(C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc J Appl Polym Sci 116: 355-365, 2

(C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 116: 355-365, 2010″
“Food allergy can have

a profound effect on quality of life (QoL) of the family. The Food Allergy Quality of Life-Parental Burden Questionnaire (FAQL-PB) was developed on a US sample to assess the QoL of parents with food allergic children. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the FAQL-PB in a UK sample and to assess the effect of asking about parental burden in the last week compared with parental burden in general, with no time limit for recall given.

A total of 1,200 parents who had at least one child with food allergy were sent the FAQL-PB and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50); of whom only 63 % responded.

Factor analysis of the FAQL-PB

revealed two factors: limitations on life and emotional distress. The total scale see more and the two sub-scales had high internal reliability (all alpha > 0.85). There were small to moderate but significant correlations between total FAQL-PB P5091 datasheet scores and health and parental impact measures on the CHQ-PF50 (p < 0.01). Significantly greater parental burden was reported for the no-time limited compared with the time-limited version (p < 0.01).

The FAQL-PB is a reliable and valid measure for use in the UK. The scale could be used in clinic to assess the physical and emotional quality of life in addition to the impact on total quality of life.”
“Background: Previous studies have linked full-calorie sugar-sweetened beverages

(SSBs) with greater weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Selleck Vadimezan We prospectively examined the association between consumption of SSBs and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women.

Design: Women (n = 88,520) from the Nurses’ Health Study aged 34-59 y, without previously diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or diabetes in 1980, were followed from 1980 to 2004. Consumption of SSBs was derived from 7 repeated food-frequency questionnaires administered between 1980 and 2002. Relative risks (RRs) for CHD were calculated by using Cox proportional hazards models and adjusted for known cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Results: During 24 y of follow-up, we ascertained 3105 incident cases of CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal CHD). After standard and dietary risk factors were adjusted for, the RRs (and 95% CIs) of CHD according to categories of cumulative average of SSB consumption (<1/mo, 1-4/mo, 2-6/wk, 1/d, and >= 2 servings/ d) were 1.0, 0.96 (0.87, 1.06), 1.04 (0.95, 1.14), 1.23 (1.06, 1.43), and 1.35 (1.07, 1.69) (P for trend < 0.001). Additional adjustment for body mass index, energy intake, and incident diabetes attenuated the associations, but they remained significant. Artificially sweetened beverages were not associated with CHD.

01), color intensity (p similar to=similar to 02), number and thi

01), color intensity (p similar to=similar to.02), number and thickness of the collagen bundles. No significant changes in vessels number or diameters were observed. Clinical results were positive in 92.9% of the cases. Conclusion IPL treatment of PC induced a more-homogeneous distribution of melanin and increased nonfragmented elastic fibers, collagen density, and intensity. These changes were related to clinical improvement.”
“Study

Design. Retrospective review phosphatase inhibitor with matched-cohort analysis performed at a single institution.

Objective. To determine risk factors and outcomes for acute fractures at the proximal aspect of long pedicle screw constructs.

Summary of Background Data. Acute fractures at the top of long segmental pedicle screw constructs (FPSC) can be catastrophic. Substantial surgical increase in lordosis may precipitate this problem.

In relation to a matched cohort, we postulated that age, body mass index (BMI), and significant correction of lumbar lordosis would increase risk of FPSC and patients with FPSC would have lesser improvements in outcomes.

Methods. Thirteen patients who sustained FPSC between 2000 and 2007 were evaluated. During this time, 264 patients aged 40 or older had a spinal fusion from the thoracic spine to the sacrum using an all-pedicle screw construct. A cohort of 31 of these patients without FPSC but with all pedicle this website screw constructs was matched for diagnosis of positive sagittal imbalance, gender, preoperative C7 sagittal plumb, and number of levels fused.

Results. There was a significant difference in age (P = 0.02) and BMI (P = 0.006) between the matched groups. There was no significant difference in preoperative/postoperative C7 plumb or change in lumbar lordosis between groups. Acute neurological deficit developed in 2 patients; both patients improved substantially after revision surgery. Nine patients underwent proximal extension of the fusion.

