Publications by authors named "R Kulandai Kasthuri"

Potential and emerging therapeutics for HHT.

Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program

December 2024

A 64-year-old woman with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) characterized by a pathological variant in ACVRL1 presents to the clinic for follow-up. Manifestations of HHT include frequent epistaxis and gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to iron-deficiency anemia. Bevacizumab is initiated, with resolution of the anemia.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a serious condition involving low platelet counts due to a deficiency in the enzyme ADAMTS13, often treated with rituximab to prevent relapses.
  • - A study using data from the USTMA registry found that the time without relapse (relapse-free survival or RFS) decreased after each rituximab treatment, particularly for Black patients, suggesting that the effectiveness of the drug diminishes with repeated use.
  • - Both the USTMA registry and a separate cohort from Johns Hopkins and the University of Minnesota indicated that Black patients experience a significantly higher risk of relapse with subsequent rituximab treatments, implying a need
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Introduction: Since the inception of arteriovenous grafts (AVG) as a novel technique, there has been greater emphasis on the assessment of outcomes rather than costs. Gross-costing methods over-simplify vascular access surgery and do not reflect the true costs of the service, preventing accurate cost-effectiveness analysis. The aim of this study is to assess the reporting of procedural costs of arteriovenous access creation in economic analyses of vascular access surgery, and to compare the reported costs of the two most performed procedures - arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG).

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Article Synopsis
  • Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic disorder that leads to severe nosebleeds and related health issues, primarily affecting patients' quality of life due to iron-deficiency anemia from frequent epistaxis.
  • A study was conducted where 144 participants were given either pomalidomide or a placebo for 24 weeks to assess the drug's effectiveness in reducing nosebleed severity and improving quality of life, with results favoring the pomalidomide group.
  • The results showed that those taking pomalidomide experienced a greater decrease in bleeding scores and improved quality-of-life measures, although there were some additional side effects observed in the pomalidomide group.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The ACTIV-4c trial examined the effectiveness of apixaban, given for 30 days after hospital discharge from COVID-19, but was halted early due to low rates of death or thromboembolism.
  • - Researchers aimed to find high-risk patients for whom post-discharge blood clot prevention might be beneficial by analyzing various factors like age, ethnicity, and D-dimer levels.
  • - Results showed that the overall occurrence of death and thromboembolism was low, especially in patients under 60, and the study concluded that there was no clear high-risk group that would benefit from additional blood clot prevention measures.
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