Development, validation and long-term evaluation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous quantification of amiodarone, desethylamiodarone and mexiletine in human plasma and serum.

Amiodarone and mexiletine are used for ventricular arrhythmias, for which a combination therapy of both anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) is not uncommon. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can be beneficial for clinical guidance of therapy, especially to correctly identify adverse events. Desethylamiodarone, the active metabolite of amiodarone, accumulates over time and is associated with serious adverse events.

Saliva monitoring of prednisolone in children with first onset steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome: Is it possible?

Aims: Prednisolone is the cornerstone of treatment for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children, but is associated with marked side-effects. Therapeutic drug monitoring using saliva would be a patient-friendly option to monitor prednisolone treatment. To assess the feasibility of saliva monitoring, we described the pharmacokinetics (PK) of unbound prednisolone in plasma and saliva of children with first onset steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS).

Upper extremity venous thrombosis in hospitalized patients: A prospective epidemiological study.

Background: The frequency of upper extremities vein thrombosis (UEVT) is rising with the increasing use of endovenous devices. These thromboses are particularly common among hospitalized patients. The epidemiology and risk factors for UEVT are poorly understood in a hospitalized population.

Risk Factors of Venous Thromboembolic Disease in Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor.

Background:  Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the management of cancers. The risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) of this new therapeutic class are still to be specified.

Methods:  The included patients had to have cancer and should be treated with ICI.

Efficacy and Safety of Botulinum Toxin in Adults with Raynaud's Phenomenon Secondary to Systemic Sclerosis: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Objective: To determine whether a single session of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) injections into both hands more effectively decreases the frequency of systemic sclerosis-associated Raynaud's phenomenon (SSc-RP) episodes than placebo.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group phase III trial in patients with SSc-RP assessed the effect of 50-unit BTA or placebo injections into the palms of both hands around each neurovascular bundle during 1 session in winter. The primary end point was the between-group difference in the median change in the number of RP episodes from baseline (day 0) to 4 weeks postinjection.

Correlation of nailfold capillaroscopy findings with history of digital ulcer on same finger: Results of SCLEROCAP study.

Unlabelled: Systemic sclerosis may be complicated by digital ulcers. Nailfold capillaroscopy on one finger might reflect an increased risk of digital ulcer (DU). In the present study we studied the correlations between a history of ulcer and capillary findings on the finger.

Pharmaco-mechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis versus recanalization and stenting for post thrombotic syndrome after lower limb deep vein thrombosis: a comparative study.

Background: Endovenous interventional procedures can be used in addition to therapeutic anticoagulation to treat deep vein thrombosis in selected patients with proximal vein involvement (vena cava, iliac and/or common femoral). The aim of this study was to compare venous patency and the post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) in patients treated with pharmaco-mechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis (PMT) versus recanalization-stenting for PTS after a proximal lower limb deep vein thrombosis.

Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2020, this retrospective and monocentric study included patients with very symptomatic acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis treated with PMT within 21 days after diagnosis (PMT group) and patients with PTS caused by chronic venous obstruction treated with recanalization and stenting (CRS group).

Development and Validation of a Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Assay for the Determination of Total and Unbound Ciprofloxacin Concentrations in Human Plasma.

Background: Although unbound ciprofloxacin is responsible for antibacterial effects, assays measuring the unbound drug plasma concentrations are scarce. This study aimed to develop and validate a rapid, reproducible, and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the determination of total and unbound ciprofloxacin plasma concentrations.

Methods: The determination of total ciprofloxacin concentrations required a 10 μL sample, while for unbound ciprofloxacin concentrations, it was 100 μL.

Case-Control Study on Exercise-Induced Vasculitis in Hikers.

The aim of this study was to identify clinical factors associated with exercise-induced vasculitis (EIV). This study included EIV cases and controls matched for age. Cases included were all members of a hiking club and participated in extended hiking trips.

Digital ischaemia aetiologies and mid-term follow-up: A cohort study of 323 patients.

Upper extremity digital ischaemia (UEDI) is a rare heterogeneous condition whose frequency is 40 times less than that of toe ischaemia. Using a large cohort, the aim of this study was to evaluate aetiologies, prognosis and midterm clinical outcomes of UEDI.All patients with UEDI with or without cutaneous necrosis in a university hospital setting between January 2000 to December 2016 were included.

