Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: 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)

Atypical pneumonia has been recognized for at least four decades as a clinical syndrome characterized by a less severe clinical course than typical bacterial pneumonia. It is caused by a variety of different organisms including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydiae, rickettsiae, viruses and Legionella pneumophila. Of the chlamydiae, TWAR-strain (Chlamydia pneumonia) is now considered the most important pathogen. Its prevalence in community-acquired pneumonia varies considerably depending on the cyclical nature of the disease, but also on the diagnostic methods applied. The first line therapy in community-acquired pneumonia is usually empirical administration of a penicillin or cephalosporin to cover the bacterial pathogens which usually cause 'typical' pneumonia, most importantly Streptococcus pneumoniae. If, however, atypical pneumonia is diagnosed by bacteriological or serological testing, or is suspected clinically or on the basis of treatment failure, the treatment of choice would be erythromycin 2-4 g or tetracyclines (doxycycline 200 mg) daily for M. pneumoniae pneumonia and C. pneumoniae (TWAR-strain) infection. For coxiella pneumonia tetracycline is preferred. Psittacosis (ornithosis) has a high mortality and must be treated with tetracyclines immediately. Legionella pneumonia is preferably treated with erythromycin 2-4 g for at least three weeks; as an alternative, tetracyclines or quinolones may be given. Quinolones are less effective in mycoplasma and chlamydial infection. The new macrolide antibiotics are promising agents in pneumonia due to M. pneumoniae, L. pneumophila and C. pneumoniae. Compared to erythromycin they have improved pharmacological properties. They have long half-lives allowing once-daily dosing and achieve high tissue and intracellular concentrations.
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PMID:The problems of treating atypical pneumonia. 847 2

IgG and IgM antibodies to a purified human Pneumocystis carinii surface antigen (gp95) were measured in 694 serum specimens from two different population groups using an EIA technique. In a population of 441 patients with no evidence of immunosuppression, the percentage of persons positive for IgG antibodies to gp95 was significantly lower in the age group 1 to 9 years (30%, 23/77) compared to persons 10 to 19 years old (56%, 49/88). In the age group 1 to 14 years there was a significant correlation between the percentage of persons with IgG antibodies to gp95 and age. In 106 consecutive patients under evaluation due to atypical pneumonia, 76 patients showed no change in the titre of antibodies to Legionella spp. or Mycoplasma pneumoniae in two consecutive serum samples. Three of these 76 patients (4%) demonstrated an increase in the level of IgG antibodies to gp95 in the paired samples. One of these patients had a verified Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and the two others were elderly men in whom no microbiological diagnosis of the pneumonia was established. Thus, it is concluded that IgG antibodies to gp95 develop in the majority of nonimmunosuppressed persons before the age of 13. Furthermore, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients suspected of having atypical pneumonia.
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PMID:Antibody response to a major human Pneumocystis carinii surface antigen in patients without evidence of immunosuppression and in patients with suspected atypical pneumonia. 850 Apr 76

In atypical pneumonia, causative organisms are difficult to isolate, so careful clinical assessment is essential in arriving at a working diagnosis. Definitive diagnosis through serologic testing is usually retrospective. Either a high initial titer or a fourfold or greater rise between the acute and convalescent titer is considered diagnostic in a patient with compatible illness. Legionella and mycoplasma organisms may be cultured from respiratory secretions if plated on appropriate culture media. Using a syndromic approach, physicians can almost always differentiate typical from atypical community-acquired pneumonia and narrow diagnostic possibilities among the atypical pathogens, making possible institution of early, possibly lifesaving, empirical therapy.
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PMID:Atypical pneumonia. Extrapulmonary clues guide the way to diagnosis. 853 98

The infection status of Legionella pneumophila in children and its role in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia were investigated. Because exposure to Legionella pneumophila may be highly variable and there has been no unanimously agreed-upon cut-off values in previous seroprevalence studies, 60 serum samples collected from infants aged 12 to 18 months were examined using immunofluorescence antibody test to determine the cut-off titer which represents past Legionella pneumophila infection. An IFA titer of greater than or equal to 32 was found to be suitable to represent past L. pneumophila infection. A seroepidemiological study of the prevalence of L. pneumophila in 180 children showed the prevalences in children aged 7 to 18 years to be between 28.4 and 35%. Fifty-three paired sera were tested to determine the role of Legionella pneumophila in pediatric, community-acquired, atypical pneumonia. The frequency of confirmed disease was 0% and of presumptive cases was 5.7%. Legionella pneumophila was not a common etiologic agent of pediatric pneumonia in Taiwan.
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PMID:Prevalence of Legionella pneumophila infection in children and its role in pediatric community-acquired atypical pneumonia. 875 73

