No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; Abatacept

OBJECTIVE: The safety and efficacy of intravenous (IV) abatacept in patients with active RA unresponsive to methotrexate have been demonstrated in short-term (ST) studies in global populations and a ST, Phase III study in a Korean patient population. Abatacept's long-term safety and efficacy profile has been established in open-label global studies with treatment up to 5 years. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of abatacept in patients with RA from the ST Korean study. METHODS: This was an open-label long-term extension (LTE) of a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which Korean patients who had received IV abatacept or placebo in the ST trial (169 days) were given the option to receive open-label abatacept to Day 1485 with 84 days' follow-up (total 1,569 days, ~4 years). RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were enrolled in the LTE (86.7% female, median age 49.0 years). Abatacept was generally well tolerated. Adverse events were mostly mild or moderate and no new safety signals were identified. Improvement in disease activity (assessed by ACR response and DAS28 [CRP]), physical function (assessed by KHAQ-DI), and quality of life (assessed by SF-36 score) were maintained in patients initially treated with abatacept or observed in patients who had switched to abatacept after placebo in the ST study. CONCLUSION: Long-term treatment with IV abatacept over 1485 days was generally well tolerated in Korean patients with RA. Additionally, the efficacy profile from the ST study was maintained over the LTE.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; Korea ; Methotrexate ; Quality of Life ; Abatacept

OBJECTIVE: The safety and efficacy of intravenous (IV) abatacept in patients with active RA unresponsive to methotrexate have been demonstrated in short-term (ST) studies in global populations and a ST, Phase III study in a Korean patient population. Abatacept's long-term safety and efficacy profile has been established in open-label global studies with treatment up to 5 years. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of abatacept in patients with RA from the ST Korean study. METHODS: This was an open-label long-term extension (LTE) of a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which Korean patients who had received IV abatacept or placebo in the ST trial (169 days) were given the option to receive open-label abatacept to Day 1485 with 84 days' follow-up (total 1,569 days, ~4 years). RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were enrolled in the LTE (86.7% female, median age 49.0 years). Abatacept was generally well tolerated. Adverse events were mostly mild or moderate and no new safety signals were identified. Improvement in disease activity (assessed by ACR response and DAS28 [CRP]), physical function (assessed by KHAQ-DI), and quality of life (assessed by SF-36 score) were maintained in patients initially treated with abatacept or observed in patients who had switched to abatacept after placebo in the ST study. CONCLUSION: Long-term treatment with IV abatacept over 1485 days was generally well tolerated in Korean patients with RA. Additionally, the efficacy profile from the ST study was maintained over the LTE.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; Korea ; Methotrexate ; Quality of Life ; Abatacept

Gastric cancer cells express large amounts of galectin-3 on the cell surface. This fact may provide the possibility to use galectin-3 protein as a surface target for delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents. To investigate the possibility of application of galectin-3 protein as a target protein in delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents, we synthesized doxorubicin immunoconjugate by using maleimidocaproic acid and conjugated doxorubicin immunoconjugate to anti-galectin-3 mAb. The anticancer effect of immunotoxin was assayed on NIH3T3, AGS and KATO III cell lines. The anticancer effect of immunotoxin on AGS cell line is highest and that of KATO III is higher than that of NIH3T3. This results relate to that of flow cytometry analysis previously shown and indicate that galectin-3 protein can be used as a target protein on the surface of gastric cancer cell for delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents.
Antineoplastic Agents* ; Cell Line ; Doxorubicin ; Flow Cytometry ; Galectin 3 ; Galectins* ; Immunoconjugates ; Immunotoxins ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; Stomach Neoplasms

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene A/G polymorphism with susceptibility to diabetes mellitus in Han Chinese.

METHODSAn A/G transition at position 49 of exon 1 was analyzed in 31 patients with type 1 diabetes, 31 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 36 controls were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

RESULTSA highly significant increase in the frequency of the G allele was seen in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with controls (66.1 % vs. 34.7%, respectively; P < 0.0005; OR = 3.670) . This reflected an increase in the GG genotype in patients (48.4% vs. 22.2%, respectively; P =0.025; OR =3.281) and a significant decrease in the AA genotype (16.1 % vs. 52.8%, respectively; P = 0.002). The allele frequencies of A and G in patients with type 2 diabetes were not significantly different from controls(A/G, 50.0/50.0% vs. 65.3/34.7%; P = not significant) . The distribution of genotype, however, differed significantly. This difference reflected an increase in the AG genotype in patients (54.8% vs.25.0%, respectively; P=0.012; OR=3.643) and a decrease in the AA genotype (22.6% vs. 52.8%, respectively; P=0.011).

CONCLUSIONSCTLA-4 49 AA is protective from diabetes mellitus, whereas, CTLA-4 49 G allele (both as homozygotes and as heterozygotes ) confers an increased risk of diabetes mellitus.

