Vasculitides associated with serum positivity for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are a well-established subgroup affecting small- to medium-sized vessels that are commonly recognized as ANCA-associated vasculitis, which includes necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis (NGV) [formerly Wegener granulomatosis], microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and Churg-Strauss syndrome. NGV usually sta...

BACKGROUND The data from cohorts of childhood-onset granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) remain scarce and heterogeneous. We aimed to analyse the features at presentation, therapeutic approaches and the disease course of these rare diseases. METHODS Electronic searches of Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials database were conducte...

BACKGROUND Progestins as respiratory stimulants in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been investigated in males and during wakefulness. However, sleep and gender may influence therapeutic responses. We investigated the effects of a 2-week medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) therapy on sleep and nocturnal breathing in postmenopausal women. METHODS A single-blind placebo-controlle...

INTRODUCTION This study aims to elucidate the prognosis and the effectiveness of current treatments for Japanese patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed MPA and GPA were enrolled in a nationwide, prospective, inception cohort study from 22 tertiary Japanese institutions, and treatment patterns and responses...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and clinical associations of HLA-DR alleles in Brazilian Caucasian patients with polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). We evaluated 29 Caucasian patients with vasculitis classified as PAN or MPA according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990 Criteria, Chapel Hill Consensus Conference (CHCC) nomenclature fo...

abstract three pear genotypes (nazkeh, lasoreh and qevilah), grown in 2l containers, were studied under four irrigation regimes in order to evaluate the leaf relative water content (rwc), photosynthesis, leaf gas exchanges and plant dry weight induced by water stress. control treatment everyday was irrigation. irrigation was practiced when soil water potential reached at -0.4, -0.8, and -1.2 mp...

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and acetazolamide (ACET) are two ventilatory stimulants which are used in hypoxic and hypercapnic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a double-blind randomised study, the effects of a 2-week treatment with MPA (30 mg b.i.d.) or ACET (250 mg b.i.d.), followed by a 2-week treatment with a combination of both drugs (MPA/ACET), on daytime...

Background Mycophenolic acid (MPA) concentration measured by homogeneous particle-enhanced turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (PETINA) may be overestimated due to its cross-reactivity with pharmacologically inactive MPA glucuronide (MPAG), as well as other minor metabolites, accumulated with renal function impairment or co-administered cyclosporine A. In contrast, high-performance liquid chro...

immunosuppressants require therapeutic drug monitoring because of their narrow therapeutic index and significant inter-individual variability in blood concentrations. this variability can be because of factors like drug-nutrient interactions, drug-disease interactions, renal-insufficiency, inflammation and infection, gender, age, polymorphism and liver mass. drug monitoring is widely practiced ...