[Chlorpromazine therapy combined with specific therapy in general paralysis; report of two recent cases].
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In contrast to patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) due to other causes, patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) receiving standard cytotoxic chemotherapy can be treated safely with antifibrinolytic drugs for prophylaxis of hemorrhage, without the occurrence of thromboembolic complications. However, such drugs should be used cautiously in APL patients who are receiving all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) differentiation therapy. We report here a patient with APL who had fatal thromboembolism after receiving ATRA and tranexamic acid therapy.
The treatment of nosocomial pneumonia is difficult because of the absence of a precise microbial etiology in a sizable fraction of cases and the severity of predisposing conditions in patients who develop these infections. Staphylococcus aureus and aerobic gram-negative rods continue to be the most common isolates in these infections. Therapy of nosocomial pneumonia is often empiric, with initial antimicrobial therapy based upon local experience and sensitivity patterns, immune competence of the patient and disease severity. Combination therapy with an aminoglycoside and a beta-lactam has long been the cornerstone of therapy, and clinical success has been correlated with peak serum bactericidal levels of 1:8 in non-granulocytopenic patients and peak gentamicin and tobramycin levels greater than 8 micrograms/ml. The introduction of new broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as monobactams, third-generation cephalosporins and imipenem, has introduced the possibility of monotherapy for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia. In general, monotherapy has proven to be a useful alternative to combination therapy, with success rates ranging from 77 to 96%. Development of resistance during therapy, particularly by Pseudomonas, Enterobacter and Serratia spp., remains an unresolved problem.
Using cultured transformed fibroblasts, an antitumor agent, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), was found to be potentiated in its inhibitory action on RNA formation by vitamin A. 5-FU in combination with vitamin A enhanced more effectively the cellular sensitivity to irradiation than when 5-FU was used alone. So we have applied a triple combination of 5-FU, vitamin A, and cobalt-60 radiation (FAR therapy) to clinical treatment of head and neck tumors since 1972. The treatment of 192 patients with cancer of the larynx, 60 patients with hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal cancer, and 23 patients with epipharyngeal cancer with FAR therapy during 6 years from 1972 to 1977 resulted in highly effective synergism, and the improved points of this therapy were considered.
Reducing blood pressure (BP) to target levels is a major priority in preventing clinical events in hypertension. Typically this requires more than one drug, and recent guidelines on hypertension management therefore recommend starting with combination treatment in many patients. Diuretics have often been part of such therapy, usually paired with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or similar agents; but calcium channel blockers are also highly efficacious in reducing BP when combined with ACE inhibitors. In addition, these drug classes, separately and in combination, appear to have vasculoprotective properties. Because the primary goal of treating hypertension is to enhance survival and reduce cardiovascular outcomes, the Rationale and Design of Avoiding Cardiovascular events through COMbination therapy in Patients LIving with Systolic Hypertension (ACCOMPLISH) trial is designed as the first blinded and randomized study to prospectively compare the effects on these endpoints of two antihypertensive combinations, benazapril/hydrochlorothiazide (force titrated to 40/12.5 mg) and amlodipine besylate/benazapril (force titrated to 5/40 mg). The doses can be further titrated to 40/25 mg or 10/40 mg, and other classes of drugs can be added as needed for optimal BP control. The primary study endpoint is a composite of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The study will be performed in hypertensive patients (systolic BP > or = 160 mm Hg or currently on antihypertensive therapy) with risk factors for cardiovascular events (prior events, target organ damage, kidney disease, or diabetes). A total of 6300 subjects will be randomized to each group with the expectation that a total of 1642 primary endpoints will occur during a 5-year period, providing 90% power to detect the 15% relative reduction in events (alpha = 0.05) hypothesized to favor the amlodipine besylate/benazapril group. The ACCOMPLISH study will be performed in the United States and Europe. The first patient was randomizedduring 2003, and the trial should conclude in 2008.
Using a recently developed autochthonous mouse model of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a combination therapy targeting polyamine metabolism was evaluated. The therapy combined 2-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and MQT 1426, a polyamine transport inhibitor. In 1 trial lasting 4 weeks, combination therapy with 0.5% DFMO (orally, in the drinking water) and MQT 1426 (50 mg/kg i.p., bid) was significantly more effective than with either single agent alone when complete tumor response was the endpoint. In the combination group, 72% of SCCs responded completely vs. 21 and 0% for DFMO and MQT 1426, respectively. A second trial involved a 4-week treatment period followed by 6 weeks off-treatment. With apparent cures as an endpoint, combination therapy was again more effective than either agent alone: a 50% apparent cure rate was observed in the combination group vs. 7.7% in the DFMO group. MQT 1426 had no inhibitory effect on SCC ODC activity nor did it enhance the inhibition by DFMO, but SCC polyamine levels declined more rapidly when treated with combination therapy vs. DFMO alone. The apoptotic index in SCCs was transiently increased by combination therapy but not by DFMO alone. Thus, targeting both polyamine biosynthesis and polyamine transport from the tumor microenvironment enhances the efficacy of polyamine-based therapy in this mouse model of SCC.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of combined therapy of modified Kangjia Recipe (KR) and western medicine propylthiouracil (PTU) on hyperthyroidism and to assess its advantage. METHODS: Ninety patients with hyperthyroidism were divided into the treatment group (TG) and the control group (CG). The 60 patients in TG treated with KR and PTU, and the 30 patients in CG treated with PTU alone. The treatment course of both groups was 3 months. The serum thyroid hormone (TH) level, clinical symptoms and signs, and adverse reaction were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: The serum TH level, clinical symptoms and signs were significantly improved after treatment in both groups (all P < 0.01). The total effective rate was 93.3% in TG, which was higher than that in CG (83.3%, P < 0.01); and the efficacy in improving palpitation, fidget, aversion to heat, sweating and insomnia was better in the TG than that in the CG respectively (P < 0.05). As for the incidence of adverse reaction, it that was lower in the TG than in the CG. CONCLUSION: KD has good efficacy in treating hyperthyroidism, and the combined treatment of Chinese and Western medicine shows obvious advantages.
