There are currently a number of licensed azole antifungal drugs; however; only 4 (namely, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole) are used frequently in a clinical setting for ...prophylaxis or treatment of systemic fungal infections. In this article, we review the pharmacokinetic interactions of these azole antifungal drugs with other coadministered agents. We describe these (2-way) interactions and the extent to which metabolic pathways and/or other supposed mechanisms are involved in these interactions. This article provides an overview of all published drug-drug interactions in humans (either healthy volunteers or patients), and on the basis of these findings, we have developed recommendations for managing the specific interactions.
ColoPulse tablets are an innovative development in the field of oral dosage forms characterized by a distal ileum and colon-specific release. Previous studies in humans showed release in the ...ileo-colonic region, but the relationship between gastrointestinal pH and release was not experimentally proven in vivo. This information will complete the in vivo release-profile of ColoPulse tablets.
Release from ColoPulse tablets was studied in 16 healthy volunteers using the dual label isotope strategy. To determine gastrointestinal pH profiles and transit times the IntelliCap system was used. A ColoPulse tablet containing 13C-urea and an uncoated, immediate release tablet containing 15N2-urea were taken simultaneously followed by a standardized breakfast after three hours. Five minutes after intake of the tablets the IntelliCap capsule was swallowed and pH was measured until excretion in the feces. Breath and urine samples were collected for isotope analysis.
Full analysis could be performed in 12 subjects. Median bioavailability of 13C -urea was 82% (95% CI 74-94%, range 61-114%). The median lag time (5% release of 13C) was 5:42 h (95% CI 5:18-6:18 h, range 2:36-6:36 h,) There was no statistically significant difference between lag time based on isotope signal and colon arrival time (CAT) based on pH (median 5:42 vs 5:31 h p = 0.903). In all subjects an intestinal pH value of 7.0 was reached before release of 13C from the ColoPulse tablet occurred.
From the combined data from the IntelliCap system and the 13C -isotope signal it can be concluded that release from a ColoPulse tablet in vivo is not related to transit times but occurs in the ileo-colonic region after pH 7.0 is reached. This supports our earlier findings and confirms that the ColoPulse system is a promising delivery system for targeting the distal ileum and colon.
ISRCTN Registry 18301880.
During an infection or inflammation, several drug-metabolizing enzymes in the liver are down-regulated, including cytochrome P450 iso-enzymes. Since voriconazole is extensively metabolized by ...cytochrome P450 iso-enzymes, the metabolism of voriconazole can be influenced during inflammation via reduced clearance of the drug, resulting in higher voriconazole trough concentrations.
To investigate prospectively the influence of inflammation on voriconazole metabolism and voriconazole trough concentrations.
A prospective observational study was performed at the University Medical Center Groningen. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were ≥18 years old and treated with voriconazole. Voriconazole and voriconazole-N-oxide concentrations were determined in discarded blood samples. To determine the degree of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were used. Subsequently, a longitudinal data analysis was performed to assess the effect of inflammation on the metabolic ratio and voriconazole trough concentration.
Thirty-four patients were included. In total 489 voriconazole trough concentrations were included in the longitudinal data analysis. This analysis showed that inflammation, reflected by CRP concentrations, significantly influenced the metabolic ratio, voriconazole trough concentration and voriconazole-N-oxide concentration (all P < 0.001), when corrected for other factors that could influence voriconazole metabolism. The metabolic ratio was decreased by 0.99229
and the voriconazole-N-oxide concentration by 0.99775
, while the voriconazole trough concentration was increased by 1.005321
, where N is the difference in CRP units (in mg/L).
This study shows that voriconazole metabolism is decreased during inflammation, resulting in higher voriconazole trough concentrations. Therefore, frequent monitoring of voriconazole serum concentrations is recommended during and following severe inflammation.
