclizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds the high-affinity interleukin-2 receptor and was approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis. Due to severe inflammatory brain disorders, the approval was suspended in March 2018. Objective and Methods: This retrospective cohort study summarizes clinical, laboratory, radiological, and histological findings of seven patients who developed meningo-/encephalitis after daclizumab therapy. Results: Patients presented with encephalitis and/or meningitis and suffered from systemic symptoms such as fever (5/7), exanthema (5/7), or gastrointestinal symptoms (4/7). Secondary autoimmune diseases developed. Blood analysis reveale…
Proliferative Activity and Cytometric Characteristics in Polyps of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses
Although several investigations have revealed the influence of cytokines, allergy, and environmental factors in polyp development, the etiology of nasal polyps is still unknown. To estimate the biology of this common disease the operative specimens of 50 patients who underwent surgery for polyps of the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses were examined; of these, 10 patients had recurrent disease and 23 patients had an allergy. The investigations included routine histology and quantitative DNA measurements, along with immunohistochemical identification of proliferation markers (i.e., MIB-1; proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA). Histologically, most polyps revealed an infiltration wi…
Aspirin Intolerance in Patients with Chronic Sinusitis
Aspirin intolerance in patients with chronic sinusitis is often a cause of early recurrence of symptoms after surgical treatment. This study assesses 84 patients who were tested for acetylsalicylic acid intolerance after presenting with symptoms like chronic rhinosinusitis, sometimes bronchial asthma, coexisting allergies or a history of aspirin sensitivity. Nasal polyposis was found in a majority of cases, often recurrent after previous surgery. The levels of eicosanoids such as peptido-leukotrienes and prostaglandin E<sub>2</sub> were analyzed in isolated blood cells and compared with a healthy control group. Aspirin-intolerant patients showed elevated basal levels of peptido-…
A genetic algorithm for the design of a fuzzy controller for active queue management
Active queue management (AQM) policies are those\ud policies of router queue management that allow for the detection of network congestion, the notification of such occurrences to the\ud hosts on the network borders, and the adoption of a suitable control\ud policy. This paper proposes the adoption of a fuzzy proportional\ud integral (FPI) controller as an active queue manager for Internet\ud routers. The analytical design of the proposed FPI controller is\ud carried out in analogy with a proportional integral (PI) controller,\ud which recently has been proposed for AQM. A genetic algorithm is\ud proposed for tuning of the FPI controller parameters with respect\ud to optimal disturbance rej…
Tryptophan immunoadsorption during pregnancy and breastfeeding in patients with acute relapse of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica.
Background: Up to every fourth woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) suffers a clinically relevant relapse during pregnancy. High doses of steroids bear some serious risks, especially within the first trimester of pregnancy. Immunoadsorption (IA) is an effective and more selective treatment option in disabling MS relapse than plasma exchange. Data on the use of IA during pregnancy and breastfeeding are scarce. Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, we analyzed the safety and efficacy of IA treatment in acute relapses during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The primary outcome parameter - change of acute relapse-related disability after IA…