Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023241 (Legionella)
 6,990 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Over a two year period, we studied prospectively 80 cases of diffuse pneumonia at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 72 per cent of these, the patient had leukemia or lymphoma. Diagnostic procedures consisted of extensive serologic testing for antibody to known respiratory pathogens, including the agent of Legionnaire's disease, and culturing of biopsy specimens for bacteria, viruses, mycoplasmas and fungi. Of 44 cases in which open lung biopsy was performed, a specific cause was found in 61.4 per cent: Pneumocystis carinii in 38.6 per cent, other infections in 9.1 per cent and tumor involvement in 13.7 per cent. There were nonspecific pulmonary changes in 38.6 per cent. Of the 56 cases in which biopsy, autopsy or both were performed, a specific diagnosis was made in 69.7 per cent: P. carinii infection in 37.5 per cent and other infections in 12.5 per cent. In cases in which neither biopsy nor autopsy was performed, a specific infection was diagnosed in 33 per cent; no specific diagnosis was made in the remainder. One patient in the entire group had a significant antibody titer for Legionnaire's disease. Although diagnostic in some cases, extensive serologic testing proved relatively unfruitful. Pneumocystosis was the most frequent diagnosis in this study. The cause of some cases remained obscure, even after lung biopsy.
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PMID:Diffuse pulmonary infiltrates in immunosuppressed patients. Prospective study of 80 cases. 42 Feb 37

A 40-year-old man was admitted with high fever and cough. Pneumonic shadows of the left middle and lower lung fields increased rapidly, and his blood gases worsened. Initial treatment with cefmenoxime, piperacillin, and minocycline was ineffective. Administration of rifampicin was started for suspected legionella pneumonia, but it did not control the spread of the pneumonia shadows. After addition of an antifungal agent and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, his symptoms gradually improved. Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from sputum specimens collected on the 4th day of admission confirmed the diagnosis on day 10. The patient was then given oral rifampicin plus cefmenoxime to prevent mixed infection, and showed a satisfactory improvement. Legionella pneumonia developed secondary to compromise of the patient's immunity due to steroid therapy for MDS. After recovering from Legionella pneumonia, the patient subsequently developed tuberculous pleurisy and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which were cured by antituberculous therapy and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. However, acute hepatitis followed by hepatic failure developed, and he died on day 121 after admission.
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PMID:[A case of Legionella pneumonia with myelodysplastic syndrome]. 128 32

Choosing appropriate antimicrobial therapy for patients with pneumonia requires knowledge of the etiologic agents seen in specific kinds of patients at specific times and places. For community-acquired pneumonia, there is an important difference in the agents seen in the normal and the compromised host. The normal host most often presents with viral, mycoplasmal, or pneumococcal pneumonia. The exact place of Chlamydia pneumoniae is still under study. A normal host who aspirates is at risk of anaerobic pneumonia. Normal hosts with influenza may acquire superinfection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, or Staphylococcus aureus. Under specific epidemiologic conditions, community-acquired pneumonia may be due to Legionella species, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia psittaci, a mycotic agent, or tuberculosis. Patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema are predisposed to H. influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and S. pneumoniae infections. HIV-infected patients are likely to have Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and pneumonia due to cytomegalovirus, S. pneumoniae, and H. influenzae. Patients with diabetes, nursing-home patients, hospitalized patients, immuno-compromised patients, and patients with recent antibiotic therapy are predisposed to pneumonia due to Gram-negative aerobic bacilli of enteric and environmental origin. Initial therapy should be directed at the likely organism or organisms based on hospital susceptibility surveillance. In the normal host with community-acquired pneumonia, the therapy will often be penicillin G or erythromycin. In the patient predisposed to Gram-negative pneumonia, a third-generation cephalosporin with or without an aminoglycoside is the usual choice.
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PMID:Pneumonia. Patient profiles, choice of empiric therapy, and the place of third-generation cephalosporins. 173 Jan 86

