Chronic Cough and Eosinophilic Esophagitis: An Uncommon Association

An increasing number of children, usually with gastrointestinal symptoms, is diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EE), and a particular subset of these patients complains of airway manifestations. We present the case of a 2-year-old child with chronic dry cough in whom EE was found after a first diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to pathological 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. Traditional allergologic tests were negative, while patch tests were diagnostic for cow's milk allergy. We discuss the intriguing relationship between GERD and EE and the use of patch test for the allergologic screening of patients

On some strategies to design new high energy density molecules

Some new design principles of CHNO based high energy density molecules are explored. Several new molecules designed on the basis of these principles using the skeletal structures of RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane), HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane) and TNAZ (1,3,3-trinitroazetidine) are studied to validate these principles. The effect of substituent groups on density and heats of reaction are examined. The structure, stability and detonation properties of these new molecular systems are presented. Some of these compounds are found to be promising candidates for synthetic studies

Conformational preferences of mono-substituted cyclohydronitrogens: a theoretical study

The conformational stability of mono-substituted six membered cyclic hydronitrogens (N<SUB>6</SUB>H<SUB>5</SUB>X) are investigated with the aid of electronic structure calculations. One or both hydrogens adjacent to the substituent bearing nitrogen move to the equatorial position to attain the global minimum depending on the electronegativity of X. For example, strongly electronegative substituent like F pushes both the adjacent hydrogens into equatorial position, whereas covalent bond forming amino group prefers both the hydrogens to be in the axial position. When chlorine is the substituent, it migrates to the other end of the ring and forms hydrogen bonds with two of the axial hydrogen atoms in that region. Natural bond orbital analysis indicates that all these phenomena are a manifestation of the anomeric effect to different degrees

A phase I, open-label, dose-finding study of GSK2636771, a PI3Kb inhibitor, administered with enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

PurposeIn patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), resistance to androgen receptor (AR) targeted therapies, such as enzalutamide, remains an issue. Inactivation of inhibitory phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) activates phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling and contributes to resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy and poor outcomes. Therefore, dual targeting of AR and PI3K/AKT pathways may limit tumor growth and reverse resistance.Patients and methodsIn this Phase I study (NCT02215096), patients with PTEN-deficient mCRPC, who progressed on prior enzalutamide, received once-daily enzalutamide 160 mg plus PI3Kβ inhibitor GSK2636771 at 300 mg initial dose, with escalation or de-escalation in 100 mg increments, followed by dose expansion. Primary objectives were to evaluate safety/tolerability, determine the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D), and assess the 12-week non-progressive disease (PD) rate.ResultsOverall, 37 patients were enrolled; 36 received {greater than or equal to}1 dose of GSK2636771 (200 mg: n=22, 300 mg: n=12; 400 mg: n=2) plus 160 mg enzalutamide. Dose-limiting toxicities occurred in 5 patients (200 mg: n=1; 300 mg: n=2, 400 mg: n=2). No new or unexpected adverse events nor evidence of drug-drug interaction were observed. At the recommended dose of GSK2636771 (200 mg) plus enzalutamide, the 12-week non-PD rate was 50% (95% CI: 28.2-71.8%, n=22); 1 (3%) patient achieved a radiographic partial response lasting 36 weeks. 4/34 (12%) patients had prostate-specific antigen reduction of {greater than or equal to}50%.ConclusionsAlthough there was acceptable safety and tolerability with GSK2636771 plus enzalutamide in patients with PTEN-deficient mCRPC after failing enzalutamide, limited antitumor activity was observed

