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Biomedical subjects

R F Ambinder

Publications and source records attributed to R F Ambinder.

99 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Hemorrhagic cystitis associated with adenovirus infection in bone marrow transplantation.

A retrospective study of bone marrow transplant recipients shedding adenovirus type 11 in the urine was carried out to determine the association between viral shedding and hemorrhagic cystitis in this population. Weekly urine virology surveillance cultures were obtained during the first 100 days following transplantation. Adenovirus type 11 was cultured from five of 502 bone marrow transplant recipients from 1977 through 1984. In four of these five patients there was associated hemorrhagic cystitis. This contrasts with an overall incidence of hemorrhagic cystitis of 20% in this bone marrow transplant population. A case of hemorrhagic cystitis occurred in a patient following bone marrow transplantation. Recognition of a viral origin of hemorrhagic cystitis may explain the occurrence of late hemorrhagic cystitis in patients despite interventions designed to prevent cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. Hemorrhagic cystitis may be the presenting sign of a lethal adenoviral infection.

Adenoviridae Infections↗

Epstein-Barr virus infection in a child with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A 3-year-old girl, born to an intravenous-drug-dependent mother, had protracted diarrhea, failure to thrive, generalized lymphadenopathy, and recurrent fevers during the first six months of life. At 7 months of age, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome was detected in her saliva by DNA dot-blot hybridization using a cloned EBV probe. Spontaneous EBV+ lymphoblastoid cell lines had repeatedly developed from her peripheral blood lymphocytes over the subsequent 2 1/2 years. At 11 months of age, persistent tachypnea and a diffuse pulmonary infiltrate developed. Lung biopsy demonstrated a florid, peribronchiolar lymphocytic infiltrate and the EBV genome was identified in the lung tissue. Serum anti-EBV antibodies remained undetectable until 14 months of age. She had a T4+/T8+ ratio of less than 0.8 and serum antibody to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III. The delayed seroresponse of this patient to symptomatic EBV infection suggests that reliance on EBV serology to diagnose EBV infection in immunocompromised hosts may be inappropriate, and other methods such as DNA probes should be used.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Lack of evidence for interaction between tobramycin and shock in their effect on renal function.

We sought to determine whether there was an interaction between aminoglycoside use and shock in their effect on renal function among seriously ill patients suspected of having gram-negative sepsis. Serial serum creatinine determinations were used to estimate changes in creatinine clearance rates in 179 patients entered onto a prospective randomized trial of tobramycin-nafcillin versus cefotaxime. A 25% decline in estimated creatinine clearance was considered to be clinically important. Univariate chi-square analysis showed that both shock (P less than 0.01) and tobramycin use (P less than 0.001) were independently associated with decline in estimated creatinine clearance. A two-way analysis of variance showed that both shock (F = 10.44, P less than 0.01) and tobramycin use (F = 42.6, P less than 0.001) continued to be significantly associated with renal dysfunction in the presence of each other, but there was no significant interaction between shock and tobramycin in their effect (F = 0.62, P less than 0.43). A multiple logistic regression with an interaction term representing the occurrence of shock and tobramycin use simultaneously yielded similar results. Our study provided no analytic evidence supporting the existence of an interaction between shock and aminoglycoside use in their effect on renal function.

Analysis of Variance↗

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in mouthwashes by hybridization.

An assay for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was developed by using a cloned EBV DNA probe. After preliminary testing showed the assay to be sensitive and specific, it was applied to 135 mouthwashes from bone marrow transplant recipients, and 21 of these tests were positive. The concentration of EBV DNA in mouthwashes in some cases was as high as 10(8) genome equivalents per ml. When compared with the lymphocyte transformation assay on the same samples, the sensitivity was 75% and the specificity was 97%. In contrast to the lymphocyte transformation assay, the hybridization was semiquantitative and yielded results in 72 h. Potential applications include monitoring the effects of various interventions, such as immunosuppressive and antiviral chemotherapy, on EBV shedding.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

Acyclovir halts progression of herpes zoster in immunocompromised patients.

We conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind study of acyclovir therapy for acute herpes zoster in immunocompromised patients. Of the 94 patients enrolled in the study, 52 had localized skin lesions at entry, and 42 had disseminated cutaneous zoster. A one-week course of intravenous acyclovir (1500 mg per square meter of body-surface area per day) halted progression of zoster in both groups, as determined by development or progression of cutaneous dissemination, development of visceral zoster, or proportion of cases deemed treatment failures. Significantly fewer patients treated with acyclovir within the first three days after the onset of exanthem had complications of zoster, as compared with patients treated with placebo (P = 0.02 by Fisher's exact test), but acyclovir also stopped progression of zoster in patients treated after three days of rash (P = 0.05 by Fisher's exact test). Acyclovir recipients with disseminated cutaneous zoster had a significantly accelerated rate of clearance of virus from vesicles, as compared with placebo recipients (P = 0.05 by the Breslow test).

Acyclovir↗

Acyclovir prophylaxis against herpes simplex virus infection in patients with leukemia. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Twenty-nine adult patients with acute leukemia receiving timed sequential chemotherapy participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of acyclovir prophylaxis against reactivated herpes simplex virus infection. Patients with pretreatment antibody titers of 1:16 or greater received acyclovir or placebo starting 4 days after their initial chemotherapy. Treatment was given either for 32 days or until the patients were discharged from the hospital or until a culture-positive herpes simplex virus infection was found. Culture-positive herpes simplex virus infection developed in 11 of 15 patients who received placebo. No infection appeared in 14 patients who received acyclovir (p less than 0.00005). No obvious acute drug toxicity was seen. Recurrent infection was seen in 6 of 14 patients after cessation of acyclovir when retreated with chemotherapy, suggesting no effect on viral latency in these 6 patients. Acyclovir provided highly effective prophylaxis against reactivated herpes simplex virus infections in adult patients with acute leukemia receiving timed sequential chemotherapy.

Acute Disease↗

Leukemic iris infiltration.

Three patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and leukemic infiltration of the iris are presented. The clinical features, diagnostic techniques, and treatment of this condition are described.

Acute Disease↗