Side-effect, defining

Advances in immunology during the last part of the twentieth century have continued at a rapid rate and cytokines and immune cells having specific markers continue to be defined. A number of natural and synthetic immunotherapeutic agents have been discovered that can modulate components of the normal or aberrant immune system, through stimulation or suppression. However, most of these substances also have inherent adverse side effects. 

The therapeutic ratio of antineoplastic agents, which is defined by the dose necessary to cause a significant anticancer effect divided by the dose effecting significant side effects, is generally low (near to one). 

As with all drugs, the specific side effects of the quinolones must be considered when they are chosen for treatment of bacterial infections [5]. Reactions of the gastrointestinal tract and the central neivous system are the most often observed adverse effects during therapy with quinolones. It should be underlined, however, that compared with many other antimicrobials, diarrhea is less frequently observed during quinolone treatment. Antibiotic-associated colitis has been observed rarely during quinolone therapy. Similarly, hypersensitivity reactions, as observed during therapy with penicillins and other (3-lactams, is less frequently caused by quinolones. Some other risks of quinolone therapy have been defined and must be considered if a drug from this class is chosen for treatment of bacterial infections. 

Response fluctuations occur with disease progression as the patient s dopamine reserves are depleted in the brain and as a complication of PD treatment. Motor fluctuations include delayed peak response, early wearing off, random unpredictable on-off, and freezing. Dyskinesias include chorea, dystonia, and diphasic dyskinesia. Wearing off can be visualized by imagining the therapeutic window of dopamine narrowing over time. The therapeutic window is defined as the minimum effective concentration of dopamine required to control PD symptoms (on without dyskinesia) and the maximum concentration before experiencing side effects from too much dopamine (on with dyskinesia). Early in the disease, a dose of... 

Consistent production of a defined product that would thus be less likely to cause unexpected side effects. 

Synonyms of adverse reactions generally include adverse medical effects, untoward effects, side effects, adverse drug experiences, and adverse drug reactions. Specific distinctions among some of these terms may be defined operationally. For example, the term adverse reaction is used to denote those signs and symptoms at least possibly related to a medicine, whereas the term adverse experience is used to include nonmedicine-related medical problems in a trial such as those emanating from trauma or concurrent illness. Distinctions among side effects, adverse events, and adverse reactions are illustrated in the definitions of the two former terms. 

This leaves hydralazine as the only drug of this kind available to date on the U.S. market for chronic use. The total picture of the mechanism of action of hydralazine is still not clearly defined but there is general agreement that direct relaxation of the vasculature leading to reduced peripheral resistance is the principal component of its mechanism of action. This drug has stood the test of time despite such side effects as headache, tachycardia and a syndrome which resembles acute systemic lupus erythematosus, often called "hydralazine syndrome" (1). 

From a pharmacological point of view the first two strategies raise several distinct disadvantages. First, the exact structures of these fullerene-based systems in solution are usually unknown and, especially for polymeric materials inhomogeneous samples are frequently obtained. Furthermore, in many cases the amount of incorporated fullerene is not clearly determined. In addition, the presence of other molecules like the hosts or polymeric residues can cause unpredictable side effects and in no case the mode of action or activity can doubtlessly be associated with the fullerenes. However, for systematic investigations on structure-function relationships or extensive testings of toxicological or human availability properties, the use of structurally well-defined and characterized materials is mandatory. 

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