Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (focal adhesion kinase)
 44,029 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This article reports on a study designed to compare the efficacy and cost effectiveness of 2 selective media for culture of gonorrhea, the Chacko-Nair medium and the Thayer-Martin medium. The Chacko-Nair medium, an enriched egg=beef selective medium, is easily prepared from locally available ingredients in India. The Thayer-Martin medium, the standard selective medium used throughout the world, uses ready-made ingredients. In order to test the 2 mediums, researchers collected the urethral discharge of 240 male patients with acute gonorrhea and smear positive for N. gonorrhoea attending the Skin & STD, OPD of Chigateri General Hospital. All 240 specimens were subjected to culture study with the Chacko-Nair medium, and 190 were subjected to study with the Thayer-Martin Medium. The initial 30 cases under the Chacko-Nair medium did not show growth, since beef extract was used instead of fresh beef. Fresh beef was used in the remaining 210 samples, and they all showed profuse growth of organisms. All 190 sample under the Thayer-Martin medium showed good growth. While both mediums showed growth in 100% of the cases, the cost of the 2 differs considerably. Since all the ingredients are available locally, the Chacko-Nair medium is very cheap compared to the Thayer-Martin medium, whose ready-made ingredients are expensive and often difficult to procure. The Chacko-Nair medium, which can be prepared at any standard Microbiology Laboratory, has been used regularly at the Institute of Venerology in Madras, and has show results comparable to the Thayer-Martin medium. The report concludes that the Chacko-Nair medium is a good alternative to the Thayer-Martin medium.
 ...
PMID:Comparison of Chacko-Nair and Thayer-Martin media for culture of N. gonorrhoeae. 1228 33

In order to arrest the spread of STDs, developing countries have seized on the idea of syndrome-based treatment. Primary health care clinics in developing countries have traditionally lacked the expert personnel and laboratory equipment necessary to make correct diagnoses of STDs. So many developing countries have begun to develop syndrome-based treatment strategies that require no specialists or laboratory equipment at the local level. In this approach, flowcharts specify the appropriate treatment for a group of easily identified sign and symptoms--syndromes. These types of flowcharts are particularly useful for 2 syndromes: urethral discharge in men and genital ulcer disease in men and women. In cases of urethral discharge, the patient will first be treated for gonorrhea or chlamydia (depending on the prevalence of the disease in the region). If the first treatment does not work, then the patient will be treated for the second most likely possibility. Similarly, in cases of genital ulcer disease, the patient is treated for syphilis and/or chancroid. The more attuned a flowchart is to the local etiology, the more cost-effective the treatment becomes. The treatment, of course, depends on the availability of the appropriate antibiotics. This syndrome-based treatment generally forms part of the national STD control programs. If treatment at the local level fails, the patient might be referred to district-level STD clinic with trained personnel and laboratory facilities. These national strategies for STD control also include: counselling patients on the behavior that cause STD, promoting condom use, encouraging patients to contact their sexual partners so that they can get tested, and promoting the correct us of antibiotics.
 ...
PMID:Treating STD syndromes gains new attention. 1234 58

We investigated the influence of symptoms and signs on the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum organisms (ureaplasmas) in men with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Two hundred and forty-two men attending the Jefferiss Wing at St Mary's Hospital for a sexual health assessment were evaluated, of whom 169 had NGU. Urethral inflammation was diagnosed if there were either > or =5 polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNLs) per high-power field (HPF) in five or more microscope fields of a Gram-stained urethral smear, or > or =10 PMNLs per HPF in five or more fields of a Gram-stained thread from 15-20 mL of a first-passed urine (FPU) specimen. C. trachomatis was diagnosed by direct immunofluoresence, M. genitalium by a polymerase chain reaction assay and ureaplasmas by culture. On multivariate analysis, to control for potential confounding by age, ethnicity, sexual lifestyle and co-infection, an urethral discharge remained significantly associated with the detection of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium in men with acute urethritis [OR 12.3, 95% CI (2.39-63.5) and OR 35.2, 95% CI (3.9-319.6), respectively], but dysuria or penile irritation did not. The detection of ureaplasmas was not associated with any clinical feature. In addition, on multivariate analysis men with NGU who were either symptomatic or had an observable discharge were more likely to have C. trachomatis or M. genitalium detected [(OR 6.92, 95% CI 1.41-33.9) and (OR 5.18, 95% CI 0.99-27.1), respectively], but not ureaplasmas (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.33-4.35). The findings suggest that in men with acute NGU, symptoms or signs, and in particular a urethral discharge, are associated with the detection of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium, but not ureaplasmas. Currently, there is no precise answer to the question of whether all men attending a GUM clinic need to be screened for NGU, but if clinically asymptomatic NGU is found not to be associated with a sexually transmitted pathogen, the UK clinical guidelines requiring the preparation of a urethral smear from such men would need to be revised.
Int J STD AIDS 2002 Oct
PMID:Do all men attending departments of genitourinary medicine need to be screened for non-gonococcal urethritis? 1280 46

