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)

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used with a purified alpha-toxin preparation to measure the serum IgG, IgM and IgA response in staphylococcal septicaemia and endocarditis. ELISA for IgG antibodies against alpha-toxin was found to be more sensitive than the neutralization test (ASTA). IgM and IgA antibody determination was found to be of limited diagnostic value. A correlation between IgG antibodies to alpha-toxin and purified beta-toxin was found in ELISA, although antibody determination to beta-toxin was a less sensitive diagnostic method. The highest diagnostic sensitivity in deep staphylococcal infections was obtained by parallel performance of ELISA to alpha-toxin and purified teichoic acid. By this approach, 32/35 (91%) patients with endocarditis, 12/14 (86%) with complicated septicaemia and 15/22 (68%) with uncomplicated septicaemia showed increased titres in samples drawn between days 7-30 of disease. Diagnostic sensitivity was further increased to 31/32 (97%) positive patients, when paired or multiple samples from patients with septicaemic staphylococcal disease were analysed.
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PMID:Serological diagnosis of deep Staphylococcus aureus infections by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for staphylococcal hemolysins and teichoic acid. 637 58

Cardiovascular emergencies in oncology patients include all of the usual cardiac problems, as well as complications of cancer and its therapy. Pericardial effusions and tamponade, cardiac masses, and extrinsic compression of the heart and great vessels by tumor masses, or fluid collections may all occur. Certain tumors may secrete mediators that are directly toxic to the heart; for example, catecholamines are secreted by pheochromocytomas and serotonin is secreted by carcinoid tumors. Tumors can also cause arrhythmias due to the mediators they secret or to direct mechanical irritation of the heart or pericardium. Cancer therapy is also associated with cardiac emergencies. Perioperative myocardial ischemia or infarction, as well as arrhythmias, may complicate surgery. Pericardial effusions and tamponade can follow surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Chemotherapy with anthracyclines, mitoxantrone, and trastuzumab may prompt acute and chronic heart failure. 5-Fluorouracil causes coronary spasm in some patients, leading to angina, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and/or sudden death. Cyclophosphamide, particularly in high doses, may produce acute myopericarditis. Radiation may cause acute pericardial disease and late sequelae such as myocardial infarction, acute valvular insufficiency, or effusive constrictive pericarditis. Endocarditis also occurs in cancer patients in association with vascular access devices and immune compromise. This review will discuss each of these complications of cancer and its therapy.
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PMID:Cardiovascular emergencies in the cancer patient. 1086 14

To illustrate diagnostic approaches, potential pathogenetic differences, epidemiological implications and therapeutic dilemmas posed by glomerulonephritis (GN) with acute renal failure (ARF) complicating bacterial infections, we analyzed the course of four male patients, aged 53-71 years, who developed GN and ARF following bacterial infections. The first two patients developed GN with immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits after infections with hospital-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Clinical, serologic and histological features, classification of GN and treatment differed between the two patients. In the first patient, serological features (transient hypocomplementemia, normal serum protein electrophoresis) and histological findings were consistent with typical post-infectious GN. Treatment with antibiotics alone resulted in normalization of the renal function despite the severity of ARF, which required temporary hemodialysis. In the second patient, serological features (normal serum complement, polyclonal elevation of gamma globulins) and histological picture of the kidneys were characteristic of IgA nephropathy with fibrocellular crescents, and skin histology was consistent with vasculitis. Cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids were added to the antibiotics, with partial improvement of the renal failure. The third patient developed simultaneous acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal GN causing severe ARF requiring hemodialysis. Complete recovery of ARF and migratory polyarthritis followed initiation of corticosteroids. The fourth patient developed ARF and cerebral vasculitis following a prolonged course of Streptococcus mutans endocarditis with delayed diagnosis. He also developed multiple serological abnormalities including elevated titers of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-phospholipid antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and modest hypocomplementemia. Kidney biopsy revealed ANCA-mediated focal GN with 10% crescents and acute interstitial nephritis. Treatment with cyclophosphamide plus corticosteroids, but not with antibiotics alone, resulted in resolution of both the ARF and the features of cerebral vasculitis. GN following bacterial infections may have various pathogenetic mechanisms, presents complex diagnostic challenges, may be preventable in the case of hospital-acquired MRSA, and, in addition to antibiotics, may require immunosuppressive therapy in carefully selected and monitored cases.
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PMID:Glomerulonephritis causing acute renal failure during the course of bacterial infections. Histological varieties, potential pathogenetic pathways and treatment. 1824 52