Sustained clinical benefit, improved quality of life, and reduced intestinal surgery from maintenance infliximab treatment in inflammatory bowel disease.

Anti-TNF treatment is established for patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refractory to conventional medication. However, long-term real-life observations are limited. We have monitored 200 patients with primary response to infliximab (Remicade).

Advanced surface chemical analysis of continuously manufactured drug loaded composite pellets.

The aim of the present study was to develop and characterise polymeric composite pellets by means of continuous melt extrusion techniques. Powder blends of a steroid hormone (SH) as a model drug and either ethyl cellulose (EC N10 and EC P7 grades) or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC AS grade) as polymeric carrier were extruded using a Pharma 11mm twin screw extruder in a continuous mode of operation to manufacture extruded composite pellets of 1mm length. Molecular modelling study using commercial Gaussian 09 software outlined a possible drug-polymer interaction in the molecular level to develop solid dispersions of the drug in the pellets.

Slide drug susceptibility test for the detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Bangladesh.

The present study attempted to comparatively assess and establish a suitable detection method of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) from previously treated TB cases in Bangladesh. Of 130 Zeihl-Neelsen smear-positive fresh sputum specimens, 112 samples were found to contain viable bacilli as visualized under the light-emitting diode fluorescence microscope after fluorescein di-acetate staining, and 109 positive cases were detected through Löwenstein-Jensen culture. The samples were further tested to survey the drug resistance both by slide drug susceptibility test (DST) and by conventional DST: 94 MDR-TB cases were detected within 10 days through the slide DST, whereas 82 cases were observed through the conventional DST, requiring about 3 months.

A protein disulfide isomerase/thioredoxin-1 complex is physically attached to exofacial membrane tumor necrosis factor receptors: overexpression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

Aims: The 3D structures and functions of cysteine-rich receptors such as tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) are redox-modulated by dithiol-disulfide exchange. TNFR superfamily members participate in growth regulation in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and tissue stromal cells interact with leukemia cells, profoundly affecting their viability via release of redox-active components, including cysteine, thioredoxin-1 (Trx1), and Trx reductase. Trx1 was previously shown to enhance release of TNF, which acts as an autocrine/paracrine growth factor in CLL.

Elevated circulating levels of thioredoxin and stress in chronic heart failure.

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex syndrome, in which reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines are important stressors that contribute to the pathogenesis.

Aim: We have studied physiological stress response parameters in CHF, in particular the redox-active regulator thioredoxin.

Subjects: A case-control study was conducted including a consecutive sample of CHF patients (n=27) of NYHA class II and III; comparison control subjects (n=29) were recruited from an association for retired people.

Selenite-induced apoptosis in doxorubicin-resistant cells and effects on the thioredoxin system.

Selenium treatment of the doxorubicin-resistant cell line, U-1285dox, derived from human small cell carcinoma of the lung, resulted in massive apoptosis. This effect appeared maximal at 2 days after addition of selenite. The apoptosis was caspase-3 independent as revealed by Western blot analysis, activity measurement and by using caspase inhibitors.