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Revisiones-Ciencias Básicas (todas) *** Reviews-Basic Sciences

 

AGENTES INMUNOSUPRESORES *** IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE COMPOUNDS

(Conceptos / Keywords: Immunosuppressive comp; Muromonab-cd3; Sirolimus; Tacrolimus; Cyclosporine; Mycophenolic acid; Antilymphocyte serum; Immunosuppressive comp. used in oncology, etc).

 

Enero / January 2001 --- Marzo / March 2004

 

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Enlace / Link

 

[1]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Integration of growth factor and nutrient signaling: implications for cancer biology.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Mol Cell 2003 Aug;12(2):271-80.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Shamji AF; Nghiem P; Schreiber SL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Harvard Biophysics Program, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Signaling networks that promote cell growth are frequently dysregulated in cancer. One regulatory network, which converges on effectors such as 4EBP1 and S6K1, leads to growth by promoting protein synthesis. Here, we discuss how this network is regulated by both extracellular signals, such as growth factors, and intracellular signals, such as nutrients. We discuss how mutations amplifying either type of signal can lead to tumor formation. In particular, we focus on the recent discovery that a tumor suppressor complex whose function is lost in tuberous sclerosis patients regulates the nutrient signal carried by the critical signaling protein TOR to the effectors 4EBP1 and S6K1. Finally, we describe how the small molecule rapamycin, which inhibits TOR and thereby the activation of these effectors, could be useful to treat tumors that have become dependent upon this pathway for growth.  N. Ref:: 80

 

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[2]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Dendritic cells: emerging pharmacological targets of immunosuppressive drugs.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nat Rev Immunol 2004 Jan;4(1):24-34.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1038/nri1256

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Hackstein H; Thomson AW

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Institute for Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Langhansstr. 7, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. holger.hackstein@immunologie.med.uni-giessen.de

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Immunosuppressive drugs have revolutionized organ transplantation and improved the therapeutic management of autoimmune diseases. The development of immunosuppressive drugs and understanding of their action traditionally has been focused on lymphocytes, but recent evidence indicates that these agents interfere with immune responses at the earliest stage, targeting key functions of dendritic cells (DCs). Here, we review our present understanding of how classical and new immunosuppressive agents interfere with DC development and function. This knowledge might provide a rational basis for the selection of immunosuppressive drugs in different clinical settings and for the generation of tolerogenic DCs in the laboratory.  N. Ref:: 116

 

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[3]

- Castellano -

TÍTULO / TITLE:La ruta de senalizacion CA++/calcineurina/NFAT en activacion endotelial y angiogenesis: efectos de la ciclosporina A. CA++/ calcineurin/NFAT signaling in endothelial activation and angiogenesis: effects od cyclosporin A .

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nefrologia. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.aulamedica.es/nefrologia/ 

      ●● Cita: Nefrologia: <> 2003;23 Suppl 3:44-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Quesada AJ; Redondo JM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid y Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Sinesio Delgado, 4 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid. jmredondo@cbm.uam.es  N. Ref:: 31

 

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[4]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Identification of TOR signaling complexes: more TORC for the cell growth engine.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Cell 2002 Oct 4;111(1):9-12.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Abraham RT

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Program in Signal Transduction Research, Cancer Research Center, The Burnham Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. abraham@burnham.org

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The Target of Rapamycin (TOR) proteins function in signaling pathways that promote protein synthesis and cell growth. In yeast, TOR signaling is regulated by nutrient availability, whereas in metazoan cells TOR activities may be controlled by both nutrients and growth factors. The recent identification of novel TOR-interacting proteins has provided crucial insights into TOR regulation and function.  N. Ref:: 20

 

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[5]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibodies in renal transplantation: meta-analysis of randomised trials.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - British Medical J (BMJ). Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://bmj.com/search.dtl 

      ●● Cita: British Medical J. (BMJ): <> 2003 Apr 12;326(7393):789.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1136/bmj.326.7393.789

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Adu D; Cockwell P; Ives NJ; Shaw J; Wheatley K

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Nephrology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, B15 2TH. dwomoa.adu@uhb.nhs.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibodies on acute rejection episodes, graft loss, deaths, and rate of infection and malignancy in patients with renal transplants. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of published data. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library for years 1996-2003 plus search of medical editors’ trial amnesty and contact with manufacturers of the antibodies. SELECTION OF STUDIES: Randomised controlled trials comparing interleukin-2 receptor antibodies with placebo or no additional treatment in patients with renal transplants receiving ciclosporin based immunosuppression. RESULTS: Eight randomised controlled trials involving 1871 patients met the selection criteria (although only 1858 patients were analysed). Interleukin-2 receptor antibodies significantly reduced the risk of acute rejection (odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.42 to 0.63). There were no significant differences in the rate of graft loss (0.78, 0.58 to 1.04), mortality (0.75, 0.46 to 1.23), overall incidence of infections (0.97, 0.77 to 1.24), incidence of cytomegalovirus infections (0.81, 0.62 to 1.04), or risk of malignancies at one year (0.82, 0.39 to 1.70). The different antibodies had a similar sized effect on acute rejection (test for heterogeneity P=0.7): anti-Tac (0.37, 0.16 to 0.89), BT563 (0.37, 0.1 to 1.38), basiliximab (0.56, 0.44 to 0.72), and daclizumab (0.46, 0.32 to 0.67). The reduction in acute rejections was similar for all ciclosporin based immunosuppression regimens (test for heterogeneity P=1.0). CONCLUSIONS: Adding interleukin-2 receptor antibodies to ciclosporin based immunosuppression reduces episodes of acute rejection at six months by 49%. There is no evidence of an increased risk of infective complications. Longer follow up studies are needed to confirm whether interleukin-2 receptor antibodies improve long term graft and patient survival.

 

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[6]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Novel therapeutic molecular targets for prostate cancer: the mTOR signaling pathway and epidermal growth factor receptor.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Urol 2004 Feb;171(2 Pt 2):S41-3; discussion S44.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1097/01.ju.0000108100.53239.b7

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Tolcher AW

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Director Clinical Research, Institute for Drug Development Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - PURPOSE: The scientific rationale and existing evidence for the use of novel molecular targets in the chemoprevention of cancer are reviewed, with special attention to prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search for relevant literature on basic science and clinical trials was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE. RESULTS: The emergence of molecularly targeted therapies for advanced malignancies creates an important opportunity to examine these agents for the chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Two critical targets in the proliferation and malignant transformation of normal cells, the PI3/Akt signal transduction pathway and the epidermal growth factor receptor, are currently the focus of several novel investigational therapies that are in late stage phase II and phase III studies. CONCLUSIONS: Research to date supports consideration of these novel molecular targets as future agents in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer.  N. Ref:: 28

 

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[7]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - A randomized long-term trial of tacrolimus/sirolimus versus tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil versus cyclosporine (NEORAL)/sirolimus in renal transplantation. II. Survival, function, and protocol compliance at 1 year.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2004 Jan 27;77(2):252-8.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1097/01.TP.0000101495.22734.07

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ciancio G; Burke GW; Gaynor JJ; Mattiazzi A; Roth D; Kupin W; Nicolas M; Ruiz P; Rosen A; Miller J

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA. gciancio@med.miami.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: In an attempt to reduce chronic calcineurin inhibitor induced allograft nephropathy in first cadaver and human leukocyte antigen non-identical living-donor renal transplantation, sirolimus (Siro) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was tested as adjunctive therapy, with planned dose reductions of tacrolimus (Tacro) over the first year postoperatively. Adjunctive Siro therapy with a similar dose reduction algorithm for Neoral (Neo) was included for comparison. METHODS: The detailed dose reduction plan (Tacro and Siro, group A; Tacro and MMF, group B; Neo and Siro, group C) is described in our companion report in this issue of Transplantation. The present report documents function, patient and graft survival, protocol compliance, and adverse events. RESULTS: As mentioned (in companion report), group demographics were similar. The present study shows no significant differences in 1-year patient and graft survival but does show a trend that points to more difficulties in group C by way of a rising slope of serum creatinine concentration (P=0.02) and decreasing creatinine clearance (P=0.04). There were more patients who discontinued the protocol plan in group C. Thus far, no posttransplant lymphomas have appeared, and infectious complications have not differed among the groups. However, a greater percentage of patients in group C were placed on antihyperlipidemia therapy, with an (unexpected) trend toward a higher incidence of posttransplant diabetes mellitus in this group. Group A required fewer, and group B the fewest, antihyperlipidemia therapeutic interventions (P<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: This 1-year interim analysis of a long-term, prospective, randomized renal-transplant study indicates that decreasing maintenance dosage of Tacro with adjunctive Siro or MMF appears to point to improved long-term function, with reasonably few adverse events.

 

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[8]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The target of rapamycin (TOR) proteins.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 6 meses de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.pnas.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (PNAS): <> 2001 Jun 19;98(13):7037-44.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1073/pnas.121145898

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Raught B; Gingras AC; Sonenberg N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Biochemistry and McGill Cancer Centre, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6 Canada.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Rapamycin potently inhibits downstream signaling from the target of rapamycin (TOR) proteins. These evolutionarily conserved protein kinases coordinate the balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation in response to nutrient quality and quantity. The TOR proteins regulate (i) the initiation and elongation phases of translation, (ii) ribosome biosynthesis, (iii) amino acid import, (iv) the transcription of numerous enzymes involved in multiple metabolic pathways, and (v) autophagy. Intriguingly, recent studies have also suggested that TOR signaling plays a critical role in brain development, learning, and memory formation.  N. Ref:: 132

 

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[9]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Regulation of translation initiation by FRAP/mTOR.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Genes Dev. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.genesdev.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Genes & Development: <> 2001 Apr 1;15(7):807-26.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1101/gad.887201

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Gingras AC; Raught B; Sonenberg N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada.  N. Ref:: 236

 

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[10]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Rapamycin plays a new role as differentiator of vascular smooth muscle phenotype. focus on “The mTOR/p70 S6K1 pathway regulates vascular smooth muscle differentiation”.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ajpcell.physiology.org/contents-by-date.0.shtml 

      ●● Cita: Am J Physiol Cell Physiol: <> 2004 Mar;286(3):C480-1.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1152/ajpcell.00526.2003

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Lucchesi PA  N. Ref:: 12

 

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[11]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - CD3-specific antibody-induced active tolerance: from bench to bedside.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nat Rev Immunol 2003 Feb;3(2):123-32.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1038/nri1000

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chatenoud L

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Centre de l’Association Claude Bernard sur les Maladies Autoimmunes and Hopital Necker Enfants Malades IRNEM, 161 Rue de Sevres, 75015 Paris, France. chatenoud@necker.fr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Although they were used initially as non-specific immunosuppressants in transplantation, CD3-specific monoclonal antibodies have elicited renewed interest owing to their capacity to induce immune tolerance. In mouse models of autoimmune diabetes, CD3-specific antibodies induce stable disease remission by restoring tolerance to pancreatic beta-cells. This phenomenon was extended recently to the clinic—preservation of beta-cell function in recently diagnosed patients with diabetes was achieved by short-term administration of a CD3-specific antibody. CD3-specific antibodies arrest ongoing disease by rapidly clearing pathogenic T cells from the target. Subsequently, they promote long-term T-cell-mediated active tolerance. Recent data indicate that transforming growth factor-beta-dependent CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells might have a central role in this effect.  N. Ref:: 117

 

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[12]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Neuroimmunophilins: novel neuroprotective and neuroregenerative targets.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Ann Neurol 2001 Jul;50(1):6-16.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Guo X; Dillman JF 3rd; Dawson VL; Dawson TM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 (tacrolimus) are immunosuppresants that are widely used in organ transplantation. CsA is an 11-member cyclic peptide, whereas FK506 is a macrolide antibiotic. Recently, these powerful and useful compounds have become of great interest to neuroscientists for their unique neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects. These drugs and nonimmunosuppressive analogs protect neurons from the effects of glutamate excitotoxicity, focal ischemia, and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced dopaminergic cell death. They also stimulate functional recovery of neurons in a variety of neurologic injury paradigms. These drugs exert their effects via immunophilins, the protein receptors for these agents. The immunophilin ligands show particular promise as a novel class of neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agents that have the potential to treat a variety of neurologic disorders.  N. Ref:: 102

 

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[13]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - New agents in acute myeloid leukemia and other myeloid disorders.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Cancer 2004 Feb 1;100(3):441-54.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/cncr.11935

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ravandi F; Kantarjian H; Giles F; Cortes J

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. fravandi@mdanderson.org

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Over the past several decades, improvements in chemotherapeutic agents and supportive care have resulted in significant progress in treating patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). More recently, advances in understanding the biology of AML have resulted in the identification of new therapeutic targets. The success of all-trans-retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukemia and of imatinib mesylate in chronic myeloid leukemia have demonstrated that targeted therapy may be more effective and less toxic when well defined targets are available. At the same time, understanding mechanisms of drug resistance and means to overcome them has led to modification of some of the existing cytotoxic agents. Rational design and conduct of clinical trials is necessary to ensure that the full potential of these new agents is realized.  N. Ref:: 140

 

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[14]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells after non-myeloablative conditioning: a cellular therapeutic approach to hematologic and genetic diseases.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Immunol Res 2003;28(1):13-24.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Maris M; Storb R

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. mmaris@fhcrc.org

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Originally, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was viewed as a form of rescue from the marrow lethal effects of high doses of chemo-radiotherapy used to both eradicate malignancy and to provide sufficient immunosuppression to ensure allogeneic engraftment. Clear evidence of a therapeutic graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect mediated by allogeneic effector cells (T cells) has prompted the exploration of HSCT regimens that rely solely upon host immunosuppression (non-myeloablative) to facilitate allogeneic donor engraftment. The engrafted donor effector cells are then used to accomplish the task of eradicating host malignant cells. The non-myeloblative regimen developed in Seattle uses 2 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) before transplant followed by postgrafting cyclosporine (CSP) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). This regimen resulted in initial mixed donor-host chimerism in all patients with hematologic malignancies and genetic disorders who received HLA-matched sibling allografts. The 17% incidence of graft rejection was reduced to 3% with the addition of fludarabine, 30 mg/m2/day on d -4, -3, and -2. The non-myeloablative combination of fludarabine/TBI has also been successful at achieving high engraftment rates in recipients of 10 of 10 HLA antigen matched unrelated donor HSCTs in patients with hematologic malignancies. By reducing acute toxicities relative to conventional HSCT, most patients have received their pre- and post-HSCT therapy almost exclusively as outpatients. Acute and chronic GVHD occur after non-myeloablative HSCT, but the incidence and severity appear less compared to conventional HSCT. As in conventional transplants, immune dysregulation from GVHD and its treatment and delayed reconstitution of immune function continue to present risks to patients who have otherwise undergone successful non-myeloablative HSCT. Cellular therapeutic effects have been observed after non-myeloablative HSCT such as correction of inherited genetic disorders, and eradication of hematologic malignant diseases and renal cell carcinoma via GVT responses.  N. Ref:: 52

 

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[15]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Drug immunosuppression therapy for adult heart transplantation. Part 2: clinical applications and results.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Ann Thorac Surg 2004 Jan;77(1):363-71.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mueller XM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. xavier.mueller@usherbrooke.ca

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - This review describes the clinical application of classical immunosuppressive drugs as well as that of more recent drugs. All current immunosuppressive drugs target T-cell activation, and cytokine production and clonal expansion, or both. Immunosuppressive protocols can be broadly divided into induction therapy, maintenance immunosuppression, and treatment of acute rejection episodes.  N. Ref:: 82

 

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[16]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of idiopathic nephrosis by immunophillin modulation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2003 Aug;18 Suppl 6:vi79-86.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Meyrier A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Service de Nephrologie, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, 20 rue Leblanc, F-75015 Paris, France. alain.meyrier@brs.ap-hop-paris.fr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Until 1985, glucocorticoids and cytotoxic drugs were the only treatments available for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (nephrosis), that is, minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Trials of cyclosporine (CsA) treatment of nephrosis, the rationale of which was based on pathophysiologic considerations, have shown that this immunophillin modulator is effective in inducing and maintaining remission in patients suffering from idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. It appears that the best results, in the order of 80% remission rate, are obtained in steroid-sensitive cases, essentially MCD, and that in steroid-resistant FSGS the drug obtains remission in no more than 20% of the cases. Addition of glucocorticoids increases the success rate to approximately 30% of cases. Renal toxicity is proportional to previous impairment of renal function, primary renal disease (FSGS vs MCD) dosage >5.5 mg/kg/day and duration of treatment. The better bioavailability of the new formulation of CsA (Neoral), implies that the former dosage recommendations be reconsidered for distinctly lower figures. Repeat renal biopsy after 1 year of continuous CsA treatment is advisable, as stable serum creatinine levels may be falsely reassuring. CsA dependency is the rule during the first year of treatment. However, in some 25% of cases stable remission may be maintained after slow tapering off following 3-4 years of treatment. Other immunophillin modulators have been tried in the treatment of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Despite few preliminary reports indicating some success of tacrolimus the effects of this drug do not seem convincingly superior to CsA in terms of remission rate, toxicity and dependency. Rapamycin has not been tried in the treatment of nephrosis. Anecdotal cases of de novo FSGS induced by rapamycin in transplanted patients might indicate that this drug is in fact contraindicated in the treatment of nephrosis.  N. Ref:: 36

 

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[17]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - In vitro generation of IL-10-producing regulatory CD4+ T cells is induced by immunosuppressive drugs and inhibited by Th1- and Th2-inducing cytokines.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Immunol Lett 2003 Jan 22;85(2):135-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - O’Garra A; Barrat FJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Immunoregulation, The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, NW7 1AA, London, UK.  N. Ref:: 40

 

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[18]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Renal transplantation: can we reduce calcineurin inhibitor/stop steroids? Evidence based on protocol biopsy findings.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Am Soc Nephrol. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.jasn.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: <> 2003 Mar;14(3):755-66.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Gotti E; Perico N; Perna A; Gaspari F; Cattaneo D; Caruso R; Ferrari S; Stucchi N; Marchetti G; Abbate M; Remuzzi G

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Medicine and Transplantation, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - How to combine antirejection drugs and which is the optimal dose of steroids and calcineurin inhibitors beyond the first year after kidney transplantation to maintain adequate immunosuppression without major side effects are far from clear. Kidney transplant patients on steroid, cyclosporine (CsA), and azathioprine were randomized to per-protocol biopsy (n = 30) or no-biopsy (n = 29) 1 to 2 yr posttransplant. Steroid or CsA were discontinued or reduced on the basis of biopsy to establish effects on drug-related complications, acute rejection, and graft function over 3 yr of follow-up. Serum creatinine, GFR (plasma clearance of iohexol), RPF (renal clearance of p-aminohippurate), CsA pharmacokinetics, and adverse events were monitored yearly. At the end, patients underwent a second biopsy. Per-protocol biopsy histology revealed no lesions (n = 5, steroid withdrawal), CsA nephropathy (n = 13, CsA discontinuation/reduction), or chronic rejection (n = 12, standard therapy). Reducing the drug regimen led to overall fewer side effects related to immunosuppression as compared with standard therapy or no-biopsy. Steroids were safely stopped with no acute rejection or graft loss. Complete CsA discontinuation was associated with acute rejection in the first four patients. Lowering CsA to low target CsA trough (30 to 70 ng/ml) never led to acute rejection or major renal function deterioration. Biopsy patients on conventional regimen had no acute rejection, one graft loss, no significant change in GFR, and significant RPF decline. No-biopsy controls: no acute rejection, one graft loss, significant decline of GFR and RPF. By serial biopsy analysis, severe lesions did not develop in patients with steroid discontinuation in contrast to patients on standard therapy over follow-up. CsA reduction did not adversely affect histology. Per-protocol biopsy more than 1 yr after kidney transplantation is a safe procedure to guide change of drug regimen and to lower the risk of major side effects.

 

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[19]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Drug immunosuppression therapy for adult heart transplantation. Part 1: immune response to allograft and mechanism of action of immunosuppressants.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Ann Thorac Surg 2004 Jan;77(1):354-62.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mueller XM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. xavier.mueller@usherbrooke.ca

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In the early days of transplantation, immunosuppression therapy was rather broad and nonspecific, mainly using high-dose corticosteroids and azathioprine. Thereafter we progressively narrowed the target of immunosuppressive strategy starting with polyclonal antibodies. The introduction of cyclosporine, OKT3, and tacrolimus further narrowed the target on the T-cell pathways. More recently mycophenolate mofetil progressively took the place of azathioprine with its higher lymphocyte specificity and sirolimus and interleukin-2 receptor antibodies were introduced. In this field in constant movement the aim is to find a drug or a regimen that provides optimal immunosuppression therapy with minimal side effects, in other words to find the right balance between overimmunosuppression and underimmunosuppression therapy. This review is divided into two parts. The first part will provide a basic understanding of the immunologic response to allograft and explain how conventional and recently introduced immunosuppressive agents work. The second part will describe the clinical application of immunosuppressive drugs to provide practical information for those in charge of heart transplant recipients.  N. Ref:: 68

 

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[20]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition as therapy for hematologic malignancies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Cancer 2004 Feb 15;100(4):657-66.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/cncr.20026

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Panwalkar A; Verstovsek S; Giles FJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Section of Developmental Therapeutics, Department of Leukemia, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a downstream effector of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt (protein kinase B) signaling pathway, which mediates cell survival and proliferation. mTOR regulates essential signal-transduction pathways, is involved in the coupling of growth stimuli with cell cycle progression, and initiates mRNA translation in response to favorable nutrient environments. mTOR is involved in regulating many aspects of cell growth, including membrane traffic, protein degradation, protein kinase C signaling, ribosome biogenesis, and transcription. Because mTOR activates both the 40S ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70s6k) and the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1, its inhibitors cause G1-phase cell cycle arrest. Inhibitors of mTOR also prevent cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) activation, inhibit retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation, and accelerate the turnover of cyclin D1, leading to a deficiency of active CDK4/cyclin D1 complexes, all of which may help cause G1-phase arrest. It is known that the phosphatase and tensin homologue tumor suppressor gene (PTEN) plays a major role in embryonic development, cell migration, and apoptosis. Malignancies with PTEN mutations, which are associated with constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, are relatively resistant to apoptosis and may be particularly sensitive to mTOR inhibitors. Rapamycin analogs with relatively favorable pharmaceutical properties, including CCI-779, RAD001, and AP23573, are under investigation in patients with hematologic malignancies.  N. Ref:: 116

 

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[21]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Cholesteryl ester transfer protein facilitates the movement of water-insoluble drugs between lipoproteins: a novel biological function for a well-characterized lipid transfer protein.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochem Pharmacol 2002 Dec 15;64(12):1669-75.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kwong M; Wasan KM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, 2146 East Mall Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - This review article addresses the recently discovered finding that cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) can facilitate the transfer of water-insoluble drugs between different lipoprotein subclasses. This protein, which is often referred to as lipid transfer protein I (LTP I), is involved in the lipid regulation of lipoproteins. It is responsible for the facilitated transfer of core lipoprotein lipids, cholesteryl ester and triglycerides, and approximately one-third of the coat lipoprotein lipid, phosphatidylcholine, between different plasma lipoproteins. The human body appears to recognize exogenous water-insoluble drugs as lipid-like particles, which suggests that these compounds may interact with lipoproteins just like endogenous plasma lipids, and thus their transfer between lipoproteins may be facilitated by plasma CETP. Patients with a variety of diseases (i.e. diabetes, cancer, AIDS) often exhibit hypo- and/or hypercholesterolemia and triglyceridemia, commonly referred to as dyslipidemias, which result in changes in their plasma lipoprotein-lipid composition and concentration. The interaction of water-insoluble drugs with these dyslipidemic lipoproteins may be responsible for the differences seen in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drug within different diseased patient populations. It is possible that these differences may be linked to the ability of CETP to transfer these compounds from one lipoprotein to another. This review examines the current understanding of the relationship between CETP activity and the lipoprotein distribution of a number of compounds (e.g. amphotericin B and cyclosporine A). It further suggests that additional research will expand our understanding of the role of CETP to explain other functions in lipophilic drug distribution and metabolism.  N. Ref:: 45

 

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[22]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Advances in transplantation tolerance.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Lancet 2001 Jun 16;357(9272):1959-63.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Yu X; Carpenter P; Anasetti C

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Human Immunogenetics Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Immunosuppressive drugs developed in the past two decades have improved the short-term survival of organ allografts, but tolerance has not been achieved and almost all transplant recipients continue to require drugs throughout life. Graft rejection arises from the cognate interaction of T cells with antigen-presenting cells, the recognition of alloantigen through the T-cell receptor, and the delivery of accessory stimulation signals. Once activated by the specific antigen, replicating T cells die if they are re-exposed to the same antigen. Since depletion of antigen-activated T cells is one critical mechanism of transplantation tolerance, drugs such as ciclosporin that interfere with activation-induced T-cell death could inhibit tolerance, whereas drugs such as mycophenolate mofetil, that induce the death of activated T cells, could facilitate tolerance. Other tolerance mechanisms depend on inactivation rather than elimination of allograft reactive T cells. When antigen recognition occurs without costimulation through the CD28 and CD154 accessory receptors, or in absence of cell division, T cells become unresponsive. Thus, inhibitors of CD28 and CD154, and inhibition of T-cell division by rapamycin promotes transplantation tolerance.  N. Ref:: 54

 

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[23]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Rational use of new and existing disease-modifying agents in rheumatoid arthritis.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Ann Intern Med. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.annals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Annals of Internal Medicine: <> 2001 Apr 17;134(8):695-706.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kremer JM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - The Center for Rheumatology, Albany, New York, USA. jkremer@rheum-docs.com

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Because of radiographic evidence of progressive bone loss and the inability to eliminate synovial proliferation with methotrexate, it became apparent that therapy for rheumatoid arthritis needed further advancement. Methotrexate is not a remission-inducing drug and may have dose-limiting toxicity. In the past 2 years, three new disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have been approved: leflunomide, etanercept, and infliximab. Each of these agents has demonstrated efficacy compared with placebo in randomized, controlled studies. Because methotrexate had a dominant therapeutic role, the new drugs were also studied in combination with it. Other established DMARDs, such as sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine, have also demonstrated efficacy when used together with methotrexate. The results of these combination studies clearly demonstrate that clinical responses can be meaningfully improved when new and existing DMARDs are added to methotrexate. Although toxicity remains a serious concern when powerful immune modulators and antimetabolites are used in combination, relatively few serious adverse events have been reported during 2-year treatment periods. It has also become apparent that combinations of new DMARDs and methotrexate virtually halt radiographic progression over 2 years. The new agents are expensive, but annual costs must be weighed against the personal and societal expense of joint arthroplasty, hospitalizations, disability, and diminished quality of life that accompanies poorly controlled rheumatoid arthritis. The ultimate value of combination DMARD therapy with methotrexate will be determined by long-term data on safety, efficacy, and effects on radiographic deterioration of bone. Additional long-term observational data on the incidence of joint arthroplasty and disability will help to place the issue of societal costs in a better perspective. This will allow the value of aggressive treatment to be established with certainty.  N. Ref:: 87

 

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[24]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Clinical development of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2002 Oct;16(5):1101-14.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Dancey JE

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Cancer Treatment Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Investigational Drug Branch/CTEP/DCTD/NCI, 6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN 7131, Rockville, MD 20854, USA. danceyj@ctep.nci.nih.gov

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Rapamycin and CCI-779 have significant in vitro and in vivo anti-proliferative activity against a broad range of human tumor cell lines, justifying the clinical evaluation of this class of agent in cancer patients. Preliminary results from phase I studies of CCI-779 suggest that the agent is well tolerated and has anti-tumor activity. The challenge to investigators is to efficiently determine what role this class of agent will play in the treatment of cancer patients.  N. Ref:: 69

 

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[25]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of nephrotic syndrome in children and controlled trials.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2003 Aug;18 Suppl 6:vi75-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Filler G

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Paediatrics, Division of Nephrology, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Canada. filler@cheo.on.ca

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - AIM: To determine the sequential therapy of childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS) with presumed minimal change nephropathy using the evidence from clinical trials. METHODS: Meta-analysis of 22 randomized controlled trials was performed, using frequency of relapse and side effects of therapeutic regimes. RESULTS: A meta-analysis of seven trials comparing duration of therapy for initial onset showed that duration of at least 3 months significantly reduced the risk of relapse at 12-24 months (relative risk 0.73; 95% confidence interval 0.60-0.89) without an increase in adverse events. Five trials were performed for steroid treatment of relapse. Deflazacort reduced relapses during therapy, but is not generally available. No difference was observed when comparing single and divided dosing of prednisone. Frequency of relapses could not be influenced by duration of relapse therapy. Alternate day therapy was more effective than intermittent use of prednisone. Two studies out of five on cyclophosphamide or chlorambucil showed consistently that alkylating agents should be used before cyclosporine as alternative therapy to steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Children with initial onset of NS should be treated with prednisone at a dose of 60 mg/m(2)/day for 6 weeks, followed by a dose of 40 mg/m(2)/48 h for at least another 6 weeks. If steroid toxicity for treatment of relapsing NS requires alternative treatment, cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg/day for at least 8 weeks) remains the drug of choice with a curative potential. If children still relapse after alkylating agents, levamisole may serve as an alternative only for frequent relapsing NS, whereas steroid-dependent NS should be treated with cyclosporine.

