Prospective Study of Gefitinib Readministration After Chemotherapy in Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Who Previously Responded to Gefitinib

The present study was designed to prospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of gefitinib readministration in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who responded well to initial gefitinib, followed by cytotoxic chemotherapy. Twenty subjects were enrolled, and 3 and 6 patients achieved partial response and stable disease, respectively. These findings provide valuable information for the management of previous gefitinib responders. Introduction: Salvage treatment for acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer is a matter of clinical concern. Several retrospective reports have indicated the usefulness of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor readministration; however, there have been few prospective studies. Materials and Methods: This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of gefitinib readministration in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer who responded well to initial gefitinib treatment. The subjects received at least 1 regimen of cytotoxic chemotherapy after progressive disease with the initial gefitinib therapy. Gefitinib administration (250 mg/d, orally) was started after progressive disease with the previous chemotherapeutic regimen. The primary endpoint in the present study was the response rate. Results: Twenty patients were enrolled between April 2007 and May 2011. Three patients achieved partial response, and 6 showed stable disease. Thus, the overall response rate and disease control rate of gefitinib readministration were 15% (95% Cl, 3.21-37.9) and 45% (95% Cl, 23.1-68.5), respectively. Median progression-free survival and overall survival from the start of gefitinib readministration were 2.0 months (95% Cl, 0.9-3.1 months) and 12.0 months (95% Cl, 8.0-16.0 months), respectively. Conclusion: These results suggest that gefitinib readministration may be an option, albeit with a low response rate and short progression-free survival, for patients who responded well to initial gefitinib followed by systemic chemotherapy. These findings provide valuable information for the management of previous gefitinib responders.ArticleCLINICAL LUNG CANCER. 13(6):458-463 (2012)journal articl

Concurrent Reactivation of Herpes Simplex and Varicella Zoster Viruses Confirmed by the Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay

Concurrent reactivation of herpes simplex and varicella zoster viruses is rare. Here, we describe the case of an elderly patient with herpes labialis and herpes zoster manifesting as a right-side facial eruption with vesicles and crusting. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay demonstrated the presence of both herpes simplex virus type 1 and varicella zoster virus in swab samples taken from the face, which was confirmed by real-time PCR, suggesting concurrent reactivation of both viruses. The use of the LAMP assay in the present case indicates its usefulness in the diagnosis of atypical herpes infections

Two Cases of Occupational Contact Urticaria Caused by Percutaneous Sensitization to Parvalbumin

Background: In recent years, it has been proposed that the primary mechanism for the development of food allergies is percutaneous sensitization. Since 2010, in Japan, the number of immediate-type wheat allergy due to hydrolyzed wheat protein has dramatically increased among those who have been using soap containing hydrolyzed wheat. This incidence supports the hypothesis that food allergens arise through percutaneous sensitization. Clinical Summary: A 25-year-old man (case 1) and an 18-year-old girl (case 2) with atopic dermatitis visited our Department because of food allergy and hand eczema. After starting their work with fish, severe itchy eczema appeared on their hands. They subsequently started to experience oral allergic symptoms, intraoral itchiness and dyspnea after eating fish. Specific IgE antibodies were detected for many fishes, and skin prick tests showed positive reactions for a variety of fishes in both cases. Furthermore, the fluorescence intensities of specific IgE antibodies against parvalbumin from various types of fish in microarray immunoassay analysis showed positive reactions. We diagnosed them as contact urticaria caused by percutaneous sensitization to parvalbumin through job-related physical contact with fish. Conclusion: The patients' histories and findings indicate the possibility of percutaneous sensitization through occupational exposure to parvalbumin, leading to food allergy

Maternal Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and the Risk of Undernutrition Among Children Younger than 5 Years in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the association between maternal experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the risk of undernutrition among children younger than 5 years in Bangladesh. METHODS: We used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. Our analyses were based on the responses of 1851 married women living with at least 1 child younger than 5 years. Exposure was determined from maternal reports of physical and sexual IPV. Outcomes included underweight, stunting, and wasting. RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent of the respondents had experienced IPV in the year preceding the survey. Maternal experience of any physical or sexual IPV was associated with an increased risk of stunting (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.23, 2.08) and underweight (AOR =1.33; 95% CI=1.04, 1.71) but was not significantly associated with wasting (AOR=1.08; 95% CI=0.78, 1.49). CONCLUSIONS: The association between maternal exposure to physical or sexual IPV and child underweight and stunting suggests that partner violence plays a significant role in compromising child health by impairing child nutrition. Our findings reinforce the evidence that improving child nutrition is an additional reason to strengthen efforts to protect women from physical and sexual IPV

Comparison of acceptance of wife beating among Nepalese couples.

<p>Comparison of acceptance of wife beating among Nepalese couples.</p