Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0022568 (keratitis)
 5,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and a three-month history of bilateral follicular conjunctivitis had both a superficial and deep culture-negative keratitis. Although SLE interstitial keratitis is uncommon, it must be recognized as a definite clinical entity. Its prompt recognition and treatment with corticosteroids may quickly bring about improvement, whereas if it is unrecognized, corneal scarring and loss of vision may follow.
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PMID:Lupus erythematosus keratoconjunctivitis. 370 35

Sensorineural hearing loss may occur in SLE, but aortic insufficiency has been very rarely reported. We are describing two patients with well-established SLE who developed bilateral hearing loss and aortic insufficiency, associated with serological evidence of active lupus. Neither patient had evidence of keratitis, and thus did not satisfy criteria for Cogan's syndrome. The aortic insufficiency in one patient stabilized after treatment with high doses of steroids while in the second patient, who refused medical treatment, it progressed requiring surgical valve replacement. Our observations suggest that the aortic valve and the inner ear may share some antigenic crossreactivity not shared by the cornea. In SLE patients, with sensorineural hearing loss, echocardiography should be performed looking for evidence of aortic insufficiency, which may be steroid responsive.
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PMID:Sensorineural hearing loss in conjunction with aortic insufficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus. 1125 92

Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) have emerged as important human pathogens that can cause a variety of diseases. Thirty isolates of the pathogenic RGM were recovered from patients who attended King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during 1997 and 2003. There were 16 isolates of Mycobacterium chelonae, ten isolates of M. fortuitum and four isolates of M. abscessus. Clinical data was available in only nine patients (five males and four females) including six M. chelonae, two M. abscessus, and one M. fortuitum. The mean age was 37 years (range: 13-62 years). The associated conditions were present in five patients including two diabetes, one HIV infection, one pregnancy, one SLE and one chronic renal failure. A wide spectrum of clinical features was observed. These included two chronic pulmonary infections, two post-traumatic wound infections, two disseminated infections, one lymphadenitis, one keratitis and respiratory colonization. AFB staining was positive in six patients (66.67%). The MIC of one M. chelonae and one M. abscessus were determined by Epsilon test. For M. chelonae, the MIC of clarithromycin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and imipenem were 0.25, 2.0, 1.00, > 64, and 0.54 microg/ml, respectively. For M. abscessus, the MIC of clarithromycin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole were 0.016, 0.016, 0.038, > 16 and 0.002 microg/ml, respectively. Six of eight patients (75%) were initially treated with four first-line antituberculous drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) before obtaining the culture result. Of these, three patients with pulmonary and disseminated infections improved after a prolonged course of these combinations. The patients improved after switching to specific anti-RGM antibiotics. One patient died after 10 months of therapy of four anti-tuberculous drugs. One patient with post-traumatic wound infection was cured with surgical debridement and dicloxacillin. One patient improved after treatment as acute bronchitis with oral amoxicillin. An extensive review of the literature of RGM infections in Thailand is also presented.
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PMID:Rapidly growing mycobacteria in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and review of the literature in Thailand. 1640 50

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 are major receptors of Aspergillus fumigatus. Aspergillus fumigatus signaling in cornea induces the production of many pro-inflammatory molecules. In this study, we have shown that exposure of telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) to A. fumigatus antigens resulted in up-regulation of TLR2 and TLR4, and release of IL-1beta and IL-10 in HCECs, effects that could be inhibited by treatment with TLR2, and TLR4 antibodies. In addition, the A. fumigatus antigens-induced production of IL-1beta and IL-10 in supernatants of corneal epithelial cells was also attenuated by NF-kappaB inhibitor. Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis developed in Wistar rats, as evidenced by high SLE scores, influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), activation of TLR2 and TLR4, and production of IL-1beta and IL-10 over controls. These findings indicate that the cornea has functional TLR2 and TLR4, and activation of TLR2 and TLR4 through NF-kappaB may contribute to pathogenesis of keratomycosis.
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PMID:Activation of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis. 1947 9