TC14012

In a precedent-setting decision in 1998, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) directed ISO Technical Committee (TC) 176 on Quality Management and ISO TC 207 on Environmental Management to develop jointly a single guideline standard for auditing quality and environmental management systems. When approved, this standard would replace ISO 10011-1, ISO 10011-2, and ISO 10011-3 on quality auditing and ISO 14010, ISO 14011, and ISO 14012 on environmental auditing. A Joint Working Group (JWG) was established comprising experts from both TC 176 and TC 207 to develop the new standard, ISO 19011, Guidelines on Quality and/or Environmental Management Systems Auditing, and to incorporate lessons learned from efforts to improve compatibility between ISO 9001/9004 and ISO 14001/14004, the standards for quality and environmental management systems, respectively. Work is proceeding on the development of ISO 19011 with an expected completion in early 2002.

The highly selective CXCR4 antagonist, T-22 ([Tyr5,12,Lys7]-polyphemusin II), and its shortened potent analogs, T-140 and TC-14012, strongly inhibit T-cell line-tropic HIV-1 (X4-HIV-1) infection through their specific binding to a chemokine receptor, CXCR4. These peptides were found through studies of the structure-activity relationships of tachyplesins and polyphemusins, which function as self-defence peptides of horseshoe crab's immature immune systems. T-140 and TC-14012 possess the highest level of anti-HIV activity and antagonism of target cell entry by X4-HIV-1 among all the CXCR4 antagonists that have been reported to date.

Hyperlipidaemia is a frequent complication after renal transplantation. As to whether total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride levels are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and graft survival is controversial. The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia in the transplanted population in Spain has increased over the years, going from 38.8% in 1990 to 48% in 1998. In contrast, the prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia being approximately 20%, has not shown any significant variation. Transplant recipients with high cholesterol were characterized by increased age, lower proportion of males, higher mean body mass index, lower proportion of HCV antibodies, reduced time on dialysis and diabetes. Patients with high cholesterol were more frequently treated with cyclosporine + MMF + prednisone and less frequently treated with tacrolimus + MMF + prednisone. Hypertriglyceridaemia was more frequent in patients treated with cyclosporine + MMF + prednisone, and these patients showed significantly higher creatinine plasma levels at 1 year and were more frequently treated with lipid-lowering agents. Hypertriglyceridaemia at 3 months after transplantation is associated with worse graft survival (RR 1.078; CI 1.07-1.143; P = 0.011) and greater cardiovascular mortality (RR 1.265; CI 1.20-1.428; P = 0.0002), while treatment with statins has a protective effect on the graft survival (RR 0.64; CI 0.512-0.888; P = 0.0051). In conclusion, in the renal transplant population in Spain, hypertriglyceridaemia rather than hypercholesterolaemia, may exert a deleterious effect on graft and patient survival.