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen is a rare and life-threatening complication of bacterial pneumonia, only six properly documented cases having been reported to date. A case of spontaneous splenic rupture associated with pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila is presented, together with a review of the literature. Most of the patients were aged over 50, but none had predisposing conditions. Left lung involvement predominated. Legionellosis and Q fever were the most frequent etiologic diagnoses. Empiric antibiotic therapy was adequate in all but two patients. One patient died; he had not undergone laparotomy. Spontaneous rupture of the spleen is an extremely rare complication of bacterial pneumonia that endangers the patient's life if surgery is not performed immediately. This complication should be borne in mind in patients with atypical pneumonia who have left quadrant pain and a falling hematocrit, even in the absence of prior splenomegaly.
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PMID:Spontaneous rupture of the spleen associated with pneumonia. 892 73

Clarithromycin is a broad spectrum macrolide antibacterial agent active in vitro and effective in vivo against the major pathogens responsible for respiratory tract infections in immunocompetent patients. It is highly active in vitro against pathogens causing atypical pneumonia (Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella spp.) and has similar activity to other macrolides against Staphylococcus aureus. Streptococcus pyogenes, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Haemophilus influenzae is susceptible or intermediately susceptible to clarithromycin alone, but activity is enhanced when the parent drug and metabolite are combined in vitro. Absorption of clarithromycin is unaffected by food. More than half of an oral dose is systemically available as the parent drug and the active 14-hydroxy metabolite. Pharmacokinetics are nonlinear, with plasma concentrations increasing in more than proportion to the dosage. First-pass metabolism results in the rapid appearance of the active metabolite 14-hydroxy-clarithromycin in plasma. Clarithromycin and its active metabolite are found in greater concentrations in the tissues and fluids of the respiratory tract than in plasma. Dosage adjustments are required for patients with severe renal failure, but not for elderly patients or those with hepatic impairment. Drug interactions related to the cytochrome P450 system may occur with clarithromycin use. In addition to the standard immediate-release formulation for administration twice daily, a modified-release formulation of clarithromycin is now available for use once daily. In dosages of 500 to 1000 mg/day for 5 to 14 days, clarithromycin was as effective in the treatment of community-acquired upper and lower respiratory tract infections in hospital and community settings as beta-lactam agents (with or without a beta-lactamase inhibitor), cephalosporins and most other macrolides. Clarithromycin was similar in efficacy to azithromycin in comparative studies and is as effective as and better tolerated than erythromycin. Adverse events are primarily gastrointestinal in nature, but result in fewer withdrawals from therapy than are seen with erythromycin. Clarithromycin provides similar clinical and bacteriological efficacy to that seen with beta-lactam agents, cephalosporins and other macrolides. It offers a cost-saving alternative to intravenous erythromycin use in US hospitals and is available in both once-daily and twice-daily formulations. The spectrum of activity of clarithromycin against common and emerging respiratory tract pathogens may make it suitable for use in the community as empirical therapy of respiratory tract infections in both children and adults.
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PMID:Clarithromycin. A review of its efficacy in the treatment of respiratory tract infections in immunocompetent patients. 917 28

A prospective study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in the aetiological diagnosis of 75 patients (mean age 58 years) with community-acquired pneumonia who required hospitalization. Measurements of ADA were also carried out in 35 healthy subjects (mean age 52 years). The serum ADA activity in patients with typical bacterial pneumonia (TBP) was 21 +/- 7 IU/l and in controls 22 +/- 9 IU/l. In 43 patients with atypical pneumonia (AP), ADA levels (43 +/- 23 IU/l) were significantly higher than in the previously related groups (p < 0.001). Analysis within the group of atypical pneumonia showed significant differences for infections caused by Coxiella burnetii (61 +/- 19 IU/l, p < 0.001), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (44 +/- 26 IU/l, p < 0.001) and Legionella pneumophila (39 +/- 15 IU/l, p < 0.05), as compared with patients with bacterial pneumonia and normal control subjects. We conclude that serum ADA in patients with community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization may provide useful additional diagnostic information on the aetiology of pulmonary infection.
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PMID:Adenosine deaminase activity in the aetiological diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. 925 91

