The effects of etidronate on brain calcifications in Fahr's disease or syndrome: rationale and design of the randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind CALCIFADE trial.

Background: Fahr's disease and syndrome are rare disorders leading to calcification of the small arteries in the basal ganglia of the brain, resulting in a wide range of symptoms comprising cognitive decline, movement disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms. No disease-modifying therapies are available. Studies have shown the potential of treatment of ectopic vascular calcifications with bisphosphonates.

Efficacy and safety of infliximab biosimilar Inflectra in severe sarcoidosis.

Background: Infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is effective third-line therapy in severe sarcoidosis. The originator product of Infliximab, Remicade, is expensive, limiting universal access. Recently, a less expensive biosimilar of infliximab, Inflectra, has become available, but the efficacy and tolerability has not been studied in sarcoidosis.

Rhabdomyolysis in Clozapine Overdose.

Context: Clozapine is used for decennia for the treatment of schizophrenia. Agranulocytosis, diabetic ketoacidosis, gastrointestinal hypomotility, and myocarditis are well-known adverse effects of clozapine, which are sometimes life threatening. Here we report a case of rhabdomyolysis upon an acute overdose of clozapine.

Efficacy of adalimumab in sarcoidosis patients who developed intolerance to infliximab.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors are regarded as the third-line therapy in sarcoidosis, the first choice generally being infliximab. To date, data regarding response to adalimumab in sarcoidosis patients intolerant to infliximab are lacking. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to establish if adalimumab could achieve stabilization or improvement of the disease in refractory sarcoidosis patients who developed intolerance to infliximab.

Effectiveness of infliximab in refractory FDG PET-positive sarcoidosis.

Inconclusive evidence for the efficacy of infliximab in sarcoidosis hinders the global use of this potentially beneficial drug. To study infliximab efficacy in a clinical setting, we performed a prospective open-label trial in patients refractory to conventional treatment. Patients (n=56) received eight infusions of 5 mg·kg(-1) infliximab.

Anti-TNF therapeutics for the treatment of sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease with an incidence of 1 to 40 per 100 000 persons per year. It predominantly affects people in the age of 20 to 40 years old. Disease course varies from mild self-limiting to chronic debilitating and life-threatening disease.

Pretransplantation pharmacokinetic curves of tacrolimus in HIV-infected patients on ritonavir-containing cART: a pilot study.

Background: Ritonavir is an extremely strong inhibitor of P450 cytochrome 3A, which is the main metabolizing enzyme of tacrolimus. Subsequently, the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus are affected to a large extend by the coadministration of ritonavir in HIV-infected transplant recipients. Therefore, to prevent overexposure directly posttransplantation in HIV-infected patients on ritonavir-containing cART, the predictive value of a pretransplantation pharmacokinetic curve of tacrolimus was explored.