Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation: Retraction Notice to “Relationship Between Dopamine D2 Receptor Occupancy, Clinical Response, and Drug and Monoamine Metabolites Levels in Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid. a Pilot Study in Patients Suffering From First-Episode Schizophrenia Treated With Quetiapine” [J Psychiat Res 44 (2010) 754e759].

Retraction notice to “Relationship between dopamine D2 receptor occupancy, clinical response, and drug and monoamine metabolites levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. A pilot study in patients suffering from first-episode schizophrenia treated with quetiapine” [J Psychiat Res 44 (2010) 754e759].

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

J Psychiatr Res. 2012 Aug; 46(8): 1108

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). REASON: Key results are based on invalid data, according to a recent notification by the authors. The findings of the article are significantly related to dopamine D2 receptor occupancy data, obtained from a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan in five individuals. According to new evidence, PET data of two out of these individuals did not show a reliable signal at all, while the PET results of the remaining three subjects are partly invalid. As a result, the reported findings are most likely incorrect. The Journal of Psychiatric Research is dedicated to the highest scientific standards, therefore, this article has been retracted. The Editors regret if any misleading conclusions have been drawn from this publication, and apologies are offered to the readers of the journal.
HubMed – drug

 

Prevalence of the use of antihypertensive medications in Greenland: a study of quality of care amongst patients treated with antihypertensive drugs.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Int J Circumpolar Health. 2012; 71:
Bundgaard M, Jarbøl DE, Paulsen MS, Jacobsen JL, Pedersen ML

The primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of patients diagnosed with hypertension using the proxy marker of antihypertensive drug therapy in Greenland and to compare the prevalences within the 5 health regions in Greenland. The second objective was to review 2 quality indicators in antihypertensive care.Observational and cross-sectional study reviewing electronic medical records.Information about age and gender was collected from all patients receiving antihypertensive drug prescriptions within a 2-year period prior to the data extraction in January 2011. Only patients aged 20 or above were included. The age- and gender-specific prevalence of patients in antihypertensive treatment was calculated using the population as it was 1 January 2010 in Greenland as background population. A subsample consisting of patients in antihypertensive treatment aged 20 or above born within the first 5 days of each month was identified. Review of electronic medical records 1 year back in time (1 January 2010 onwards) was carried out and information on blood pressure obtained. The quality of care was evaluated with respect to 2 indicators: follow-up management and blood pressure level, respectively.The total number of patients in treatment with antihypertensive drugs was 4,462 (1,998 males and 2,464 females) corresponding to a prevalence of 11.4% (4,462/39,231). The prevalence was higher among females than among males. The prevalence increased with age and differed among the 5 health regions. The percentage of patients in antihypertensive treatment with minimum 1 follow-up visit within 1 year (blood pressure measured and registered in a health clinic) was only 77.7%. Some 45% of patients in antihypertensive treatment achieved blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.Hypertension is a common disorder in Greenland. The quality of antihypertensive care is suboptimal and leaves room for improvement. A national strategy based on guidelines, use of electronic drug prescriptions and recording of blood pressures combined with continuous monitoring the quality is recommended in order to prevent complications of untreated hypertension.
HubMed – drug

 

Regulation of cancer stem cell activities by tumor-associated macrophages.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Am J Cancer Res. 2012; 2(5): 529-39
Jinushi M, Baghdadi M, Chiba S, Yoshiyama H

Recent studies revealed that tumor-associated macrophages play a decisive role in the regulation of tumor progression by manipulating tumor oncogenesis, angiogenesis and immune functions within tumor microenvironments. However, the role of cancer stem cells in the tumorigenic activities of tumor-associated macrophages during the course of transformation and treatment remains largely unknown. Recent studies have clarified the functional aspects of tumor-associated macrophages in the regulation of the tumorigenic activities and anticancer drug responsiveness of cancer stem cells through complex networks formed by distinct sets of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. In this article we discuss recent advances and future perspectives regarding the molecular interplay between cancer stem cells and tumor-associated macrophages and provide future perspective about the therapeutic implication against treatment-resistant variants of cancer.
HubMed – drug

 

A mysterious gram-positive rods.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Case Rep Infect Dis. 2012; 2012: 841834
Natsag J, Min Z, Hamad Y, Alkhalil B, Rahman A, Williams R

We encountered a patient with a history of intravenous drug use presenting with fever, malaise and nausea who was found to have cavitary lung lesions. Unexpectedly, gram positive rods grew out on day five on multiple blood cultures, which were later identified as Mycobacterium fortuitum. The patient underwent transesophageal echocardiogram, which showed aortic and tricuspid valve vegetations. Liver biopsy demonstrated granulomatous hepatitis. Interestingly, serum alkaline phosphatase level fell with antibiotic treatment. Mycobacterium fortuitum is ubiquitous worldwide, being found in tap water, and soil. M. fortuitum is usually considered as a contaminant. Disseminated infection caused by this bacterium in an immunocompetent host is extremely rare. Most of the disseminated infections have been reported in immune-deficient patients. In immunocompetent people, M. fortuitum causes human infection primarily by direct inoculation, including localized post-traumatic and surgical wound infections, and catheter-related sepsis. Our patient, an HIV-negative intravenous drug user, had Mycobacterium fortuitum sepsis associated with infective endocarditis, septic pulmonary emboli, and granulomatous hepatitis. Interestingly, the patient admitted using tap water occasionally for mixing heroin when her sterile water ran out, which we thought was the likely source of M. fortuitum.
HubMed – drug

 


 

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