Simón Bolívar University

About: Simón Bolívar University is a education organization based out in Caracas, Venezuela. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Crystallization. The organization has 5912 authors who have published 8294 publications receiving 126152 citations.

A Multi-Centre, Web-Accessible and Quality Control-Checked Database of in vivo MR Spectra of Brain Tumour Patients

Abstract: Objective: To describe an Internet-accessible database that contains validated in vivo MR spectra and clinical data of brain tumour patients. Materials and methods: All data from patients entering the INTERPRET project (International Network for Pattern Recognition of Tumours Using Magnetic Resonance, http://azizu.uab.es/INTERPRET ) were stored in a web-accessible database (iDB) and selected using its query functionality. Criteria for selection were that the case had a single voxel (SV) short-echo (20–32 ms) 1.5 T spectrum acquired from a nodular region of the tumour, that the voxel had been positioned in the same region as where subsequent biopsy was obtained, that the short-echo spectrum had not been discarded because of acquisition artefacts or other reasons, and that a histopathological diagnosis was agreed among a committee of neuropathologists. When the spectra were obtained from normal volunteers or were of abscesses or clinically proven metastases, biopsy was not required. Results: A subset of 304 cases (22 normal volunteers and 282 tumour patients) was obtained. These cases were migrated to another similar database (validated-DB). Conclusion: The validated-DB complies with ethics regulations and represents the population studied. It is accessible by neuroradiologists willing to use information provided by MRS to help in the non-invasive diagnosis of brain tumours

B-cell depletion with obinutuzumab for the treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Abstract: Objective Randomised trials of type I anti-CD20 antibodies rituximab and ocrelizumab failed to show benefit in proliferative lupus nephritis (LN). We compared obinutuzumab, a humanised type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that induces potent B-cell depletion, with placebo for the treatment of LN in combination with standard therapies. Methods Patients with LN receiving mycophenolate and corticosteroids were randomised to obinutuzumab 1000 mg or placebo on day 1 and weeks 2, 24 and 26, and followed through week 104. The primary endpoint was complete renal response (CRR) at week 52. Exploratory analyses through week 104 were conducted. The prespecified alpha level was 0.2. Results A total of 125 patients were randomised and received blinded infusions. Achievement of CRR was greater with obinutuzumab at week 52 (primary endpoint, 22 (35%) vs 14 (23%) with placebo; percentage difference, 12% (95% CI −3.4% to 28%), p=0.115) and at week 104 (26 (41%) vs 14 (23%); percentage difference, 19% (95% CI 2.7% to 35%), p=0.026). Improvements in other renal response measures, serologies, estimated glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria were greater with obinutuzumab. Obinutuzumab was not associated with increases in serious adverse events, serious infections or deaths. Non-serious infusion-related reactions occurred more frequently with obinutuzumab. Conclusions Improved renal responses through week 104 were observed in patients with LN who received obinutuzumab plus standard therapies compared with standard therapies alone. Obinutuzumab was well tolerated and no new safety signals were identified. Trial registration number NCT02550652.