Comparison of first-line treatment with CHOP versus ICED in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma eligible for upfront autologous stem cell transplantation

IntroductionUpfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been recommended for patients who are newly diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), an anthracycline-based chemotherapy has been the frontline chemotherapy for PTCL. However, it is not clear whether anthracycline-based chemotherapies such as CHOP could be standard induction therapy for PTCL.MethodsWe conducted a randomized phase II study to compare CHOP with fractionated ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone (ICED) for patients eligible for ASCT. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoints included objective response rate, overall survival (OS), and safety profiles.ResultsPatients were randomized into either CHOP (n = 69) or ICED (n = 66), and the characteristics of both arms were not different. PTCL-not otherwise specified (NOS, n = 60) and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL, n = 53) were dominant. The objective response rate was not different between CHOP (59.4%) and ICED (56.1%), and the 3-year PFS was not different between CHOP (36.7%) and ICED (33.1%). In AITL patients, CHOP was favored over ICED whereas ICED was associated with more cytopenia and reduced dose intensity. Patients who received upfront ASCT after achieving complete response to CHOP or ICED showed 80% of 3-year OS.DiscussionIn summary, our study showed no therapeutic difference between CHOP and ICED in terms of response and PFS. Thus, CHOP might remain the reference regimen especially for AITL based on its better outcome in AITL, and upfront ASCT could be recommended as a consolidation of complete response in patients with PTCL

Fabrication of Sn(IV)porphyrin-Imbedded Silica Aerogel Composite

Optoelectronic functional composite materials with porous structures are of great importance in various fields. A hybrid composite (SnP@SiA) composed of (trans-dihydroxo)(5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato)tin(IV) (SnP) in silica aerogel (SiA) was successfully fabricated through the reaction of SnP with silanol groups of SiA in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). SnP@SiA was then characterized using various instrumental techniques. The zeta potential for SnP@SiA (−11.62 mV) was found to be less negative than that for SiA (−18.26 mV), indicating that the surface of SnP@SiA is covered by hydrophobic species such as SnP and trimethylsilyl groups. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, pore volume, and average pore size of SnP@SiA are 697.07 m2/g, 1.69 cm3/g, and 8.45 nm, respectively, making it a suitable composite for catalytic applications. SnP@SiA, a photocatalyst with high porosity and a large surface area, yields promising performance in the photodegradation of acid orange 7 (AO7) under visible light irradiation in aqueous solution. This hybrid composite exhibited the desirable properties of aerogels along with the photoelectronic features of porphyrins. Therefore, this porphyrin-imbedded mesoporous material has valuable potential in various applications such as photocatalysis, light energy conversion, biochemical sensors, and gas storage

Comparison of Performance between ARC-HBR Criteria and PRECISE-DAPT Score in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The proper management of bleeding risk in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is critical. Recently, the Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) criteria have been proposed as a standardized tool for predicting bleeding risk. We sought to compare the predictive performance of ARC-HBR criteria and the PRECISE-DAPT score for bleeding in Korean patients undergoing PCI. We recruited 1418 consecutive patients undergoing PCI from January 2012 through December 2018 (Dong-A University Medical Center, Busan, Korea). The ARC-HBR and PRECISE-DAPT scores showed a high AUC for three bleeding definitions (AUC 0.75 and 0.77 for BARC 3 to 5; AUC 0.68 and 0.71 for TIMI minor to major; AUC 0.81 and 0.82 for GUSTO moderate to severe, respectively) and all-cause death (AUC 0.82 and 0.82, respectively). When compared with the ARC-HBR score, the discriminant ability of the PRECISE-DAPT score was not significantly different for bleeding events and all-cause death. The ARC-HBR criteria and PRECISE-DAPT scores demonstrated reasonably good discriminatory capacity with respect to 1-year bleeding events in Korean patients treated with DAPT, regardless of the bleeding definition. Our findings also suggest that the simple PRECISE-DAPT score is as useful as ARC-HBR criteria in predicting bleeding and all-cause death after PCI

