Performance evaluation of the Access HBsAg and Access HBsAg confirmatory assays on the DxI 9000 Access Immunoassay Analyzer.

Introduction: This study evaluated the clinical and analytical performances of the Access HBsAg and the Access HBsAg Confirmatory assays on the DxI 9000 Access Immunoassay Analyzer (Beckman Coulter, Inc.).

Materials And Methods: Diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of the Access HBsAg and Access HBsAg Confirmatory assays were evaluated by comparing the Access assays to the final HBsAg sample status determined using the Architect, PRISM, or Elecsys HBsAg assays, along with Architect or PRISM HBsAg Confirmatory assays.

Work loss and activity impairment due to extended nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer receiving CINV prophylaxis.

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)'s impact on work loss remains poorly described. We evaluated associations between the duration of CINV episodes, CINV-related work loss (CINV-WL), and CINV-related activity impairment (CINV-AI) in patients with breast cancer receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

Methods: We analyzed data from a prospective CINV prophylaxis trial of netupitant/palonestron and dexamethasone for patients receiving an anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) for breast cancer (NCT0340371).

Micronutrient intakes in the Dutch diet: foods, fortified foods and supplements in a cross sectional study.

Purpose: This study investigates intakes of risk micronutrients from non-fortified foods, fortified foods and food supplements in different age and gender sub-groups of the Dutch population.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (DNFCS 2012-2016, N = 4313, 1-79 years). The proportion of the population with Habitual Intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) and above the Upper Level (UL) for calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin D and vitamin E from non-fortified foods, fortified foods and total intake including food supplements was calculated using Statistical Program to Assess Dietary Exposure (SPADE).

Maintenance and Concomitant Therapy Use with Chlormethine Gel Among Patients with Stage IA/IB Mycosis Fungoides-Type Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (MF-CTCL): A Real-World Evidence Study.

Introduction: Chlormethine (CL) gel is a skin-directed therapy approved for treatment of stage IA/IB mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL) in the USA. MF-CTCL has a chronic clinical course, requiring long-term maintenance therapy with one or more therapies. This analysis describes real-world patterns of maintenance therapy and use of concomitant therapy with CL gel among patients with stage IA/IB MF-CTCL.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of NEPA, a fixed-dose combination of netupitant and palonosetron, for the prevention of highly emetogenic chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: an international perspective.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of NEPA, a fixed-dose combination of oral netupitant (300 mg) and palonosetron (0.5 mg), compared to available treatments in Spain after aprepitant generic introduction in the market, and to discuss results in previously performed analyses in different wordwide settings.

Methods: A Markov model including three health states, complete protection, complete response at best and incomplete response, was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of NEPA versus common treatment options in Spain during 5 days after chemotherapy.

Mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL) epidemiology and treatment pathway in Spain: new insights for an accurate description.

Background: Mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (MF-CTCL) is a rare lymphoma localized in the skin. Due to its indolent nature and similarity to other skin conditions, diagnosis is often delayed or incorrect. Consequently, accurate calculations of incidence and prevalence are difficult to make.

Cost-effectiveness of a fixed combination of netupitant and palonosetron (NEPA) relative to aprepitant plus granisetron (APR + GRAN) for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV): a trial-based analysis.

Purpose: To assess, from a United States (US) perspective, the cost-effectiveness of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) prophylaxis using a single dose of netupitant and palonosetron in a fixed combination (NEPA) versus aprepitant plus granisetron (APR + GRAN), each in combination with dexamethasone, in chemotherapy-naïve patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC).

Methods: We analyzed patient-level outcomes over a 5-day post-HEC period from a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 clinical trial of NEPA (n = 412) versus APR + GRAN (n = 416). Costs and CINV-related utilities were assigned to each subject using published sources.

Factors Associated with Breastfeeding Initiation and Continuation: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To use a quantitative approach to evaluate the literature for quantity, quality, and consistency of studies of maternal and infant characteristics in association with breastfeeding initiation and continuation, and to conduct a meta-analysis to produce summary relative risks (RRs) for selected factors.

