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)

Clarithromycin is a new macrolide with a broad spectrum of activity against Gram-positive cocci, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia and selected Mycobacteria, Legionella and protozoa. The drug has a half-life of more than 4 hours and thus can be administered in a twice daily schedule. Clarithromycin is well-tolerated in children and adults and produces fewer gastrointestinal side effects than erythromycin. High concentrations of the drug are achieved in plasma and in cells and tissues including tonsil, lung and middle ear fluids. Clinical efficacy has been demonstrated in randomized multicenter trials of infants and children with acute otitis media, streptococcal pharyngitis and infections of skin and skin structures. Results of these comparative trials with randomized patients receiving clarithromycin or standard drugs identified equivalent clinical and bacteriologic outcomes. A higher rate of eradication of group A Streptococcus from the pharynx was achieved with clarithromycin than with penicillin VK. The potential advantages provided by high concentrations of clarithromycin in cells and tissues such as more rapid clinical improvement or shortened dosage schedules are still to be identified.
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PMID:Clarithromycin: where do we go from here? 829 17

We developed a diagnostic array of oligonucleotide probes targeting species-specific variable regions of the genes encoding topoisomerases GyrB and ParE of respiratory bacterial pathogens. Suitable broad-range primer sequences were designed based on alignment of gyrB/parE sequences from nine different bacterial species. These species included Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Specific probe sequences were selected by comparative analysis against the European Bioinformatics Database, as well as gyrB/parE sequences generated for this study. To verify specificity, at least six initial oligonucleotide probe sequences per bacterial species were tested by hybridization on a solid glass support using culture collection strains as templates. Finally, three oligonucleotide probes per bacterial species were utilized to examine 65 middle ear fluid and 29 throat swab samples. The sensitivities of the developed assay compared to classic culture from middle ear fluid samples for H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, and S. pneumoniae were 96 (93 for culture), 73 (93 for culture), and 100% (78% for culture), respectively. No cross-reactivity with bacterial species belonging to the normal oral flora was observed when the 29 throat swab samples were studied. The sensitivity of the assay to detect S. pyogenes from these samples was 93% (80% for culture). These results provide a proof of concept for the diagnostic use of microarray technology based on broad-range topoisomerase gene amplification, followed by hybridization and specific detection of bacterial species.
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PMID:Use of an oligonucleotide array for laboratory diagnosis of bacteria responsible for acute upper respiratory infections. 1536 22