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- Parker, C., et al.
(författare)
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Alpha Emitter Radium-223 and Survival in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
- 2013
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Ingår i: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793 .- 1533-4406. ; 369:3, s. 213-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223), an alpha emitter, selectively targets bone metastases with alpha particles. We assessed the efficacy and safety of radium-223 as compared with placebo, in addition to the best standard of care, in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases. Methods In our phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we randomly assigned 921 patients who had received, were not eligible to receive, or declined docetaxel, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive six injections of radium-223 (at a dose of 50 kBq per kilogram of body weight intravenously) or matching placebo; one injection was administered every 4 weeks. In addition, all patients received the best standard of care. The primary end point was overall survival. The main secondary efficacy end points included time to the first symptomatic skeletal event and various biochemical end points. A prespecified interim analysis, conducted when 314 deaths had occurred, assessed the effect of radium-223 versus placebo on survival. An updated analysis, when 528 deaths had occurred, was performed before crossover from placebo to radium-223. Results At the interim analysis, which involved 809 patients, radium-223, as compared with placebo, significantly improved overall survival (median, 14.0 months vs. 11.2 months; hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.88; two-sided P=0.002). The updated analysis involving 921 patients confirmed the radium-223 survival benefit (median, 14.9 months vs. 11.3 months; hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.83; P<0.001). Assessments of all main secondary efficacy end points also showed a benefit of radium-233 as compared with placebo. Radium-223 was associated with low myelosuppression rates and fewer adverse events. Conclusions In this study, which was terminated for efficacy at the prespecified interim analysis, radium-223 improved overall survival. (Funded by Algeta and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; ALSYMPCA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00699751.)
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- Aurelius, E, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term valacyclovir suppressive treatment after herpes simplex virus type 2 meningitis: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1537-6591. ; 54:9, s. 1304-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a common cause of acute and recurrent aseptic meningitis. Our aim was to determine the impact of antiviral suppression on recurrence of meningitis and to delineate the full spectrum of neurological complications.One hundred and one patients with acute primary or recurrent HSV-2 meningitis were assigned to placebo (n = 51) or 0.5 g of valacyclovir twice daily (n = 50) for 1 year after initial treatment with 1 g of valacyclovir 3 times daily for 1 week in a prospective, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. The primary outcome was time until recurrence of meningitis. The patients were followed up for 2 years.The first year, no significant difference was found between the valacyclovir and placebo groups. The second year, without study drugs, the risk of recurrence of verified and probable HSV-2 meningitis was significantly higher among patients exposed to valacyclovir (hazard ratio, 3.29 [95% confidence interval, 10.06-10.21]). One-third of the patients experienced 1-4 meningitis episodes during the study period. A considerable morbidity rate, comprising symptoms from the central, peripheral, and autonomous nervous system, was found in both groups.Suppressive treatment with 0.5 g of valacyclovir twice daily was not shown to prohibit recurrent meningitis and cannot be recommended for this purpose after HSV meningitis in general. Protection against mucocutaneous lesions was observed, but the dosage was probably inappropriate for the prevention of HSV activation in the central nervous system. The higher frequency of meningitis, after cessation of active drug, could be interpreted as a rebound phenomenon.
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- Franzen, E, et al.
