Procesos infecciosos durante el primer año de tratamiento con antagonistas del factor de necrosis tumoral

Objetivo: Evaluar la incidencia de infecciones graves en pacientes tratados con fármacos antiTNFalpha, durante el primer año de tratamiento con dichos fármacos. Material y método: Estudio observacional restrospectivo, realizado en un hospital general, de una muestra de pacientes que recibieron su primer anti-TNFalpha, dentro de las indicaciones autorizadas, para tratar una enfermedad reumática. El seguimiento de cada paciente se realizó durante 2 años: el año previo a recibir el fármaco y el primer año tras iniciar la terapia con el mismo. Se consideraron los procesos infecciosos graves que ocasionaron hospitalización. Se realizó un estudio de cohortes antesdespués. Se calculó la tasa de incidencia como el número de eventos (infecciones) por cada 100 habitantes/año en el primer año de tratamiento y en el año previo (período control). Se calculó el riesgo relativo. Resultados: Fueron incluidos 196 pacientes. Se documentaron 12 procesos infecciosos graves durante el primer año de tratamiento, con un riesgo relativo de 2,4. El agente biológico más relacionado con la infección fue adalimumab. Todos los pacientes que sufrieron infección habían sido tratados de forma previa o concomitante con metotrexato y el 90,6% con glucocorticoides. La principal localización de la infección fue el aparato respiratorio (58,3%), y los gérmenes, los gram positivos (58,3%). Conclusiones: El uso de anti-TNFalpha, principalmente adalimumab, lleva asociado un riesgo de sufrir procesos infecciosos graves, principalmente a nivel de tracto respiratorio, producidos por gérmenes gram (+). El uso de otros tratamientos inmunosupresores tales como metotrexato y glucocorticoides parece incrementar la predisposición a sufrir procesos infecciososObjective: To assess the incidence of severe infections in patients treated with anti-TNF-alpha drugs, during the first year of treatment with these drugs. Materials and method: Retrospective observational study carried out at a general hospital from a sample of patients receiving their first anti-TNF-alpha drug, according to approved indications, to treat a rheumatic disease. Each patient follow-up lasted for 2 years: the year before receiving the drug and the year after starting on this therapy. We considered those severe infectious events requiring hospital admission. A cohort study was performed before-after. The incidence rates of number of events (infections) per 100,000 inhabitants/year for the first treatment year and the previous year (control period) were calculated. The relative risk was calculated. Results: We included 196 patients. Twelve severe infectious events were recorded during the first treatment year, with a relative risk of 2.4. The biological drug most frequently associated to infection was Adalimumab. All patients having an infection had been previously or concomitantly treated with Methotrexate, and 90.6% with glucocorticosteroids. The main location of the infection was the respiratory system (58.3%), and the gram-positive microorganisms were the most frequent (58.3%). Conclusions: The use of anti-TNF-alpha drugs, and mainly Adalimumab, represents a risk factor for suffering severe infections, mainly at the respiratory tract, produced by gram-positive microorganisms. The use of immunosuppressive drugs such as Methotrexate and glucocorticosteroids seems to increase the risk for such event

Consideraciones específicas en la prescripción e intercambio terapéutico de estatinas

OBJECTIVE: The pharmaceutical industry currently offers six different statins in Spain and there is one more soon to be available. Choosing the most appropriate drug and dose is determined by the therapeutic target (reduction in LDL-C levels). Statin doses that decrease LDL-C at the same percentage are considered equivalent. Evaluating the pharmacokinetic characteristics of each statin can be useful when setting selection criteria, helping to determine which statin may be more appropriate for a patient based on their individual characteristics and on the other co-administered drugs. METHODS: We reviewed the pharmacokinetics properties of each statin and its possible involvement in drug interactions. RESULTS: CYP3A4 was responsible for the metabolism of lovastatin, simvastatin and atorvastatin; fluvastatin depends on CYP2C9; P-glycoprotein is responsible for decreased atorvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin and lovastatin concentrations. The OATPA1B1 transporter involved in all statins' access to the hepatocyte, except for fluvastatin, is essential for rosuvastatin and pravastatin. These circumstances cause those drugs inhibiting or inducing isoenzymes or transporters' activity not to have the same effect on the different statins. CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetics is important when choosing the best statin and could be a limitation in the use of interchange therapeutic programmes when other drugs are present