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A Erice

Publications and source records attributed to A Erice.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Evaluation of centrifugation cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus pneumonitis.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonitis is one of the most severe manifestations of CMV disease among immunocompromised patients. The diagnosis of CMV pneumonitis traditionally has required the use of invasive procedures such as lung biopsy. In this retrospective study, we evaluated a centrifugation culture method in samples of bronchoalveolar fluid for the noninvasive diagnosis of CMV pneumonitis. During a 9-mo period, 75 bronchoalveolar lavage samples were collected from 58 patients with pneumonitis. We analyzed the data from 21 patients in whom lung tissue samples were obtained within 14 days of the bronchoalveolar lavage. Centrifugation cultures of bronchoalveolar fluid were positive for CMV in 12 cases. CMV pneumonitis was confirmed in samples of lung tissue from five (42%) of the 12 patients, whereas no evidence of CMV pneumonitis was found in the remaining seven (58%) cases. Of nine patients with negative centrifugation cultures, CMV pneumonitis was confirmed in two (22%). When compared with conventional cultures, we found bronchoalveolar lavage fluid centrifugation cultures to be highly sensitive (100%) and specific (92%) for the detection of CMV infection. However, detection of CMV by centrifugation culture proved to be only moderately sensitive (71%) and nonspecific (50%) for the diagnosis of CMV pneumonitis.

Adult↗

Recovery of human immunodeficiency virus from ocular tissues in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was recovered from multiple ocular tissues in three patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Consistently found in the retina, HIV was also detected in the conjunctiva, cornea, and iris. In two cases, HIV was detectable despite treatment with oral zidovudine. All three patients had bilateral cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis managed by intravitreal injection of ganciclovir. Culture of the retina for CMV was negative in all three cases. The finding of HIV in multiple ocular tissues is consistent with the neurotropic nature of the virus, and may explain some of the common ocular manifestations of AIDS such as AIDS retinopathy. Infection with HIV may predispose the retina to other opportunistic infections and may explain the high incidence of CMV retinitis in AIDS patients. This is the first report of HIV isolation from tissue within the eye.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Ganciclovir treatment of cytomegalovirus disease in transplant recipients and other immunocompromised hosts.

Thirty-one immunocompromised patients with severe cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease were treated with intravenous ganciclovir. Twenty-one patients had received transplants--15 bone marrow recipients, five renal allograft recipients, and one liver transplant recipient--while the other ten were immunocompromised due to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (six), hematologic malignancies (three), and systemic lupus erythematosus (one). They presented with one or more of the following syndromes: CMV pneumonitis (19), CMV of the gastrointestinal tract (six), CMV retinitis (seven), and CMV hepatitis (three). Seventeen (55%) of 31 patients demonstrated clinical improvement during ganciclovir therapy, with the best response seen in the transplant recipients. Viremia ceased in 14 (93.3%) of 15 patients after a mean of 4.7 days of therapy; viruria ceased in eight (53.3%) of 15 patients after a mean of 11 days of therapy. Ganciclovir plasma concentrations at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg/three times a day were as follows: mean peak, 16.04 mumol/L; mean trough, 2.38 mumol/L. Neutropenia occurred in 11 (35%) of 31 patients and in nine (60%) of 15 bone marrow transplant recipients. We conclude that ganciclovir exerted an antiviral effect against CMV and may play a role in the treatment of CMV disease in patients with depressed immunity, especially bone marrow and organ transplant recipients.

Acyclovir↗

Serratia bacteremia.

During a 6-yr period, 146 patients at our institution had Serratia bacteremia (3.8% of the total number of episodes of bacteremia), with an incidence of 1.24/1000 admitted patients. We chose a random group of 50 cases for clinical analysis in the present study. The disease was community-acquired in 8% of the cases and nosocomially-acquired in the remaining 92%. The bacteremia was unimicrobial in 84% and part of a polymicrobial bacteremia in 16% of the episodes. The most frequently isolated species of the Serratia genus was S. marcescens. Portals of entry, in decreasing order of frequency, were: urinary, unknown, respiratory, and surgical wound infections. Clinically, the most frequent finding was fever (100%). Shock occurred in 28% of the patients, and none of our cases showed evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. We found 62% of Serratia isolates resistant to gentamicin. Overall mortality was 38% and factors associated with a poor prognosis were: severity of the underlying disease, critical clinical situation at onset of bacteremia, presence in the intensive care unit (I.C.U.), occurrence of shock or polymicrobial bacteremia, portal of entry in the respiratory tract, and inadequate treatment.

