Biomedical subjects

N Kanathur

Publications and source records attributed to N Kanathur.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Nontubercular mycobacterial pulmonary infection in immunocompetent men.

BACKGROUND: Nontubercular mycobacteria (NTM) are increasingly recognized to cause lung disease in immunocompetent patients. We studied the occurrence of pulmonary infection due to NTM in immunocompetent men. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all sputum mycobacterial cultures at our institution over a 5-year period. Charts were reviewed to identify patients who met the American Thoracic Society's criteria for mycobacterial pulmonary infection. RESULTS: From the 7,380 sputum mycobacterial cultures obtained, 46 male patients had NTM identified. Forty-two patients were immunocompetent. Five of these patients were found to have NTM--2 with Mycobacterium kansasii, 2 with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, and 1 with Mycobacterium gordonae. All 5 patients responded to antimycobacterial therapy. CONCLUSION: Twelve percent of our population of immunocompetent men from whom NTM were isolated from sputum were infected. This study should alert the clinician that NTM cause treatable pulmonary disease in immunocompetent men.

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PubMed2001

Simvastatin-diltiazem drug interaction resulting in rhabdomyolysis and hepatitis.

Simvastatin, a hydroxymethyl glutarate coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, is a commonly used cholesterol lowering agent. The long-term safety profile of simvastatin, established over ten-years of clinical use, is excellent. Both rhabdomyolysis and hepatitis, however, are recognized toxic effects of this medication, and generally occur when the patients are taking more than 40 mg of simvastatin a day. Potent inhibitors of the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme increase the incidence of simvastatin toxicity. Calcium channel blockers are weak inhibitors of the CYP3A4 enzyme. Diltiazem is known to increase the serum concentration of simvastatin. Many patients who take both simvastatin and diltiazem require lower doses of simvastatin to achieve the recommended reduction in cholesterol. Since diltiazem is known to increase plasma levels of lovastatin, a similar phenomenon may occur with simvastatin. Our patient had been stable for three years on simvastatin therapy. His rhabdomyolysis and hepatitis coincided with the addition of diltiazem. This is the first report of the combined toxicities of rhabdomyolysis and hepatitis being induced by the addition of diltiazem to simvastatin therapy. This patient serves as a reminder to the clinician of the potential interaction of these two commonly used drugs.

Calcium Channel Blockers↗

PubMed2000

Noncaseating granulomatous disease in common variable immunodeficiency.

Patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) are occasionally recognized to have a concurrent noncaseating granulomatous disease. The granulomatous disease (GD) associated with CVID shares many clinical properties typical of sarcoidosis. Some investigators speculate that the GD-CVID is actually sarcoidosis that is expressed atypically because of the patient's immunodeficiency. Clinical differences, however, have led other investigators to speculate that the GD-CVID is a distinct "sarcoid-like" granulomatous process.

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