Erythropoietin or darbepoetin for patients with cancer.

Background: Anaemia associated with cancer and cancer therapy is an important clinical factor in the treatment of malignant diseases. Therapeutic alternatives are recombinant human erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) and red blood cell transfusions.

Objectives: To assess the effects of ESAs to either prevent or treat anaemia in cancer patients.

Comparing pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedules based on 3 and 2 primary doses: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) were first licensed for use with 3 primary doses in infancy and a booster dose. The evidence for the effects of different schedules was examined in this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched 12 databases and trial registers up to March 2010.

Effect of cyclosporine on blood pressure.

Background: Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive agent used for different autoimmune diseases. The official Canadian indications for cyclosporine are solid organ transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and nephritic syndrome (e-CPS 2008). The expanding range of indications for cyclosporine therapy will lead to more patients receiving chronic therapy with possible side effects, hypertension being one of the most common.

Butyrate ingestion improves hepatic glycogen storage in the re-fed rat.

Background: Butyrate naturally produced by intestinal fiber fermentation is the main nutrient for colonocytes, but the metabolic effect of the fraction reaching the liver is not totally known. After glycogen hepatic depletion in the 48-hour fasting rat, we monitored the effect of (butyrate 1.90 mg + glucose 14.