Effect of Forest Therapy on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of forest therapy on depression and anxiety using data obtained from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies. We searched SCOPUS, PubMed, MEDLINE(EBSCO), Web of science, Embase, Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service, and DBpia to identify relevant studies published from January 1990 to December 2020 and identified 20 relevant studies for the synthesis. The methodological quality of eligible primary studies was assessed by ROB 2.0 and ROBINS-I. Most primary studies were conducted in the Republic of Korea except for one study in Poland. Overall, forest therapy significantly improved depression (Hedges’s g = 1.133; 95% confidence interval (CI): −1.491 to −0.775) and anxiety (Hedges’s g = 1.715; 95% CI: −2.519 to −0.912). The quality assessment resulted in five RCTs that raised potential concerns in three and high risk in two. Fifteen quasi-experimental studies raised high for nine quasi-experimental studies and moderate for six studies. In conclusion, forest therapy is preventive management and non-pharmacologic treatment to improve depression and anxiety. However, the included studies lacked methodological rigor and required more comprehensive geographic application. Future research needs to determine optimal forest characteristics and systematic activities that can maximize the improvement of depression and anxiety

Concomitant Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptom Syndrome from Ethambutol and Autoimmune Hepatitis from Isoniazid

Anti-tuberculosis drugs can produce levels of hepatotoxicity ranging from mild elevation of aminotransferase to severe acute hepatitis. A few cases of drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis or the drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptom (DRESS) syndrome by anti-tuberculosis medications have been reported. However, concomitant occurrence of these two disorders has not been reported. Here, we present a case of severe acute hepatitis with DRESS syndrome and autoimmune hepatitis resulting from primary standard anti-tuberculosis drugs. Both conditions were successfully treated with a systemic steroid regimen. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2016;67:267-271

Development of High Energy Particle Detector for the Study of Space Radiation Storm

Next Generation Small Satellite-1 (NEXTSat-1) is scheduled to launch in 2017 and Instruments for the Study of Space Storm (ISSS) is planned to be onboard the NEXTSat-1. High Energy Particle Detector (HEPD) is one of the equipment comprising ISSS and the main objective of HEPD is to measure the high energy particles streaming into the Earth radiation belt during the event of a space storm, especially, electrons and protons, to obtain the flux information of those particles. For the design of HEPD, the Geometrical Factor was calculated to be 0.05 to be consistent with the targets of measurement and the structure of telescope with field of view of 33.4° was designed using this factor. In order to decide the thickness of the detector sensor and the classification of the detection channels, a simulation was performed using GEANT4. Based on the simulation results, two silicon detectors with 1 mm thickness were selected and the aluminum foil of 0.05 mm is placed right in front of the silicon detectors to shield low energy particles. The detection channels are divided into an electron channel and two proton channels based on the measured LET of the particle. If the measured LET is less than 0.8 MeV, the particle belongs to the electron channel, otherwise it belongs to proton channels. HEPD is installed in the direction of 0°,45°,90° against the along-track of a satellite to enable the efficient measurement of high energy particles. HEPD detects electrons with the energy of 0.1 MeV to several MeV and protons with the energy of more than a few MeV. Thus, the study on the dynamic mechanism of these particles in the Earth radiation belt will be performed

Adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to SiHa Cells is Inhibited by Diphenyleneiodonium

Microbial adhesion is critical for parasitic infection and colonization of host cells. To study the host–parasite interaction in vitro, we established a flow cytometry-based assay to measure the adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to epithelial cell line SiHa. SiHa cells and T. vaginalis were detected as clearly separated, quantifiable populations by flow cytometry. We found that T. vaginalis attached to SiHa cells as early as 30 min after infection and the binding remained stable up to several hours, allowing for analysis of drug treatment efficacy. Importantly, NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI treatment induced the detachment of T. vaginalis from SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner without affecting host cell viability. Thus, this study may provide an understanding for the potential development of therapies against T. vaginalis and other parasite infections