For 7 of the 13 FPSC HIF activation patients with bone mineral density data (BMD) available, average T score was -1.73; -0.58 for the matched group (10/31 with bone mineral density data) (P = 0.02).

Conclusion. Factors that increased the risk of FPSC included obesity and older age. Osteopenia increased the risk as evidenced by BMD (based on 17 patients) and the older age of these patients. There was no statistical difference in clinical improvement between groups based on ODI, but the FPSC group did demonstrate a smaller improvement in ODI score than the matched cohort.”
“Sesamol has been shown earlier to exhibit antimutagenic (reactive oxygen mediated) and antiageing activity in our lab and it has also been found to exert chemopreventive effect. Here we report the in vitro antioxidant activity of sesamol.

Moreover, the swelling behavior of the CMCh/PVA hydrogels was stu

Moreover, the swelling behavior of the CMCh/PVA hydrogels was studied in different buffered solutions and in different salt solutions at various concentrations. CMCh/PVA hydrogels swell much more than CMCh especially at alkaline pH. Both metal and dye uptake were studied for CMCh/PVA hydrogels. The hydrogels adsorb much more dyestuff and metal ions like Cu2+, Cd2+, and Co2+ than CMCh itself. Much dyestuff and metal ions are adsorbed by the hydrogels as PVA content increases in the hydrogel. selleck chemical (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 123: 3459-3469, 2012″
“Background

Meningioangiomatosis is a meningovascular disorder that only rarefy occurs in association

with a meningioma. Occasionally, as in this case, imaging g studies do not readily identify this disorder as a benjn process. In addition, this disorder may infiltrate the underlying cerebral cortex, simulating, intraoperatively, it malignant infiltrative process. To allow better recognition of this disorder, we report it

case with emphasis on the unique cytologic features of the 2 components (meningioangiomatosis and meningioma) and potential pitfalls in diagnosis.

Case

A 3-year-old girl was examined in the neurosurgery service for history of refractory seizure. Neuroimaging showed an ill-defined signal abnormality in the left frontal lobe suggestive of it high-grade BAY 73-4506 cell line tumor. Tumor resection was performed, and intraoperative smear preparation showed meningioangiomatosis associated with meningioma.

Conclusion

Familiarity with cytologic preparations of this rare variant is very important in providing accurate introperative consultation. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the cytologic features oil smear preparation of meningioangiomatosis occurring in association with meningioma. (Acta Cytol 2009;53:93-97)”
“Voltage

distribution in a spherically symmetrical metal-insulator-semiconductor structure with a tunnel-thin insulating layer has been analyzed using the proposed analytic model and compared with that in a regular planar structure. In many electrostatic respects, the spherical system was shown to behave like a planar one with higher than specified semiconductor doping level. Special attention is paid to the reverse bias polarity. With a decrease of BKM120 the insulator-semiconductor interface radius, for a fixed terminal bias, the insulator voltage becomes higher and the band bending smaller. The geometry effects are revealed for the radii below 100-200 nm, i.e., by far not in the extreme quantum limit. The elaborated model is useful for treatment of non-planar metal-insulator-semiconductor structures in the cases when the consideration of an exact topology is problematic or too speculative. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3626064]“
“The assessment of ovarian reserve by antral follicle count (AFC) following electrocoagulation versus suture after laparoscopic stripping of ovarian endometriomas.

The sensitivity, specificity,

The sensitivity, specificity, selleck inhibitor and accuracy for the identification of supernumerary veins were 67%/95%/92% for MSCT and 67%/98%/94% for CE-MRA, respectively. Conclusion We found MSCT angiography to be more sensitive and accurate than CE-MRA in the detection of supernumerary arteries prior to living donor nephrectomy.”
“The development of new methods for noninvasive imaging is an area of biotechnology that is of great relevance for the diagnosis and characterization of diabetes mellitus. Noninvasive imaging can be used to study the dynamics of beta-cell mass and function; beta-cell death; vascularity,

innervation and autoimmune attack of pancreatic islets; and the efficacy of islet transplantation to remedy beta-cell loss in patients with diabetes mellitus. in this review, we focus on the application of MRI for monitoring islet transplantation

