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Caspofungin (CPFG) is an echinocandin antifungal agent that inhibits the synthesis of β-1, 3-D-glucan, a critical component of the cell wall of target fungi. Several clinical studies have confirmed the efficacy and safety of CPFG in patients with febrile neutropenia (FN); however, there are no reports available in Japanese patients with FN. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy and pharmacokinetics of CPFG as an empirical therapy in a Japanese hospital. Twenty-four Japanese patients, who were diagnosed with FN at Gifu University Hospital from February 2014 to August 2017, were enrolled. Blood samples were collected at the end of CPFG dosing (0.5 h after the infusion) on day 1 and immediately prior to the next infusion on days 2, 3, and 4. The concentration of CPFG in plasma was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The efficacy was assessed by five of the component endpoints, and safety was monitored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. CPFG showed an excellent effect against FN (75%, 18/24), without any serious hepatic or renal toxicity. Regarding the pharmacokinetics, the plasma concentration of CPFG was significantly correlated with body weight; although, no correlation was observed between the plasma concentration of CPFG and the other factors investigated, such as gender or laboratory results. These results suggest the high efficacy, safety, and tolerability of CPFG as an empirical antifungal therapy for Japanese patients with FN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background GP88 (progranulin; PGRN) is a secreted 88 kDa glycosylated protein, with important functions, including inflammation and tumorigenesis. We assessed the significance of GP88 expression in survival outcomes of patients with malignant lymphoma (ML). Methods Serum samples from 254 previously untreated ML patients were examined to measure GP88 concentrations using a sandwich human GP88 ELISA kit. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to examine GP88 tumor tissue expression. Results The median serum GP88 concentration of ML patients was 91.3 ng/ml, and was significantly higher than that of the control group (median, 57.7 ng/ml) (p < 0.0001). Association between GP88 serum concentrations and overall survival (OS) was examined in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who had been stratified based on their serum GP88 concentrations. Kaplan Meier survival analysis showed that patients with serum GP88 concentrations of ≤ 116 and > 116 ng/ml, had 5-y OS rates of 70% and 50%, respectively (p = 0.02). The immunohistochemical analyses of GP88 tumor expression revealed that DLBCL patients had lymphoma cells that were positive for GP88. Conclusions High serum GP88 concentrations are associated with poor prognosis in patients with DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]