Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0014118 (endocarditis)
 15,629 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report the cases of three adults with a history of intravenous drug abuse who developed endocarditis caused by Corynebacterium xerosis, Neisseria subflava, and Neisseria flavescens, respectively. No cases of endocarditis caused by C. xerosis or N. flavescens and only one case caused by N. subflava have previously been reported in association with narcotic addiction. The prominent clinical features in all patients included poor response to antibiotic therapy, persistent fever, and major embolic events. Stigmata of infection with human immunodeficiency virus, as manifested by oral candidiasis, cervical lymphadenopathy, and serologic evidence, were present in two of the three patients. At our institution, where Staphylococcus aureus remains the most frequent etiologic agent of narcotic-associated endocarditis, the occurrence of these three cases in a 9-month period is striking. We speculate that infection with human immunodeficiency virus may play a role in the pathogenesis of endocarditis caused by these unusual organisms.
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PMID:Unusual pathogens in narcotic-associated endocarditis. 235 5

Forty patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), 70% of whom were intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs), were seen over a 20-month period (July 1, 1981, through Feb 28, 1983). Most of the patients came from two inner-city sections of New York City and from nearby correctional facilities. Eighty-five percent of the patients were black or Hispanic; only 15% were white. Unique features of AIDS in this mostly heterosexual population were the high incidence of opportunistic infections (90% of the patients), the low incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma (10%), and the high mortality rate (34% died during initial hospitalization, 74% after one year of follow-up). Tuberculosis occurred in 10% of cases, preceding other opportunistic infections by four to 24 months. We found that AIDS was a common disease among inpatient IVDAs, and in one of the participating hospitals, its incidence was similar to that of infective endocarditis. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome should be considered as the underlying illness in all IVDAs with oral thrush, shortness of breath, pneumonia, or extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.
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PMID:Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in an economically disadvantaged population. 387 29

Dysphagia and retrosternal pain are common complaints in patients after cardiac operations, and most often they result from the median sternotomy and/or endotracheal intubation. Although Candida esophagitis is a recognized cause of similar symptoms, it is usually not suspected except in immunologically compromised hosts. This report describes the case histories of five patients, not immunosuppressed or cachectic, who developed persistent dysphagia during recovery from cardiac operations; four patients received only 4 days of preoperative and postoperative prophylactic antibiotic treatment with cefazolin (Kefzol) and cephalexin (Keflex). A nasogastric tube had been used for less than 24 hours in the postoperative period. The fifth patient developed symptoms following prolonged and varied antibiotic therapy. Candida esophagitis was diagnosed by a combination of coexisting oral candidiasis (5/5), roentgenographic appearance on barium swallow (5/5), endoscopy (4/4), and biopsy or culture (2/4). Initial therapy consisted of antireflux measures and antacids (4/5), cimetidine (4/5), oral nystatin in methylcellulose base (1,000,000 units every 4 hours) (4/5), and termination of other antibiotic therapy (1/5). These measures were effective in clearing the infection in only two patients. A third patient required prolonged massive oral nystatin therapy, and in two patients intravenous Amphotericin B was necessary to control infection. Two patients subsequently developed strictures which necessitated multiple esophageal dilatations. One of these patients developed endocarditis during home dilatation therapy. All patients are currently free of disease. Current measures utilized to recognize and treat the disease are discussed.
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PMID:Candida esophagitis following cardiac operation and short-term antibiotic prophylaxis. 743 63

The authors describe a rare case of diffused thrombosis of the superficial veins in the whole body and periphlebitis with perivascular abscesses in an human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected drug abuser who was using neck veins to inject cocaine and heroin. In addition the patient presented oral candidiasis, hepatitis C virus infection, bronchopneumonitis, and endocarditis of the tricuspid valve with valvular failure. The conditions of the patient needed repeated vascular catheterizations for therapy administration. Similar pathologies, in HIV-infected patients, highly increase the risk of opportunistic infections, especially in the encephalic territory; in addition the need for vascular catheterizations represents a further risk factor for bacterial infections.
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PMID:Drug injection in jugular veins: a new risk factor for vascular diseases in HIV-infected patients? A case report. 748 28

Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIE) is a disorder characterized by extremely elevated serum levels of IgE and recurrent infections. Patients are particularly predisposed to have staphylococcal abscesses, usually involving skin, lungs, and joints; but they are also at risk for infections with other bacteria and fungi. We report the case of a 46-month-old boy with HIE who had Candida endocarditis and sepsis with a large fungal mass extending through the tricuspid valve and into the surrounding heart tissue, requiring surgical excision and replacement with a prosthetic valve. He had an indwelling central line for previous antibiotic therapy and had oral thrush for a month before presentation, which had been treated with oral nystatin. He was first seen with very dark urine, a new murmur, petechial rash, in shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The white blood cell count was 38,700 with 70% segmented neutrophils, 9% banded neutrophils, 15% lymphocytes, 4% monocytes, and 2% eosinophils. Hemoglobin was 7.1, and platelet count was 14,000. Prothrombin time was 15.5, and partial thromboplastin time was 31; fibrinogen level was 110 mg/ml, and fibrin degradation products were greater than 40 mg/ml. Serum IgE was 38,664 and 44,510 on repeat measurement. He has had recurrent staphylococcal pneumonias with pneumatoceles, twice requiring segmental lung resection. Blood and tricuspid valve cultures grew Candida albicans. He was treated with amphotericin and flucytosine, and later switched to fluconazole, with good response to therapy. A literature search revealed no other reported case of Candida endocarditis in patients with HIE. Fungai endocarditis is a rare complication, which may occur in patients with HIE and indwelling central catheters.
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PMID:Candida endocarditis in a child with hyperimmunoglobulinemia E syndrome. 921 44

Biofilms have been found to be involved in a wide variety of microbial infections in the body, by one estimate 80% of all infections. Infectious processes in which biofilms have been implicated include common problems such as urinary tract infections, catheter infections, middle-ear infections, sinusitis, formation of dental plaque, gingivitis, coating contact lenses, endocarditis, infections in cystic fibrosis, and infections of permanent indwelling devices such as joint prostheses and heart valves. Bacteria living in a biofilm usually have significantly different properties from free-floating bacteria of the same species, as the dense and protected environment of the film allows them to cooperate and interact in various ways. One benefit of this environment is increased resistance to detergents and antibiotics, as the dense extracellular matrix and the outer layer of cells protect the interior of the community. In some cases antibiotic resistance can be increased 1000-fold. Also, the biofilm bacteria excrete toxins that reversibly block important processes such as translation and protecting the cell from bactericidal antibiotics that are ineffective against inactive targets. In the head and neck area, biofilms are a major etiologic factor in periodontitis, wound infections, oral candidiasis, and sinus and ear infections. For the past several decades, photodynamic treatment has been reported in the literature to be effective in eradicating various microorganisms using different photosensitizers, different wavelengths of light, and different light sources. PDT has been further studied to demonstrate its effectiveness for the eradication of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This chapter will focus on the use of PDT in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant biofilms, antibiotic-resistant wound infections, and azole-resistant oral candidiasis using methylene blue-based photodynamic therapy.
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PMID:Photodynamic therapy of bacterial and fungal biofilm infections. 2055 48

The oral cavity contains almost half of the commensal bacterial population present in the human body. An increase in the number of these microorganisms may result in systemic diseases such as infective endocarditis and aspiration pneumonia as well as oral infections. It is essential to control the total numbers of these microorganisms in order to suppress disease onset. Thus, we examined the antimicrobial activity of a newly developed gel-entrapped catechin (GEC) preparation against oral microorganisms. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of GEC was determined based on the relationship between a modified agar diffusion method and a broth microdilution method. GEC inhibited the growth of the Actinomyces, periodontopathic bacteria and Candida strains tested, but did not inhibit the growth of the oral streptococci that are important in the normal oral flora. Commercially available moisture gels containing antimicrobial components showed antimicrobial activity against all of the tested strains. After a series of washes and after a 24-h incubation, GEC retained the antimicrobial activity of the catechins. Catalase prevented GEC-induced growth inhibition of Actinomyces naeslundii and Streptococcus mutans suggesting that hydrogen peroxide may be involved in the antimicrobial activity of catechins. These results suggest that GEC may be useful for controlling oral microorganism populations and reducing the accumulation of dental plaque, thereby helping to prevent periodontal disease and oral candidiasis.
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PMID:Antimicrobial activity of Gel-entrapped catechins toward oral microorganisms. 2153 50