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)

In the late 1980s, HIV seroprevalence in Rwanda stood at 17.8% in urban areas and 1.3% in rural areas. Adult symptoms of AIDS are generally different than those of children. For example, worldwide, the most prevalent symptom (about 50% of patients) of HIV infection among adults is cotton wool spots, fluffy white superficial retinal lesions. In a sample of 110 seropositive children in Rwanda, however, cotton wool spots' prevalence was very low (.9%). Further, 20-40% of all AIDs patients worldwide experience small retinal hemorrhages (.8% for 110 seropositive children in Rwanda), an advanced stage of microvasculopathy, 8% of the children had other microvascular conditions. Researchers have isolated HIV in the aqueous humor of 3 patients in Rwanda with retinal perivasculitis indicating that it may contribute to this disease's etiology. Moreover, 46% of the Rwandan children with AIDs experienced perivasculitis and/or sheathing. HIV has also been found in tears, the conjunctiva, the cornea, the retinal vascular endothelium, and from multiple ocular tissues. Even though cytomegalovirus retinitis is the leading opportunistic infection (26%- 40%) of the eye and the major cause of blindness among AIDS patients in Europe and the US, it only appeared in 5% of AIDS patients in a Rwandan study. Physicians have found herpes simplex keratitis to be more resistant to treatment and recurred more often in AIDS patients than in immunocompetent patients. They have also learned that other infectious diseases of the eyes manifest themselves differently between the 2 groups. Kaposi's sarcoma, B-cell lymphoma, and squamous cell carcinoma are often present in patients with AIDS.
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PMID:Ocular problems in AIDS. 218 17

Interferons (IFN) are potent antiviral, cytostatic-cytotoxic and immunomodulatory agents. Although gene technology has made available an unlimited supply of all different kinds and types of IFN, their basic modes of action have not been clarified up to now. The therapeutic effects proven differ gradually between the individual disease entities. They comprise prophylaxis, prevention of recurrences and direct therapeutic effect, either of reducing the actual disease symptoms, or of inducing a complete recovery. For the following viral diseases a positive therapeutic effect has been shown: infections by herpes-viruses (herpes simplex keratitis , herpes zoster, herpes simplex), cytomegalovirus infections, chronic-hepatitis B virus infection, acute respiratory virus infections by rhino-, corona- and influenza viruses. Especially for the group of virus-associated tumors and papillomas, IFN is considered to be therapeutically effective. IFN has been accepted to be the first line treatment for laryngeal papillomatosis. In condylomata acuminata too, IFN is a potent therapeutic agent. Moreover, IFN represents the most effective therapeutic modality for Kaposi's sarcoma in patient with AIDS. Hairy cell leukemia, malignant lymphoma, multiple myeloma, melanoma and hypernephroma are the malignancies, for which a therapeutic effect of IFN could be proven. Furthermore, IFN is considered to be the therapy of first choice for hairy cell leukemias. Although there are some signs, that IFN could be a potent agent for adjuvant therapy, this question can not be answered - not even on principle - because of lacking sufficient data so far. Up to date, the therapeutic efficacy of IFN seems to be established only for hairy cell leukemia, laryngeal papillomatosis, Kaposi's sarcoma in patients with AIDS and partly for condylomata acuminata. For all other indications, first of all, sufficient phase-II-study data will have to be evaluated, before prospectively controlled studies, comparing the IFN treatment results with placebo and standard therapy results, can be initiated for the individual disease entities. Then, it will be possible to assess the therapeutic efficacy of IFN. Already now, IFN represent a valuable enrichment of the therapeutic modalities for malignancies and viral diseases.
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PMID:[Current status of interferon therapy]. 242 97

Between 1984 and 1987 (over two-and-a-half years) 30 hospitalized patients with HIV infections of different degrees of severity were ophthalmologically examined. Ocular involvement was found in 17 patients (approx. 57%). In 16 of these 17 patients with pathologic ophthalmologic findings (approx. 94%), AIDS was already fully developed. Ocular involvement is therefore a sign of poor prognosis. Fourteen patients had a microvascular retinal syndrome and four patients had infectious (chorio-)retinitis (causative organisms: cytomegalovirus in three cases, Cryptococcus neoformans in one). Further findings included sicca syndrome with superficial punctate keratitis in two cases, keratitis in one patient with generalized mucocutaneous candidiasis, Kaposi's sarcoma of the eyelids in two cases, Kaposi's sarcoma of the conjunctiva in one case, papilledema with cryptococcal meningitis in one case, and atypical hordeolum in one case. Morphologic and pathogenetic aspects of the ophthalmologic findings, their importance and course in AIDS patients, and therapeutic problems are discussed.
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PMID:[Eye involvement in AIDS]. 282 96

A gross, light, and electron microscopic study of the eyes from 35 consecutive autopsy cases of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome revealed cotton-wool spots (71% of cases), retinal hemorrhage in areas without cytomegalovirus infection (40%), cytomegalovirus retinitis (34%) with associated retinal detachment, Roth's spots (23%), retinal microaneurysms (20%), papilledema (14%), conjunctival Kaposi's sarcoma (9%), cryptococcal chorioretinitis (6%), Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in retina and in choroidal granulomas (6%), ischemic maculopathy (6%), bilateral keratitis (3%), and herpes simplex retinitis (3%). Ocular infection with candida or toxoplasmosis were not found in this autopsy series. Immunocytologic studies demonstrated deposition of immunoglobulins in arteriolar walls, consistent with immune complex mediated disease. Ultrastructural studies showed a vasculopathy in the areas near cotton-wool spots. A mechanism is proposed linking the deposition of immune complexes with subsequent small vessel lesions, ischemia, cotton-wool spots and later spread of cytomegalovirus to retina via damaged vascular endothelium.
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PMID:Acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Pathogenic mechanisms of ocular disease. 298 69