 

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[26]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Effects of immunosuppressive drugs on dendritic cells and tolerance induction.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2003 May 15;75(9 Suppl):37S-42S.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1097/01.TP.0000067950.90241.1D

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Lagaraine C; Lebranchu Y

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - EA 3249, Cellules hematopoietiques, hemostase et greffe, Laboratoire d’immunologie, Faculte de medecine, Tours, France.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Dendritic cells, the most effective antigen-presenting cells for priming naive T cells and initiating immune responses, are also able to induce tolerance. This balance between immunity and tolerance depends on the functional stage of dendritic cells (DC). Activation of naive T cells by immature DC can induce tolerance. It is therefore of interest to summarize the effects of immunosuppressive agents on DC maturation and functions. In contrast to glucocorticosteroids, mycophenolate mofetil, and vitamin D(3) analogs, calcineurin inhibitors do not seem to inhibit DC maturation in in vitro culture systems. However, these molecules all appear to interfere with DC functions.  N. Ref:: 44

 

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[27]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Donor-specific tolerance in fully major histocompatibility major histocompatibility complex-mismatched limb allograft transplants under an anti-alphabeta T-cell receptor monoclonal antibody and cyclosporine A protocol.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2003 Dec 27;76(12):1662-8.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1097/01.TP.0000105343.49626.6F

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Siemionow MZ; Izycki DM; Zielinski M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Plastic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, A60, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. siemiom@ccf.org

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that treatment with alphabeta-T-cell receptor (TCR) monoclonal antibody and cyclosporine A (CsA) can extend survival in composite tissue allografts (CTA). The purpose of this study was to induce tolerance in fully major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched rat limb allografts under 7 days of a combined alphabeta-TCR-CsA protocol. METHODS: The authors performed 30 hind-limb allotransplantations across the MHC barrier between Brown Norway donors (BN; RT1n) and Lewis recipients (LEW; RT1l). Isograft and allograft controls received no treatment. The experimental groups received monotherapy of alphabeta-TCR and CsA or a combination of alphabeta-TCR and CsA for 7 days only. Donor-specific tolerance and immunocompetence were determined by standard skin grafting in vivo and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) in vitro. The efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy and the level of donor-specific chimerism were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Long-term survival (>350 days) was achieved in allograft recipients (n=6) under the 7-day protocol of combined alphabeta-TCR-CsA. Donor-specific tolerance and immunocompetence of long-term chimeras were confirmed by acceptance of skin grafts from the donors and rejection of the third-party alloantigens (AxC Irish). At day 120, MLR demonstrated unresponsiveness to the host and donor antigens but strong reactivity against third-party alloantigens. Flow cytometry confirmed the high efficacy of immunosuppressive treatment and the development of donor-specific chimerism (7.6% of CD4+-RT1n+ cells, 1.3% of CD8+-RT1n+ cells, and 16.5% of CD45RA+-RT1n+ cells) in the periphery of tolerated recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Combined therapy of alphabeta-TCR-CsA for 7 days resulted in tolerance induction in fully MHC-mismatched rat hind-limb allografts. Tolerance was directly associated with stable, donor-specific chimerism.

 

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[28]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Dimerizer-regulated gene expression.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Biotechnol 2002 Oct;13(5):459-67.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Pollock R; Clackson T

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - ARIAD Gene Therapeutics, 26 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. roy.pollock@ariad.com

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Control of gene expression using small molecules is a powerful research tool and has clinical utility in the context of regulated gene therapy. Use of chemical inducers of dimerization, or dimerizers, for this purpose has several advantages, including tight regulation, modularity to facilitate iterative improvements, and assembly from human proteins to minimize immune responses in clinical applications. Recent developments include the use of the rapamycin-based dimerizer system to regulate the expression of endogenous genes, the generation of new chemical dimerizers based on FK506, dexamethasone and methotrexate, and progress towards the clinical use of adeno-associated virus and adenovirus vectors regulated by rapamycin analogs.  N. Ref:: 40

 

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[29]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The fission yeast TOR proteins and the rapamycin response: an unexpected tale.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:85-95.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Weisman R

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, 69978 Tel-Aviv, Israel. ronitt@post.tau.ac.il

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The TOR proteins are known as key regulators of cell growth in response to nutritional and mitogenic signals and as targets for the immunosuppressive and anti-cancerous drug rapamycin. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has two TOR homologues, tor1+ and tor2+. Despite their structural similarity, these genes have distinct functions: tor1+ is required under starvation, extreme temperatures, and osmotic or oxidative stress conditions, whereas tor2+ is required under normal growth conditions. Surprisingly, rapamycin does not seem to inhibit the S. pombe TOR-related functions. Rapamycin specifically inhibits sexual development in S. pombe, and this seems to stem from direct inhibition of the S. pombe FKBP12 homologue. Why S. pombe cells are resistant to rapamycin during the growth phase is as yet unclear and awaits further analysis of the TOR-dependent signaling pathways.  N. Ref:: 27

 

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[30]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Renal function as a predictor of long-term graft survival in renal transplant patients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2003 May;18 Suppl 1:i3-6.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - First MR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Research and Development, Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc., Deerfield, IL 60015, USA. roy_first@fujisawa.com

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Acute rejection is a major risk factor for kidney graft failure. However, as acute rejection has been progressively reduced by recent immunosuppressive regimens, other risk factors are becoming increasingly important. Evidence is accumulating that early renal function predicts long-term outcome. A recent registry survey of more than 100 000 kidney transplants found that 6- and 12-month serum creatinine levels, as well as the change between 6 and 12 months, are strongly associated with long-term graft survival. A survey of paediatric renal transplant recipients showed that poor creatinine clearance (<50 ml/min) as early as 30 days post-transplant predicted an annual rate of graft loss of 13% compared with <3% in patients with 30-day clearance >50 ml/min. This association between early renal function and long-term outcome was confirmed in multicentre studies. Renal transplant recipients (n=572) with 6-month serum creatinine levels >1.5 mg/dl suffered 3-year graft loss of 19.3% compared with only 8.5% in patients with levels <1.6 mg/dl (P<0.001). Significantly fewer patients receiving tacrolimus had 12-month serum creatinine levels >1.5 mg/dl compared with cyclosporin (42 versus 54%, P<0.05). Interestingly, a single-centre study (n=436) found that while glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 6 months post-transplant had remained stable over the last decade, the rate of loss of renal function had decreased. A lower rate of GFR loss was associated with absence of rejection, use of mycophenolate mofetil rather than azathioprine and use of tacrolimus rather than cyclosporin (P<0.01). In conclusion, early measures of renal function allow identification of those patients at highest risk of graft failure and provide an invaluable tool for improving outcomes by tailored immunosuppression. The choice of such immunosuppression should be guided not only by its ability to prevent rejection, but also by its impact on renal function.  N. Ref:: 11

 

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[31]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Composite tissue allotransplantation in chimeric hosts part II. A clinically relevant protocol to induce tolerance in a rat model.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2003 Dec 15;76(11):1548-55.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1097/01.TP.0000085288.12571.65

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Prabhune KA; Gorantla VS; Perez-Abadia G; Francois CG; Vossen M; Laurentin-Perez LA; Breidenbach WC; Wang GG; Anderson GL; Pidwell DJ; Barker JH; Maldonado C

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: We and others have shown that mixed allogeneic chimerism induces donor-specific tolerance to composite tissue allografts across major histocompatibility complex barriers without the need for immunosuppression. However, a delay period between bone marrow transplantation and limb allotransplantation is required, making such protocols impractical for clinical application. This study eliminates this delay period in a rat hind limb allotransplantation model by performing mixed allogeneic chimerism induction and transplantation “simultaneously.” METHODS: Group 1 included controls in which naive Wistar Furth (WF) hosts received ACI hind limbs. Group 2 included (ACI-->WF) chimeras that received limbs from third-party donors (Fisher), and group 3 included chimeras that received irradiated (1,050 cGy) ACI limbs. In group 4, WF hosts conditioned with 950 cGy received irradiated (1,050 cGy) ACI limbs followed by infusion of 100 x 10(6) ACI T-cell-depleted bone marrow cells and immunotherapy (tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil) for 28 days. Group 5 animals received the same treatment as group 4 animals without immunotherapy. RESULTS: The rats in groups 1 and 2 rejected their limbs within 10 days. Only one rat in group 4 survived to the end of the study. Groups 3 and 5 demonstrated long-term limb survival without rejection or graft-versus-host disease. High levels of donor chimerism (>80%) were achieved and maintained throughout the study. Mixed lymphocyte reaction assays in both groups revealed donor-specific hyporesponsiveness with vigorous third-party reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that infusion of donor bone marrow cells into conditioned hosts immediately after limb transplantation results in stable mixed chimerism, robust tolerance, and reliable limb allograft survival.

 

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[32]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Tacrolimus ointment for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: clinical and pharmacologic effects.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Allergy Asthma Proc 2002 May-Jun;23(3):191-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Rico MJ; Lawrence I

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Fujisawa Healthcare, Inc, 3 Pookway North Deerfeild, IL 60022, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The topical immunomodulator tacrolimus ointment has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in clinical trials involving over 16,000 patients. Clinical trial results focusing on tacrolimus’ safety and efficacy are summarized. Minimal systemic absorption results from topical application in patients with atopic dermatitis. Although the exact mechanism of action of tacrolimus ointment in atopic dermatitis is unknown, tacrolimus is known to inhibit up-regulation of cytokine production following T cell activation and to decrease Fc epsilon RI expression on dendritic antigen-presenting cells in skin. Additional mechanisms of action of tacrolimus relevant in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disorders are discussed.  N. Ref:: 27

 

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[33]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - mTOR as a positive regulator of tumor cell responses to hypoxia.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:299-319.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Abraham RT

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Program in Signal Transduction Research, The Burnham Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. abraham@burnham.org

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Rapamycin is a clinically approved immunosuppressive agent that has recently shown promising antitumor activities in human patients. In contrast to many conventional chemotherapeutic agents, rapamycin displays a remarkably high level of selectivity for certain types of tumors. The pharmacological activities of rapamycin are attributable to the functional inhibition of a single target protein, termed the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Because mTOR is widely expressed in both normal and transformed cells, variations in mTOR expression levels are likely not a primary determinant of tumor sensitivity to rapamycin. However, recent studies highlighted an intriguing link between cancer cell sensitivity to rapamycin and deregulated signaling through the phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase pathway. These findings have prompted a search for cancer-related responses that are jointly regulated by the PI 3-kinase signaling cascade and mTOR. The oxygen-regulated transcription factor, hypoxia-induced factor (HIF)-1, has emerged as a candidate target for both of these two highly interactive signaling proteins. Here we review evidence that mTOR functions as a positive regulator of HIF-1-dependent responses to hypoxic stress in human cancer cells.  N. Ref:: 71

 

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[34]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - TGF-beta expression in protocol transplant liver biopsies: a comparative study between cyclosporine-A (CyA) and tacrolimus (FK 506) immunosuppression.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 Feb-Mar;33(1-2):1378-80.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mohamed MA; Burt AD; Robertson H; Kirby JA; Talbot D

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Transplant Immunobiology Group, Department of Surgery, University of Newcastle, NE2 4HH, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.

 

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[35]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - CD30+ T-cell lymphoma in a patient with psoriasis treated with ciclosporin and infliximab.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Br J Dermatol 2003 Jul;149(1):170-3.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mahe E; Descamps V; Grossin M; Fraitag S; Crickx B

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Dermatology, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, 46 Rue Henri-Huchard, Paris Cedex 18, France. emmanuel.mahe@bch.ap-hop-paris.fr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - There is a known relationship between the use of immunosuppressive therapies and the development of lymphoproliferative malignancies. These lymphomas are mainly B-cell nonHodgkin’s lymphomas associated with Epstein-Barr virus. Most cases concern classical immunosuppressive treatments including ciclosporin and methotrexate. A relationship between the new antitumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha agents and lymphoproliferative malignancies is debated. Patients with psoriasis on immunosuppressive therapies, mainly ciclosporin, are considered to have a low risk of developing lymphoid proliferation. We report a patient with erythrodermic psoriasis treated with ciclosporin and infliximab who developed a CD30+ T-cell lymphoma. This lymphoma regressed after stopping these treatments. In this case, the anti-TNF-alpha agent may have played a role in association with ciclosporin in the development of the lymphoproliferative disorder. Whereas the combination of anti-TNF-alpha therapies with methotrexate has been well studied, their combination with ciclosporin has been evaluated only in a few patients. Psoriatic patients who may require anti-TNF-alpha treatment have often been or will be treated with ciclosporin. The combination of ciclosporin and anti-TNF-alpha warrants further investigation.  N. Ref:: 17

 

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[36]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Elucidating TOR signaling and rapamycin action: lessons from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. - Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://mmbr.asm.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Microbiology & Molecular Biology Reviews: <> 2002 Dec;66(4):579-91, table of contents.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Crespo JL; Hall MN

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Biochemistry, Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - TOR (target of rapamycin) is a phosphatidylinositol kinase-related protein kinase that controls cell growth in response to nutrients. Rapamycin is an immunosuppressive and anticancer drug that acts by inhibiting TOR. The modes of action of TOR and rapamycin are remarkably conserved from S. cerevisiae to humans. The current understanding of TOR and rapamycin is derived largely from studies with S. cerevisiae. In this review, we discuss the contributions made by S. cerevisiae to understanding rapamycin action and TOR function.  N. Ref:: 171

 

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[37]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Structures of calcineurin and its complexes with immunophilins-immunosuppressants.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2003 Nov 28;311(4):1095-102.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ke H; Huai Q

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7260, USA. hke@med.unc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Calcineurin (CN) is a Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase and is involved in many physiological processes such as T-cell activation and cardiac hypertrophy. The crystal structures of CN and its complexes with FKBP12-FK506 and cyclophilin-cyclosporin showed that the two structurally unrelated immunophilins-immunosuppressants bind to a common composite surface made up of the residues from both catalytic subunit and regulatory subunit of CN. The recognition of the immunophilins and immunosuppressive drugs is achieved by common but few distinct CN residues. However, the binding pattern of FKBP12-FK506 such as hydrogen bonding is significantly different from that of CyPA-CsA. This common but distinct recognition may indicate capacity of the composition surface for binding of other inhibitory proteins. The recognition site and the active site are adjacent and form an “L” shaped cleft. This implies that the immunophilin recognition site may also serve as a recognition site to define the narrow substrate specificity of calcineurin.  N. Ref:: 61

 

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[38]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - European best practice guidelines for renal transplantation. Section IV: Long-term management of the transplant recipient. IV.3.2. Long-term immunosuppression. Therapy conversion.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2002;17 Suppl 4:20-1.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - GUIDELINE: Conversion of immunosuppressive drug therapy is recommended to avoid or reduce drug-specific adverse effects, and is generally safe for long-term graft outcome.

 

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[39]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Multidrug resistance reversal agents.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Med Chem 2003 Nov 6;46(23):4805-17.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1021/jm030183a

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Robert J; Jarry C

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Institut Bergonie, 229, Cours de l’Argonne, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France. robert@bergonie.org  N. Ref:: 151

 

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[40]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Prevention by dietary (n-6) polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines of intrahepatic cholestasis induced by cyclosporine A in animals.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Life Sci 2003 Jun 13;73(4):381-92.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chanussot F; Benkoel L

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - INSERM U. 476, Faculte de Medecine, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France. Francoise.Chanussot@medecine.univ-mrs.fr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Previous findings showed that dietary (n-6) polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines (vegetable lecithin) could efficiently prevent intrahepatic cholestasis induced by cyclosporine A in rats. Mechanistic studies showed that expressions in rat liver of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase, Ca(2+), Mg(2+)-ATPase and F-actin were both decreased by drug administration and both enhanced by (n-6) lecithin enriched diet. There is a possible direct effect of phosphatidylcholines, vectors of polyunsaturated fatty acids provided by the metabolism of the dietary lecithin, on the aforesaid hepatic parameters. Such modulations by drug and diet result in reversed modifications of membrane composition and fluidity. Final outcome is decreased and enhanced bile lipid secretion by cyclosporine and vegetable lecithin enriched diet respectively. Moreover, we advance the hypothesis of a bypass process including a separate and functional actin-independent way for the non micellar and phospholipid-dependent secretion of bile lipids. The relationships between the ATPases, the microfilament components such as F-actin and the different transporters still remain to be clarified. Furthermore, one can speculate on beneficial effects in humans of diets enriched in vegetable lecithins that might prevent cholestasis induced by cyclosporine A.  N. Ref:: 75

 

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[41]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Calcineurin inhibitor-free CD28 blockade-based protocol protects allogeneic islets in nonhuman primates.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Diabetes. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Diabetes: <> 2002 Feb;51(2):265-70.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Adams AB; Shirasugi N; Durham MM; Strobert E; Anderson D; Rees P; Cowan S; Xu H; Blinder Y; Cheung M; Hollenbaugh D; Kenyon NS; Pearson TC; Larsen CP

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Emory Transplant Center, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Recent success using a steroid-free immunosuppressive regimen has renewed enthusiasm for the use of islet transplantation to treat diabetes. Toxicities associated with the continued use of a calcineurin inhibitor may limit the wide-spread application of this therapy. Biological agents that block key T-cell costimulatory signals, in particular the CD28 pathway, have demonstrated extraordinary promise in animal models. LEA29Y (BMS-224818), a mutant CTLA4-Ig molecule with increased binding activity, was evaluated for its potential to replace tacrolimus and protect allogeneic islets in a preclinical primate model. Animals received either the base immunosuppression regimen (rapamycin and anti-IL-2R monoclonal antibody [mAb]) or the base immunosuppression and LEA29Y. Animals receiving the LEA29Y/rapamycin/anti-IL-2R regimen (n = 5) had significantly prolonged islet allograft survival (204, 190, 216, 56, and >220 days). In contrast, those animals receiving the base regimen alone (n = 2) quickly rejected the transplanted islets at 1 week (both at 7 days). The LEA29Y-based regimen prevented the priming of anti-donor T- and B-cell responses, as detected by interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot and allo-antibody production, respectively. The results of this study suggest that LEA29Y is a potent immunosuppressant that can effectively prevent rejection in a steroid-free immunosuppressive protocol and produce marked prolongation of islet allograft survival in a preclinical model.

 

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[42]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Nutrient signaling through TOR kinases controls gene expression and cellular differentiation in fungi.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:53-72.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Rohde JR; Cardenas ME

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The TOR kinases were first identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the targets of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin. Subsequent studies employing rapamycin as a tool in yeast have given us insight into the structure and function of the TOR kinases, as well as the biological role of the TOR signaling program in transmitting nutrient signals to promote cell growth. One of the major advances from this area has been in defining an unexpected role for TOR signaling in the regulation of transcription. The identification of target genes subject to regulation by TOR has provided a platform for the dissection of the signaling events downstream of the TOR kinases. Studies aimed at understanding TOR-regulated transcription have begun to shed light on how TOR signaling cooperates with other signaling programs. In addition, the TOR pathway regulates the developmental program of pseudohyphal differentiation in concert with highly conserved MAP kinase and PKA signaling programs. Remarkably, rapamycin also blocks filamentation in a number of important human and plant pathogens and the mechanism of rapamycin action is conserved in Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The antimicrobial properties of less immunosuppressive analogs of rapamycin hold promise for the development of an effective antifungal therapy.  N. Ref:: 65

 

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[43]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Signaling pathways involved in translational control of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by leucine.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Nutr. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.nutrition.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Journal of Nutrition: <> 2001 Mar;131(3):856S-860S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Anthony JC; Anthony TG; Kimball SR; Jefferson LS

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, P.O. Box 850, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Numerous reports established that in skeletal muscle the indispensable branched-chain amino acid leucine is unique in its ability to initiate signal transduction pathways that modulate translation initiation. Oral administration of leucine stimulates protein synthesis in association with hyperphosphorylation of the translational repressor, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), resulting in enhanced availability of the mRNA cap-binding protein eIF4E, for binding eIF4G and forming the active eIF4F complex. In addition, leucine enhances phosphorylation of the 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K1). These results suggest that leucine upregulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by enhancing both the activity and synthesis of proteins involved in mRNA translation. The stimulatory effects of leucine on translation initiation are mediated in part through the protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), where both insulin signaling and leucine signaling converge to promote a maximal response.  N. Ref:: 34

 

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[44]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - A benefit-risk assessment of basiliximab in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Drug Saf. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.csmwm.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Drug Safety: <> 2004;27(2):91-106.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Boggi U; Danesi R; Vistoli F; Del Chiaro M; Signori S; Marchetti P; Del Tacca M; Mosca F

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of General Surgery and Transplants, Department of Oncology, Transplants and Advanced Technologies in Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. uboggi@med.unipi.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and its receptor (IL-2R) play a central role in T lymphocyte activation and immune response after transplantation. Research on the biology of IL-2R allowed the identification of key signal transduction pathways involved in the generation of proliferative and antiapoptotic signals in T cells. The alpha-chain of the IL-2R is a specific peptide against which monoclonal antibodies have been raised, with the aim of blunting the immune response by means of inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in primed lymphocytes. Indeed, basiliximab, one of such antibodies, has proved to be effective in reducing the episodes of acute rejection after kidney and pancreas transplantation. The use of basiliximab was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of any treated rejection episodes after kidney transplantation in the two major randomised studies (placebo 52.2% vs basiliximab 34.2% at 6 months, European study; placebo 54.9% vs basiliximab 37.6% at 1 year, US trial). Basiliximab and equine antithymocyte globulin (ATG) administration resulted in a similar rate of biopsy-proven acute rejection at 6 months (19% for both) and at 12 months (19% and 20%, respectively). The use of basiliximab appears not to be associated with an increased incidence of adverse events as compared with placebo in immunosuppressive regimens, including calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine and corticosteroids, and its safety profile is superior to ATG. Moreover, a similar occurrence of infections is noted in selected studies (65.5% after basiliximab vs 65.7% of controls), including cytomegalovirus infection (17.3% vs 14.5%), and cytokine-release syndrome is not observed. Finally, economic analysis demonstrated lower costs of overall treatment in patients treated with basiliximab. Therefore, the use of basiliximab entails a very low risk, allows safe reduction of corticosteroid dosage and reduces the short- and mid-term rejection rates. However, the improvement in the long-term survival of kidney grafts in patients treated according to modern immunosuppressive protocols is still to be demonstrated. These conclusions are based on a systematic review of the scientific literature, indexed on Medline database, concerning the mechanism of action, therapeutic activity, safety and pharmacoeconomic evaluation of basiliximab in renal transplantation.  N. Ref:: 62

 

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[45]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Role of leucine in the regulation of mTOR by amino acids: revelations from structure-activity studies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Nutr. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.nutrition.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Journal of Nutrition: <> 2001 Mar;131(3):861S-865S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Lynch CJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. clynch@psu.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In this study an overview is presented of the mTOR signaling pathway and its regulation by amino acids, particularly L-leucine. Our laboratory is studying amino acid regulation of mTOR in adipocytes. Potential roles for mTOR in adipocytes that were previously posited include hypertrophic growth, leptin secretion, protein synthesis and adipose tissue morphogenesis. A current area of interest in the field is how amino acids regulate mTOR and which amino acids are regulatory. Revelations concerning mechanism and recognition are emerging from different laboratories that examined the structural requirements for stimulation and inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway by leucine and amino acid analogs. In adipocytes and some other cell types, leucine appears to be the main regulatory amino acid. However, this is not uniformly the case. In those cells where mTOR is regulated by several amino acids, there is evidence that the mechanism of mTOR activation may be different from cells where mainly leucine is regulatory. Furthermore, in tissues where leucine regulates mTOR, the possible existence of different tissue-specific leucine recognition sites may be indicated.  N. Ref:: 47

 

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[46]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Drug-eluting stents and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors: combination therapy for the future.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am Heart J 2003 Oct;146(4 Suppl):S13-7.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1016/j.ahj.2003.09.004

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Leon MB; Bakhai A

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: Although coronary stenting has improved the results of coronary interventions compared to coronary angioplasty alone, in-stent restenosis remains a significant limitation of this procedure. Drug-eluting stents with or without glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor therapy represent an additional advance in the evolution of this strategy. METHODS: We review the currently available trials comparing studies of non-drug-eluting and drug-eluting stents using sirolimus and paclitaxel agents and their derivatives. RESULTS: Ten studies are available that compare drug-eluting to traditional non-drug-eluting stents. A variety of antiplatelet regimes have been used. The majority of these studies are in the process of being published. No head-to-head studies comparing different drug-eluting stents are available. CONCLUSIONS: Drug-eluting stents using sirolimus and paclitaxel in combination with enhanced antiplatelet strategies represent an important advantage over non-drug-eluting stents for the reduction of in-stent restenosis. The rate at which drug-eluting stents are adapted into widespread practice depends heavily on whether they are safe, efficacious, and cost-effective in various clinical settings.  N. Ref:: 28

 

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[47]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Tissue factor and coronary artery disease.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Cardiovasc Res 2002 Feb 1;53(2):313-25.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Moons AH; Levi M; Peters RJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Room F3-236, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Plaque disruption with superimposed thrombosis is the main cause of acute coronary events such as acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina. Among other factors, tissue factor seems to play an important role determining plaque thrombogenicity. Tissue factor is a potent initiator of the coagulation cascade situated within the vessel wall and is highly exposed to the blood after plaque rupture. Several mediators involved in the process of atherosclerotic plaque formation are capable of inducing tissue factor expression in cells such as monocytes, macrophages and endothelial cells, which under normal conditions do not express tissue factor or to a limited extent only. The increased expression of tissue factor is not limited to the plaque but is also found in circulating monocytes in patients with acute coronary syndromes. In addition, studies have shown an important contribution of tissue factor in the pathogenesis of thrombosis and restenosis after balloon angioplasty. Recent basic studies focus on the therapeutic inhibition of tissue factor. Specific and non-specific inhibitors of tissue factor or the tissue factor/factor VIIa complex have been developed or identified, and have been tested in experimental studies. Clinical studies are currently being initiated. In this review, we present the current knowledge on the role of tissue factor in atherosclerosis, arterial intervention and potential pharmacological approaches, with focus on acute coronary syndromes.  N. Ref:: 162

 

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[48]

- Castellano -

TÍTULO / TITLE:Las inmunofilinas: agentes neuroprotectores y promotores de la regeneracion neural. Immunophilins: neuroprotective agents and promoters of neural regeneration.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Neurologia. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.stmeditores.com/Revistas/ffasciculo.php?Mw==&MTk=&MjUy 

      ●● Cita: Neurologia: <> 2002 Apr;17(4):200-13.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Udina E; Navarro X

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Grupo de Neuroplasticidad y Regeneracion, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Fisiologia e Inmunologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, España.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Immunophilins are a family of proteins mainly known because they act as receptors of the immunosuppressant drugs cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506. Immunophilins serve several general functions, including regulation of mitochondrial permeability, modulation of ion channels stability and acting as chaperones for a variety of proteins. However, immunophilins are also present at high density in the nervous system. CsA, FK506 and other derivatives inhibit the function of immunophilins and, through bloking or activating several intracellular pathways, it has been shown that they exert neuroprotective effects in different experimental models of ischemia, Parkinson’s disease and excitotoxic insults. Moreover, FK506 also has neuroregenerative effects, by enhancing the axonal regeneration rate after lesions of the peripheral nervous system. The development of new agents that selectively bind to immunophilins opens new interesting perspectives for the therapy of degenerative diseases and injuries of the nervous system.  N. Ref:: 100

 

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[49]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Immunoablation followed or not by hematopoietic stem cells as an intense therapy for severe autoimmune diseases. New perspectives, new problems.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Haematologica. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://db.doyma.es/ 

      ●● Cita: Haematologica: <> 2001 Apr;86(4):337-45.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Marmont AM  N. Ref:: 127

 

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[50]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Protein phosphatase 2A on track for nutrient-induced signalling in yeast.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Mol Microbiol. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/ 

      ●● Cita: Molecular Microbiology: <> 2002 Feb;43(4):835-42.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Zabrocki P; Van Hoof C; Goris J; Thevelein JM; Winderickx J; Wera S

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Laboratorium voor Moleculaire Celbiologie, K.U.Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Flanders, Belgium.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Early studies identified two bona fide protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-encoding genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, designated PPH21 and PPH22. In addition, three PP2A-related phosphatases, encoded by PPH3, SIT4 and PPG1, have been identified. All share as much as 86% sequence similarity at the amino acid level. This review will focus primarily on Pph21 and Pph22, but some aspects of Sit4 regulation will also be discussed. Whereas a role for PP2A in yeast morphology and cell cycle has been readily recognized, uncovering its function in yeast signal transduction is a more recent breakthrough. Via their interaction with phosphorylated Tap42, PP2A and Sit4 play a pivotal role in target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling. PPH22 overexpression mimics overactive cAMP-PKA (protein kinase A) signalling and PP2A and Sit4 might represent ceramide signalling targets. The methylation of its catalytic subunit stabilizes the heterotrimeric form of PP2A and might counteract TOR signalling. We will show how these new elements could lead us to understand the role and regulation of PP2A in nutrient-induced signalling in baker’s yeast.  N. Ref:: 41

 

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[51]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - mTOR as a target for cancer therapy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:339-59.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Houghton PJ; Huang S

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Pharmacology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA. peter.houghton@stjude.org

