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Query: UMLS:C0014118 (
endocarditis
)
15,629
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Of 2030 consecutive patients with bacteremia, only 102 were free from underlying disorders. 43 were males, and the median age was 66 years. The sources of infection were the urinary tract (in 48%), lower respiratory tract (13%),
endocarditis
(7%), biliary tract (6%) and the meninges (5%). The most common pathogens were Escherichia coli (in 45% of patients), Streptococcus pneumoniae (21%), Staphylococcus aureus (9%) and hemolytic streptococci (9%). Overall mortality rate was 13%, 4% in patients with urinary tract infection and 19% in patients with other sources. Half of the deaths occurred within 2 days of hospitalization, and 75% of them within 4 days. All patients with septic shock and all patients with meningitis died. Other factors related to mortality were residence in a nursing home, low functional capacity, advanced age, high blood urea
nitrogen
and creatinine and low albumin, and infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria meningitidis and polymicrobial infections. A protective effect of appropriate antimicrobial antibiotic therapy could not be demonstrated. In conclusion, bacteremic patients with no known underlying disorder and source of their infection other than the urinary tract should be given maximum supportive treatment and should be closely watched.
...
PMID:Bacteremia in patients without known underlying disorders. 785 58
A retrospective study was conducted on 124 patients who underwent re-replacement of previously implanted prosthetic heart valves for structural valve failure, prosthetic valve
endocarditis
, periprosthetic leak, a thrombosed valve, hemolysis, or prophylactic removal. In total, 85% of the explanted valves were bioprostheses, and 70% of the newly implanted valves were mechanical valves. The overall operative mortality rate was 8.1%, being 3.2% of 95 single valve recipients and 25.0% of 28 double valve recipients (P < 0.001). The overall mortality rate dropped from 13.6% of 66 patients before 1988, to 1.7% of 58 patients encountered in the last 3 years (P < 0.02). Since 1988, a third of the patients have undergone reoperation without homologous blood transfusion. A univariate analysis revealed eight operative risk factors, namely: higher values of preoperative blood urea
nitrogen
or total bilirubin, double valve replacement at the redo operation, NYHA class IV, urgency of reoperation, a duration of implantation of less than 3 months, reoperation in the earlier period of this study, and reexploration for bleeding or cardiac tamponade after re-replacement surgery. A multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that preoperative blood urea
nitrogen
, urgency of reoperation, double valve replacement, and the duration of implantation were independent risk factors. Thus, we recommend that surgery be performed early, before the occurrence of other organ failure induced by congestive heart failure due to any form of valve dysfunction.
...
PMID:The risks of reoperation for prosthetic valve dysfunction. 805 12
Zwitterionic 7-methoxyimino cephalosporins (cefpirome, cefepime, cefclidin, DQ2556, FK037 and SCE2787) possess a variable substitution at C3 which contains a quarternary
nitrogen
. These cephalosporins display low affinities for Class I beta-lactamase and rapid penetration through the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacilli, so that an increased number of periplasmic beta-lactam molecules interact with PBP's per unit of time. As a consequence, the new zitterionic compounds remain active against some, but not all, ceftazidime-resistant Enterobacteriaceae producing high levels of Class I beta-lactamase or Bush type 2b beta-lactamases. Antipseudomonas activities are generally similar to that of ceftazidime except that cefclidin is more active. The new zwitterionic compounds, especially cefpirome and FK037, express greater antistaphylococcal potency than does ceftazidime. A variety of animal models including meningitis and
endocarditis
have confirmed the potential of these compounds in-vivo. On the basis of structural and antibacterial characteristics, the expression 'forth generation' is acceptable to describe the zwitterionic 7-methoxyimino cephalosporins.
...
PMID:Laboratory assessment of antibacterial activity of zwitterionic 7-methoxyimino cephalosporins. 862 56
To study the development and potential mechanisms of antifungal resistance in relation to antifungal exposure, reversible fluconazole resistance was examined in vitro. Candida albicans ATCC 36082 blastospores were passed in liquid yeast
nitrogen
base medium containing either 4, 8, 16, or 128 micrograms of fluconazole per ml, and susceptibility testing was performed after each passage. High-level fluconazole resistance (50% inhibitory concentration, > 256 micrograms/ml) developed in the isolates after serial passage in medium containing 8, 16, or 128 micrograms of fluconazole per ml, but not in isolates passed in 4 micrograms of fluconazole per ml. Reduced susceptibility was noted within four to seven passages, which was equivalent to 14 to 19 days of exposure to the drug. However, all isolates returned to the susceptible phenotype after 8 to 15 passages in medium lacking the drug; thus, fluconazole resistance was reversible in vitro. In vivo, organisms retained the resistant phenotype after a single passage in the rabbit model of infective
endocarditis
. Restriction digest profiles and karyotypic analysis of the parent strain and selected fluconazole-resistant and -susceptible isolates from each group were identical. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of this reversible resistance failed to reveal increased accumulation of mRNA for 14 alpha-demethylase, the target enzyme for fluconazole, or for the candidal multidrug transporters CDR1 and BENr. This process of continuous in vitro exposure to antifungal drug may be useful as a model for studying the effects of different antifungal agents and dosing regimens on the development of resistance and for defining the mechanism(s) of reversible resistance.
