Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibition with simvastatin in Acute lung injury to Reduce Pulmonary dysfunction (HARP-2) trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common devastating clinical syndrome characterized by life-threatening respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and multiple organ failure. There are in vitro, animal studies and pre-clinical data suggesting that statins may be beneficial in ALI. The Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibition with simvastatin in Acute lung injury to Reduce Pulmonary dysfunction (HARP-2) trial is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, allocation concealed, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial which aims to test the hypothesis that treatment with simvastatin will improve clinical outcomes in patients with ALI.

Methods/Design: Patients fulfilling the American-European Consensus Conference Definition of ALI will be randomized in a 1: 1 ratio to receive enteral simvastatin 80 mg or placebo once daily for a maximum of 28 days. Allocation to randomized groups will be stratified with respect to hospital of recruitment and vasopressor requirement. Data will be recorded by participating ICUs until hospital discharge, and surviving patients will be followed up by post at 3, 6 and 12 months post randomization. The primary outcome is number of ventilator-free days to day 28. Secondary outcomes are: change in oxygenation index and sequential organ failure assessment score up to day 28, number of non pulmonary organ failure free days to day 28, critical care unit mortality; hospital mortality; 28 day post randomization mortality and 12 month post randomization mortality; health related quality of life at discharge, 3, 6 and 12 months post randomization; length of critical care unit and hospital stay; health service use up to 12 months post-randomization; and safety. A total of 540 patients will be recruited from approximately 35 ICUs in the UK and Ireland. An economic evaluation will be conducted alongside the trial. Plasma and urine samples will be taken up to day 28 to investigate potential mechanisms by which simvastatin might act to improve clinical outcomes.

Susceptibility of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retinal function and ocular blood flow to acute intraocular pressure challenge.

PURPOSE: To consider whether STZ-induced hyperglycemia renders rat retinal function and ocular blood flow more susceptible to acute intraocular pressure (IOP) challenge.

METHODS: Retinal function (electroretinogram, ERG) was measured during acute IOP challenge (10-100 mmHg, 5 mmHg increments, 3 min/step, vitreal cannulation) in adult Long-Evans rats (6-week old, citrate: n=6, STZ: n=10) 4 weeks after citrate buffer or streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg, blood glucose > 15 mmol/l) injection. At each IOP, dim and bright flash (-4.56, -1.72 log cd.s.m^-2) ERG responses were recorded to measure inner retinal and ON-bipolar cell function, respectively. Ocular blood flow (laser Doppler flowmetry, citrate; n=6, STZ; n=10) was also measured during acute IOP challenge. Retinae were isolated for qPCR analysis of nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression endothelial, eNos; inducible, iNos; neuronal, nNos).

RESULTS: STZ-induced diabetes increased the susceptibility of inner retinal (IOP at 50% response, 60.1, CI: 57.0-62.0 mmHg vs. citrate: 67.5, CI: 62.1-72.4 mmHg) and ON-bipolar cell function (STZ: 60.3, CI: 58.0-62.8 mmHg vs. citrate: 65.1, CI: 58.0-62.78 mmHg) and ocular blood flow (43.9, CI: 40.8-46.8 vs. citrate: 53.4, CI: 50.7-56.1 mmHg) to IOP challenge. Citrate eyes showed elevated eNos mRNA (+49.7%) after IOP stress, an effect not found in STZ-diabetic eyes (-5.7%, P<0.03). No difference was observed for iNos or nNos (P>0.05) following IOP elevation.

CONCLUSIONS: STZ-induced diabetes increased functional susceptibility during acute IOP challenge. This functional vulnerability is associated with a reduced capacity for diabetic eyes to upregulate eNOS expression and to autoregulate blood flow in response to stress.

Relationship between the magnitude of intraocular pressure during an episode of acute elevation and retinal damage four weeks later in rats

Purpose: To determine relationship between the magnitude of intraocular pressure (IOP) during a fixed-duration episode of acute elevation and the loss of retinal function and structure 4 weeks later in rats.

