Background:It is well known that renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents one of the most immune-responsive cancers. Although the lack of defined antigens in RCC has hindered more specific vaccine development, research regarding vaccination therapy has been of special interest for the treatment of RCC for more than 30 years.Methods:To evaluate the safety of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) peptide vaccination and its clinical outcomes, data from 18 metastatic RCC (mRCC) patients treated with VEGFR1 vaccine were collected. Toxicity assessments were performed. Clinical outcomes included assessment using CT scanning, magnetic resonance imaging or X-ray examination in accordance with the WHO Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors.Results:No patient showed any toxicities of grade 3 or greater. Of the 18 patients, 2 patients showed a partial response during treatment. Stable disease for more than 5 months was observed in eight patients with a median duration of 16.5 months (4–32 months). At the time of the analysis in this study, six patients were alive with a median follow-up of 30 months (26–36 months).Conclusion:These results suggest that VEGFR1 peptide vaccine is safe and is recommended for further trials for patients with mRCC.
IgE to nDer p 1 and/or rDer p 2 was highly predictive of allergen-induced IAR. These findings validate the clinical usefulness of measuring the levels of IgE to nDer p 1 and rDer p 2 as a diagnostic tool for genuine HDM allergy.
Objectives: To study the efficacy of ramelteon for patients with insomnia and nocturia.
Methods: Forty‐nine patients experiencing insomnia and two or more nocturnal voids were included. The degree of lower urinary tract symptoms and sleep disorders was evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)1 score, and frequency/volume chart (FVC). The patients were treated with ramelteon (8 mg) for four weeks and then reexamined by questionnaire and FVC to evaluate the therapeutic efficacies.
Results: The mean IPSS score was 16.1 ± 6.9 at baseline and 12.4 ± 7.1 at four weeks. The subject scores for the number of nocturnal voids also decreased significantly from 3.3 ± 0.9 to 2.9 ± 1.0. In addition, PSQI scores improved significantly from 7.4 ± 2.9 to 5.4 ± 2.8. According to the FVC, the number of nocturnal voids decreased significantly from 3.1 ± 1.2 at baseline to 2.2 ± 1.1 at four weeks, and nighttime bladder capacity improved significantly from 181.4 ± 79.9 to 201.1 ± 93.7 mL.
Conclusion: Ramelteon alleviated nocturia and disturbed sleep in patients with insomnia and nocturia and led to increased nighttime bladder capacity.
ObjectivesThis study was conducted to examine the therapeutic efficacy and anti-inflammatory effect of ramelteon in elderly patients with insomnia associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), who visited our urology department.MethodsThe study included 115 patients (102 men, 13 women) who scored ≥4 on the Athens Insomnia Scale and who wished to receive treatment. The assessment scales for therapeutic efficacy included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) for LUTS and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for sleep disorders. The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) test was used to an objective assessment. The patients were treated with ramelteon (8 mg/day) for an average of 10 weeks and were then reexamined using the questionnaires and hs-CRP test to evaluate therapeutic efficacy.ResultsIPSS total scores declined significantly from 11.39 ± 8.78 to 9.4 ± 7.72. ISI total scores improved significantly from 11.6 ± 5.2 to 9.2 ± 5.3 (P < 0.0001). The levels of hs-CRP decreased significantly from 0.082 (standard deviation [SD] upper limit, 0.222; SD lower limit, −0.059) to 0.06 (SD upper limit, 0.152; SD lower limit, −0.032). The ISI scores ≥ 10 (n = 51) showed a weak correlation with the hs-CRP levels.ConclusionRamelteon had a systemic anti-inflammatory effect and improved sleep disorders and LUTS, suggesting that it may be a useful treatment for patients with LUTS-associated insomnia.
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