PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J W van't Wout

Publications and source records attributed to J W van't Wout.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Successful treatment of fungus balls due to fluconazole-resistant Candida sake obstructing ureter stents in a renal transplant patient.

Reported here is the case of a 72-year-old renal transplant recipient with stenosis of the neo-ureter requiring stents, who was admitted to hospital with pyonephrosis caused by fungus balls. Fluconazole-resistant Candida sake was grown. Treatment with external drainage of the renal pelvis and intravenous and local administration of caspofungin resulted in relief of the obstruction. Eradication of the infection was achieved by surgical removal of the ureter with all stents and construction of a cysto-pyelostomy.

Aged↗

Economic evaluation of voriconazole in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To asses the cost-effectiveness of voriconazole in comparison to conventional amphotericin B and itraconazole for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis in the Netherlands. METHODS: The cost-effectiveness of voriconazole in comparison to conventional amphotericin B or itraconazole was evaluated with a decision tree model followed by a life-time Markov model, focusing on long-term survival of patients treated for invasive aspergillosis. Efficacy after 12 weeks of treatment from clinical trials was used to estimate long-term effectiveness by extrapolating these short-term results over time. Information on medical resource consumption, treatment pathways and switch proportions were obtained from both the literature and Experts. Probabilistic analysis was used to compare the cost-effectiveness among the regimens. RESULTS: With voriconazole, the mean cost for treating invasive aspergillosis per patient was E32 651 (2.5th percentile and 97.5th of uncertainty distribution: E30 037; E36 859), compared to E33 616 (E30 920; E39 633) for conventional amphotericin B and E29 115 (E23 537; E61 414) for itraconazole. The mean survival of patients treated with voriconazole was 174.0 life weeks (160.1; 188.8), compared to 116.1 life weeks (104.8; 128.0) for conventional amphotericin B and 150.4 life weeks (109.1; 194.4) for itraconazole. The beneficial effects of voriconazole on both cost and effectiveness compared with conventional amphotericin B resulted in a probability of 69.8% that voriconazole was a dominant treatment (i.e. less costs and longer survival). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of voriconazole versus itraconazole was E150 per life week (i.e. 7800 euros per life-year gained). Depending on the willingness to pay (WTP) the probability of being cost-effective vs. itraconazole increased to a maximum probability of 70%. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of invasive aspergillosis, voriconazole is dominant over amphotericin B and cost-effective in comparison to itraconazole.

Amphotericin B↗

Plasma secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor in febrile patients.

OBJECTIVES: Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) forms an integral part of the lung's defence, by its antimicrobial activity and by its ability to neutralize serine proteases that are released by granulocytes into the inflammatory exudate. Here, we investigate in febrile patients admitted to hospital whether plasma SLPI can serve as a marker of lung infection. METHODS: We prospectively determined the SLPI concentration in 152 febrile patients (median 73 [inter-quantile range (IQR): 58-82] year; 50% male) admitted to hospital because of infection of the airways (n = 44) or pneumonia (n = 108; i.e. consolidation on chest X-ray), and in 48 febrile patients (78 [IQR: 71-85] year; 52% male) admitted because of pyelonephritis, as well as afebrile age-matched controls (n = 38). In addition, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), peripheral blood leukocytes, plasma TNFalpha and IL-10, and parameters of the APACHE-II score were determined on admission. RESULTS: In febrile patients, SLPI was significantly increased (P < 0.001) compared with afebrile controls (63 [IQR: 50-76] ng/mL): plasma SLPI (113 [IQR: 83-176] ng/mL) was highest (P < 0.005) in patients with pneumonia compared with other groups (88 [IQR: 70-118] ng/mL). Only in patients with pneumonia, bacteremia significantly increased (P < 0.01) SLPI concentrations. Using a radiological classification of pulmonary infiltrates based on their size, it was found that plasma SLPI was proportional to the extent of lung tissue involved: the median concentration increased from 95 [IQR: 74-139] ng/mL in unilateral segmental consolidation up to 271 [IQR: 180-460] ng/mL in bilateral lobar consolidations. In a multivariate analysis, the association between SLPI and extent of consolidation was about two-fold stronger than, and independent of, the association between SLPI and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, TNFalpha, and parameters of the composite APACHE-II score, such as heart rate and blood pressure, that reflect severity of illness. CONCLUSION: SLPI is an indicator of the presence and extent of pneumonia in febrile patients admitted to hospital. In patients with an infection with its primary source located outside the lung, plasma SLPI likely reflects the mucosal response to circulating inflammatory mediators reflecting severity of illness.

