Real-world burden of comorbidities in US patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: We assessed comorbidities associated with psoriatic arthritis in a broad cohort of US-insured adult patients using the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Database.

Methods: Prevalence and incidence rates were assessed for 28 comorbid conditions among adult patients in the MarketScan database with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis and having two or more health claims for psoriatic arthritis between 1 July 2008 and 31 July 2015. Findings were compared with those of a similar, previously published analysis of patients with psoriasis.

Real-world burden of comorbidities in US patients with psoriasis.

Background: Understanding background comorbidity rates in psoriasis can provide perspective for adverse events associated with new therapies.

Objective: We sought to assess the extent of comorbidities in psoriasis patients by use of the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database.

Methods: MarketScan, comprising commercial claims representative of a large US-insured population, had 1.

Comparison of injectable anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis after cancer-related surgery.

Purpose: The clinical and economic outcomes associated with using injectable anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis after cancer-related surgery are evaluated.

Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis was conducted from an institutional perspective using hospital administrative data and examined patients age 18 years or older who received unfractionated heparin (UFH), enoxaparin, dalteparin, or fondaparinux after undergoing cancer-related surgery. Outcomes assessed included venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding (MB) rates; VTE-related, MB-related, and all-cause readmission rates; mean length of stay (LOS); and mean total cost of care during hospitalization.

Adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab utilization patterns and drug costs among rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the utilization patterns of the anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents Humira (adalimumab), Enbrel (etanercept), and Remicade (infliximab) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compare medication costs during the first year of treatment. (Humira is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories, IL; Enbrel is a registered trademark of Immunex Corporation, CA; and Remicade is a registered trademark of Janssen Biotech, Inc., PA).

Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in managed care subjects with influenza.

Objectives: To evaluate costs of inappropriate oral antibiotic prescribing in a managed care population with influenza.

Methods: This was a retrospective (January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2009) analysis of the US Impact National Benchmark Database. Patients with an influenza diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 487.

Increased basal phosphorylation of detrusor smooth muscle myosin in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbit is mediated by upregulation of Rho-kinase beta and CPI-17.

Urinary bladder dysfunction caused by the alteration of detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) is one of the complications of diabetes. It is well established that smooth muscle contractility is regulated by an elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) via myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. However, recent studies have shown the modulation of MLC phosphorylation without a rise in Ca(2+) in smooth muscle and that two key molecules (Rho-kinase and CPI-17) are involved in the regulation of calcium sensitization.

Over expression of smooth muscle thin filament associated proteins in the bladder wall of diabetics.

Purpose: The thin filament associated proteins caldesmon, tropomyosin and calponin have been shown to modulate actin-myosin interaction, actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase and contraction in smooth muscle. This study was performed to determine whether the expression of these proteins is altered in diabetes induced decrease in the contractility of bladder wall smooth muscle.

Materials And Methods: Detrusor samples were obtained from New Zealand White male rabbits with alloxan induced diabetes, and from age and sex matched control rabbits.

Diabetes induced decrease in detrusor smooth muscle force is associated with oxidative stress and overactivity of aldose reductase.

Purpose: Bladder dysfunction is one of the complications of diabetes. We determined whether diabetic induced bladder dysfunction is associated with decreased detrusor smooth muscle contractility, hyperglycemia induced over expression of aldose reductase (AR) and increased sorbitol production. In addition, we compared oxidative stress in the detrusor smooth muscle in diabetic rabbits with that in normal rabbits by estimating lipid peroxidation.

Downregulation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase-1 activity in the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle of diabetic rabbits.

Increased guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), induced by nitric oxide release, is crucial for corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (CCSM) relaxation within the penis. This CCSM relaxation (necessary for penile erection) is impaired in men with erectile dysfunction (ED), especially those men with diabetes. One of the effector proteins for cGMP is cGMP-dependent protein kinase-1 (PKG-1).

Diabetes decreases rabbit bladder smooth muscle contraction while increasing levels of myosin light chain phosphorylation.

The effect of diabetes mellitus on the regulation of urinary bladder smooth muscle contraction was studied. Diabetes was induced in the rabbit by alloxan injection followed by 16 wk of housing. The bladder was harvested and strips of wall devoid of both mucosa and serosa were examined.