Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Failure of host defense systems associated with malignancies may be attributable to the tumor, to cytoreductive therapy or to combined endogenous and iatrogenic influences. Management of the resulting increased susceptibility to infections may require supplementation of antibiotic therapy with additional forms of treatment, including passive immunization with antibodies. This review discusses the use of immunoglobulin preparations for intravenous administration (IVIG) in patients with secondary immunodeficiencies associated with neoplasia. A suitable model for evaluating the prophylactic effect of IVIG is chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Many observations suggest that IVIG reduces the frequency of acute respiratory infections. Another malignant condition with decreased serum levels of polyclonal immunoglobulins and high frequency of infections is multiple myeloma. A crossover study recently demonstrated that IVIG significantly (P less than 0.01) reduced the frequency of respiratory tract infections in these patients. Furthermore the prophylactic effect of IVIG was evaluated in patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung. In a randomized prospective trial it was noticed that IVIG applied during intensive chemotherapy and irradiation courses significantly (P = 0.04) reduced the frequency of infections. Evidence for a therapeutic effect of IVIG was obtained in adult tumor patients and in children with leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who developed severe varicella-zoster virus infections. The treatment effectively controlled fever, skin lesions and neuralgia and prevented progression of the infection. Therapeutic usefulness of IVIG in bacterial infections is still based on anecdotal evidence. Experimental data suggest that in addition to effects mediated by specific antibodies, nonspecific interactions of IgG molecules with Fc-receptors on macrophages may be clinically important.
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PMID:Prophylactic and therapeutic use of immunoglobulin for intravenous administration in patients with secondary immunodeficiencies associated with malignancies. 284 Jun 30

Varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family, is responsible for both primary (varicella, chickenpox) as well as reactivation (zoster, shingles) infections. In immunocompetent patients, the course of varicella is generally benign. For varicella zoster, post-herpetic neuralgia is the most common complication. In immunocompromised patients (particularly those with AIDS), transplant recipients and cancer patients, VZV infections can be life-threatening. For these patients and also for immunocompetent patients at risk such as pregnant women or premature infants, the current treatment of choice is based on either intravenous or oral aciclovir (acyclovir). The low oral bioavailability of aciclovir, as well as the emergence of drug-resistant virus strains, have stimulated efforts towards the development of new compounds for the treatment of individuals with VZV infections. Among these new compounds, penciclovir, its oral prodrug form famciclovir and the oral pro-drug form of aciclovir (valaciclovir), rank among the most promising. As with aciclovir itself, all of these drugs are dependent on the virus-encoded thymidine kinase (TK) for their intracellular activation (phosphorylation), and, upon conversion to their triphosphate form, they act as inhibitors/alternative substrate of the viral DNA polymerase. Therefore, cross-resistance to these drugs may be expected for those virus mutants that are TK-deficient and thus resistant to aciclovir. Other classes of nucleoside analogues dependent for their phosphorylation on the viral TK that have been pursued for the treatment of VZV infections include sorivudine, brivudine, fialuridine, fiacitabine and netivudine. Among oxetanocins, which are partially dependent on viral TK, lobucavir is now under clinical evaluation. Foscarnet, which does not require any previous metabolism to interact with the viral DNA polymerase, is used in the clinic when TK-deficient VZV mutants emerge during aciclovir treatment. TK-deficient mutants are also sensitive to the acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (i.e. [s]-1-[3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl]cytosine; HPMPC); these agents do not depend on the virus-encoded TK for their phosphorylation but depend on cellular enzymes for conversion to their diphosphoryl derivatives which then inhibit viral DNA synthesis. Vaccination for VZV has now come of age. It is recommended for healthy children, patients with leukaemia, and patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy or those with chronic diseases. The protection induced by the vaccine seems, to some extent, to include zoster and associated neuralgia. Passive immuniatin based on specific immunoglobulins does not effectively prevent VZV infection and is therefore restricted to high risk individuals (i.e. immunocompromised children and pregnant women).
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PMID:Current pharmacological approaches to the therapy of varicella zoster virus infections: a guide to treatment. 1018 60

The pineal hormone melatonin is the mediator of external light to physiologic adaptation to day and night rhythms, it regulates reproduction in animals but attempts to utilize melatonin in women for contraception have failed. Melatonin seems to be the natural hormone to facilitate sleep in insomniac patients and causes no hang over. When applied together with benzodiazepine it allows reduction of benzodiazepine without withdrawal effects. It should be applied 2 h before sleeping time in doses between 3 and 5 mg. Melatonin acts via the gamma-aminobutyric acid- and benzodiazepine receptor explaining its success in treatment of seizures in children and in adults. Constant application of benzodiazepine reduced the production of natural melatonin in rats, supporting the evidence that long-term application of benzodiazepine in humans does not restore sleeping habits but reduces natural sleeping habits even more. Low melatonin levels were seen in bulimia or neuralgia and in women with fibromyalgia; replacement reduced pain, sleeping disorders, and depression in fibromyalgia and bulimia. Melatonin profiles are a diagnostic tool to distinguish between several forms of depression, like major depression, winter depression (SAD), unipolar depression, delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). In patients with a major depression success with antidepressants correlated with an increase in their melatonin profiles but only patients suffering from DSPS can be successfully treated with melatonin. In perimenopausal women melatonin administration did produce a change in LH, FSH and thyroid hormones. Some oncostatic properties are supported by cell culture work and studies in animals. In Nordic countries indigenous people suffer less from breast and prostate cancer, winter darkness seems to protect. The supposedly increased melatonin levels created the 'melatonin hypothesis'. Epidemiological studies did show that blind people indeed have half the rate of breast cancers, supporting the hypothesis. Controversial results concerning melatonin and insulin resistance and glucose tolerance have been published. In postmenopausal women application of melatonin reduced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Pregnant women should avoid melatonin, since its teratogenic effect is not known. Patients suffering from non-hormone dependent tumors, like leukemia, should avoid melanin, since tumor growth was promoted in animal experiments. It can be expected that melatonin will receive wide consideration for treatment of sleeping disturbances, jet lag, and fibromyalgia once an oral formulation becomes available in Europe.
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PMID:Melatonin deficiencies in women. 1195 97

This review is aimed to summarize the experimental researches in the influences of static magnetic field on laboratory rodent models, reported by laboratory scientists, experimental technicians, clinical surgeons, animal veterinarians, and other researchers. Past studies suggested that static magnetic field-singly applied or used combined with other physical or chemical substances-significantly relieved some pains and ameliorated certain diseases in different organ systems, e.g. hypertension, osteoporosis, neuralgia, diabetes and leukemia etc. But on the other hand, some harmful events have also been observed in a number of investigations, from cellular level to fetal development. So exposure to static magnetic field might have dual effects on experimental rodent in various environments, viz. there are potentially therapeutic benefits, as well as adverse effects from it. The positive effect may relate to moderate intensities, while negative influence seems to be in connection with acute strong static magnetic fields. In addition, different orientations of static magnetic field exert different degrees of impact. Thus, the bioeffects of static magnetic field exposure on mice/rats depend on magnetic field intensities, durations and directions, though the exactly relationship between them is still vague. Further researches need to perform with appropriate methodologies, ingenious designs repeatedly and systemically, not only in animal models, but also in human volunteers and patients.
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PMID:A review of bioeffects of static magnetic field on rodent models. 2423