and on the potential causes of islet graft failure, which are still poorly understood. Questions that have been addressed by MRI studies encompass graft longevity, and the effects of immune rejection, glucose toxic effects, and the transplanted islets’ purity on graft fate. we also highlight Histone Methyltransf inhibitor novel technologies for simultaneous imaging and delivery of experimental therapies that aim to extend the lifespan and functionality of islet grafts. On the basis of this evidence, MRI represents a valuable platform for a thorough investigation of beta-cell function in the context of islet transplantation. State-of-the-art

multimodality approaches, such as PET-MRI, can extend our current capabilities C59 ic50 and help answer the critical questions that currently inhibit the prevention and cure of diabetes mellitus.”
“ZnO nanorods have been prepared by electrodeposition under identical conditions on various p-GaN-based thin film structures. The devices exhibited lighting up under both forward and reverse biases, but the turn-on voltage and the emission color were strongly dependent on the p-GaN-based structure used. The origin of different luminescence peaks under forward and reverse bias has been studied by comparing the devices with and without ZnO and by photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. We found that both yellow-orange emission under reverse bias and violet emission under forward bias, which are commonly attributed to ZnO, actually originate from the p-GaN substrate and/or surface/interface defects. While the absolute brightness of devices without InGaN multiple quantum wells was low, high brightness with luminance exceeding 10 000 cd/m(2) and tunable emission (from orange at 2.1V to blue at 2.7 V, with nearly white emission with Commission internationale de l’eclairage (CIE) coordinates (0.30, 0.31) achieved at 2.5V) was obtained for different devices containing InGaN multiple quantum wells. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.

The incidence of PPHN in the elective cesarean group was 6 9 per

The incidence of PPHN in the elective cesarean group was 6.9 per 1000 deliveries. The number of cesareans to be avoided to prevent one case of PPHN in this cohort was 387 (number needed to harm, 95% CI 206.8-3003.1).

Conclusions. Our findings include a high rate of PPHN following elective cesarean delivery, and suggest that physicians should consider this added morbidity when performing elective cesareans.”
“Prostate segmentation in B-mode images is a challenging task even when done manually by selleck experts. In this paper, we propose a 3-D automatic prostate segmentation algorithm which makes use of information from both ultrasound B-mode and vibro-elastography

data. We exploit the high contrast-to-noise ratio of vibro-elastography images of the prostate, in addition to the commonly used B-mode images, to implement a 2-D active shape model (ASM)-based segmentation algorithm on the mid-gland image. The prostate model is deformed by a combination of two measures: the gray level similarity and the continuity of the prostate edge in both image types. The automatically obtained mid-gland contour is then used to initialize a 3-D segmentation algorithm which models the prostate as a tapered and warped ellipsoid. Vibro-elastography

images are used in addition to ultrasound images to improve boundary detection. We report a Dice similarity coefficient of 0.87 +/- 0.07 and 0.87 +/- 0.08 comparing the 2-D automatic contours see more with manual contours of two observers

on 61 images. For 11 cases, a whole gland volume error of 10.2 +/- 2.2% and 13.5 +/- 4.1% and whole gland volume difference of -7.2 +/- 9.1% and -13.3 +/- 12.6% between 3-D automatic and manual surfaces of two observers is obtained. This is the first validated work showing the fusion of B-mode and vibro-elastography data for automatic 3-D segmentation of the prostate.”
“We sought to evaluate the effects and reversibility of different locations of accessory pathways (AP) on left ventricular dyssynchrony (LVdys). The acute and chronic effects of AP were evaluated in a canine model (n = 11) and in patients with pre-excitation syndrome (n = 25). Pre-excitation was simulated in the canine model by applying VDD-type epicardial ventricular pacing near Selleck IPI-549 the atrioventricular (AV) groove with 50-ms AV interval after median thoracotomy, at five different sites in each animal. For the simulation of pre-excitation through the septal accessory pathway, right basal septal pacing was performed using a transvenous lead. Left ventricular dyssynchrony was measured by a two-dimensional speckle-tracking technique: before and during pacing in the canine model, and before and within 24 h after the ablation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. In the canine model, the most prominent intraventricular LVdys was observed in left lateral pre-excitation (P < 0.001).