Aged↗

Acute hepatic injury after discontinuation of chemotherapy in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

We describe a HBsAg-positive patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who underwent aggressive chemotherapy. After discontinuation of chemotherapy, he developed jaundice due to a reactivation of the hepatitis B. Serum HBeAg and HBV DNA turned positive, indicating active virus replication. Abdominal CT-scan showed a large solitary tumour mass in the liver and the serum alpha-fetoprotein level was extremely high, suggesting HBV-related hepatoma. After discontinuation of chemotherapy, the patient died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Throughout treatment of HBsAg-positive patients with cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy, careful monitoring of serum aminotransferase levels and HBV DNA is essential. Aggressive chemotherapy may have to be discontinued or changed to a milder regimen if hepatitis occurs.

Aged↗

Rejection treatment and cytomegalovirus infection as risk factors for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in renal transplant recipients.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is an infection of immunocompromised patients. The purpose of our study was to estimate the risk of PCP in renal transplant recipients in relation to number, timing, and type of rejection treatments and to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. In a case-control study, 15 renal transplant recipients with proven PCP were compared with 95 controls. The relative risks of PCP for 1, 2, and > or = 3 rejection treatments vs. no such treatment were 1.7 (95% CI, 0.2-12.5), 4.8 (95% CI, 0.9-25.5), and 9.5 (95% CI, 1.6-56.4). The relative risk of PCP for renal transplant recipients with negative pretransplantation CMV serology was 3.2 (95% CI, 1.0-10.2), and for the combination of recipient-negative and donor-positive pretransplantation CMV serology it was 5.7 (95% CI, 1.4-22.3). The relative risk of PCP for patients with CMV infection was 5.0 (95% CI, 1.6-15.8). The risk of PCP in renal transplant recipients was positively related to the number but not the timing or type of rejection treatments. The risk of PCP was also increased in cases of CMV infection, irrespective of the number of rejection treatments.

Adult↗

Efficacy and safety of azithromycin versus benzylpenicillin or erythromycin in community-acquired pneumonia.

Azithromycin, a recently introduced antibiotic, offers the potential advantages of short-course administration and lower toxicity compared to other macrolides. Approved for the treatment of mild pneumonia, this drug was investigated in a study of patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia. In an open-labelled randomized study, oral azithromycin was compared with intravenous benzylpenicillin in patients suspected to have pneumococcal pneumonia. Azithromycin was also compared with erythromycin, both administered orally, in all other patients. Three hundred thirty-four patients with community-acquired pneumonia were hospitalized, 108 of whom were randomized; 104 could be evaluated. A need for intravenous therapy was the most common reason for exclusion. In the pneumococcal group, 35 patients received azithromycin and 29 benzylpenicillin. The clinical and radiological success rate achieved with azithromycin (83%) was considerably higher than that achieved with benzylpenicillin (66%), though the difference was not significant. In the non-pneumococcal group, 19 patients received azithromycin and 21 erythromycin; no differences in the success rate were found (79% and 76%, respectively). Eight patients on azithromycin had a blood culture positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae; in three of these patients therapy was changed. None of the five patients with pneumococcal bacteraemia who received benzylpenicillin required a change in therapy. It is concluded that oral azithromycin, administered as short-course therapy, is an appropriate antibiotic for treating patients with community-acquired pneumonia. However, it is not yet certain that azithromycin is a good choice for patients with pneumococcal bacteraemia.

Administration, Oral↗

Virulence factors determine attachment and ingestion of nonopsonized and opsonized Bordetella pertussis by human monocytes.

In the present study, the role of virulence factors in and the effect of opsonization on the interactions between Bordetella pertussis and human monocytes were investigated. The methods used facilitated the distinction between attachment and ingestion of bacteria by monocytes. Nonopsonized virulent B. pertussis cells attached to monocytes. Nonopsonized B. pertussis mutant strains deficient in filamentous hemagglutinin, fimbriae, or pertactin exhibited a reduced adherence to monocytes compared with that of their respective parental strains. Nonopsonized avirulent B. pertussis cells did not attach to monocytes. These results led to the conclusion that fimbriae and pertactin are involved in the adherence of nonopsonized virulent B. pertussis cells to monocytes and confirm the role of filamentous hemagglutinin in this process. In the absence of opsonins, about 40% of the monocyte-associated virulent B. pertussis cells were ingested. When B. pertussis cells were preopsonized with inactivated normal serum, about 50% of the monocyte-associated virulent B. pertussis cells were phagocytosed and about 80% of the monocyte-associated avirulent B. pertussis cells were ingested. These results indicate that virulence factors inhibit opsonin-mediated ingestion of B. pertussis by monocytes.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

[A patient with chronic mucormycosis].

