Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032285 (pneumonia)
 54,520 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Innovations in immunosuppressant therapy often transfer from renal transplantation to heart transplantation. Accordingly, there is growing interest in calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)- and steroid-sparing regimens for heart transplant patients. The novel proliferation signal inhibitor, Certican (everolimus), has been shown to allow reduced CNI exposure in renal transplant recipients without loss of efficacy. It has also demonstrated efficacy for reducing biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in de novo heart transplantation. The present study reports early clinical experience of introducing everolimus as maintenance immunosuppression in heart transplant recipients whose previous regimen had failed. A 58-year-old woman received an organ from a 56-year-old female donor. She was prescribed cyclosporine for micromemulsion (CsA; Neoral), azathioprine, prednisolone and atorvastatin. After 3 months, azathioprine was switched to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). At Month 27, the patient experienced Grade 3A BPAR, had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 20%, and compromised renal function. After steroid boluses to control BPAR, everolimus 3.0 mg/day was prescribed, while CsA and prednisolone doses were reduced. One month later, the patient contracted herpes labialis and pneumonia, and creatinine was elevated; CsA was stopped, everolimus dose was reduced to 1.5 mg/day and prednisolone reduced further. After another month, LVEF recovered to 50% and creatinine was 1.29 mg/dl. There was evidence of hyperlipidemia, which responded to atorvastatin 10 mg. For maintenance immunosuppression after heart transplantation, everolimus may allow CsA dose reduction and could be efficacious in combination with MMF. Further studies are required to confirm its efficacy and effects on CAV.
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PMID:Clinical experience with Certican (everolimus) in maintenance heart transplant patients at the Medical University of Vienna. 1577 24

The use of proliferative signal inhibitors (PSIs) in immunosuppression-related malignancies opens new roads for increasing the survival and quality of life in patients with solid organ transplantation. A 56-year-old female recipient of a living donor renal allograft (1990), who was immunosuppressed with cyclosporine (CsA; Neoral), azathioprine, and steroids, did initially well with acceptable renal function. During the last 5 years she required local therapy due to posterior vaginal lip human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions. In 2000, she discontinued azathioprine and the CsA doses were reduced to 100 mg daily. The local lesion showed a good response to reduced immunosuppression. In February 2005, the lesion reappeared and a biopsy showed malignancy. Local surgery was performed and CsA was replaced by everolimus (EVL; Certican). Two months after treatment initiation, the patient developed cough, dyspnea, and low-grade fever. Chest X-ray showed a lesion at the base of the left lung compatible with pneumonitis. After fiberbronchoscopy a diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) was obtained. She was treated with increased doses of oral steroids. EVL was never discontinued. The radiological lesion disappeared and the malignancy is currently in remission. In summary, a case of gynecological cancer in a renal transplant recipient was treated by surgical removal. After 1 year of immunosuppression with EVL, no recurrence has been observed. The adverse event (BOOP) was probably related to the PSI treatment and was controlled with an increased dose of steroids without discontinuing EVL.
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PMID:Case report of a kidney transplant recipient converted to everolimus due to malignancy: resolution of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia without everolimus discontinuation. 1744 52

Liver disease is a major medical problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is mostly due to viral hepatitis. Liver transplantation is the only option for patients with end-stage liver disease offering good long-term survival. The first liver transplant at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital was performed in February 1994 and since then, 40 liver transplants have been performed on 37 patients. Immunosuppression consisted of prednisone combined with cyclosporin (Neoral) or FK 506. Maintenance immunosuppression was with the use of cyclosporin or FK 506 as monotherapy. All, but one patient, survived the surgical procedure; there were no cases of primary non-function; acute cellular rejection occurred in 12 patients all of whom responded to steroids. Pneumonia and biliary sepsis occurred in 12 patients each. A total of 10 patients died, with sepsis being the leading cause of death. The overall graft survival was 73%. Donor shortage continues to be a major limiting factor.
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PMID:Liver transplantation at king fahad national guard hospital riyadh, kingdom of saudi arabia. 1841 35