Methods: A double-blind crossover trial was performed to compare

Methods: A double-blind crossover trial was performed to compare the treatment of COPD patients with an SABA (20 mu g of inhaled procaterol) versus a placebo. The percentage of regional lung sound energy [quantitative lung data (QLD)] was evaluated with VRI. VRI, spirometry, and impulse oscillometry (IOS) were performed immediately before and 30 min after SABA administration. Results: Ten male patients (69.6 +/- 14.2 years of age, percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s:43.8 +/- 16.9%) were

evaluated. The use of an SABA produced significant functional SHP099 price improvements in the spirometric and IOS measurements. Among the homogeneous emphysema patients (n = 7), the upper-lung QLD decreased (from 24.2 +/- 5.8 to 18.8 +/- 6.1%, p < 0.05) and the lower-lung QLD increased (from 37.9 +/- 12.7 to 46.1 +/- 14.3%, p < 0.05) following SABA

inhalation. However, the significant redistribution of the regional lung QLD to the lower-lung field was not observed in 2 of the GS-9973 3 inhomogeneous emphysema patients. Conclusion: The additional use of an SABA by COPD patients improved their pulmonary function, which was accompanied by changes in regional lung air flow. The distribution of emphysematous lesions and the bronchial reactivity to SABA appeared to affect the redistribution of the lung sounds following bronchodilator administration. Copyright (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“It is interesting to assess the hitherto knowledge, on breast cancer in reproductive and young females, aged <35. Even if breast cancer is rare in this group, it is, also physically and emotionally devastating. It is characterized by worse prognosis and outcome, in a stage of life, which is delicate for the female patients. This rare subgroup of breast cancer patients is ought to be the center of investigation in future studies. This paper’s mail goal is to elucidate this entity, by presenting several aspects of the disease including risk factors, therapy, natural history and major differences between the groups of breast cancer patients and last but not least, the psychosocial features of this clinical entity, by reviewing the

current and past medical literature till April 2011. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Single-crystalline ZnO nanorods were implanted with 30 keV Ga(+) ions and fluences between 5×10(12) and 1.5×10(16) cm(-2). Annealing PF-03084014 concentration treatments at temperatures up to 700 degrees C for 1 h were carried out to reduce implantation-induced structural defects. The structural and optical properties of the nanorods were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. TEM shows that extended implantation defects vanish completely in nanorods implanted with doses up to 5×10(13) cm(-2) after annealing at 700 degrees C. Dislocation loops remain after implantation with higher fluences. The CL intensity of as-grown nanorods and implanted ZnO nanorods is low.

Subsequently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was also performed

Subsequently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was also performed according to a radiologist’s recommendation because

the CT results showed areas of slightly low attenuation in the frontoparieto-occipital lobes bilaterally, suggesting PRES; otherwise, ischemic events. MRI showed subcortical increased T-2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) intensity in the occipitoparietal regions bilaterally with slight increase in the apparent diffusion coefficient signal on diffusion-weighted imaging, which confirmed a diagnosis of PRES. Gradually, the patient regained consciousness and became responsive with FK228 clinical trial antihypertensive therapy. A prompt and accurate diagnosis of PRES is important to avoid irreversible OSI-744 molecular weight brain damage, for example, intracranial hemorrhage, especially in a patient receiving anticoagulation therapy.”
“Although sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is approved and successfully used for different urological and proctologic functional diseases for the long-term treatment, less is known about the working mechanisms underlying SNM. This review highlights SNM clinical application, the current data of LUT neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, SNM

techniques and its prospective working mechanisms. Functional imaging techniques have facilitated a more detailed insight into the neural network between the central nervous system (CNS) and the lower urinary tract (LUT). In addition to the well-known factors of the spinal micturition pathway, several pontine (e. g. pontine micturition

centre) and suprapontine (e.g. cingulate cortex) regions and their interactions have been identified. An attribution of CNS GDC-0068 nmr activity levels to different LUT conditions is possible for the first time. Based on this information, different SNM actions could also have been allocated to different ascending/descending pathways and supraspinal regions, whereas acute SNM especially affects regions of learning activity, chronic SNM might result in CNS plasticity even though clinical effectiveness fades after SNM deactivation. Studies to treat fecal incontinence or to prevent detrusor overactivity in complete spinal cord injured patients support the importance of sympathetic pathways for the action of SNM. Despite increasing knowledge about SNM influence on the CNS, the complexity of its underlying working mechanisms is not understood at all. Further investigations with improved functional imaging techniques will enhance our SNM background. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:762-765, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.”
“Individual differences in subjective responses (SRs) to alcohol are moderated by genetic variants and may be risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorders. Variation in the GABAA2 receptor subunit gene (GABRA2) has been associated with alcohol dependence (AD).

