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Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels measured with the intact PTH assays are generally higher than those measured with the whole PTH assay; however, rare exceptions to this rule have been reported in patients with severe hyperparathyroidism associated with N-PTH overproduction. We report a haemodialysis patient with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism, in whom abnormally higher whole PTH levels than intact PTH levels were normalized during cinacalcet therapy. Moreover, we observed a marked reduction in parathyroid gland vascularity during this treatment. Our findings suggested that increased sensitivity of the parathyroid calcium sensing receptor by calcimimetics may modulate the secretion or truncation of N-PTH or other PTH molecules that can be detected by the whole PTH assay but not by the intact PTH assays. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: SB3 is a trastuzumab biosimilar approved in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and the USA. This real-world study evaluated safety and effectiveness of SB3 as part of the Korean post approval safety management system. Methods: This post-marketing surveillance in Korea included patients in line with approved indications, i.e., patients with early or metastatic breast cancer or metastatic gastric cancer. Safety outcomes were adverse events (AEs) and adverse drug reactions. Effectiveness outcomes were tumor response and event-free survival. Results: 424 patients were evaluated: 366 patients (86%) with early breast cancer, 53 patients (13%) with metastatic breast cancer, and 5 patients (1%) with metastatic gastric cancer. Among patients with breast cancer, AEs (mostly mild) and adverse drug reactions were reported by 158 (37.7%) and 57 (13.6%) patients, respectively. Most patients with an AE (141, 89.2%) had no change in treatment schedule. Treatment was temporarily suspended in 14 (8.9%) patients with an AE and completely discontinued in 7 (4.4%). Among patients with early and metastatic breast cancer who were evaluated for efficacy, objective response rates were 82.7% and 38.3%, respectively. Pathological complete response was 64.6% in patients with early breast cancer. Discussion/Conclusion: Safety and efficacy of SB3 demonstrated in this real-world study were comparable with previous studies of reference trastuzumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels detected by intact PTH assays are generally higher than those detected by the whole PTH assay because the latter does not detect non-(1–84) PTH fragments, mainly PTH (7–84). Rare exceptions to this rule have been reported in patients with severe primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid carcinoma. Overproduction of an N-form of PTH other than PTH (1–84) has been observed in the sera of these patients. We report five additional cases with the reversed whole PTH/intact PTH ratio associated with severe hyperparathyroidism in haemodialysis patients. Three patients demonstrated enlargement of a single hypervascular gland, whereas the other two had undergone surgical parathyroidectomy and later showed recurrent hyperparathyroidism due to progressive autograft hyperplasia. In the case of a single enlarged gland, the pathological pattern and heterogeneous expression of parathyroid adenomatosis 1/cyclin D1 suggested it to be a single nodule of uraemic hyperparathyroidism rather than sporadic primary adenoma. These cases suggested that the reversed whole PTH/intact PTH ratio could be an indicator of marked parathyroid enlargement. Further studies are required to elucidate the clinical significance of the reversed whole PTH/intact PTH ratio in haemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether treatment with β2-microglobulin adsorption column (Lixelle) affects bone cysts and clinical symptoms in patients with dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA). Methods: Radiographic changes in the number and area of bone cysts of the wrist and the hip joint were compared between 39 hemodialysis (HD) patients treated with Lixelle (Lixelle group) and 28 HD patients treated with conventional therapy as retrospective control (HD group). Clinical symptoms of DRA were also evaluated. Results: In the Lixelle group, the number of bone cysts and the cystic area in wrist joints were significantly decreased, although the changes in these parameters in hip joints were not significant. In the HD group, the corresponding parameters in the hip joints even significantly increased. Clinical symptoms notably improved after Lixelle treatment. Conclusion: Treatment with Lixelle reduces the radiolucency of bone cysts in the wrist joints, and improves clinical symptoms associated with DRA. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA) values were compared in plasma of hemodialysis patients and in recycling solvents using LC/MS, LC/electrochemical detector (ECD), and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BPA values in the plasma and the solvent were 0-8.4 ng/ml and 0-0.8 ng/ml for LC/ECD, 0-4.9 ng/ml and 0-0.8 ng/ml for LC/MS, and 0-15.5 ng/ml and 0-3.1 ng/ml for ELISA, respectively. There was no significant difference among BPA values both in the plasma and the solvents using three methods. Single correlation coefficients between LC/ECD and LC/MS, LC/ECD and ELISA, and LC/MS and ELISA were, respectively, 0.373 (p < 0.002), 0.347 (p < 0.002), and 0.945 (p < 0.001) in the plasma (n = 68-109) and 0.916 (p < 0.001), 0.431 (p > 0.05), and 0.332 (p > 0.05) in the solvents (n = 19). An unknown substance present in the plasma of patients but not healthy volunteers influenced the LC/ECD values of plasma repeated freezing and thawing. The results indicate that LC/MS and ELISA are appropriate for BPA analysis in plasma and both LC/MS and LC/ECD in the recycling solvents and handling with plasma before analysis is important to the analysis of BPA in patients' plasma using LC/ECD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]