Search results for "steroids"
showing 10 items of 203 documents
Decreasing prevalence of specific anosmia to non-steroid odorants from childhood to adolescence
2020
International audience; Specific anosmia is defined as the inability to detect a particular odorant, despite a normal olfactory function. Previous studies reported sex-related difference in detection threshold to steroid odorants, like androstenone or androstadienone during adolescence, and boys showed an increased detection threshold with age. However, such investigations have not been performed for non-steroid odorants. Hence, the current study investigated sex- and age-related effects on the prevalence of specific anosmia in children/adolescents aged 5-14 years (n = 800) to non-steroid odorants. The detection thresholds of three non-steroid odorants (bacdanol, methylsalicylate, and 3-hyd…
Mepolizumab effectiveness on small airway obstruction, corticosteroid sparing and maintenance therapy step-down in real life
2020
Background: Mepolizumab (MEP) has been recently introduced to treat severe eosinophilic asthma. Trials have demonstrated a significant effectiveness in this asthma phenotype. We evaluated MEP efficacy on lung function, symptoms, asthma exacerbations, biologic markers, steroid dependence and controller treatment level in real-life. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 134 severe asthmatics (61 males; mean age 58.3 ± 11; mean FEV1%:72 ± 21), treated with MEP for at least 6 months (mean duration:10.9 ± 3.7 months). Results: FEV1% improved significantly after MEP. Mean FEF25-75 also increased from 37.4 ± 25.4% to 47.2 ± 27.2% (p < 0.0001). Mean baseline blood eosinophil level was 712 ± 731/μ…
Genetically engineered V79 chinese hamster cell expression of purified cytochromeP-450iib1 monooxygenase activity
1989
Chinese hamster V79 fibroblasts, frequently used as target cells in short-term tests for mutagenicity, do not possess measurable monooxygenase activity; in particular, enzymatic oxidation of testosterone (T) cannot be demonstrated. If these V79 cells, however, had been transfected with the cDNA-encoding rat liver cytochrome P-450IIB1 under control of the SV40 early promoter, they stably expressed monooxygenase activity. These so-called SD1 cells then oxidatively metabolized T at a rate of 27 pmol/mg protein/min, converting it to 16 alpha- and 16 beta-hydroxy-T as well as 4-androsten-3,17-dione as sole metabolites in a ratio of 1.1:1.0:1.6. The regio- and stereoselective conversion of T by S…
An uncommon presentation of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report
2013
Introduction Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare and potentially fatal disease if not readily diagnosed. Cerebral involvement is extremely rare and clinical presentation as hemorrhagic stroke is even rarer. Case presentation A 58-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to our medical unit because of a computed tomography-diagnosed hemorrhagic stroke with right-sided hemiparesis and fever. A chest computed tomography scan also revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary infiltrates; coronary artery, and carotid and left vertebral artery calcifications were also observed. Empiric antimicrobial therapy with cephalosporins was promptly undertaken; low-molecular-weight heparin was intr…
Characteristics and management of primary and other immune thrombocytopenias: Spanish registry study
2017
The natural history and its modulation by treatments administered for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in the clinical practice remains unknown. In addition, little information is available on the characteristics and management of ITP in Spain. We conducted an observational, multicenter, registry in 70 Hematology Services from Spain between 2009 and 2011, which included children from 2 months of age and adults with primary ITP or another ITP diagnosed within the last 6 months (platelet count [PC] 484 patients were included (median [Q1, Q3] age 52 [29,74] years, 87.6% adults), 56% women, 10.5% with secondary ITP. Median (Q1, Q3) PC at diagnosis was 12 × 109/l (4, 32); 72% of patients had bleed…
Severe and uncontrolled adult asthma is associated with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency
2012
Background Vitamin D has effects on the innate and adaptive immune system. In asthmatic children low vitamin D levels are associated with poor asthma control, reduced lung function, increased medication intake, and exacerbations. Little is known about vitamin D in adult asthma patients or its association with asthma severity and control. Methods Clinical parameters of asthma control and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum concentrations were evaluated in 280 adult asthma patients (mean ± SD: 45.0 ± 13.8 yrs., 40% male, FEV1 74.9 ± 23.4%, 55% severe, 51% uncontrolled). Results 25(OH)D concentrations in adult asthmatics were low (25.6 ±11.8 ng/ml) and vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency (vi…
Omalizumab reduces oral corticosteroid use in patients with severe allergic asthma: Real-life data
2010
SummaryBackgroundLong-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) therapy is associated with significant burden on patients and healthcare resources; treatments that may help reduce their use are important to improve asthma management.MethodsFrench and German clinicians prescribing omalizumab for >16 weeks to patients with severe persistent allergic asthma collected OCS use data. OCS use was recorded at baseline and at a non-specific time point beyond 16 weeks from initiation of omalizumab. The number of asthma exacerbations (FEV1 16 weeks. Of these, 166 (48.0%) were receiving maintenance OCS (France, n = 64; Germany, n = 102). Following omalizumab therapy, 84 (50.6%) patients on OCS at baseline reduced…
D-dimer concentrations in acute urticaria in children
2021
Introduction: Urticaria is a clinical entity presenting as wheals, angioedema, or both simul-taneously. Elevated D-dimer levels were reported in the course of chronic spontaneous urticaria. Data regarding D-dimer levels in acute urticaria in children are limited. Objectives: To assess potential associations between duration of glucocorticosteroid (GCS) therapy and D-dimer concentrations in children with acute urticaria. Patients, materials, and methods: Hospital records of 106 children (59 females), aged 5.57 ± 4.91 years, hospitalized in 2014–2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The study group consisted of pediatric patients admitted to the hospital due to severe acute urticaria resistant …
Physical and cognitive doping in university students using the unrelated question model (UQM): Assessing the influence of the probability of receivin…
2018
Study objectives: In order to increase the value of randomized response techniques (RRTs) as tools for studying sensitive issues, the present study investigated whether the prevalence estimate for a sensitive item π̂$_{s}$ assessed with the unrelated questionnaire method (UQM) is influenced by changing the probability of receiving the sensitive question p. Material and methods: A short paper-and-pencil questionnaire was distributed to 1.243 university students assessing the 12-month prevalence of physical and cognitive doping using two versions of the UQM with different probabilities for receiving the sensitive question (p ≈ 1/3 and p ≈ 2/3). Likelihood ratio tests were used to assess wheth…
Asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells have a deficient innate immune response to infection with rhinovirus
2005
Rhinoviruses are the major trigger of acute asthma exacerbations and asthmatic subjects are more susceptible to these infections. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of this increased susceptibility, we examined virus replication and innate responses to rhinovirus (RV)-16 infection of primary bronchial epithelial cells from asthmatic and healthy control subjects.Viral RNA expression and late virus release into supernatant was increased 50- and 7-fold, respectively in asthmatic cells compared with healthy controls. Virus infection induced late cell lysis in asthmatic cells but not in normal cells. Examination of the early cellular response to infection revealed impairment of virus induc…