(författare)
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Light and heavy touch reduces postural sway and modifies axial tone in Parkinson's disease
- 2012
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Ingår i: Neurorehabilitation and neural repair. - : SAGE Publications. - 1552-6844 .- 1545-9683. ; 26:8, s. 1007-1014
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Light touch with a stable object reduces postural sway by increasing axial postural tone in healthy subjects. However, it is unknown whether subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD), who have more postural sway and higher axial postural tone than healthy subjects, can benefit from haptic touch. Objective. To investigate the effect of light and heavy touch on postural stability and hip tone in subjects with PD. Methods. Fourteen subjects with mid-stage PD and 14 healthy control subjects were evaluated during quiet standing with eyes closed with their arms ( a) crossed, ( b) lightly touching a fixed rigid bar in front of them, and ( c) firmly gripping the bar. Postural sway was measured with a forceplate, and axial hip tone was quantified using a unique device that measures the resistance of the hips to yaw rotation while maintaining active stance. Results. Subjects with PD significantly decreased their postural sway with light or heavy touch ( P < .001 vs arms crossed), similarly as control subjects. Without touch, hip tone was larger in PD subjects. With touch, however, tone values were similar in both groups. This change in hip tone with touch was highly correlated with the initial amount of tone (PD, r = −.72 to −.95; controls, r = −.74 to −.85). Conclusions. The authors showed, for the first time, that subjects with PD benefit from touch similarly to control subjects and that despite higher axial postural tone, PD subjects are able to modulate their tone with touch. Future studies should investigate the complex relationship between touch and postural tone.
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- Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, P-L, et al.
(författare)
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Toxicity in patients receiving adjuvant docetaxel plus hormonal treatment after radical radiotherapy for intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer : a preplanned safety report of the SPCG-13 trial
- 2012
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Ingår i: Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1365-7852 .- 1476-5608. ; 15:3, s. 303-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Radical radiotherapy (RD combined with androgen deprivation therapy is currently the standard treatment for elderly patients with localized intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer (PC). To increase the recurrence-free and overall survival, we conducted an adjuvant, randomized trial using docetaxel (T) in PC patients (Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group trial 13). METHODS: The inclusion criteria are the following: men > 18 and <= 75 years of age, WHO/ECOG performance status 0-1, histologically proven PC within 12 months before randomization and one of the following: T2, Gleason 7 (4 + 3), PSA > 10; T2, Gleason 8-10, any PSA; or any T3 tumors. Neoadjuvant/adjuvant hormone therapy is mandatory for all patients. The patients were randomized to receive six cycles of T (75 mg m(-2) d 1. cycle 21 d) or no docetaxel after radical RI (with a minimum tumor dose of 74 Gy). This study identifier number is NTC 006653848 (http://www.clinicaltrials.org). RESULTS: In this preplanned safety analysis of 100 patients, T treatment induced grade (G) 3 adverse events (AEs) in 15 patients (30%) and G4 AEs in 30 patients (60%), mainly due to bone marrow toxicity. Neutropenia G3-4 was observed in 72% of the patients, febrile neutropenia was found in 24% of patients, neutropenic infection in 10% of patients and G3 infection without neutropenia in 4% of patients. Nonhematological G3 AEs were rare: anorexia, diarrhea, mucositis, nausea, pain (1 patient each) and fatigue (5). Other severe serious AEs related to T were pulmonary embolism and renal failure. However, only three patients discontinued T before completing the planned six cycles. No deaths had occurred. No patients in the control arm experienced G3-4 toxicities at 12 weeks after the randomization. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant docetaxel chemotherapy after radiotherapy has a higher frequency of neutropenia than previous studies on patients with metastatic disease. Otherwise, the treatment was quite well tolerated.
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- Kenward, R. E., et al.
(författare)
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Identifying governance strategies that effectively support ecosystem services, resource sustainability, and biodiversity
- 2011
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 108:13, s. 5308-5312
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conservation scientists, national governments, and international conservation groups seek to devise, and implement, governance strategies that mitigate human impact on the environment. However, few studies to date have systematically investigated the performance of different systems of governance in achieving successful conservation outcomes. Here, we use a newly-developed analytic framework to conduct analyses of a suite of case studies, linking different governance strategies to standardized scores for delivering ecosystem services, achieving sustainable use of natural resources, and conserving biodiversity, at both local and international levels. Our results: (i) confirm the benefits of adaptive management; and (ii) reveal strong associations for the role of leadership. Our work provides a critical step toward implementing empirically justified governance strategies that are capable of improving the management of human-altered environments, with benefits for both biodiversity and people.
