Terapevticheskii Arkhiv 

About: Terapevticheskii Arkhiv is an academic journal published by Consilium Medicum. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 0040-3660. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 5159 publications have been published receiving 16510 citations. The journal is also known as: Terapevticheskii arkhiv & Ter. arkh..

[Randomized placebo-controlled trial of orlistat for weight loss and prevention of weight regain in obese patients].

Abstract: BACKGROUND We undertook a randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy and tolerance of orlistat, a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, in promoting weight loss and preventing weight regain in obese patients over a 2-year period. METHODS 743 patients (body-mass index 28-47 kg/m2), recruited at 15 European centres, entered a 4-week, single-blind, placebo lead-in period on a slightly hypocaloric diet (600 kcal/day deficit). 688 patients who completed the lead-in were assigned double-blind treatment with orlistat 120 mg (three times a day) or placebo for 1 year in conjunction with the hypocaloric diet. In a second 52-week double-blind period patients were reassigned orlistat or placebo with a weight maintenance (eucaloric) diet. FINDINGS From the start of lead-in to the end of year 1, the orlistat group lost, on average, more bodyweight than the placebo group (10.2% [10.3 kg] vs 6.1% [6.1 kg]; LSM difference 3.9 kg [p < 0.001] from randomisation to the end of year 1). During year 2, patients who continued with orlistat regained, on average, half as much weight as those patients switched to placebo (p < 0.001). Patients switched from placebo to orlistat lost an additional 0.9 kg during year 2, compared with a mean regain of 2.5 kg in patients who continued on placebo (p < 0.001). Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, LDL/high-density lipoprotein ratio, and concentrations of glucose and insulin decreased more in the orlistat group than in the placebo group. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more common in the orlistat group. Other adverse symptoms occurred at a similar frequency during both treatments. INTERPRETATION Orlistat taken with an appropriate diet promotes clinically significant weight loss and reduces weight regain in obese patients over a 2-year period. The use of orlistat beyond 2 years needs careful monitoring with respect to efficacy and adverse events.

Extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C

Abstract: AIM To study incidence, special features and mechanisms underlying onset of extrahepatic lesions in HCV-infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Extrahepatic symptoms of chronic hepatitis C and its outcome--hepatic cirrhosis were studied in 157 patients. HCV-infection was confirmed by ELISA II and polymerase chain reaction (detection in the serum of anti-HCV and HCVRNA, respectively). Morphological studies of the liver were made in 134 patients, of other organs and tissues--in 20 patients. Immunological tests were made in 124 patients. Thyroid hormones, antibodies to thyroglobuline were measured with radioimmunoassay in 74 patients. RESULTS Extrahepatic manifestations were found in 70(44.6%) patients with chronic hepatitis C (more frequently in hepatic cirrhosis), for the most part in women and in long-lasting disease. 54(43.5%) women had cryoglobulinemia, 27 of them showed it clinically. Patients with cryoglobulinemia and free of it exhibited varying frequency cutaneous vasculitis, Raynaud's syndrome, affection of the muscles and joints, nodular periartheritis, lesions of the lungs, myocarditis, autoimmune thyroiditis, Sjogren's syndrome, lichen ruber planus, porphyria cutanea tarda, immune cytopenia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hypoplastic anemia, monoclonal immunoglobulinopathy, B-cell lymphoma. Of high frequency were activity of rheumatic factor (66.9%), hypocomplementemia (31.8%), antinuclear antibodies (9.8%) and other immunological disorders. CONCLUSION Some extrahepatic lesions in HCV-infection are detailed: frequent mixed cryoglobulinemia and associated vasculitides of different sites, malignant lymphoproliferative diseases, more frequent than in HBV-infection involvement of the thyroid and salivary glands, some skin lesions.

[Shwachman-Diamond syndrome].

Abstract: Shwachman-Diamond syndrome is an inherited autosomal recessive disease that appears as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, neutropenia, impaired neutrophil chemotaxis, aplastic anemia, thrombocytopenia, metaphyseal dysplasia, and physical retardation. Its worldwide prevalence is 1:10,000 to 1:20,000 live births depending on the region. The SBDS gene and a few mutations, which lead to this syndrome, have been found in the past decade. The paper describes a case of this rare disease in a 28-year-old male patient who has all characteristic manifestations as lipomatosis and severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, neutropenia with bone marrow hypoplasia, physical retardation, glucose intolerance, secondary osteopenia, and minor cardiac anomalies. Its clinical diagnosis was verified by molecular genetic testing.