...
PMID:Reversible fluconazole resistance in Candida albicans: a potential in vitro model. 905 88
Infective endocarditis caused by Kingella denitrificans occurs rarely. A review of the literature reveals only 6 cases of
endocarditis
caused by the bacillus. K. denitrificans is normally a commensal of the upper respiratory airways, may exceptionally be responsible for
endocarditis
. A case of possible prosthetic
endocarditis
caused by K. denitrificans is presented. A 78-year-old male with Type II diabetes was admitted to the hospital complaining of fever, a sore throat and arthralgia. He underwent replacement surgery of a St. Jude medical prosthesis for aortic stenosis at the age of 75. The only physical findings at admission were a temperature of 38.2 degrees C and murmurs of mild mitral regurgitation. The liver and spleen were not palpable, and there were no skin or eye lesions. Laboratory findings were as follows: white blood cell count 9500/microliters with 77% neutrophils, erythrocyte sedimentation rate 71 mm/h (Westergren), blood urea
nitrogen
50.2 mg/dl, serum creatinine 1.7 mg/dl and C-reactive protein 22.2 mg/dl. The Gram-negative bacillus isolated from the blood was identified as K. denitrificans by the identification system, namely ID test.FN-20 rapid (Nissui, Japan). Although an echocardiogram detected no vegetation, infective
endocarditis
was diagnosed because the same bacillus was detected by separate blood cultures and an obvious source of infection was not found other than the prosthetic valve. Initial treatment was flomoxef, which was changed to Ampicillin 2 g/day after K. denitrificans was identified. Ampicillin continued for 6 weeks. The clinical course was good and he did not require further surgery. He has been afebrile for 2 years after completing treatment. This case represents the first report of prosthetic valve
endocarditis
caused by K. denitrificans in Japan.
...
PMID:[Prosthetic endocarditis caused by Kingella denitrificans in a patient with diabetes mellitus]. 928 46
The synthesis of cell-associated and secreted proteins by Streptococcus gordonii FSS2, an infective
endocarditis
(IE) isolate, was influenced by both environmental pH and carbon source. Controlling the pH at 7.5 in stirred batch cultures showed that cell-associated and secreted protein concentrations were increased during late exponential and stationary phase by 68% and 125%, respectively, compared with similar cultures without pH control. The expression of five glycosidase and eight peptidase activities were examined using fluorogen-labelled synthetic substrates. Enzyme activities were significantly down-regulated during exponential growth, increasing during stationary phase (P<0.01) whether the culture pH was controlled at pH 7.5 or allowed to fall naturally to pH 4.4. Culture-supernatant activities were significantly increased (P<0.05) when the pH was maintained at 6.0 or 7.5, indicating modulation of enzyme activity by pH. Growth under
nitrogen
-limitation/glucose-excess conditions resulted in a significant repression of cell-associated glycosidase activities (P<0.01), whilst in the supernatant, activities were generally reduced. The expression of peptidase activities in the culture supernatant did not significantly change. The results suggest a possible role for catabolite repression by glucose in regulating enzyme expression. When S. gordonii FSS2 was cultured with 50% (v/v) added heat-inactivated foetal bovine serum, several cell-associated enzyme activities increased initially but were then reduced as the culture time was extended to 116 h. Culture-supernatant enzyme activities (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminidase, thrombin, Hageman factor, collagenase and chymotrypsin), however, were significantly increased (P<0.01) over the same time period. The findings indicated that most of the important glycosidases synthesized by S. gordonii FSS2 were down-regulated by acid growth conditions and may also be subject to catabolite repression by glucose but conversely may be up-regulated by growth in serum. These results may have implications for streptococcal growth in an IE vegetation and in the mouth between meals or during sleep.
...
PMID:Environmental regulation of glycosidase and peptidase production by Streptococcus gordonii FSS2. 1093 96
Seven Lactobacillus strains belonging to four species were evaluated for pathogenicity as well as for in vitro sensitivity to the bactericidal mechanisms of macrophages in a rabbit infective
endocarditis
(IE) model. Two bacteremia-associated strains, L. rhamnosus PHLS A103/70 and L. casei PHLS A357/84, as well as the L. rhamnosus type strain and the probiotic L. rhamnosus strain ATCC 53103, showed moderate infectivity, and the virulence of the probiotic L. casei strain Shirota and type strains such as L. acidophilus ATCC 4356(T) and L. gasseri DSM 20243(T) in the model was negligible. The strains that showed pathogenic potential in the rabbit IE model (PHLS A357/84, PHLS A103/70, and ATCC 53103) were more resistant than strain Shirota to intracellular killing activity by mouse macrophages in vitro and also to bactericidal
nitrogen
intermediates, such as nitric oxide and NO(2)(-) ions. These results suggest that resistance to host innate defense systems, which would function at inflammatory lesions, should be considered in the safety assessment of Lactobacillus strains.
...
