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Biomedical subjects

V Stecher

Publications and source records attributed to V Stecher.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

EDITS: development of questionnaires for evaluating satisfaction with treatments for erectile dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES: To develop Patient and Partner versions of a psychometrically sound questionnaire, the EDITS (Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction), to assess satisfaction with medical treatments for erectile dysfunction. METHODS: Treatment satisfaction differs from treatment efficacy as it focuses on a person's subjective evaluation of treatment received. Twenty-nine items representing the domain of treatment satisfaction for men and 20 representing partner satisfaction were generated. Two independent samples of 28 and 29 couples completed all items at two points in time. Spearman rank-order correlations were derived to assess test-retest reliability and couple coefficients of validity. Internal consistency coefficients were calculated for both Patient and Partner versions and a content validity panel was used to analyze content validity. RESULTS: Only items that met all the following criteria were selected to comprise the final questionnaires: (a) range of response four or more out of five; (b) test-retest reliability greater than 0.70; (c) ratings by at least 70% of the content validity panel as belonging in and being important for the domain; and (d) significant correlation between the subjects' and partners' responses. Eleven patient items met criteria and formed the Patient EDITS; five partner items met criteria and formed the Partner EDITS. Scores on the two inventories were normally distributed with internal consistencies of 0.90 and 0.76, respectively. Test-retest reliability for the Patient EDITS was 0.98; for the Partner EDITS, it was 0.83. CONCLUSIONS: Reliability and validity were well established, enabling the EDITSs to be used to assess satisfaction with treatment modalities for erectile dysfunction and to explore the impact of patient and partner satisfaction on treatment continuation.

Erectile Dysfunction↗
PubMed1993

Selective regulation of cytokine secretion by hydroxychloroquine: inhibition of interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1-alpha) and IL-6 in human monocytes and T cells.

To study the effect of hydroxychloroquine on cytokine production by monocytes and T cells, cells were pretreated with varying concentrations of hydroxychloroquine and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (monocytes), phytohemagglutinin or anti-CD-3 monoclonal antibodies (T cells). Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1-alpha), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production were measured from the stimulated monocytes and IL-2, IL-4 and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) were measured from the stimulated T cells. Hydroxychloroquine inhibited production of IL-1-alpha (monocytes) and IL-6 (T cells and monocytes). In contrast IL-2, IL-4, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma production were not affected. Preferential inhibition of IL-1-alpha production by monocytes and IL-6 production by T cells and monocytes may contribute to its antiinflammatory effect in autoimmune diseases.

Cytokines↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hydroxychloroquine treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an antimalarial agent used to treat patients with autoimmune diseases, has been shown to suppress human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in vitro in T cells and monocytes by inhibiting posttranscriptional modification of the virus. These in vitro observations have been expanded into an in vivo study of HCQ as a potential anti-HIV-1 agent in HIV-1-infected patients. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 40 asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients who had CD4+ counts between 200 and 500 cells/mm3. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either HCQ 800 mg/d or placebo for 8 weeks. Virologic and immunologic parameters, including HIV-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) via use of polymerase chain reaction, viral culture, antigen and mitogen responses, and proinflammatory cytokine levels were measured at the beginning and end of the study. The amount of recoverable HIV-1 RNA in plasma declined significantly in the HCQ group over the 8-week period (P = 0.022), while it increased in the placebo group. The percentage of CD4+ T cells remained stable in the HCQ-treated group (18.1 +/- 9.2% before treatment vs 18.6 +/- 10.5% after treatment) and fell significantly in the placebo group (21 +/- 7% before treatment vs 19.3 +/- 6.3% after treatment; P = 0.032). However, this was not reflected as a change in absolute CD4+ counts for either group (HCQ, 262.8 +/- 166 cells/mm3 vs 251 +/- 163 cells/mm3; placebo, 312 +/- 121 cells/mm3 vs 321 +/- 124 cells/mm3). Mitogen- and antigen-specific responses remained constant in the HCQ group while T cell proliferative responses to Candida decreased in the placebo group (4.8 +/- 3.6 x 10(3) SI [stimulation index] vs 3.0 +/- 3.0 x 10(3) SI; P = 0.032). Lastly, serum interleukin 6 levels declined in the HCQ group (14.3 +/- 13.5 U/mL vs 12.0 +/- 16.7 U/mL; P = 0.023) but not in the placebo group (11.3 +/- 8.8 U/mL vs 7.0 +/- 11.7 U/mL); this was coincident with a decrease in serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G (2563 +/- 1352 mg/mL vs 2307 +/- 1372 mg/dL; P = 0.032), compared with the placebo group (2733 +/- 1473 mg/dL vs 2709 +/- 1501 mg/dL). No other parameters, including serum p24 and beta-2 microglobulin levels, were altered by HCQ therapy. HCQ thus may be useful in the treatment of patients with HIV-1 infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