Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0034063 (pulmonary edema)
 10,665 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Methotrexate, an antifolate cytotoxic drug, is used in anticancer chemotherapy as well as an immuno suppressive in rheumatoid arthritis. It is responsible for numerous secondary effects, amongst which is a characteristic acute pneumonia known since 1969. This pneumonitis has been described in detail, up to the present time in 78 cases gathered in this review. The prevalence of this complication is estimated at around 7%. This pneumonia may occur whatever the age, indication for which methotrexate is prescribed, the route of administration of the product (including the intra-thecal route) and the dose. It includes dyspnoea, fever, (sometimes quite marked) and frequently an acute reversible respiratory failure. Radiologically the opacities are usually diffuse interstitial and symmetrical with a basal predominance with sometimes some confluence and occasionally a pleural reaction. In a small number of cases a transient mediastinal adenopathy has been described. Respiratory function tests show a rapidly developing restrictive syndrome accompanied by hypoxia and hypocapnia. Broncho-alveolar lavage is characterised by hypercellularity with a frank and apparently transitory lymphocytosis. Histologically the most frequent lesion sighted is an extensive acute granulomatous reaction with or without oedema. Most often the outcome is favourable (75% of cases). However 6 deaths due to respiratory failure have been reported. Even though there has not been any formal test, steroid therapy in high dosage seems to accelerate recovery. Progress to an irreversible pulmonary fibrosis is possible but rare. The mechanism of this drug related acute pneumonia is not known but would seem to resemble that of other granulomatosis. Besides this rapidly progressive pneumonitis, methotrexate is responsible for a very small number of cases of severe pulmonary oedema and of acute painful pleurisies.
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PMID:[Pneumopathy caused by methotrexate]. 225 35

Using infections of Plasmodium berghei in laboratory mice, the following physiopathological changes were observed during the seven days of the infection: reduction in haematocrit, increases in parasitized erythrocytes, pulmonary oedema, hypothermia, formation of prostaglandin-like substances in the central nervous system, increases and decreases in plasma bradykininogen levels and leucocytosis, as evidenced by neutrophilia, lymphocytosis and monocytosis. We found no changes in total plasma protein levels and albumin/globulin ratio.
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PMID:Plasmodium berghei: physiopathological changes during infections in mice. 636 86

A 17-year-old female patient who had been taking oral minocycline (50 mg twice daily) for 3 weeks for acne developed an eruption that progressed to an exfoliative dermatitis. This illness was also characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, pharyngitis, a leukemoid reaction, lymphocytosis, eosinophilia, hepatitis, and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. Dramatic improvement followed institution of corticosteroid therapy. Studies for infectious and collagen vascular diseases were negative. This severe illness was likely caused by minocycline, and we speculate that minocycline may have acted as a superantigen, causing lymphocyte over-activation and massive cytokine release.
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PMID:Fever, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, lymphocytosis, hepatitis, and dermatitis: a severe adverse reaction to minocycline. 944 27

Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a pleiotropic type II cytokine which has been shown to have a direct killing effect on lymphoma and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) cells in vitro. The clinical effects and toxicity of IL-4 treatment in patients with B-CLL were evaluated. Fourteen patients with B-CLL who were in partial remission after chemotherapy received one, two or three 8-week cycles of escalating doses (2, 4 or 6 microg/kg/d s.c.) of IL-4 for 3 d/week. Clinical response was analysed after each treatment cycle and toxicity was monitored continuously. Ten patients (71%) had progressive disease (PD) during IL-4 treatment. This was mainly attributable to an increase (two- to fourfold) of the blood lymphocyte count during IL-4 therapy. After cessation of IL-4 treatment, the lymphocytosis decreased spontaneously in 8 out of 12 evaluable patients. Splenomegaly remained unchanged in 7/7 patients, whereas enlarged lymph nodes were reduced by > 50% in 1/13 patients and by 25-50% in 4/13 patients. None of the patients achieved an objective tumour regression (complete or partial remission). A temporary increase (16-60%) of the platelet count was observed during IL-4 treatment. The platelet count decreased in 8/11 patients after the end of IL-4 therapy. World Health Organization (WHO) grade I/II fever, arthralgia and fatigue was observed in one-third of the patients and was more commonly seen with the highest dose (6 microg/kg/d). One patient developed pulmonary oedema and WHO grade III neutropenia was recorded in three patients. IL-4 was well tolerated by most patients in an outpatient setting. The anti-tumour activity observed in previous in vitro studies was not verified by the present in vivo trial which showed that IL-4 may instead increase the number of CLL cells in blood, indicating that IL-4 may have induced a stimulatory or antiapoptotic effect on the CLL cells in blood. These results may have important implications for the development of immunotherapy of CLL. In addition, the potential platelet-stimulatory effect of IL-4 warrants further studies.
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PMID:Interleukin 4 therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a phase I/II study. 1116 96

20 children, diagnosed with scrub typhus who attended Chiang Rai Regional Hospital during a period of 6 months from June 2003 to December 2003, were studied prospectively. All cases were serologically proved to be scrub typhus by using Dipstick or indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique. The most common clinical feature was eschar (75%). Others included hepatomegaly (65%), cough (60%), lymphadenopathy (40%), tachypnea (35%), constipation (25%), abdominal pain (20%), edema (20%), splenomegaly (15%), vomiting (15%), rash (15%) and petichia (5%) respectively. Chest radiography showed abnormalities in 85% with mostly bilateral interstitial infiltrations. Elevated of SGOT: SGPT were detected in 18 (90%) and 15 (75%) cases. Hypoalbuminemia was detected in 12 (60%) cases. Complete blood count showed PMN leukocytosis (> 60%) in 12 (60%) cases, lymphocytosis (> 40%) and atypical lymphocytosis (> 5%) in 1 (5%) case each and thrombocytopenia in 16 (80%) cases. The Weil-Felix test was positive in 1 (5%) case. Complications were pneumonia with or without pulmonary edema, meningitis and shock. Chloramphenicol and doxycycline were successfully treated and roxithromycin was not effective.
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PMID:Clinical study of 20 children with scrub typhus at Chiang Rai Regional Hospital. 1651 87