Radiooznačeni peptidi v nuklearni medicini

Nuklearna medicina pri obravnavi onkoloških bolnikov omogoča slikovni prikaz oziroma lokalizacijo tumorjev, ciljano zdravljenje ter spremljanje uspešnosti zdravljenja. Visoko specifične radiooznačene peptidne učinkovine lahko izkoristimo za ciljanje tumorskih celic, ki imajo na svoji površini prekomerno izražene receptorje za te učinkovine. Enako peptidno učinkovino lahko radiooznačimo tako z diagnostičnimi kot terapevtskimi radionuklidi, kar nam omogoča personaliziran pristop pri obravnavi bolnikov. V preglednem članku opisujemo dva sistema teranostičnih parov, ki jih v nuklearni medicini uporabljamo za diagnosticiranje ter zdravljenje tumorjev. Klasičen primer takšnih teranostičnih parov so radiooznačeni analogi somatostatina, ki se rutinsko uporabljajo v diagnostiki ter zdravljenju nevroendokrinih tumorjev (NET) s prekomerno izraženimi receptorji za somatostatin. Po drugi strani pa so radiooznačeni analogi minigastrina, ki se vežejo na receptorje za holecistokinin-2, primerni za diagnostiko medularnega raka ščitnice (MTC), za njihovo varno zdravljenje pa še potekajo klinična preskušanja

Guidance on current good radiopharmacy practice (cGRPP) for the small-scale preparation of radiopharmaceuticals

This guidance is meant as a guidance to Part B of the EANM “Guidelines on Good Radiopharmacy Practice (GRPP)” issued by the Radiopharmacy Committee of the EANM (see www.eanm.org), covering the small-scale “in house” preparation of radiopharmaceuticals which are not kit procedures. The aim is to provide more detailed and practice-oriented guidance to those who are involved in the small-scale preparation of, for example, PET, therapeutic or other radiopharmaceuticals which are not intended for commercial purposes or distribution

Untersuchung zu den gustatorischen und olfaktorischen Wahrnehmungsfähigkeiten österreichischer Erwachsener unter Berücksichtigung des Konsumverhaltens (Fast Food Esser vs. Nicht Fast Food Esser)

