Alphabetical list:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Q Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
News: November 29, 2009
Rituximab May Offer Hope To Severe Graves' Eye Disease Patients
November 29, 2009There may be hope for patients with severe Graves' eye disease in the form of treatment with the drug rituximab.
This news comes from U-M Kellogg Eye Center who's oculoplastics specialist Raymond S. Douglas, M.D., Ph.D. reports on the potential of the drug in the online October issue of Ophthalmology.
Graves' eye disease is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and fatty deposits in the eye muscles and connective tissue surrounding the eye.
Douglas reports on the progress of six patients (four women, two men) who had not responded to treatment using systemic corticosteroids. The patients were then treated with rituximab. All patients responded within 2 months with the clinical activity score (CAS) improving from5.5±0.8 to 1.3±0.5. The eye disease remained quiescent in all with the positive results being sustained at 4-6 months after treatment.
Vision improved bilaterally in all 4 patients with dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). Proptosis remained stable (Hertel measurement, 24±3.7 mm before therapy and 23.6±3.7 mm after therapy; P = 0.17).
"These patients had already received the maximum level of steroid treatment," says Douglas. "Treatment with rituximab calmed inflammation, stopped progression of the disease, and saved the patients from having to undergo surgery."
Graves' disease (also known as thyroid eye disease) is an autoimmune condition in which white blood cells attack the thyroid gland which responds by secreting an excess amount of thyroid hormone. The hypermetabolic state is characterized by fast pulse/heartbeat, palpitations, profuse sweating, high blood pressure, irritability, fatigue, weight loss, heat intolerance, and loss of hair and alterations in hair quality.
Rituximab has been used to treat patients with other autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and in non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma. The drug works by depleting B cells - the body's normal antibody-producing cells - that appear to go awry in autoimmune diseases.
"Treatment of the inflammatory component of Graves' eye disease has not advanced appreciably over several decades," says Douglas. High-dose steroids, sometimes in combination with orbital radiation, are still the first line treatment. But, says Douglas, "These are imperfect options because inflammation often recurs when the treatment ends." He is hopeful that rituximab can offer sustained improvement. Douglas observes that the results from a small case series must be viewed with some caution. But given the substantial benefits for patients treated with rituximab, he sees good reason to proceed with a large-scale clinical trial to test this promising new drug.
Source
Rituximab Treatment of Patients with Severe, Corticosteroid-Resistant Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy; Ophthalmology, 2009; Chong et al.; DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2009.05.029
University of Michigan Health System Newsroom
Archive issues: (50)
Archive list: 1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
November 26, 2009 | Baby's Crying Patterns Mimic Parents' AccentA baby's cry isn't just a method for getting mom's attention for food or comfort. It is also an important beginning to the development of language. It is known that fetus can hear outside sounds from the womb during the last three months of pregnancy, but now German researchers have found that babies begin to pick up language patterns from their parents as well. Kathleen ...
November 25, 2009 | Green Tea Extract Helps Prevent Oral CancerA leading cancer center reports that green tea extract may be helpful in preventing oral cancer in patients who have a pre-malignant condition called oral leukoplakia. The five-year survival rate among oral cancer patients is less than 50 percent. Green tea ...
November 24, 2009 | Aggressive Tooth Brushing The 1st Cause Of Tooth PainOne in three dentists say that aggressive toothbrushing is the most common cause of sensitive teeth, according to a nationwide member survey conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Acidic food and beverage consumption was found to be the number two cause. Sensitive teeth, or dentin hypersensitivity, is a common oral condition affecting approximately 40 million Americans of all ages. It is characterized by discomfort or sharp and ...
Related articles:
Risk-taking
Men, significantly more so than women, tend to drink and drive, not to wear a seat belt, to be aggressive and fight, to drive fast and dangerously. Men are also more likely to be involved in a homicide, to be involved in a motor vehicle accident and other accidents. Men are in fact three times more likely to die of accidents than females. Men make up ...Section: Mens health risks
Vacuum Therapy
These work by placing the penis in a vacuum cylinder device. The device helps draw blood into the penis by applying negative pressure. A tension ring is applied at the base of the penis to help maintain the erection. This type of device is sometimes referred to as penis pump and may be used just prior to sexual intercourse. Several types of FDA approved vacuum therapy devices are available with a doctor's prescription.Section: Erectile Dysfunction
Chronic bacterial prostatitis - prognosis
Over time, the relapse rate is high, exceeding 50%. A 2007 study showed that repeated courses of combination antibiotics may eradicate infection in 83.9% of patients with clinical remission extending throughout a follow-up period of 30 months for 94% of these patients.Section: Prostatitis