Critical appraisal of the role of recombinant activated factor VII in the treatment of hemophilia patients with inhibitors

Hemophilia patients with inhibitors faced the constraint of inadequate treatment for several years before the era of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVII). Initially, rFVIIa was used in the compassionate-use programs. After a worldwide license was issued, more than 1.5 million doses were administered. Bleeding of joints and muscles was controlled effectively by means of an early home treatment program, with either a standard dose of 90 μg/kg every 2 to 3 hours for a few doses or a single dose of 270 μg/kg. For more serious bleeding episodes or minor surgery, an initial dose of 90 μg/kg was given every 2 hours for 24 to 48 hours followed by increased intervals of 3 to 6 hours according to the severity of bleeding and efficacy of bleeding control. In cases of major surgery such as orthopedic procedures, the same regimen can be applied except for a higher initial dose of 120 to 180 μg/kg. However, increasing the dose should be considered if there are unexpected bleeding complications since the half-life and clearance of rFVIIa differ between individuals. In addition, prophylaxis is administered to a small number of patients. Finally, the reported thromboembolic events found in hemophilia patients with inhibitors receiving rFVIIa are extremely low, much less than 1%

Vascular Leakage in Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Is Associated with Dengue Infected Monocytes, Monocyte Activation/Exhaustion, and Cytokines Production

The vascular leakage was shown by the increment of hematocrit (Hct), dengue viral infected monocyte, monocyte status, and cytokines production in patients infected with dengue virus. Dengue viral antigens were demonstrated in monocytes (CD14+) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The increased levels of Hct, interleukin- (IL-) 10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were detected in dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) patients as compared with other febrile illnesses (OFIs). The highest levels of Hct and IL-10 were detected in DSS patients as compared with other groups (P<0.05) especially on one day before and after defervescence. The unstimulated and lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated monocytes from DSS patients showed the significantly decreased of intracellular IL-1β and TNF-α. In addition, the lowest level of mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD11b expression on monocytes surface in DSS patients was also demonstrated. Furthermore, the negative correlations between IL-10 levels and intracellular IL-1β and MFI of CD11b expression in unstimulated and LPS-stimulated monocytes were also detected. Nevertheless, not only were the relationships between the prominent IL-10 and the suppression of intracellular monocyte secretion, namely, IL-1β, TNF-α, demonstrated but also the effect of vascular leakage was observed

Dengue nonstructural protein 1 antigen in the urine as a rapid and convenient diagnostic test during the febrile stage in patients with dengue infection.

International audienceA total of 136 matched serum and urine samples obtained from 55 patients with dengue infection and 30 other febrile illnesses were assayed for dengue nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) antigen. The urine NS1 ELISA was positive in patients with dengue fever (68.4%) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (63.9%), whereas the strip method showed a lower positive rate

Comparison between natural rubber knee support and sponge knee support on the protection of knee joint: A crossover randomized controlled study among patients with bleeding disorders

Abstract Background and Aims Knee support, frequently made from sponge, is used to reduce injury. Sponge has less elasticity and durability compared with natural rubber. To our knowledge, there was no study that demonstrated the effectiveness of natural rubber and sponge in prevention of injury in children with bleeding disorders. The study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness and satisfaction of natural rubber knee support compared with sponge knee support among children with bleeding disorders. Methods The study consisted of three phases: (I) measuring reduced compression force, (II) producing size‐appropriate knee support prototypes, and (III) conducting a randomized crossover trial, including 8 weeks wearing natural rubber knee support and sponge knee support with a 4‐week wash‐out period. The number of knee bleeds and user satisfaction were recorded. Results A better compression force reduction in natural rubber (60%) than sponge (12%) was demonstrated. Knee support comprised a body part, made from natural‐stretchable cotton and a protection part, made from either natural rubber or sponge. They were produced in four sizes: S, M, L, and XL and appropriately applied to 42 patients (21 hemophilia, 21 platelet disorders) with a mean (SD) age of 7.0 (2.9) years. The results from randomization showed no significant difference in the number of knee bleeds between the two knee support groups (10 vs. 7, p = 0.37). In terms of satisfaction score, the natural rubber knee supports were more durable (45.2% vs. 23.8%, p = 0.04) and easier to use (28.5% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.03). In addition, a higher percentage of parents chose natural rubber knee support when compared with sponge knee supports (71.0% vs. 29.0%, p = 0.006). Conclusion Natural rubber knee support showed comparable effectiveness in the prevention of knee bleeding but was superior to sponge knee support in compression force reduction and satisfaction