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The target of rapamycin, mTOR, acts as a sensor for mitogenic stimuli, such as insulin-like growth factors and cellular nutritional status, regulating cellular growth and division. As many tumors are driven by autocrine or paracrine growth through the type-I insulin-like growth factor receptor, mTOR is potentially an attractive target for molecular-targeted treatment. Further, a rationale for anticipating tumor-selective activity based on transforming events frequently identified in malignant disease is becoming established.  N. Ref:: 73

 

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[52]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Serine-threonine protein phosphatase inhibitors: development of potential therapeutic strategies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Med Chem 2002 Mar 14;45(6):1151-75.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - McCluskey A; Sim AT; Sakoff JA

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - School of Biological & Chemical Science, Medicinal Chemistry Group, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. amcclusk@mail.newcastle.edu.au  N. Ref:: 329

 

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[53]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Inflammatory myopathies: clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Muscle Nerve 2003 Apr;27(4):407-25.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/mus.10313

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mastaglia FL; Garlepp MJ; Phillips BA; Zilko PJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Australia. flmast@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The three major forms of immune-mediated inflammatory myopathy are dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis (PM), and inclusion-body myositis (IBM). They each have distinctive clinical and histopathologic features that allow the clinician to reach a specific diagnosis in most cases. Magnetic resonance imaging is sometimes helpful, particularly if the diagnosis of IBM is suspected but has not been formally evaluated. Myositis-specific antibodies are not helpful diagnostically but may be of prognostic value; most antibodies have low sensitivity. Muscle biopsy is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis of an inflammatory myopathy and to allow unusual varieties such as eosinophilic, granulomatous, and parasitic myositis, and macrophagic myofasciitis, to be recognized. The treatment of the inflammatory myopathies remains largely empirical and relies upon the use of corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, and intravenous immunoglobulin, all of which have nonselective effects on the immune system. Further controlled clinical trials are required to evaluate the relative efficacy of the available therapeutic modalities particularly in combinations, and of newer immunosuppressive agents (mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus) and cytokine-based therapies for the treatment of resistant cases of DM, PM, and IBM. Improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of muscle injury in the inflammatory myopathies should lead to the development of more specific forms of immunotherapy for these conditions.  N. Ref:: 256

 

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[54]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Mitochondrial permeability transition in acute neurodegeneration.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochimie 2002 Feb-Mar;84(2-3):241-50.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Friberg H; Wieloch T

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Laboratory for Experimental Brain Research, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, BMC A13, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Acute neurodegeneration in man is encountered during and following stroke, transient cardiac arrest, brain trauma, insulin-induced hypoglycemia and status epilepticus. All these severe clinical conditions are characterized by neuronal calcium overload, aberrant cell signaling, generation of free radicals and elevation of cellular free fatty acids, conditions that favor activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mtPTP). Cyclosporin A (CsA) and its analog N-methyl-valine-4-cyclosporin A (MeValCsA) are potent blockers of the mtPTP and protect against neuronal death following excitotoxicity and oxygen glucose deprivation. Also, CsA and MeValCsA diminish cell death following cerebral ischemia, trauma, and hypoglycemia. Here we present data that strongly imply the mtPT in acute neurodegeneration in vivo. Compounds that readily pass the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and block the mtPT may be neuroprotective in stroke.  N. Ref:: 100

 

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[55]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Calcineurin-free protocols with basiliximab induction allow patients included in “old to old” programs achieve standard kidney transplant function.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 Jun;35(4):1326-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Emparan C; Laukotter M; Wolters H; Dame C; Heidenreich S; Senninger N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, Uniklinikum Munster, Munster, Germany. cemparan@teleline.es

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - INTRODUCTION: The EuroTransplant “old to old” program establishes that patients older than 60 years can receive offers of organs from donors older than 60 years. The compromised function of these organs makes it a priority to preserve their initial kidney function. HYPOTHESIS: Calcineurin-sparing protocols using anti-IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) antibody induction (Simulect) may benefit initial kidney function in these patients, as assessed by the rates of delayed graft function and of rejection during the first month after transplant. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cohort of 15 consecutive elderly patients were prospectively compared with 30 cadaveric kidney transplants in younger recipients. Study patients were induced with Simulect (20 mg, 30 minutes before reperfusion and 4 days after transplantation) and steroids, delaying the introduction of CsA until the serum creatinine was below 3 mg/dL. The other cohort of patients were immunosuppressed with tacrolimus (trough 8 to 12), mycophenolats mofetil (MMF, 1 g/d), and an identical taper of steroids. The analysis compared donor and recipient ages, mean cold ischemic time, incidence of initial kidney function (diuresis in the first 24 h) serum creatinine levels, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), number of dialysis sessions, and rejection rate in the two groups. RESULTS: Except for the donor and recipient ages (72 vs 54 in donors, and 67 versus 52 years in recipients), no significant differences were observed between the groups among the rates of acute rejection (6.6% vs 13.2%), delayed graft function (13.2% required dialysis), or infection (6.6%). Within 1 month all 45 grafts showed primary function with equal creatinine levels (mean 1.65). CONCLUSIONS: Calcineurin-free protocols using IL-2 therapy as the initial suppression allow patients in the “old to old” ET program to display equal results to cadaveric kidney transplants with initial treatment with calcineurin antagonists.

 

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[56]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Measle virus-infected dendritic cells develop immunosuppressive and cytotoxic activities.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Immunobiology 2001 Dec;204(5):629-38.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Vidalain PO; Azocar O; Rabourdin-Combe C; Servet-Delprat C

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Immunobiologie Fondamentale et Clinique, CERVI-INSERM, Lyon, France. servet@cervi-lyon.inserm.fr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Measle virus (MV) infection induces a transient but profound immunosuppression characterized by a panlymphopenia which occasionally results in opportunistic infections responsible for a high rate of mortality in malnourished children. MV can encounter human dendritic cells (DC) in the respiratory mucosa or in the secondary lymphoid organs. After a brief presentation of DCs, we review progress in understanding the immunobiology of MV-infected DCs that could account for MV-induced immunosuppression. In addition, we develop the newly described TRAIL-mediated cytotoxic function of DCs that is turned on by MV infection, but also by interferons or double-stranded RNA (poly (I:C)). Finally, we propose a model where the measles-associated lymphopenia could be mediated by TRAIL and the measles-induced immunosuppression could be transiently prolonged by Fas-mediated destruction of DCs.  N. Ref:: 38

 

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[57]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Antiproliferative prostaglandins and the MRP/GS-X pump role in cancer immunosuppression and insight into new strategies in cancer gene therapy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochem Pharmacol 2001 Oct 1;62(7):811-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Homem de Bittencourt PI Jr; Curi R

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. pauloivo@vortex.ufrgs.br

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - A dramatic complication in late-stage cancer patients is host immunosuppression. Cyclopentenone prostaglandins (CP-PGs) overproduced in cancer may impair the function of the immune system. These agents, if produced at high concentrations, are powerful cytostatic and cytotoxic compounds that may arrest cell proliferation and immune response in cancer. Lymphoid tissues of tumor-bearing animals accumulate large amounts of CP-PGs, whereas the tumor tissue does not. This may be because cancer cells are able to overexpress multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mg(2+)-dependent vanadate-sensitive GS-conjugate export ATPase, MRP/GS-X pump), which extrudes CP-PGs to the extracellular space as glutathione S-conjugates. In contrast, MRP/GS-X pump activity is disproportionately low in lymphocytes. This led us to propose the transfection of lymphocytes with multidrug resistance-associated protein genes (MRP) for further autologous transfusion or direct in vivo delivery to lymphocytes by using adenovirus-retrovirus chimeras in order to restore immune system function in cancer, at least partially. We are currently evaluating MRP-transfected lymphocyte (MTL) therapy, using Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats as a model.  N. Ref:: 49

 

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[58]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Cytokine and anti-cytokine therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Pharm Des 2003;9(14):1107-13.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ogata H; Hibi T

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Although the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains elusive, it appears that there is chronic activation of the immune and inflammatory cascade in genetically susceptible individuals. Current disease management guidelines have therefore focused on the use of anti-inflammatory agents, aminosalicylates and corticosteroids. These conventional therapies continue to be a first choice in the management of IBD. Immunomodulators, such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate or cyclosporin, are demonstrating increasing importance against steroid-resistant and steroid-dependent patients. However, some patients are still refractory to these therapies. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiological conditions of IBD have provided new immune system modulators as therapeutic tools. Other immunosuppressive agents including FK506 and thalidomide have expanded the choice of medical therapies available for certain subgroups of patients. Furthermore, biological therapies have begun to assume a prominent role. Studies with chimeric monoclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody treatment have been reported with dramatic successes. However, observations in larger numbers of treated patients are needed to explicate fully the safety of or risks posed by this agent such as developing lymphoma, or other malignancies. Another anti-inflammatory cytokine-therapy includes anti anti-IL-6R, anti-IL-12 or toxin-conjugated anti IL-7R, recombinant cytokines (IL-10 or IL-11). Given the diversity of proinflammatory products under its control, NF-kappaB may be viewed as a master switch in lymphocytes and macrophages, regulating inflammation and immunity. Although some of them still need more confirmatory studies, those immune therapies will provide new insights into cell-based and gene-based treatment against IBD in near future.  N. Ref:: 46

 

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[59]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Amino acid transport regulates blastocyst implantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biol Reprod. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.biolreprod.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Biol Reprod: <> 2003 Oct;69(4):1101-8. Epub 2003 Jun 11.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1095/biolreprod.103.018010

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Martin PM; Sutherland AE; Van Winkle LJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Mouse blastocyst outgrowth in vitro and probably implantation in vivo require amino acid signaling via the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway. This signaling does not simply support protein synthesis and trophoblast differentiation. Rather, it regulates development of trophoblast protrusive activity and may act as a developmental checkpoint for implantation. Moreover, intracellular amino acids per se are insufficient to elicit TOR signaling. Instead, de novo transport of amino acids, and particularly of leucine, stimulate mTOR activity at the blastocyst stage. The activity of the broad-scope and yet leucine-selective amino acid transport system B0,+ could produce such increases in intracellular amino acid concentrations. For example, system B0,+ uses a Na+ gradient to drive amino acid uptake, and the Na+ concentration in uterine secretions increases by nearly two-fold about 18 h before implantation. The resultant mTOR signaling could trigger polyamine, insulin-like growth factor II, and nitric oxide production in blastocysts and the increased cell motility sometimes associated with synthesis of these bioactive molecules.  N. Ref:: 106

 

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[60]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Introduction and overview: recent advances in the immunotherapy of inflammatory bowel disease.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Gastroenterol 2003 Mar;38 Suppl 15:36-42.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Hibi T; Inoue N; Ogata H; Naganuma M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Center for the Research of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) comprise a series of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) resulting from chronic upregulation of the mucosal immune system. Although the pathogenesis of IBD remains elusive, it appears that there is chronic activation of the immune and inflammatory cascade in genetically susceptible individuals. Current disease management guidelines have therefore focused on the use of antiinflammatory agents, aminosalicylates and corticosteroids. However, some patients are still refractory to these therapies. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiological conditions of IBD have provided new immune system modulators as therapeutic tools. Cytapheresis has demonstrated effectiveness against UC and has practical use in Japan. Immunosuppressive agents including cyclosporin A and tacrolimus (FK506) have expanded the choice of medical therapies available for certain subgroups of patients. Furthermore, biological therapies have begun to assume a prominent role. Studies with chimeric monoclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibody treatment of CD have been reported with dramatic success. Another antiinflammatory cytokine therapy includes anti-IL-6 receptor, anti-IL-12, or toxin-conjugated anti-IL-7 receptor. Given the diversity of proinflammatory products under its control, NF-kappa B may be viewed as a master switch in lymphocytes and macrophages, regulating inflammation and immunity. In the murine 2,4,6-trinitrobenzen sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis model, an antisense oligonucleotide to NF-kappa B p65 ameliorated inflammation even after induction of colitis. Recently, a clinical pilot trial of this agent demonstrated promising results. Accumulating evidence suggests that luminal bacterial flora is a requisite and central factor in the development of IBD. Probiotic therapies such as a nonpathogenic Escherichia coli strain have been well tolerated, but larger clinical trials are needed. In addition, novel therapeutic strategies targeting adhesion molecules and costimulatory molecules, or enhancing tissue repair, are under investigation. Although some still need more confirmatory studies, these immune therapies will provide new insights into cell-based and gene-based treatment against IBD in the near future.  N. Ref:: 36

 

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[61]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Potassium channels in T lymphocytes: toxins to therapeutic immunosuppressants.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Toxicon 2001 Sep;39(9):1269-76.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - George Chandy K; Cahalan M; Pennington M; Norton RS; Wulff H; Gutman GA

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California Irvine, Room 291, John Irvine Smith Hall, Medical School, Irvine, CA92697, USA. gchandy@uci.edu  N. Ref:: 60

 

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[62]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Graft vascular function after transplantation of pancreatic islets.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Diabetologia 2002 Jun;45(6):749-63. Epub 2002 May 15.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1007/s00125-002-0827-4

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Jansson L; Carlsson PO

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Medical Cell Biology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 571, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden. Leif.Jansson@medcellbiol.uu.se

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Endogenous pancreatic islets have a dense glomerular-like angioarchitecture, which ensures an optimal delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the islet cells, provides signals from other cells in the body and disposes secreted hormones. Transplantation of isolated islets means that their vascular connection is interrupted. The islet grafts therefore depend upon endothelial cells and microvessels originating in the implantation organ for derivation of a new vascular system. A re-establishment of islet blood-flow occurs within 7-14 days after transplantation, mainly through vascular sprouting. The newly formed blood vessels acquire the morphological characteristics of those in endogenous islets. In intraportally transplanted islets to the liver, the islets become revascularized almost exclusively from tributaries to the hepatic artery. Exocrine contamination of the transplanted islets could hamper the revascularization process, whereas neither cryopreservation nor immunosuppressive drugs like cyclosporin, prednisolon and RS-61443 have any essential effects on the angiogenesis. Investigators have noticed improvements in islet graft survival and function by means of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), acidic FGF and endothelial cell growth factor exposure of the grafts. The functional properties of transplanted islets are largely unknown, but evidence from experimental islet transplantation suggests that both the blood perfusion and the tissue oxygen tension of the grafted islets are chronically decreased, indicating an insufficient vascular system. In order to achieve optimal condition for survival and function of transplanted beta cells, it is important to ascertain whether impairments in vascular function are present also after clinical islet transplantations as well.  N. Ref:: 181

 

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[63]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Targeted cancer therapy and immunosuppression using radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Semin Oncol 2004 Feb;31(1):68-82.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Bethge WA; Sandmaier BM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) as a means to target radiation therapy to tumor cells or to specifically suppress host immunity specifically in the setting of allogeneic transplantation is a promising new strategy in the armory of today’s oncologist. Different approaches of RIT such as injection of a stable radioimmunoconjugate or the use of pretargeting are available. The choice of the radionuclide used for RIT depends on its radiation characteristics with respect to the malignancy or cells targeted. beta-Emitters with their lower energy and longer path length are more suitable for targeting bulky, solid tumors, whereas alpha-emitters with their high linear energy transfer and short path length are better suited to target cells or tumors of the hematologic system. Encouraging results have been obtained using these approaches treating patients with hematologic malignancies. While the results in solid tumors are somewhat less favorable, new strategies for patients with minimal residual disease (MRD), using adjuvant and locoregional treatment, are currently being investigated. In this report, we outline basic principles of RIT, give an overview of available radioimmunoconjugates and their clinical applications with special emphasis on their use in hematologic malignancies, including use in conditioning regimens for stem cell transplantation (SCT).  N. Ref:: 99

 

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[64]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - TOR inhibitors and cardiac allograft vasculopathy: is inhibition of intimal thickening an adequate surrogate of benefit?

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Heart Lung Transplant 2003 May;22(5):501-4.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mehra MR; Uber PA

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplantation Center, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121, USA. mmehra@ochsner.org  N. Ref:: 30

 

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[65]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The TOR kinases link nutrient sensing to cell growth.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Biol Chem. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.jbc.org/ 

      ●● Cita: J. of Biological Chemistry: <> 2001 Mar 30;276(13):9583-6. Epub 2001 Feb 2.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1074/jbc.R000034200

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Rohde J; Heitman J; Cardenas ME

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Departments of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Rapamycin is an immunosuppressive natural product that inhibits the proliferation of T-cells in response to nutrients and growth factors. Rapamycin binds to the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase FKBP12 and forms protein-drug complexes that inhibit signal transduction by the TOR kinases. The FKBP12 and TOR proteins are conserved from fungi to humans, and in both organisms the TOR signaling pathway plays a role in nutrient sensing. In response to nitrogen sources or amino acids, TOR regulates both transcription and translation, enabling cells to appropriately respond to growth-promoting signals. Rapamycin is having a profound impact on clinical medicine and was approved as an immunosuppressant for transplant recipients in 1999. Ongoing clinical studies address new clinical applications for rapamycin as an antiproliferative drug for chemotherapy and invasive cardiology.  N. Ref:: 74

 

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[66]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Hepatitis C virus infection and vasculitis: implications of antiviral and immunosuppressive therapies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Arthritis Rheum 2002 Mar;46(3):585-97.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/art.10107 [pii

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/art.10107

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Vassilopoulos D; Calabrese LH

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Hippokration General Hospital, Athens University, Athens, Greece.  N. Ref:: 92

 

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[67]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Transmitting the signal of excess nitrogen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae from the Tor proteins to the GATA factors: connecting the dots.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - FEMS Microbiol Rev 2002 Aug;26(3):223-38.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Cooper TG

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Sciences, University of Tennessee, 858 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN 38163, USA. tcooper@utmem.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Major advances have recently occurred in our understanding of GATA factor-mediated, nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR)-sensitive gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Under nitrogen-rich conditions, the GATA family transcriptional activators, Gln3 and Gat1, form complexes with Ure2, and are localized to the cytoplasm, which decreases NCR-sensitive expression. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, Gln3 and Gat1 are dephosphorylated, move from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, in wild-type but not rna1 and srp1 mutants, and increase expression of NCR-sensitive genes. ‘Induction’ of NCR-sensitive gene expression and dephosphorylation of Gln3 (and Ure2 in some laboratories) when cells are treated with rapamycin implicates the Tor1/2 signal transduction pathway in this regulation. Mks1 is posited to be a negative regulator of Ure2, positive regulator of retrograde gene expression and to be itself negatively regulated by Tap42. In addition to Tap42, phosphatases Sit4 and Pph3 are also argued by some to participate in the regulatory pathway. Although a treasure trove of information has recently become available, much remains unknown (and sometimes controversial) with respect to the precise biochemical functions and regulatory pathway connections of Tap42, Sit4, Pph3, Mks1 and Ure2, and how precisely Gln3 and Gat1 are prevented from entering the nucleus. The purpose of this review is to provide background information needed by students and investigators outside of the field to follow and evaluate the rapidly evolving literature in this exciting field.  N. Ref:: 61

 

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[68]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Interactions between cyclosporin and lipid-lowering drugs: implications for organ transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Drugs 2003;63(4):367-78.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Asberg A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Laboratory for Renal Physiology, Section of Nephrology, Medical Department, The National Hospital, Oslo, Norway. anderas@klinmed.uio.no

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Dyslipidaemia is more frequent in solid organ transplant recipients than in the general population, primarily as a result of immunosuppressive drug treatment. Both cyclosporin and corticosteroids are associated with dyslipidaemic adverse effects. In order to reduce the overall cardiovascular risk in these patients, lipid-lowering drugs have become widely used, especially HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). Cyclosporin, as well as most statins (lovastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin and pravastatin) are metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4, so a bilateral pharmacokinetic interaction between these drugs is theoretically possible. However, results from several studies show that statins do not induce increased systemic exposure of cyclosporin. A small (but not clinically relevant) reduction in systemic exposure of cyclosporin has actually been shown in many studies. Cyclosporin-treated patients on the other hand show several-fold higher systemic exposure of all statins, both those that are metabolised by CYP3A4 and fluvastatin (metabolised by CYP2C9). Therefore, the mechanism for this interaction does not seem to be solely caused by inhibition of CYP3A4 metabolism, but it is probably also a result of inhibition of statin-transport in the liver, at least in part. Other lipid-lowering drugs, such as fibric acid derivatives, bile acid sequestrants, probucol, fish oils and orlistat are also used in solid organ transplant recipients. Most of them do not interact with cyclosporin, but there are reports indicating that both probucol and orlistat may reduce cyclosporin bioavailablility to a clinically relevant degree. There is no information on possible interaction effects of cyclosporin on the pharmacokinetics of lipid-lowering drugs other than statins, but it is not likely that any clinical relevant interference exists with fish oil, orlistat, probucol or bile acid sequestrants.  N. Ref:: 71

 

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[69]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - European best practice guidelines for renal transplantation. Section IV: Long-term management of the transplant recipient. IV.3.1 Long-term immunosuppression. Late steroid or cyclosporine withdrawal.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2002;17 Suppl 4:19-20.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - GUIDELINES: A. In order to reduce or avoid long-term serious adverse effects of corticosteroids, such as bone fractures, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, osteoporosis and eye complications, steroid withdrawal should be considered. B. Steroid withdrawal is safe only in a proportion of graft recipients and is recommended only in low-risk patients. The efficacy of the remaining immunosuppression should be considered. C. After steroid withdrawal, graft function has to be monitored very carefully because of the risk of a delayed but continuous loss of function due to chronic graft dysfunction. In the case of functional deterioration or dysfunction, steroids should be re-administered. D. Cyclosporine withdrawal might be considered in order to ameliorate nephrotoxicity, arterial hypertension, lipid disorders and hypertrichosis. This can be carried out with no significant long-term risk of progressive graft loss. The efficacy of the remaining immunosuppression should be considered. After cyclosporine withdrawal, careful monitoring for acute rejection is recommended.

 

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[70]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Fluorescence polarization detection for affinity capillary electrophoresis.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Electrophoresis 2002 Mar;23(6):903-8.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/1522-2683(200203)23:6<903::AID-ELPS903>3.0.CO;2-2 [pii]

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Le XC; Wan QH; Lam MT

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Environmental Health Sciences Program, Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada. xc.le@ualberta.ca

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) with laser-induced fluorescence polarization (LIFP) detection is described, with examples of affinity interaction studies. Because fluorescence polarization is sensitive to changes in the rotational motion arising from molecular association or dissociation, ACE-LIFP is capable of providing information on the formation of affinity complexes prior to or during CE separation. Unbound, small fluorescent probes generally have little fluorescence polarization because of rapid rotation of the molecule in solution. When the small fluorescent probe is bound to a larger affinity agent, such as an antibody, the fluorescence polarization (and anisotropy) increases due to slower motion of the much larger complex molecule in the solution. Fluorescence polarization results are obtained by simultaneously measuring fluorescence intensities of vertical and horizontal polarization planes. Applications of CE-LIFP to both strong and weak binding systems are discussed with antibody-antigen and DNA-protein binding as examples. For strong affinity binding, such as between cyclosporine and its antibody, complexes are formed prior to CE-LIFP analysis. For weaker binding, such as between single-stranded DNA and its binding protein, the single-stranded DNA binding protein is added to the CE separation buffer to enhance dynamic formation of affinity complexes. Both fluorescence polarization (and anisotropy) and mobility shift results are complementary and are useful for immunoassays and binding studies.  N. Ref:: 25

 

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[71]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - A novel pathway regulating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochem Pharmacol 2002 Oct 1;64(7):1071-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chen J; Fang Y

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Cell and Structural Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 601 South Goodwin Avenue, B107, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. jiechen@uiuc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Originally discovered as an anti-fungal agent, the bacterial macrolide rapamycin is a potent immunosuppressant and a promising anti-cancer drug. In complex with its cellular receptor, the FK506-binding protein (FKBP12), rapamycin binds and inhibits the function of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). By mediating amino acid sufficiency, mTOR governs signaling to translational regulation and other cellular functions by converging with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway on downstream effectors. Whether mTOR receives mitogenic signals in addition to nutrient-sensing has been an unresolved issue, and the mechanism of action of rapamycin remained unknown. Our recent findings have revealed a novel link between mitogenic signals and mTOR via the lipid second messenger phosphatidic acid (PA), and suggested a role for mTOR in the integration of nutrient and mitogen signals. A molecular mechanism for rapamycin inhibition of mTOR signaling is proposed, in which a putative interaction between PA and mTOR is abolished by rapamycin binding. Collective evidence further implicates the regulation of the rapamycin-sensitive signaling circuitry by phospholipase D, and potentially by other upstream regulators such as the conventional protein kinase C, the Rho and ARF families of small G proteins, and calcium ions. As the mTOR pathway has been demonstrated to be an important anti-cancer target, the identification of new components and novel regulatory modes in mTOR signaling will facilitate the future development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.  N. Ref:: 67

 

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[72]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - ATP-binding cassette transporters and calcineurin inhibitors: potential clinical implications.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 May;33(3):2420-1.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - van Gelder T; Klupp J; Sawamoto T; Christians U; Morris RE

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Internal Medicine (T.vG.), University Hospital Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vangelder@INW1.AZR.NL  N. Ref:: 17

 

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[73]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Recent developments in inflammatory bowel disease.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Med Clin North Am 2002 Nov;86(6):1497-523.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Su C; Lichtenstein GR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Third Floor Ravdin Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The evolving medical armamentarium holds promise for more precise and effective therapies for IBD. The experience with anti-TNF therapy, particularly infliximab, illustrates the potential efficacy of therapies targeted at specific mediators or pathways involved in the pathogenesis. Advances in molecular technology have enabled the development of novel and potentially effective targeted therapies. Equally important is the increasing scientific understanding of the pathogenesis of IBD, which will likely improve the ability to stratify disease and to select therapies based on genotypic, immunologic, and phenotypic profiles in the future.  N. Ref:: 191

 

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[74]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - FTY720: altered lymphocyte traffic results in allograft protection.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2001 Sep 15;72(5):764-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Brinkmann V; Pinschewer DD; Feng L; Chen S

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Novartis Pharma AG, Transplantation Research, WSJ-386.1.01, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland.  N. Ref:: 52

 

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[75]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Neonatal toxic shock syndrome-like exanthematous disease (NTED).

