In vitro pentamer formation as a biomarker of tacrolimus-related immunosuppressive activity after liver transplantation.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus (FK) is widely performed to assist adjustments of drug dosage but may be an inadequate surrogate of the immunosuppression induced. The aim of this investigation was to develop an alternative method for measuring FK-related immunosuppressive activity in blood samples from liver transplant recipients. A pentamer formation assay (PFA) was devised based on the attachment of the 12 kDa FK-binding protein (FKBP12) to microtitre plates in the presence of calcineurin, calmodulin, Ca++ and FK.

Growth hormone, insulinlike growth factor-1, and insulinlike growth factor binding proteins 1 and 3 in chronic liver disease.

The liver is the major source of circulating insulinlike growth factor-I (IGF-I) and has been suggested as a major source of at least two of the major binding proteins that modify its bioavailability. We aimed to assess the direct effects of liver dysfunction on serum levels of IGF-1 and its major binding proteins by measuring fasting levels of growth hormone, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-3, insulin, C peptide, and glucose in 35 patients with cirrhosis and during an oral glucose tolerance test in 16 of those patients. Serum levels of growth hormone (GH) were high in the patients: median, 12.

Management of common bile duct stones with a biliary endoprosthesis. Report on 40 cases.

Endoscopic placement of a biliary endoprosthesis has been proposed for the management of choledocholithiasis when stone extraction is difficult or considered hazardous. Over a two year period this approach was used in 40 such patients. There were 24 women and 16 men with a median age of 76 years.

Pattern of Liver Disease Following High-Dose Cytosine Arabinoside (HDARAC) Therapy in Children with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The occurrence of liver disease and its relation to HBV markers were investigated in ten children with AML who were given HDARAC as late consolidation therapy. None of them developed jaundice or biochemical evidence of cholestasis. During therapy, SGPT values were normal in 5/10 patients, while in the other 5 a sharp increase was noted.

Charcoal haemoperfusion for paracetamol overdose.

1 A controlled trial of charcoal haemoperfusion as an early treatment for paracetamol overdose showed no benefit. 2 The plasma clearances of paracetamol by the charcoal column were variable and disappointingly small (range 4-119 ml/minute). The cumulative amounts removed were also low, mean 1.

Urinary D-glucaric acid excretion and plasma antipyrine kinetics during enzyme induction.

1 Changes in urinary D-glucaric acid excretion following a 14 day course of antipyrine to produce enzyme induction have been compared in normal volunteers with changes in plasma half lives and steady state levels of antipyrine. 2 Urinary D-glucaric acid excretion for the group rose significantly with induction, while there was a significant fall in the mean plasma antipyrine half life and steady state levels. The extent of the increase in urinary D-glucaric acid excretion was inversely related to the pre-induction level, and this also applied to the change in antipyrine half lives.