A 32-year-old man with relapsing-progressive brainstem symptoms.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
Hans Peter Hartung
Publications and source records attributed to Hans Peter Hartung.
Central nervous system infections - a potential complication of systemic immunotherapy.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, characterized by demyelination and axonal damage. With the emergence of more efficient immune therapies, severe sometimes even fatal central nervous system infections were observed. This review will address the role of the systemic immune system in central nervous system immune surveillance and discuss implications for the development of novel immunotherapies in multiple sclerosis. RECENT FINDINGS: In the last decade, a number of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory agents have been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, based on the results of double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials. A better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease has prompted exploration of the therapeutic utility of new drugs that more potently disrupt the pathophysiological cascade of events that culminates in central nervous system tissue damage. One potential side-effect of these newer therapies is their interference with the control of central nervous system infections by the immune system. SUMMARY: Any increase in potency of multiple sclerosis therapies could well interfere with protective immunosurveillance of the central nervous system. One possible outcome is an increased incidence of opportunistic infections. A heightened vigilance for central nervous system infections in the setting of immunosuppression is necessary to prevent serious side-effects in the future.
Central Nervous System↗
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
The induction of peripheral neuropathy is a common factor in limiting therapy with chemotherapeutic drugs. Little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the development of neuropathy. Depending on the substance used, a pure sensory and painful neuropathy (with cisplatin, oxaliplatin, carboplatin) or a mixed sensorimotor neuropathy with or without involvement of the autonomic nervous system (with vincristine, taxol, suramin) can ensue. Neurotoxicity depends on the total cumulative dose and the type of drug used. In individual cases neuropathy can evolve even after a single drug application. A general predisposition for developing a chemotherapy-induced neuropathy has been observed in nerves previously damaged by diabetes mellitus, alcohol or inherited neuropathy. The recovery from symptoms is often incomplete and a long period of regeneration is required to restore function. Up to now, no drug is available to reliably prevent or cure chemotherapy-induced neuropathy.
Antineoplastic Agents↗