Study Design: A systematic review using PubMed and CINAHL through March 2016 was conducted to identify relevant observational studies in developed nations, reporting a measure of risk for 1 or more of 6 quantitatively derived, high impact factors in relation to either breastfeeding initiation or continuation. One author abstracted data using a predesigned database, which was reviewed by a second independent author; data evaluation and interpretation included all co-authors.

NEPA, a new fixed combination of netupitant and palonosetron, is a cost-effective intervention for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in the UK.

Background: The objective was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of NEPA, an oral fixed combination netupitant (NETU, 300 mg) and palonosetron (PA, 0.5 mg) compared with aprepitant and palonosetron (APPA) or palonosetron (PA) alone, to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients undergoing treatment with highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC or MEC) in the UK.

Scope: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were undertaken to compare NEPA with currently recommended anti-emetics.

An assessment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting direct costs in three EU countries.

Background: chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) has been commonly reported as one of the most distressing adverse effects among treated patients with cancer. Inadequately treated, CINV can lead to increased resource utilization and severely impair patients' daily functioning and quality of life. Direct costs include acquisition cost of antiemetic drugs and rescue medication, administration devices, add-on treatments, such as hydration, and additional patient care, that is, nursing and physician time, unscheduled office visits, emergency room admissions, and, in some cases, extended hospitalization or readmission.

Anti-Mesothelin Nanobodies for Both Conventional and Nanoparticle-Based Biomedical Applications.

Mesothelin, a cancer biomarker overexpressed in tumors of epithelial origin, is a target for nanotechnology-based diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic applications. The currently available anti-mesothelin antibodies present limitations, including low penetration due to large size and/or lack of in vivo stability. Single domain antibodies (sdAbs) or nanobodies (Nbs) provide powerful solutions to these specific problems.

A FcγRIII-engaging bispecific antibody expands the range of HER2-expressing breast tumors eligible to antibody therapy.

Trastuzumab is established as treatment of HER2high metastatic breast cancers but many limitations impair its efficacy. Here, we report the design of a Fab-like bispecific antibody (HER2bsFab) that displays a moderate affinity for HER2 and a unique, specific and high affinity for FcγRIII. In vitro characterization showed that ADCC was the major mechanism of action of HER2bsFab as no significant HER2-driven effect was observed.

Multiphoton imaging of tumor biomarkers with conjugates of single-domain antibodies and quantum dots.

Unlabelled: An ideal multiphoton fluorescent nanoprobe should combine a nanocrystal with the largest possible two-photon absorption cross section (TPACS) and the smallest highly specific recognition molecules bound in an oriented manner. CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) conjugated to 13-kDa single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) derived from camelid IgG or streptavidin have been used as efficient two-photon excitation (TPE) probes for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) imaging on normal human appendix and colon carcinoma tissue. The TPACS for some conjugates was higher than 49,000 GM (Goeppert-Mayer units), considerably exceeding that of organic dyes being close to the theoretical value of 50,000 GM calculated for CdSe QDs.

Experimental metabonomic model of dietary variation and stress interactions.

Stress in the form of moderate periods of maternal separation of newborn rats has been postulated to cause permanent changes in the central nervous system and diseases in later life. It is also considered that dietary supplementation with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) can potentially ameliorate the effects of stress. The metabolic consequences of early life maternal separation stress were investigated in rats (2-14 days after birth), either alone or in combination with secondary acute water avoidance stress at 3-4 months of age.

Nutritional approach to restore impaired intestinal barrier function and growth after neonatal stress in rats.

Objectives: Psychological stress during the neonatal period results in intestinal barrier dysfunction and growth alterations later in life. We aimed to restore impaired barrier function and growth rate by a nutritional intervention.

Methods: Male rat pups (n = 84) were assigned to 1 of 2 rearing conditions from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND14: S, separated 3 h/d from their mothers, or H, 15 min/d handled controls.

Magnet Tracking: a new tool for in vivo studies of the rat gastrointestinal motility.