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Pediatr Int 2003 Apr;45(2):233-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Takahashi N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-ken, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. naoto-t@jichi.ac.jp

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The author and colleagues recently discovered an emerging neonatal infectious disease: neonatal toxic shock syndrome-like exanthematous disease (NTED), which is induced by the superantigen toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), produced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The massively expanded Vbeta2+ T cells were rapidly deleted in the peripheral blood of patients with NTED. A marked depletion of Vbeta2+ T cells was also observed in the peripheral blood before the expansion of these T cells. Anergy is specifically induced in the TSST-1 reactive T cells of patients with NTED. Rapid recovery from NTED without complications is expected to be related to the induction of immunologic tolerance in neonatal patients. Anti-TSST-1 IgG antibody of maternal origin was found to play a protective role in preventing the development of NTED. The number of hospitals that have experience caring for patients with NTED has increased threefold in the past 5 years. Most MRSA isolates from neonatal intensive care units in Japan were found to be a single clone of coagulase type II and to possess TSST-1 and staphylococcal enterotoxin C genes. The timing and increased incidence of NTED suggest the emergence of a new MRSA clone. By recognizing that TSST-1 can induce NTED, healthcare providers may give increased attention to this disease in neonatal wards.  N. Ref:: 43

 

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[76]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Basiliximab: a review of its use as induction therapy in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Drugs 2003;63(24):2803-35.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chapman TM; Keating GM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Adis International Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. demail@adis.co.nz

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Basiliximab (Simulect), a chimeric (human/murine) monoclonal antibody, is indicated for the prevention of acute organ rejection in adult and paediatric renal transplant recipients in combination with other immunosuppressive agents.Basiliximab significantly reduced acute rejection compared with placebo in renal transplant recipients receiving dual- (cyclosporin microemulsion and corticosteroids) or triple-immunotherapy (azathioprine- or mycophenolate mofetil-based); graft and patient survival rates at 12 months were similar. Significantly more basiliximab than placebo recipients were free from the combined endpoint of death, graft loss or acute rejection 3 years, but not 5 years, after transplantation.The incidence of adverse events was similar in basiliximab and placebo recipients, with no increase in the incidence of infection, including cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Malignancies or post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after treatment with basiliximab were rare, with a similar incidence to that seen with placebo at 12 months or 5 years post-transplantation. Rare cases of hypersensitivity reactions to basiliximab have been reported.The efficacy of basiliximab was similar to that of equine antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and daclizumab, and similar to or greater than that of muromonab CD3. Basiliximab was as effective as rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) in patients at relatively low risk of acute rejection, but less effective in high-risk patients. Numerically or significantly fewer patients receiving basiliximab experienced adverse events considered to be related to the study drug than ATG or RATG recipients. The incidence of infection, including CMV infection, was similar with basiliximab and ATG or RATG.Basiliximab plus baseline immunosuppression resulted in no significant differences in acute rejection rates compared with baseline immunosuppression with or without ATG or antilymphocyte globulin in retrospective analyses conducted for small numbers of paediatric patients. Limited data from paediatric renal transplant recipients suggest a similar tolerability profile to that in adults. Basiliximab appears to allow the withdrawal of corticosteroids or the use of corticosteroid-free or calcineurin inhibitor-sparing regimens in renal transplant recipients.Basiliximab did not increase the overall costs of therapy in pharmacoeconomic studies.CONCLUSION: Basiliximab reduces acute rejection without increasing the incidence of adverse events, including infection and malignancy, in renal transplant recipients when combined with standard dual- or triple-immunotherapy. The overall incidence of death, graft loss or acute rejection was significantly reduced at 3 years; there was no significant difference for this endpoint 5 years after transplantation. Malignancy was not increased at 5 years. The overall efficacy, tolerability, ease of administration and cost effectiveness of basiliximab make it an attractive option for the prophylaxis of acute renal transplant rejection.  N. Ref:: 85

 

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[77]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus-based combination therapies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2003 May;18 Suppl 1:i12-5.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Undre NA

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Fujisawa GmbH, Neumarkter Str. 61, D-81673 Munich, Germany. nas.undre@fujisawa.de

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - This paper reviews the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus, with special reference to its combination with adjunctive immunosuppressants. Oral bioavailability of tacrolimus, which is variable between patients, averages approximately 25%. This is largely due to extrahepatic metabolism of tacrolimus in the gastrointestinal epithelium. Nevertheless, intra-patient variability is low, as evidenced by the small number of dose changes required to maintain patients within the recommended tacrolimus target levels. Tacrolimus is distributed extensively in the body with most partitioned outside the blood compartment. Concentrations of tacrolimus in blood are used as a surrogate marker of clinically relevant concentration of the drug at the site(s) of action. Convenient whole-blood sampling within a +/-2-h window around 12 h post-dose (C(min)) is highly predictive of systemic exposure to tacrolimus and is thus used to optimise therapy. Sampling at other time-points offers no advantage over C(min) monitoring. The interactions of tacrolimus with other immunosuppressive agents are well characterized. After cessation of concomitant corticosteroid treatment, exposure to tacrolimus increases by approximately 25%. In contrast, there is no pharmacokinetic interaction between mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and tacrolimus. Therefore, systemic exposure to the active metabolite of MMF, mycophenolic acid, is higher with MMF-tacrolimus combination than with MMF-cyclosporin combination. Therefore, 1 g/day MMF may be an adequate maintenance dose in tacrolimus-based regimens. Co-administration of tacrolimus and sirolimus, while having no effect on exposure to sirolimus, results in reduced exposure to tacrolimus at sirolimus doses of 2 mg/day and above. In conclusion, tacrolimus levels should be monitored when sirolimus is co-administered at doses >2 mg/day and after cessation of corticosteroid treatment.  N. Ref:: 13

 

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[78]

- Castellano -

TÍTULO / TITLE:La enfermedad linfoproliferativa difusa postrasplante renal y su relacion con el virus Epstein-Barr. Experiencia de un centro. Diffuse lymphoproliferative disease after renal transplantation and its relation with Epstein-Barr virus. Experience at one center.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nefrologia. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.aulamedica.es/nefrologia/ 

      ●● Cita: Nefrologia: <> 2002;22(5):463-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Franco A; Jimenez L; Aranda I; Alvarez L; Gonzalez M; Rocamora N; Olivares J

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Servicio de Nefrologia Hospital General Alicante Maestro Alonso, 109 03010 Alicante. franco_ant@gva.es

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are a group of heterogeneous lymphoid proliferations in chronic immunosuppressed recipients which appear to be related to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). Receptor EBV seronegativity, use of antilymphocyte antibodies and CMV disease have been identified as risk factors that may tigger development of PTLD. We have studied the incidence of PTLD and its relationship with EBV in 588 adult renal transplant recipients who were transplanted in our hospital from 1988 to 2001. We have also evaluated the diagnostic and therapeutic methods used, the risk factors and outcome of the patients who developed PTLD. We identified 8 recipients (4 males and 4 females), range from 18 to 67 years (mean age 45.6 years) with a median time between grafting and PTLD of 4.1 years (0.1-7 years), who developed PTLD (1.3%). Only 1 patient received OKT3 and had CMV disease, two of them (25%) had been treated with hight doses of prednisolone, another was EBV seronegative, but the rest of them (50%) had no risk factors. Two patients were diagnosed at autopsy, the diagnosis of 5 was based on the histology of biopsy and the last one by CT scans of chest-abdomen and cytology. The presence of EBV in the lymphoproliferative cells was assessed in 5 out of the 7 studied patients (71.4%). The outcome of our recipients was poor. Five out of 8 patients died shortly after diagnosis as a direct consecuence of PTLD and another of an infectious complication of the treatment (75%). The 2 patients alive started dialysis and 1 of them died 2 years later of a non-related cause. In conclusion, PTLD is a relatively frequent disease with a poor prognosis in renal transplant patients. It seems to have a close relationship with EBV and can develop in the absence of the classical risk factors.  N. Ref:: 18

 

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[79]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - TOR action in mammalian cells and in Caenorhabditis elegans.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:115-38.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Long X; Muller F; Avruch J

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Diabetes Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology, Land Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The p70 S6 kinase (p70 S6K) was the first signaling element in mammalian cells shown to be inhibited by rapamycin. The activity of the p70 S6K in mammalian cell is upregulated by extracellular amino acids (especially leucine) and by signals from receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), primarily through activation of the type 1A PI-3 kinase. The amino acid-/rapamycin-sensitive input and the PI-3 kinase input are co-dominant but largely independent, in that deletion of the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal noncatalytic sequences flanking the p70 S6K catalytic domain renders the kinase insensitive to inhibition by both rapamycin and by withdrawal of amino acids, whereas this p70 S6K mutant remains responsive to activation by RTKs and to inhibition by wortmannin. At a molecular level, this dual control of p70 S6K activity is attributable to phosphorylation of the two p70 S6K sites: The Ptd Ins 3,4,5P3-dependent kinasel (PDK1) phosphorylates p70 S6K at a Thr on the activation loop, whereas mTOR phosphorylates a Thr located in a hydrophobic motif carboxyterminal to the catalytic domain. Together these two phosphorylations engender a strong, positively cooperative activation of p70 S6K, so that each is indispensable for physiologic regulation. Like RTKs, the p70 S6K appears early in metazoan evolution and comes to represent an important site at which the more ancient, nutrient-responsive TOR pathway converges with the RTK/PI-3 kinase pathway in the control of cell growth. Dual regulation of p70 S6K is seen in Drosophila; however, this convergence is not yet evident in Caenorhabditis elegans, wherein nutrient activation of the insulin receptor (InsR) pathway negatively regulates dauer development and longevity, whereas the TOR pathway regulates overall mRNA translation through effectors distinct from p70 S6K, as in yeast. The C. elegans TOR and InsR pathways show none of the cross- or convergent regulation seen in mammalian cells. The nature of the elements that couple nutrient sufficiency to TOR activity remain to be discovered, and the mechanisms by which RTKs influence TOR activity in mammalian cells require further study. One pathway for RTK control involves the tuberous sclerosis complex, which is absent in C. elegans, but of major importance in Drosophila and higher metazoans.  N. Ref:: 98

 

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[80]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Primary intestinal posttransplant T-cell lymphoma.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2003 Jun 27;75(12):2131-2.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1097/01.TP.0000060253.54333.F3

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Michael J; Greenstein S; Schechner R; Tellis V; Vasovic LV; Ratech H; Glicklich D

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Nephrology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10467, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - There have been only five reported cases of primary posttransplant T-cell lymphoma. We report the first case associated with the use of sirolimus (Rapamycin, Wyeth-Ayerst, Philadelphia, PA). The patient, receiving prednisone, cyclosporine, and sirolimus treatment, developed ascites, diarrhea, and weight loss 7 months after his second renal transplant. Tissue obtained at laparotomy established the diagnosis of primary T-cell lymphoma. Latent membrane protein-1 for Epstein-Barr virus was negative, but in-site hybridization test for Epstein-Barr-encoded RNA was positive. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, the patient died 8 months posttransplant. This is the sixth reported case of primary intestinal posttransplant T-cell lymphoma, but it is the first case associated with the use of sirolimus. The incidence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease in patients receiving sirolimus should be studied.  N. Ref:: 6

 

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[81]

- Castellano -

TÍTULO / TITLE:Alteraciones del metabolismo oseo tras el trasplante renal. Bone metabolism alterations after kidney transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nefrologia. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.aulamedica.es/nefrologia/ 

      ●● Cita: Nefrologia: <> 2003;23 Suppl 2:122-6.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Torres A; Garcia S; Barrios Y; Hernandez D; Lorenzo V

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Servicio de Nefrologia, Unidad de Investigacion, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Instituto Reina Sofia de Investigacion. atorres@ull.es

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Early after renal transplantation (RT) a rapid decrease in bone mineral density at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and femoral shaft has been documented. In addition, an appreciable proportion of patients still remain losing bone late after RT. As a consequence, RT patients are at a high risk of bone fractures as compared to general population. Most fractures involve appendicular skeleton, particularly the feet and ankles, and the diabetic patient is at increased risk of fractures. Thus, early institution of preventive measures and treatment of established osteoporosis are central. The major cause of post-transplantation bone loss is corticosteroid treatment, and this should be used at the lower dose compatible with graft survival. Preexisting hyperparathyroidism also affects the early cancellous bone loss at the spine, and post-transplantation bone loss reflects variable individual susceptibility, resembling the polygenic determination of bone mineral density in general. Clinical trials have demonstrated that bisphosphonates or vitamin D plus calcium supplementation, prevent post-transplantation bone loss during the first 6-12 months. However, their role in preventing bone fractures has not been proven. Finally, recommendations for management, prevention and treatment, are summarized.  N. Ref:: 24

 

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[82]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Efficacy and toxicity of a protocol using sirolimus, tacrolimus and daclizumab in a nonhuman primate renal allotransplant model.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Transplant 2002 Apr;2(4):381-5.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Montgomery SP; Mog SR; Xu H; Tadaki DK; Hirshberg B; Berning JD; Leconte J; Harlan DM; Hale D; Kirk AD

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - NIDDK/Navy Transplantation and Autoimmunity Branch, Naval Medical Research Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - A regimen combining sirolimus, tacrolimus, and daclizumab has recently been shown to provide adequate immunosuppression for allogeneic islet transplantation in humans, but remains unproven for primarily vascularized allografts. We evaluated this regimen for renal allograft transplantation in mismatched nonhuman primates. Dosages of sirolimus and tacrolimus were adjusted for trough levels of 10-15 ng/mL and 4-6 ng/mL, respectively. Treated monkeys (n = 5) had significantly prolonged allograft survival, with a mean survival of 36 days vs. 7 days in untreated controls (n = 6, p = 0.008). Four of five treated animals, but none of the controls, developed fibrinoid vascular necrosis of the small intestine. A review of gut histology from animals on other immunosuppressive protocols performed by our laboratory suggested that these lesions were a result of sirolimus exposure. In summary, this regimen prolongs the survival of vascularized renal allografts, but is limited by profound GI toxicity in rhesus macaques.

 

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[83]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment responses of childhood aplastic anaemia with chromosomal aberrations at diagnosis.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Br J Haematol 2002 Jul;118(1):313-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ohga S; Ohara A; Hibi S; Kojima S; Bessho F; Tsuchiya S; Ohshima Y; Yoshida N; Kashii Y; Nishimura S; Kawakami K; Nishikawa K; Tsukimoto I

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Aplastic Anaemia Committee of the Japanese Society of Paediatric Haematology, Tokyo, Japan. ohgas@pediatr.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The clinical outcome of childhood aplastic anaemia (AA) with aberrant cytogenetic clones at diagnosis was surveyed. Among 198 children with newly diagnosed AA registered with the AA Committee of the Japanese Society of Paediatric Hematology between 1994 and 1998, cytogenetic studies of bone marrow (BM) cells were completed in 159 patients. Apart from one Robertsonian translocation, seven patients (4.4%) showed clonal chromosomal abnormalities in hypoplastic BM without myelodysplastic features. The patients included six girls and one boy with a median age of 11 years (range 5-14 years). Six patients had del(6), del(5), del(13), del(20), or -7, and one showed add(9). Four patients responded to the first immunosuppressive therapy (IST: cyclosporin A plus anti-thymocyte globulin) and one obtained a spontaneous remission. Cytogenetic abnormalities remained in two patients with an IST response. On the other hand, two patients showed no IST response. One did not respond to repeat IST and died of acute graft-versus-host disease after an unrelated-BM transplant. Another obtained a complete response after a successful BM transplant. No haematological findings at diagnosis predicted the treatment response. No significant morphological changes developed during the course of the illness. A literature review revealed that half of 24 AA patients with chromosomal abnormalities responded to the first IST, and that +6 was the sole predictable marker for IST unresponsiveness. These results suggest that IST can be applied as the initial therapy for AA with cytogenetic abnormalities in the absence of completely matched donors.  N. Ref:: 32

 

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[84]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Acute necrotizing gastritis by Escherichia coli in a severely neutropenic patient.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Haematologica. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://db.doyma.es/ 

      ●● Cita: Haematologica: <> 2002 Jan;87(1):ELT01.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Martinez-Chamorro C; Martinez E; Gil-Fernandez JJ; Escudero A; Acevedo A; Fernandez-Ranada JM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Hematology Department, Clinica Ruber, C/Juan Bravo, 49 28006-Madrid, España. m-chamorro@navegalia.com  N. Ref:: 6

 

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[85]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of membranous nephropathy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2001;16 Suppl 5:8-10.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ponticelli C; Passerini P

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Nephrology, Ospedale Maggiore di Milano, Italy.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Several therapeutic approaches have been tried in patients with membranous nephropathy. Corticosteroids have been largely used, but a meta-analysis of the available controlled trials did not show any benefit of corticosteroids either in favouring remission of the nephrotic syndrome or in preventing renal dysfunction. Controversial results have been obtained with cytotoxic agents. Unfortunately, most of the available trials were small in size and had short-term follow-ups. Three controlled trials evaluated the role of a 6-month treatment with methylprednisolone and chlorambucil. The first trial showed that the 10-year renal survival rate was 92% in treated patients compared with 60% in untreated controls. A second trial compared the effects of methylprednisolone/chlorambucil with those of methylprednisolone alone. The combined treatment achieved remission of nephrotic syndrome in 64% of cases vs 38% in patients given steroids alone. A third trial showed equivalent results in patients randomized to be given methylprednisolone/chlorambucil or methylprednisolone/cyclophosphamide. A number of non-controlled studies and a randomized trial also showed the efficacy of cyclosporine in reducing proteinuria. In many but not all cases, proteinuria reappeared when cyclosporine was stopped. In conclusion, although the treatment of membranous nephropathy remains difficult, some therapeutical approaches have proved to favour remission and protect renal function  N. Ref:: 53

 

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[86]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin as novel antitumor agents: from bench to clinic.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Investig Drugs 2002 Feb;3(2):295-304.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Huang S; Houghton PJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Pharmacology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Rapamycin and its derivatives, CCI-779 and RAD-001, inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), downregulating translation of specific mRNAs required for cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase. Preclinically, mTOR inhibitors potently suppress growth and proliferation of numerous tumor cell lines in culture or when grown in mice as xenografts. CCI-779 and RAD-001 are being developed as antitumor drugs and are undergoing clinical trials. Clinically, CCI-779 has shown evidence of antitumor activity but induced relatively mild side effects in patients. Here we discuss potential antitumor mechanisms and resistance mechanisms of mTOR inhibitors, and summarize the current status of these compounds as novel antitumor agents.  N. Ref:: 90

 

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[87]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Regulation of translation via TOR signaling: insights from Drosophila melanogaster.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Nutr. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.nutrition.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Journal of Nutrition: <> 2001 Nov;131(11):2988S-93S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Miron M; Sonenberg N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Biochemistry and McGill Cancer Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The target of rapamycin (TOR) proteins are large protein kinases evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human. A large body of evidence demonstrates that TOR proteins function in a nutrient-sensing checkpoint whose role is to restrict growth under conditions of low nutrient availability. Under such conditions, TOR blocks the transmission of growth-promoting signals from extracellular stimuli. Recent data obtained by genetic studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster demonstrate the importance of both insulin-like signaling and TOR signaling in promoting growth. Importantly, these studies identified a major downstream target of TOR and insulin-like signaling as the translational machinery.  N. Ref:: 63

 

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[88]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of severe acute graft-versus-host disease with anti-thymocyte globulin.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Transplant 2001 Jun;15(3):147-53.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Remberger M; Aschan J; Barkholt L; Tollemar J; Ringden O

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Clinical Immunology and Centre for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. mats.remberger@impi.ki.se

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the major complications after haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Treatment of severe GVHD is difficult and the condition is often fatal. One proposed method of improving the therapy is to include anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). Here, we will report our results in 29 patients using ATG as part of treatment for severe steroid-resistant acute GVHD. Four patients suffered from grade II, 13 from grade III and 12 from grade IV GVHD. Median time to grade II GVHD was 24 d (range 7-91 d) and to grade III was 29 d (range 8-55 d) after HSCT. Five different ATG preparations were used, rabbit ATG (R-ATG), BMA 031, OKT3, ATG-Fresenius and Thymoglobuline. All patients had skin involvement, 26 also had gut involvement and 25 had liver involvement. The rate of response to treatment was best in skin involvement (72%), while liver and gut involvement showed lower response rates (38%). Eleven patients survived more than 90 d, 7 of them developed chronic GVHD, 1 developed mild GVHD, 1 developed moderate GVHD and 5 developed severe GVHD. Survival at 100 d was 37% and at 1 yr it was 12%. Most patients died of GVHD, with virus or fungal infections as contributing causes of death. To conclude, treatment of severe acute GVHD is difficult and ATG, in our hands, adds nothing to conventional pharmacological treatment.  N. Ref:: 48

 

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[89]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Mitochondrial involvement in the point of no return in neuronal apoptosis.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochimie 2002 Feb-Mar;84(2-3):223-31.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chang LK; Putcha GV; Deshmukh M; Johnson EM Jr

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO 63110-1031, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Programmed cell death (PCD) contributes to development, maintenance, and pathology in various tissues, including the nervous system. Many molecular, biochemical, and genetic events occur within cells undergoing PCD. Some of these events are incompatible with long-term cell survival because they have irreversible, catastrophic consequences. The onset of such changes marks the point of no return, a decisive regulatory event termed ‘the commitment-to-die.’ In this review, we discuss events that underlie the commitment-to-die in nerve growth factor-deprivation-induced death of sympathetic neurons. Findings in this model system implicate the mitochondrion as an important site of regulation for the commitment-to-die in the presence or absence of caspase inhibition.  N. Ref:: 57

 

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[90]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - First human double hand transplantation: efficacy of a conventional immunosuppressive protocol.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Transplant 2003 Oct;17(5):455-60.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Petruzzo P; Revillard JP; Kanitakis J; Lanzetta M; Hakim NS; Lefrancois N; Owen E; Dubernard JM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Service de Chirurgie de Transplantation, Hopital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Based on the results achieved in single human hand transplantations, we decided to perform the first double hand transplantation with a conventional immunosuppressive protocol in a patient with a high potential for functional recovery. Two years after transplantation the efficacy and the safety of this immunosuppressive protocol are evaluated. The recipient was a 33-yr-old man suffering from a traumatic amputation of both hands in 1996. Five HLA-A, -B, and -DR mismatches were present with the donor; T and B cell cross-match was negative. Immunosuppressive protocol included tacrolimus, prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil and, for induction, antithymocyte globulins and then anti CD25 monoclonal antibody. Reconstitution of lymphocyte populations proceeded normally. Neither anti-HLA antibodies nor chimerism in peripheral blood were detected. Two episodes of acute rejection characterized by maculopapular lesions occurred on days 53 and 82 after transplantation. Skin biopsies revealed a dermal lymphocytic infiltrate. Both episodes were completely and rapidly reversed by topical clobetasol and increased systemic corticosteroid therapy. The only side-effects related to treatment were reversible serum sickness and hyperglycemia. No infectious complications and malignancies occurred. No signs of graft-versus-host disease have been detected. This case of double hand transplantation shows that conventional immunosuppression is effective and safe to ensure survival and functional recovery of the grafted limb.

 

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[91]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Mechanisms and consequences of arterial hypertension after renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2001 Sep 27;72(6 Suppl):S9-12.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Koomans HA; Ligtenberg G

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands. h.a.koomans@digd.azu.nl

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The high incidence of hypertension after renal transplantation contributes to the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients. Although cyclosporine has been influential in the improvement of transplant outcome, it has emerged as a major cause of hypertension after organ transplantation. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of cyclosporine-induced hypertension include enhanced sympathetic nervous system activity, renal vasoconstriction, and sodium/water retention. Hypertension is also significantly associated with reduced graft survival and thereby requires aggressive treatment intervention. Calcium channel blockers may offer some advantages over angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension in stable renal transplant recipients. Nevertheless, selection of the most appropriate antihypertensive agent should take into account the possibility of pharmacokinetic interactions with immunosuppressive agents. There is evidence to suggest that the use of tacrolimus-based immunosuppression induces less hypertension compared with cyclosporine. Not only do patients receiving tacrolimus tend to require less antihypertensive therapy, but converting patients from cyclosporine to tacrolimus has been shown to result in significant reductions in blood pressure. Thus, tacrolimus may be associated with an improved cardiovascular risk profile in renal transplant recipients.  N. Ref:: 26

 

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[92]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - T-cell receptor-derived peptides in immunoregulation and therapy of retrovirally induced immunosuppression.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Crit Rev Immunol 2001;21(1-3):57-74.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Marchalonis JJ; Robey IF; Edmundson AB; Sepulveda RT; Watson RR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724, USA. dianah@u.arizona.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Retrovirally infected humans and mice showed progressive acquired immunodeficiency accompanied by the production of elevated levels of autoantibodies directed against T-cell receptor variable-domain epitopes. Epitope mapping analyses indicated that a major determinant recognized was defined by a 16-mer peptide containing the entire CDR1 segment and part of the FR2 region of human Vbeta8, and that both species showed reactivity to the same sequence. Either prophylactic or therapeutic administration of this peptide to retrovirus-infected C57/BL/6 mice normalized the balance of T(H)1- and T(H)2-type helper activity and restored the resistance to infection by the opportunistic parasite Cryptosporidium. Administration of the peptide did not generate significantly increased levels of autoantibody, but had a profound effect on T-cell activity as well as other aspects of inflammation, including NK-cell activity. A 16-mer derived from the Jbeta sequence showed similar functional effects on T cells from retrovirus-infected mice. Direct binding of the VbetaCDR1 peptide to recombinant TCR Valpha/Vbeta constructs, as well as to IgM natural autoantibodies, suggests that the cell surface receptor for the peptide is the alpha/beta TCR on T cells and surface IgM in B cells. The Vbeta CDR1 peptide stimulated division of murine splenocytes in vitro, stimulated the production of the T(H)1 cytokine IL-2, and synergized with the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A in proliferation and IL-2 production. These studies indicate that administration of peptides derived from T-cell receptor variable domains to animals immunosuppressed as a result of retroviral infection has a profound immunomodulatory effect enhancing overall T-cell functional capacity, particularly with respect to the cytokine production characteristic of T(H)1-type cells. Our studies are interpreted in the context of other recent investigations of immunomodulatory peptides.  N. Ref:: 69

 

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[93]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Current and future applications of immunological attenuation via pegylation of cells and tissue.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - BioDrugs 2001;15(12):833-47.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chen AM; Scott MD

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Center for Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Prevention of immunological rejection of transplanted tissues is of crucial importance in transplantation medicine. Current procedures primarily use pharmacological agents such as cyclosporin, which, while effective, must be typically administered for the life of the individual. Furthermore, the drug-induced global immunosuppression of the patient predisposes the individual to infection and enhances their risk of developing certain forms of cancer. Hence, additional methods are needed to both enhance tissue engraftment and diminish the adverse effects of current immunosuppressive therapy. Studies from blood transfusion (i.e. a specialised form of cellular transplantation) suggest that covalent modification of cells and tissues with methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) [mPEG] can significantly diminish rejection episodes and may further enhance the induction of tolerance to donor tissues. The mechanisms underlying mPEG-mediated immunocamouflage are the loss of antigen recognition, impaired cell-cell interaction, and an inability of endogenous antibodies (e.g. immunoglobulin G) to effectively recognise and bind foreign epitopes. As a consequence of the global camouflage imparted by mPEG, the weak co-stimulation of alloreactive T cells may subsequently induce apoptosis, thus leading to tolerance. Initial studies on the transplantation of pegylated isogeneic rat pancreatic islets demonstrates that mPEG-derivatisation does not impair in vivo cellular signalling and function. Thus, in contrast to the pharmacological inhibition of the recipient’s immune response, the mPEG-mediated immunocamouflage directly addresses the inherent antigenicity and immunogenicity of the donor tissue itself while leaving the recipient a fully competent immune system.  N. Ref:: 43

 

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[94]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - P-glycoprotein in acute myeloid leukaemia: therapeutic implications of its association with both a multidrug-resistant and an apoptosis-resistant phenotype.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Leuk Lymphoma 2002 Jun;43(6):1221-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Pallis M; Turzanski J; Higashi Y; Russell N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Academic Haematology, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK. monica.pallis@nottingham.ac.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - P-glycoprotein (Pgp) expression is an independent prognostic factor for response to remission-induction chemotherapy in acute myeloblastic leukaemia, particularly in the elderly. There are several potential agents for modulating Pgp-mediated multi-drug resistance, such as cyclosporin A and PSC833, which are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. An alternative therapeutic strategy is to increase the use of drugs which are unaffected by Pgp. However, in this review, we explain why this may be more difficult than it appears. Evidence from in vitro studies of primary AML blasts supports the commonly held supposition that chemoresistance may be linked to apoptosis-resistance. We have found that Pgp has a drug-independent role in the inhibition of in vitro apoptosis in AML blasts. Modulation of cytokine efflux, signalling lipids and intracellular pH have all been suggested as ways by which Pgp may affect cellular resistance to apoptosis; these are discussed in this review. For a chemosensitising agent to be successful, it may be more important for it to enhance apoptosis than to increase drug uptake.  N. Ref:: 95

 

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[95]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The potential of antibody-based immunosuppressive agents for corneal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Immunol Cell Biol 2003 Apr;81(2):93-105.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Thiel MA; Coster DJ; Williams KA

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Corneal transplantation is a sight-restorative procedure but its success is limited by irreversible graft rejection, which accounts for up to 50 per cent of failures. The normal eye is an immune-privileged site. Multiple mechanisms maintain ocular privilege, including the blood-eye barrier, the lack of blood vessels and lymphatics in the normal cornea, the relative paucity of mature antigen-presenting cells in the central cornea, the presence of immunomodulatory factors in ocular fluids, and the constitutive expressive of CD95L (Fas ligand) within the eye. However, privilege can be eroded by the sequelae of inflammation and neovascularization. Corneal graft rejection in humans is currently suppressed with topical glucocorticosteroids, which are moderately effective. Systemically administered immunosuppressive therapy is of limited efficacy and may be accompanied by unacceptable morbidity. Alternative therapies are needed to improve outcomes. Corneal graft rejection is primarily a cell-mediated response controlled by the CD4+ T cell, and thus CD4 and costimulatory molecule blockade are appealing targets for new therapeutic interventions. A number of monoclonal antibodies have shown promise as immunosuppressants to prolong corneal graft survival in experimental animal models, and may eventually prove to be useful adjuncts to corticosteroids.  N. Ref:: 205

 

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[96]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Effective prophylactic protocol in delayed hypersensitivity to contrast media: report of a case involving lymphocyte transformation studies with different compounds.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Radiology. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la publicación;  - http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Radiology: <> 2002 Nov;225(2):466-70.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Romano A; Artesani MC; Andriolo M; Viola M; Pettinato R; Vecchioli-Scaldazza A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Universita’ Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Allergy Unit, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Via G. Moscati 31, 00168 Rome, Italy. columbus.allerg@linet.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - A patient with maculopapular reactions to iopamidol needed to undergo angiography for a cerebral arteriovenous malformation. In vivo and in vitro tests were performed with ionic and nonionic contrast media, including iopamidol and iobitridol. All results were positive, demonstrating delayed hypersensitivity. The patient received 6-alpha-methylprednisolone and cyclosporine 1 week before and 2 weeks after four angiograms were obtained with the use of iobitridol, which was well tolerated.

 

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[97]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - A pilot protocol of a calcineurin-inhibitor free regimen for kidney transplant recipients of marginal donor kidneys or with delayed graft function.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Transplant 2003;17 Suppl 9:31-4.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Shaffer D; Langone A; Nylander WA; Goral S; Kizilisik AT; Helderman JH

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. david.schaffer@vanderbilt.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The worsening shortage of cadaver donor kidneys has prompted use of expanded or marginal donor kidneys (MDK), i.e. older age or donor history of hypertension or diabetes. MDK may be especially susceptible to calcineurin-inhibitor (CI) mediated vasoconstriction and nephrotoxicity. Similarly, early use of CI in patients with delayed graft function may prolong ischaemic injury. We developed a CI-free protocol of antibody induction, sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone in recipients with MDK or DGF. METHODS: Adult renal transplant recipients who received MDK or had DGF were treated with a CI-free protocol consisting of antibody induction (basiliximab or thymoglobulin), sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone. Serial biopsies were performed for persistent DGF. Patients were followed prospectively with the primary endpoints being patient and graft survival, biopsy-proven acute rejection, and sirolimus-related toxicity. RESULTS: Nineteen recipients were treated. Mean follow-up was 294 days. Actuarial 6- and 12-month patient survival was 100% and 100% and graft survival was 93% and 93%, respectively. The only graft loss was due to primary non-function (PNF). The incidence of AR was 16%. Mean serum creatinine at last follow-up was 1.6 mg/dL. Sirolimus-related toxicity included lymphocele (1), wound infection (2), thrombocytopenia (1). and interstitial pneumonitis (1). CONCLUSION: A CI-free protocol with antibody induction and sirolimus results in low rates of AR and PNF and excellent early patient and graft survival in patients with MDK and DGF. CI-free protocols may allow expansion of the kidney donor pool by encouraging utilization of MDK at high risk for DGF or CI-mediated nephrotoxicity.

