Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.16.2 (PCP)
 3,761 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Researchers have found that patients presumed to be intolerant to TMP-SMX (trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole) can be desensitized with oral TMP-SMX and subsequently receive the drug for long periods of time. TMP-SMX is the drug of choice for preventing PCP. A study showed that 86 percent of AIDS patients who had varying degrees of intolerance to the drug were successfully desensitized by a rapid method of oral TMP-SMX. Several brand names of the generic drug are available: Bactrim, Septra, and Cotrim.
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PMID:TMP-SMX desensitization. 1136 74

A recent Spanish study has shown that Bactrim, a treatment for PCP pneumonia, can be taken three times a week instead of once daily. Using Bactrim, also known as Septra, in this manner produces fewer side effects while still remaining effective. The study confirms the results of several previous small studies done in the U.S.
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PMID:Some good news about preventing PCP pneumonia. 1136 25

Three studies that are highlighted suggest that PCP-causing microbes are developing resistance to Bactrim/Septra (B/S), the drug of choice for preventing the life-threatening complications caused by PCP, toxoplasmosis, and bacterial pneumonia. While resistance does not appear to be happening on a large scale, it is a concern because no other drug has the same beneficial effects of B/S. Research is needed for simple, low-toxicity treatments and prophylactic drugs for PCP, before resistance becomes a common problem.
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PMID:PCP prevention--more cases of resistance to sulfa drugs. 1136 81

Bactrim/Septra is a drug used for treating and preventing PCP (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and toxoplasmosis. However, people with HIV are more likely to develop hypersensitivity reactions to Bactrim/Septra. NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine) is being studied to determine if its detoxifying properties could reduce the risk of hypersensitivity to Bactrim/Septra. However, a Canadian study found no statistically significant difference in the rates of hypersensitivity among the nearly 200 subjects.
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PMID:Study finds NAC fails to prevent Bactrim/Septra hypersensitivity. 1136 23

Pneumocystis infection in humans was originally described in 1942. The organism was initially thought to be a protozoan, but more recent data suggest that it is more closely related to the fungi. Patients with cellular immune deficiencies are at risk for the development of symptomatic Pneumocystis infection. Populations at risk also include patients with hematologic and nonhematologic malignancies, hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, solid-organ recipients, and patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies for connective tissue disorders and vasculitides. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is the agent of choice for prophylaxis against Pneumocystis unless a clear contraindication is identified. Other options include pentamidine, dapsone, dapsone-pyrimethamine, and atovaquone. The risk for PCP varies based on individual immune defects, regional differences, and immunosuppressive regimens. Prophylactic strategies must be linked to an ongoing assessment of the patient's risk for disease.
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PMID:Prevention of infection due to Pneumocystis spp. in human immunodeficiency virus-negative immunocompromised patients. 1548 47

Communities most affected by HIV/AIDS have been instrumental in shaping Australia's responses to the threat of the epidemic. There are recent signs that levels of engagement in communities based around HIV-positivity have changed: a diminished sense of an AIDS crisis, the relative success of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and an increasing individualization of the HIV experience may be contributing to changes in the way HIV-community is experienced. In this paper, we explore levels of engagement in HIV-positive community among a cohort of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and seek to explain why some PLWHA engage in an HIV-positive community while others do not. Using multivariate logistic regression, we found that three factors were independently related to feeling part of an HIV-positive community: having been diagnosed with HIV prior to the advent of HAART; having more recently taken Bactrim or Septrin for PCP; and finding it easier to take 'pills' on time. Taken together, these results suggest that both historical effects, such as the introduction of HAART, and effects related to living with HIV, such as the experience of an AIDS-related illness, help explain HIV-positive community engagement among PLWHA.
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PMID:Trends and predictors of HIV-positive community attachment among PLWHA. 1603 45

Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly carinii) pneumonia (PCP) is a serious opportunistic infection in children and adolescents with cancer. It was the most common cause of death among children receiving chemotherapy prior to the inclusion of PCP prophylaxis as part of standard care for children with leukemia. The incidence of PCP has decreased significantly since initiation of prophylaxis; however, breakthrough cases continue to occur. Hematologic malignancies, brain tumors necessitating prolonged corticosteroid therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, prolonged neutropenia, and lymphopenia are the most important risk factors for PCP in children not infected with HIV. Of children with leukemia, 15-20% may develop PCP in the absence of prophylaxis. Infection with P. jiroveci occurs early in life in most individuals. However, clinically apparent disease occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised persons. Dyspnea, cough, hypoxia, and fever are the most common presenting symptoms of PCP. Chest radiography and high-resolution CT scans of the chest demonstrate a characteristic ground-glass pattern. Induced sputum analysis and bronchoalveolar lavage are the diagnostic procedures of choice. Gomori's methenamine-silver stain, Geimsa or Wright's stain, and monoclonal immunofluorescent antibody stains are most commonly used to make a diagnosis. However, identification of P. jiroveci DNA using polymerase chain reaction assays in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is more sensitive. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ; cotrimoxazole) is the recommended drug for the treatment of PCP. Patients who are intolerant of TMP-SMZ or who have not responded to treatment after 5-7 days of therapy with TMP-SMZ should be treated with pentamidine. A short course of corticosteroids is recommended for moderate to severe cases of PCP within the first 72 hours after diagnosis. Mutations in the dihydropteroate synthetase gene may confer resistance to TMP-SMZ; however, the clinical relevance of these mutations is not well established. TMP-SMZ is the most commonly used agent for prophylaxis. Myelosuppression is the most important adverse effect of TMP-SMZ and the most frequent cause for choosing alternative prophylactic agents in children undergoing chemotherapy. Alternative agents for chemoprophylaxis include dapsone, aerosolized pentamidine, and atovaquone. Alternative prophylactic agents must be used in patients developing myelosuppression secondary to TMP-SMZ or dapsone.
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PMID:Management of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in children receiving chemotherapy. 1792 2