Prevalence and Incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Other Respiratory Viral Infections in Children Aged 6 Months to 10 Years With Influenza-like Illness Enrolled in a Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND: The high burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated morbidity and mortality makes vaccine development a priority. METHODS: As part of an efficacy trial of pandemic influenza vaccines (NCT01051661), RSV epidemiology in healthy children aged 6 months to <10 years at first vaccination with influenza-like illness (ILI) was evaluated in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand between February 2010 and August 2011. Active surveillance for ILI was conducted for approximately 1 year, with nasal and throat swabs analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The prevalence and incidence of RSV among ILI episodes were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 6266 children were included, of whom 2421 experienced 3717 ILI episodes with a respiratory sample available. RSV was detected for 359 ILI episodes, a prevalence of 9.7% (95% confidence interval: 8.7-10.7). The highest prevalence was in children aged 12-23 or 24-35 months in all countries except the Philippines, where it was in children aged 6-11 months. The incidence of RSV-associated ILI was 7.0 (6.3-7.7) per 100 person-years (PY). Eighty-eight ILI episodes resulted in hospitalization, of which 8 were associated with RSV (prevalence 9.1% [4.0-17.1]; incidence 0.2 [0.1-0.3] per 100 PY). The incidence of RSV-associated ILI resulting in medical attendance was 6.0 (5.4-6.7) per 100 PY. RSV B subtypes were observed more frequently than A subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Active surveillance demonstrated the considerable burden of RSV-associated illness that would not be identified through hospital-based surveillance, with a substantial part of the burden occurring in older infants and children

Relative Efficacy of AS03-Adjuvanted Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1) Vaccine in Children: Results of a Controlled, Randomized Efficacy Trial

BACKGROUND: The vaccine efficacy (VE) of 1 or 2 doses of AS03-adjuvanted influenza A(H1N1) vaccine relative to that of 2 doses of nonadjuvanted influenza A(H1N1) vaccine in children 6 months to <10 years of age in a multinational study conducted during 2010-2011. METHODS: A total of 6145 children were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1:1 to receive 2 injections 21 days apart of A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-AS03 vaccine at dose 1 and saline placebo at dose 2, 2 doses 21 days apart of A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-AS03 vaccine (the Ad2 group), or 2 doses 21 days apart of nonadjuvanted A/California/7/2009(H1N1) vaccine (the NAd2 group). Active surveillance for influenza-like illnesses continued from days 14 to 385. Nose and throat samples obtained during influenza-like illnesses were tested for A/California/7/2009(H1N1), using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety were assessed. RESULTS: There were 23 cases of confirmed 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) (A[H1N1]pdm09) infection for the primary relative VE analysis. The VE in the Ad2 group relative to that in the NAd2 group was 76.8% (95% confidence interval, 18.5%-93.4%). The benefit of the AS03 adjuvant was demonstrated in terms of the greater immunogenicity observed in the Ad2 group, compared with the NAd2 group. CONCLUSION: The 4-8-fold antigen-sparing adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine demonstrated superior and clinically important prevention of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection, compared with nonadjuvanted vaccine, with no observed increase in medically attended or serious adverse events. These data support the use of adjuvanted influenza vaccines during influenza pandemics. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01051661

IL-2 induces a WAVE2-dependent pathway for actin reorganization that enables WASp-independent human NK cell function

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a primary immunodeficiency associated with an increased susceptibility to herpesvirus infection and hematologic malignancy as well as a deficiency of NK cell function. It is caused by defective WAS protein (WASp). WASp facilitates filamentous actin (F-actin) branching and is required for F-actin accumulation at the NK cell immunological synapse and NK cell cytotoxicity ex vivo. Importantly, the function of WASp-deficient NK cells can be restored in vitro after exposure to IL-2, but the mechanisms underlying this remain unknown. Using a WASp inhibitor as well as cells from patients with WAS, we have defined a direct effect of IL-2 signaling upon F-actin that is independent of WASp function. We found that IL-2 treatment of a patient with WAS enhanced the cytotoxicity of their NK cells and the F-actin content at the immunological synapses formed by their NK cells. IL-2 stimulation of NK cells in vitro activated the WASp homolog WAVE2, which was required for inducing WASp-independent NK cell function, but not for baseline activity. Thus, WAVE2 and WASp define parallel pathways to F-actin reorganization and function in human NK cells; although WAVE2 was not required for NK cell innate function, it was accessible through adaptive immunity via IL-2. These results demonstrate how overlapping cytoskeletal activities can utilize immunologically distinct pathways to achieve synonymous immune function