 

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[98]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Potential role of immune modulation in the effective long-term control of HIV-1 infection.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Biol Regul Homeost Agents 2002 Jan-Mar;16(1):83-90.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Rizzardi GP; Lazzarin A; Pantaleo G

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - MOLMED, Milan, Italy. paolo.rizzardi@molmed.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Recent advances in HIV-1 pathogenesis, and in defining virological and immunological responses to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), along with the identification of the numerous drawbacks of HAART, have clearly demonstrated that the eradication of the virus is not a feasible therapeutic goal, and that there is an urgent need to develop other approaches to fight HIV-1 infection. Novel therapeutic approaches of immune modulation have recently been evaluated in pilot clinical trials. First, treating primary HIV-1 infection with cyclosporin A (CsA) coupled with HAART to target massive immune activation extends the benefits achieved with HAART during primary HIV-1 infection and might contribute to the establishment of a more favourable immunological set-point affecting the ultimate pattern and rate of disease progression. Second, treating chronic HIV-1 infection in patients with long-term suppression of virus replication induced by HAART, with the addition of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) reduces the pool of activated CD4+ T lymphocytes able to support productive HIV-1 infection, and might have an indirect impact on the pool of resting, latently infected CD4+ T cells, contributing to its depletion in vivo. The important question is clearly whether these results will have an impact on the clinical management of patients with HIV-1 infection, determining the precise therapeutic function of drugs like CsA and MMF, thus investigating the effects of these drugs on residual viral replication and the decay of the latent reservoir, on long-term immunological benefit, and, ultimately, on clinical benefit.  N. Ref:: 95

 

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[99]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Calcineurin and hypertrophic heart disease: novel insights and remaining questions.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Cardiovasc Res 2002 Mar;53(4):806-21.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Bueno OF; van Rooij E; Molkentin JD; Doevendans PA; De Windt LJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati OH, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In the past 2 years, an emerging body of research has focused on a novel transcriptional pathway involved in the cardiac hypertrophic response. Ever since its introduction, the significance of the calcineurin-NFAT module has been subject of controversy. The aim of this review is to provide both an update on the current status of knowledge and discuss the remaining issues regarding the involvement of calcineurin in hypertrophic heart disease. To this end, the molecular biology of calcineurin and its direct downstream transcriptional effector NFAT are discussed in the context of the genetic studies that established the existence of this signaling paradigm in the heart. The pharmacological mode-of-action and specificity of the calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporine A (CsA) and FK506 is discussed, as well as their inherent limitations to study the biology of calcineurin. A critical interpretation is given on studies aimed at analyzing the role of calcineurin in cardiac hypertrophy using systemic immunosuppression. To eliminate the controversy surrounding CsA/FK506 usage, recent studies employed genetic inhibitory strategies for calcineurin, which confirm the pivotal role for this signal transduction pathway in the ventricular hypertrophy response. Finally, unresolved issues concerning the role of calcineurin in cardiac pathobiology are discussed based upon the information available, including its controversial role in cardiomyocyte viability, the reciprocal relationship between myocyte Ca(2+) homeostasis and calcineurin activity and the relative importance of calcineurin in relation to other hypertrophic signaling cascades.  N. Ref:: 124

 

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[100]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Old and new tools to dissect calcineurin’s role in pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Cardiovasc Res 2002 Feb 1;53(2):294-303.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Zhang W

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Internal Medicine/Hypertension Division, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-8586, USA. wzhang@mednet.swmed.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In the last several years, a number of experiments have implicated a pivotal role of the calcium/calmodulin-calcineurin dependent pathway as a final common signaling mechanism by which diverse hypertrophic stimuli converge to mediate hypertrophic responses in cardiomyocytes. Calcineurin inhibitors, i.e. cyclosporine A (CsA) and FK506, can interrupt the pathway, thereby preventing cardiac hypertrophy. The data that convincingly support this novel hypothesis were derived either from in vitro studies in cultured cardiomyocytes or from in vivo studies in transgenic mice. However, when the hypothesis was tested in clinically relevant animal models of cardiac hypertrophy, controversial results and conclusions emerged. In conventional models of cardiac hypertrophy, two questions remain to be answered: (1) whether calcineurin is activated in hypertrophied cardiac muscle, and (2) whether calcineurin inhibitors prevent cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, clinical observations have revealed that calcineurin inhibitors appear to exert pro-hypertrophic effects in organ transplant recipients. The controversies suggest that current calcineurin inhibitors are blunt tools for testing the hypothesis in pressure-overload hypertrophy in vivo, because there are so many confounding effects that are associated with systemic administration of the drugs. As such, new genetic approaches may overcome some of the problems associated with pharmacological inhibitors. This invited review will focus on the controversies surrounding the ability of calcineurin inhibition to prevent conventional (pressure-overload) cardiac hypertrophy and the new genetic approaches to address the question.  N. Ref:: 93

 

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[101]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Drug-eluting stents: potential applications for peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Vasc Interv Radiol 2003 Mar;14(3):291-301.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Duda SH; Poerner TC; Wiesinger B; Rundback JH; Tepe G; Wiskirchen J; Haase KK

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Tuebingen, Germany. stephan.duda@med.uni-tuebingen.de

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Many different approaches have been evaluated to prevent restenosis in stents after vascular implantation. Currently, drug-eluting stents are extremely promising in suppressing neointimal hyperplasia. Various animal studies and randomized trials in humans have shown excellent results in terms of safety and efficacy during intermediate-term follow-up. This article will give an overview of experimental and clinical data of the different agents in published and ongoing trials.  N. Ref:: 87

 

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[102]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Regulation of glycogen synthesis in human muscle cells.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Biochem Soc Trans. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://bst.portlandpress.com/bst//default.htm 

      ●● Cita: Biochemical Society Transactions: <> 2001 Aug;29(Pt 4):537-41.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Yeaman SJ; Armstrong JL; Bonavaud SM; Poinasamy D; Pickersgill L; Halse R

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - School of Biochemistry and Genetics, Medical School, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK. s.j.yeaman@ncl.ac.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Glucose uptake into muscle and its subsequent storage as glycogen is a crucial factor in energy homeostasis in skeletal muscle. This process is stimulated acutely by insulin and is impaired in both insulin-resistant states and in type 2 diabetes mellitus. A signalling pathway involving protein kinase B and glycogen synthase kinase 3 seems certain to have a key role in stimulating glycogen synthesis but other signalling pathways also contribute, including a rapamycin-sensitive pathway stimulated by amino acids. Although glycogen synthesis is one of the classical insulin-regulated pathways, it is also regulated in an insulin-independent manner; for example glycogen synthesis in muscle is stimulated significantly after strenuous exercise, with much of this stimulation being independent of the involvement of insulin. Evidence suggests that glucose and the glycogen content of the muscle have a key role in this stimulation but the molecular mechanism has yet to be fully explained.  N. Ref:: 24

 

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[103]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The role of T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of asthma.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003 Mar;111(3):450-63; quiz 464.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Larche M; Robinson DS; Kay AB

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - There is considerable evidence to support a role for T cells in asthma, particularly the involvement of T(H)2 cells both in atopic allergic asthma and in nonatopic and occupational asthma. There might also be a minor contribution from T©2 CD8+ T cells. Several T(H)2 cytokines have the potential to modulate airway inflammation, particularly IL-13, which induces airway hyperresponsiveness independently of IgE and eosinophilia in animal models. The identification of transcription factors controlling T(H)1 and T(H)2 development further support the T(H)2 hypothesis because GATA3 is overexpressed and T-bet is underexpressed in the asthmatic airway. Specific T cell directed immunotherapy might allow induction, modulation, or both of T-cell responses, and elucidation of the mechanisms of regulatory T cells might allow further optimization of immunotherapy. Recent advances in our understanding of dendritic cell function in directing T-cell responses might uncover further therapeutic targets. The efficacy of cyclosporin A and anti-CD4 treatment in patients with chronic severe asthma argues for continued T-cell involvement, but whether remodeling contributes to pathology inaccessible to anti-inflammatory treatment or T-cell immunotherapy will be an important future question.  N. Ref:: 145

 

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[104]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Immunophilins in nervous system degeneration and regeneration.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Med Chem 2003;3(12):1376-82.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Avramut M; Achim CL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, S-433 Biomedical Science Tower, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. avramut@pitt.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Immunophilins are receptors for immunosuppressive drugs like cyclosporin A, FK506, rapamycin and their non- immunosuppressive analogs, which are collectively referred to as “immunophilin ligands” (IPL). Cyclosporin A binds to a class of IP called cyclophilins, whereas the receptors for FK506 and rapamycin belong to the family of FK506- binding proteins (FKBP). The latter are designated according to their molecular weight: FKBP12, 25, 52 etc. FKBP levels in the rat brain are up to 50 times higher than in the immune system. FKBP12 is associated with IP3 and ryanodine receptors present on the endoplasmic reticulum and plays a role in stabilizing calcium release. It has also been proposed to be a modulator of the TGFbeta receptor activity. Crush injury of facial or sciatic nerves in rat leads to markedly increased FKBP12 levels in the respective nerve nuclei and this increase is related to nerve regeneration. Cyclophilin A protects cells from death following expression of mutant Cu/ Zn superoxide dismutase, which is associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Our recent studies show that FKBP12 and FKBP52 are expressed in the human nervous system, especially in the substantia nigra- deep gray matter axis. In neurodegenerative diseases, FKBP12 levels increase in neurons situated in areas of pathology. This IP colocalizes with synaptophysin and alpha- synuclein, suggesting that it may become a novel marker of pathology. Immunophilins participate in axonal transport, synaptic vesicle assembly and may play a role in neuroprotection against abnormal protein aggregation, suggesting a potential avenue of therapeutic interventions.  N. Ref:: 62

 

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[105]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Rapamycin in combination with cyclosporine or tacrolimus in liver, pancreas, and kidney transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):201S-208S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - MacDonald AS

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Allan.macdonald@dal.ca

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - A 10-year experience with the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin that begins in the laboratory then extends through multicentre trials in combination with cyclosporine in kidney transplant recipients, exploration of its use as a single agent and in combination with tacrolimus, and its potential in nonrenal organs is described. Rapamycin is a potent inhibitor of endothelial injury in rat aortic allografts. When added to full-dose cyclosporine it achieves low rejection rates, but it augments the nephrotoxicity and hyperlipidemia of cyclosporine. On the other hand, it allows discontinuation of calcineurin inhibitors in stable kidney and liver patients suffering from nephrotoxicity late posttransplant. At least in Caucasian patients, discontinuation of cyclosporine is possible as early as 3 months post-kidney transplant. In combination with low-dose tacrolimus, exceptionally low rates of rejection were seen in recipients of kidney, pancreas, and liver recipients with preservation of excellent renal function. These pilot studies have been confirmed in several single-centre and, more recently, multicentre trials in kidney and pancreas transplantation. The side-effect profile of hyperlipidemia, lymphocoeles, delayed wound healing, and possible liver effects are coming into focus, and ways of minimizing these problems being introduced. The lessons learned include the need for early adequate blood levels, the lack of correlation between dose and drug exposure, and the potency that allows marked dose reductions in calcineurin inhibitors and steroids.  N. Ref:: 36

 

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[106]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of atopic dermatitis and impact on quality of life: a review with emphasis on topical non-corticosteroids.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Pharmacoeconomics 2003;21(3):159-79.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Schiffner R; Schiffner-Rohe J; Landthaler M; Stolz W

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Dermatology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. jr.schiffner@t-online.de

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease with increasing prevalence and rising costs. Stigmatisation and pruritus are only some aspects of potential quality-of-life (QOL) impairments. AD is not curable and repeated treatments are often necessary. At present, treatment with topically-applied corticosteroids is state-of-the-art for mild to moderate flare-ups. However, many patients are worried about the use of corticosteroids due to the widespread fear of adverse effects. In this review the present literature is analysed concerning impact on quality of life for topically-applicable alternatives to the state-of-the-art treatment. For comparison reasons, data from other treatment modalities are additionally given. Characteristics of studies were analysed using ‘general’ (year and mode of publication, type and aim of study, number of patients, and clinical measurement) and ‘QOL specific’ criteria (type and number of QOL measurements including relevance for study aim and age group, validation in used language, sensitivity to change, and improvement at end of study). QOL data are published only in the minority of studies evaluating treatment efficacy and do not cover the variety of possible therapies. Data are available for tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, UVA/UVB combination and UVB narrowband (topical non-corticosteroidal treatments), as well as for topical corticosteroids, cyclosporin, and inpatient treatment. All studies provided a marked improvement in quality of life after therapy. One study assessed quality of life after a treatment-free follow-up period obtaining a clear increase in impact on quality of life. Since studies used different QOL measurements and vary in inclusion criteria, treatment schedules and presentation of results, a comparison of QOL improvement is not recommended. A single randomised study compared topically applied non-corticosteroidal treatment (UVA/UVB combination) with another treatment modality (cyclosporin) and found no difference in QOL improvement. At present, there is a clear lack of controlled randomised studies evaluating different active treatment modalities and their impact on quality of life. Consensus meetings are desirable to formulate guidelines for the selection and correct use of QOL measurements. Patients’ fear of side effects (e.g. concerning corticosteroids) should be integrated in QOL questionnaires for evaluation of possible compliance problems and real costs. Since relapse after treatment is frequent in AD, QOL measurements should also be performed after a treatment-free follow-up period. At present, we can not answer the question ‘which treatment best improves quality of life in AD?’.  N. Ref:: 128

 

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[107]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - St John’s Wort supplements endanger the success of organ transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Arch Surg 2002 Mar;137(3):316-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ernst E

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, 25 Victoria Park Rd, Exeter EX2 4NT, England. E.Ernst@ex.ac.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - HYPOTHESIS: St John’s wort is one of the most popular herbal medicines, and health care professionals often are unaware that their patients take such supplements. St John’s wort causes a decrease in cyclosporine levels, thus endangering the success of organ transplantations. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Five independent computerized literature searches were conducted to identify all reports of such interactions. Data were extracted and are summarized in narrative form. RESULTS: Eleven case reports and 2 case series were located. In most instances, causality between St John’s wort and the clinical or biochemical result is well established. The mechanism of interaction between St John’s wort and cyclosporine has been recently elucidated and involves both P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P 450 3A4 expression. Collectively these data leave little doubt that St John’s wort interacts with cyclosporine, causing a decrease of cyclosporine blood levels and leading in several cases to transplant rejection. CONCLUSIONS: St John’s wort can endanger the success of organ transplantations. Adequate information may be the best way to avoid future incidences.  N. Ref:: 33

 

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[108]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil for calcineurin-free immunosuppression in renal transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Kidney Dis 2001 Oct;38(4 Suppl 2):S16-21.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Pescovitz MD; Govani M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Departments of Surgery, Microbiology/Immunology, and Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. mpescov@iupui.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Calcineurin inhibitors, such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, have been available for almost 20 years. Although these drugs are highly effective and represent the mainstay of transplant immunosuppression, they are associated with acute and chronic nephrotoxicity. Acute nephrotoxicity, which occurs in the early period after transplantation, leads to a higher rate of dialysis, and chronic nephrotoxicity may eventually result in graft loss. Acute and chronic nephrotoxicity is becoming more common as the use of marginal kidneys for transplantation increases. Two recently available immunosuppressive agents, mycophenolate mofetil and sirolimus (rapamycin), have no nephrotoxicity. The use of these drugs in combination with other agents has led to the development of new paradigms of immunosuppressive therapy. This paper reviews the results of clinical trials that have investigated these new approaches to immunosuppression in renal transplant recipients.  N. Ref:: 9

 

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[109]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Engineered CD3 antibodies for immunosuppression.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Exp Immunol 2003 Sep;133(3):307-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Renders L; Valerius T  N. Ref:: 30

 

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[110]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum): drug interactions and clinical outcomes.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Br J Clin Pharmacol 2002 Oct;54(4):349-56.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Henderson L; Yue QY; Bergquist C; Gerden B; Arlett P

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Pharmacovigilance Group, Medicines Control Agency, UK. leigh.henderson@mca.gsi.gov.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - AIMS: The aim of this work is to identify the medicines which interact with the herbal remedy St John’s wort (SJW), and the mechanisms responsible. METHODS: A systematic review of all the available evidence, including worldwide published literature and spontaneous case reports provided by healthcare professionals and regulatory authorities within Europe has been undertaken. RESULTS: A number of clinically significant interactions have been identified with prescribed medicines including warfarin, phenprocoumon, cyclosporin, HIV protease inhibitors, theophylline, digoxin and oral contraceptives resulting in a decrease in concentration or effect of the medicines. These interactions are probably due to the induction of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes CYP3A4, CYP2C9, CYP1A2 and the transport protein P-glycoprotein by constituent(s) in SJW. The degree of induction is unpredictable due to factors such as the variable quality and quantity of constituent(s) in SJW preparations. In addition, possible pharmacodynamic interactions with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and serotonin (5-HT(1d)) receptor-agonists such as triptans used to treat migraine were identified. These interactions are associated with an increased risk of adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: In Sweden and the UK the potential risks to patients were judged to be significant and therefore information about the interactions was provided to health care professionals and patients. The product information of the licensed medicines involved has been amended to reflect these newly identified interactions and SJW preparations have been voluntarily labelled with appropriate warnings.  N. Ref:: 44

 

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[111]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of gammaherpesvirus-related neoplastic disorders in the immunosuppressed host.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Semin Hematol 2003 Apr;40(2):163-71.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1053/shem.2003.50016

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Little RF; Yarchoan R

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Neoplastic disease is a frequent complication in patients with acquired immunodeficiency disease (AIDS) and other immunodeficiencies. Many such neoplasms are caused by either Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV). The treatment of such patients can be challenging. At the same time, the viral origin of these tumors offers targets to develop pathogenesis-based therapies. Standard therapies for these diseases involve such approaches as treating the underlying immunodeficiency, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and immunologic antitumor therapy. Novel therapy approaches include specific immune therapy and anti-angiogenesis approaches, now under development.  N. Ref:: 105

 

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[112]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Calcineurin phosphatase in signal transduction: lessons from fission yeast.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Genes Cells 2002 Jul;7(7):619-27.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Sugiura R; Sio SO; Shuntoh H; Kuno T

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genome Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Calcineurin (protein phosphatase 2B), the only serine/threonine phosphatase under the control of Ca2+/calmodulin, is an important mediator in signal transmission, connecting the Ca2+-dependent signalling to a wide variety of cellular responses. Furthermore, calcineurin is specifically inhibited by the immunosuppressant drugs cyclosporin A and tacrolimus (FK506), and these drugs have been a powerful tool for identifying many of the roles of calcineurin. Calcineurin is enriched in the neural tissues, and also distributes broadly in other tissues. The structure of the protein is highly conserved from yeast to man. The combined use of powerful genetics and of specific calcineurin inhibitors in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) identified new components of the calcineurin pathway, and defined new roles of calcineurin in the regulation of the many cellular processes. Recent data has revealed functional interactions in which calcineurin phosphatase is involved, such as the cross-talk between the Pmk1 MAP kinase signalling, or the PI signalling. Calcineurin also participates in membrane traffic and cytokinesis of fission yeast through its functional connection with members of the small GTPase Rab/Ypt family, and Type II myosin, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of fission yeast genetic studies to elucidate conserved elements of signal transduction cascades.  N. Ref:: 51

 

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[113]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Minimizing calcineurin inhibitor drugs in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):118S-121S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Flechner SM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Section of Renal Transplantation, Transplant Center A110, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Calcineurin inhibitor drugs (CNI), primarily cyclosporine then tacrolimus, have been the centerpieces of maintenance immunosuppression for kidney transplantation since their introduction in the 1980s. While these drugs have been responsible for improved short-term outcomes and diminished rates of acute rejection, they are nephrotoxic and can cause permanent renal injury in many patients. Indeed, some have found that at 10 years after transplantation, the benefits of CNI drugs have been lost compared to the previous generation of maintenance immunosuppression. The use of these agents over many years contributes to the antigen-independent decline in renal function referred to as chronic allograft nephropathy. However, it remains unclear to what degree the use of CNI drugs contribute to ultimate graft loss. For these reasons immunosuppressive alternatives to CNI drugs have begun to emerge during the past few years. The recent introduction of the potent immunosuppressive agent sirolimus has afforded an opportunity to develop a regimen designed to maximize prophylaxis of early acute rejection, absent drug-induced nephrotoxicity. It was our feeling that the combination of antibody induction therapy combined with sirolimus substitution in a three-drug maintenance regimen, would provide the best posttransplant renal function and lowest rates of acute rejection. We have developed a CNI-free immunosuppressive regimen consisting of basiliximab induction, followed by sirolimus, MMF and steroids. Using this protocol we demonstrated comparable transplant outcomes with improved renal function in adult recipients of primary renal transplants. Limiting nephrotoxic immunosuppression should be considered an important goal; but requires sufficient long-term follow-up to support the benefits suggested from initial analysis of the data.  N. Ref:: 23

 

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[114]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - FTY720: targeting G-protein-coupled receptors for sphingosine 1-phosphate in transplantation and autoimmunity.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Immunol 2002 Oct;14(5):569-75.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Brinkmann V; Lynch KR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Novartis Pharma AG Transplantation Research WSJ-386.101, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland. volker.brinkmann@pharma.novartis.com

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The novel immunomodulator FTY720 is remarkably effective in models of transplantation and autoimmunity. Recent data show that phosphorylated FTY720 is an agonist at four sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors. Stimulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors leads to sequestration of lymphocytes in secondary lymphatic tissues and thus away from inflammatory lesions and graft sites.  N. Ref:: 44

 

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[115]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Histopathological study of intrahepatic islets transplanted in the nonhuman primate model using edmonton protocol immunosuppression.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://jcem.endojournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: J. of Clin Endocrinol & Metab: <> 2002 Dec;87(12):5424-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Hirshberg B; Mog S; Patterson N; Leconte J; Harlan DM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Transplantation and Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - While islet cell transplantation is a promising way to restore insulin independence to patients with type I diabetes mellitus, a detailed histological analysis of the transplanted, intraportal islets has not yet been reported. Rhesus macaques underwent total pancreatectomy, then had allogeneic isolated islets infused into their portal vein, followed by daclizumab, tacrolimus, and sirolimus to prevent islet rejection. Islets were evenly distributed among the liver lobes. Liver sections from a primate given allogeneic islets 5 d earlier did not display any islet capillary formation, whereas intrahepatic islets transplanted 30 and 90 d before euthanasia showed an abundant capillary supply. Localized hepatocellular glycogenosis was observed surrounding the islets in a primate with functioning islets 7 months post transplant. Liver sections from a primate that rejected islets transplanted 2 months prior displayed only islet remnants with prominent local lymphohistiocytic inflammation and an occasional capillary. We conclude that islets develop an abundant vascular supply within 30 d following transplant and because capillaries persist even following rejection, that the vascular cells are likely from the recipient. While transplanted islets were not vascularized early post transplant, the primates remained insulin independent. The long-term consequence of islets in the liver, marked by the glycogenosis, remains unknown and warrants further study.

 

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[116]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The mucosa of the small intestine: how clinically relevant as an organ of drug metabolism?

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Pharmacokinet 2002;41(4):235-53.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Doherty MM; Charman WN

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pharmaceutics, Victorian College of Pharmacy, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. margaret.doherty@vcp.monash.edu.au

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The intestinal mucosa is capable of metabolising drugs via phase I and II reactions. Increasingly, as a result of in vitro and in vivo (animal and human) data, the intestinal mucosa is being implicated as a major metabolic organ for some drugs. This has been supported by clinical studies of orally administered drugs (well-known examples include cyclosporin, midazolam, nifedipine and tacrolimus) where intestinal drug metabolism has significantly reduced oral bioavailability. This review discusses the intestinal properties and processes that contribute to drug metabolism. An understanding of the interplay between the processes controlling absorption, metabolism and P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux from the intestinal mucosa into the intestinal lumen facilitates determination of the extent of the intestinal contribution to first-pass metabolism. The clinical relevance of intestinal metabolism, however, depends on the relative importance of the metabolic pathway involved, the therapeutic index of the drug and the inherent inter- and intra-individual variability. This variability can stem from genetic (metabolising enzyme polymorphisms) and/or non-genetic (including concomitant drug and food intake, route of administration) sources. An overwhelming proportion of clinically relevant drug interactions where the intestine has been implicated as a major contributor to first-pass metabolism involve drugs that undergo cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4-mediated biotransformation and are substrates for the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein. Much work is yet to be done in characterising the clinical impact of other enzyme systems on drug therapy. In order to achieve this, the first-pass contributions of the intestine and liver must be successfully decoupled.  N. Ref:: 130

 

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[117]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Transplantation: toxicokinetics and mechanisms of toxicity of cyclosporine and macrolides.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Investig Drugs 2003 Nov;4(11):1287-96.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Serkova N; Christians U

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Research & Development, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East Ninth Ave, Room UH-2122, Campus Box B113, Denver, CO 80262, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - For over two decades, calcineurin inhibitors (CIs) have been the mainstay of immunosuppressive therapy following solid-organ transplantation. However, CI nephrotoxicity is one of the main contributors to chronic kidney allograft dysfunction. A novel class of immunosuppressants that inhibit the kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), although not nephrotoxic themselves, enhance CI nephrotoxicity. The biochemical basis of CI toxicity and their toxicodynamic interaction with mTOR inhibitors is still poorly understood. Studies using a magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabonomic approach indicate that CI toxicity is caused by drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and that mTOR inhibitors enhance the negative effects of CIs on cell energy metabolism.  N. Ref:: 77

 

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[118]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Risk factors for and management of post-transplantation cardiovascular disease.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - BioDrugs 2001;15(4):261-78.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Fellstrom B

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Medical Sciences, University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. bengt.fellstrom@medsci.uu.se

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The mortality rates due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in transplant recipients are greater than in the general population. CVD is a major cause of both graft loss and patient death in renal transplant recipients, and improving cardiovascular health in transplant recipients will presumably help to extend both patient and graft survival. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of risk modification on subsequent CVD morbidity and mortality. There is no reason to consider risk factors for CVD such as hyperlipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus in transplant recipients differently from in the general population. In addition, there are specific transplantation risk factors such as acute rejection episodes and the use of immunosuppressive drugs. It is obvious that several of the immunosuppressive agents used today have disadvantageous influences on risk factors for CVD such as hyperlipidaemia, hypertension and post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM), but the relative importance of immunosuppressant-induced increases in these risk factors is basically unknown. This may be a strong argument for the selective use and individual tailoring of immunosuppressive agents based upon the risk factor profile of the patient, without jeopardising the function of the graft. Hyperlipidaemia is common after transplantation, and immunosuppression with corticosteroids, cyclosporin, or sirolimus (rapamycin) causes different types of post-transplantation hyperlipidaemia. However, to date, no studies have demonstrated that lipid lowering strategies significantly reduce CVD morbidity or mortality and improve allograft survival in transplant recipients. Several studies using preventive or interventional approaches are ongoing and will be reported in the near future. Post-transplantation hypertension appears to be a major risk factor determining graft and patient survival, and immunosuppressive agents have different effects on hypertension. Controlled studies support the opinion that post-transplantation hypertension must be treated as strictly as in a population with essential hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or chronic renal failure. As increasing numbers of immunosuppressive agents become available for use, we may be in a better position to tailor immunosuppressive therapy to the individual patient, avoiding the use of diabetogenic drugs, drug combinations, or inappropriate doses in patients susceptible to PTDM. Multiple acute rejection episodes have also been demonstrated to be a risk factor for CVD - a strong argument for the use of immunosuppressive drugs to reduce acute rejection. Until we have a better understanding from ongoing landmark studies on the management of CVD, presently available therapy to reduce risk factors needs to be used together with individual tailoring of immunosuppressive therapy with the aim of reducing CVD in these patients.  N. Ref:: 138

 

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[119]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The effect of immunosuppressive protocols on spontaneous CNS remyelination following toxin-induced demyelination.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Neuroimmunol 2001 Oct 1;119(2):261-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Smith PM; Franklin RJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, CB3 0ES, Cambridge, UK.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Glial cell transplantation is a potential therapy for human demyelinating disease, though obtaining large numbers of human myelinating cells for transplantation remains a major stumbling block. Autologous transplantation is currently not possible, since the adult human CNS is not a good source of oligodendrocyte precursors, and long-term immunosuppression of engrafted allogeneic or xenogeneic cells is therefore likely to be necessary. Immunosuppressive drugs may need to be used in situations where more recent, active areas of demyelination are undergoing endogenous remyelination. It is therefore pertinent to establish the extent to which immunosuppressive protocols will suppress spontaneous remyelination. In order to investigate this issue, we created demyelinating lesions in the spinal cord of adult rats and compared the extent of remyelination in animals receiving different immunosuppressive treatments. In animals given only cyclosporin A, there was no difference in the extent of either Schwann cell or oligodendrocyte remyelination of ethidium bromide-induced demyelinating lesions. However, in animals given cyclophosphamide, either alone or in combination with cyclosporin, there was a significant reduction in the extent of oligodendrocyte-mediated remyelination. These results demonstrate that cyclophosphamide is deleterious to oligodendrocyte remyelination and for this reason should be used with caution in patients with demyelinating disease.

