Fourteen patients with PML/RARalpha-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were given salvage therapy at the time of first molecular relapse. All patients had achieved first molecular remission after the AIDA protocol (all-trans retinoic acid [ATRA] + idarubicin) and were being prospectively monitored by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Molecular relapse was define...

BACKGROUND Efficacy of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) blockers for treatment of ulcerative colitis that is unresponsive to conventional therapy is unclear due to recent studies yielding conflicting results. AIM To assess the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF-α agents for treatment of ulcerative colitis patients who were intolerant or refractory to conventional medical therapy. METHODS Pu...

Successful maintenance therapy with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) 2 g/d and low-dose oral corticosteroids (OCS) over a period of 15 mo was given to patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) (n = 9) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) (n = 2). All patients had severe generalized disease with pauci-immune necrotizing glomerulonephritis and received standard induction therapy with oral cyclophospha...

Fourteen patients with PML/RARa-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were given salvage therapy at the time of first molecular relapse. All patients had achieved first molecular remission after the AIDA protocol (all-trans retinoic acid [ATRA] 1 idarubicin) and were being prospectively monitored by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Molecular relapse was defined as...

BACKGROUND & AIMS The medical management of ulcerative colitis (UC) has improved through the development of new therapies and novel approaches that optimize existing drugs. Previous Canadian consensus guidelines addressed the management of severe UC in the hospitalized patient. We now present consensus guidelines for the treatment of ambulatory patients with mild to severe active UC. METHODS ...

It is remarkable that patients 1 and 2 developed progressive disease under tamoxifen maintenance (after 17 and 7 months, respectively), but remained in complete remission following local therapy (exstirpation of a kidney metastasis and an adrenal body in patient 1; irradiation of the lumbar spine, the sacrum and the right humerus in patient 2) and continuation of tamoxifen therapy. Four out of ...

BACKGROUND Standard clinical and laboratory parameters have limited predictive values for discriminating between active lupus nephritis and chronic disease. The objective of this study was to examine the predictive utility of a second kidney biopsy in patients with lupus nephritis. METHODS Patients with lupus nephritis were advised to have second kidney biopsies at the end of the maintenance ...

INTRODUCTION Rituximab has significantly improved the prognosis for patients with both indolent and aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. An economic evaluation was carried out to assess the cost-effectiveness in Sweden of rituximab as maintenance therapy for patients with follicular lymphoma in remission after second line therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The incremental cost and effectiveness of ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM Although the efficacy of maintenance remission therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC) has been proved in many studies, little is known about its possible effect on the extent of the disease. The aim of the present multicenter Belgian study was to evaluate the potential role of UC maintenance therapy on the colonic extension of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 98 pa...

Nine patients with severe myasthenia gravis, including ocular symptoms, who did not respond to anticholinesterase therapy were given prolonged courses of corticotrophin. In all patients except one there was an initial deterioration, sometimes necessitating assisted respiration, followed by a marked improvement which persisted for many weeks and occasionally months. It is concluded that corticot...