Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with CLL using the Australian pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS) dataset.

This real-world retrospective cohort study using Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) 10% investigated changes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment by line of therapy, time-to-next-treatment, treatment duration, and overall survival (OS). Overall, 803 patients received their first PBS-reimbursed CLL medication between 1 January 2011 to 31 July 2021 (median age: 70 years; 64.6% male), 289 post-1 August 2020.

Benzo(a)pyrene-induced mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis disturbance in human neuroblastoma cells.

Mammalian cells generate ATP through mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. Mitochondria not only play a key role in cell energy metabolism but also in cell cycle regulation. As a neurotoxic pollutant, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) can trigger neuronal oxidative damage and apoptosis.

PM induces autophagy-dependent ferroptosis by endoplasmic reticulum stress in SH-SY5Y cells.

Fine particulate matter (PM ) has been a global environmental problem threatening public health in recent years. PM exposure was associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases related to neuronal apoptosis. Ferroptosis is a nonapoptotic form of programmed the cell death, characterized by excess iron-dependent lipid peroxidation products.

Patient Access to Orphan Drugs Covered by Medical Insurance in China: Real-World Evidence From Patient Survey.

Background: After the inclusion of more high-cost orphan drugs in China's National Reimbursement Drugs List, this study investigated issues relating to patient access to the 7 medicines for 4 rare diseases after listing.

Methods: This study collected data from a national survey conducted in China. Three aspects associated with the accessibility of medicines, namely, approachability, availability, and affordability, were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Organic extracts in PM2.5 are the major triggers to induce ferroptosis in SH-SY5Y cells.

As a major air pollutant, PM2.5 can induce apoptosis of nerve cells, causing impairment of the learning and memory capabilities of humans and animals. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered way of programmed cell death.

Benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide induces ferroptosis in neuroblastoma cells through redox imbalance.

As a widespread environmental pollutant, benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)-induced neurotoxicity has received increasing attention. Studies have shown that BPDE-induced neurodegeneration is due partly to neuronal apoptosis. Unlike apoptosis, ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death, but its specific role in the neurotoxicity of BPDE remains unclear.

Responses to direct-to-consumer advertising in Australia: Comparing experience.

AbsractThis paper examines the potential effect of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertising on consumers' behavioral intentions in relation to a medical issue. Using an online experiment, 1295 people were randomized to two information conditions. One group watched an advertisement for a hypothetical cold sore medicine, while a second (control) group did not view the advertisement, before both groups answered questions on symptoms.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Mandarin HeartQoL Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire Among Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease in China.

Objectives: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Mandarin version of the HeartQoL questionnaire, a core ischemic heart disease (IHD) health-related quality of life (HRQL) instrument, in patients with angina, myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic heart failure (IHF).

Methods: The English version of HeartQoL was translated into Mandarin. A cross-sectional study was then conducted in mainland China using the Mandarin HeartQoL, Short Form-12 Health Survey, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Discrepancies between proxy estimates and patient reported, health related, quality of life: minding the gap between patient and clinician perceptions in heart failure.

Purpose: Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is rarely routinely measured in the clinical setting. In the absence of patient reported data, clinicians rely on proxy and informal estimates to support clinical decisions. This study compares clinician estimates (proxy) with patient reported HRQoL in patients with advanced heart failure and examines factors influencing discrepancies.

[Effect of germacrone in alleviating HUVECs damaged by H2O2-induced oxidative stress].

This study focuses on the protective effect of germacrone on human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) damaged by H2O2-induced oxidative stress and its possible mechanisms. The oxidative damage model was established by using 500 μmol•L⁻¹ H2O2 to treat HUVECs for 3 hours, and then protected with different concentrations of germacrone for 24 hours. The effect of germacrone on cell viability of HUVECs damaged by H2O2 was detected by MTT.

Inhibitory effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D on Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced inflammation and bone resorption in vivo.

Objective: To investigate whether intragastric administration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D) could inhibit the bone resorption and inflammation in a mouse calvarial model infected by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis).

Design: Live P.

Effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D on Macrophage Cytokine Secretion Stimulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Vitamin D is known to be closely associated with periodontitis; however, its exact mechanisms remain to be clarified. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D) on Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg)-stimulated cytokine production and the involved signaling pathways in macrophages. The main observation was that 1,25(OH)D inhibited Pg-induced interleukin (IL)-6 cytokine expression but up-regulated the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.

Can the Direct Medical Cost of Chronic Disease Be Transferred across Different Countries? Using Cost-of-Illness Studies on Type 2 Diabetes, Epilepsy and Schizophrenia as Examples.

Objectives: To systematically review cost of illness studies for schizophrenia (SC), epilepsy (EP) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and explore the transferability of direct medical cost across countries.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed to yield studies that estimated direct medical costs. A generalized linear model (GLM) with gamma distribution and log link was utilized to explore the variation in costs that accounted by the included factors.

Prevention of postpartum haemorrhage: cost consequences analysis of misoprostol in low-resource settings.