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis was diagnosed in a 75-year-old woman with a history of type II diabetes mellitus. This rare opportunistic infection is caused by fungi belonging to the order of Mucorales. The patient had a severe osteomyelitis of the base of the skull, resulting in complaints of headache and diplopia. She was treated with intravenous colloidal amphotericin B, surgical excision, and later with liposomal amphotericin B. She died of respiratory failure. Mucormycosis is usually a rapidly fulminant infection. This patient showed a remarkably chronic course.

Aged↗

Ciprofloxacin for treatment of malakoplakia.

The tumour-like lesions of the rare disease malakoplakia, which consist of macrophages containing undigested coliform bacteria, are often misdiagnosed as a carcinoma. Although an infectious aetiology is likely, no antimicrobial therapy has been successful in the long-term. Since ciprofloxacin penetrates well into macrophages, this drug was given to two patients with advanced malakoplakia (500 mg twice daily). After long-term treatment all granulomatous lesions disappeared. Thus, malakoplakia can be cured by antibiotic treatment.

Adult↗

Itraconazole in neutropenic patients.

Treatment of fungal infections in neutropenic patients continues to be a major problem for the clinician. Treatment of such infections with amphotericin B is difficult, because of its many side-effects. In a neutropenic mouse model, itraconazole appeared to be as effective as amphotericin B against Candida albicans, and was more effective than amphotericin B in treating an Aspergillus infection in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease. In a randomized, comparative trial of itraconazole and amphotericin B as treatment for Candida and Aspergillus infections, 32 neutropenic patients were evaluated. Patients received either oral itraconazole, 200 mg twice daily, intravenous amphotericin B, 0.6 mg/kg/day, or in some cases of Candida infection intravenous amphotericin B, 0.3 mg/kg/day, plus flucytosine, 150 mg/kg/day. The causative organism of fungal infection was Candida spp. in 16 patients and Aspergillus spp. in 13 patients; 27 patients had pneumonia. The median duration of treatment was 13 days with amphotericin B and 20 days with itraconazole. Nine of 16 patients responded to amphotericin B, and 10 of 16 patients responded to itraconazole. Of the patients with Aspergillus infection, 6/8 treated with itraconazole and 2/5 treated with amphotericin B responded. Three patients with Aspergillus infection died in the amphotericin B arm and none in the itraconazole arm; 2 patients treated with itraconazole died from candidal infections. Absorption of itraconazole was unreliable in these seriously ill patients with disturbed gastrointestinal function. These results suggest that itraconazole could be an effective drug against systemic fungal infections in neutropenic patients. One retrospective study also suggest that itraconazole is superior to ketoconazole in prophylaxis for Aspergillus infections. Further studies are needed.

Amphotericin B↗

Antifungal prophylaxis during neutropenia or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: what is the state of the art? Ad HOC Working Group.

Neutropenia induced by intensive chemotherapy and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation are increasingly commonly complicated by fungal infections; thus prophylaxis may be justified. The authors surveyed the literature and culled their experience - few randomized trials have been done and definitions have often been poor. In prophylaxis of mucosal candidosis, miconazole and clotrimazole may both be more effective than placebo. Nystatin is ineffective and ketoconazole of medicine efficacy. Fluconazole is effective at 50 mg/day and 400 mg/day. Itraconazole and amphotericin B both need further evaluation. In prevention of systemic candidosis, oral nystatin prophylaxis, up to 4 X 10(6) U/day, is usually unsuccessful, though compliance is variable. Oral amphotericin B in low doses is ineffective, but 50 mg or more 4 times daily may prevent systemic candidosis, though compliance is variable. Oral ketoconazole, 400-600 mg/day, is possibly effective prophylaxis in neutropenia but not after bone marrow transplantation; liver function (often abnormal in these patients) is a problem, as is tolerability. Oral fluconazole is well tolerated, has reliable serum concentrations and is effective following bone marrow transplantation, but the optimum dose is uncertain. In bone marrow transplantation, intravenous amphotericin B, 0.1 mg/kg/day, appears to be effective; there are no data in neutropenia. Oral itraconazole (capsules, 200 mg/day) may be active; data are scanty. In prevention of invasive aspergillosis, itraconazole, 200 mg/day, is probably active, but only if adequate serum concentrations are achieved. New oral and intravenous itraconazole formulations in cyclodextrin may achieve more reliable serum concentrations. No oral drug provides effective prophylaxis against Torulopsis, Fusarium, Trichosporon, or Pseudallescheria.

Antifungal Agents↗