A rapid diagnostic team was formed to facilitate the diagnosis of pulmonary infections in solid organ transplant recipients. Seventy-seven renal and three liver transplant recipients developed 86 episodes of pneumonitis between 6 and 2,410 days posttransplant (median, 117 days). A diagnosis was established in all but seven patients. More than one diagnosis was established in 25. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) occurred in 51 episodes, bacterial pneumonia in 16 episodes, Pneumocystis carinii (PCP) in 11 episodes, fungal or Nocardia in 10 episodes, and Legionellosis in six episodes. Over half of the episodes of pneumonitis occurred in the period 1 to 4 months posttransplant. Bacterial pneumonia occurred significantly later than pneumonitis caused by PCP, Legionella, or CMV. Death occurred in 24 transplant recipients (31%) including 19 of 49 patients (39%) with CMV. Diffuse disease was the most common abnormality noted on initial chest roentgenogram (79 of 111, 71%). Interstitial infiltrates were the most common type of radiographic lesion observed, accounting for 62 of 111 (56%). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed in 69 transplant recipients. Thirty-six of the 65 diagnoses made were established early, within 24 hours after bronchoscopy. Of the remaining diagnoses established later than 24 hours, all but one case of CMV was included. Bronchial alveolar lavage alone established 31 of the diagnoses. Bronchial brushings alone established only six cases, including five episodes of bacterial pneumonia and one case of CMV. We conclude that a team approach relying on fiberoptic bronchoscopy is useful in establishing the diagnosis of pulmonary infections in solid organ transplant recipients.
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PMID:The rapid diagnosis of pulmonary infections in solid organ transplant recipients. 216 Jul 17

Pneumonia due to Legionella has been identified in a small percentage of patients suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), with and without coexisting Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. On chest radiographs Legionella typically produces focal parenchymal opacities and confluent lobar consolidation. The authors describe a case of cavitating Legionella pneumonia, which occurred in a 38-year-old man who had AIDS. The main differential diagnoses are an unusual presentation of P. carinii pneumonia and fungal infection. The authors also emphasize the increasing recognition of bacterial pneumonia with atypical radiologic features in AIDS patients.
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PMID:Legionella lung cavitation. 232 18

Overwhelming Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) carries a poor prognosis. Patients who require mechanical ventilation have up to a 90% mortality rate despite vigorous treatment. Although there are theoretic contraindications to steroid use in severely immunocompromised individuals, case reports of AIDS patients with PCP either inadvertently or intentionally given steroids have shown benefit. We report a series of seven patients whose AIDS and PCP worsened with conventional therapy and who subsequently received high-dose intravenous steroid therapy. All patients required intubation or a high inspired oxygen concentration. Four patients with uncomplicated PCP had a rapid and sustained response to steroids. Three patients with mixed infections (cytomegalovirus, Legionella pneumophila, and Pneumococcus) had transient improvement in gas exchange, though two of these patients subsequently died. Our experience is similar to that of others and suggests that corticosteroids may be of benefit in patients with AIDS and overwhelming PCP. We postulate that pulmonary inflammation is a major determinant of the severity of PCP in AIDS, and that this inflammation may be diminished by high-dose corticosteroid therapy.
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PMID:High-dose corticosteroid therapy for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 266 Feb 89

Since 1980 a new epidemic form of disseminated mucocutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) with a progressive clinical course has been observed in populations at risk. Since 1982, 13 cases of AIDS-associated KS have been seen in our department; all of them were in young homosexual males with circulating HIV antibodies and a reduction in the ratio of T-helper to T-suppressor lymphocytes (0.05-1.3). Following systemic treatment with recombinant alpha A-interferon (rIFN-alpha A) over a period of 6 months (18 million IU/day for 3 months; later 18 million IU/3 X weekly) together with other concomitant measures (superficial X-ray radiation, argon laser radiation, surgical excision of isolated lesions) we registered complete remission of the remaining lesions in 2 cases, progression of the disease in 4 cases, and at least temporary stabilization of the disease in 7 cases. In 4 patients opportunistic infections occurred during rIFN treatment: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) with lethal outcome in 2 cases, atypical mycobacteriosis in 2 cases, and Legionella pneumoniae infection in 1 case. Two additional deaths were registered due to PCP appearing during the post-treatment period. Life-threatening virus infections were not observed during rIFN treatment. Out of 9 patients receiving prophylactic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole medication, only 1 developed allergic exanthema as a result of this drug combination. Occasionally, rIFN-induced leukopenia was seen and pronounced thrombocytopenia appeared in 1 patient during treatment. Overall, systemic rIFN therapy was well tolerated; its long-term administration in patients with AIDS-associated mucocutaneous KS seems to be well justified according to these preliminary observations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Disseminated mucocutaneous Kaposi sarcoma in AIDS. Clinical and therapeutic experiences in 13 patients]. 361 Jun 36