PMID:Assessment of safety of lactobacillus strains based on resistance to host innate defense mechanisms. 1252 56
The use of ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation has become a widely used option for patients with end-stage heart failure. In contrast to total artificial hearts, ventricular assist devices support the failing heart by bypassing one or both ventricles. In certain cases (myocardial tumors, graft failure, transplant rejection,
endocarditis
, intracardiac thrombus formation), however, it may be advantageous to excise the heart and replace it with an artificial device. Total artificial hearts are intracorporeal devices designed for this purpose. Unfortunately, some patients are too small or are, for other reasons, ineligible for a total artificial heart. We describe the case of a 55-year-old woman who had ischemic cardiomyopathy and thrombus formation in all 4 cardiac chambers. To reduce the risk of thromboembolic events, we elected to replace her heart completely with 2 extracorporeal ventricular assist devices. The heart was excised via a median stemotomy approach, and the outflow cannulae (from device to patient) were connected to both atrial remnants. The 2 inflow cannulae (from patient to device) were anastomosed end-to-end to the aorta and the pulmonary artery, respectively. After attaining a flow of more than 5 L, the 2 extracorporeal assist devices effectively and efficiently performed the work of the native heart. Thus re-established, organ perfusion was improved by this mechanically driven circulation, as signified by an initial decrease in creatinine and blood urea
nitrogen
levels. The patient, however, did not recover from postoperative neurological dysfunction and died of respiratory insufficiency and multiple-organ failure on the 26th postoperative day.
...
PMID:End-stage heart failure with multiple intracardiac thrombi: a rescue strategy. 1574 93
In vitro pharmacodynamic model (PDM) simulation of serum antifungal concentrations may predict the value of combination antifungal regimens against Candida sp.
endocarditis
. We investigated the effects of combinations of flucytosine (5FC), micafungin (Mica), and voriconazole (Vor) against Candida-infected human platelet-fibrin clots, used as simulated endocardial vegetations (SEVs). Single clinical bloodstream isolates of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis were used. All four isolates were susceptible to 5FC, while C. glabrata was resistant to Vor and C. tropicalis had a paradoxical resistance phenotype to Mica. The SEVs were prepared with an initial inoculum of 1 x 10(6) CFU/g of SEV and added to a PDM, which utilized yeast
nitrogen
broth-2% glucose and incubation at 35 degrees C and simulated antifungal pharmacokinetic profiles. Fungal densities in the SEVs were determined in quadruplicate over 72 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate treatment and control SEVs. Vor was the least active single agent against all Candida spp. except for C. parapsilosis, where it was comparable to Mica. In contrast, 5FC was the most active against all Candida spp. except for C. tropicalis, where it was comparable to Mica. The combination of 5FC plus Vor was superior to either agent alone against C. parapsilosis. The combination of Vor plus Mica was inferior to the use of Mica alone against C. tropicalis. The triple combination of 5FC plus Vor plus Mica was no better than single or dual agents against any of the Candida spp. The ultrastructural features of infected SEVs were unique for each Candida sp., with C. parapsilosis in particular manifesting friable biofilm clusters. In general, 5FC and Mica were superior in their rates and extents of fungal burden reduction compared to Vor against Candida-infected SEVs. Evaluation of 5FC and Mica in animal models of Candida
endocarditis
is warranted.
...
PMID:Activities and ultrastructural effects of antifungal combinations against simulated Candida endocardial vegetations. 1842 96
European Homograft Bank (EHB) has been selecting, preparing, storing and distributing the cryopreserved allograft valves in Belgium and some other European Countries since 1989. It was established in 1988 by a pathologist and the cardiac and vascular surgeons from Belgian and other European centres as an inter-university, international nonprofit association. Due to its neutral behavior and very high quality criteria, European Homograft Bank became one of the prominent heart valve banks in Europe and wider. It collaborates with the transplant coordination in donor selection as well as with the huge network of the implanting surgeons in Belgium and other European Countries. The EHB responsible discusses with the implanting surgeon the allograft selection on basis of the indication and the patients state of emergency. A total of 8.911 donor heart valves have been evaluated in EHB during the last 20 years. After selection, 5.258 allograft valves (1.996 aortic, 3.189 pulmonary and 73 mitral) were cryopreserved and stored in vapors of liquid
nitrogen
between 6 weeks and 5 years. A total of 4.516 allograft valves (1.391 aortic, 2.620 pulmonary and 48 mitral) were implanted in the left or right ventricular outflow tract for replacement of the diseased aortic or pulmonary valve and for mitral or tricuspid valve replacement or repair. In 1.380 cases the allograft valves were used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction as part of the Ross- procedure, whereas in 668 cases the allograft valve served for replacement of the aortic valve for
endocarditis
. The most important indications for use of cryopreserved allograft valves were: important cardiac and valve malformation in children, female patients of child-bearing age with diseased cardiac valves, cases with contra-indication for anti-coagulation and the patients with severe
endocarditis
with septal or annular abscesses. Although the number of the donation increased by year, the available allograft valves in stock are still insufficient to respond to all the surgeons' request for different indications.
...
PMID:Belgian and European experience with the European Homograft Bank (EHB) cryopreserved allograft valves.--assessment of a 20 year activity. 2069 May 8
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