A congenital dysfibrinogen characterized by impaired fibrin monomer polymerization was found in an asymptomatic 50-year-old woman and her two sons. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) run according to the method of Laemmli, we noticed two gamma chain species in fibrinogen and its plasmic fragments D1 and D2, consisting of a normal species and an apparently lower molecular weight (mol wt) variant in respective fractions. However, in fragment D3 only a single gamma chain remnant was observed. By chromatofocusing of the plasmic-CaCl2 digests of the abnormal fibrinogen, we separately isolated the normal and abnormal D1 species, the latter having been eluted in a slightly higher pH range. As expected, the abnormal D1 species failed to interfere with thrombin clotting of normal fibrinogen and normal fibrin monomer polymerization, whereas the normal D1 species inhibited them markedly. By analyzing the lysyl endopeptidase digests of the isolated gamma chain, we identified a replacement of aspartic acid by tyrosine at position 330 of the mutant gamma chain. The point mutation from an aspartic acid (pK for the beta-carboxyl = 3.86) to a tyrosine (pK for the aromatic hydroxyl = 10.07) may have perturbed the folding gamma chain structure in the D domain of fibrinogen specifically required for polymerization.
Background
In Japan, the multidisciplinary team approach in cancer chemotherapy has become quite widespread. However, patients treated with oral anticancer drugs in outpatient clinics usually receive short medical examinations from doctors without any intervention of pharmacists. To improve this medical circumstance, we made a skin disorder manual for community pharmacists and evaluated its feasibility.
Methods
Patients who underwent oral skin toxic chemotherapy from May 1, 2017, to October 31, 2017, were enrolled. The severity of skin toxicities was evaluated based on NCI-CTCAE ver4.0. Skin care and skin disorders were assessed by community pharmacists based on the assessment document arranged by the investigator. Numbers of patients who replied to the assessment, numbers of replies, numbers of assessments and instructions for skin care, and numbers of prescription proposals were evaluated to assess the value of intervention of community pharmacists.
Results
Sixty-two patients were enrolled in this study. Community pharmacy responded to 55 patients (88.7%), for a total of 335 replies. The data described in the replies were as follows: 317 assessments of skin disorders (94.6%), 307 assessments of skin care (91.6%), 248 instructions for skin care (74%), and 19 prescription proposals (5.7%).
Conclusions
Community pharmacists have high motivation for prevention and early detection of skin disorders. Although the number of prescription proposals is small, some proposals have contributed to improving side effects. Collaboration of hospital pharmacists and community pharmacists is important for prevention, early detection, and treatment of skin disorders caused by oral anticancer drugs.
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