Plasma exchange in patients with Behçet's disease.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D Lambert.
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The thrombosis rate after long-term cannulation of the radial artery was assessed prospectively in 48 intensive care patients randomly assigned to groupe A (polyethylene Leader-Cath 115-09 catheter; n = 50, aged 55 +/- 20 years, 74% male patients) or groupe B (Teflon Viggo Floswitch 4441 catheter; n = 48, aged 58.6 +/- 16 years, 73% male patients). Bedside angiography was carried out with 10 to 15 ml Hexabrix before removal of the catheter. The two groups were similar with regard to anthropometric parameters, used drugs, pathological events during the stay in ICU, arterial cannulation technique and its duration. There was no case of clinically significant ischaemia. The rate of X-ray total arterial thrombosis was 20% in group A, and 2% in group B (p less than 0.01). There was no difference in the rate of partial thrombosis (54% vs. 41.7% respectively, NS) and of lack of thrombosis (26% vs. 56.3% respectively, NS). The overall rate of thrombosis was greater in group A than in group B, but not significantly (74% vs. 43.7% respectively). The duration of arterial cannulation did not influence the rate of thrombosis. However it was higher in males of Group A than in those of Group B (p less than 0.01), when heparin was not given (p less than 0.05); when vaso-active drugs were used (p less than 0.05); and when the time required for cannula insertion was greater than 5 min (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that Teflon catheters are more biocompatible than polyethylene catheters.
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Percutaneous balloon angioplasty offers an alternative to surgery for the alleviation of symptoms in upper limb arterial disease. This report documents 28 per-femoral dilatation procedures in 27 patients for 33 subclavian, two innominate, and two axillary lesions. Thirty-four stenoses and three occlusions were treated, with multiple dilatations in five patients. Indications for treatment were: arm ischaemia (15 patients); neurological (steal syndrome) symptoms (8); and combined ischaemia plus steal (5). Angioplasty was technically successful in 27 procedures with symptomatic relief in 25 cases up to a mean follow-up of 24 months (median 20 months, range 2-90 months). One patient had successful repeat angioplasty for recurrent ischaemic symptoms after 30 months. Angioplasty improved pulse deficits in all but two patients and reduced arm blood pressure differential to less than 30 mmHg in all but three patients. There were three complications: a femoral artery occlusion and a groin haematoma required surgical intervention and another patient suffered an extension of a contralateral stroke. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty has proved safe and effective. We recommend angioplasty as the first line treatment for ischaemic or neurological symptoms in upper limb vascular disease.
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Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of cefotetan were studied after a single injection of 2 g for antibiotic prophylaxis in colo-rectal surgery. Beta half-life was 4.3 +/- 1 h, total body clearance was 0.74 +/- 0.2 ml/kg/min and volume of distribution was 270 +/- 76 ml/kg. At time of laparotomy, cefotetan concentration was 14.2 +/- 7 micrograms/g in abdominal wall fat and 16.4 +/- 1 micrograms/g in epiploic fat. In the colonic wall, cefotetan concentration was 33.3 +/- 16 micrograms/g. At time of abdominal closure, cefotetan concentrations were 6.3 +/- 3 micrograms/g in the abdominal wall fat and 6.1 +/- 4 micrograms/g in the epiploic fat.
The pharmacokinetics of ofloxacin was studied in 12 intensive care patients, 6 of whom being under mechanical ventilation. All patients had a creatinine clearance greater than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and they were given 3 mg/kg. IV ofloxacin within 30 mn, with a twice daily regimen for 7 days. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed on day 1 (D1) and 7 (D7). Between D1 and D7 a significant increase in T 1/2 beta, AUC and blood levels were observed together with a decrease in total body clearance. Creatinine clearance was not modified between D1 and D7 but ofloxacin renal clearance was considerably altered. Abnormalities in ofloxacin renal tubular secretion may account for the drug cumulation which was observed during repeated administration in intensive care patients.
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The plasma, in addition to the liver, is a major site of hydrolysis of aspirin. Human plasma and liver aspirin esterase activities in samples from a group of patients varied over a two fold range and there was a significant correlation between individual plasma and liver activities. Human liver aspirin esterase was present in the cytosolic and microsomal fractions. Cytosolic and microsomal enzymes had different activities and apparent affinities for aspirin.
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These studies were conducted to determine whether dietary cholesterol supplementation could prevent fetal malformations induced by the amphipathic drug AY 9944, which is well known as a cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor, and to investigate whether the plasma maternal sterol level and the nature of the sterols found in treated Wistar rats could explain this prevention. Pituitary agenesis was the most constant element of holoprosencephaly when AY 9944 was administered on d 4 of gestation at two dosages, 50 or 75 mg/kg. The rate of malformed fetuses was dose related. A strong negative correlation was established between maternal plasma sterol levels on d 10 of gestation (day of pituitary gland formation) and the rate of fetal anomalies (r = -0.97, P less than 0.01). Supplementation of AY 9944-treated rats with cholesterol had an obvious preventive action on fetal malformations. When cholesterol was added to the diet the same day as AY 9944 treatment and maintained until d 15, the prevention of malformations was almost complete. When the supplementation was initiated later, the prevention of anomalies decreased. The nature of plasma maternal sterols shows that the cholesterol supplementation modifies significantly the ratio of cholesterol to 7-dehydrocholesterol in treated rats. Therefore, maternal plasma sterol perturbations may play a role in the teratogenic action of AY 9944.
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To determine the potential steroid sparing effect of plasma exchange in pemphigus we enrolled 40 patients in a multicenter randomized study. Eighteen patients were treated by prednisolone alone, 22 by prednisolone plus ten large-volume plasma exchanges over four weeks. All patients received oral prednisolone in the same initial dosage (0.5 mg/kg/d), which was increased weekly if needed. The number of cases controlled at each therapeutic step did not differ between the two groups. In eight cases, four in each group, the disease was not controlled by the highest therapeutic step of the protocol, with four deaths from sepsis in the plasma exchange group. The controlled cases needed similar cumulative prednisolone doses (5237 +/- 5512 mg in the plasma exchange group vs 4246 +/- 1601 mg in the control group). The evolution of serum pemphigus antibody was not different in the two groups. These findings suggest that plasma exchange in association with low steroid doses alone are not effective in the treatment of pemphigus and may even promote sepsis.