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Biomedical subjects

R L Bassett

Publications and source records attributed to R L Bassett.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Continued lamivudine versus delavirdine in combination with indinavir and zidovudine or stavudine in lamivudine-experienced patients: results of Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol 370.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the virologic activity of continued lamivudine (3TC) versus a switch to delavirdine (DLV) when initiating protease inhibitor therapy in nucleoside-experienced patients. DESIGN: Randomized, open-label, multi-center study. SETTING: Adult AIDS clinical trials units. PATIENTS: Protease and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-naive patients who had received 3TC plus zidovudine (ZDV), stavudine (d4T), or didanosine (ddl) for at least 24 weeks. INTERVENTIONS: Patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels > 500 copies/ml who previously received d4T + 3TC or ddI + 3TC were randomized to ZDV + 3TC + indinavir (IDV) or ZDV + DLV + IDV. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary endpoints were the proportion of patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels < or = 200 copies/ml at 24 weeks, and occurrence of serious adverse events. The proportion of patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels < or = 200 copies/ml at week 48 was a secondary endpoint. RESULTS: At week 24, 58% of subjects in the ZDV + 3TC + IDV arm and 73% in the ZDV + DLV + IDV arm had plasma HIV-1 RNA levels < or = 200 copies/ml (P = 0.29). At week 48, plasma HIV-1 RNA levels were < or = 200 copies/ml in 48% and 83%, respectively (P = 0.007). Rash and hyperbilirubinemia occurred more frequently in the DLV arm than in the 3TC arm. Steady-state plasma IDV levels were higher among patients in the DLV arm as compared with the 3TC arm. CONCLUSIONS: Substituting DLV for 3TC when adding IDV improved virologic outcome in nucleoside-experienced patients. This result might be explained, in part, by the positive effect of DLV on IDV pharmacokinetics.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Maintenance antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected subjects with undetectable plasma HIV RNA after triple-drug therapy. AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 343 Team.

BACKGROUND: Combination antiretroviral therapy with indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine can suppress the level of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA in plasma below the threshold of detection for two years or more. We investigated whether a less intensive maintenance regimen could sustain viral suppression after an initial response to combination therapy. METHODS: HIV-infected subjects who had CD4 cell counts greater than 200 per cubic millimeter, who had been treated with indinavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine, and who had less than 200 copies of HIV RNA per milliliter of plasma after 16, 20, and 24 weeks of induction therapy were randomly assigned to receive either continued triple-drug therapy (106 subjects), indinavir alone (103 subjects), or a combination of zidovudine and lamivudine (107 subjects). The primary end point was loss of viral suppression, which was defined as a plasma level of at least 200 copies of HIV RNA per milliliter on two consecutive measurements during maintenance therapy. RESULTS: During maintenance treatment, 23 percent of the subjects receiving indinavir and 23 percent of those receiving zidovudine and lamivudine, but only 4 percent of those receiving all three drugs, had loss of viral suppression (P<0.001 for the comparison between triple-drug therapy and the other two maintenance regimens). Subjects with greater increases in CD4 cell counts during induction therapy, higher viral loads at base line (i.e., at the beginning of induction therapy), and slower rates of viral clearance were at greater risk for loss of viral suppression. The presence of zidovudine-resistance mutations in HIV RNA at base line was strongly predictive of the loss of viral suppression in subjects treated with zidovudine and lamivudine. CONCLUSIONS: The suppression of plasma HIV RNA after six months of treatment with indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine is better sustained by the continuation of these three drugs than by maintenance therapy with either indinavir alone or zidovudine and lamivudine.

