Ribavirin Impairs Salivary gland function During Combination Treatment With Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a In HEpatitis C patients

Background: Xerostomia is a common adverse event of unknown etiology observed during pegylated interferon (PegIFN)/Ribavirin (Rbv) treatment. Objectives: To assess the frequency and mechanisms of xerostomia during PegIFN/Rbv therapy. Patients and Methods: Thirty-one naive patients with chronic hepatitis C consecutively received PegIFN-alpha 2a (180 mu g/week) plus Rbv (800-1200 mg/day). The controls were 10 patients with chronic hepatitis B who received PegIFN-alpha 2a (180 mu g/week). During treatment and follow-up, all patients underwent basal and masticatory stimulated sialometry, otorhinolaryngoiatric (ORL) examination, and a questionnaire survey to subjectively assess symptoms of oral dryness. Results: Twenty-seven patients on PegIFN/Rbv and 4 on PegIFN (87% vs. 40%, P = 0.006) reported xerostomia. Thirty patients on PegIFN/Rbv combination therapy and 2 patients on monotherapy had ORL signs of salivary gland hypofunction (97% vs. 20%, P < 0.0001). Mean basal (A) and stimulated (B) salivary flow rates (mL/min) progressively decreased during PegIFN/Rbv treatment (A, 0.49 at baseline vs. 0.17 at the end of treatment, P < 0.0001; B,1.24 at baseline vs. 0.53 at the end of treatment, P = 0.0004). At week 24 following PegIFN/Rbv treatment, salivary flow rates were similar to baseline (A, 0.53 at the end of follow-up vs. 0.49 at baseline; B,1.19 at the end of follow-up vs. 1.24 at baseline). Salivary function was unaffected in monotherapy patients. Conclusions: Rbv causes salivary gland hypofunction in hepatitis C patients receiving PegIFN/Rbv therapy, which promptly reverts to normal upon cessation of treatment

B23 Cartridge Prototype Manufacturing and Integration Report

This document reports on the manufacturing and assembly of the B23 Prototype cartridge to perform cryogenic noise tests @ INAF/IASF-Bologna

Shedding light on the aim of stock options: a literature review

Stock options (hereafter SOs) have been extensively investigated by the literature. The debate has been mainly grounded in the agency theory that has interpreted these tools as mechanisms to align the conflicting interests of managers and owners towards the shareholder value maximization. However, the latest empirical evidence suggests that SOs are often used by opportunistic managers to extract rents to the detriment of shareholders. In addition, literature identifies the perceived cost as a further theoretical lens to interpret the use of SOs. Despite the growing interest around the topic, the research is still fragmented and fails to present a comprehensive picture on the factors that affect the aim of SOs. Our literature review attempts to fill this gap by providing a systematization of the studies on the topic. The paper concludes by presenting the theoretical and practical implications of the study and suggesting directions for future researc

Hepatic and Extrahepatic Colorectal Metastases Have Discordant Responses to Systemic Therapy. Pathology Data from Patients Undergoing Simultaneous Resection of Multiple Tumor Sites

Background: Systemic therapy is the standard treatment for patients with hepatic and extrahepatic colorectal metastases. It is assumed to have the same effectiveness on all disease foci, independent of the involved organ. The present study aims to compare the response rates of hepatic and extrahepatic metastases to systemic therapy. Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing simultaneous resection of hepatic and extrahepatic metastases from colorectal cancer after oxaliplatin- and/or irinotecan-based preoperative chemotherapy were analyzed. All specimens were reviewed. Pathological response to chemotherapy was classified according to tumor regression grade (TRG). Results: We analyzed 45 patients undergoing resection of 134 hepatic and 72 extrahepatic metastases. Lung and lymph node metastases had lower response rates to chemotherapy than liver metastases (TRG 4&ndash;5 95% and 100% vs. 67%, p = 0.008, and p = 0.006). Peritoneal metastases had a higher pathological response rate than liver metastases (TRG 1&ndash;3 66% vs. 33%, p &lt; 0.001) and non-hepatic non-peritoneal metastases (3%, p &lt; 0.001). Metastases site was an independent predictor of pathological response to systemic therapy. Conclusions: Response to chemotherapy of distant metastases from colorectal cancer varies in different organs. Systemic treatment is highly effective for peritoneal metastases, more so than liver metastases, while it has a very poor impact on lung and lymph node metastases

Messa a punto dei protocolli per valutare tossicita' e bioaccumulabilita'

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7 , Rome / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Additional file 1 of Healthcare practitioner perceptions on barriers impacting cannabis prescribing practices

Additional file 1: Supplemental Table 1. List of organizations contacted and organizations that agreed to circulate the survey