Severe diffuse proliferative bronchiolitis complicating culture-proven disseminated BCG infection after intravesical instillation for bladder cancer.

A man in his 70s was admitted to hospital following several months of dyspnoea, night sweats, weight loss and, latterly, fevers. His symptoms correlated with a second maintenance cycle of intravesical BCG instillation for superficial bladder cancer. Blood tests showed raised C-reactive protein, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-GT, although extensive further investigations did not reveal any specific cause.

In vivo effect of two first-line ART regimens on inflammatory mediators in male HIV patients.

Background: Persistent immune activation and inflammation are lying behind HIV-infection even in the setting of ART mediated viral suppression. The purpose of this study is to define the in vivo effect of two first-line ART regimens on certain inflammatory mediators in male HIV patients.

Methods: Male, naive, HIV-infected volunteers were assigned either to tenofovir-DF/emtricitabine/efavirenz (Group_T) or abacavir/lamivudine/efavirenz (Group_A).

In vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant effects of antibiotics towards Platelet Activating Factor and thrombin.

Background: Sepsis is characterized as a systemic inflammatory response that results from the inability of the immune system to limit bacterial spread during an ongoing infection. In this condition the significant mediator of inflammation Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) and the coagulant factor thrombin are implicated. In animal models, treatment with PAF-antagonists or co-administration of antibiotics with recombinant-PAF-Acetylhydrolase (rPAF-AH) have exhibited promising results.

Anti-platelet-activating factor effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART): a new insight in the drug therapy of HIV infection?

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent inflammatory mediator, which seems to play a role in the pathogenesis of several AIDS manifestations such as AIDS dementia complex, Kaposi's sarcoma, and HIV-related nephropathy. PAF antagonists have been studied in these conditions with promising results. In order to examine the possible interactions between PAF and antiretroviral therapy, we studied the effect of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors against PAF biological activities and its basic biosynthetic enzymes dithiothreitol-insensitive PAF-cholinephosphotransferase (PAF-CPT) and lyso-PAF-acetyltransferase (Lyso-PAF-AT), as well as its main degradative enzyme PAF-acetylhydrolase, of human mesangial cell line (HMC).

Looking beyond highly active antiretroviral therapy: drug-related hepatotoxicity in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become increasingly complex since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Patients with HIV have become exposed to an increasing array of drugs to treat HIV, prevent opportunistic infections and immune dysfunction, and manage comorbid illnesses and therapeutic complications. Hepatic complications have become common and may lead to discontinuation of treatment and significant morbidity.