Abatacept ; Antigens, CD ; Antigens, Differentiation ; genetics ; CTLA-4 Antigen ; China ; ethnology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Monoclonal antibody-targeted therapy has been a hot spot in current clinical cancer treatment. As current antibody drugs have large molecule sizes leading to poor tissue penetration, and high dosage in clinical application leading to high cost, to overcome the problems, the development of new antibody drugs with miniaturization and high potency has become a new trend. In recent years, the conjugates of monoclonal antibodies and cytotoxins, called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), have entered the arsenal of anti-cancer drugs, becoming a new format of antibody drugs and attracting extensive attentions. The ADC molecule usually consists of antibody, linker and effector molecule. According to different effector molecules, ADCs can be divided into three categories as chemo-conjugates, immunotoxins and radio-conjugates. When ADC molecules are internalized into cancer cells, cytotoxins will be released by chemical, enzyme degradation or by action of lysosomal proteases, then kill targeted cells by inhibiting protein synthesis, depolymerizing microtubules or breaking double-strand DNA. Recently, two ADC drugs have been approved by the US FDA and more ADC drug candidates are in clinical phase II or III trials which show significantly clinical effects and attracting much attention and competition of pharmaceutical enterprises. In this review, antibody conjugates in the past and present will be summarized and the future development trends and challenges of this type of antibody drugs will be discussed.
Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; therapy ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Immunotherapy ; methods ; Immunotoxins ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Radioimmunotherapy ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate CTLA4-Ig's potential role in therapy for allergic asthma by blocking B7/CD28 interactions with cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4-Ig (CTLA4-Ig).

METHODSWe divided BALB/C mice into the three groups: Sham/Sham (control), ovalbumin (OVA)/OVA and mCTLA4-Ig. Blood, bronchoalveolar lavage, histology and determination of cytokines were performed 24 hours after airway challenge.

RESULTSIn the OVA/OVA group, the number of cells, the percentage of inflamed cells and the level of IL-4 in BALF were increased. Airways in our murine model for allergic asthma underwent pathological changes, which were significantly reduced after treatment with mCTLA4-Ig.

CONCLUSIONBlockage of co-stimulation with mCTLA4-Ig can inhibit allergy-specific response of T cells, and asthmatic response as well.

Abatacept ; Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; pathology ; therapy ; Immunoconjugates ; therapeutic use ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Leukocyte Count ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Trachea ; pathology

Abatacept ; Case-Control Studies ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 ; Diabetes, Gestational ; genetics ; Exons ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Glucokinase ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; genetics ; Mutation ; Pregnancy ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

OBJECTIVESTo construct a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector pSNAV expressing CTLA-4Ig and to demonstrate its expression in transplanted liver allografts and to see if a long term inhibitive effect of CTLA-4Ig could be obtained though its use.

METHODSAfter AAVCTLA-4Ig and PUC18 were cut with BamHI, CTLA-4Ig cDNA was inserted into the plasmid PUC18 by T4DNA ligase and PUC18-CTLA-4Ig was constructed. The obtained PUC18-CTLA-4Ig and pSNAV cut with Kpn I and EcoR I, CTLA-4Ig cDNA was inserted into plasmid pSNAV to construct the recombinant vector pSNAV-CTLA-4Ig, which was transfected into BHK-21 packaging cells by lipofectine-mediated transfection. Then the BHK-21 cell line was infected with HSV1-rc to produce a large amount of pSNAV- CTLA-4Ig. The specificity of the expressed product was identified by digestion with BamHI, PCR and sequence determination. The titer of the virus was detected. The product was infused into rats liver allografts via portal vein and its expression in the transplanted livers was detected immunohistochemically.

RESULTSRecombinant adeno-associated virus vector pSNAV-CTLA-4Ig was generated and purified into 8.5 x 10(11)/ml. Agarose gel analysis of PCR products verified the presence of CTLA-4Ig. Digestion with BamHI and sequence determination confirmed that pSNAV-CTLA-4Ig was constructed. Expression of CTLA-4Ig in the transplanted livers was detected successfully.

CONCLUSIONPrepared pSNAV-CTLA-4Ig was constructed correctly and can express CTLA-4Ig effectively. Besides this, it can express CTLA-4Ig in rat liver allografts. It may be used in the study of transplant tolerance.

Abatacept ; Animals ; Dependovirus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Immunoconjugates ; genetics ; metabolism ; Liver Transplantation ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar ; Transplantation, Homologous

OBJECTIVETo study the protective role of Sertoli cell expressing FasL and CTLA-4Ig on allogeneic renal cell.

METHODSTesticular Sertoli cell and renal cell were prepared by digestion with enzymes. About 106 cells were injected into the subrenal capsule of allogeneic rats. 36 rats were divided into 3 groups: control group (10), co-transplantation group (16) and co-transplantation collaborated with CTLA-4Ig group (CTLA group, 10). Levels of serum IL-2 were tested on the 1st, 7th, 14th, 20th day after transplantation. The kidney was extracted on the 20th day. The survival of renal cells was determined by the Avidin Biotin Peroxidase Complex Technique (ABC); the brightness of grafts was measured by MD-20 image analysis system. Apoptosis within the grafts was observed with Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-mediated X-dUTP Nick end Labeling (TUNEL) method.

RESULTSThe survival of renal cells in control group, co-transplantation group and CTLA group was 0, 14 and 10 respectively; The brightness values of co-transplantation group and CTLA group were 0.362 +/- 0.017 and 0.445 +/- 0.021, and the statistic differences between them were significant. Levels of serum IL-2 in CTLA group were lower compared with co-transplantation group, there being significant differences as well; Apoptosis of lymphocyte was observed within the grafts.

CONCLUSIONSSertoli cell and CTLA-4Ig have coordinative protective effect on allogeneic renal cell.

Abatacept ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Antigens, CD ; Antigens, Differentiation ; immunology ; CTLA-4 Antigen ; Immune Tolerance ; Immunoconjugates ; Kidney ; cytology ; Kidney Transplantation ; immunology ; Lymphokines ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sertoli Cells ; immunology