e VIA every 5 years for women aged 30-45 years, followed by Pap

e. VIA every 5 years for women aged 30-45 years, followed by Pap smear every 5 years for women aged 50-60 years). This strategy was dominant,

with a QALY gain of 0.01 and a total cost saving of Baht (Bt)800, compared with doing nothing. from the societal perspective, universal HPV vaccination for girls aged 15 years without screening resulted in a QALY gain of 0.06 at an additional cost of Bt8800, based on the cost of Bt15 000 for a full immunization schedule. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, comparing HPV vaccinations for girls aged Selleckchem BMN-673 15 years with the current national policy of Pap smears for women aged 35-60 years every 5 years, was approximately Bt181 000 per QALY gained. This figure was relatively high for the Thai setting.

Conclusions: The results suggest that controlling cervical

ARN-509 solubility dmso cancer by increasing the numbers of women accepting the VIA and Pap smear screening as routine and by improving the performance of the existing screening programmes is the most cost-effective policy option in Thailand.”
“We report the preparation of responsive silica nanoparticles by reaction of epoxy modified silica with stimuli responsive poly (acrylic acid-N-isopropylacrylamide) (poly (AA-co-NIPAAm)). A series of copolymers of poly (AA-co-NIPAAm) were synthesized by a novel route, employing solid state condensation of polyacrylic acid and isopropyl amine in different feed ratios (44 mol %-100 mol % AA). The structure of the copolymers was characterized by FT-IR, (1)H-NMR. The lower critical solution temperature

(LCST) was found to vary with the copolymer composition. HM781-36B in vivo The pH dependence of the LCST was also observed, and the copolymers exhibited a higher LCST at neutral pH than at acidic pH (4-5). Selected copolymers were used to prepare responsive core-shell particles. Silica nanoparticles modified using glycidoxy propyl trimethoxy propyl silane were reacted with the responsive copolymer to form responsive core-shell particles. The influence of reaction conditions on the modification of silica particles and reaction with responsive copolymers was investigated. The hydrodynamic behavior of the synthesized thermo responsive nanoparticles was also studied. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 335-344, 2011″
“The purpose of this study was to develop and optimize formulations of mucoadhesive bilayered buccal tablets of pravastatin sodium using carrageenan gum as the base matrix. The tablets were prepared by direct compression method. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) K 30, Pluronic (R) F 127, and magnesium oxide were used to improve tablet properties. Magnesium stearate, talc, and lactose were used to aid the compression of tablets. The tablets were found to have good appearance, uniform thickness, diameter, weight, pH, and drug content. A 2(3) full factorial design was employed to study the effect of independent variables viz.

Stratification analyses for MDE diagnosis at baseline indicated t

Stratification analyses for MDE diagnosis at baseline indicated that differences in adjusted 8-wk changes between the E-EPA group without MDE (n = 46) and the placebo group (n = 45) were 8.0 (95% CI: 0.6, 15.3; P = 0.034) Selleckchem LY2090314 for the PGWB, -0.2 (95% CI: -0.01, -0.4; P = 0.040) for the HSCL-D-20, and -2.7 (95% CI: -0.3, -5.1;