Der Konsum von Fast Food wird immer beliebter. Es ist nicht nur für viele Men-schen sehr schmackhaft, sondern auch sehr einfach zu besorgen und zu ver-zehren. Die Einflüsse von diesem Essen, das meist sehr reich an Fett, Kalorien, Zucker und Salz ist, auf den menschlichen Körper wurden bereits in vielen Stu-dien gezeigt. Ziel der vorliegenden Masterarbeit war es, den Einfluss von Fast Food Konsum auf die Geschmacks- und Geruchswahrnehmungsfähigkeit zu untersuchen. An der Studie nahmen 153 Teilnehmer im Alter von 19-35 (MW = 24,2 ± 3,7) Jahren teil. Davon waren 139 Frauen (90,8 %) und 14 Männer (9,2 %). Der BMI der Testpersonen lag im Durchschnitt bei 22,05 kg/m2. Die Teilnehmer wurden je nach Regelmäßigkeit des Fast Food Konsums in drei Gruppen eingeteilt. 66,7 % aßen 1x in zwei Wochen Fast Food, 20,3 % nie (Kontrollgruppe), 13,1 % mindestens einmal wöchentlich. Zur Überprüfung des Geschmacks- und Geruchssinnes wurden ein Geruchsi-dentifikationstest (Sniffin´Sticks) der Firma Burghart und ein Test auf das Er-kennen der fünf Grundgeschmacksarten nach DIN 10961 und ISO 3972 Norm durchgeführt. Die Annahme, dass Fast Food Konsum zu einer verringerten Geschmacks- und Geruchswahrnehmung führt, konnte durch diese Studie nicht bewiesen werden. Personen mit höherem Fast Food Konsum zeigten keine signifikant schlechte-ren Ergebnisse im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe sowohl beim Test für das Er-kennen der fünf Grundgeschmacksarten, als auch beim Geruchsidentifikations-test. Dass Fast Food Konsum einen Einfluss auf die Erkennung bestimmter Ge-schmacksrichtungen hat, konnte ebenfalls nicht bestätigt werden. Es zeigte sich lediglich eine Tendenz dazu, dass ein höherer Fast Food Konsum zu einer schlechteren Erkennung des Geruches Ananas führte. Deutlichere Ergebnisse gab es, wenn man die Essgewohnheiten der Teilneh-mer betrachtet. Personen, die mehr Fast Food aßen, verzehrten signifikant mehr Hausmannskost, Salziges und Süßes und signifikant (p < 0,05) weniger Gemüse. Der Obstkonsums wurde vom Fast Food Konsum nicht signifikant (p < 0,05) beeinflusst. Die Vermutung, dass hoher Fast Food Konsum zu einem höheren BMI führt, konnte durch diese Studie ebenfalls nicht bewiesen werden, jedoch betrieben Personen mit höherem Fast Food Konsum signifikant (p < 0,05) weniger Sport. Es konnte zusätzlich eine signifikant (p = 0,06) positive Korrelation (r = 0,205) zwischen der Geruchsidentifikation und dem Erkennen der fünf Grundge-schmacksarten gefunden werden. Ebenfalls getestet wurde, ob die Teilnehmer ihre eigenen Sinne gut einschätzen konnten. Hier zeigte sich, dass Personen, die ihren Geruchs- beziehungsweise Geschmackssinn als verringert einschätzten, auch wirklich schlechtere Ergeb-nisse bei den Tests aufwiesen, während jene Probanden, die angaben, über-durchschnittlich gut riechen und schmecken zu können, weniger gut als jene abschnitten, die mitgeteilt haben, dass ihre Sinne normal gut seien. Die vorliegende Masterarbeit zeigt, dass ein höherer Fast Food Konsum keinen Einfluss auf die Geruchs- und Geschmackserkennung hatte. Einzelne Gerüche (z.B. Ananas) könnten jedoch beeinflusst werden. Zukünftige Studien sollten eventuell eine kurzfristige Beeinflussung der Sinne durch Fast Food Konsum untersuchen. Die evaluierten Gruppen sollten größer und gleichmäßiger aufge-teilt werden.The consumption of fast food is becoming increasingly popular. It is not only very tasty for many people, but also very easy to get and consume. The impact of this food, which is usually very rich in fat, calories, sugar and salt, on the human body has already been shown in many studies. The aim of the present master thesis was to investigate the influence of fast food consumption on the taste and smell perception. The study involved 153 participants (139 women (90.8%) and 14 men (9.2%)) aged 19-35 years (mean 24,2 ± 3,7). The mean BMI of the subjects was 22.05 ± 3,6 kg / m2. The individuals were divided into three groups depending on the regularity of fast food consumption. 66.7% ate fast food once in two weeks, never 20,3 % (control group) and 13,1 % at least once a week. To evaluate the taste and smell perception, an odor identification test (Sniffin´Sticks of Burghart company) and a test for the recognition of the five basic tastes were performed (DIN 10961 and ISO 3972 norm). The hypothesis, that high fast food intake leads to a poorer perception of taste and smell could not be confirmed in this study. Participants who consumed fast food, recognized the five basic tastes and identified odor not significantly different in comparison to the control group. The influence of fast food intake on the recognition of single taste qualities or odors could also not be observed. The higher fast food consumption resulted merely in poorer odor identification of pineapple. Clearer results were obtained when looking at the eating habits of the participants. People who consumed more fast food also ate significantly more home-cooked food, salty and sweet food and significantly (p<0,05) less vegetables. There was no significant difference in fruit consumption between the groups under the consideration of fast food consumption. The consumers did not differ significantly in BMI compared to the individuals in the control group. However, persons with higher fast food consumption showed significantly less sport activities. Additionally, a significantly (p=0,06) positive correlation (r=0,205) could be found regarding the taste recognition and smell identification result. Subjects who showed a lower recognition of the five basic tastes also identified less odors. Furthermore, it was tested whether the participants are able to assess their own senses correctly. The participants who rated their sense of smell and taste as lower, really identified less odors and taste qualities, the individuals who said they had above-average senses showed worse results than those who informed their senses were normal according to self-assessment. The present master's thesis shows that fast food consumption does not appear to have a general impact on the perception of the sense of smell and taste. However, individual taste qualities or odors might be affected. Consequently, future studies are required to investigate other aspects of these findings e.g. a short-term effect on the senses by fast food. Additionally, the fast food groups should be bigger and more consistent

Polymorphism in gene for ABCC2 transporter predicts methotrexate drug survival in patients with psoriasis

Background and Objectives: Methotrexate is widely prescribed for the treatment of moderateto-severe psoriasis. As drug survival encompasses efficacy, safety, and treatment satisfaction, such studies provide insights into successful drug treatments in the real-life scenario. The objective was to define methotrexate drug survival and reasons for discontinuation, along with factors associated with drug survival, in a cohort of adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Materials and Methods: Data on methotrexate treatment were extracted from our institutional registry. Drug survival was estimated by Kaplan–Meier analysis, and predictors of drug survival were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: We included 133 patients treated with methotrexate. Due to significant effects of the year of treatment initiation, drug survival analysis was performed for 117 patients who started methotrexate in 2010 or later. Median methotrexate drug survival was 11.0 months. Overall, 89% of patients discontinued treatment, with over half of these (51%) due to lack of efficacy. Significantly longer drug survival was seen for patients who discontinued treatment due to lack of efficacy versus drug safety (p = 0.049)when stratified by sex, this remained significant only for women (p = 0.002). The patient ABCC2 rs717620 genotype was significantly associated with drug survival in both univariate log-rank and multivariate Cox regression analyses, with variant T allele associated with longer drug survival (hazard ratio, 0.60695% confidence interval, 0.380–0.967p = 0.036). Conclusions: We have identified the novel association of patient ABCC2 rs717620 genotype with methotrexate drug survival. This pharmacogenetic marker might thus help in the management of psoriasis patients in daily practice