An 83-year-old woman received a diagnosis of moderate aplastic anemia in November 1990. Immunosuppressive therapy consisting of anti-lymphocyte globulin combined with high-dose corticosteroids was effective until pancytopenia developed in August 1993. The patient was hospitalized again and recurrence of aplastic anemia was diagnosed on the basis of hematologic findings, including RBC 129 x 10(4)/microliter, Hb 5.5 g/dl, Ret 23,200/microliter, WBC 2,200/microliter with 27% neutrophils, platelets 2.2 x 10(4)/microliter, and hypoplastic bone marrow. Recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) of 125 micrograms/day combined with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) of 6,000 U/day were started in November 1993. The doses of G-CSF and EPO were increased to 250 micrograms/day and 12,000 U/day, respectively. We stopped combination therapy in March 1995, after trilineage hematopoietic cell recovery had been achieved. Complete recovery in peripheral blood was sustained for more than 2 years despite the termination of G-CSF and EPO therapy. Combination therapy with G-CSF and EPO may be safe and effective for elderly patients with aplastic anemia when the choice of therapy is limited.
PURPOSE: This study was to observe the clinical effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with supragingival and subgingival scaling therapy on periodontitis. METHODS: The patients with periodontitis were divided randomly into 3 groups, the supragingival and subgingival scaling therapy group, the hyperbaric oxygen therapy group, the hyperbaric oxygen combined with supragingival and subgingival scaling therapy group. The clinical index and the level of aspartate aminotransferase in gingival cervical fluid (GCF-AST) of the 3 groups were compared pre and post treatment,and the clinical index and the level of GCF-AST of the 3 groups after treatment were compared. RESULTS: The 3 methods had different clinical effects on periodontitis, and the hyperbaric oxygen combined with supragingival and subgingival scaling group had the best therapeutic results. CONCLUSION: The hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with supragingival and subgingival scaling therapy had synergistic action on periodontitis.
OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to determine the effect of statin-fibrate combination therapy on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with diabetes. BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a long-term, chronic inflammatory disease that is exacerbated in patients with diabetes. METHODS: Patients (n = 300) with type II diabetes, mixed dyslipidemia (2 or more of low-density lipoprotein > or =100 mg/dl, triglycerides > or =200 mg/dl, or high-density lipoprotein <40 mg/dl), and no history of coronary heart disease were randomly assigned to receive simvastatin 20 mg, fenofibrate 160 mg, or a combination of simvastatin 20 mg and fenofibrate 160 mg daily. At 12 weeks after randomization, we measured levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)). RESULTS: At 12 weeks, median hsCRP was significantly reduced (-14.6%, p = 0.004) from baseline, but the effect did not differ between treatments. The effect was greatest among patients with baseline hsCRP levels >2.0 mg/l (fenofibrate = -18.9%, p = 0.002 vs. baseline; simvastatin = -24.8%, p < 0.0001; combination = -27.3%, p = 0.002). Likewise, median Lp-PLA(2) levels in the overall study population were significantly reduced (-16.8%, p < 0.0001), and the effect did not differ among treatments. This effect also was greatest among patients with increased baseline levels of Lp-PLA(2) greater than the median of 320.9 ng/ml (fenofibrate = -41.3%, p < 0.0001; simvastatin = -47.5%, p < 0.0001; combination = -46.8%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Simvastatin, fenofibrate, and combination therapy each lowered hsCRP and Lp-PLA(2). These anti-inflammatory effects were most pronounced among patients with increased baseline levels. Combination therapy was no more effective than either form of monotherapy. (The DIACOR Study; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00309712?order=1).
