Long-term outcomes in patients with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis receiving adalimumab with or without methotrexate

Objectives Long-term safety and efficacy of adalimumab among patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was evaluated through 6 years of treatment. Methods Children aged 4-17 years with polyarticular JIA were enrolled in a phase III, randomised-withdrawal, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial consisting of a 16-week open-label lead-in period, 32-week randomised double-blind period and 360-week long-term extension. Patients were stratified by baseline methotrexate use. Adverse events (AEs) were monitored, and efficacy assessments included JIA American College of Rheumatology (JIA ACR) 30%, 50%, 70% or 90% responses and the proportions of patients achieving 27-joint Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS27) low disease activity (LDA, = 6 continuous months) during the study. Attainment of JIA ACR 50 or higher and JADAS27 LDA or ID in the initial weeks were the best predictors of clinical remission. Mean JADAS27 decreased from baseline, 22.5 (n=170), to 2.5 (n=30) at week 312 (observed analysis). Conclusions Through 6 years of exposure, adalimumab was well tolerated with significant clinical response (up to clinical remission) and a relatively low retention rate

De Novo Transcriptome of Safflower and the Identification of Putative Genes for Oleosin and the Biosynthesis of Flavonoids

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is one of the most extensively used oil crops in the world. However, little is known about how its compounds are synthesized at the genetic level. In this study, Solexa-based deep sequencing on seed, leaf and petal of safflower produced a de novo transcriptome consisting of 153,769 unigenes. We annotated 82,916 of the unigenes with gene annotation and assigned functional terms and specific pathways to a subset of them. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that 23 unigenes were predicted to be responsible for the biosynthesis of flavonoids and 8 were characterized as seed-specific oleosins. In addition, a large number of differentially expressed unigenes, for example, those annotated as participating in anthocyanin and chalcone synthesis, were predicted to be involved in flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. In conclusion, the de novo transcriptome investigation of the unique transcripts provided candidate gene resources for studying oleosin-coding genes and for investigating genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis and metabolism in safflower

The evaluation of virus symptoms and fruit quality of GMO, PPV-Resistant P. domestica 'HoneySweet' grown in the open field under a high and permanent infection pressure of PPV, ACLSV, and PDV

Transgenic, 'HoneySweet' plums inoculated with Plum pox virus, recombinant strain (PPV-Rec) alone, PPV-Rec + Apple chlorotic leafspot virus (ACLSV), PPV-Rec + Prune dwarf virus (PDV), and PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV were grown in an open field under high and permanent infection pressure both from graft inoculation and natural aphid vectors for 8 years. 'HoneySweet' control trees were non-graft-inoculated trees. Plants were monitored by symptomology, DAS-ELISA, semiquantitative (SQ)-ELISA, and real-time (RT)-PCR. Inoculum shoots showed severe PPV symptoms from the first year after inoculation throughout the study. Mild PPV symptoms appeared in some of the basal leaves of graft-inoculated 'HoneySweet' trees in the second year following inoculation. During the following six years, even these mild and isolated symptoms on 'HoneySweet' trees diminished. The presence of PPV in these basal areas of 'HoneySweet' trees was confirmed by ELISA, ISEM, and RT-PCR. Relative concentration of PPV determined by SQ-ELISA and by RT-PCR was lower than in leaves of inoculum shoots. No difference in PPV symptoms was observed between PPV-Rec, and combinations PPV-Rec with other viruses. While no symptoms of ACLSV appeared during the study, ACLSV was detected by ELISA and RT-PCR. No symptoms of PDV appeared and PDV was not detected. 'HoneySweet' trees exposed to natural aphid-vectored PPV were not infected. Fruits of 'HoneySweet' were qualitatively and quantitatively compared with fruits of 'Stanley' and 'Domaci svestka' in 2010 from noninfected trees of 'HoneySweet' and fruits from 'HoneySweet' trees graft-inoculated with PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV were both of high quality and comparable to, or for certain characteristics, of higher quality than fruit of the commercial cultivars which were evaluated

The evaluation of virus symptoms and fruit quality of GMO, PPV-Resistant P. domestica 'HoneySweet' grown in the open field under a high and permanent infection pressure of PPV, ACLSV, and PDV

Transgenic, 'HoneySweet' plums inoculated with Plum pox virus, recombinant strain (PPV-Rec) alone, PPV-Rec + Apple chlorotic leafspot virus (ACLSV), PPV-Rec + Prune dwarf virus (PDV), and PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV were grown in an open field under high and permanent infection pressure both from graft inoculation and natural aphid vectors for 8 years. 'HoneySweet' control trees were non-graft-inoculated trees. Plants were monitored by symptomology, DAS-ELISA, semiquantitative (SQ)-ELISA, and real-time (RT)-PCR. Inoculum shoots showed severe PPV symptoms from the first year after inoculation throughout the study. Mild PPV symptoms appeared in some of the basal leaves of graft-inoculated 'HoneySweet' trees in the second year following inoculation. During the following six years, even these mild and isolated symptoms on 'HoneySweet' trees diminished. The presence of PPV in these basal areas of 'HoneySweet' trees was confirmed by ELISA, ISEM, and RT-PCR. Relative concentration of PPV determined by SQ-ELISA and by RT-PCR was lower than in leaves of inoculum shoots. No difference in PPV symptoms was observed between PPV-Rec, and combinations PPV-Rec with other viruses. While no symptoms of ACLSV appeared during the study, ACLSV was detected by ELISA and RT-PCR. No symptoms of PDV appeared and PDV was not detected. 'HoneySweet' trees exposed to natural aphid-vectored PPV were not infected. Fruits of 'HoneySweet' were qualitatively and quantitatively compared with fruits of 'Stanley' and 'Domaci svestka' in 2010 from noninfected trees of 'HoneySweet' and fruits from 'HoneySweet' trees graft-inoculated with PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV were both of high quality and comparable to, or for certain characteristics, of higher quality than fruit of the commercial cultivars which were evaluated

Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer in the Visegrad Countries

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to identify the quality of life of patients with diabetic foot ulcers in the Visegrad countries. BACKGROUND: The diabetics with foot ulcers are principally evaluated on the basis of physical parameters, but this does not always reveal much about the patient's experience of life with ulceration. DESIGN: The cross-sectional study. METHODS: The standardized generic questionnaire World Health Organisation Quality of Life Bref was used. The sample was made up of 525 participants and the calculations were performed using the IBM SPSS statistical program. RESULTS: The significant negative correlations between demographic data such as age, duration of diabetes mellitus, duration of diabetes ulceration treatment and a lower level of quality of life were found across the sample. The statistically significant differences according to clinical characteristics such as Wagner classification, frequency of foot ulcers, present peripheral vascular diseas and pain in terms of quality of life were also revealed. Significant differences of quality of life among Visegrad countries were revealed: Hungary's participants had a worse quality of life than others, while Slovak participants expressed lower satisfaction with their health than Czech. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-demographic factors and clinical characteristics influence the quality of life of patients with diabetic foot ulcer. Significant differences between patients of Visegrad countries were found in all domains of quality of life: physical, psychological, social and environmental. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The quality of life of patients with diabetic foot ulcer reflects the conditions and health care system in each of the Visegrad countries. We have to respect socio-demographic factors and clinical characteristics in nursing care. This could have an impact on managing patient care not only with regard to their diabetic foot ulcer but also with regard to the patient as a personality with their own problems in relation to physical, psychosocial and environmental conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved