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

Nine months after leaving the Lebanon, a four-year-old immigrant boy presented with a 5 months history of blepharitis. The lesion remained therapy-resistant for aminoglycoside antibiotics. Six months later, the patient presented with an indolent granulomatous necrotizing purulent blepharitis and follicular conjunctivitis. Diagnosis was made by Giemsa stain and histopathology, which revealed amastigotes in macrophages consistent with the diagnosis of oriental cutaneous leishmaniasis. Therapy with systemic recombinant gamma Interferon, which is described for the first time in this disease entity, resulted in a successful primary healing of the cutaneous lesion. Self-healing epithelial keratitis was the only side-effect observed. Ophthalmologists in Germany should be aware of the differential diagnosis of oriental cutaneous Leishmaniasis in patients suffering from chronic granulomatous lid lesions of patients from countries endemic/epidemic for Leishmaniasis. Laboratory diagnosis is simple. Insights into the immunology of infection have made possible novel therapeutic avenues using gamma-Interferon being effective without serve side-effects and allowing for a good primary healing of the cutaneous lesions.
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PMID:[Unilateral chronic granulomatous blepharitis as a leading symptom of Oriental cutaneous leishmaniasis in Germany. Giesma stain as rapid diagnosis and initial description of systemic therapy with gamma-interferon]. 157 80

Free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are causing serious chronic conditions such as destructive keratitis in contact lens wearers or granulomatous amoebic encephalitis in individuals with compromised immune systems. Both are characterized by the lack of availability of sufficiently effective and uncomplicated, manageable treatments. Hexadecylphosphocholine (miltefosine) is licensed for use as a topical antineoplastic agent, but it is also active in vitro against several protozoan parasites, and it was applied very successfully for the treatment of human visceral leishmaniasis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of hexadecylphosphocholine and other alkylphosphocholines (APCs) against Acanthamoeba spp. The in vitro activities of eight different APCs against three Acanthamoeba strains of various pathogenicities were determined. All substances showed at least amoebostatic effects, and some of them disrupted the amoebae, as shown by the release of cytoplasmic enzyme activity. Hexadecylphosphocholine exhibited the highest degree of cytotoxicity against trophozoites, resulting in complete cell death at a concentration as low as 40 microM, and also displayed significant cysticidal activity. Hexadecylphosphocholine may be a promising new candidate for the topical treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis and, conceivably, even for the oral treatment of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis.
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PMID:Cytotoxic activities of alkylphosphocholines against clinical isolates of Acanthamoeba spp. 1185 Feb 50

The transfer factor (TF) was described in 1955 by S. Lawrence. In 1992 Kirkpatrick characterized the specific TF at molecular level. The TF is constituted by a group of numerous molecules, of low molecular weight, from 1.0 to 6.0 kDa. The 5 kDa fraction corresponds to the TF specific to antigens. There are a number of publications about the clinical indications of the TF for diverse diseases, in particular those where the cellular immune response is compromised or in those where there is a deficient regulation of the immune response. In this article we present our clinical and basic experiences, especially regarding the indications, usage and dosage of the TF. Our group demonstrated that the TF increases the expression of IFN-gamma and RANTES, while decreases the expression of osteopontine. Using animal models we have worked with M. tuberculosis, and with a model of glioma with good therapeutic results. In the clinical setting we have worked with herpes zoster, herpes simplex type I, herpetic keratitis, atopic dermatitis, osteosarcoma, tuberculosis, asthma, post-herpetic neuritis, anergic coccidioidomycosis, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, mucocutaneous candidiasis, pediatric infections produced by diverse pathogen germs, sinusitis, pharyngitis, and otits media. All of these diseases were studied through protocols which main goals were to study the therapeutic effects of the TF, and to establish in a systematic way diverse dosage schema and time for treatment to guide the prescription of the TF.
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PMID:Indications, usage, and dosage of the transfer factor. 1829 53

Leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is a zoonotic disease endemic in many countries of America, Asia and Europe, including Portugal. Dogs are the major reservoir of L. infantum, but domestic cats may also be infected. Three clinical cases of feline leishmaniosis are described, with ocular clinical signs as the only manifestation of the disease. A case had bilateral anterior uveitis and a granulomatous conjunctivitis, another one presented keratitis and the third case had a nodular blepharitis. All the affected cats had high serum titres of antibodies to L. infantum, while polymerase chain reaction results were positive in two of the cats. Although all cats in the present study improved after treatment with meglumine antimoniate and/or allopurinol, one of them died 6months later apparently due to a systemic L. infantum infection. The prevalence of disease may be underestimated in cats, because leishmaniosis is often not considered in the differential diagnosis of feline diseases. Feline leishmaniosis should be suspected in cats with ocular clinical signs and in those living in or traveling to areas where the zoonosis is endemic.
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PMID:Feline leishmaniosis in Portugal: 3 cases (year 2014). 3101 12