Over the past two decades, we have witnessed a large decrease in the death and complication rate of patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction (MI), due to our ability to restore blood flow to infarct-related arteries. Therapies include strategies to inhibit platelet function and induce fibrinolysis, and mechanical reperfusion with percutaneous intervention. Despite decreases in morbidity and mortality with thrombolytic therapy, reperfusion rates remain less than optimal. With standard fibrinolytic therapy in combination with aspirin, it is thought that thrombolytic-induced platelet activation may be an important reason for failure to induce perfusion, or maintain reperfusion in the infarct-related artery. In the past 10 years we have moved from platelet inhibition with aspirin to newer, more potent platelet inhibitors such as glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonists. Recent trials have evaluated the efficacy and safety of combining thrombolytic drugs with GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists. Future trends may use combination therapy as a part of a mechanical strategy, using these medications to induce early reperfusion as the patient is prepared for percutaneous intervention. This review summarizes recently published trials using combination thrombolytic and GP IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor therapy in the treatment of acute MI.
The electrophysiological effects of combination therapy of mexiletine and propafenone were assessed using standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (standard ECG), signal-averaged ECG (SAECG), and ambulatory ECG in 31 patients with ventricular arrhythmias. All patients underwent mexiletine monotherapy (M-mono), propafenone monotherapy (P-mono), low dose combination therapy (low M+P), and full dose combination therapy (full M+P). Full M+P increased the PQ interval and QRS duration to the same extent as P-mono did. Low M+P increased PQ interval and QRS duration to a lesser extent than P-mono and full M+P did. P-mono and full M+P significantly decreased root mean square (RMS) and increased f-QRS in SAECG, while M-mono and low M+P showed only a weak trend. SAECGs with late potentials increased in number with treatments; 9 in predrug control, 11 on M-mono, 15 on P-mono, 10 on low M+P, and 14 on full M+P. The percent suppression of frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) (> 1,000/day) with M-mono, P-mono, low M+P, and full M+P were 46.4 +/- 9.0, 56.6 +/- 10.4, 64.4 +/- 9.2, and 71.4 +/- 7.1, respectively, and those of frequent couplets (> 10/day) were 58.3 +/- 17.7, 62.6 +/- 23.6, 87.5 +/- 6.2, and 92.1 +/- 4.0, respectively. Thus, full dose combination of mexiletine and propafenone exhibited the maximum antiarrhythmic efficacy without enhancement of effects on standard ECG and SAECG. Low dose combination therapy showed better antiarrhythmic efficacy in association with lesser effects on standard ECG and SAECG compared with propafenone monotherapy.
BACKGROUND: Administration of estrogen or etidronate has been shown to increase bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. This 4-year, prospective, randomized study was carried out to monitor any added beneficial effect on bone mineral density when hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) was combined with etidronate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight early postmenopausal women attending metabolic bone disease outpatient clinics were randomly allocated into four treatment groups and monitored for up to 4 years. All patients received 1.0 g/d of elemental calcium. In addition, group 1 received percutaneously administered HRT (n = 15); group 2, intermittent cyclical etidronate (ICE) (n = 14); group 3, HRT and ICE (n = 15); and group 4, calcium alone (n = 14). The bone mineral density (measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), biochemical variables of bone turnover, including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and urinary hydroxyproline:creatinine ratios were measured before treatment and at 2 and 4 years after treatment. RESULTS: In patients who received the combined therapy, bone mineral density was increased in the vertebrae by 10.9% (P < 0.001) and in the femora by 7.25% (P < 0.001) at 4 years. For patients treated with ICE, the increase was 6.79% (P < 0.001) and 1.20% (P < 0.05), and with HRT, 6.78% (P < 0.001) and 4.01% (P < 0.01) in the vertebrae and femora, respectively. The group treated with calcium alone lost 3.81% (P < 0.01) and 4.96% (P < 0.01) of bone mineral density in vertebrae and femora. Patients who received no specific therapy lost 8.58% (P < 0.01) from vertebrae, and 7.83% (P < 0.01) from the femora over 4 years. Patients who received combined therapy had significantly higher bone mineral density in both vertebrae (P < 0.05) and femora (P < 0.01), in comparison to patients who were treated with HRT, or ICE, alone. Three of 9 patients (33%) in the ICE group developed osteomalacia, as shown by bone histomorphometry, whereas in women who received combined HRT and ICE therapies, none of the 11 patients tested had evidence of bone mineralization defects. CONCLUSION: This 4-year, prospective, randomized study in early postmenopausal women showed an additive effect of ICE and HRT on the bone mineral density in both vertebrae and the hip. Furthermore, the combined therapy prevented the occurrence of osteomalacia associated with etidronate. This is the first study to demonstrate the effects of etidronate in early postmenopausal women, and the additive beneficial effects of HRT and ICE on bone mineral density.
While the combination of zidovudine and didanosine is used in HIV-infected patients with more advanced disease, the possibility of a pharmacokinetic interaction between these two drugs remains controversial. Zidovudine doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg, combined with 67, 167, and 250 mg of didanosine were evaluated in 11 asymptomatic HIV-infected patients after receiving 24 weeks of combination therapy in AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 143. The pharmacokinetic parameters of zidovudine and didanosine were similar to those obtained with each drug given as monotherapy in other previously published studies. The renal clearance and urinary recovery of glucuronidated zidovudine was reduced when zidovudine was given in combination with didanosine, possibly due to competition for renal tubular secretion. These data suggest that no clinically important pharmacokinetic interaction occurs when zidovudine and didanosine are given together.