 

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[120]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Non-steroidal topical immunomodulators provide skin-selective, self-limiting treatment in atopic dermatitis.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Eur J Dermatol 2003 Sep-Oct;13(5):455-61.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Bos JD

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Dermatology A0-235, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.d.bos@amc.uva.nl

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Topical corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for atopic dermatitis; however, their clinical utility is limited by potential side effects. Recently, the steroid-free topical immunomodulators tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream have become available. These agents provide effective treatment without causing skin atrophy or other steroidal side effects, and their physiochemical properties, such as relatively large molecular size and high lipophilicity, limit diffusion through skin and into the bloodstream, providing skin-selective treatment. Clinical trials with more than 1,700 paediatric and adult patients have demonstrated that treatment with either agent is associated with minimal systemic absorption of tacrolimus or pimecrolimus. Additionally, studies have shown that percutaneous absorption of tacrolimus decreases as treatment continues and clinical improvement occurs. This self-limiting facet of the treatment, together with the skin-selectivity of topical immunomodulators, is reflected in the good safety and tolerability profiles of these agents, which promise to significantly improve the long-term management of atopic dermatitis.  N. Ref:: 56

 

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[121]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The role of phosphatases in TOR signaling in yeast.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:19-38.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Duvel K; Broach JR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The TOR pathway controls cellular functions necessary for cell growth and proliferation of yeast and larger eukaryotes. The search for members of the TOR signaling cascade in yeast led to the discovery of type 2A protein phosphatases (PP2A) as important players within the pathway. We describe the roles in yeast of PP2A and the closely related phosphatase, Sit4, and then focus on complexes formed between the catalytic subunit of these phosphatases and Tap42, a direct target of the Tor protein kinases in yeast. Recent results suggest that Tap42 mediates many of the Tor functions in yeast, especially those involved in transcriptional modulation. However, whether Tap42 executes its function by inhibiting phosphatase activity or by activating phosphatases is still uncertain. In addition, Tor affects some transcriptional and physiological processes through Tap42 independent pathways. Thus, Tor proteins use multiple mechanisms to regulate transcriptional and physiological processes in yeast.  N. Ref:: 46

 

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[122]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Raptor and mTOR: subunits of a nutrient-sensitive complex.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:259-70.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kim DH; Sabatini DM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Nine Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - mTOR/RAFT1/FRAP is the target of the FKBP12-rapamycin complex as well as a central component of a nutrient- and hormone-sensitive pathway that controls cellular growth. Recent work reveals that mTOR interacts with a novel evolutionarily conserved protein that we named raptor, for “regulatory associated protein of mTOR.” Raptor has several roles in the mTOR pathway. It is necessary for nutrient-mediated activation of the downstream effector S6K1 and increases in cell size. In addition, under conditions that repress the mTOR pathway, the association of raptor with mTOR is strengthened, leading to a decrease in mTOR kinase activity. Raptor is a critical component of the mTOR pathway that regulates cell growth in response to nutrient levels by associating with mTOR.  N. Ref:: 40

 

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[123]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressant drugs in clinical practice.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Ther 2002 Mar;24(3):330-50; discussion 329.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kahan BD; Keown P; Levy GA; Johnston A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Immunology and Organ Transplantation, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, 77030, USA. Barry.D.Kahan@uth.tmc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is essential to maintain the efficacy of many immunosuppressant drugs while minimizing their toxicity. TDM has become more refined with the development of new monitoring techniques and more specific assays. OBJECTIVE: This article summarizes current data on TDM of the following immunosuppressant drugs used in organ transplantation: cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil. METHODS: Published data were identified by a MEDLINE search of the English-language literature through March 2001 using the terms therapeutic drug monitoring, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil. Relevant conference abstracts were also included. RESULTS: TDM of cyclosporine has been well studied, and recent findings indicate that monitoring of drug levels 2 hours after dosing is a more sensitive predictor of outcome than trough (C0) monitoring. C0 levels are being used more widely in TDM of tacrolimus; however, the relationship between C0 and area under the curve has varied widely in clinical trials, with correlations ranging from 0.11 to 0.92. The use of TDM of sirolimus, everolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil is evolving rapidly. CONCLUSIONS: TDM of immunosuppressant drugs that have a narrow therapeutic index is an increasingly useful tool for minimizing drug toxicity while maximizing prevention of graft loss and organ rejection.  N. Ref:: 85

 

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[124]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - A prospective study of rapid corticosteroid elimination in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation: comparison of two maintenance immunosuppression protocols: tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil versus tacrolimus/sirolimus.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2002 Jan 27;73(2):169-77.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kaufman DB; Leventhal JR; Koffron AJ; Gallon LG; Parker MA; Fryer JP; Abecassis MM; Stuart FP

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, Northwestern University Medical School, 675 N. St. Clair Street, Galter Pavilion, Suite 17-200, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: We examined the feasibility of rapid corticosteroid elimination in simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation. METHODS: Forty consecutive simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplant recipients were enrolled in a prospective study in which antithymocyte globulin induction and 6 days of corticosteroids were administered along with tacrolimus and MMF (n=20) or tacrolimus and sirolimus (n=20). Mean+/-SD follow-up for recipients receiving tacrolimus/MMF and tacrolimus/sirolimus were 12.7+/-3.9 and 13.4+/-2.9 months, respectively. Patient and graft survival, and rejection rates were compared to an historical control group (n=86; mean follow-up 41.5+/-15.4 months) of SPK recipients that received induction and tacrolimus, MMF, and corticosteroids. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics of recipient and donor variables were similar among all groups. The 1-year actuarial patient, kidney, and pancreas survival rates in the 40 SPK transplant recipients with rapid corticosteroid elimination were 100, 100, and 100%, respectively. In the historical control group the 1-year actual patient, kidney, and pancreas survival rates were 96.5, 93.0, and 91.9%, respectively. The 1-year rejection-free survival rate recipients in the rapid steroid elimination group collectively was 97.5 vs 80.2% in the historical control group (P=0.034). At 6 and 12 months posttransplant the serum creatinine values remained stable in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that chronic corticosteroid exposure is not required in SPK transplant recipients receiving antithymocyte globulin induction and maintenance immuno-suppression consisting of either tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil or tacrolimus and sirolimus.

 

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[125]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The potential of chitosan in ocular drug delivery.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Pharm Pharmacol 2003 Nov;55(11):1451-63.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1211/0022357022476

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Alonso MJ; Sanchez A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, España. ffmjalon@usc.es

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - This paper presents an overview of the potential of chitosan-based systems for improving the retention and biodistribution of drugs applied topically onto the eye. Besides its low toxicity and good ocular tolerance, chitosan exhibits favourable biological behaviour, such as bioadhesion- and permeability-enhancing properties, and also interesting physico-chemical characteristics, which make it a unique material for the design of ocular drug delivery vehicles. The review summarizes the techniques for the production of chitosan gels, chitosan-coated colloidal systems and chitosan nanoparticles, and describes their mechanism of action upon contact with the ocular mucosa. The results reported until now have provided evidence of the potential of chitosan gels for enhancing and prolonging the retention of drugs on the eye surface. On the other hand, chitosan-based colloidal systems were found to work as transmucosal drug carriers, either facilitating the transport of drugs to the inner eye (chitosan-coated colloidal systems containing indometacin) or their accumulation into the corneal/conjunctival epithelia (chitosan nanoparticles containing ciclosporin). Finally, the tolerance, toxicity and biodegradation of the carriers under evaluation were reviewed.  N. Ref:: 75

 

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[126]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Rejection rate in living donor kidney transplantation with and without basiliximab in tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil-based protocol.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 Mar;35(2):653-4.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Rahamimov R; Yussim A; After T; Lustig S; Bar-Nathan N; Shaharabani E; Shapira Z; Shabthai E; Mor E

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Transplantation, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah-Tiqwa, Israel. rutir@clalit.org.il

 

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[127]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - B19 virus infection in renal transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Clin Virol. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.elsevier.com/gej-ng/29/46/32/show/Products/VIRUSINT/index.htt 

      ●● Cita: J Clinical Virology: <> 2003 Apr;26(3):361-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Cavallo R; Merlino C; Re D; Bollero C; Bergallo M; Lembo D; Musso T; Leonardi G; Segoloni GP; Ponzi AN

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Virology Unit, Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Turin, Via Santena 9, 10126, Turin, Italy. rossana.cavallo@unito.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: B19 virus infection with persistent anaemia has been reported in organ transplant recipients. Detection of B19 virus DNA in serum is the best direct marker of active infection. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the incidence and clinical role of active B19 virus infection in renal transplant recipients presenting with anaemia. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-eight such recipients were investigated by nested PCR on serum samples. The controls were 21 recipients without anaemia. Active HCMV infection was also investigated as a marker of high immunosuppression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In 11/48 (23%) patients B19 virus DNA was demonstrated in serum versus only 1/21 (5%) of the controls. Ten of these 11 patients had already been seropositive at transplantation and active infection occurred in eight of them during the first 3 months after transplantation. The remaining patient experienced a primary infection 9 months after transplantation. Eight (73%) of these 11 patients displayed a concomitant HCMV infection and four (36%) showed increasing serum creatinine levels but none developed glomerulopathy; 3/11 (27%) recovered spontaneously from anaemia whereas 8/11 (73%) needed therapy. In conclusion, the relatively high occurrence (23%) of B19 virus infection in patients presenting with anaemia, suggests that it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent anaemia in renal transplant recipients. Presence of the viral DNA should be assessed early from transplantation and the viral load should be monitored to follow persistent infection and better understand the relation between active infection and occurrence of anaemia, and to assess the efficacy of IVIG therapy and/or immunosuppression reduction in clearing the virus.  N. Ref:: 56

 

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[128]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - A mitochondrial perspective on cell death.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Trends Biochem Sci 2001 Feb;26(2):112-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Bernardi P; Petronilli V; Di Lisa F; Forte M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Viale Giuseppe Colombo 3, I-35121, Padova, Italy. bernardi@civ.bio.unipd.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The role of mitochondria as crucial participants in cell death programs is well established, yet the mechanisms responsible for the release of mitochondrial activators and the role of BCL2 family proteins in this process remain controversial. Here, we point out the limitations of current approaches used to monitor the physiological responses of mitochondria during cell death, the implications arising from modern views of mitochondrial structure, and briefly assess two proposed mechanisms for the release of mitochondrial proteins during apoptosis.  N. Ref:: 50

 

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[129]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The Rapamune era of immunosuppression 2003: the journey from the laboratory to clinical transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):18S-24S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Camardo J

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Wyeth Research, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The story of Rapamune (sirolimus, rapamycin) began with the isolation of an antibiotic from a soil sample sent to Ayerst Laboratories in Montreal. More than 25 years later, sirolimus was approved for use by transplant physicians in the United States. Development programs for new drugs for transplantation face significant challenges. Four key challenges were critical to the development of sirolimus as a drug for transplantation: First, sirolimus was not intended to be an antirejection agent. Second, sirolimus was not easy to make or purify into a palatable substance for human use and the development of a pharmaceutical form was an important and critical hurdle. Third, sirolimus showed potent antirejection activity when tested in de novo allograft recipients, but the development program required careful attention to its optimal use in multidrug transplant regimens. Fourth, the clinical program approved in the United States was rejected in Europe, and it was only with additional studies and a unique appeal process that sirolimus became available in Europe. Currently, sirolimus (Rapamune) is available throughout most of the world except in Japan, having achieved regulatory approvals in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Although sirolimus failed in its original role as an antifungal agent, it ultimately succeeded as an antirejection drug. Today, sirolimus holds additional promise both as a drug useful for the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty and as an antitumor agent.  N. Ref:: 39

 

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[130]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Molecular diagnosis of an Enterocytozoon bieneusi human genotype C infection in a moderately immunosuppressed human immunodeficiency virus seronegative liver-transplant recipient with severe chronic diarrhea.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Clin Microbiol. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 6 meses de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://jcm.asm.org/ 

      ●● Cita: J. Clinical Microbiology: <> 2001 Jun;39(6):2371-2.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Sing A; Tybus K; Heesemann J; Mathis A  N. Ref:: 5

 

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[131]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Eradication of parvovirus B19 infection after renal transplantation requires reduction of immunosuppression and high-dose immunoglobulin therapy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2002 Oct;17(10):1840-2.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Liefeldt L; Buhl M; Schweickert B; Engelmann E; Sezer O; Laschinski P; Preuschof L; Neumayer HH

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Nephrology, Charite, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany. lutz.liefeldt@charite.de  N. Ref:: 17

 

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[132]

- Castellano -

TÍTULO / TITLE:Presentacion de canceres en receptores trasplantados con organo solido. Presentation of cancers in recipients of a solid-organ transplant.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nefrologia. Acceso gratuito al texto completo.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.aulamedica.es/nefrologia/ 

      ●● Cita: Nefrologia: <> 2001;21(6):528-37.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Lampreabe I; Gomez-Ullate P; Amenabar JJ; Zarraga S; Gainza FJ; Urbizu JM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Servicio de Nefrologia, Hospital de Cruces, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Pais Vasco. ilampreave@hcru.osakidetza.net  N. Ref:: 35

 

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[133]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Recent advances in immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Semin Dial 2001 May-Jun;14(3):218-22.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Peddi VR; First MR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0585, USA. ram.peddi@uc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Recent advances in immunosuppression have focused on more effective, safer, and targeted therapies that have resulted in improved short- and intermediate-term renal allograft survival. During the past decade there has been a marked decrease in acute rejection rates following renal transplantation because of the use of newer immunosuppressive agents. Recent data indicate that the average yearly reduction in the relative hazard of graft failure beyond 1 year was 4.2% for all recipients (0.4% for those recipients who had an acute rejection episode and 6.3% for those who did not have an acute rejection). Despite these improvements the currently available immunosuppressive agents are associated with significant cardiovascular risk factors, an increased risk of infection, and the development of malignancies in the long term. Predictive parameters of donor-specific hyporesponsiveness are needed so as to allow identification of patients in whom immunosuppressive therapy can be safely reduced. Immunosuppressive agents that have recently been approved for use in the United States and those that are in clinical and preclinical studies are discussed.  N. Ref:: 27

 

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[134]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Impact of immunosuppressive therapy on recurrence of hepatitis C.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Liver Transpl 2002 Oct;8(10 Suppl 1):S19-27.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1053/jlts.2002.35852

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Everson GT

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Hepatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80262, USA. greg.everson@ucshc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - 1. Approximately 10% to 25% of hepatitis C virus-infected recipients of liver allografts will develop cirrhosis within 5 years of transplantation; this acceleration of the natural history of hepatitis C is caused in part by immunosuppression. 2. Risk factors for aggressive recurrence, graft loss, and death are treated acute cellular rejection, methylprednisolone pulse therapy, and use of OKT3. There appears to be no consistent difference between cyclosporine and tacrolimus in their effects on hepatitis C. 3. The benefit of steroid withdrawal, although commonly practiced in transplant recipients with hepatitis C, has not been proven. 4. Mycophenolate mofetil may show synergistic antiviral properties when used with interferon; however, posttransplantation use has not been associated with consistent beneficial or deleterious effects. 5. Effects of other agents, such as sirolimus or interleukin-2-receptor antibodies, have not been adequately defined. Early reports suggest that disease activity may be more aggressive when these agents are constituents of the immunosuppressive regimen.  N. Ref:: 54

 

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[135]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Limited dose monoclonal IL-2R antibody induction protocol after primary kidney transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Transplant 2002 Jul;2(6):568-73.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ahsan N; Holman MJ; Jarowenko MV; Razzaque MS; Yang HC

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Nephrology and Transplant Division, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick 08904, USA. ahsanna@umdnj.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - This study prospectively compared immunoprophylaxis with a single intraoperative dose (2 mg/kg) of monoclonal interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) antibody vs. noninduction in kidney transplant recipients treated with tacrolimus (FK 506), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and a prednisone-based immunosuppression regimen. One hundred recipients of first-kidney transplant were enrolled into the study to receive either anti-IL-2R monoclonal antibody, daclizumab (2 mg/kg intraoperatively, limited anti-IL-2R) or no induction (control). Each patient also received oral tacrolimus (dosed to target trough level 10-15 ng/mL), MMF (500 mg bid) and prednisone. The primary efficacy end-point was the incidence of biopsy proven acute rejection during the first 6 months post-transplant. The patients were also followed for 12-month graft function, and graft and patient survival rates. Other than the donor’s age being significantly lower in the control group, both groups were comparable with respect to age, weight, gender, race, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR mismatch, panel reactive antibody (%PRA), cold ischemic time, cytomegalovirus (CMV) status, causes of renal failure, and duration and modes of renal replacement therapy (RRT). During the first 6 months, episodes of first biopsy confirmed acute rejection was 3/50 (6%) in the limited anti-IL-2R group and 8/50 (16%) in the controls (p < 0.05). Twelve-month patient 100/98 (%) and graft survival 100/96 (%) were not statistically different. The group receiving limited anti-IL-2R did not have any adverse reactions. Our study demonstrates that a limited (single) 2 mg/kg immunoprophylaxis dose with monoclonal IL-2R antibody (daclizumab) when combined with tacrolimus/MMF/steroid allows significant reduction in early renal allograft rejection to the single digit level. The therapy with anti-IL-2R antibody is simple and is well tolerated.

 

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[136]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The utility of monoclonal antibody therapy in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2002 May;34(3):797-800.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Loertscher R

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Transplantation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. rolf.loertscher@mcgill.ca  N. Ref:: 37

 

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[137]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Safety and efficacy of TOR inhibitors in pediatric renal transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Kidney Dis 2001 Oct;38(4 Suppl 2):S22-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Ettenger RB; Grimm EM

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pediatrics, Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1752, USA. Rettenger@mednet.ucla.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Information about the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of target of rapamycin (TOR) inhibitors, such as sirolimus and everolimus, in pediatric renal transplant recipients is limited. In an ascending single-dose pharmacokinetic study of sirolimus in pediatric dialysis patients, no clinically significant association was observed between patient age and absorption of sirolimus from the gastrointestinal tract. However, young pediatric patients (5 to 11 years of age) exhibited significantly greater apparent oral clearances, suggesting that pediatric patients require slightly higher doses than do adults when adjusted for body weight or surface area. Similarly, in studies performed in pediatric renal transplant recipients, the half-life of sirolimus was shorter and the clearance was greater in younger patients. On the other hand, in single-dose pharmacokinetic studies of everolimus, the apparent clearance was reduced in pediatric renal transplant recipients compared with clearance in adults. This reduced clearance was attributed to a smaller apparent volume of distribution in pediatric patients, rather than to a difference in terminal half-life. This suggested that, although the adult 12-hour dosing interval was appropriate for pediatric patients, they would require reduced dosing based on body size compared with adults. In a large trial (N = 719) of sirolimus versus azathioprine in combination with cyclosporine microemulsion and prednisone, 6 pediatric patients (13 to 18 years of age) received sirolimus at 2 mg/d, 3 received sirolimus at 5 mg/d, and 3 received azathioprine. Seven of the nine patients who received sirolimus experienced no rejection episodes. Six infectious episodes occurred in the 6 patients receiving sirolimus at 2 mg/d, 10 episodes occurred in the 3 patients receiving sirolimus at 5 mg/d, and 8 episodes occurred in the 3 patients receiving azathioprine. At 6 months after transplantation, renal function was similar in all 3 groups, although there was a statistically nonsignificant increase in the group receiving sirolimus at 5 mg/d. The mean cholesterol and triglyceride levels were generally comparable in all 3 groups. TOR inhibitors are promising agents for the prevention of graft rejection in pediatric renal transplant recipients, but more pharmacokinetic data are required to assess the optimal dosing regimens in this population. In addition, further data are needed on the efficacy and safety of TOR inhibitors in combination with other agents in pediatric transplantation recipients to best assess the role of TOR inhibition in corticosteroid and/or calcineurin inhibitor-sparing regimens.  N. Ref:: 13

 

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[138]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Low-intensity hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation across human leucocyte antigen barriers in dyskeratosis congenita.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Bone Marrow Transplant 2003 May;31(10):847-50.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1038/sj.bmt.1703931

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Dror Y; Freedman MH; Leaker M; Verbeek J; Armstrong CA; Saunders FE; Doyle JJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Marrow Failure and Myelodysplasia Programme, Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Since the results of conventional hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with dyskeratosis congenita (DC) are poor owing to the high incidence of transplant-related complications, we explored the use of a low-intensity HSCT regimen. We report two children with DC with severe cytopenia, who underwent successful HSCT from a matched unrelated donor after conditioning with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and antithymocyte globulin. Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of corticosteroids and cyclosporin A. The regimen was well tolerated, no significant transplant-related complications were observed, and engraftment was rapid and complete. At 15 and 16 months after HSCT, the children were fully engrafted, in excellent clinical condition, full-donor chimerism, and no signs of GVHD. We conclude that a low-intensity regimen is sufficient to induce durable engraftment using matched unrelated donor HSCT in DC patients, with minimal 1-year transplant-related toxicity. Longer follow-up will determine whether this regimen also reduces long-term toxicity.  N. Ref:: 35

 

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[139]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Tacrolimus versus cyclosporine after lung transplantation: a prospective, open, randomized two-center trial comparing two different immunosuppressive protocols.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Heart Lung Transplant 2001 May;20(5):511-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Treede H; Klepetko W; Reichenspurner H; Zuckermann A; Meiser B; Birsan T; Wisser W; Reichert B

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: The need for better immunosuppressive protocols after lung transplantation led us to investigate tacrolimus (Tac) in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and steroids or cyclosporine (CsA) in combination with MMF and steroids in a prospective, open, randomized trial after lung transplantation. METHODS: Between September 1997 and April 1999, 50 lung transplant recipients were randomized to receive either Tac (n = 26) or CsA (n = 24) in combination with MMF and steroids. All patients underwent induction therapy with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG) for 3 days. Freedom from acute rejection (AR), patient survival, infection episodes, and side effects were monitored. RESULTS: There was no difference in patient demographics between the two groups. Six-month and 1-year survival was similar (84.6% and 73.1% in the Tac group vs 83.3% and 79.2% in the CsA group). Freedom from AR at 6 months and 1 year after lung transplantation was slightly higher in the Tac group (57.7% and 50% vs 45.8% and 33.3%, p = not significant [n.s.]), whereas the number of treated rejection episodes per 100 patient days in the Tac group was significantly lower (0.225 vs 0.426, p < .05). Four patients in the CsA group had to be switched to Tac. Two patients in the CsA group had to be retransplanted. Incidence of infections was similar in both groups with a trend toward more fungal infections in the Tac group (n = 7 vs n = 1, p = n.s.). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of Tac and MMF seems to have slightly higher immunosuppressive potential compared with CsA and MMF. The effectiveness of Tac as a rescue agent is not paralleled with undue signs of overimmunosuppression.

 

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[140]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Vascular and cellular mechanisms of chronic renal allograft dysfunction.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2001 Jun 15;71(11 Suppl):SS37-41.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Morris RE

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Stanford University School of Medicine, California, United States.  N. Ref:: 29

 

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[141]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Role of prostanoids and endothelins in the prevention of cyclosporine-induced nephrotoxicity.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2001 Apr-May;64(4-5):231-9.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1054/plef.2001.0265

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Darlametsos IE; Varonos DD

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Centre Franco-Hellenique de Recherches Biomedicales, Nikolaos Papanikolaou, Corporation of the Municipality Agrinion, Agrinion, 30100, Greece. darlamet@otenet.gr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity includes both functional toxicity and histological changes, whose seriousness is dependent upon the dose and the duration of the drug administration. Several vasoactive agents have been found to be implicated in cyclosporine induced nephrotoxicity, among which prostanoids and endothelins are the most important. In previous studies we were able to prevent the early stage (7 days) of cyclosporine (37.4 micromol [45 mg]/kg/day) induced nephrotoxicity in rats either by the administration, i) of OKY-046, a thromboxane A(2)synthase inhibitor, ii) of ketanserine, an antagonist of S(2)serotonergic, a(1)adrenergic, and H(1)histaminergic receptors and iii) of nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, or by diet supplementation either with evening primrose oil or fish oil. All these protective agents elevated ratios of excreted renal prostanoid vasodilators (prostaglandins E(2), 6ketoF(1 alpha)) to vasoconstrictor (thromboxane B(2)), a ratio which was decreased by the administration of cyclosporine alone. Nifedipine averted the cyclosporine induced increase of urinary endothelin-1 release. All protections were associated with the reinstatement of glomerular filtration rate forwards normal levels whereas renal damage defence, consisting of a decrease of the cyclosporine induced vacuolizations, was variable. Ketanserine and evening primrose oil were the only agents which prevented the animal body weight loss. These data suggest that prostanoids and endothelin-1 may mediate functional toxicity while thromboxane A(2)is involved the morphological changes too, provoked in the early stage of cyclosporine treatment. However, other nephrotoxic factors and additional mechanisms could also be implicated in the cyclosporine induced nephrotoxicity.  N. Ref:: 91

 

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[142]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Role of chiral chromatography in therapeutic drug monitoring and in clinical and forensic toxicology.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Ther Drug Monit 2002 Apr;24(2):290-6.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Williams ML; Wainer IW

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Oncology, Leicester University, Leicester, United Kingdom.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Advances in chiral chromatographic separations have given pharmacologists and toxicologists the tools to examine unexpected clinical results involving chiral drugs. The ability to unravel complex phenomena associated with drug transport and drug metabolism is presented in this manuscript. The relation between the chirality of the drug mefloquine and the intracellular concentrations of the drug cyclosporine is illustrated by examining the effect of the enantiomers of mefloquine on the transport activity of P-glycoprotein (Pgp). These studies were conducted using a liquid chromatographic column containing immobilized Pgp. The results demonstrated that (+)-mefloquine competitively displaced the Pgp substrate cyclosporine whereas (-)-mefloquine had no effect on cyclosporine-Pgp binding. The data suggest that cyclosporine cellular and CNS concentrations can be increased through the concomitant administration of (+)-mefloquine. The use of chirality in clinical and forensic situations is also illustrated by the metabolism of the enantiomers of ketamine (KET). The plasma concentrations of (+)-KET and (-)-KET and the norketamine metabolites (+)-NK and (-)-NK were measured in rat plasma using enantioselective gas chromatography. The separations were accomplished using a gas chromatography chiral stationary phase based on beta-cyclodextrin. The pharmacokinetic profiles of (+)-, (-)-KET and (+)-, (-)-NK were determined in control and protein-calorie malnourished (PCM) rats to determine the effect of PCM on ketamine metabolism and clearance. The results indicate that PCM produced a significant and stereoselective decrease in KET and NK metabolism. The data suggest that the effects of environmental factors (smoking, alcohol use, diet) and drug interactions (coadministered agents) can be measured using the changes in stereochemical metabolic and pharmacokinetic patterns of KET and similar drugs.  N. Ref:: 33

 

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[143]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Ten years of sirolimus therapy in orthotopic liver transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):209S-216S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Neff GW; Montalbano M; Tzakis AG

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: Sirolimus therapy has been used in orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients diagnosed with a variety of diseases; chronic graft rejection (CR), calcineurin associated renal toxicity, preemptive immune suppression, calcineurin related neurotoxicity, preemptive therapy in transplant recipients with history of hepatocellular carcinoma, and steroid resistant allograft rejection. METHODS: A search for the medical literature and experiences involving sirolimus was done. RESULTS: Several animal and human reports evaluating the use sirolimus in liver transplant recipients are found and discussed. CONCLUSION: Sirolimus has been used for multitude of indications, primarily based on anecdotal experiences. However, reports of sirolimus related side effects have decreased the transplant communities’ enthusiasm towards promoting this agent as a safe immune suppression agent.  N. Ref:: 92

 

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[144]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Suggested guidelines for the use of tacrolimus in cardiac transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Heart Lung Transplant 2001 Jul;20(7):734-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Taylor DO; Barr ML; Meiser BM; Pham SM; Mentzer RM; Gass AL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA.  N. Ref:: 11

 

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[145]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome: a pictorial essay.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Imaging 2003 Sep-Oct;27(5):307-15.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kinoshita T; Moritani T; Shrier DA; Hiwatashi A; Wang HZ; Numaguchi Y; Westesson PL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Radiology, Division of Radiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue Box 648, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. kino@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome is characterized by reversible white matter lesions. However, ischemic injury with irreversible damage may occur. This pictorial essay illustrates MR features associated with posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome. We will emphasize the role of diffusion-weighted imaging for the discrimination of irreversible ischemic injury from reversible vasogenic edema.  N. Ref:: 9

 

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[146]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Monitoring of cellular resistance to cancer chemotherapy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2002 Apr;16(2):357-72, vi.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Krishan A; Arya P

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Radiation Oncology Department, University of Miami Medical School, Division of Experimental Therapeutics (R-71), P.O. Box 01690, Miami, FL 33101, USA. akrishan@med.miami.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Cellular resistance to a broad spectrum of natural products used as antitumor drugs is believed to be a major cause for the failure of chemotherapy. Flow cytometry has been used for monitoring the expression of drug resistance markers, determining accumulation of fluorescent drugs, and for screening of drugs that enhance chemosensitivity by blocking efflux and enhancing drug retention. This article reviews recent developments in our understanding of the multiple drug resistance phenotype and the use of flow cytometry for the study of drug efflux and its modulation in human tumor cells.  N. Ref:: 77