We reported a study undertaken in a Sexually Transmitted Disease care unit in Antsiranana amongst two groups of patients: 299 prostitutes and 350 STD patients (204 women and 146 men). The 20-29 years old age group represented 50.3% of the patients. A 12 days average delay between appearance of first symptoms of STD and the visit to the care unit was recorded. The most important clinical signs were cervicovaginal discharge (83%), pelvic pains (67%), and pruritus (53%) in women, urethral discharge and urination pain (64%) in men. Among prostitutes on a routine visit, 22.7% had at least one STD clinical sign. Syphilis serology by TPHA showed a high prevalence among prostitutes (39%) and STD patients (32%). Direct examinations emphazed the major importance of gonorrhoea in more than 70% of STD patients, both men and women, and trichomonasis in women (22%). Chlamydia investigation could not be done. HIV antibodies were recorded in 4 prostitutes (1.3%) and in none of the STD patients. 79.3% of prostitutes and 39.4% of STD patients had at least 2 partners a week and 47.5% of prostitutes used a condom "every time" and only 21.1% STD patients "sometimes" used it. The role of STD care units must be reinforced for information, education and counselling of the population in a non medical context.
 ...
PMID:[Epidemiological approach for sexually transmitted diseases in Antsiranana (north Madagascar). Between prevention and treatment, the choice of a strategy against sexually transmitted diseases]. 1246 7

We implemented social marketing of pre-packaged treatment for men with urethral discharge (Clear Seven) in Uganda, and studied its feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness as a possible means to treat STDs and thereby prevent HIV. Clear Seven was distributed at private health care outlets in three rural districts and two divisions of the capital. Comparisons were made with a pre-intervention period in the same sites plus one additional rural district. There were almost universally positive attitudes to Clear Seven. Cure rate (84% versus 47%), treatment compliance (93% versus 87%), and condom use during treatment (36% versus 18%) were significantly higher among Clear Seven users (n=422) than controls (n=405). Partner referral was similar but fewer Clear Seven partners were symptomatic when seeking treatment. Distribution of socially marketed pre-packaged treatment for male urethritis should be expanded in sub-Saharan Africa. Consideration should be given to developing similar kits for women.
Int J STD AIDS 2003 Mar
PMID:Social marketing of pre-packaged treatment for men with urethral discharge (Clear Seven) in Uganda. 1266 47

STDs are a significant public health problem in Brazil. A primary control strategy is the immediate treatment of symptomatic individuals. When services are unavailable, STD patients seek care in alternative settings. Probably the most frequently used settings are commercial pharmacies, where pharmacy clerks provide treatment, although Brazilian law prohibits selling antibiotics without prescription. Our objective was to evaluate prescribing practices by pharmacy clerks for STDs. We performed a cross-sectional study. Trained medical students visited 62 pharmacies in the city of Porto Alegre during March 2002. These were randomly chosen from a list of 863 registered pharmacies. The students presented to the pharmacy complaining of dysuria and urethral discharge. After obtaining a prescription, or not, they asked for additional instructions to be followed. Immediately after leaving the premises, the instructions were anonymously recorded. Of the 62 pharmacies visited, a clerk in 56 (90.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 80.1%-96.4%) provided a prescription. Most frequently prescribed drugs were ampicillin with probenecide (29/51.8%) and rosoxacin (11/19.6%). Ministry of Health-recommended treatment was not suggested by any of the clerks. Forty-six additional recommendations were given. The use of condoms was the most frequent additional advice (42/46). Prescribing by pharmacy clerks is very prevalent in Porto Alegre. This may represent a lost opportunity for more comprehensive prevention effort (counselling, partner management, and diagnosing other STDs). Additionally, the most frequently prescribed drugs are not recommended by international or national health authorities for treatment of STDs, and none of these drugs covers chlamydia. We conclude that pharmacy clerks are a potentially important source of STD treatment and control but that their practices are in need of vast improvement.
Int J STD AIDS 2004 May
PMID:Pharmacy clerks' prescribing practices for STD patients in Porto Alegre, Brazil: missed opportunities for improving STD control. 1511 4

