Search results for "Injections"
showing 10 items of 518 documents
Monitoring free serum IgE in severe asthma patients treated with omalizumab
2012
SummaryBackgroundBenefit of treatment with the monoclonal anti-IgE-antibody omalizumab in severe IgE-dependent asthma requires a significant reduction of serum free IgE concentrations. It is unclear if monitoring free serum IgE is clinically meaningful once omalizumab treatment is initiated.MethodsFree IgE and omalizumab serum concentrations were quantified in 22 patients with severe asthma (68% female, 47 ± 11 yrs, mean (±SD) pre-bronchodilator FEV1 62 ± 13%, baseline mean (±SEM) free serum IgE 652 ± 136 ng/ml) treated with omalizumab for 4 months using a Recovery-ELISA.ResultsOmalizumab treatment reduced free serum IgE prior to the second omalizumab injection by 73%, after 16 weeks by 81%…
Quality of life, depression and fatigue in mildly disabled patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis receiving subcutaneous interferon bet…
2011
Background: The precise relationships among quality of life, depression, fatigue and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) are complex and poorly understood. Objective: To assess the effects of subcutaneous interferon beta-1a on quality of life, depression and fatigue over 3 years in the COGIMUS study, and to examine the relationship between these outcomes and baseline cognitive status. Methods: COGIMUS was an observational 3-year trial assessing cognitive function in 459 patients with relapsing–remitting MS treated with subcutaneous interferon beta-1a. Results: In total, 331 patients completed the study (168 received interferon beta-1a, 44 µg subcutaneously three times weekly, a…
Generation of cytotoxic T-cell responses with synthetic melanoma-associated peptidesin vivo: Implications for tumor vaccines with melanoma-associated…
1996
Peptide epitopes derived from differentiation antigens of the melanocyte lineage have been identified in human melanomas and normal cultured melanocytes as targets for MHC-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Characterization of multiple CTL-defined antigenic determinants and the presence of corresponding precursor CTL open perspectives for the development of antigen-based vaccines. In the present study, we determined the CTL reactivity against melanoma-associated peptides derived from Melan A/MART-1, tyrosinase and gp100/Pmel17 in 10 HLA-A2+ melanoma patients and 10 healthy individuals. Then, we examined the immunological effects and toxicity of intradermal inoculation of synthetic me…
Ranibizumab for Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion Associated Macular Edema Study (RABAMES): six-month results of a prospective randomized clinical trial
2014
Purpose To compare standard-of-care grid laser photocoagulation versus intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) versus a combination of both in the treatment of chronic (>3 months) macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion. Methods Prospective, randomized, multicentre clinical trial. Thirty patients with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 20/320 and 20/40 were randomized 1:1:1 to receive grid laser or three monthly injections of 0.5 mg IVR or both followed by 3 months of observation. Results Mean change from baseline BCVA at month 6 was +2 letters [laser; 0.04 logMAR, 95% confidence interval (−0.17; 0.25)], +17 letters [IVR; 0.34 (0.19; 0.5)] and +6 letters [combination; 0.…
Value of the sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation level, as measured by the sperm chromatin dispersion test, in the outcome of in vitro fertiliz…
2005
To determine the prognostic value of sperm DNA fragmentation levels, as measured by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test, in predicting IVF and ICSI outcome.Double-blind prospective study.University-affiliated private IVF setting.A total of 85 couples undergoing infertility treatment with IVF/ICSI.Analysis of DNA fragmentation by the SCD test in 170 aliquots obtained from the ejaculate and from the processed semen used for assisted reproductive technologies (ART).Percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA was statistically correlated with embryo quality and reproductive success.Fertilization rate was inversely correlated with DNA fragmentation (r = -0.245 P = .045). Higher DNA fragm…
Transmucosal fentanyl vs intravenous morphine in doses proportional to basal opioid regimen for episodic-breakthrough pain
2007
The use of supplemental doses of opioids is commonly suggested to manage breakthrough pain. A comparative study of intravenous morphine (IV-MO) and oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) given in doses proportional to the basal opioid regimen was performed in 25 cancer patients receiving stable opioid doses. For each episode, when it occurred and 15 and 30 min after the treatment, pain intensity and opioid-related symptoms were recorded. Fifty-three couples of breakthrough events, each treated with IV-MO and OTFC, were recorded. In episodes treated with IV-MO, pain intensity decreased from a mean of 6.9 to 3.3 and to 1.7 at T1 and T2, respectively. In episodes treated with OTFC, pain int…
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection with cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa
2001
To assess if testicular sperm cryopreservation is a valid alternative to repetition of testicular sperm retrieval techniques, results of a cryopreservation technique in pills have been retrospectively analyzed. Enough motile spermatozoa for ICSI were obtained in 172 from 190 (90.5%) frozen-thawed testicular sperm samples. Overall, 249 couples underwent 390 ICSI cycles, 156 using fresh and 234 using cryopreserved testicular sperm. Mean two-pronuclear fertilization rates per cycle were not significantly different after ICSI with fresh (62.0%) or with cryopreserved (63.2%) spermatozoa. Mean embryo cleavage rate per cycle was higher in the fresh (90.6%) than in the cryopreserved (84.6%) group (…
Analysis of chromosomal abnormalities in testicular and epididymal spermatozoa from azoospermic ICSI patients by fluorescence in-situ hybridization
2003
BACKGROUND: An increased incidence of numerical chromosomal abnormalities has been reported in the ejaculated spermatozoa of infertile patients. However, there are few cytogenetic studies of testicular and epididymal spermatozoa, and their results are still controversial. METHODS: Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y was performed on seven testicular samples and two epididymal samples from patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA), and on 13 testicular samples from patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Five ejaculated sperm samples from normozoospermic fertile donors were evaluated as a control group. RESULTS: Both epididymal sper…
First report of the absence of viral load in testicular sperm samples obtained from men with hepatitis C and HIV after washing and their subsequent u…
2008
Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C infections are sexually transmitted diseases that require sperm samples to be pretreated to eliminate the viral presence before their safe use in assisted reproduction treatments. In this report we describe our experience with sperm washing protocols applied to sperm cells from testicular biopsies as well as the results obtained in subsequent assisted reproduction treatments on seropositive males that are also azoospermic.
Plasma levels of benperidol, prolactin, and homovanillic acid after intravenous versus two different kinds of oral application of the neuroleptic in …
2009
Plasma levels of prolactin (PRL) and the butyrophenone neuroleptic benperidol (BPD) were closely followed 0 to 48 h after acute application of 6 mg BPD as intravenous injection, orally as liquid, and orally as tablets in 12 schizophrenic patients using a partially randomized cross over design. Drug concentrations showed application specific pharmacokinetic behavior with complete elimination within 48 h. All three applications led to a biphasic PRL response with pronounced initial plasma PRL peaks returning to baseline levels within 48 h. The results suggest that after acute neuroleptic challenge BPD plasma levels as low as 2-3 ng/ml can be sufficient for complete depletion of pituitary PRL …