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| 18. |
- Markaki, I, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term survival of ischemic cerebrovascular disease in the acute inflammatory stroke study, a hospital-based cohort described by TOAST and ASCO
- 2013
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Ingår i: Cerebrovascular diseases (Basel, Switzerland). - : S. Karger AG. - 1421-9786 .- 1015-9770. ; 35:3, s. 213-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- <b><i>Background:</i></b> Ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD) comprises multiple etiological phenotypes that share common clinical characteristics. Etiological classification of patients with ICVD is of major clinical interest to achieve optimal medical treatment and predict prognosis. The TOAST classification system has been widely used to describe stroke etiology but provides restricted phenotypic homogeneity within groups. The ASCO classification system has introduced a new approach in phenotypic classification, and aims to describe clinical characteristics without merging concurrent comorbidities. Inflammatory processes have been suggested to mediate stroke etiology and pathology. The Acute Inflammatory Stroke Study (AISS), a hospital-based cohort, is here introduced and described by TOAST and ASCO classification systems. The aim of this first analysis of AISS was to investigate long-term mortality in relation to ischemic stroke subtypes, and clinical and biochemical markers. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> AISS consecutively follows patients on 6 occasions up to 1 year after stroke onset. Complete workup according to ASCO comprised CT or MRI of the head, ECG, duplex of the extracranial arteries or CT/MR angiography and ultrasound of the heart. Level 2 evidence was required in each domain to obtain a comparable system to TOAST (ASCO2). Clinical and biochemical characteristics and mortality rates were documented and compared by the two classification systems. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of 142 patients consecutively evaluated and recruited in the study, a total of 101 ICVD patients (ischemic stroke, n = 84; transient ischemic attack, n = 17) were included in the final analysis. Agreement between ASCO2 and TOAST was very good. During the mean observation period of 28 months, 26 patients died. The 1- and 4-year mortality rates were 0 and 4% for large artery atherosclerosis (LAA); 23 and 36% for cardioembolism (CE); 0% for small artery occlusion (SAO); 63 and 100% for the subtype with unknown etiology due to incomplete workup (Unknown), and 12 and 29% for the cryptogenic subtype. As for the ASCO2 groups, the 1- and 4-year mortality rates were 0 and 6% in LAA, 25 and 36% in CE, 0% in SAO, 0 and 14% in LAA + CE, 0% in SAO + CE, 16 and 36% in the subgroup with undetermined etiology despite complete workup, and 56 and 100% in Unknown. Regression analysis showed that age, white blood cell count, fibrinogen and bilirubin, but not etiological subgroup, were independent predictors of mortality. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our findings indicate that clinical and biochemical markers may differentiate phenotypically homogeneous etiological subtypes and predict long-term mortality. Further studies with larger patient numbers are needed to investigate possible causative mechanisms.
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- Nilsson, S., et al.
(författare)
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A randomized, dose-response, multicenter phase II study of radium-223 chloride for the palliation of painful bone metastases in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - Oxford : Elsevier. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 48:5, s. 678-686
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To investigate the dose-response relationship and pain-relieving effect of radium-223, a highly bone-targeted alpha-pharmaceutical. Methods: One hundred patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and painful bone metastases were randomized to a single intravenous dose of 5, 25, 50 or 100 kBq/kg radium-223. The primary end-point was pain index (visual analogue scale [VAS] and analgesic use), also used to classify patients as responders or non-responders. Results: A significant dose response for pain index was seen at week 2 (P = .035). At week 8 there were 40%, 63%, 56% and 71% pain responders (reduced pain and stable analgesic consumption) in the 5, 25, 50 and 100 kBq/kg groups, respectively. On the daily VAS, at week 8, pain decreased by a mean of -30, -31, -27 and -28 mm, respectively (P = .008, P = .0005, P = .002, and P < .0001) in these responders (post-hoc analysis). There was also a significant improvement in the brief pain inventory functional index for all dose-groups (P = .04, .01, .002 and .02, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Furthermore, a decrease in bone alkaline phosphatase in the highest dose-group was demonstrated (P = .0067). All doses were safe and well tolerated. Conclusion: Pain response was seen in up to 71% of the patients with a dose response observed 2 weeks after administration. The highly tolerable side-effect profile of radium-223 previously reported was confirmed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 21. |
- Nilsson, Sten, et al.
