Outcomes of Psychotherapy for Co-Morbid Pain and Substance Use Disorders: A Review of the Literature.

Chronic pain is often treated with opioids, placing patients at risk for misuse. An estimated 11.5% of these patients engage in opioid misuse behaviors such as self-medication.

Kratom-induced transaminitis with subsequent precipitated opioid withdrawal following naltrexone.

Kratom is an herbal supplement that has gained popularity for recreational use within the United States. Kratom exerts opioid-like effects and, although not US FDA approved, is commonly used for self-treatment of pain, withdrawal management from opioids, and euphoria. Drug-related hepatic injury has been associated with kratom use.

Direct and indirect effects of retinoic acid on human Th2 cytokine and chemokine expression by human T lymphocytes.

Background: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency induces a type 1 cytokine response and exogenously provided retinoids can induce a type 2 cytokine response both in vitro and in vivo. The precise mechanism(s) involved in this phenotypic switch are inconsistent and have been poorly characterized in humans. In an effort to determine if retinoids are capable of inducing Th2 cytokine responses in human T cell cultures, we stimulated human PBMCs with immobilized anti-CD3 mAb in the presence or absence of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or 9-cis-RA.