Voriconazole concentrations display a large variability, which cannot completely be explained by known factors. Inflammation may be a contributing factor, as inflammatory stimuli can change the ...activities and expression levels of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes. We explored the correlation between inflammation, reflected by C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, and voriconazole trough concentrations. A retrospective chart review of patients with at least one steady-state voriconazole trough concentration and a CRP concentration measured on the same day was performed. A total of 128 patients were included. A significantly (P < 0.001) higher voriconazole trough concentration was observed in patients with severe inflammation (6.2 mg/liter; interquartile range IQR, 3.4 to 8.7 mg/liter; n = 20) than in patients with moderate inflammation (3.4 mg/liter; IQR, 1.6 to 5.4 mg/liter; n = 60) and in patients with no to mild inflammation (1.6 mg/liter; IQR, 0.8 to 3.0 mg/liter; n = 48). The patients in all three groups received similar voriconazole doses based on mg/kg body weight (P = 0.368). Linear regression analyses, both unadjusted and adjusted for covariates of gender, age, dose, route of administration, liver enzymes, and interacting coadministered medications, showed a significant association between voriconazole and CRP concentration (P < 0.001). For every 1-mg/liter increase in the CRP concentration, the voriconazole trough concentration increased by 0.015 mg/liter (unadjusted 95% confidence interval CI, 0.011 to 0.020 mg/liter; adjusted 95% CI, 0.011 to 0.019 mg/liter). Inflammation, reflected by the C-reactive protein concentration, is associated with voriconazole trough concentrations. Further research is necessary to assess if taking the inflammatory status of a patient into account is helpful in therapeutic drug monitoring of voriconazole to maintain concentrations in the therapeutic window, thereby possibly preventing suboptimal treatment or adverse events.
In critically ill patients, drug exposure may be influenced by altered drug distribution and clearance. Earlier studies showed that the variability in caspofungin exposure was high in intensive care ...unit (ICU) patients. The primary objective of this study was to determine if the standard dose of caspofungin resulted in adequate exposure in critically ill patients. A multicenter prospective study in ICU patients with (suspected) invasive candidiasis was conducted in the Netherlands from November 2013 to October 2015. Patients received standard caspofungin treatment, and the exposure was determined on day 3 of treatment. An area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC
) of 98 mg · h/liter was considered adequate exposure. In case of low exposure (i.e., <79 mg · h/liter, a ≥20% lower AUC
), the caspofungin dose was increased and the exposure reevaluated. Twenty patients were included in the study, of whom 5 had a positive blood culture. The median caspofungin AUC
at day 3 was 78 mg · h/liter (interquartile range IQR, 69 to 97 mg · h/liter). A low AUC
(<79 mg · h/liter) was seen in 10 patients. The AUC
was significantly and positively correlated with the caspofungin dose in mg/kg/day (P = 0.011). The median AUC
with a caspofungin dose of 1 mg/kg was estimated using a pharmacokinetic model and was 114.9 mg · h/liter (IQR, 103.2 to 143.5 mg · h/liter). In conclusion, the caspofungin exposure in ICU patients in this study was low compared with that in healthy volunteers and other (non)critically ill patients, most likely due to a larger volume of distribution. A weight-based dose regimen is probably more suitable for patients with substantially altered drug distribution. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01994096.).
Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) characterized by intestinal inflammation. Increased intestinal levels of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor ...necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are associated with disease activity and severity. Anti-TNF-α therapy is administered systemically and efficacious in the treatment of IBD. However, systemic exposure is associated with adverse events that may impede therapeutic treatment. Clinical studies show that the efficacy correlates with immunological effects localized in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as opposed to systemic effects. These data suggest that site-specific TNF-α inhibition in IBD may be efficacious with fewer expected side effects related to systemic exposure. We therefore reviewed the available literature that investigated the efficacy or feasibility of local TNF-α inhibition in IBD. A literature search was performed on PubMed with given search terms and strategy. Of 8739 hits, 48 citations were included in this review. These studies ranged from animal studies to randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials. In these studies, local anti-TNF-α therapy was achieved with antibodies, antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and genetically modified organisms. This narrative review summarizes and discusses these approaches in view of the clinical relevance of local TNF-α inhibition in IBD.
Standard treatment duration for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) treatment is 6 months. Treatment duration is often extended-and for various different reasons. The aim of this study was to ...determine the prevalence and to assess risk factors associated with extended TB treatment.