Background: While inferior to oxytocin injection in both efficacy and safety, orally administered misoprostol has been included in the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines for use in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in low-resource settings. This study evaluates the costs and health outcomes of use of oral misoprostol to prevent PPH in settings where injectable uterotonics are not available.

Methods: A cost-consequences analysis was conducted from the international health system perspective, using data from a recent Cochrane systematic review and WHO's Mother-Baby Package Costing Spreadsheet in a hypothetical cohort of 1000 births in a mixed hospital (40% births)/community setting (60% births).

Efficacy and Safety of Thrombin-Receptor Antagonist (Atopaxar and Vorapaxar) in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome or Coronary Artery Disease-A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Meta-analysis for the efficacy and safety data of thrombin-receptor antagonist (TRA) based on patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or coronary artery disease (CAD) and indirect comparisons between TRAs were not available.

Objectives: We intended to synthesize the primary end points based on different patient populations (ACS or CAD) as well as perform indirect comparison between two newly invented antiplatelet agents atopaxar and vorapaxar.

Methods: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library.

Validation and comparison of EuroQoL-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and Short Form-6 dimension (SF-6D) among stable angina patients.

Objectives: Several preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been published and widely used in different populations. However no consensus has emerged regarding the most appropriate instrument in therapeutic area of stable angina. This study compared and validated the psychometric properties of two generic preference-based instruments, the EQ-5D and SF-6D, among Chinese stable angina patients.

Intranasal co-delivery of IL-6 gene enhances the immunogenicity of anti-caries DNA vaccine.

Aim: To investigate the effects of co-delivering IL-6 expressing plasmid pCI-IL-6 on the immunogenicity of the anti-caries DNA vaccine pCIA-P, which encodes the surface protein antigen PAc of Streptococcus mutans.

Methods: Plasmid pCI-IL-6 was constructed by inserting the murine IL-6 gene into the pCI vector. Expression of IL-6 in vitro was assessed using Western blot analysis.

Burden of Disease Studies in the Asia-Pacific Region: Are There Enough being Performed to Provide Information for Evidence-Based Health Policy?

Objective: To review published studies of Burden of Disease (BOD) performed in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region.

Method: Overlapping strategy of searching four electronic databases was used to identify studies of BOD published during 1993-2009. The quality of identified studies was assessed according to the categories of burden reflected and scope of BOD information included.

Transferability of indirect cost of chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Indirect cost is an important component in economic evaluations. The variation in the magnitude of indirect costs across studies and countries is substantial and affects the transferability of results across jurisdictions.

Objective: This study explored the factors involved in the variation of reported indirect cost and investigated the feasibility of transferring indirect costs across settings.

Cost-utility analysis of liraglutide versus glimepiride as add-on to metformin in type 2 diabetes patients in China.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term cost-utility of liraglutide versus glimepiride as add-on therapy to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), based on the results of clinical trial conducted in Asian population.

Methods: The validated UKPDS Outcomes Model was used to project life expectancy, quality adjusted life-years (QALYs), incidence of diabetes-related complication and cost of complications in patients receiving those regimens. Baseline cohort characteristics and treatment effects were derived from an Asian study.

Clinical efficacy and safety of the newer antiepileptic drugs as adjunctive treatment in adults with refractory partial-onset epilepsy: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), namely, Eslicarbazepine (ESL), Retigabine/Ezogabine (RTG), Carisbamate (CAR), Lacosamide (LAC), Brivaracetam (BRI) or Perampanel (PER) as adjunctive therapy for adults with partial-onset seizures (POS).

Methods: A systematic review of Randomized placebo-controlled Trials (RCTs) of newer AEDs was conducted. Electronic databases and identified bibliographies were searched to retrieve RCTs.

Willingness to pay per quality-adjusted life year: is one threshold enough for decision-making?: results from a study in patients with chronic prostatitis.

Objective: To estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) ratio with the stated preference data and compare the results obtained between chronic prostatitis (CP) patients and general population (GP).

Methods: WTP per QALY was calculated with the subjects' own health-related utility and the WTP value. Two widely used preference-based health-related quality of life instruments, EuroQol (EQ-5D) and Short Form 6D (SF-6D), were used to elicit utility for participants' own health.

Health-related quality of life in Chinese patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Objective: To examine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and factors associated with HRQoL in Chinese patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) using two generic preference-based HRQoL instruments, EQ-5D (plus EQ-VAS) and SF-6D, with the results compared with general population.

Method: CP/CPPS patients were recruited from two tertiary referral hospitals, and the general populations were randomly approached. After informed consent, subjects were interviewed using EQ-5D, EQ-VAS and SF-6D, and their socio-demographic and medical information was solicited.

Validation and comparison of EuroQol and short form 6D in chronic prostatitis patients.

Objective: Generic, preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments is increasingly used in health-care decision-making process. However, to our knowledge, no such HRQoL instrument has been validated or used in chronic prostatitis. We therefore aimed to assess and compare the psychometric properties of EuroQol (EQ-5D) and Short Form 6D (SF-6D) among chronic prostatitis patients in China.