Adolescent↗

Enterobacter bacteremia. An analysis of 50 episodes.

During a six-year period, 147 patients had Enterobacter bacteremia (3.8% of the episodes of bacteremia), with an incidence of 1.25 per 1,000 admitted patients. We chose a random group of 50 cases for analysis. The disease was community acquired in 24% of the cases and nosocomially acquired in the remaining 76%. The bacteremia was unimicrobial in 70% and part of a polymicrobial bacteremia in 30%. The species most commonly causing bacteremia was Enterobacter cloacae. Portals of entry, in decreasing order of frequency, were unknown, surgical wound, respiratory tract, and urinary tract. The most common clinical finding was fever (92%). Shock occurred in 30% of the patients, and only two patients had evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Of the Enterobacter isolates, 12% were resistant to gentamicin. Overall mortality was 42%; factors associated with a poor prognosis were inadequacy of antimicrobial chemotherapy, septic shock, type of underlying disease, clinical condition, and requirement of intensive care.

Adolescent↗

[Pontiac fever].

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Adult↗

Prevalence of cytomegalovirus antibody in hemophiliacs and homosexuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

We determined the prevalence of antibody to cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the sera of non-homosexual hemophilia patients and homosexual men infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). CMV antibody testing by latex agglutination revealed 33 of 58 HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs (57%) were antibody-positive compared with 54 of 54 HIV-1 infected asymptomatic non-hemophiliac homosexuals (100%) (p less than .001). Nine of 15 hemophiliacs (60%) with symptomatic HIV-1 infection were CMV antibody-positive. We also tested 22 HIV-1 antibody-negative hemophiliacs who had received non-heat treated factor concentrates. 14 of these 22 (64%) were CMV antibody-positive compared with 57% of HIV-1 antibody-positive hemophiliacs. We conclude 1) there is little correlation between transmission of HIV-1 and CMV by factor concentrates, 2) the presence of CMV antibody does not appear to be associated with clinical stage of HIV-1 infection in hemophiliacs, and 3) there may be a significant number of CMV antibody-negative hemophiliacs with HIV-1 infection at risk for primary infection and subsequent disease if CMV seronegative blood products are not provided for future transfusions.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Capnophilic and anaerobic bacteremia in neutropenic patients: an oral source.

The currently accepted empiric antibiotic therapy for bacterial infections in neutropenic patients may not cover the possibility of capnophilic and anaerobic bacteremia. Many of these infections develop in patients with severe mucositis or periodontitis, and the type of organisms recovered also suggests an oral source of infection. We present two cases of bacteremia in neutropenic patients who had been empirically treated with ceftazidime and piperacillin plus amikacin. In the first case a beta-lactamase-producing strain of Capnocytophaga ochracea was isolated; in the second case bacteremia was due to a mixture of Leptotrichia buccalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. These observations emphasize the necessity for a reevaluation of the possible use of antimicrobial agents active against beta-lactamase-producing capnophilic organisms and anaerobic bacteria during empiric therapy in neutropenic patients with an oral source of infection.

Adult↗

Human immunodeficiency virus infection in patients with solid-organ transplants: report of five cases and review.

Five recipients of solid-organ transplants who were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were studied at the University of Minnesota, and our data were compared with data from 83 reported cases of HIV-infected recipients of solid organs from other centers. Sixty-six of the 88 patients were seronegative for HIV before transplantation and received organs or transfusions of blood from individuals who were seropositive for HIV. Seven patients (four recipients of kidney transplants and three recipients of liver transplants) received transplants after routine screening for HIV. Twenty-five (28%) of the 88 patients developed AIDS, and 20 (80%) of these 25 patients died of AIDS-related complications a mean of 37 months after transplantation. Another nine patients (10%) had other HIV-related diseases. The mean time of progression to AIDS was 27.5 months among all patients with AIDS. For patients who were seronegative for HIV at the time of transplantation, the mean time of progression to AIDS was 32 months, whereas patients seropositive before transplantation developed AIDS within 17 months. Shortly after transplantation, eleven (17%) of the patients who were initially seronegative experienced a febrile syndrome attributed to HIV. Ten patients, including eight recipients of kidney transplants and two recipients of liver transplants, maintained normal allograft function despite low-dose immunosuppressive therapy.

Adult↗