Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0021051 (immunodeficiency)
 71,517 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, rapidly progressive, and often fatal infection of the superficial fascia and subcutaneous tissues. The integrity of the deep muscle fascia is usually not breeched, thus limiting the depth of involvement. Centrifugal spread within the planes of the superficial fascia and subcutaneous tissues is characteristic. Patients with diabetes mellitus constitute the group most vulnerable to necrotizing fasciitis, and a vulvar or perineal origin is associated with particularly high mortality. The authors report four such patients. Other apparent predisposing factors are advancing age, peripheral vascular disease, chronic debilitating illness, malnutrition, and possibly other states predisposing patients to immunodeficiency. None of these factors is an absolute prerequisite to the development of necrotizing fasciitis.
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PMID:Necrotizing fasciitis of vulvar origin in diabetic patients. 670 Aug 92

To characterize the factors affecting the decision to withdraw from dialysis, the authors compared patients withdrawing from dialysis (n=62) with patients dying from all other causes (n=242) over 21 years (1976-1996) in a single dialysis unit. Compared with those who died from other causes, patients who withdrew were older (67+/-11 vs 61+/-11 years); were more likely to have severe physical impairment (87% vs 62%) and severe restriction of activities of daily living (77% vs 46%); and had higher frequencies of congestive heart failure (81 % vs 62%), myocardial infarction (60% vs 42%), peripheral vascular disease (71 % vs 40%), and diabetes mellitus (66% vs 36%) (p < or = 0.014). Dialysis modality; duration of dialysis; the degree of family support; index of disease severity; the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs; and the frequency of ischemic heart disease, dysrhythmia, pericarditis, cardiac arrest, cerebrovascular accident, hypertension, obstructive lung disease, cancer, and human immunodeficiency virus did not differ between the two groups. Stepwise logistic regression showed that dialysis during 1990-1996, severe limitation of activities of daily living, and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for withdrawal. During 1990-1996, 44% of the deaths were caused by withdrawal from treatment. In addition to other factors, dialysis in the 1990s is a strong predictor of withdrawal from dialysis. The reasons for the increased rate of withdrawal from dialysis in recent years, and the effect of this increased rate of withdrawal on mortality, need further evaluation.
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PMID:Twenty-one year mortality in a dialysis unit: changing effect of withdrawal from dialysis. 961 51

The treatment of onychomycosis has improved in recent years and many patients can now expect a complete and lasting cure. However, for up to 25% of patients, persistent disease remains a problem, thus presenting a particular challenge to the clinician. For these patients, it is obviously important to ensure that a correct diagnosis of onychomycosis has been made, as misdiagnosis will inevitably jeopardize the perception of therapeutic effectiveness. Although onychomycosis accounts for about 50% of all nail diseases seen by physicians, nonfungal causes of similar symptoms include repeated trauma, psoriasis, lichen planus, local tumours vascular disorders and inflammatory diseases. Predisposing factors that contribute to a poor response to topical and/or oral therapy include the presence of a very thick nail, extensive involvement of the entire nail unit, lateral nail disease and yellow spikes. However, poor penetration of systemic agents to the centre of infection, or the inability of topical agents to diffuse between the surface of the nail plate and the active disease below, probably contributes to this. Other factors contributing to recurrence may be related to the patient's family history, occupation, lifestyle or underlying physiology. In addition, patients with concomitant disease (e.g. peripheral vascular disease, diabetes) or patients who are immunosuppressed (e.g. those with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) are more susceptible to onychomycosis. In the elderly, the prevalence of onychomycosis may be as high as 60%, and increases with age; in this population, physical trauma plays a major role in precipitating recurrence, especially in patients with faulty biomechanics due to underlying arthritis and bone abnormalities. It is also possible that recurrence in some cases is due to early termination of treatment or use of an inappropriate dose, and these possibilities should be eliminated before further investigations are undertaken. There is good evidence to suggest that a combination of oral and topical therapies, when given at the same time, yield excellent clinical outcomes, although there remains a need for more effective topical agents with greater nail penetration and more effective oral antifungal agents.
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PMID:Onychomycosis in clinical practice: factors contributing to recurrence. 1451 Sep 69

The impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and other comorbid conditions upon survival is not well quantified in patients on dialysis. We identified HCV-infected and uninfected persons in the USRDS using claims data in 1997-1998 and followed until September 22, 2002 or death. We used Gray's time-varying coefficients model to examine factors associated with survival. Subjects with a renal transplant were excluded. A total of 5737 HCV-infected and 11 228 HCV-uninfected persons were identified. HCV-infected subjects were younger (mean age 57.8 vs 65.3 years), more likely to be male (57.6%vs 49.6%) and black (54.0%vs 36.4%). They were more likely to have a diagnosis of drug (16.5%vs 4.6%) and alcohol use (14.0%vs 3.1%), and to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infected (7.4%vs 1.8%) (all comparisons, P < 0.0005). In an adjusted Gray's time-varying coefficient model, HCV was associated with an increased risk of mortality (P < 0.0005). The hazards were highest at the time of HCV diagnosis and decreased to a stable level 2 years after diagnosis. Other factors associated with increased risk of mortality were (P < 0.0005 unless stated) HIV coinfection; diagnosis of drug use (P = 0.001); coronary artery disease (P = 0.006); stroke; diabetes as the primary cause for renal failure; peripheral vascular disease; depression and presence of anaemia. HCV was associated with higher risk of death in patients on dialysis, even after adjusting for concurrent comorbidities. The risk was highest at the time of HCV diagnosis and stabilized over time. Clinical trials of HCV screening and treatment to reduce mortality in this population are warranted.
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PMID:Impact of hepatitis C virus infection and other comorbidities on survival in patients on dialysis. 1787 3

Cardiovascular abnormalities were appreciated early in the epidemic of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), even before the aetiological agent, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was isolated and characterised. The aetiology and pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in HIV infection is still the subject of intense speculation, and is likely multi-factorial. HIV affects every aspect of the cardiac axis, causing pericarditis, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease and microvascular dysfunction, valvular heart disease, pulmonary vascular disease and pulmonary hypertension, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. HIV-associated vasculopathy is an increasingly recognised clinical entity, causing high morbidity and increasing mortality in southern Africa, particularly from stroke and cardiovascular disease. HIV causes disease of the vascular tree, either by a direct effect on vascular or perivascular tissue, or indirectly via immune complex-mediated mechanisms, associated opportunistic infections and malignancies. As a result, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may have an important role in controlling disease progression. We report a case of histologically defined primary HIV vasculopathy in which the chance to start HAART was initially missed and in which the patient progressed to require bilateral amputations, but obtained disease quiescence upon commencement of HAART.
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PMID:Progressive human immunodeficiency virus-associated vasculopathy: time to revise antiretroviral therapy guidelines? 2188 85

Ergotism is a complication of the acute intoxication or chronic abuse of ergot derivatives. It may be manifested by a vasomotor syndrome with peripheral vascular disease frequently involving extremities. We report three patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in antiretroviral treatment (ART) that included a protease inhibitor as ritonavir, and had received self-medicated ergotamine. They developed symptoms of peripheral vascular disease and the physical examination showed no arterial pulses in the affected vessels. Arterial Doppler confirmed signs of diffuse arterial spasm in all of them. An arteriography was performed to the second patient and it showed obliteration of the distal sector of the ulnar and radial arteries. Ergotism secondary to ergotamine-ritonavir association was diagnosed. Patients were treated discontinuing the administration of involved drugs, arterial vasodilators and prophylactic anticoagulation, with marked improvement of symptoms.
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PMID:[Ergotism secondary to ergotamine-ritonavir association. Report of three cases]. 2244 7

