PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Sonnet

Publications and source records attributed to J Sonnet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

A retrospective study about the use of cotrimoxazole as diagnostic support and treatment of suspected cerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS.

The aim of this retrospective study was to define a diagnostic strategy and to evaluate the efficacy of cotrimoxazole (CTMX) for presumed cerebral toxoplasmosis in patients with AIDS. Twelve patients with toxoplasma encephalitis were reviewed. The best diagnostical signs of reactivated acute cerebral toxoplasmosis were the association of neurological symptoms indicative of focal cerebral lesions, and a radiological picture showing ring contrast enhanced hypodense mass-lesions; serology was unreliable for the diagnosis. Five patients out of twelve were treated without delay and until death with CTMX. Only these improved their clinical and radiological status obviously. Moreover, their median survival time was clearly longer (160 days, versus 9 days) and their autopsy demonstrated the absence of active necrotizing lesions of toxoplasma encephalitis. So, CTMX seems to be an efficient therapy for suspected cerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS. Nevertheless, further prospective randomized therapeutic trials are required to confirm this impression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Anti-HIV antibodies in the CSF of AIDS patients: a serological and immunoblotting study.

CSF and serum samples from 16 AIDS patients were tested for the presence of anti-HIV antibodies either by classical serological methods or by an immunoblot technique based on agarose gel isoelectric focusing and transfer of the specific IgG antibodies onto HIV antigens-loaded nitrocellulose sheets. This method enabled the demonstration of an intrathecal synthesis of anti-HIV oligoclonal IgG antibodies, often superimposed on diffuse polyclonal production, in 14 patients. The two negative cases were devoid of neurological signs or symptoms. However, two patients classified in stage II of the disease (asymptomatic infection) displayed an intrathecal synthesis of anti-HIV antibodies.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

[Treatment of human trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense using alpha-difluoromethylornithine. Results in 7 patients].

Alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, eflornithine) is a specific irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, shown to be curative in various Trypanosoma species infections of animals. In the present open study, the efficiency of DFMO was assessed in 7 patients (4 Africans, 3 Europeans) with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (Tbg) infection, 4 in the advanced stage and 3 in the early phase of the disease. Treatment with DFMO at initial dosages ranging 300-500 mg/kg/day administered IV (except 1 case) for 10-15 days, followed by 200-300 mg/kg/day per os for 28-69 days was associated with clearing of trypanosomes from blood within 1-4 days, a trend towards normalisation or full normalisation of all altered biological values characterizing the disease and disappearance of clinical symptoms. Side effects of DFMO, including loose stools (5 cases), anemia (3 cases) and decreased hearing (1 case), were mild and transient requiring no treatment or interruption of the drug, except in one case. Pharmacokinetic studies carried out in 4 patients, demonstrate penetration of the drug into CNS. In 6 cases, no evidence of relapse was found at 24 months posttreatment follow-up indicating that DFMO can be curative in early and late-stage of Tbg sleeping sickness. In 1 case, no relapse could be detected after a follow-up of 6 months. Further studies are needed to confirm our encouraging results and to determine the optimal regimens of DFMO for the cure of the early and late-stage of sleeping sickness.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Difluoromethylornithine, an effective new treatment of Gambian trypanosomiasis. Results in five patients.

Recent studies have shown DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (eflornithine), an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis, to be curative in various Trypanosoma species infections of laboratory animals. Five patients are described with Gambian trypanosomiasis treated in Belgium with difluoromethylornithine, using various intravenous and oral dosage schedules. Three patients had late-stage and two had early-stage disease. Difluoromethylornithine treatment was associated with clearing of parasites from blood within one to four days, a trend towards normalization of all altered biologic values associated with the disease, and marked amelioration of clinical symptoms. Side effects of difluoromethylornithine, including loose stools in three patients and both anemia, and a decrease in auditory acuity in one patient, were mild, transient, and never required interruption of drug treatment. The presence of difluoromethylornithine in cerebrospinal fluid, determined in three patients, demonstrated that difluoromethylornithine penetrates into the central nervous system. In three patients, follow-up of at least 24 months after treatment demonstrated a continued healthy state without evidence of relapse. These promising, albeit preliminary, results of difluoromethylornithine therapy, even in patients with central nervous system involvement, indicate that extended clinical trials are warranted to determine the optimal dosage regimen in patients with early- and late-stage disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

AIDS in two African infants born in Belgium.

Two African infants born in Belgium, dying from the acquired immune deficiency syndrome are reported. The first patient was a premature baby girl born to healthy parents. However, her asymptomatic mother was found to have polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia, a reversed T-helper/T-suppressor ratio and a decreased lymphocyte response to mitogens. The second patient's mother was treated for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia during the fourth month of gestation and was subsequently diagnosed with AIDS. The rapid clinical evolution of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in infancy suggests that the incubation period is shorter than in adults.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Use of piracetam improves sickle cell deformability in vitro and in vivo.

Microsieving diluted suspensions of oxygenated sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) cells on polycarbonate filters shows that piracetam improves the red cell deformability in vitro. In vivo an oral intake of 160 mg/kg/day divided in four doses enhances the HbSS cell deformability as actively as it does in in vitro experiments. The drug is also able partially to restore the impaired deformability of physiologically deoxygenated HbSS cells. These findings are consistent with the results of clinical trials, which show that continuous treatment with piracetam reduces the incidence of vaso-occlusive crises in patients with sickle cell disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Early AIDS cases originating from Zaïre and Burundi (1962-1976).

Three retrospectively diagnosed fatal AIDS cases are reported and discussed together with 4 other HIV seropositive patients, who all apparently contracted the HIV infection prior to the beginning of the present outbreak, without any other risk factor than heterosexual exposure in Central Africa. These data and simultaneous information from other sources contribute to the assumption that AIDS is an old disease in Central Africa. AIDS, having presented itself as a sporadic and ill defined entity, remained unrecognized in Central Africa until the outset of the present outbreak.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

[ORL manifestations of AIDS].

The authors report their ENT observations in 20 patients suffering from AIDS. They point out the frequency of finding Kaposi sarcoma, cervical lymph nodes, oral mycosis in these cases, and they compare their results with those of other recent publications.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1985

Primary cardiac liposarcoma simulating a left atrial myxoma.

This paper reports the case of cardiac tumor which had been diagnosed as a left atrial myxoma but which later on was identified as being a primary cardiac liposarcoma. The clinical characteristics of cardiac liposarcomas, the problems of differential diagnosis, the prognosis and therapy are reviewed.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1985

[Tubular involvement during non-oliguric rhabdomyolysis. (Apropos of 2 cases)].

The authors report two cases of severe rhabdomyolysis in a 23-year-old woman following a toxic coma with muscular compression and in a 34-year-old man after a febrile state. Despite clinical and biological signs of marked muscular necrosis, oliguric acute renal failure did not occur. However, repetitive urinary dosage of N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG), of retinol-binding-protein (RBP) and of beta-2-microglobulin (beta-2-m) revealed an early and long-standing tubular dysfunction not suggested by conventional laboratory data.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