Pharmacokinetics of troglitazone, a PPAR-gamma agonist, in patients with hepatic insufficiency.

Objective: Troglitazone is an agonist of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), which has been shown to improve the metabolic control of type 2 diabetes. Troglitazone undergoes hepatic metabolism to an inactive sulphate conjugate and an oxidative quinone metabolite with minor activity. The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of troglitazone in patients with hepatic insufficiency and normal subjects.

Two dose regimens of recombinant interferon-alpha-2b in chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Biochemistry, hepatitis C virus RNA, and liver histology as response indices.

Background: Recombinant interferon remains the cornerstone of treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Still, evaluation of treatment on the basis of response indicators and long-term effect of the treatment raises several questions.

Methods: Seventy-four patients with chronic HCV infection were randomized to a high (3 MIU, 3/7 days) or low (1 MIU, 3/7 days) dose of recombinant interferon-alpha-2b for 48 weeks after a 4-week course of 3 MIU, 3/7 days.

The lipoic acid containing components of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complexes mimic trifluoroacetylated proteins and are autoantigens associated with halothane hepatitis.

Anti-CF3CO antibodies, monospecific toward trifluoroacetylated proteins (CF3CO-proteins), which are elicited in experimental animals and humans exposed to the anesthetic agent halothane, cross-react with an unknown protein of approximately 52 kDa, constitutively expressed in tissues of experimental animals and humans not previously exposed to the agent. Using anti-CF3CO antibody, the protein(s) of 52 kDa could be immunoprecipitated from solubilized rat heart homogenate. Two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis revealed the presence of distinct major (P1, P2) and minor (P3, P4, P5) protein components with apparent molecular masses of 52 kDa.