Predictive factors of venous recanalization in upper-extremity vein thrombosis.

Background: Upper extremity venous thrombosis (UEVT) represents about 10% of venous thrombo-embolic disease. This is mainly explained by the increasing use of central venous line, for oncologic or nutritional care. The factors associated with venous recanalization are not known.

Prevalence of post-thrombotic syndrome in a cohort of upper extremity vein thrombosis.

Objective: Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is one of the main complications that occurs after venous thrombosis. There are few data on the proportion of patients that will develop upper extremity PTS (UE-PTS) after upper extremity venous thrombosis (UEVT). The main objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of PTS in a UEVT cohort and to identify predictive factors of UE-PTS.

Effect of cannabis consumption on characteristics and evolution of thromboangitis obliterans.

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a distal non atherosclerotic thrombotic vasculitis affecting tobacco smokers. The role of cannabis co-exposure remains controversial. The study aims to assess how cannabis consumption influences clinical presentation and outcome of TAO in tobacco smokers.

A strobe multicenter descriptive study of 55 infectious aortitis.

Infectious aortitis (IA) is a rare and severe disease. The treatment classically associates open surgery with prolonged antibiotic therapy. This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics, medical and surgical supports in a large and current series of IA.

Development and Validation of a Highly Sensitive Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Technique to Determine Levamisole in Plasma and Saliva.

Background: Levamisole is used as a steroid-sparing drug for the treatment of frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children. As part of a large multicentre randomized controlled trial with levamisole, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of levamisole in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome were investigated, as well as the feasibility of using saliva as an alternative and patient-friendly matrix for determining levamisole concentrations. In this study, the authors presented the development and validation of a highly sensitive method for determining levamisole in plasma and saliva using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

A Novel Quantitative Method for Analyzing Desmopressin in Human Plasma Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Background: Desmopressin (D-amino D-arginine vasopressin: dDAVP) is used for the treatment of patients with hemophilia A and Von Willebrand disease. Studies on the rationale of dosing are scarce and mainly focus on the underlying causes of the vast differences in desmopressin response among individuals. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of desmopressin in human plasma for identifying its pharmacokinetics and its therapeutic effect relationship in patients with bleeding disorder.

A STROBE cohort study of 755 deep and superficial upper-extremity vein thrombosis.

Upper extremity vein thrombosis (UE-VT) are more and more frequent pathologies and yet little studied. The aim is to describe the clinical and ultrasound features, UE-VT-related diseases, and the prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE) and associated deaths.All UE-VT patients diagnosed by Doppler-ultrasound in Nantes University Hospital, from January 2015 to December 2017, were included retrospectively.

Correlation between capillaroscopic classifications and severity in systemic sclerosis: results from SCLEROCAP study at inclusion.

Objectives: We assessed the correlation between severity of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and current staging systems based on nailfold capillaroscopy.

Methods: SCLEROCAP is a multicenter prospective study including consecutive scleroderma patients who have a yearly routine follow-up with capillaroscopy and digital blood pressure measurement. Capillaroscopy images were read by two observers blinded from each other, then by a third one in the case of discordance.

Juvenile temporal arteritis: A clinicopathological multicentric experience.

Introduction: Juvenile temporal arteritis (JTA) is a recently-described and little-known inflammatory disease and its etiology is undetermined. Less than forty cases have been published. This paper is aimed at reporting the largest JTA series and to compare it to literature data to better evaluate its characteristics at diagnosis, its evolution and treatment options.

[Upper-extremity venous thrombosis: A retrospective study about 160 cases].

Aim: To describe the clinical features and etiologies of upper limb venous thrombosis (ULVT).

Methods: All patients with a clinically suspected ULVT, were included retrospectively from January to December 2016. Diagnosis of ULVT was based on doppler-ultrasonography.

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome and antiphospholipid syndrome associated to systemic lupus: Are they different entities?

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) and antiphospholipid syndrome associated to lupus (SAPS) have several overlapping characteristics. As systemic manifestations are also reported in patients with PAPS, and as a subgroup of PAPS patients could evaluate to a SAPS, the differentiation between the two types of APS could be performed based on the clinical experience of the medical teams and is related to a variety of clinical, biological, histological and genetic features. Several data are available in the literature with respect to the identification of distinctive features between these two entities.