 

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[147]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sirolimus therapy in cardiac transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):171S-176S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Radovancevic B; Vrtovec B

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Rapamycin powerfully inhibits the progression of antigen-activated T cells through the cell cycle. In animal heart transplantation models, rapamycin therapy has been associated with profound immunosuppressive effects on host humoral and cellular responses. In consequence, further studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficiency of rapamycin in preventing acute heart allograft rejection, treating refractory acute heart allograft rejection, inducing transplantation tolerance, and preventing and treating transplant coronary artery disease. The results of these studies indicated that rapamycin can effectively prevent acute graft rejection and inhibit refractory acute graft rejection in heart transplant recipients by exerting potent immunosuppressive and antiproliferative effects without adversely affecting renal function. This supports the use of rapamycin therapy in heart transplant recipients, especially in those with renal dysfunction, for whom treatment with calcineurin inhibitors is contraindicated. Rapamycin may also halt and even reverse the progression of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, which warrants further clinical trials in humans. Finally, rapamycin may be able to induce transplantation tolerance, thus making it one of the most promising modalities for improving the long-term survival of heart transplant recipients.  N. Ref:: 41

 

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[148]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Pimecrolimus (Elidel, SDZ ASM 981)--preclinical pharmacologic profile and skin selectivity.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Semin Cutan Med Surg 2001 Dec;20(4):233-41.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Stuetz A; Grassberger M; Meingassner JG

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Novartis Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The ascomycin macrolactam derivative pimecrolimus (Elidel, SDZ ASM 981; Novartis Pharma AG, Basel Switzerland) is a cell-selective inhibitor of inflammatory cytokines specifically developed for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, and plaque-type psoriasis. It inhibits the production of inflammatory cytokines in T cells and mast cells and prevents the release of preformed inflammatory mediators from mast cells. Topically administered pimecrolimus is as effective as the high-potency corticosteroid clobetasol-17-propionate in a pig model of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Unlike clobetasol, however, it does not cause skin atrophy. Given orally, pimecrolimus is as potent or superior to tacrolimus (FK 506) in treating ACD in mice and rats. Pimecrolimus also effectively reduces skin inflammation and pruritus in hypomagnesemic hairless rats, a model that mimics acute signs of atopic dermatitis. Pimecrolimus shows only a low potential to impair systemic immune responses when compared with tacrolimus as shown in rats in (1) the localized graft-versus-host reaction, (2) the antibody formation to sheep red blood cells, and (3) kidney transplantation. Pimecrolimus permeates through pig skin in vitro at a 10-times lower rate than tacrolimus, indicating a lower potential for percutaneous absorption in vivo. The data suggest that pimecrolimus combines high anti-inflammatory activity in the skin with a low potential to impair systemic immune reactions.  N. Ref:: 31

 

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[149]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Molecular actions of sirolimus: sirolimus and mTor.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):227S-230S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kirken RA; Wang YL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. robert.a.kirken@uth.tmc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Recent therapeutic strategies to combat organ allograft rejection have focused on T-cell signaling pathways and the molecules that comprise them. The macrolide antibiotic produced by the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus, known as sirolimus or rapamycin, has shown great therapeutic potential in the transplant setting. Sirolimus alone or in combination with other immunosuppressive agents can block acute rejection, chronic graft destruction, and promote permanent allograft acceptance. Sirolimus targets a unique serine-threonine kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTor), which plays a key role in mitogenic and nutritional cells signals. Within T cells, mTor regulates a number of proteins likely dependent on T cell growth factors such as interleukin 2. This review is focused on the molecular mechanisms by which mTor may regulate T-cell signaling cascades and affect T-cell responsiveness, and how sirolimus likely uncouples this activity.  N. Ref:: 32

 

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[150]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The treatment of atopic dermatitis with systemic immunosuppressive agents.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Dermatol 2003 May-Jun;21(3):225-40.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Akhavan A; Rudikoff D

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.  N. Ref:: 165

 

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[151]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Retroviral oncogenes and TOR.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:321-38.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Aoki M; Vogt PK

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, BCC-239, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Retroviruses have recruited the catalytic subunit of PI 3-kinase and its downstream target, Akt, as oncogenes. These viruses cause tumors in animals and induce oncogenic transformation in cell culture. The oncogenicity of these viruses is specifically inhibited by rapamycin; retroviruses carrying other oncogenes are insensitive to this macrolide antibiotic. Rapamycin is an inhibitor of the TOR (target of rapamycin) kinase whose downstream targets include p70 S6 kinase and the negative regulator of translation initiation 4E-BP. Emerging evidence suggests that the TOR signals transmitted to the translational machinery are essential for oncogenic transformation by the PI 3-kinase pathway.  N. Ref:: 93

 

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[152]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2002 Oct;23(2):233-41.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Stanaland BE

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) involves reducing symptoms with the least invasive therapy and carefully balancing risk and benefit. The mainstay of therapy is the use of antihistamines with or without the use of intermittent pulses of corticosteroids. Alternative therapies to chronic corticosteroids include leukotriene antagonists, plasma-phoresis, dapsone, stanazolol, hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate, cyclosporin, tacrolimus, and warfarin. A practical approach to CIU bases treatment and severity on the patients’ previous response to therapy. Therapy goals are to reduce symptoms until spontaneous resolution occurs. Management of CIU patients can be both frustrating and rewarding.  N. Ref:: 34

 

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[153]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Programmed death in yeast as adaptation?

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - FEBS Lett. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de 1 año de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://www.elsevier.com/febs/show/index.htt 

      ●● Cita: FEBS Letters: <> 2002 Sep 25;528(1-3):23-6.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Skulachev VP

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Russia. skulach@belozersky.msu.ru

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - During recent years, several pieces of indirect evidence of a programmed death in yeast have been published. Among them there are observations that some mammalian pro- or anti-apoptotic proteins induce or prevent the death of yeast; some toxic compounds kill yeast at lower concentrations if protein synthesis is operative; this death, as well as the death due to certain mutations, shows some apoptotic markers. In April 2002, the yeast programmed death concept received direct support. Madeo et al. [Madeo et al., Mol. Cell 9 (2002) 911-917] disclosed a caspase which is activated by H(2)O(2) or aging and is required for the protein-synthesis-dependent death of yeast. Thus, a specific apoptosis-mediating protein was identified for the first time in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Independently, Severin and Hyman [Severin, F.F., Hyman, A.A., Curr. Biol. 12 (2002) R233-R235] discovered that death of yeast, induced by a high level of a pheromone, is programmed. In particular, the death was found to be prevented by cycloheximide and cyclosporin A. It required mitochondrial DNA, cytochrome c and the pheromone-initiated protein kinase cascade. When haploids of opposite mating types were mixed, some cells died, the inhibitory pattern being the same as in the case of the killing by pheromone. Inhibition of mating proved to be favorable for death. Thus, pheromone not only activates mating but also eliminates yeast cells failing to mate. Such an effect should (i) stimulate switch of the yeast population from vegetative to sexual reproduction, and (ii) shorten the life span and, hence, accelerate changing of generations. As a result, the probability of appearance of new traits could be enhanced when ambient conditions turned for the worse.  N. Ref:: 40

 

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[154]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Intestinal graft-versus-host disease: mechanisms and management.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Drugs 2003;63(1):1-15.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Takatsuka H; Iwasaki T; Okamoto T; Kakishita E

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Second Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan. hematol@hyo-med.ac.jp

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the treatment of choice for a number of malignancies. However, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has long been regarded as a serious complication of this procedure. Although GVHD may affect any organ, intestinal GVHD is particularly important because of its frequency, severity and impact on the general condition of the patient. Recent studies have led to progressive elucidation of the mechanism of GVHD. Donor T cells are critical for the induction of GVHD, because depletion of T cells from bone marrow grafts effectively prevents GVHD but also results in an increase of leukaemia relapse. It has been shown that the gastrointestinal tract plays a major role in the amplification of systemic disease because gastrointestinal damage increases the translocation of endotoxins, which promotes further inflammation and additional gastrointestinal damage. Consequently, the management of intestinal GVHD (and the intestine itself) is a subject that should be highlighted. In this article, approaches to the prevention of intestinal GVHD are discussed after being classified into three categories: regimens in common clinical use, regimens under investigation and original regimens used at our hospital. The standard regimen that is used most widely for prevention of GVHD is cyclosporin plus short-term methotrexate. Corticosteroids can be added to this regimen but careful consideration of the adverse effects of these hormones should be considered. Tacrolimus is a newer, more potent alternative to cyclosporin. T-cell depletion (TCD) after transplantation has been shown to prevent acute GVHD, however, the survival benefit of TCD has not been as great as expected. Mycophenolate mofetil can be useful for the treatment of acute GVHD as part of combination therapy. Regimens currently under investigation in animal experiments include suppression of inflammatory cytokines and inhibition of T-cell activation, and, specifically at our institution, hepatocyte growth factor gene therapy. The evidence-based therapy used at our institution includes systemic antibacterial therapy (including eradication of intestinal bacteria) to prevent the intestinal translocation of lipopolysaccharide and avoid the subsequent increase of various inflammatory cytokines. In addition, because of the similarities between intestinal GVHD and ulcerative colitis, sulfasalazine, betamethasone enemas and eicosapentaenoic acid have been used to treat intestinal GVHD in some patients.  N. Ref:: 125

 

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[155]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Prevention strategies for type 1 diabetes mellitus: current status and future directions.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - BioDrugs 2003;17(1):39-64.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Winter WE; Schatz D

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. winter@pathology.ufl.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Type 1 diabetes mellitus affects about 1 in 300 people in North America and Europe. Epidemiological studies indicate that the incidence and thus prevalence of type 1 diabetes is rising worldwide. Intervention in autoimmune type 1a diabetes could occur at the time of diagnosis or, preferably, prior to clinical presentation during the ‘prediabetic’ period (e.g. prevention). Prediabetes is best recognised by the detection of islet autoantibodies in the serum. Promising intervention strategies include monoclonal antibody therapies (e.g. anti-CD3, anti-CD25, anti-CD52 or anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies), immunosuppression (e.g. calcineurin inhibitors, B7 blockade, glucocorticoids, sirolimus (rapamycin), azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil), immunomodulatory therapies (e.g. plasmapheresis, intravenous immunoglobulin, cytokine administration, adoptive cellular gene therapy) and tolerisation interventions (e.g. autoantigen administration or avoidance, altered peptide ligand or peptide-based therapies). To date, islet and pancreas transplantation have essentially been reserved for patients with long-standing diabetes who have complications and are also in need of a concurrent kidney transplant. None of the therapies attempted to date has produced long-term remissions in new-onset type 1 diabetes patients and no therapies have been shown to prevent the disease. Nevertheless, with advances in our understanding of basic immunology and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of tolerance induction and maintenance, successful intervention therapies will be developed. The balance between safety and efficacy is critical. Higher rates of adverse events might be more tolerable in new-onset type 1 diabetes patients if the therapy is extremely effective at inducing a permanent remission. However, therapies must not harm the beta-cells themselves or any organ system that is a potential target of diabetes complications, such as the nervous system, retina, cardiovascular system or kidney. In the treatment of prediabetes, successful therapies should provide a level of safety similar to that of currently used vaccines and a high level of efficacy.  N. Ref:: 244

 

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[156]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Regulation of MAPK signaling pathways through immunophilin-ligand complex.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Med Chem 2003;3(12):1358-67.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Matsuda S; Koyasu S

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - It is well established that the immunosuppressive effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 (also known as tacrolimus) are mediated through binding to their cognate cellular proteins cyclophilin and FKBP (collectively termed immunophilins), respectively. Biochemical analysis had revealed that cyclophilin-CsA and FKBP-FK506 complexes bind to and inactivate Ca(2+)-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin. Since calcineurin regulates nuclear translocation and subsequent activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factors that is one of essential steps for cytokine gene expression in activated T cells, it is believed that inhibition of calcineurin is a molecular basis of the immunosuppressive properties of CsA and FK506. However, recent studies indicate that both CsA and FK506 can block activation of JNK and p38 signaling pathways during T cell activation. CsA and FK506, thus, have two distinct mechanisms of action; one is the inhibition of the protein phosphatase activity of calcineurin, leading to the blockade of the nuclear translocation of NFAT transcription factors, and the other is the suppression of JNK and p38 activation pathways. It is likely that the presence of two distinct targets in T cell activation makes CsA and FK506 highly potent immunosuppressive drugs. Here we discuss the action of immunophilin-ligand complexes on JNK and p38 activation pathways. We also argue the possibility of immunotherapeutic application targeting at JNK and p38 signaling pathways.  N. Ref:: 121

 

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[157]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Tailoring immunosuppressive therapy based on donor and recipient risk factors.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 May;33(3):2207-11.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - First MR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0585, USA.  N. Ref:: 35

 

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[158]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Cytokine and immunosuppressive therapies of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2002 Jun;31(2):477-95.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Gottlieb PA; Hayward AR

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Box B140, 4200 East 9th Ave., Denver, CO 80262, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In this article, the authors covered a number of issues that affect how researchers approach prevention of diabetes. The focus has been the use of cytokines and immunosuppressive therapies. The historical understanding of cytokine and immunosuppressive approaches, new developments in using these agents in humans, and the issues involved in designing diabetes prevention trials were reviewed. Although progress at times appears slow, the current research activities predict new developments in the next few years that may improve the understanding of the progression of diabetes and possible ways to intervene.  N. Ref:: 79

 

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[159]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Maintenance immunosuppression in the renal transplant recipient: an overview.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Kidney Dis 2001 Dec;38(6 Suppl 6):S25-35.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Gaston RS

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Nephrology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. rgaston@nrtc.uab.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Managing maintenance immunosuppressive regimens after kidney transplantation is often challenging and confusing, requiring careful attention to efficacy, dosing, adverse effects, and costs of multiple medications. Most protocols combine a primary immunosuppressant (cyclosporine or tacrolimus) with one or two adjunctive agents (azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, corticosteroids). Avoiding drug-drug interactions is a major part of effective immunosuppressant management, and special situations (eg, pregnancy, intravenous dosing, caring for minority patients) can prove especially daunting. This review summarizes available data regarding current practices in maintenance immunosuppression, emphasizing issues that arise in day-to-day management of renal transplant recipients.  N. Ref:: 69

 

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[160]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Regulation of endothelial-type NO synthase expression in pathophysiology and in response to drugs.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nitric Oxide 2002 Nov;7(3):149-64.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Li H; Wallerath T; Munzel T; Forstermann U

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pharmacology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, D-55101, Mainz, Germany.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In many types of cardiovascular pathophysiology such as hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, diabetes, cigarette smoking, or hypertension (with its sequelae stroke and heart failure) the expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is altered. Both up- and downregulation of eNOS have been observed, depending on the underlying disease. When eNOS is upregulated, the upregulation is often futile and goes along with a reduction in bioactive NO. This is due to an increased production of superoxide generated by NAD(P)H oxidase and by an uncoupled eNOS. A number of drugs with favorable effects on cardiovascular disease upregulate eNOS expression. The resulting increase in vascular NO production may contribute to their beneficial effects. These compounds include statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, AT1 receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers, and some antioxidants. Other drugs such as glucocorticoids, whose administration is associated with cardiovascular side effects, downregulate eNOS expression. Stills others such as the immunosuppressants cyclosporine A and FK506/tacrolimus or erythropoietin have inconsistent effects on eNOS. Thus regulation of eNOS expression and activity contributes to the overall action of several classes of drugs, and the development of compounds that specifically upregulate this protective enzyme appears as a desirable target for drug development.  N. Ref:: 201

 

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[161]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - What’s in the pipeline? New immunosuppressive drugs in transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Transplant 2002 Nov;2(10):898-903.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Vincenti F

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University of California, San Francisco, Kidney Transplant Service, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Room 884M, San Francisco, CA 94143-0116, USA. vincentif@surgery.ucsf.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In the pipeline, there are a number of novel immunosuppressive drugs in preclinical development or in early clinical trials. The major target of new agents are cell-surface molecules important in immune cell interactions (especially the costimulatory pathway), signaling pathways that activate T cells, T-cell proliferation and trafficking and recruitment of immune cells responsible for rejection. The most promising biologic agents include a humanized anti-CD11a (anti-LFA1), humanized anti-B7.1/B7.2, a second-generation CTLA4Ig (LEA29Y) and a humanized antibody to anti-CD45 RB. Inhibitors of T-cell activation and signaling are still in preclinical development. The most interesting inhibitors of T-cell proliferation include inhibitors of the Janus protein tyrosine kinase, JAK3, and FK778, a leflunomide analog. Chemokines play an important role in rejection by virtue of their critical role as regulator of trafficking and activation of lymphocytes. Early trials of FTY720, a synthetic small molecule with functional homology to sphingosine-1 phosphate leading to lymphocyte sequestration, appear very promising; however, enthusiasm for this drug is mitigated by its potential cardiac side-effects. Antagonists to several chemokine receptors, including CCR1, CXCR3 and CCR5, have been shown to be effective in experimental transplantation and are likely to be considered for clinical development.  N. Ref:: 46

 

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[162]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Current and potential agents for the treatment of alopecia areata.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Pharm Des 2001 Feb;7(3):213-30.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Freyschmidt-Paul P; Hoffmann R; Levine E; Sundberg JP; Happle R; McElwee KJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Dermatology, Philipp University, Marburg, Germany. freyschm@mailer.uni-marburg.de

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Alopecia areata is considered to be a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease of the hair follicle. Current immunosuppressive approaches and immunomodulatory treatment with contact sensitizers such as diphenylcyclopropenone and squaric acid dibutylester are dealt with in this review article. The efficacy of the various modes of treatment is evaluated by a review of literature and their mode of action is discussed. In accordance with the mechanism of autoimmune pathogenesis of AA, improved future treatments may be immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory, or they should otherwise protect the hair follicle from the injurious effects of the inflammation. Such possible future therapeutic approaches include the use of liposomes as an improved vehicle, application of immunosuppressive cytokines like TGF-beta and IL-10, inhibition of apoptosis mediated by the Fas-FasL system, inhibition of the lymphocyte homing receptor CD44v10, induction of tolerance as well as principles of gene therapy.  N. Ref:: 141

 

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[163]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Tolerance to islet autoantigens in type 1 diabetes.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Annu Rev Immunol 2001;19:131-61.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1146/annurev.immunol.19.1.131

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Bach JF; Chatenoud L

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - INSERM U 25, Hopital Necker, 161 rue de Sevres, Paris Cedex 15, 75743 France. bach@necker.fr

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Tolerance to beta cell autoantigens represents a fragile equilibrium. Autoreactive T cells specific to these autoantigens are present in most normal individuals but are kept under control by a number of peripheral tolerance mechanisms, among which CD4(+) CD25(+) CD62L(+) T cell-mediated regulation probably plays a central role. The equilibrium may be disrupted by inappropriate activation of autoantigen-specific T cells, notably following to local inflammation that enhances the expression of the various molecules contributing to antigen recognition by T cells. Even when T cell activation finally overrides regulation, stimulation of regulatory cells by CD3 antibodies may reset the control of autoimmunity. Other procedures may also lead to disease prevention. These procedures are essentially focused on Th2 cytokines, whether used systemically or produced by Th2 cells after specific stimulation by autoantigens. Protection can also be obtained by NK T cell stimulation. Administration of beta cell antigens or CD3 antibodies is now being tested in clinical trials in prediabetics and/or recently diagnosed diabetes.  N. Ref:: 153

 

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[164]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Early experience using calcineurin-free protocol in recipients of high-risk cadaver renal transplants.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2002 Aug;34(5):1627-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - El-Sabrout R; Delaney V; Butt F; Qadir M; Rashid I; Hanson P; Butt K

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Departments of Transplantation/Vascular Surgery, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA.

 

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[165]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Reactivation of replication of hepatitis B and C viruses after immunosuppressive therapy: an unresolved issue.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Lancet Oncol 2002 Jun;3(6):333-40.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Vento S; Cainelli F; Longhi MS

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Borgo Trento Hospital, Verona, Italy. ventosandro@yahoo.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The liver is susceptible to the toxic effects of many cytotoxic or immunosuppressive treatments. However, in carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and, less frequently, of hepatitis C virus, liver damage due to reactivation of viral replication can occur after withdrawal of immunosuppressive drugs. These reactivations, which are associated with fulminant forms of hepatitis in up to 25% of cases, are observed both in symptom-free chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen and in patients who have chronic hepatitis B or C and concurrent haematological tumours or solid neoplasms or who have received transplants. HBV-related complications may cause delays or modifications of therapy, and the chance of cure is reduced. In this review, we analyse clinical, biochemical, and serological issues in reactivation of viral replication and examine the role of immune reactions in the pathogenesis and the possible toxicity of immunosuppressive drugs. We emphasise the importance of identifying predictive markers of a clinically relevant reactivation, review difficulties in drug prevention and treatment, indicate studies that are needed to address the key clinical issues, and give practical recommendations to practising physicians and oncologists.  N. Ref:: 60

 

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[166]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation after cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy—pathogenesis and management.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Rev Med Virol 2001 Sep-Oct;11(5):287-99.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1002/rmv.322 [pii]

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Xunrong L; Yan AW; Liang R; Lau GK

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulum Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In an endemic area for chronic hepatitis B infection, reactivation of this virus is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy. Careful prospective serological testing has shown that hepatitis B virus reactivation is a two-staged process. The initial stage occurs during intense cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy and is characterised by enhanced viral replication, as reflected by increases in the serum levels of hepatitis B virus DNA, hepatitis B e antigen, hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase and infection of naive hepatocytes with hepatitis B virus. The second stage is related to restoration of immune function following withdrawal of cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy, which causes rapid immune-mediated destruction of infected hepatocytes. Clinically, this can lead to hepatitis, hepatic failure and even death. The occurrence and severity of hepatitis B virus reactivation after various cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy is unpredictable and treatment has been disappointing, largely due to the late administration of therapy. Recently, pre-emptive treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients undergoing cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy, with potent nucleoside analogues has shown some promising results. Further controlled studies are needed to define the incidence and risk factors of hepatitis B reactivation so that pre-emptive treatment with nucleoside analogues could be administered to those patients at high risk of disease.  N. Ref:: 93

 

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[167]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The role of newer monoclonal antibodies in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 Feb-Mar;33(1-2):1000-1.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Vincenti F

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.  N. Ref:: 5

 

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[168]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Mechanisms of action of therapeutics in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2003 Dec;25 Suppl 1:S52-6.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Cines DB; McKenzie SE; Siegel DL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 513A Stellar-Chance, 422 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. dcines@mail.med.upenn.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a common immune disorder caused by platelet-reactive autoantibodies. Antibody-coated platelets are cleared more rapidly from the circulation, often in the spleen, than they can be replaced by compensatory stimulation of platelet production in the bone marrow. In some patients, platelet production is depressed as well. ITP in adults does not generally remit spontaneously, and most patients require treatment to prevent bleeding at one time or another. Therapy with corticosteroids, danazol, intravenous immune globulin, anti-D antibody, and several other agents inhibits clearance of the antibody-coated platelets but is rarely curative. Most patients will sustain a hemostatic response after splenectomy, although relapses may occur at any time. Patients may be more responsive to these same modalities after splenectomy, but treatment with an immunosuppressant that inhibits T- and B-cell function and cooperation, including azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, or anti-CD20, may be required. Antiviral therapy is useful in patients with HIV or hepatitis C infection, but no consensus has been reached as to the efficacy of antibiotics to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. Promising results have been seen in several patients treated with a modified thrombopoietin. It may be possible to design therapeutics that exploit the apparent restricted immunoglobulin gene usage by antiplatelet antibodies, perhaps in the form of engineered anti-idiotypic antibodies or other compounds that specifically target autoantibody-producing B cells. Rationale therapy awaits a more thorough understanding of autoantibody production.  N. Ref:: 46

 

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[169]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Advances in the management of psoriasis: monoclonal antibody therapies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Int J Dermatol 2002 Dec;41(12):827-35.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Mehrabi D; DiCarlo JB; Soon SL; McCall CO

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Psoriasis is a common skin disorder characterized by erythematous, scaling plaques. Until recently, therapies for this disease have been aimed at reducing keratinocyte proliferation. We have learned that psoriasis is not primarily a disorder of keratinocyte hyperproliferation, but is an inflammatory disease. This knowledge, especially our current understanding of the role of activated T cells in psoriasis, has led to new therapeutic options and new areas of research. Immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporine have proven very useful in the treatment of psoriasis, but their use is limited by toxicity. Monoclonal antibodies directed against key components of the inflammatory process have been studied in an attempt to produce safer, more selective immunosuppressive agents. This review summarizes much of the available literature describing the use of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of psoriasis.  N. Ref:: 59

 

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[170]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Molecular mechanisms of renal allograft fibrosis.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Br J Surg 2001 Nov;88(11):1429-41.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1046/j.0007-1323.2001.01867.x

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Waller JR; Nicholson ML

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. julian@waller79.fsnet.co.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - BACKGROUND: Chronic graft nephropathy (CGN) remains the leading cause of renal allograft loss after the first year following transplantation. Histologically it is characterized by glomerulosclerosis, intimal hyperplasia and interstitial fibrosis. The pathogenesis is unclear, but is likely to involve both immunological and non-immunological factors. Despite improvements in short-term graft survival rates, new immunosuppressive regimens have made no impact on CGN. METHODS: A review of the current literature on renal transplantation, novel immunosuppression regimens and advances in the molecular pathogenesis of renal allograft fibrosis was performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Recent advances in understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms involved suggest autocrine secretion of cytokines and growth factors, especially transforming growth factor beta, are associated with a change in fibroblast phenotype leading to the deposition of extracellular matrix. Repeated insults trigger upregulation of the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, favouring accumulation of extracellular matrix. To date, no drug has proved effective in inhibiting or reducing allograft fibrosis. The deleterious consequences of chronic immunosuppression on the development of such fibrosis are now recognized; newer immunosuppressive drugs, including rapamycin and mycophenolate mofetil, reduce profibrotic gene expression in both experimental and clinical settings, and offer potential strategies for prolonging allograft survival.  N. Ref:: 155

 

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[171]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Immunologic risk factors for chronic renal allograft dysfunction.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2001 Jun 15;71(11 Suppl):SS17-23.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Paul LC

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Leiden University Medical School, The Netherlands.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Tissue injury is probably the central feature leading to CRAD, whether that injury is produced by immunological or nonimmunological factors. Tissue injury may expose cryptic antigens that, in an allogeneic situation, stimulate immune responses that further increase tissue damage. With acute rejection the immunological factor most strongly predictive of CRAD, HLA mismatches may facilitate rejection or otherwise lead to CRAD. However, clinical studies have not always demonstrated an increasing risk of CRAD with increased numbers of HLA mismatches. Antibodies produced against HLA or other donor-specific antigens may play a role in initiating the CRAD process or may occur secondary to tissue damage. Several human transplant studies have demonstrated an association between anti-HLA or anti-B cell antibodies and CRAD. In animal models of CRAD, antibodies are produced against antigens associated with glomerular and tubular basement membranes and mesangial cells, as well as antigens associated with vascular endothelial cells. The pathogenetic significance of these antibody responses is unclear at this time, but these responses may interfere with repair processes that follow tissue injury or otherwise facilitate mechanisms leading to CRAD. Whether similar antibody responses against components of basement membrane and mesangial cells occur in human renal transplant patients with CRAD is not yet known. The most effective way to prevent CRAD is to prevent tissue damage, especially immunity-related injury that involves maintaining appropriate immunosuppression. When using calcineurin inhibitors for immunosuppression, there is a risk of chronic calcineurin inhibitor-associated nephrotoxicity. Nonnephrotoxic immunosuppressive agents, such as sirolimus and mycophenolate mofetil, may be considered in therapeutic strategies designed to prevent acute rejection and to minimize renal tissue damage due to nephrotoxic drugs.  N. Ref:: 54

 

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[172]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Daclizumab: a review of its use in the management of organ transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - BioDrugs 2001;15(11):745-73.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Carswell CI; Plosker GL; Wagstaff AJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Adis International Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. demail@adis.co.nz

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The humanised monoclonal antibody daclizumab is an immunosuppressive agent that reduces acute rejection in solid organ transplantation. It is specific for the alpha subunit (Tac/CD25) of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor on activated T cells and achieves immunosuppression by competitive antagonism of IL-2-induced T cell proliferation. When added to standard triple immunosuppression regimens, daclizumab significantly reduces the rate of acute rejection at 1 year in renal transplantation by 36% and there are indications that it may be effective in other solid organ transplantations. Three-year outcomes of two phase III clinical trials in renal transplantation indicate similar values for graft and patient survival between daclizumab and placebo when given in addition to triple immunosuppression; however, these pivotal trials were not designed with sufficient power to demonstrate any statistical significance. The addition of daclizumab induction shows potential in allowing calcineurin inhibitor- and corticosteroid-sparing regimens without increasing the rate of acute graft rejection or adverse effects in renal and liver transplantation. Preliminary reports indicate that daclizumab may also be a useful agent in delayed graft function and graft versus host disease (GVHD). Further investigation of its efficacy in these groups and in children is needed. Data from clinical trials show daclizumab to be well tolerated in solid organ transplantation. It does not increase the incidence of infection, including cytomegalovirus infection, when compared with placebo or no induction groups. Preliminary comparative data with muromonab CD3 indicate that daclizumab may be associated with a lower rate of infectious complications and similar or better efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, daclizumab has been proven to reduce acute rejection in renal transplant recipients when given in addition to traditional baseline immunosuppression. It has shown potential to reduce acute rejection in other solid organ transplants; however, well designed, randomised studies are required to confirm this. Clinical experience from trials to date indicate that daclizumab has a tolerability profile similar to placebo with no significant effect on the incidence of infection. The relative efficacy and tolerability of daclizumab compared with other induction agents has yet to be defined. Available data suggest that daclizumab may allow the use of calcineurin inhibitor-sparing and corticosteroid-sparing regimens and may have potential in the treatment of GVHD.  N. Ref:: 80

 

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[173]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Neuroimmunophilin ligands: the development of novel neuroregenerative/ neuroprotective compounds.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Med Chem 2003;3(12):1368-75.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Gold BG; Villafranca JE

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, Developmental Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201-3098, USA. gold@ohsu.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - FK506 (tacrolimus), initially developed as an immunosuppressant drug, represents a class of compounds with potential high impact for the treatment of human neurological disorders. While immunosuppression is mediated by the 12-kD FK506-binding-protein (FKBP-12), the neurite elongation activity of FK506 involves FKBP-52 (also known as FKBP-59 or Hsp-56), a component of mature steroid receptor complexes: FKBP-52 binds to Hsp-90, which bind to p23 and the steroid receptor protein to form the complex. The brief review focuses on how three classes of compounds (FK506 derivatives, steroid hormones, and ansamycin anti-cancer drugs, e.g., geldanamycin) increase neurite elongation/nerve regeneration (axonal elongation). A model is presented whereby neurite elongation is elicited by compounds that bind to steroid receptor chaperone proteins (e.g., FKBP-52 and Hsp-90) and thereby disrupt mature steroid receptor complexes (comprising FKBP-52, Hsp-90 and p23 in addition to the steroid receptor binding protein). Disruption of the complex leads to a “gain-of-function” whereby one or more of these steroid receptor chaperone proteins (i.e, FKBP-52, Hsp-90 or p23) activates mitogen-associated protein (MAP) kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Thus, the neurotrophic actions of these distinct classes of compounds can be understood from their ability to bind steroid receptor chaperones, thereby providing a unique receptor-mediated means to activate the ERK pathway. These studies thereby shed new light on the intrinsic mechanism regulating axonal elongation. Furthermore, this mechanism may also underlie calcineurin-independent neuroprotective actions of FK506. We suggest that components of steroid receptor complexes are novel targets for the design of neuroregenerative/neuroprotective drugs.  N. Ref:: 98

 

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[174]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Donor specific transfusion in kidney transplantation: effect of different immunosuppressive protocols on graft outcome.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 Aug;33(5):2787-8.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Barbari A; Stephan A; Masri MA; Joubran N; Dagher O; Kamel G

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department ofNephrology and Transplantation, Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.

