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)

Virus replication is described, and the clinical trials and indications for amantadine, rimantadine, vidarabine, vidarabine phosphate, acyclovir, ribavirin, and other promising antiviral agents are reviewed. Amantadine and rimantadine are useful for the treatment and prophylaxis of viral influenza A infections. Vidarabine is a second-line agent and is effective for the treatment of herpes simplex encephalitis, neonatal herpes simplex types 1 and 2, and varicella-zoster infections. Vidarabine phosphate (also known as vidarabine monophosphate) has a similar spectrum of activity and can be administered in smaller volumes than vidarabine. Acyclovir has demonstrated clinical efficacy for chickenpox, shingles (herpes zoster), genital herpes, and other herpes simplex infections. Acyclovir is also useful for the suppression of herpes infections. Systemically administered ribavirin is indicated for the treatment of Lassa fever. Aerosol ribavirin is effective for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in children and infants and influenza A infections in adults. Only acyclovir, amantadine, ribavirin, and vidarabine are used in clinical practice. Vidarabine phosphate and investigational agents such as rimantadine, ganciclovir (DHPG, BW B759U), phosphonoformate, and bromovinyl-deoxyuridine (BVDU) need further investigation.
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PMID:Recent advances in antiviral therapy. 354 44

Primary varicella-zoster virus infection (chickenpox) in immunocompromised children is frequently associated with visceral dissemination and attendant high mortality. Eight children with malignant neoplasms and chickenpox with visceral involvement (seven with hepatitis, three with pneumonitis, two with encephalitis, and two with coagulopathy) were initially treated with intravenously (IV) administered vidarabine but demonstrated progressive visceral involvement. After three days of vidarabine treatment (two days for two patients), seven had rising serum SGPT levels, all eight had pneumonitis, seven had deteriorating mental status and/or seizure activity, and six had worsening coagulopathy. Vidarabine was replaced by IV administered acyclovir, with subsequent improvement in all but the most severely ill patient who died. Seven of eight patients recovered completely; no side effects of acyclovir were observed. This clinical experience suggests that acyclovir may be more effective than vidarabine in disseminated varicella infection; however, controlled clinical trials will be necessary to establish this.
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PMID:Acyclovir treatment of disseminated varicella in childhood malignant neoplasms. 385 82