Curriculum mapping of the master\u27s program in pharmacy in Slovenia with the PHAR-QA competency framework

This article presents the results of mapping the Slovenian pharmacy curriculum to evaluate the adequacy of the recently developed and validated European Pharmacy Competences Framework (EPCF). The mapping was carried out and evaluated progressively by seven members of the teaching staff at the University of Ljubljana\u27s Faculty of Pharmacy. Consensus was achieved by using a two-round modified Delphi technique to evaluate the coverage of competences in the current curriculum. The preliminary results of the curriculum mapping showed that all of the competences as defined by the EPCF are covered in Ljubljana\u27s academic program. However, because most EPCF competences cover healthcare-oriented pharmacy practice, a lack of competences was observed for the drug development and production perspectives. Both of these perspectives are important because a pharmacist is (or should be) responsible for the entire process, from the development and production of medicines to pharmaceutical care in contact with patients. Nevertheless, Ljubljana\u27s graduates are employed in both of these pharmaceutical professions in comparable proportions. The Delphi study revealed that the majority of differences in scoring arise from different perspectives on the pharmacy profession (e.g., community, hospital, industrial, etc.). Nevertheless, it can be concluded that curriculum mapping using the EPCF is very useful for evaluating and recognizing weak and strong points of the curriculum. However, the competences of the framework should address various fields of the pharmacist\u27s profession in a more balanced way

Curriculum Mapping of the Master’s Program in Pharmacy in Slovenia with the PHAR-QA Competency Framework

This article presents the results of mapping the Slovenian pharmacy curriculum to evaluate the adequacy of the recently developed and validated European Pharmacy Competences Framework (EPCF). The mapping was carried out and evaluated progressively by seven members of the teaching staff at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Pharmacy. Consensus was achieved by using a two-round modified Delphi technique to evaluate the coverage of competences in the current curriculum. The preliminary results of the curriculum mapping showed that all of the competences as defined by the EPCF are covered in Ljubljana’s academic program. However, because most EPCF competences cover healthcare-oriented pharmacy practice, a lack of competences was observed for the drug development and production perspectives. Both of these perspectives are important because a pharmacist is (or should be) responsible for the entire process, from the development and production of medicines to pharmaceutical care in contact with patients. Nevertheless, Ljubljana’s graduates are employed in both of these pharmaceutical professions in comparable proportions. The Delphi study revealed that the majority of differences in scoring arise from different perspectives on the pharmacy profession (e.g., community, hospital, industrial, etc.). Nevertheless, it can be concluded that curriculum mapping using the EPCF is very useful for evaluating and recognizing weak and strong points of the curriculum. However, the competences of the framework should address various fields of the pharmacist’s profession in a more balanced way

Polymorphisms in GNMT and DNMT3b are associated with methotrexate treatment outcome in plaque psoriasis

Methotrexate is used as first-line treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. Despite the marked variability in treatment outcomes, no pharmacogenetic markers are currently used for personalised management of therapy. In this retrospective study, we investigated the effects of genetic predisposition on efficacy and toxicity of low-dose methotrexate in a cohort of 137 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. We genotyped 16 polymorphisms in genes for enzymes involved in the folate-methionine pathway and in methotrexate transport, and analysed their association with treatment efficacy and toxicity using classification and regression tree analysis and logistic regression. The most pronounced effect observed in this study was for GNMT rs10948059, which was identified as a risk factor for inadequate efficacy leading to treatment discontinuation. Patients carrying at least one variant allele had ~7-fold increased risk of treatment failure compared to patients with the wild-type genotype, as shown by the classification and regression tree analysis and logistic regression (odds ratio [OR], 6.94p = 0.0004). Another risk factor associated with insufficient treatment responses was DNMT3b rs2424913, where patients carrying at least one variant allele had a 4-fold increased risk of treatment failure compared to patients with the wild-type genotype (OR, 4.10p = 0.005). Using classification and regression tree analysis, we show that DNMT3b rs2424913 has a more pronounced role in patients with the variant GNMT genotype, and hence we suggest an interaction between these two genes. Further, we show that patients with the BHMT rs3733890 variant allele had increased risk of hepatotoxicity (OR, 3.17p = 0.022), which is the most prominent reason for methotrexate discontinuation. We also show that variants in the genes for methotrexate transporters OATP1B1 (rs2306283/rs4149056 SLCO1B1 haplotypes) and ABCC2 (rs717620) are associated with increased risk of treatment failure. The associations identified have not been reported previously. These data suggest that polymorphisms in genes for enzymes of the methionine cycle (which affect cell methylation potential) might have significant roles in treatment responses to methotrexate of patients with psoriasis. Further studies are warranted to validate the potential of the pharmacogenetic markers identified