A randomized trial is needed. <p id=”"p003″”>To the Editor: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA and proteins are expressed in several types of human cancers and metastases(1)
but not in healthy surrounding tissues, suggesting a possible role for the virus in the cancer.(2) The malignant GSK690693 clinical trial brain tumor glioblastoma has a dismal prognosis, with a median overall survival of 12 to 14 months and a 2-year survival of 15 to 26%. We examined more than 250 cases of glioblastoma (Fig. S1 in the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this letter at NEJM.org). Of these patients, only 1 was CMV-negative. Of the 75 patients we evaluated, the median rate …”
“Background Refractory chronic cough causes substantial symptoms and quality-of-life impairment. Similarities between central reflex sensitisation in refractory chronic cough and neuropathic pain suggest that neuromodulators such as gabapentin might be effective for refractory chronic cough. We established the efficacy of gabapentin in patients with refractory chronic cough.
Methods This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken at an outpatient clinic in Australia. Adults with refractory chronic cough (>8 weeks’ duration) without active respiratory disease or infection were randomly assigned to receive gabapentin (maximum tolerable daily dose of 1800 mg) or matching 5-Fluoracil placebo for 10 weeks. Block randomisation was
done with randomisation generator software, stratified by sex. Patients and investigators were masked to assigned treatment. The primary endpoint was change APR-246 in cough-specific quality of life (Leicester cough questionnaire [LCQ] score) from baseline to 8 weeks of treatment, analysed by intention
to treat. This study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12608000248369.
Findings 62 patients were randomly assigned to gabepentin (n=32) or placebo (n=30) and ten patients withdrew before the study end. Gabapentin significantly improved cough-specific quality of life compared with placebo (between-group difference in LCQ score during treatment period 1.80, 95% CI 0.56-3.04; p=0.004; number needed to treat of 3.58). Side-effects occurred in ten patients (31%) given gabapentin (the most common being nausea and fatigue) and three (10%) given placebo.
Interpretation The treatment of refractory chronic cough with gabapentin is both effective and well tolerated. These positive effects suggest that central reflex sensitisation is a relevant mechanism in refractory chronic cough.”
“The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of compulsive buying and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and depressive symptoms in a nationally representative sample of the German population using the validated German version of the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS; Faber and O’Guinn, 1992) in order to have a direct comparison with U.S. findings.