University of Duisburg-Essen

About: University of Duisburg-Essen is a education organization based out in Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 16072 authors who have published 39972 publications receiving 1109199 citations.

Pasireotide (SOM230) Demonstrates Efficacy and Safety in Patients with Acromegaly: A Randomized, Multicenter, Phase II Trial

Abstract: Context: Pasireotide (SOM230) is a novel multireceptor ligand somatostatin analog with affinity for somatostatin receptor subtypes sst1–3 and sst5. Because most GH-secreting pituitary adenomas express sst2 and sst5, pasireotide has the potential to be more effective than the sst2-preferential somatostatin analogs octreotide and lanreotide. Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three different doses of pasireotide in patients with acromegaly. Design: We conducted a phase II, randomized, multicenter, open-label, three-way, crossover study. Patients: Sixty patients with acromegaly, defined by a 2-h five-point mean GH level higher than 5 μg/liter, lack of suppression of GH to less than 1 μg/liter after oral glucose tolerance test, and elevated IGF-I for age- and sex-matched controls. Patients could have had previous surgery, radiotherapy, and/or medical therapy or no previous treatment. Intervention: After treatment with octreotide 100 μg sc three times daily for 28 d, each patie...

Longer Follow-Up Confirms Relapse-Free Survival Benefit With Adjuvant Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib in Patients With Resected BRAF V600–Mutant Stage III Melanoma

Abstract: PurposeDabrafenib plus trametinib improved relapse-free survival (RFS) versus placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 0.47; P < .001) in patients with resected BRAF V600–mutant stage III melanoma (BRF115532; COMBI-AD; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01682083). We present an updated RFS analysis on the basis of extended study follow-up and a cure-rate model analysis to estimate the fraction of patients expected to remain relapse free long term.MethodsIn this phase III trial, patients with resected BRAF V600–mutant stage III melanoma were randomly assigned to 12 months of adjuvant dabrafenib plus trametinib versus placebo. We report updated RFS (primary end point) and distant metastasis–free survival. RFS was also analyzed by subgroups defined by baseline disease stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th and 8th editions), nodal metastatic burden, and ulceration status. The fraction of patients who remained relapse free long term was estimated using a Weibull mixture cure-rate model.ResultsAt median follow-up of ...

Graphitic Tribological Layers in Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements

Abstract: Arthritis is a leading cause of disability, and when nonoperative methods have failed, a prosthetic implant is a cost-effective and clinically successful treatment. Metal-on-metal replacements are an attractive implant technology, a lower-wear alternative to metal-on-polyethylene devices. Relatively little is known about how sliding occurs in these implants, except that proteins play a critical role and that there is a tribological layer on the metal surface. We report evidence for graphitic material in the tribological layer in metal-on-metal hip replacements retrieved from patients. As graphite is a solid lubricant, its presence helps to explain why these components exhibit low wear and suggests methods of improving their performance; simultaneously, this raises the issue of the physiological effects of graphitic wear debris.