Randomized Comparison of Four-Times-Daily versus Once-Daily Intravenous Busulfan in Conditioning Therapy for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

AbstractSixty patients were randomized to receive intravenous busulfan (iBU) either as 0.8 mg/kg, over 2 hours 4 times a day (BU4 arm) or 3.2 mg/kg, over 3 hours once a day (BU1 arm) in conditioning therapy for hematopoietic cell transplantation. The complete pharmacokinetic parameters for the first busulfan dose were obtained from all patients and were comparable between the 2 arms: for the BU4 and BU1 groups, elimination half-life (mean ± SD) was 2.75 ± 0.22 versus 2.83 ± 0.21 hours, estimated daily AUC was 6058.0 ± 1091.9 versus 6475.5 ± 1099.4 μM·min per day, and clearance was 2.05 ± 0.36 versus 1.91 ± 0.31 mL/min/kg, respectively. Times to engraftment after transplantation were similar between the 2 arms. No significant differences were evident in the occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and hepatic veno-occlusion disease (VOD). Moreover, other toxicities observed within 100 days after transplantation were not significantly different between the 2 arms. The cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was 20.8% in BU4 arm and 13.3% in BU1 arm. In conclusion, our randomized study demonstrates that the pharmacokinetic profiles and posttransplant complications are similar for once-daily iBU and traditional 4-times-daily iBU

Etiology of Invasive Bacterial Infections in Immunocompetent Children in Korea (1996-2005): A Retrospective Multicenter Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the major etiological agents responsible for invasive bacterial infections in immunocompetent Korean children. We retrospectively surveyed invasive bacterial infections in immunocompetent children caused by eight major pediatric bacteria, namely Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella species that were diagnosed at 18 university hospitals from 1996 to 2005. A total of 768 cases were identified. S. agalactiae (48.1%) and S. aureus (37.2%) were the most common pathogens in infants younger than 3 months. S. agalactiae was a common cause of meningitis (73.0%), bacteremia without localization (34.0%), and arthritis (50%) in this age group. S. pneumoniae (45.3%) and H. influenzae (20.4%) were common in children aged 3 months to 5 yr. S. pneumoniae was a common cause of meningitis (41.6%), bacteremia without localization (40.0%), and bacteremic pneumonia (74.1%) in this age group. S. aureus (50.6%), Salmonella species (16.9%), and S. pneumoniae (16.3%) were common in older children. A significant decline in H. influenzae infections over the last 10 yr was noted. S. agalactiae, S. pneumoniae, and S. aureus are important pathogens responsible for invasive bacterial infections in Korean children

The Causative Organisms of Bacterial Meningitis in Korean Children in 1996-2005

Bacterial meningitis remains a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood, despite the availability of effective vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) or Streptococcus pneumoniae. The purpose of this study was to analyze data on bacterial meningitis cases in Korea from 1996 through 2005. The information of all hospitalized bacteria-proven meningitis cases was obtained from 17 university hospitals nationwide. A total of 402 cases were identified. Of these, 125 (29.9%) cases were neonates. Streptococcus agalactiae was the most common bacteria responsible for 99 (24.6%) of all cases regardless of age, followed by S. pneumoniae for 91 (22.6%) and H. influenzae for 67 (16.7%) patients. The common etiology beyond the neonatal period was S. pneumoniae for 91 (33.0%) followed by H. influenzae for 63 (22.8%) patients. The overall case fatality rate was 9.4%, which was similar with that in 1986-1995. In conclusion, S. agalactiae, S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae were important etiologic agents of bacterial meningitis in children in the last 10 yrs. It is required to establish the preventive strategy of the three bacteria. The nationwide epidemiologic study should be continued to evaluate immunization strategy and efficacy

Bioactive α‑Pyrone Derivatives from the Endolichenic Fungus <i>Dothideomycetes</i> sp. EL003334

Two new α-pyrones, dothideopyrones E (<b>1</b>) and F (<b>2</b>), were isolated from a culture of the endolichenic fungus <i>Dothideomycetes</i> sp. EL003334. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis. Their absolute configurations were established by the modified Mosher’s method. Compound <b>2</b> inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production with IC₅₀ values of 15.0 ± 2.8 μM in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells. Compound <b>2</b> diminished the protein expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Additionally, <b>2</b> decreased the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6

Bioactive α‑Pyrone Derivatives from the Endolichenic Fungus <i>Dothideomycetes</i> sp. EL003334

Two new α-pyrones, dothideopyrones E (<b>1</b>) and F (<b>2</b>), were isolated from a culture of the endolichenic fungus <i>Dothideomycetes</i> sp. EL003334. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis. Their absolute configurations were established by the modified Mosher’s method. Compound <b>2</b> inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production with IC₅₀ values of 15.0 ± 2.8 μM in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells. Compound <b>2</b> diminished the protein expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Additionally, <b>2</b> decreased the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6