E Zacherle

Influence of acute and chronic streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the rat tendon extracellular matrix and mechanical properties

Diabetes is a major risk factor for tendinopathy, and tendon abnormalities are common in diabetic patients. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg)-induced diabetes and insulin therapy on tendon mechanical and cellular properties. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 40) were divided into the following four groups: nondiabetic (control), 1 wk of diabetes (acute), 10 wk of diabetes (chronic), and 10 wk of diabetes with insulin treatment (insulin). After 10 wk, Achilles tendon and tail fascicle mechanical properties were similar between groups (P > 0.05). Cell density in the Achilles tendon was greater in the chronic group compared with the control and acute groups (control group: 7.8 ± 0.5 cells/100 μm(2), acute group: 8.3 ± 0.4 cells/100 μm(2), chronic group: 10.9 ± 0.9 cells/100 μm(2), and insulin group: 9.2 ± 0.8 cells/100 μm(2), P < 0.05). The density of proliferating cells in the Achilles tendon was greater in the chronic group compared with all other groups (control group: 0.025 ± 0.009 cells/100 μm(2), acute group: 0.019 ± 0.005 cells/100 μm(2), chronic group: 0.067 ± 0.015, and insulin group: 0.004 ± 0.004 cells/100 μm(2), P < 0.05). Patellar tendon collagen content was ∼32% greater in the chronic and acute groups compared with the control or insulin groups (control group: 681 ± 63 μg collagen/mg dry wt, acute group: 938 ± 21 μg collagen/mg dry wt, chronic: 951 ± 52 μg collagen/mg dry wt, and insulin group: 596 ± 84 μg collagen/mg dry wt, P < 0.05). In contrast, patellar tendon hydroxylysyl pyridinoline cross linking and collagen fibril organization were unchanged by diabetes or insulin (P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that 10 wk of streptozotocin-induced diabetes does not alter rat tendon mechanical properties even with an increase in collagen content. Future studies could attempt to further address the mechanisms contributing to the increase in tendon problems noted in diabetic patients, especially since our data suggest that hyperglycemia per se does not alter tendon mechanical properties.

Evaluating cost benefits of combination therapies for advanced melanoma

Background: Although a number of monoimmunotherapies and targeted therapies are available to treat BRAF+ advanced melanoma, response rates remain relatively low in the range of 22–53% with progression-free survival (PFS) in the range of 4.8–8.8 months. Recently, combination targeted therapies have improved response rates to about 66–69%, PFS to 11.0–12.6 months and overall survival (OS) to 25.1–25.6 months. While combination immunotherapies have improved response rates of 67 compared with 19–29% with monotherapies and improved PFS of 11.7 compared with 4.4–5.8 months with monotherapies, the OS benefit is yet to be established in phase 3 trials. As healthcare costs continue to rise, US payers have a predominant interest in assessing the value of available treatments. Therefore, a cost-benefit model was developed to evaluate the value of treating BRAF+ advanced melanoma with two combination therapies: nivolumab + ipilimumab (N+I) and dabrafenib + trametinib (D+T). Scope: The model was used to estimate total costs, total costs by expenditure category, cost per month of PFS and cost per responder for the payer, and societal perspectives of treating advanced melanoma patients with the BRAF V600 mutation using combination targeted therapy (D+T) or combination immunotherapy (N+I). The model followed patients from initiation of treatment to the point of progression or death. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results and to understand the dispersion of simulated results. Findings: Based on a hypothetical payer with one million covered lives, it was expected that fourteen metastatic melanoma patients with the BRAF V600 mutation would be treated each year. Cost-benefit with N+I and D+T was simulated from the payer perspective. The cost per month of PFS for N+I was

Cachexia among US cancer patients

22,162, while that for D+T was

Healthcare Cost and Utilization before and after Diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa among Patients with Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis in the U.S.

17,716 (−

Health Care Cost and Utilization Associated With Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Among A Cohort of Medicare Beneficiaries With Copd.

4,446 cost difference); the cost per responder for N+I was

Treatment with Prostacyclins Delays and Reduces Hospital Readmissions Among Pah Patients

388,746 and that for D+T was

Kidney-Related Complications Are Associated With Worse Outcomes Among Hospitalized Children With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease In The US

282,429 (−

A Study Evaluating Living Organ Donors In Kidney And Liver Transplantation

106,316 cost difference). The cost per month of PFS and per responder from the societal perspective resembled the patterns observed from the payer’s perspective: the cost per month of PFS for N+I was

Patient Characteristics And Health Outcomes In Adults Diagnosed With Marfan Syndrome In The United States

22,843, while that for D+T was

Hypertension Is Associated With Worse Outcomes Among Hospitalized Children With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease In The US

18,283 (−