Adult↗

Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection with saquinavir, zidovudine, and zalcitabine. AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

BACKGROUND: In patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, combined treatment with several agents may increase the effectiveness of antiviral therapy. We studied the safety and efficacy of saquinavir, an HIV-protease inhibitor, given with one or two nucleoside antiretroviral agents, as compared with the safety and efficacy of a combination of two nucleosides alone. METHODS: In this double-blind trial, patients with HIV infection were randomly assigned to receive either saquinavir (1800 mg per day) plus both zidovudine (600 mg per day) and zalcitabine (2.25 mg per day) or zidovudine plus either saquinavir or zalcitabine. The 302 patients enrolled had CD4+ counts of 50 to 300 cells per cubic millimeter and had previously received zidovudine for a median of 27 months. The study lasted 24 weeks, with an optional double-blind extension period of an additional 12 to 32 weeks. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent of the patients completed the 24-week study. In all three treatment groups, CD4+ cell counts rose at first and then fell gradually. The normalized area under the curve for the CD4+ count was greater with the three-drug combination than with either saquinavir and zidovudine (P=0.017) or zalcitabine and zidovudine (P<0.001). There were significantly greater reductions in plasma HIV with the three-drug combination than with the other regimens when peripheral-blood mononuclear cells were cultured for HIV and HIV RNA was assessed, and there were greater decreases in serum neopterin and beta2-microglobulin levels. There were no major differences in toxic effects among the three treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with saquinavir, zalcitabine, and zidovudine was well tolerated. This drug combination reduced HIV-1 replication, increased CD4+ cell counts, and decreased levels of activation markers in serum more than did treatment with zidovudine and either saquinavir or zalcitabine. Studies are warranted to evaluate whether the three-drug combination will reduce morbidity and mortality.

Adult↗

Surgical findings in clenched-fist injuries.

A total of 191 patients (representing 194 skin lacerations) hospitalized for clenched-fist injuries were evaluated for deep structure involvement. Tendon, joint, cartilage, and/or bone were damaged in 75%. Tendon involvement occurred in 28 of 138 (20.3%), joint capsule violation in 99 of 146 (67.8%), free articular cartilage fragments in 8 of 139 (5.8%) and articular-bone indentations in 23 of 139 (16.5%). All patients with clenched-fist lacerations or puncture wounds over joints should be treated by surgical debridement and exploration of the deep structures, including the joint, at the time they first seek medical care.

Adolescent↗

Displaced intraarticular fractures of the distal radius.

The treatment of intraarticular fractures of the distal radius has been dramatically altered over the past decade. Investigations into the pathomechanics of these injuries highlight the problems of arthritis, pain, swelling, weakness, limited range of motion and instability associated with nonanatomic reduction of both intraarticular fragments and their associated ligaments. Factors affecting the prognosis for these injuries include degree and location of articular involvement and the energy of the precipitating force as well as the anatomy of reduction. Operative treatment is reserved for displaced intraarticular fractures. Those extremely comminuted fractures are best fixed with distraction and external fixation. The operative approach to these fractures is dependent on the anatomy. Ligamentous instability, in particular with radial styloid fractures, must be sought and treated. Kirschner wires can be used as "joy sticks" to control unstable carpal bones or fracture fragments prior to fixation. Plates and screws are useful in the stabilization of volar and dorsal rim fractures. The use of intraoperative radiographs is emphasized. Postoperative early range of motion, when possible, greatly improves the long-term results.

Fracture Fixation↗

The isolated digital cord in Dupuytren's contracture: anatomy and clinical significance.

This article describes the isolated occurrence of Dupuytren's pathologic fascial cords within digits of the hand. Thirty-seven cords were found in 32 patients with nearly half (45.6%) occurring in digits other than the small finger. Almost all patients (97.3%) had other clinical evidence of Dupuytren's disease. Cords were either single (83.8%) or double (16.2%) and originated from the periosteum at the base of the proximal phalanx in conjunction with adjacent ligaments and intrinsic tendons. They proceeded in an oblique direction to displace and then cross the neurovascular bundles before inserting on the bone and/or flexor tendon sheath of the middle phalanx. The average loss of extension of the proximal interphalangeal joint that resulted from these cords was 46 degrees, and surgical excision of the involved cords resulted in an average improvement of 24 degrees (53%).

Adult↗