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), is a recently described irreversible dysfunction of cell-mediated immunity in homosexuals, intravenous, drug abusers, and hemophiliacs, with subsequent development of potentially lethal opportunistic infections and/or unusual neoplasms, such as Kaposi's sarcoma. A prospective evaluation of ophthalmic findings in 14 patients with AIDS revealed that 8 patients had ophthalmoscopically and biomicroscopically significant ocular abnormalities, including peripapillary cotton-wool spots of changing frequency and diameter, retinal hemorrhages, progressive cytomegaly virus (CMV) retinitis, acute destructive retinal necrosis, periphlebitis, CMV conjunctivitis and keratitis, and in one patient a conjunctival Kaposi's sarcoma. All patients with AIDS and abnormal ocular findings carry a poor prognosis. Early detection of ocular manifestations is important, since most patients with AIDS are visually asymptomatic, and the ophthalmic presentation may be the primary one, and the initiating contact leading to diagnosis and permitting the prognosis to be assessed.
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PMID:[AIDS and the eye]. 408 13

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a recently described disorder of cellular immunity in homosexuals, intravenous drug abusers, and Haitians. Manifestations include Kaposi's sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and other opportunistic infections. Ophthalmic and autopsy examinations of 30 patients at UCLA revealed frequent ocular abnormalities. Findings included cotton-wool spots (16 patients), cytomegalovirus retinitis (eight patients), conjunctivitis and keratitis (four patients), conjunctival Kaposi's sarcoma (three patients), Mycobacterium avium intracellulare choroidal granulomas (one patient), and retinal periphlebitis (one patient). We feel that the presence of cotton-wool spots in patients with this syndrome indicates a poor prognosis. Immunologic and electronmicroscopic studies of cotton-wool spots revealed no infectious agents or immunoglobulin deposition. Cytomegalovirus retinitis always was associated with a fatal outcome. The retinitis was characterized by an acute inflammatory reaction in 50% of patients. Ophthalmologists should be aware of the syndrome and its ocular manifestations.
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PMID:Acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Ocular manifestations. 631 19

External ocular disease associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can often be overlooked by the eye care practitioner. Different types of external ocular disease can be an indication of the patient's overall immune status as well as the stage of HIV infection. The external ocular sequelae of HIV infection can be of visual consequence for the patient. Eye care practitioners need to become familiar with these conditions. The diagnosis and management of the following ocular conditions associated with HIV infection are reviewed: conjunctival microvascular disease, dry eye, allergic conjunctivitis, microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, herpes simplex keratitis, molluscum contagiosum, fungal keratitis, bacterial keratoconjunctivitis, and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).
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PMID:Review of external ocular disease associated with aids and HIV infection. 872 88

Ophthalmologist with a 4-year history (1993-1997) of practice at the Russian Red Cross Hospital in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) shares his experience. More than 30,000 patients were examined and treated. Interesting cases are described: cytomegalovirus retinitis in the presence of AIDS, AIDS-associated involvement of the eyes (uveitis, keratitis, Kaposi's sarcoma), herpes zoster involvement of the eyes, phlyctenar keratoconjunctivitis, vernal conjunctivitis, trachoma, diseases of the eyes concomitant with syphilis, a case with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada. Clinical course and therapy of these diseases under local conditions are described.
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PMID:[Features of the course and treatment of several eye diseases in Eastern Africa]. 972 Apr

People living with HIV/AIDS are more prone to ocular conditions due to their weakened immune systems. The symptoms of HIV-related ocular conditions, such as cotton wool spots from cytomegalovirus infections, ocular hemorrhage, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), keratitis, conjunctivitis, ocular toxoplasmosis, lymphoma, and herpes Zoster, are presented. References are provided for people with ocular problems.
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PMID:[Ocular troubles and HIV/AIDS]. 1136 97

Phagocytosis is a major mechanism by which the mediators of innate immunity thwart microbial infections. Here we demonstrate that human herpesviruses may have evolved a common mechanism to exploit a phagocytosis-like entrapment to gain entry into ocular cells. While herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) causes corneal keratitis, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with retinitis in immunocompromised individuals. A third herpesvirus, human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), is crucial for the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma, a common AIDS-related tumor of eyelid and conjunctiva. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy, we show that successful infection of ocular cell types by all the three viruses, belonging to three divergent subfamilies of herpesviruses, is facilitated by induction of F-actin rich membrane protrusions. Inhibitors of F-actin polymerization and membrane protrusion formation, cytochalasin D and latrunculin B, were able to block infection by all three viruses. Similar inhibition was seen by blocking phosphoinositide 3 kinase signaling, which is required for microbial phagocytosis. Transmission electron microscopy data using human corneal fibroblasts for HSV-1, human retinal pigment epithelial cells for CMV, and human conjunctival epithelial cells for HHV-8 are consistent with the possibility that pseudopod-like membrane protrusions facilitate virus uptake by the ocular cells. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism by which the nonprofessional mediators of phagocytosis can be infected by human herpesviruses.
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PMID:Nonprofessional phagocytosis can facilitate herpesvirus entry into ocular cells. 2248 69


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