 

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[175]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sequential protocol biopsies from renal transplant recipients show an increasing expression of active TGF beta.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transpl Int 2002 Dec;15(12):630-4. Epub 2002 Oct 19.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1007/s00147-002-0472-3

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Jain S; Mohamed MA; Sandford R; Furness PN; Nicholson ML; Talbot D

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - University Department of Surgery, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester, LE5 4PW, UK. sj34@le.ac.uk

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is a major cause of graft loss after renal transplantation. Implicated in the pathogenesis of this complication is overproduction of the cytokine transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta). In this study we measured changes in CAN’s expression in stable patients early after transplantation, and studied links with established risk factors for CAN, such as delayed graft function, acute rejection, and cyclosporine exposure. We took biopsies from 40 renal allografts at time of transplantation (pre-perfusion), and then, using ultrasound guidance, at 1 week and 6 months after transplantation. An immunofluorescence technique was used to stain sections for active TGF beta. These were then assessed by semi-quantitative scanning laser confocal microscopy. There was very little variation in active TGF-beta expression among patients in their pre-perfusion biopsies. Expression had increased by 1 week and then very significantly by 6 months ( P<0.0001). Patients who suffered delayed graft function had increased TGF-beta expression at both time points. There was no difference regarding donor type, acute rejection, and immunosuppressive drug (cyclosporine or tacrolimus). There was no correlation between the amount of TGF-beta expression at any time-point and isotope glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 12 months. This study demonstrated that in a group of stable renal allograft recipients, TGF-beta expression in the kidney increased after transplantation. As the study used protocol biopsies, this increase is unlikely to be due to acute events, and probably represents a genuine increase.

 

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[176]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Overview of clinical trials with new agents.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 May;33(3):2201-3.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Charpentier B; Hiesse C; Durrbach A; Ammor M; Von Ey F; Kechrid C; Kriaa F

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Nephrology Department, University Hospital of Bicetre, Kremlin Bicetre, France.  N. Ref:: 12

 

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[177]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Tailoring immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2002 Sep;34(6):2478-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Vathsala A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Renal Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.  N. Ref:: 13

 

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[178]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The macrolide immunosuppressants in dermatology: mechanisms of action.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Eur J Dermatol 2002 Nov-Dec;12(6):618-22.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Marsland AM; Griffiths CE

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Dermatology Centre, University of Manchester School of Medicine, Hope Hospital, United Kingdom. sacha.marsland@virgin.net

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Macrolides are xenobiotics, produced by soil fungi, which have immunosuppressant properties. They will probably revolutionise the treatment of inflammatory dermatoses. This article outlines the context and putative mechanisms of action of this novel class of drugs. Cyclosporin, and the structurally distinct macrolides tacrolimus and pimecrolimus (an ascomycin derivative), modulate immune-cell function by inhibiting calcineurin-dependent dephosphorylation-activation of specific nuclear factors, thus preventing transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The macrolide rapamycin (sirolimus) acts by abrogating Target of Rapamycin, a key signalling protein that controls activation of a number of proteins which direct progression of the cell cycle in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are small enough molecules to penetrate skin and are available in topical formulations. “Skin-specific” pimecrolimus seems not to cause systemic immunosuppression when given orally. Neither topical tacrolimus nor pimecrolimus are capable of producing skin atrophy. Sirolimus has anti-angiogenic properties that may be beneficial to the treatment of psoriasis and perhaps skin cancer.  N. Ref:: 27

 

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[179]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Pharmacokinetic aspects of treating infections in the intensive care unit: focus on drug interactions.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Clin Pharmacokinet 2001;40(11):833-68.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Pea F; Furlanut M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pathology and Medicine, Medical School, University of Udine, Italy. federico.pea@med.uniud.it

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Pharmacokinetic interactions involving anti-infective drugs may be important in the intensive care unit (ICU). Although some interactions involve absorption or distribution, the most clinically relevant interactions during anti-infective treatment involve the elimination phase. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4 are the major isoforms responsible for oxidative metabolism of drugs. Macrolides (especially troleandomycin and erythromycin versus CYP3A4), fluoroquinolones (especially enoxacin, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin versus CYP1A2) and azole antifungals (especially fluconazole versus CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, and ketoconazole and itraconazole versus CYP3A4) are all inhibitors of CYP-mediated metabolism and may therefore be responsible for toxicity of other coadministered drugs by decreasing their clearance. On the other hand, rifampicin is a nonspecific inducer of CYP-mediated metabolism (especially of CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4) and may therefore cause therapeutic failure of other coadministered drugs by increasing their clearance. Drugs frequently used in the ICU that are at risk of clinically relevant pharrmacokinetic interactions with anti-infective agents include some benzodiazepines (especially midazolam and triazolam), immunosuppressive agents (cyclosporin, tacrolimus), antiasthmatic agents (theophylline), opioid analgesics (alfentanil), anticonvulsants (phenytoin, carbamazepine), calcium antagonists (verapamil, nifedipine, felodipine) and anticoagulants (warfarin). Some lipophilic anti-infective agents inhibit (clarithromycin, itraconazole) or induce (rifampicin) the transmembrane transporter P-glycoprotein, which promotes excretion from renal tubular and intestinal cells. This results in a decrease or increase, respectively, in the clearance of P-glycoprotein substrates at the renal level and an increase or decrease, respectively, of their oral bioavailability at the intestinal level. Hydrophilic anti-infective agents are often eliminated unchanged by renal glomerular filtration and tubular secretion, and are therefore involved in competition for excretion. Beta-lactams are known to compete with other drugs for renal tubular secretion mediated by the organic anion transport system, but this is frequently not of major concern, given their wide therapeutic index. However, there is a risk of nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity with some cephalosporins and carbapenems. Therapeutic failure with these hydrophilic compounds may be due to haemodynamically active coadministered drugs, such as dopamine, dobutamine and furosemide, which increase their renal clearance by means of enhanced cardiac output and/or renal blood flow. Therefore, coadministration of some drugs should be avoided, or at least careful therapeutic drug monitoring should be performed when available. Monitoring may be especially helpful when there is some coexisting pathophysiological condition affecting drug disposition, for example malabsorption or marked instability of the systemic circulation or of renal or hepatic function.  N. Ref:: 397

 

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[180]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Plant growth and the TOR pathway.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:97-113.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Menand B; Meyer C; Robaglia C

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - CEA Cadarache DSV DEVM, Laboratoire du Metabolisme Carbone, UMR 163 CNRS CEA, Univ-Mediterranee UMR 163, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - In mammalian, insect, and yeast cells, TOR proteins are essential regulators of cell growth in response to environmental signals including nutrients, mitogens, and stresses. Although many aspects of the TOR-dependent signalling pathway are conserved between animals and fungi, important differences have also been found and are likely to be related to the ecophysiological adaptations of these organisms. The TOR protein also exists in plants. This review will first discuss specific aspects of plants concerning the contribution of cell growth to overall growth, as well as their responses to nutrient starvation, with emphasis on recent results obtained through genetic analysis in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This is followed by the current status of the genetic analysis of the TOR gene in this plant and the search for potential members of a TOR pathway in the Arabidopsis genome.  N. Ref:: 51

 

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[181]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Gut failure and abdominal visceral transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Proc Nutr Soc 2003 Aug;62(3):727-37.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1079/PNS2003288

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Abu-Elmagd K; Bond G

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplantation Center, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. abuelmagdkm@msx.upmc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Despite the reported high survival with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) therapy for patients with intestinal failure, a considerable number of patients do not escape the potential risks of TPN-associated complications, including hepatic failure, vanishing of central venous access and line sepsis. Thus, intestinal, liver-intestinal and multivisceral transplantation have recently emerged to rescue those who can no longer be maintained on TPN. Before this development, and for nearly three decades, small-bowel transplantation was plagued with uncontrolled rejection, graft v. host disease and fatal infection. These barriers stemmed from the large gut lymphoid mass and heavy microbial load contained in the intestinal lumen. The recent improvement in survival after the clinical introduction of tacrolimus with achievement of full enteric nutritional autonomy qualified the procedure by the US Health Care Financing Administration as the standard of care for patients with intestinal and TPN failure. The decision was supported by a decade of clinical experience with cumulative improvement in patient and graft survival. In addition, the introduction of new effective immunoprophylactic agents and novel therapeutic approaches has contributed to a further increase in the therapeutic advantages of the procedure. The present review article outlines the current clinical practice of intestinal transplantation and defines new management strategies with the aim of raising the level of the procedure to be a better alternative therapy for TPN-dependent patients.  N. Ref:: 31

 

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[182]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Cyclophilin D as a drug target.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Med Chem 2003 Aug;10(16):1485-506.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Waldmeier PC; Zimmermann K; Qian T; Tintelnot-Blomley M; Lemasters JJ

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Nervous System Research, Novartis Pharma Ltd., CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland. peter.waldmeier@pharma.novartis.com

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) plays an important role in damage-induced cell death, and agents inhibiting the MPT may have a therapeutic potential for treating human conditions such as ischemia/reperfusion injury, trauma, and neurodegenerative diseases. The mitochondrial matrix protein, cyclophilin D (CYP D), a member of a family of highly homologous peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerases (PPIases), plays a decisive role in MPT, being an integral constituent of the MPT pore. Other putative MPT pore proteins include the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) and the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC). In an alternative model, the MPT pore is formed by clusters of misfolded membrane proteins outlining aqueous channels that are regulated by CYP D and other chaperone-like proteins. Like cyclophilin A (CYP A) and other cyclophilin family members, CYP D is targeted by the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA). CsA is cytoprotective in many cellular and animal models, but protection may result from either inhibition of the MPT through an interaction with CYP D or inhibition of calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation of BAD through an interaction with CYP A. The relevance of MPT inhibition by CsA for its cytoprotective effects is well documented in many cellular models. Mechanisms of action in vivo are more difficult to define, and accordingly the evidence is as yet less compelling in in vivo animal models of ischemia/reperfusion injury, trauma and neurodegenerative diseases. Notwithstanding, CYP D is a drug target of high interest. Structural considerations suggest feasibility of designing CYP D ligands without immunosuppressant properties. This is highly desirable, since they have the potential of being useful therapeutic agents in a variety of disease states. It might be a tougher challenge to obtain compounds specific for CYP D vs. other cyclophilins, and/or of small molecular weight, allowing brain penetration to make them suitable for treating neurodegenerative diseases.  N. Ref:: 204

 

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[183]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Infectious complications in SLE after immunosuppressive therapies.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Rheumatol 2003 Sep;15(5):528-34.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Kang I; Park SH

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Section of Rheumatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. insoo.kang@yale.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Immunosuppressive drugs have become the gold standard for the treatment of major organ involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus. The use of immunosuppressive therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus carries significant risks for infection. This article reviews infectious complications in systemic lupus erythematosus, focusing on effects of immunosuppressive therapy. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus appear to carry an intrinsically increased risk for infection. Recent studies support this notion further by showing increased risk for serious infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who had mannose-binding lectin deficiency associated with homozygous mannose-binding lectin variant alleles. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were homozygous for mannose-binding lectin variant alleles had a fourfold increase in the incidence of infections, requiring hospitalization. In terms of extrinsic risk factors for infection, use of steroids and cyclophosphamide are the strongest risk factors. The effect of these drugs on infection is also dose dependent. The incidence of infectious complications in patients treated with mycophenolate mofetil, a newly used immunosuppressive drug in systemic lupus erythematosus, appears less frequent compared with cyclophosphamide. Herpes zoster is still the most common viral infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil. Overall data indicate that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus may have intrinsically increased risks for infection that are augmented by immunosuppressive therapies. Cyclophosphamide, in particular in combination with high-dose glucocorticoids, has the strongest effect in suppressing the immune responses against microorganisms. Careful monitoring of infectious complications is warranted in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus receiving immunosuppressive therapies, in particular those on high-dose glucocorticoids and cytotoxic drugs.  N. Ref:: 87

 

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[184]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Teaching old drugs new tricks: reincarnating immunosuppressants as antifungal drugs.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Investig Drugs 2003 Feb;4(2):192-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Blankenship JR; Steinbach WJ; Perfect JR; Heitman J

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Invasive fungal infections are rising worldwide as the number of immunocompromised patients increases. Unfortunately, our armamentarium of antifungal drugs is limited. Although current therapies are effective in treating some of the most prevalent infections, the development of novel treatments is vital because of emerging drug-resistant strains and species and because of the toxicity of certain current therapies. The immunosuppressive drugs CsA (cyclosporin A), FK-506 (tacrolimus) and rapamycin (sirolimus) exert potent antifungal effects against a variety of pathogenic fungi. These compounds are all currently in clinical use as immunosuppressive therapy to treat and prevent rejection of transplanted organs. Rapamycin is also in clinical trials as an antiproliferative agent for chemotherapy and invasive cardiology. Recent studies reveal a potent fungicidal synergism between azoles and the calcineurin inhibitors CsA and FK-506, and animal studies demonstrate that the CsA-fluconazole synergistic combination has therapeutic benefit. Less immunosuppressive analogs have been identified with potential to enhance current therapies, or as monotherapy without deleterious effects on the immune system. In summary, these highly successful pharmaceutical agents may find an even broader clinical application in combating infectious diseases.  N. Ref:: 74

 

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[185]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sirolimus: a new promising immunosuppressive drug. Towards a rationale for its use in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2001 Jan;16(1):18-20.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Morelon E; Mamzer-Bruneel MF; Peraldi MN; Kreis H  N. Ref:: 19

 

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[186]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Alternariosis after liver transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplantation 2001 Dec 15;72(11):1840-3.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Benito N; Moreno A; Puig J; Rimola A

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Institut Clinic d’ Infeccions i Inmunologia, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, España. nbenito@clinic.ub.es

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Alternaria is a saprophytic fungus that is increasingly recognized as a human pathogen, particularly in immunocompromised hosts, including solid-organ transplant recipients. Although combined surgical and medical treatment seem to be useful in the management of this infection, an optimal antifungal therapy remains to be defined. Only four cases of alternariosis after orthotopic liver transplantation have been reported. We describe an additional case and review the literature on infections due to Alternaria in organ transplant recipients, with special emphasis on treatment.  N. Ref:: 20

 

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[187]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - T-cell depleting antibodies: new hope for induction of allograft tolerance in bone marrow transplantation?

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - BioDrugs 2003;17(3):147-54.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Simpson D

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - North Shore Hospital, PB 93-503, Takapuna, Auckland 1309, New Zealand. david.simpson@whl.co.nz

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains the main barrier to successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant outcomes. Depletion of graft T cells is an effective way of reducing the incidence of acute and chronic GVHD, and a variety of methods have been used to achieve this depletion. Donor CD8+ T cells seem to be the critical effector cells; GVHD is reduced when the depletion process eliminates these cells, but not when CD4 cells are targeted alone. However, despite the successful reduction in GVHD, transplant outcomes are usually inferior with T-cell depleted transplants, because of increased graft failure, infections and relapse. Alternative approaches are needed. In vivo T-cell depletion, using antithymocyte globulin (ATG) as part of the conditioning regimen, seems an attractive option. Pre-transplant ATG lingers in the bone marrow to deplete engrafting donor T cells, but also depletes host T cells to prevent graft rejection and allow de-escalation of the conditioning regimen. It also avoids the need for graft manipulation with its associated costs, need for expertise and CD34+ cell loss. The efficacy of pre-transplant horse ATG remains anecdotal but it has been reported to modestly lower GVHD in single arm studies. Rabbit ATG has been studied in prospective randomised trials. There is evidence of a dose-response effect in reducing GVHD; however, there was no improvement in outcome, because of increased mortality associated with infection. In contrast, pre-transplant alemtuzumab (campath-1H) or an earlier version of this molecule (campath-1G), which target CD52+ cells, do appear to be effective in reducing both acute and chronic GVHD. There is speculation that this is not solely due to the effect of campath on T cells but that it may also be due to the elimination of host antigen-presenting cells (APC), which seem to be important in GVHD pathogenesis. Host APC are more efficient at expressing endogenous and exogenous host antigens on class I MHC to donor CD8+ cells than donor APC, which need to cross-prime exogenous antigen. Campath-1G eliminates host dendritic cells by the time of graft infusion, supporting this as a possible mechanism of action. Pre-transplant alemtuzumab has not yet been studied in a prospective randomised study, and this is required to quantify any benefit on outcome; despite this, published studies do show cause for optimism.  N. Ref:: 42

 

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[188]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Subcutaneous infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Bone Marrow Transplant 2001 Oct;28(7):709-11.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1038/sj/bmt/1703211

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Okano A; Shimazaki C; Ochiai N; Hatsuse M; Takahashi R; Ashihara E; Inaba T; Fujita N; Noda Y; Nakagawa M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Second Department of Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kami-gyoku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Reports of cases of mycobacterial infections after SCT are rare. We report a 30-year-old female with a cutaneous infection of Mycobacterium fortuitum 30 months after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient was successfully treated with surgical debridement followed by oral minocycline and clarithromycin. Mycobacterial infections should be considered in SCT patients with undiagnosed refractory chronic cutaneous infection, and surgical debridement is useful for the diagnosis and treatment of such infections.  N. Ref:: 7

 

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[189]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Immune activation is required for the induction of liver allograft tolerance: implications for immunosuppressive therapy.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Liver Transpl 2001 Mar;7(3):161-72.

      ●● Enlace al texto completo (gratuito o de pago) 1053/jlts.2001.22321

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Bishop GA; McCaughan GW

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - A.W. Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Laboratory, Centenary Institute, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Liver transplants in many animal models are unusual because often they are not rejected even when transplanted across complete major histocompatibility complex barriers without immunosuppression. Their paradoxical behavior is even more obvious when the immune mechanism of acceptance is examined. Instead of acceptance resulting from a lack of immune response to the graft, the opposite occurs, and there is an unusual extensive increase in immune activation in acceptance compared with rejection. This abnormal extensive immune activation is driven by donor leukocytes transferred with the liver and results in death of the recipient cells that would normally reject the transplant. Some forms of immunosuppression inhibit this activation-associated liver transplant tolerance. The significance of these findings and possible means to design future treatment protocols for clinical transplantation that optimize management of liver transplant recipients are discussed.  N. Ref:: 97

 

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[190]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Evolution of immunosuppression and continued importance of acute rejection in renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Am J Kidney Dis 2001 Dec;38(6 Suppl 6):S2-9.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chan L; Gaston R; Hariharan S

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Renal Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA. Larry.Chan@uchsc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - As steady improvement in short-term kidney graft survival and long-term outcomes prolongs the lives of transplant patients, responsibility for their care is shifting away from transplant specialists and into the hands of community nephrologists. Therefore, community nephrologists need to have a deeper understanding of immunosuppressive therapies than ever before. Pharmacologic immunosuppression has been continuously evolving over the past two decades. Azathioprine was introduced in the early 1960s. Introduction of cyclosporine (CsA) in 1983 revolutionized short-term outcomes after renal transplantation. The first monoclonal antibody immunosuppressant, OKT3, was introduced in 1986. The 1990s saw the introduction of a number of important new agents, including mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), tacrolimus, and a microemulsion CsA, as well as two new monoclonal antibodies. Combinations of these new agents, along with improving clinical care, have produced 1-year patient survival approaching 100% and graft survival exceeding 90%. The newest class of agents, the first of which is sirolimus, is called target of rapamycin (TOR) inhibitors and is used with CsA for maintenance therapy. Immunosuppressive drug therapy after kidney transplantation continues to evolve. There is a variety of pharmacologic combinations from which to choose, based on immunologic risk and side effect profiles. As new regimens are developed, ongoing communications between the transplant center and community nephrologists will be required to implement therapeutic changes and optimize patient care successfully.  N. Ref:: 59

 

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[191]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Decreasing side effects of Neoral through three-times-a-day protocol in Chinese renal transplant patients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2001 Nov-Dec;33(7-8):3156-7.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Chen ZS; Zeng FJ; Lin ZB; Chen ZK; Sha B; Wen ZX; Ming CS; Zhang WJ; Xia SS

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

 

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[192]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Influence of cyclosporin, tacrolimus and rapamycin on renal function and arterial hypertension after renal transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Nephrol Dial Transplant. Acceso gratuito al texto completo a partir de los 2 años de la fecha de publicación.

      ●● Enlace a la Editora de la Revista http://ndt.oupjournals.org/ 

      ●● Cita: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: <> 2001;16 Suppl 1:121-4.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Morales JM; Andres A; Rengel M; Rodicio JL

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Renal Transplant Unit, Nephrology Department, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Cyclosporin and tacrolimus have improved survival figures in organ transplantation. However, both drugs are potentially nephrotoxic. The immunosuppressive and nephrotoxic effects of both drugs appear to depend on the inhibition of calcineurin. Cyclosporin and tacrolimus cause acute (functional changes) and chronic nephrotoxicity (structural lesions in the kidney). These last important lesions include arteriolar hyalinosis, stripped interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. It is possible that repeated episodes of renal ischaemia contribute to the development of chronic nephrotoxicity and then chronic allograft nephropathy. Cyclosporin and tacrolimus also induce arterial hypertension. Therefore, the beneficial effects of immunosuppression have been limited due to nephrotoxicity and arterial hypertension. Rapamycin, a novel immunosuppressive agent, that does not inhibit calcineurin, provides immunosuppression without nephrotoxicity. In fact, in the trials performed in Europe, sirolimus-treated immunosuppression patients exhibited a much better renal function than cyclosporin-treated patients. However, sirolimus can potentiate the nephrotoxic effect of cyclosporin. Therefore, when cyclosporin and sirolimus are used in combination, a reduction of the cyclosporin dose is desirable.  N. Ref:: 28

 

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[193]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sirolimus-based immunosuppressive [correction of immunosuppresive] protocol for calcineurin sparing in liver transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2002 Aug;34(5):1522-3.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Heffron TG; Smallwood GA; Davis L; Martinez E; Stieber AC

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

 

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[194]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sirolimus and islet transplants.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):187S-190S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Hering BJ; Wijkstrom M

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.  N. Ref:: 36

 

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[195]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Successful treatment of refractory Langerhans cell histiocytosis with unrelated cord blood transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2001 Dec;23(9):629-32.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Nagarajan R; Neglia J; Ramsay N; Baker KS

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology/Blood and Marrow Transplant, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. nagar003@tc.umn.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - A 2-month-old girl presented for treatment with a diffuse rash, interstitial pneumonia, otorrhea, and lymphadenopathy. Skin biopsy confirmed Langerhans cell histocytosis by electron microscopy. After receiving multiple courses of chemotherapy, only marginal improvement was achieved, with progressive marrow and liver involvement. The decision was made to pursue a human leukocyte antigen-identical unrelated cord blood transplantation. Two years after transplant, the bone marrow was clear of Langerhans cell histocytosis and 100% donor engraftment. The poor prognosis of patients with an inadequate response to therapy and the presence of organ dysfunction (marrow and liver) substantiated the decision to pursue an unrelated cord blood transplantation.  N. Ref:: 20

 

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[196]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - mTOR signaling to translation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004;279:169-97.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Gingras AC; Raught B; Sonenberg N

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Biochemistry, McGill Cancer Centre, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada.

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Over the past few years, the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway has been implicated in the control of translation, both in yeast and in higher eukaryotes. In this review, we provide an overview of translation in eukaryotes, and discuss the mechanisms and advantages of the regulation of translation. We then describe how the TOR pathway can modulate translation in yeast and in mammals, through the modulation of the phosphorylation of key translation components, and the regulation of the abundance of ribosomes and translation factors.  N. Ref:: 117

 

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[197]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Immunosuppression protocols for HLA identical renal transplant recipients.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3):1074-5.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Keitel E; Santos AF; Alves MA; Neto JP; Schaefer PG; Bittar AE; Goldani JC; Pozza R; Bruno RM; See D; Garcia CD; Garcia VD

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Renal Transplant Unit, Santa Casa Hospital, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. keitel@terra.com.br

 

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[198]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Sirolimus in liver transplantation.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transplant Proc 2003 May;35(3 Suppl):193S-200S.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Trotter JF

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Boulder, Colorado 80262, USA. James.Trotter@uchsc.edu

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - Since its introduction in renal transplantation in 1999, sirolimus is being used by an increasing number of liver transplant centers. Compared to the calcineurin inhibitors, sirolimus acts through a separate signal transduction pathway and has a myriad of important biologic effects including: inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation, inhibition of fibrosis and fibroblast proliferation, and antineoplastic effects. The clinical side-effect profile of this drug is also different than calcineurin inhibitors. Most important, sirolimus does not cause glucose intolerance, hypertension, or renal insufficiency. As a result, this drug offers significant potential advantages over conventional immunosuppressive agents. However, sirolimus may cause hyperlipidemia and has also been associated with hepatic artery thrombosis in liver transplant recipients. This review will summarize the published data on sirolimus in liver transplantation, focusing on the potential advantages and disadvantage of the use of this drug in liver transplant recipients. Finally, the potential benefits of antifibrosis and antineoplastic effects of sirolimus in liver transplant recipients will be discussed.  N. Ref:: 29

 

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[199]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: pathogenesis and treatment.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Curr Opin Pediatr 2003 Apr;15(2):171-80.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Benchimol C

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NewYork, NewYork 10029, USA. Corinne.benchimol@mssn.edu  N. Ref:: 144

 

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[200]

TÍTULO / TITLE:  - The involvement of mammalian and plant FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) in development.

REVISTA / JOURNAL:  - Transgenic Res 2002 Aug;11(4):321-35.

AUTORES / AUTHORS:  - Breiman A; Camus I

INSTITUCIÓN / INSTITUTION:  - Department of Plant Science, Tel Aviv University, Israel. adina@post.tau.ac.il

RESUMEN / SUMMARY:  - The FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerases and the information gathered in the last 10 years reveals their involvement in diverse biological systems affecting the function and structure of target proteins. Members of the FKBP family were shown to be growth-regulated and participate in signal transduction. In this review we have chosen to focus on a few examples of the mammalian and plant systems in which members of the FKBP family have been demonstrated to affect the function of proteins or development. The technologies that enable production of knockout mice, Arabidopsis mutants and overexpression in transgenic organisms have revealed the contribution of FKBP to development in higher eukaryotes. It appears that members of the FKBP family have conserved some of their basic functions in the animal and plant kingdom, whereas other functions became unique. Studies that will take advantage of the full genome sequence available for Arabidopsis and the human genome, DNA chip technologies and the use of transgenic complementation system will contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism and biological function of FKBPs.  N. Ref:: 120

 

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