(författare)
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Two-Year Survival Follow-Up of the Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study of Radium-223 Chloride in Patients With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer and Bone Metastases
- 2013
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Ingår i: Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. - : Elsevier. - 1558-7673 .- 1938-0682. ; 11:1, s. 20-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this 24-month follow-up of a phase II study in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and bone metastases, radium-223 (4 injections of 50 kBq/kg every 4 weeks [n = 33]) improved median overall survival vs. matching placebo (n = 31) (65.3 vs. 46.4 weeks, respectively; log-rank P = .056), with no long-term safety concerns. Data suggest that treatment of bone disease with radium-223 has survival benefits. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanBackground: This phase II randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate efficacy and safety of radium-223 in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and painful bone metastases. Twelve-and 18-month survival results were reported previously. Here we report 24-month overall survival (OS) and safety data from the period 12 to 24 months after the first injection of study medication. Methods: Patients with CRPC and bone pain were randomized 1: 1 to receive 4 injections of radium-223 (50 kBq/kg [n = 33]) or placebo (n = 31) after external-beam radiotherapy; each injection was given every 4 weeks. Endpoints for this report were 24-month OS, long-term safety, and treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurring in the 12- to 24-month period. Results: After 24 months, 10 (30%) patients were alive in the radium-223 group compared with 4 patients (13%) in the placebo group. Patients who received at least 1 dose of study medication had a median OS of 65 weeks in the radium-223 group vs. 46 weeks in the placebo group (log-rank P = .056). The hazard ratio (HR) for OS, adjusted for baseline covariates, was 0.476 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.258-0.877; Cox regression P = .017). The most frequent cause of death for both arms was disease progression. There were no reports of treatment-related AEs or long-term hematologic toxicity during the 12- to 24-month follow-up. Conclusion: Radium-223 had a highly favorable safety profile, with no evidence of second malignancies at 24-month follow-up. The significant improvement in OS observed in patients receiving radium-223 vs. placebo suggests that treatment of bone disease with radium-223 has survival benefits. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer, Vol. 11, No. 1, 20-6
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- Westman, J, et al.
(författare)
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Flocculation causes inhibitor tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 2nd generation bioethanol production
- 2014
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Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - : American Society of Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 80:22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Yeast has long been considered the microorganism of choice for second generation bioethanol production due to its fermentative capacity and ethanol tolerance. However, tolerance towards inhibitors derived from lignocellulosic materials is still an issue. Flocculating yeast strains often perform relatively well in inhibitory media, but inhibitor tolerance has never been clearly linked to the actual flocculation ability per se. In this study, variants of the flocculation gene FLO1 were transformed into the genome of the otherwise non-flocculating laboratory yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK 113-7D. Three mutants with distinct differences in flocculation properties were isolated and characterised. The degree of flocculation and hydrophobicity of the cells were correlated to the length of the gene variant. The effect of different strength of flocculation on the fermentation performance of the strains was studied in defined medium with and without fermentation inhibitors as well as in media based on dilute acid spruce hydrolysate. Strong flocculation aided against the readily convertible inhibitor furfural, but not against less convertible inhibitors, such as carboxylic acids. During fermentation of dilute acid spruce hydrolysate, the most strongly flocculating mutant with dense cell flocs showed significantly faster sugar consumption. The modified strain with the weakest flocculation showed a hexose consumption profile similar to the non-transformed strain. These findings may explain why flocculation has evolved as a stress response, and can find application in fermentation-based biorefinery processes on lignocellulosic raw materials.
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