The efficacy and safety of grepafloxacin in treating patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was assessed in an open-label, noncomparative study. Patients (N = 273) received grepafloxacin 600 mg QD for 10 days. A total of 237 patients (87%) completed the study. In assessable patients, the clinical success rate at follow-up (4 to 6 weeks after the last dose) was 89% (211/238 patients). In microbiologically assessable patients, the eradication rate at follow-up was 95% (86/91 isolates). Grepafloxacin was highly effective in the treatment of bacterial CAP caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (irrespective of penicillin susceptibility), Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus and in the therapy of atypical pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. Grepafloxacin was well tolerated, with the most frequently reported drug-related adverse events being taste perversion and nausea. Grepafloxacin 600 mg QD for 10 days was highly effective and well tolerated in the treatment of patients with CAP.
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PMID:Efficacy and safety of grepafloxacin 600 mg daily for 10 days in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. 938 85

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is one of the major health problems in developing countries such as Indonesia. According to the National Household Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in 1992, LRTIs still rank fourth as the main cause of death in Indonesia. The problem of LRTIs could be simply managed as long as the causative organism can be identified and the proper antibiotic known. In some occasions, it is not quite so easy to identify the causative micro-organism, especially in lower tract infections. There are several methods of obtaining specimens from LRTIs for cultures. The easiest, most simple way is to collect expectorated sputum. Unfortunately, because of the high rate of contamination by upper respiratory tract flora, this method is not reliable. Recognizing the difficulties with routine expectorated sputum cultures, two alternative approaches have been suggested. One approach is to bypass potential expectorated sputum 'contaminants' in the oropharynx by transtracheal aspiration or transthoracic aspiration. The second approach is to modify the usual technique of processing expectorated sputum by either washing techniques or by quantitative cultures. Azithromycin and clarithromycin are chemically related to macrolide erithromycin. Both antibiotics retain the traditional macrolide spectrum of activity against gram-positive and atypical pneumonia pathogens, while demonstrating improved activity against gram-negative bacteria. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) recommended the use of macrolide for outpatients with community-acquired pneumonia, without comorbidity and 60 years of age or younger. A total of 34 outpatients with acute LRTIs were open-comparative, randomly allocated to treatment with the new macrolide in Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, 1996. The purposes of this study were: (i) to identify the causative micro-organisms; and (ii) to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the new macrolide in these infections. Azithromycin 500 mg was given orally once a day for 3 days and was administered 1 h before or 2 h after every meal. Clarithromycin 500 mg was given orally every 12 h for 10 days. The diagnosis of the patients were: 16 with pneumonia, 10 with acute bronchitis and 8 with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. In this study of 34 patients, the sputum specimens were washed with N acetylcysteine before culture and we could only detect micro-organisms in one patient. Before treatment, we found 47 strains in 33 (97.05%) patients and after treatment we found five strains. From serological examination, only four (11.76%) atypical bacterial were detected. The most frequently found microorganisms were 23 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (40.42%), 10 of Streptococcus alpha haemolyticus (21.26%), five of Streptococcus pneumoniae (10.63%) and five of Staphylococcus aureus (10.63%). The atypical bacterial were: two Legionella pneumophila, one Mycoplasma pneumoniae and one Chlamydia pneumoniae. The clinical efficacy of new macrolides were 100% and the bacteriological responses with eradication of 94.12% vs 70.59% of isolates in the azithromycin and clarithromycin groups are shown in Table 1. There were no adverse reactions detected in the two treatment groups until the end of the study.
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PMID:The pattern of micro-organisms and the efficacy of new macrolide in acute lower respiratory tract infections. 969 20

An open comparative study was undertaken in order to assess the efficacy and safety of a single dose of azithromycin in the treatment of community-acquired atypical pneumonia. A total of 100 adult patients with atypical pneumonia syndrome were randomized to receive 1.5 g of azithromycin as a single dose, or 500 mg once daily for 3 days. The presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, Coxiella burnetii, and Legionella pneumophila infection was diagnosed by serological tests. Control clinical examinations were performed 72 h, 10-12 days and 4 weeks after treatment initiation. Among 96 patients (48 in each group) who were evaluable for clinical efficacy M. pneumoniae infection was confirmed in 24, C. pneumoniae in nine, C. psittaci in five, C. burnetii in six, and L. pneumophila in five. Forty-seven patients (97.9%) in each group were cured. Side effects were observed in two patients in the single-dose group, and one patient in the 3-day group. In conclusion, a single 1.5 g dose of azithromycin may be an alternative to the standard 3-day azithromycin regimen in the treatment of outpatients with atypical pneumonia syndrome.
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PMID:Azithromycin: single 1.5 g dose in the treatment of patients with atypical pneumonia syndrome--a randomized study. 1037 32


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