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Background/Aims: To assess auxological and safety data for growth hormone (GH)-treated children with SHOX deficiency. Methods: Data were examined for GH-treated SHOX-deficient children ( n = 521) from the observational Genetics and Neuroendocrinology of Short Stature International Study (GeNeSIS). For patients with near-adult height information, GeNeSIS results ( n = 90) were compared with a clinical trial ( n = 28) of SHOX-deficient patients. Near-adult height was expressed as standard deviation score (SDS) for chronological age, potentially increasing the observed effect of treatment. Results: Most SHOX-deficient patients in GeNeSIS had diagnoses of Leri-Weill syndrome ( n = 292) or non-syndromic short stature ( n = 228). For GeNeSIS patients with near-adult height data, mean age at GH treatment start was 11.0 years, treatment duration 4.4 years, and height SDS gain 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.49-1.17). Respective ages, GH treatment durations and height SDS gains for GeNeSIS patients prepubertal at baseline ( n = 42) were 9.2 years, 6.0 years and 1.19 (0.76-1.62), and for the clinical trial cohort they were 9.2 years, 6.0 years and 1.25 (0.92-1.58). No new GH-related safety concerns were identified. Conclusion: Patients with SHOX deficiency who had started GH treatment before puberty in routine clinical practice had a similar height gain to that of patients in the clinical trial on which approval for the indication was based, with no new safety concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The short stature homeobox-containing (SHOX) gene is one of many genes that regulate longitudinal growth. The SHOX deficiency (SHOX-D) phenotype, caused by intragenic or regulatory region defects, ranges from normal stature to mesomelic skeletal dysplasia. We investigated differences in radiological anomalies between patients with SHOX-D and Turner syndrome (TS) and the effect of 2 years of growth hormone (GH) treatment on these anomalies. Methods: Left hand/wrist, forearm and lower leg radiographs were assessed at baseline and after 2 years in children with genetically confirmed SHOX-D (GH-treated and untreated groups) and TS (GH-treated) in a randomised, controlled, multinational study. Results: Radiological anomalies of hand, wrist and forearm were common in SHOX-D and TS. Radial bowing appeared more prevalent in SHOX-D, while lower leg anomalies were more common in TS. There were no significant differences in radiological findings between GH-treated and untreated patients with SHOX-D after 2 years. Conclusion: GH treatment had no systematic effect on skeletal findings in SHOX-D, based on limited radiological differences between the GH-treated and untreated groups at 2 years. Bone age radiographs allow assessment of radiological signs indicating a potential diagnosis of SHOX-D and may lead to earlier genetic confirmation and initiation of GH therapy. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary studies showed spinosad to be rapidly effective and safe in controlling fleas on dogs. To validate these studies, a clinical trial was undertaken using 470 flea-infested client-owned dogs allocated to receive three monthly treatments with either beef-flavored chewable spinosad tablets (30-60 mg/kg) or selamectin applied according to label instructions. Flea counts 15 days after enrollment were reduced by 98.6% and 90.9% for spinosad- and selamectin-treated dogs, respectively; at 90 days, flea count reductions were 99.9% and 98.9%, respectively. Compared with baseline, all flea reductions were significant (P < .001) for both products and spinosad was significantly (P ≤ .0172) more effective than selamectin at each postenrollment flea count.

A total of 120 purebred Hereford cattle were selected from a herd on a ranch in Argentina that had a severe outbreak of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK, pinkeye) caused by Moraxella bovis. The animals were separated into six treatment groups: a nonmedicated control group, a group that received oxytetracycline at 300 mg injected intrapalpebrally, and four groups that received tilmicosin (Micotil, Elanco Animal Health, Indianapolis, IN; one group injected intrapalpebrally at 300 mg and three groups injected subcutaneously at 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg body weight, respectively). Animals were individually observed for resolution of lesions associated with IBK (ocular discharge, blepharospasin, and corneal lesions) every 7 days for 3 weeks. Corneal improvement was significantly better (P< or = .05) for all doses and for either route of injection for tilmicosin compared with no treatment or treatment with oxytetracycline. Tilmicosin given subcutaneously demonstrated a significant (P < or = .05) dose response for overall improvement (one or more score improved, none worsened). Tilmicosin given subcutaneously at 10 mg/kg was significantly more effective than tilmicosin at 2.5 mg/kg, oxytetracycline, and no treatment. Results for tilmicosin at 5 mg/kg were numerically better than no treatment, and tilmicosin at 10 mg/kg was numerically better than the drug given by intrapalpebral injection. Tilmicosin given by subcutaneous injection at 5 or 10 mg/kg was effective against IBK under the conditions of this study.