A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data including demographic, clinical, radiological and microbiological information from the Netherlands TB Register (NTR) of 90 patients with smear and culture positive pulmonary TB of the region Haaglanden, The Netherlands, was eligible for analysis.
Treatment was extended to ≥ 200 days by 46 (51%) patients. Extended TB treatment was associated with a higher frequency of symptoms, presumed to be due to adverse drug reactions (ADR; OR 2.39 95% CI: 1.01-5.69), drug-induced liver injury (DILI) (OR: 13.51; 95% CI: 1.66-109.82) and longer than 2 month smear and culture conversion rate (OR: 11.00; 95% CI: 1.24-97.96 and OR: 8.56; 95% CI: 1.53-47.96). In the multivariable logistic analysis, development of DILI emerged as the single statistically strong risk factor necessitating extension of TB treatment.
This finding will need further confirmation in a prospective study, exploring the possible mutual role of pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic determinants of DILI among TB patients.
Fluorescence imaging is currently attracting much interest as a method for intraoperative tumor detection, but most current tracers lack tumor specificity. Therefore, this technique can be further ...improved by tumor-specific detection. With tumor-targeted antibodies bound to a radioactive label, tumor-specific SPECT or PET is feasible in the clinical setting. The aim of the present study was to apply antibody-based tumor detection to intraoperative optical imaging, using preclinical in vivo mouse models.
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab and anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2 antibody trastuzumab were labeled with the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence dye IRDye 800CW. Tumor uptake of the fluorescent tracers and their (89)Zr-labeled radioactive counterparts for PET was determined in human xenograft-bearing athymic mice during 1 wk after tracer injection, followed by ex vivo biodistribution and pathologic examination. Intraoperative imaging of fluorescent VEGF- or HER2-positive tumor lesions was performed in subcutaneous tumors and in intraperitoneal dissemination tumor models.
Tumor-to-background ratios, with fluorescent imaging, were 1.93 ± 0.40 for bevacizumab and 2.92 ± 0.29 for trastuzumab on day 6 after tracer injection. Real-time intraoperative imaging detected tumor lesions at even the submillimeter level in intraperitoneal dissemination tumor models. These results were supported by standard histology, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence microscopy analyses.
NIR fluorescence-labeled antibodies targeting VEGF or HER2 can be used for highly specific and sensitive detection of tumor lesions in vivo. These preclinical findings encourage future clinical studies with NIR fluorescence-labeled tumor-specific antibodies for intraoperative-guided surgery in cancer patients.
The objective of this study was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model and to determine a dosing regimen for caspofungin in critically ill patients. Nine blood samples were drawn per dosing ...occasion. Fifteen patients with (suspected) invasive candidiasis had one dosing occasion and five had two dosing occasions, measured on day 3 (±1) of treatment. Pmetrics was used for population pharmacokinetic modeling and probability of target attainment (PTA). A target 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) value of 98 mg·h/liter was used as an efficacy parameter. Secondarily, the AUC/MIC targets of 450, 865, and 1,185 were used to calculate PTAs for Candida glabrata, C. albicans, and C. parapsilosis, respectively. The final 2-compartment model included weight as a covariate on volume of distribution (V). The mean V of the central compartment was 7.71 (standard deviation SD, 2.70) liters/kg of body weight, the mean elimination constant (Ke) was 0.09 (SD, 0.04) h−1, the rate constant for the caspofungin distribution from the central to the peripheral compartment was 0.44 (SD, 0.39) h−1, and the rate constant for the caspofungin distribution from the peripheral to the central compartment was 0.46 (SD, 0.35) h−1. A loading dose of 2 mg/kg on the first day, followed by 1.25 mg/kg as a maintenance dose, was chosen. With this dose, 98% of the patients were expected to reach the AUC target on the first day and 100% of the patients on the third day. The registered caspofungin dose might not be suitable for critically ill patients who were all overweight (≥120 kg), over 80% of median weight (78 kg), and around 25% of lower weight (≤50 kg). A weight-based dose regimen might be appropriate for achieving adequate exposure of caspofungin in intensive care unit patients.
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