Comparison of DC Bead-irinotecan and DC Bead-topotecan drug eluting beads for use in locoregional drug delivery to treat pancreatic cancer

DC Bead is a drug delivery embolisation system that can be loaded with doxorubicin or irinotecan for the treatment of a variety of liver cancers. In this study we demonstrate that the topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan hydrochloride can be successfully loaded into the DC Bead sulfonate-modified polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel matrix, resulting in a sustained-release drug eluting bead (DEBTOP) useful for therapeutic purposes. The in vitro drug loading capacity, elution characteristics and the effects on mechanical properties of the beads are described with reference to our previous work with irinotecan hydrochloride (DEBIRI). Results showed that drug loading was faster when the solution was agitated compared to static loading and a maximum loading of ca. 40–45 mg topotecan in 1 ml hydrated beads was achievable. Loading the drug into the beads altered the size, compressibility moduli and colour of the bead. Elution was shown to be reliant on the presence of ions to perform the necessary exchange with the electrostatically bound topotecan molecules. Topotecan was shown by MTS assay to have an IC50 for human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (PSN-1) of 0.22 and 0.27 lM compared to 28.1 and 19.2 lM for irinotecan at 48 and 72 h, respectively. The cytotoxic efficacy of DEBTOP on PSN-1 was compared to DEBIRI. DEPTOP loaded at 6 & 30 mg ml-1, like its free drug form, was shown to be more potent than DEBIRI of comparable doses at 24, 48 & 72 h using a slightly modified MTS assay. Using a PSN-1 mouse xenograft model, DEBIRI doses of 3.3–6.6 mg were shown to be well tolerated (even with repeat administration) and effective in reducing the tumour size. DEBTOP however, was lethal after 6 days at doses of 0.83–1.2 mg but demonstrated reasonable efficacy and tolerability (again with repeat injection possible) at 0.2–0.4 mg doses. Care must therefore be taken when selecting the dose of topotecan to be loaded into DC Bead given its greater potency and potential toxicity

Specific psychological features of adolescents suffering from respiratory tuberculosis with various parameters of the disease

The psychological features of 100 adolescents at the age of 13-17 years old suffering from respiratory tuberculosis have been compared. Personality structure of adolescents with more expressed manifestations of the disease is confidently different regarding the prevalence of main pre-morbid characteristics promoting neurotic features, intra- and inter-psychical conflicts and also various structural and functional somatic disorders. The personal specific features of the patients have been objectivated in the rates of actual psychological status. The detected personal features are considered to be potential pathogenic psychological determinants (as a part of traditional medical, biological and social risk factors of the disease development), and aims of the targeted psychological management

Психологические особенности больных туберкулезом органов дыхания подростков с различными характеристиками заболевания

The psychological features of 100 adolescents at the age of 13-17 years old suffering from respiratory tuberculosis have been compared. Personality structure of adolescents with more expressed manifestations of the disease is confidently different regarding the prevalence of main pre-morbid characteristics promoting neurotic features, intra- and inter-psychical conflicts and also various structural and functional somatic disorders. The personal specific features of the patients have been objectivated in the rates of actual psychological status. The detected personal features are considered to be potential pathogenic psychological determinants (as a part of traditional medical, biological and social risk factors of the disease development), and aims of the targeted psychological management.Проведен сравнительный анализ психологических особенностей 100 больных туберкулезом органов дыхания подростков в возрасте 13-17 лет с различными характеристиками заболевания. Структура личности подростков с более выраженными проявлениями заболевания достоверно отличается преобладанием основных преморбидных характеристик, способствующих формированию невротических состояний, интра- и интерпсихических конфликтов, а также различных структурно-функциональных соматических нарушений. Обнаруженная личностная специфика пациентов объективировалась в показателях актуального психологического статуса. Выявленные личностные характеристики рассматриваются в качестве потенциальных патогенных психологических детерминант (в комплексе с традиционными медико-биологическими и социальными факторами риска развития заболевания), а также мишеней целенаправленной психологической коррекции