Methods: Unilateral elevation of IOP (105 minutes) was achieved manometrically in adult Brown Norway rats (9 groups; n = 4 to 8 each, 10–100 mm Hg and sham control). Full-field ERGs were recorded simultaneously from treated and control eyes 4 weeks after IOP elevation. Scotopic ERG stimuli were white flashes (26.04 to 2.72 log cd.s.m^-2). Photopic ERGs were recorded (1.22 to 2.72 log cd.s.m22) after 15 min of light adaptation (150 cd/m2). Relative amplitude (treated/control, %) of ERG components versus IOP was described with a cummulative normal function. Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer density was determined post mortem by histology.

Results: All ERG components failed to recover completely normal amplitudes by 4 weeks after the insult if IOP was 70 mmHg or greater during the episode. There was no ERG recovery at all if IOP was 100 mmHg. Outer retinal (photoreceptor) function demonstrated the least sensitivity to prior acute IOP elevation. ERG components reflecting inner retinal function were correlated with post mortem RGC layer density.

Conclusions: Retinal function recovers after IOP normalization, such that it requires a level of acute IOP elevation approximately 10 mmHg higher to cause a pattern of permanent dysfunction similar to that observed during the acute event. There is a ‘threshold’ for permanent retinal functional loss in the rat at an IOP between 60 and 70 mmHg if sustained for 105 minutes or more.

Simvastatin decreases the level of heparin-binding protein in patients with acute lung injury

Heparin-binding protein is released by neutrophils during inflammation and disrupts the integrity of the alveolar and capillary endothelial barrier implicated in the development of acute lung injury and systemic organ failure. We sought to investigate whether oral administration of simvastatin to patients with acute lung injury reduces plasma heparin-binding protein levels and improves intensive care unit outcome.

Keratinocyte growth factor in acute lung injury to reduce pulmonary dysfunction--a randomised placebo-controlled trial (KARE):study protocol

Acute lung injury is a common, devastating clinical syndrome associated with substantial mortality and morbidity with currently no proven therapeutic interventional strategy to improve patient outcomes. The objectives of this study are to test the potential therapeutic effects of keratinocyte growth factor for patients with acute lung injury on oxygenation and biological indicators of acute inflammation, lung epithelial and endothelial function, protease:antiprotease balance, and lung extracellular matrix degradation and turnover.

Inclusion of chemotherapy in addition to anthracycline in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia does not improve outcomes:results of the MRC AML15 trial

Two hundred eighty-five patients, median age 42, with PML-RARa-positive acute promyelocytic leukaemia were randomised to Ara-C-containing 'Medical Research Council (MRC) Chemotherapy'+ATRA (All-trans-retinoic acid) or anthracycline+ATRA (modified 'Spanish') therapy. MRC treatment comprised four courses with ATRA in courses 1-2. Spanish treatment comprised four anthracycline-based courses with ATRA in courses 1-3. In course 3 patients were randomised to gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) or not. The Spanish arm received 24-month maintenance. Patients were sequentially molecularly monitored. Quality of life was assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 months. Remission rates were similar in both arms (93%): cumulative incidence of haematological relapse (CIHR) was 6% at 5 years; 5 patients relapsed molecularly. Survival post relapse was 80%. There were more deaths in remission in the MRC arm (4% vs 10%: P=0.2). The overall 5-year relapse-free and overall survival was similar between arms (81% vs 82% and 84% vs 83%, respectively). More supportive care and hospitalisation (81.8 vs 63 days, P10 × 10(9)/l) was not prognostic overall, or within treatment arms. Both approaches deliver similar results with minor differences in quality of life. MRC treatment required more hospitalisation. This suggests that additional chemotherapy, Ara-C in particular, is not required.

The addition of gemtuzumab ozogamicin to low-dose Ara-C improves remission rate but does not significantly prolong survival in older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia:results from the LRF AML14 and NCRI AML16 pick-a-winner comparison

The treatment of older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia, who are not considered suitable for conventional intensive therapy, is unsatisfactory. Low-dose Ara-C(LDAC) has been established as superior to best supportive care, but only benefits the few patients who enter complete remission. Alternative or additional treatments are required to improve the situation. This randomised trial compared the addition of the immunoconjugate, gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO), at a dose of 5 mg on day 1 of each course of LDAC, with the intention of improving the remission rate and consequently survival. Between June 2004 and June 2010, 495 patients entered the randomisation. The addition of GO significantly improved the remission rate (30% vs 17%; odds ratio(OR) 0.48 (0.32-0.73); P=0.006), but not the 12 month overall survival (25% vs 27%). The reason for the induction benefit failing to improve OS was two-fold: survival of patients in the LDAC arm who did not enter remission and survival after relapse were both superior in the LDAC arm. Although the addition of GO to LDAC doubled the remission rate it did not improve overall survival. Maintaining remission in older patients remains elusive.