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment tools such as the Framingham Risk Functions, often called Framingham Risk Scores, are common in the evaluation of the CVD risk among individuals in the general population. These functions are multivariate risk algorithms that combine data on CVD risk factors, such as sex, age, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, smoking behavior, and diabetes status, to produce an estimate (or risk) of developing CVD or a component of it (such as coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure) over a fixed period (eg, the next 10 years). These estimates of CVD risk are often major inputs in recommending drug treatments, such as agents to reduce cholesterol level. The Framingham Risk Functions are valid in diverse populations, at times requiring a calibration adjustment for proper applicability. With the realization that individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection often have elevated CVD risk factors, the evaluation of CVD risk for these individuals becomes a serious concern. Researchers have recently developed new CVD risk functions specifically for HIV-infected patients and have also examined the extension of existing Framingham Risk Functions to the HIV-infected population. This article first reviews briefly the Framingham Study and risk functions, covering their objectives, their components, evaluation of their performance, and transportability and validity on non-Framingham populations. It then reviews the development of CVD risk functions for HIV-infected individuals and comments on the usefulness of extending the Framingham risk equation to the HIV-infected population and the need to develop more-specific risk prediction equations uniquely tailored to this population.
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PMID:Cardiovascular risk estimation in 2012: lessons learned and applicability to the HIV population. 2257 9

An understanding of risk factors associated with mortality among pressure ulcer patients can inform prognostic counselling and treatment plans. This retrospective cohort study examined associations of comorbid illness, demographic characteristics and laboratory values with 90-day and 90- to 180-day mortality in adult hospitalised patients with pressure ulcers. Data were extracted from hospital databases at two academic urban hospitals. Covariates included mortality risk factors identified in other populations, including demographic and laboratory variables, DRG weight, 'systemic infection or fever' and comorbidity categories from the Charlson comorbidity index. In adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, diabetes, chronic renal failure, congestive heart failure and metastatic cancer were significantly associated with mortality in both time frames. There was no significant effect on mortality from dementia, hemiplegia/paraplegia, rheumatic disease, chronic pulmonary disease or peripheral vascular disease. Myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, liver disease and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS were associated with mortality in the 90-day time frame only. 'Systemic infection or fever' was associated with mortality in the 90-day time frame but did not show a confounding effect on other variables, and the only significant interaction term was with metastatic cancer. Albumin was the only studied laboratory value that was strongly associated with mortality. Understanding the context of comorbid illness in pressure ulcer patients sets the groundwork for more robust studies of patient- and population-level outcomes, as well as study of heterogeneity within this group.
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PMID:Risk factors for 90-day and 180-day mortality in hospitalised patients with pressure ulcers. 2273 90

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), initially developed for immunodeficiency disorders, has now been used for multiple autoimmune diseases and infections. These are generally well tolerated, with few adverse effects. Acute kidney injury has been described in very rare instances. We report an interesting case of a 59-year-old African American male with a pertinent history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, endocarditis, and peripheral vascular disease, who was diagnosed with post-transfusion purpura. He was then treated with IVIG and subsequently developed an acute worsening of renal function in a time span of 3 days. The etiology remained elusive even after an extensive workup. Renal biopsy was done finally, which showed findings suggestive of osmotic nephropathy that was traced to the sucrose used as a stabilizing agent in the IVIG. In light of the increasing use of IVIG, it is therefore highly recommended that clinicians are well aware of this side effect of IVIG.
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PMID:Intravenous immunoglobulin-associated renal failure in a patient with post-transfusion purpura. 2275 Jul 64

Onychomycosis is defined as a fungal infection of the nail bed and/or nail plate. The prevalence of onychomycosis has increased dramatically as a worldwide condition in the twentieth century due to occlusive footwear, global wars and natural migration. Risk factors generally leading to onychomycosis development include bodily spread of dermatophyte and non-dermatophyte tinea pedis, peripheral vascular disease, damaged nails via sports and trauma, older age, genetics, immunodeficiency and diabetes. Many publications discuss prevalence, symptoms and treatment of the disease in individual cases, hospitals or specific locations, but few strongly link the cause of onychomycosis to living environments. This is a review of the current literature on the prevalence of onychomycosis and its relationship to surrounding living environments of those infected. A Pubmed search was performed with 'onychomycosis'. Articles were selected based on the relevance to close quarter living environments. All ages can be affected with onychomycosis, ranging from children in boarding schools to elderly in nursing homes. Although not directly linking living environments to transmission and infection in all articles reviewed, onychomycosis was very prevalent in many different close quarter living settings, including within families, boarding schools, military quarters and nursing homes. This review demonstrates that various close quarter living environments are highly associated with increased transmission and infection with onychomycosis.
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PMID:Onychomycosis in close quarter living review of the literature. 2366 19


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