Digestive motility was studied in the rat using a miniaturized version of the Magnet Tracking system which monitored the progression of a small magnetic pill through the entire digestive tract. The dynamics of movement was followed and three-dimensional (3-D) images of digestive tract were generated. After a retention period in the stomach and rapid passage through duodenum, the magnet progressed along the small intestine with gradually decreasing speed and longer stationary periods.

Effect of sucrose and saturated-fat diets on mRNA levels of genes limiting muscle fatty acid and glucose supply in rats.

In this study, we examined whether the increased availability of lipids in blood resulting from two types of diet manipulation regulated metabolic gene expression in the skeletal muscle of rats. Feeding for 4 wk on an isocaloric-sucrose or a hypercaloric-fat diet increased plasma TAG in the fed condition by increments of 70 and 40%, respectively, and increased fasting insulinemia (approximately 3-fold) compared with a starch diet. The fat diet impaired glucose tolerance and caused obesity, whereas sucrose-fed rats maintained their normal weight.

Biochemical characterization of rat intestine development using high-resolution magic-angle-spinning 1H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis.

We report details of metabolic profiles for small intestinal samples obtained using high-resolution magic-angle-spinning (HRMAS) (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Intact samples of jejunum and ileum from male Long Evans rats were analyzed on a 600 MHz spectrometer using standard one and two-dimensional (1)H NMR spectroscopic pulse sequences. The metabolic profiles of ileum and jejunum predominantly comprised a number of amino acids, lipids, glycerophosphocholine (GPC), choline, creatine, and ethanol, a number of carboxylic acids including acetate and lactate, and nucleoside bases including cytosine, isocytosine, and uracil.

Commonly used drugs impair oral tolerance in mice.

Ibuprofen and antibiotics are commonly prescribed during early childhood. When given to mice at the time at which oral tolerance is induced, both treatments affect either the induction or the maintenance of oral tolerance. These results suggest that the coadministration of these and similarly acting drugs should be considered cautiously for infants at risk of allergy.

beta3-adrenoceptor agonist prevents alterations of muscle diacylglycerol and adipose tissue phospholipids induced by a cafeteria diet.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance induced by a high fat diet has been associated with alterations in lipid content and composition in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Administration of beta3-adrenoceptor (beta3-AR) agonists was recently reported to prevent insulin resistance induced by a high fat diet, such as the cafeteria diet. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a selective beta3-AR agonist (ZD7114) could prevent alterations of the lipid profile of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue lipids induced by a cafeteria diet.

Economic burden of head and neck cancer. A literature review.

This literature review presents the economics of head and neck cancer (HNC), the world's sixth most common neoplasm. HNC economics is complicated by the involvement of multiple body sites, multiple medical specialties, and multiple treatment modalities. Economic analyses of HNC published in English between 1990 and 2002 were identified from electronic data sources.

Fiber type- and fatty acid composition-dependent effects of high-fat diets on rat muscle triacylglyceride and fatty acid transporter protein-1 content.

Intramuscular triacylglyceride (TAG) is considered an independent marker of insulin resistance in humans. Here, we examined the effect of high-fat diets, based on distinct fatty acid compositions (saturated, monounsaturated or n-6 polyunsaturated), on TAG levels and fatty acid transporter protein (FATP-1) expression in 2 rat muscles that differ in their fiber type, soleus, and gastrocnemius; the relationship to whole body glucose intolerance was also studied. Compared with carbohydrate-fed rats, the groups subjected to any one of the high-fat diets consistently exhibited enhanced body weight gain and adiposity, elevated plasma free fatty acids and TAG in the fed condition, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose intolerance.

Short-term dietary conjugated linoleic acid supplementation does not enhance the recovery of immunodepleted dexamethasone-treated rats.

Background: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to decrease fat deposition, and increase lean body mass. This has been broadly inferred to mean that CLA alters protein turnover. However, data to test the effects of CLA on protein turnover are lacking.

Quality of life and economic considerations in the management of prostate cancer.

The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of the morbidity and mortality of prostate cancer, QOL issues and the economic impact of the disease. We searched Medline (from 1990 onwards) for all studies dealing with prostate cancer epidemiology, treatment, screening and staging, and critically reviewed the most relevant articles, focusing on pharmacoeconomic issues. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.