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Biomedical subjects

P Pockros

Publications and source records attributed to P Pockros.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Pharmacokinetics of pantoprazole in patients with moderate and severe hepatic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Patients with impaired hepatic function usually require gastric acid-suppressant therapy but are at increased risk for drug interactions and may require dosage adjustments. The proton pump inhibitor pantoprazole is rapidly absorbed and eliminated, primarily by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 isozymes. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether dosage adjustment of pantoprazole is required in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment by comparing the pharmacokinetic profile of pantoprazole in such patients with that in healthy slow metabolizers of pantoprazole, in whom no dosage adjustment is required. METHODS: Patients with moderate (Child-Pugh class B) and severe (Child-Pugh class C) hepatic impairment received oral pantoprazole 40 mg once daily on days 1 through 4 and then on alternate days (days 6 and 8). Serial blood samples were collected on days 4 and 8 for analyses of plasma pantoprazole concentrations. Pharmacokinetic data were compared between the 2 groups with hepatic impairment and against historical data from 17 healthy subjects who were genetically slow CYP2C19 metabolizers of pantoprazole. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients participated in the study, 13 in the Child-Pugh class B group and 9 in the Child-Pugh class C group. No clinically significant differences in pantoprazole pharmacokinetics were noted between the patients with hepatic impairment and the healthy slow metabolizers of pantoprazole on days 4 and 8. Pantoprazole was well tolerated. Four Child-Pugh class B patients and 3 Child-Pugh class C patients reported > or = 1 adverse event. Adverse events were generally mild or moderate, and were similar to those reported in healthy subjects. Two patients discontinued the study because of severe events related to their underlying disease. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacokinetics and tolerability of pantoprazole were similar in patients with moderate hepatic impairment, patients with severe hepatic impairment, and healthy slow metabolizers of pantoprazole, in whom no dosage adjustment is required. Thus, no dosage adjustment of pantoprazole is required in patients with hepatic impairment, regardless of its severity. However, caution should be exercised when giving pantoprazole to patients with severe hepatic impairment.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Racial differences in responses to therapy with interferon in chronic hepatitis C. Consensus Interferon Study Group.

The likelihood of a sustained response to a course of interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C correlates with several clinical and viral factors, including age, viral genotype and initial levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in serum. The role of race and ethnicity has not been assessed. We evaluated the association of race with response to interferon in a large randomized, controlled trial using either consensus interferon (9 microg) or interferon alfa-2b (3 million units) given three times weekly for 24 weeks. African-American patients participating in the study were similar to white patients in mean age (43 vs. 42 years) and baseline levels of HCV RNA (3.6 vs. 3.0 million copies/mL) but had lower rates of cirrhosis (5% vs. 12%) and more frequently had viral genotype 1 (88% vs. 66%: P =.004). Most strikingly, the rates of end-of-treatment and sustained virological responses were lower among the 40 African-American patients (5% and 2%) than among the 380 white patients (33% and 12%) (P =.04 and.07). Rates of response among Hispanic and Asian-American patients were not statistically different than non-Hispanic white patients. Median viral levels decreased by week 24 of therapy by 2.5 logs in white patients (from 3.0 to 0.012 million copies/mL) but by only 0.5 logs among African- American patients (from 3.6 to 1.8 million copies/mL). Thus, there are marked racial differences in virological responses to interferon in hepatitis C that must be considered in assessing trials of interferon therapy and in counseling patients regarding treatment. The differences in response rates are as yet unexplained.

Adolescent↗

Mutation analysis in hereditary hemochromatosis.

The DNA of 147 patients of European origin clinically diagnosed with idiopathic hemochromatosis and 193 controls was examined for mutations of the HLA-H gene at nt 845 and nt 187. One hundred twenty-one (82.3%) of the hemochromatosis patients were homozygous and 10 (6.8%) heterozygous for the 845A (C282Y) mutation. All of the homozygous patients were also homozygous for nt 187C, and all 845A heterozygotes had at least one copy of 187C. Thus, the nt 845 and nt 187 mutations were in complete linkage disequilibrium; nt 187 was a C on all chromosomes with the 845A mutation. Eight of the 10 heterozygotes for 845A were heterozygous for 187G(H63D). The excess of heterozygotes at both nt 187 and nt 845 suggested either the presence of as yet undiscovered mutations existing in trans with 845A and in linkage disequilibrium with 187G, or that the 187G itself is a deleterious mutation, which in concert with the 845A can give rise to hemochromatosis. None of the 193 normal controls were homozygous for 845A and 29/193 (15%) were heterozygous for 845A. Although 47/193 (24.3%) of normal controls were heterozygous for the 187G mutation only two of these carried the 845A mutation. If the 187G mutation complemented the 845A mutation with high penetrance in causing hemochromatosis, then the population frequency of the two genes would require that a high proportion of patients with hemochromatosis be heterozygous for 845A and 187G. Instead, the frequency of homozygotes for the 845A mutation was much higher than that of the 845A/187G genotype. Based on our data, the penetrance of the 845A/187G genotype is only 1.5% and based on the data of Feder et al. only 0.5%. In contrast, the penetrance of the homozygous 845A/845A genotype seems to be very high. Thus, screening for this genotype should be very useful.

Alleles↗

Systemic versus nonsystemic reperfusion of the transplanted liver.

Reperfusion of the orthotopically transplanted liver can result in severe hemodynamic instability. This instability can result in the postreperfusion syndrome (PRS), which includes decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and heart rate, and increases in central venous pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. This syndrome appears to be mediated by the left ventricular mechanoreceptor reflex (LVMRR), which can be activated by changes in preload, afterload, or left ventricular contractility, and by the infusion of alkaloids or potassium into the right atrium. In an attempt to prevent activation of the LVMRR and PRS, we have inserted a cannula into the retrohepatic vena cava and have allowed the initial 500-600 cc of portal blood reperfusing hepatic allografts to be discarded. We compared this nonsystemic reperfusion (NSRP) of livers with systemic reperfusion (SRP), in which the initial portal blood reperfusing livers is allowed to enter the systemic circulation. In the NSRP group (n = 14) there was no decrease in MAP, heart rate, or SVR, and the serum potassium did not increase after reperfusion. In the SRP group (n = 14), six patients (42%) developed PRS and there were statistically significant decreases in MAP and SVR, and increases in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and serum potassium, as compared with the NSRP group. In conclusion, NSRP results in less hemodynamic instability during reperfusion, and should be considered the preferred method for reperfusion of the transplanted liver.

Adult↗