P = 0.030) for the HAM-D-21. Differences in adjusted 8- wk changes between the E-EPA group with MDE (n = 13) and the placebo group (n = 16) were not significant.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first trial of n-3 supplementation in the treatment of PD and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women. In women with PD without MDE at baseline, the 8- wk changes in PD and depressive scales improved significantly more MK-2206 molecular weight with E-EPA than with placebo. This trial was registered at http://www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN69617477. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 89: 641-51.”
“P>It is well established that ethylene promotes female flower development in cucumber. However, little is known about how the gaseous hormone selectively affects female flowers, and what mechanism it uses. Previously, we found organ-specific DNA damage in the primordial anther of female cucumber flowers. This finding led to a hypothesis that ethylene might promote female flower development

via the organ-specific induction of DNA damage in primordial anthers. In this study, we tested this hypothesis first by demonstrating ethylene induction of DNA damage via the ethylene signaling pathway using cucumber

BAY 80-6946 manufacturer protoplasts. Then, using representative component genes of the ethylene signaling pathway as probes, we found that one of the ethylene receptors, CsETR1, was temporally and spatially downregulated in the stamens of stage-6 female cucumber flowers, especially along with the increase of the nodes. Furthermore, by constructing transgenic Arabidopsis plants with organ-specific expression of antisense CsETR1 under the control of an AP3 promoter to downregulate ETR1 expression in the stamens, we generated Arabidopsis ‘female flowers’, in which the abnormal stamens mimic those of female cucumber flowers. Our data suggest that ethylene perception is involved in the arrest of stamen development in female cucumber flowers through the induction of DNA damage. This opens up a novel perspective and approach to solve the half-century-long puzzle of how gaseous ethylene selectively promotes female flowers in the monoecious cucumber plant.”
“P>A novel technique is described that targets specific populations of transcripts for homology-based gene silencing using transitive RNAi. This approach is designed to target a subset of the transcriptome in order to identify genes involved in a particular localized process, such as photosynthesis.

2 x 10(8) copies/ml in the ribavirin group and 8 3 x 10(8) copies

2 x 10(8) copies/ml in the ribavirin group and 8.3 x 10(8) copies/ml in the control this website group (p = 0.994). During follow-up, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups with regard to the decrease in viral load, the reduction in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and the increase in platelet count. The case-fatality rate was 20% (2/10 patients) in the ribavirin group and 15% (6/40 patients) in the control group (p = 0.509).

Conclusion: In this study, oral ribavirin treatment in CCHF patients did not affect viral

load or disease progression. (C) 2010 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“This study aims to answer the question, “”Does tissue augmentation improve the mechanical repair of displacement cystourethrocoele?”"

A retrospective cohort study comparing 108 bridging graft vaginal paravaginal repairs (89 tissue-inductive xenografts and 19 polypropylene mesh) to 59 native tissue historical controls was conducted. Main outcome measures were same-site prolapse recurrence and time to failure. Initial reliability was evaluated by chi-squared test, 10-year durability by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and risk factors by Cox regression.

Late recurrence was 17.7% lower with augmentation (logrank test chi (2) = 8.4, p value =

0.0038 < 0.05, adjusted regression analysis chi (2) = 2.94; p value = 0.0866 < 0.10), implicating collagen degeneration LOXO-101 concentration in repair failure.

Rebuilding

the pubocervical septum, from arcus to arcus and pubic ramus to pericervical ring, satisfies the mechanical but not the metabolic BVD-523 datasheet hernia principles. Bridging grafts simplify technical repair (reducing prolapse persistence from 10.2% to 4.6%), and also rejuvenate adjacent connective tissue (reducing late recurrence from 22.6% to 4.9%).”
“Variants resistant to compounds specifically targeting HCV are observed in clinical trials. A multi-variant viral dynamic model was developed to quantify the evolution and in vivo fitness of variants in subjects dosed with monotherapy of an HCV protease inhibitor, telaprevir. Variant fitness was estimated using a model in which variants were selected by competition for shared limited replication space. Fitness was represented in the absence of telaprevir by different variant production rate constants and in the presence of telaprevir by additional antiviral blockage by telaprevir. Model parameters, including rate constants for viral production, clearance, and effective telaprevir concentration, were estimated from 1) plasma HCV RNA levels of subjects before, during, and after dosing, 2) post-dosing prevalence of plasma variants from subjects, and 3) sensitivity of variants to telaprevir in the HCV replicon. The model provided a good fit to plasma HCV RNA levels observed both during and after telaprevir dosing, as well as to variant prevalence observed after telaprevir dosing.