BACKGROUND Interindividual variability of platelet inhibition after aspirin or clopidogrel administration has been described. Additionally, aspirin resistance and clopidogrel resistance occur in some individuals. Because the prodrug clopidogrel is activated by hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, we hypothesized that interindividual variability in clopidogrel efficacy might be related to interind...

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is the second most common childhood vasculitis and one of the main causes of acquired heart disease in children. Recent work focuses on the early diagnostic importance of those risk factors that indicate resistance to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. The objectives of this study were to identify clinical, laboratory and/or instrumental factors that c...

Interindividual variability in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C) response during treatment with statins is well documented but poorly understood. To investigate potential metabolic and genetic determinants of statin responsiveness, 19 patients with refractory heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia were sequentially treated with placebo, atorvastatin (10 mg/d), bile acid sequ...

OBJECTIVES We monitored the mRNA expression profiles of peripheral blood cells during treatment with a TNF-alpha inhibitor, infliximab, in patients with RA. Using a DNA microarray analysis, we demonstrated a unique set of genes, with distinct baseline and post-treatment changes in expression between responders and non-responders to infliximab treatment. METHODS Using a customized low-density ...