Efficacy of tiotropium in adults with moderate asthma, by leukotriene receptor antagonist use at baseline

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2018
Source:Allergology International
Author(s): Shu Hashimoto, Thomas B. Casale, Michael Engel, Petra Moroni-Zentgraf, Louis J. Bour, Huib A.M. Kerstjens




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Influence of topical steroids on intraocular pressure in patients with atopic dermatitis

Publication date: Available online 16 February 2018
Source:Allergology International
Author(s): Risa Tamagawa-Mineoka, Naoko Yasuoka, Mayumi Ueta, Norito Katoh
BackgroundTopical corticosteroids (TCS) can induce adverse effects, such as skin atrophy. Although TCS can cause increases in intraocular pressure (IOP), the effects of daily TCS use on IOP have not been fully elucidated. We evaluated the clinical doses of TCS and the change in the IOP during the daily treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD).MethodsWe collected clinical data on a total of 65 patients who were diagnosed with AD and underwent 2 or more IOP measurements at our hospital.ResultsMean monthly facial steroid volumes of ≤11.8 g and ≤15.0 g of TCS were applied to 90% of the patients aged 2–12 years and those aged ≥13 years, respectively. During the treatment, there were no TCS-related increases in IOP in any patient.ConclusionsOur study suggests that TCS might not cause increases in IOP at the abovementioned doses. However, the IOP of steroid responders is known to be highly responsive to steroids. Therefore, patients who have steroids applied to their eyelids had better undergo regular IOP measurements at ophthalmological clinics.



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Intratympanic Injections of Dexamethasone in Delayed Endolymphatic Hydrops: A Prospective Clinical Study

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of intratympanic dexamethazone (ITD) for the treatment of ipsilateral delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH). Methods: Forty-one patients were diagnosed with ipsilateral DEH. Only 37 patients completed this study. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A (n = 16) received oral medication, and group B (n = 21) received ITD once weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Results: In group A, 6 patients showed improvement in their vertigo. Four patients (25%) showed complete vertigo control, and 2 patients (12.5%) showed substantial vertigo control. In group B, 21 patients showed improvement in their vertigo, 11 patients (52%) showed complete vertigo control, and 10 patients (47%) showed substantial vertigo control. Only 1 case did not show any improvement in their vertigo. Conclusion: ITD is proven to be a valuable and promising alternative modality for the management of ipsilateral DEH.
ORL 2018;80:19–27

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Comment on the article entitled “Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides and IgG4-related disease: A new overlap syndrome” (Autoimmunity Reviews 16 (2017) 1036–1043)

Publication date: Available online 8 February 2018
Source:Autoimmunity Reviews
Author(s): Radjiv Goulabchand, Julien Delicque, Mathieu Gallo, Alain Le Quellec, Philippe Guilpain




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Effective management of severe cutaneous mastocytosis in young children with omalizumab (Xolair®)

Summary

Omalizumab (Xolair^®) is an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, which may benefit adults with systemic mastocytosis. We report effective treatment with omalizumab in two toddlers with severe diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis. Our cases offer preliminary evidence to support the safe use of omalizumab in paediatric patients with cutaneous mastocytosis.

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Stability and efficacy of combined nystatin and chlorhexidine against suspensions and biofilms of Candida albicans

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2018
Source:Archives of Oral Biology
Author(s): Elusa Scheibler, Renata Medina da Silva, Carlos Eduardo Leite, Maria Martha Campos, Maria Antonia Figueiredo, Fernanda Gonçalves Salum, Karen Cherubini
Objective: Nystatin and chlorhexidine are extensively used in oral medicine; however, there is some controversy about the possibility of these drugs showing antagonism. To clarify this issue, this study investigated the efficacy and stability of nystatin and chlorhexidine in combination.DesignAn in vitro study was conducted to analyze the effect of nystatin and chlorhexidine combined on Candida albicans ATCC 18804, using the drugs mixed as a single formulation and as independent formulations used sequentially with different time intervals between them. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and effects on C. albicans suspensions and biofilms were evaluated. Also, the stability of nystatin and chlorhexidine in a mixture was tested by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).ResultsWhen nystatin and chlorhexidine were mixed in a single formulation, there was no significant difference in MIC compared to that of the drugs used alone (as the only treatment). However, when these drugs were used as independent formulations, sequentially with time intervals in between, their MICs were higher than the respective MIC of the drug used alone, except for the MIC of chlorhexidine with a 10-min interval. Nystatin/chlorhexidine combinations showed lower activity against C. albicans biofilms, except for that with a 30-min interval. The drugs when combined showed high percentages of degradation at all the times evaluated.ConclusionsThe combination of nystatin and chlorhexidine seems to interfere with the efficacy of the drugs and to increase their rate of degradation.



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A comprehensive analysis of human dental pulp cell spheroids in a three-dimensional pellet culture system

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2018
Source:Archives of Oral Biology
Author(s): Siyuan Zhang, Patricia Buttler-Buecher, Bernd Denecke, Victor E. Arana-Chavez, Christian Apel
ObjectiveThree-dimensional (3D) cell culture methods are of high importance to studies of biological processes. This is particularly the case with spheroid cultures, which create 3D cell aggregates without the use of exogenous materials. Compared to conventional monolayer cultures, cellular spheroid cultures have been demonstrated to improve multilineage potential and extracellular matrix production. To address this issue in depth, we present a more comprehensive analysis of 3D human dental pulp cell (hDPC) spheroids.DesignhDPC spheroids were fabricated by the pellet culture method and were cultured without adding any reagent to induce differentiation. The gene-expression profiles of the 3D and two-dimensional (2D) cultured hDPCs were compared by complementary DNA microarray analysis. Odontoblastic and osteoblastic differentiation marker gene expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to examine the morphology of hDPC spheroids and extracellular matrix components.ResultsCompared with 2D monolayer culture, microarray analysis identified 405 genes and 279 genes with twofold or greater differential expression after 3 days and 28 days of 3D culture, respectively. In 3D hDPC spheroids, gene ontology analysis revealed upregulation of extracellular matrix-related genes and downregulation of cell growth-related genes. RT-qPCR analysis showed higher expression levels of osteocalcin, dentin sialophosphoprotein, and alkaline phosphatase. TEM revealed the morphological characteristics of the fibrillar collagen-rich matrix and cell-cell interactions.ConclusionsThe present findings provide clues to understanding the mechanisms of pellet-cultured hDPCs and contribute to future research in the comparative studies of different 3D culture



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