Serum erythropoietic activity in acute anemia--an animal model

Serum erythropoietic activity and reticulocyte response to anemia were investigated using a rabbit model. In hemolytic anemia, induced by injections of phenylhydrazine on Day 0 the hemoglobin reached a nadir (mean, 6.23 g/dl) on Day 4 when SEA was maximal (mean, 765 mU/ml). In animals venesected on Day 0 and Day 1 to produce anemia of equal severity, the SEA was maximal (mean 235 mU/ml) on Day 2. In both groups the reticulocyte response peaked on Day 7--at 34% for the hemolytic group and 21% for the venesected group. The 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, measured on Day 4, was significantly reduced in the PHZ-treated group. In the venesected group the 2,3-DPG increased between Day 0 and Day 4. There were no concurrent changes in acid-base balance. These results imply that the degree of anemia is only one of the factors which influence the level of circulating SEA.

Distinct poor prognostic subgroups of acute myeloid leukaemia, FLT3-ITD and P-glycoprotein-positive, have contrasting levels of FOXO1

Regulation of ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein/Pgp) in AML was investigated. In a historical cohort with Pgp and transcriptional regulator expression profiling data available (n=141), FOXO1 correlated with Pgp protein expression. This was confirmed in an independent cohort (n=204). Down-regulation (siRNA) or hyperactivation (nicotinamide) of FOXO1 led to corresponding changes in Pgp. Low FOXO1 expression correlated with FLT3-ITDs (p

IL-33 attenuates the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis

Interleukin (IL)-33 is associated with several important immune-mediated disorders. However, its role in uveitis, an important eye inflammatory disease, is unknown. Here we investigated the function of IL-33 in the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). IL-33 and IL-33 receptor (ST2) were expressed in murine retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in culture, and IL-33 increased the expression of Il33 and Mcp1 mRNA in RPE cells. In situ, IL-33 was highly expressed in the inner nuclear cells of the retina of naïve mice, and its expression was elevated in EAU mice. ST2-deficient mice developed exacerbated EAU compared with WT mice, and administration of IL-33 to WT mice significantly reduced EAU severity. The attenuated EAU in IL-33-treated mice was accompanied by decreased frequency of IFN-γ(+) and IL-17(+) CD4(+) T cells and reduced IFN-γ and IL-17 production but with increased frequency of IL-5(+) and IL-4(+) CD4 T cells and IL-5 production in the draining lymph node and spleen. Macrophages from the IL-33-treated mice show a significantly higher polarization towards an alternatively-activated macrophage (M2) phenotype. Our results therefore demonstrate that the endogenous IL-33/ST2 pathway plays an important role in EAU, and suggest that IL-33 represents a potential option for treatment of uveitis.

DEK oncogene expression during normal hematopoiesis and in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

DEK is important in regulating cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation and maintenance of stem cell phenotype. The translocation t(6;9) in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), which fuses DEK with NUP214, confers a poor prognosis and a higher risk of relapse. The over-expression of DEK in AML has been reported, but different studies have shown diminished levels in pediatric and promyelocytic leukemias. This study has characterized DEK expression, in silico, using a large multi-center cohort of leukemic and normal control cases. Overall, DEK was under-expressed in AML compared to normal bone marrow (NBM). Studying specific subtypes of AML confirmed either no significant change or a significant reduction in DEK expression compared to NBM. Importantly, the similarity of DEK expression between AML and NBM was confirmed using immunohistochemistry analysis of tissue mircorarrays. In addition, stratification of AML patients based on median DEK expression levels indicated that DEK showed no effect on the overall survival of patients. DEK expression during normal hematopoiesis did reveal a relationship with specific cell types implicating a distinct function during myeloid differentiation. Whilst DEK may play a potential role in hematopoiesis, it remains to be established whether it is important for leukemagenesis, except when involved in the t(6;9) translocation.