Role of neutrophil to lymphocyte and monocyte to lymphocyte ratios in the diagnosis of bacterial infection in patients with fever.

Purpose: To study the role of the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and monocyte:lymphocyte ratio (MLR) in discriminating between different patient groups hospitalized for fever due to infection and those without infection.

Methods: For 299 patients admitted to hospital for fever with unknown cause, a number of characteristics including NLR and MLR were recorded. These characteristics were used in a multiple multinomial regression analysis to estimate the probability of a final diagnostic group of bacterial, viral, clinically confirmed, or no infection.

Tigecycline attenuates polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) receptors but not functions.

Tigecycline achieves high intracellular concentrations in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). To evaluate the effects of tigecycline on human PMNs, PMNs were incubated with tigecycline dilutions (0.1 to 100 mg L-1).

Anti-tuberculosis drugs and human polymorphonuclear leukocyte functions.

Background: The polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) is considered to be of importance in the early stages of human tuberculosis (TB). We examined the four drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) commonly used in the DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) strategy against TB for their effects on the functions of the human PMN, separately and combined.

Methods: PMNs were incubated with subtherapeutic, therapeutic and supratherapeutic concentrations of the drugs before being tested for phagocytosis and oxidative burst capacity with Staphylococcus aureus opsonized with pooled human serum as stimuli.

Linezolid and human polymorphonuclear leukocyte function.

Background: To examine whether linezolid, a new oxazolidinone antibiotic, has an effect on human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function.

Methods: Flow-cytometric techniques for the demonstration of PMN chemotaxis towards zymosan-activated serum, and phagocytosis and respiratory burst after incubation in linezolid.

Results: Linezolid at concentrations of 10- 160 mg/l did not significantly influence PMN function as measured by chemotaxis, phagocytosis and respiratory burst.

Antiretroviral therapy at a district hospital in Ethiopia prevents death and tuberculosis in a cohort of HIV patients.

Background: Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces mortality in the developed world, it remains undocumented in resource-poor settings. We assessed the effect of HAART on patient mortality and tuberculosis incidence rate under routine clinical care conditions in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of HAART on patient mortality and tuberculosis incidence rate under routine clinical care conditions in a resource-limited setting in south Ethiopia.