Pulmonary infiltrates in the patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may be associated with a spectrum of unusual neoplastic and infectious process. Transbronchial biopsy frequently reveals the cause of these infiltrates; however, when transbronchial biopsy is nondiagnostic or contraindicated, or if the patient fails to improve after a diagnostic transbronchial biopsy, further investigation is warranted to direct appropriate therapy. Efficacy of 23 open-lung biopsies in 19 AIDS patients with pulmonary infiltrates was evaluated to define the indications for and the diagnostic yield of open-lung biopsy. Pulmonary infiltrates were recognized for a mean duration (+/- standard error) of 16 +/- 2 days before open-lung biopsy and were associated with fever and cough. These patients did not have prior transbronchial biopsy, and open-lung biopsy was diagnostic in all of these. Prior transbronchial biopsy performed in the remaining 16 patients was nondiagnostic in 10. Open-lung biopsy was diagnostic in 70% of these patients (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, 2 patients; Kaposi's sarcoma, 3 patients; Kaposi's sarcoma and Legionella pneumophila, 1 patient; cytomegalovirus, 1 patient). The other 6 patients having a previous diagnostic transbronchial biopsy failed to improve with therapy, and open-lung biopsy resulted in a therapeutic change in 67% of these patients. Two deaths were attributable to open-lung biopsy in patients with postoperative thrombocytopenic hemorrhage. Open-lung biopsy should be performed in AIDS patients when transbronchial biopsy is nondiagnostic or contraindicated, or in patients who fail to improve with appropriate therapy after diagnostic transbronchial biopsy, especially in patients with Kaposi's sarcoma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Indications for and diagnostic efficacy of open-lung biopsy in the patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). 395 3

Most nosocomial pathogens cause pneumonia through the following sequence: transit to the patient on the hands of medical personnel or perhaps in food, proliferation in the nasopharynx, and subsequent pulmonary aspiration. There are three exceptional pathogens, each of particular concern as a cause of pneumonia in the immunocompromised patient, which follow atypical routes. Important recent advances in understanding these routes permit more rational preventive measures. This report examines the evidentiary basis for the following pathophysiolgic propositions about these three pathogens: Aspergillus, Pneumocystis carinii, and Legionella. Aspergillus spores are almost ubiquitous. Spore generation, except in very unusual circumstances, takes place outside the hospital. Most spores enter the hospital borne in air by infiltration or because of incomplete filtration. Air filtration systems of moderate efficiency remove Aspergillus spores. Nosocomial pulmonary and disseminated aspergillosis arises from inhalation of airborne spores. A nasopharygeal colonization intermediate step before pulmonary disease has not yet been solidly established. It is now firmly established that airborne Pneumocystic carinii transmission occurs between animals. Airborne acquisition probably occurs early in human life. However, in-hospital, person-to-person transmission has yet to be convincingly demonstrated. Most or all cases of pneumocystosis in adults are due to reactivation of endogenous pulmonary organisms. Intensive diagnostic efforts reveal that Legionella is a common cause of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia in hospitals where it had not previously been recognized. However, there are at least a few hospitals where it is an uncommon source of pneumonia. Several hospitals have demonstrated a temporal association between the presence of Legionella in hot water systems and nosocomial cases of Legionella pneumonia. The mechanism or mechanisms of transmission to the patient remain to be delineated. It is also not determined if all hospital hot water systems should be maintained Legionella free.
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PMID:Extrinsic risk factors for pneumonia in the patient at high risk of infection. 637 78

Using indirect immunofluorescence, we examined 713 serum specimens submitted for Pneumocystis carinii serologic studies from 566 patients for antibody to the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. This group was chosen because it presumably consisted largely of immunosuppressed patients with acute respiratory illnesses. Of patients tested, 3.4% had titers of 1:128 or greater to Legionella pneumophila. Four (3.7%) of 107 patients for whom multiple specimens were submitted showed diagnostic increases in titer. The proportion of seropositive specimens did not vary with the age, sex, or geographic location of the patients or with season of the year in which the specimens were submitted. In a separate group of 138 serum specimens from 48 patients undergoing marrow transplantation, only 1 seropositive specimen was detected. No estimate of incidence is possible from these studies, but serologic evidence of past or current infection with Legionella pneumophila is uncommon in patients in whom Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is suspected on clinical grounds. Nevertheless, Legionnaires' disease can affect the immunosuppressed host and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pneumonia in such a patient.
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PMID:Legionnaires' disease bacterium: prevalence of antibody reacting with the organism in patients suspected of having infection with Pneumocystis carinii. 699 33


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