BACKGROUND: Antiplatelet drugs play an important role in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery diseases. Triflusal, an antiplatelet drug structually related to acetylsalicylic acid, selectively inhibits the cyclooxygenase of platelet and thromboxane A2 formation. However there is a controversy about the clinical dosage and the quantitative evaluation of the platelet antiaggregatory effect of triflusal. In this study we have evaluated the platelet antiaggregatory effect and cost-effective dosage of triflusal in the whole blood of healthy volunteers. METHODS: Using the whole blood of 50 healthy people, we performed a baseline platelet aggregation function test induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen. The subjects were subdivided into 3 treated groups (300 mg, 600 mg, 900 mg). We compared the platelet aggregation effect between the baseline results and 2 weeks after triflusal administration. RESULTS: Triflusal inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by ADP and collagen in the 600 mg administration group most effectively. The platelet aggregation induced by collagen was inhibited dose-dependently. The definite inhibitory responders (% inhibition > or = 25) for platelet aggregation induced by collagen were more common than those induced by ADP (33% vs 27% in 300 mg, 71% vs 53% in 600 mg, 78% vs 39% in 900 mg). There were no serious clinical side-effects except gastrointestinal trouble. One volunteer in the 900 mg treated group discontinued the treatment due to epigastric pain. CONCLUSION: We conclude that triflusal has a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by collagen and that the most effective dosage for platelet antiaggregation effect is 600 mg per day.
Adenosine Diphosphate ; Aspirin ; Blood Platelets* ; Collagen ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Electric Impedance* ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Platelet Aggregation* ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Thromboxane A2 ; Volunteers

BACKGROUND: Antiplatelet drugs play an important role in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery diseases. Triflusal, an antiplatelet drug structually related to acetylsalicylic acid, selectively inhibits the cyclooxygenase of platelet and thromboxane A2 formation. However there is a controversy about the clinical dosage and the quantitative evaluation of the platelet antiaggregatory effect of triflusal. In this study we have evaluated the platelet antiaggregatory effect and cost-effective dosage of triflusal in the whole blood of healthy volunteers. METHODS: Using the whole blood of 50 healthy people, we performed a baseline platelet aggregation function test induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen. The subjects were subdivided into 3 treated groups (300 mg, 600 mg, 900 mg). We compared the platelet aggregation effect between the baseline results and 2 weeks after triflusal administration. RESULTS: Triflusal inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by ADP and collagen in the 600 mg administration group most effectively. The platelet aggregation induced by collagen was inhibited dose-dependently. The definite inhibitory responders (% inhibition > or = 25) for platelet aggregation induced by collagen were more common than those induced by ADP (33% vs 27% in 300 mg, 71% vs 53% in 600 mg, 78% vs 39% in 900 mg). There were no serious clinical side-effects except gastrointestinal trouble. One volunteer in the 900 mg treated group discontinued the treatment due to epigastric pain. CONCLUSION: We conclude that triflusal has a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by collagen and that the most effective dosage for platelet antiaggregation effect is 600 mg per day.
Adenosine Diphosphate ; Aspirin ; Blood Platelets* ; Collagen ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Electric Impedance* ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Platelet Aggregation* ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Thromboxane A2 ; Volunteers

Primary pulmonary meningioma is an extremely rare disease. It is mostly benign and asymptomatic. This tumor shows the same cytohigstologic appearance as brain or spinal cord meninioma. It can be diagnosed as a primary pulmonary meningioma only if there is no evidence of metastasis from the brain or spinal cord meningioma. We experienced a case of primary pulmonary meningioma in a 60-year-old woman who had asymptomatic 2 cm-sized solitary pulmonary tumor in the right lower lobe. It is rather peripherally located. Fine needle aspiration cytology has suggested the possibility of either well-differentiated epithelial malignancy such as papillary adenocarcinoma or mucoepidermoid carcinoma or metastatic carcinoma such as from ductal carcinoma of the breast. Right lower lobectomy was performed. The tumor was bilobated and soild with yellowish color. pathologically it proved to be a primary pulmonary and solid with yellowish color. Pathologically it proved to be a primary pulmonary meningioma because there was no evidance of brain or spinal cord tumor. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case reported in Korea. We report this case with review of the literature.
Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Brain ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Meningioma* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rare Diseases ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to share our outcomes and experiences on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in elderly patients aged 60 years and older with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in South Korea, and to compare them with other studies. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the clinical outcomes of 116 patients with AML or MDS aged 60 years and older who underwent allogeneic HSCT. We also analyzed which pretreatment factors affect the overall survival (OS) after allogeneic HSCT. Results: Neutrophil and platelet engraftment were achieved at median day +11 [interquartile range (IQR) 10–15] and +14 (IQR 11–19), respectively. A complete donor chimerism was confirmed in 65 (56.0%) patients at 3 weeks and in 63 (54.3%) patients at 3 months after HSCT. The estimated incidence of grade II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) at day 100 was 13.7%. The estimated incidence of chronic GVHD at 2 years was 38.8%. Within a median follow-up of 14 months after HSCT, OS was 64% at 1 year and 55% at 2 years, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 20% at 1 year and 28% at 2 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index ≥3 were associated with poor OS. Conclusion This study showed that allogeneic HSCT in elderly adults aged 60 and older can be performed with successful engraftment and acceptable NRM and OS are expected given the generally known survival of patients with higher risk MDS and poor risk AML.

Purpose: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the prognostic value of AFP levels in patients who achieved complete response (CR) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for HCC. Materials and Methods: Between 2005 and 2018, 890 patients with HCC who achieved a CR to TACE were recruited. An AFP responder was defined as a patient who showed elevated levels of AFP (>10 ng/mL) during TACE, but showed normalization or a >50% reduction in AFP levels after achieving a CR. Results: Among the recruited patients, 569 (63.9%) with naïve HCC and 321 (36.1%) with recurrent HCC after complete resection were treated. Before TACE, 305 (34.3%) patients had multiple tumors, 219 (24.6%) had a maximal tumor size >3 cm, and 22 (2.5%) had portal vein tumor thrombosis. The median AFP level after achieving a CR was 6.36 ng/mL. After a CR, 473 (53.1%) patients experienced recurrence, and 417 (46.9%) died [median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 16.3 and 62.8 months, respectively]. High AFP levels at CR (>20 ng/mL) were independently associated with a shorter PFS [hazard ratio (HR)=1.403] and OS (HR=1.284), together with tumor multiplicity at TACE (HR=1.518 and 1.666, respectively). AFP non-responders at CR (76.2%, n=359 of 471) showed a shorter PFS (median 10.5 months vs. 15.5 months, HR=1.375) and OS (median 41.4 months vs. 61.8 months, HR=1.424) than AFP responders (all p=0.001). Conclusion High AFP levels and AFP non-responders were independently associated with poor outcomes after TACE. AFP holds clinical implications for detailed risk stratification upon achieving a CR after TACE.