Acute gonococcal urethritis is usually a symptomatic infection in males. Most men will present within one or two weeks after an exposure with symptoms of urethral discharge and dysuria. Early diagnosis is possible in genitourinary medicine clinics with typical signs and symptoms along with microscopy awaiting confirmation by culture and sensitivities. We report a case of gonorrhoea in which we believe the symptoms were masked due to regular use of steroids in a body builder.
Int J STD AIDS 2004 Oct
PMID:A case of asymptomatic gonorrhoea in a male using illegal steroids. 1547 9

In order to further investigate the epidemiology of Mycoplasma genitalium, 680 men attending departments of genitourinary medicine in Bristol, Bath and Truro were studied. M. genitalium was detected in 36 men (5.3%) and was present at all three clinics. Clinically, both urethritis and the presence of a urethral discharge and/or dysuria, but not penile irritation were independently associated with the detection of M. genitalium, the former being with the strongest association (odds ratio [OR] 10.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] [3.10-37.29], P < 0.0001; OR 3.01, 95% CI [1.28-7.05], P = 0.011 and OR 1.28, 95% CI [0.61-2.69], P = 0.51, respectively). In men with urethritis, those with a discharge and/or dysuria were more likely to have M. genitalium detected (OR 2.61, 95% CI [1.09-6.25], P = 0.032). We found no association with younger age or a recent change of sexual partner. In conclusion, M. genitalium is associated with symptomatic urethritis.
Int J STD AIDS 2006 May
PMID:Mycoplasma genitalium is associated with symptomatic urethritis. 1664 75

A prospective study of genital infections was conducted in a university-affiliated teaching hospital in Hamedan City, Iran. A total of 540 women were recruited and divided into two equal groups: (1) the case group with vaginitis (N=270) and, (2) the asymptomatic control group (N=270). Participants were interviewed about the occurrence of any vaginal or urethral discharge. Two vaginal swabs were obtained for pH testing, KOH and wet mount examination, Gram staining and culture at the time of speculum examination. In the case group, the prevalence of candidiasis, trichomoniasis, and bacterial vaginosis was 17.2, 18.1, and 28.5%, respectively. Measurement of vaginal pH in the clinic was the single most useful clinical finding for directing empirical therapy. No single specimen was found ideal for all pathogens; a cervical swab is better for Trichomonas vaginalis but a vaginal swab is needed for candida and bacterial vaginosis. To achieve STD control in this and similar populations, public health programs must target asymptomatic infections.
 ...
PMID:A prospective study of genital infections in Hamedan, Iran. 1754 76

In order to identify predictors of having sex while symptomatic among patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a cross-sectional study was done at Mulago STD clinic in Kampala, Uganda. Ninety eight patients with STIs who engaged in sex while symptomatic were compared with 40 patients who did not engage in sex while symptomatic on: social-demographic; STI symptoms, health seeking behavior; condom use, sexual behaviour; partner referral; and knowledge and attitudes about STIs. On univariate analysis the risk of having sex while symptomatic was increased by: being female (crude odds ratio (COR) 2.82,95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-6.47), being married (COR 4.42, CI 1.89-10.43); presenting with other symptoms apart form vaginal / urethral discharge, genital ulcer, or low abdominal pain (COR 2.76, CI1.19-6.41); having a regular partner (COR3.14, 1.49-7.83); not having sex with a casual partner (COR 3.86 CI 1.46-10.29), and finding it difficult to refer sexual partners (COR 2.66, CI 1.04-6.86). The independent predictors of having sex while symptomatic were symptoms > 14 days duration (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 8.01, CI 2.00-16.67), previous medications (AOR 5.85, CI 2.04-16.75) and finding it difficult to refer sexual partners (AOR 4.76, CI 1.45-16.67). To reduce the proportion of STI patients who engage in sex while symptomatic, there is need to strengthen health education messages that stress the importance of abstaining from sex while symptomatic and to provide effective treatment at the first level of contact with these patients.
 ...
PMID:Determinants for having sex while symptomatic among patients with sexually transmitted infections in Uganda. 1765 32


<< Previous 1 2 3 Next >>