BACKGROUND Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis(SJS/TEN)are very serious skin allergies,with an etiology related to infections and medication.Since the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,se...BACKGROUND Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis(SJS/TEN)are very serious skin allergies,with an etiology related to infections and medication.Since the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has also been considered to cause SJS/TEN.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a woman in her thirties who took acetaminophen after contracting COVID-19.After 3 d of fever relief,she experienced high fever and presented with SJS/TEN symptoms,accompanied by intrahepatic cholestasis.Three days of corticosteroid treatment did not alleviate the skin damage;therefore,double plasma molecular adsorption system(DPMAS)therapy was initiated,with treatment intervals of 48 h.Her skin symptoms improved gradually and were resolved after seven DPMAS treatments.CONCLUSION DPMAS therapy is beneficial for abrogating SJS/TEN because plasma adsorption and perfusion techniques reduce the inflammatory mediators(e.g.,tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 and-12)speculated to be involved in the pathology of the skin conditions.展开更多
The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic imposed arestructuring of global health systems by rethinking spaces used for the care of these patients and the additions of intensive care,infectious diseases and pneum...The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic imposed arestructuring of global health systems by rethinking spaces used for the care of these patients and the additions of intensive care,infectious diseases and pneumology departments.This paper provides evidence on the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hepatocytes and its direct cytopathic activity,as well as the degree of liver damage due to drug toxicity,inflammation and hypoxia in COVID-19.A review of clinical trials has quantified liver damage through both pathology and biochemistry studies.Additionally,we briefly present the results of a study conducted in our clinic on 849 patients admitted for COVID-19 treatment,of which 31 patients had pre-existing chronic liver disease and 388 patients had values above the normal limit for alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,and total bilirubin.It was observed that patients with abnormal liver tests were significantly statistically older,had more comorbidities and had a higher percentage of unfavourable evolution(death or transfer to intensive care).The conclusion of this paper is that the main causes of liver damage are direct viral aggression,coagulation dysfunction and endothelial damage,and patients with impaired liver function develop more severe forms of COVID-19 which requires special care by a multidisciplinary team that includes a hepatologist.展开更多
<strong>Background:</strong> Recently, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been affected by the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has developed important global health a...<strong>Background:</strong> Recently, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been affected by the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has developed important global health anxiety. At this time, the treatment options for this disease are only moderately successful. Smoking has been related to COVID-19 and its mortality, and it has the potential to affect bacteriological and viral conversion, clinical effects, and treatment outcomes. <strong>Methods:</strong> The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between critical essential trace {zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu)} and toxic {cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni)} elements in human biological samples such as scalp hair, serum, saliva, blood, nasal fluid, and sputum of smoking and nonsmoking male COVID-19 patients (n = 139, age range 25 - 38 years) from Hyderabad, Pakistan. For comparative purposes, the biological specimens of referent persons (n = 83), pulmonary Tuberculosis (T.B) patients (n = 67), Pneumonia (n = 56) of the same age groups were also be analyzed. Microwave oven mediated digestion method was employed, and digestion of samples was carried out with the help of 2:1 mixture solution of HNO<sub>3</sub> (65%) and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (30%). Atomic absorption spectrometry was employed for the determination of elemental concentrations from the microwave oven employed digested samples. <strong>Results:</strong> The found average of essential elements (Zn, Fe, and Cu) in biological specimens of smoker and nonsmoker male COVID-19, T.B, and Pneumonia patients was found to lower, whilst cadmium and nickel were found to be higher when compared with samples from referents (p < 0.001). <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Improved elemental (Cu, Fe, Zn) concentrations may also decrease the risk of bacterial co-infection by enhancing the mucociliary clearance and respiratory epithelial barrier function, in addition to providing direct antibacterial effects against <i>S. pneumoniae</i>. Our findings also suggest that higher Cd and Ni concentrations are linked to cigarette smoking, which could lead to COVID-19 and other lung-infected diseased recurrences. However, further clinical and experimental research is required.展开更多
Voriconazole is an azole useful for the prophylaxis and the treatment of aspergillosis and other fungal infections in immunosuppressed subjects, as those found in aplasia after aggressive polychemotherapy treatments, ...Voriconazole is an azole useful for the prophylaxis and the treatment of aspergillosis and other fungal infections in immunosuppressed subjects, as those found in aplasia after aggressive polychemotherapy treatments, after hematopoietic stem cell, liver or lung transplantation. Its administration in therapeutic doses lead to extremely varied serum levels from patient to patient and even to the same patient. The explanations are varied: nonlinearpharmacokinetics, certain patient-related factors, including genetic polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 2C19 gene, the kidney and liver function, simultaneous administration with other drugs metabolised by the same cytochrome. It is recommended to maintain the serum concentrations of voriconazole between 1.5 and 4 μg/m L. At lower values its efficacy decreases and at higher values the risk of neurological toxicity increases. Even at these concentrations it is not excluded the possible appearance of a variety of toxic effects, including on the liver, manifested by cholestasis, hepatocytolisis, or their combination. It is recommended to monitor the clinical and laboratory evolution of all patients treated with voriconazole, and of the serum levels of the drug of those who belong to risk groups, even if there is still no consensus on this issue, given the lack of correlation between the serum level and the occurrence of adverse effects in many patients.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis(SJS/TEN)are very serious skin allergies,with an etiology related to infections and medication.Since the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has also been considered to cause SJS/TEN.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a woman in her thirties who took acetaminophen after contracting COVID-19.After 3 d of fever relief,she experienced high fever and presented with SJS/TEN symptoms,accompanied by intrahepatic cholestasis.Three days of corticosteroid treatment did not alleviate the skin damage;therefore,double plasma molecular adsorption system(DPMAS)therapy was initiated,with treatment intervals of 48 h.Her skin symptoms improved gradually and were resolved after seven DPMAS treatments.CONCLUSION DPMAS therapy is beneficial for abrogating SJS/TEN because plasma adsorption and perfusion techniques reduce the inflammatory mediators(e.g.,tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-10 and-12)speculated to be involved in the pathology of the skin conditions.
文摘The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic imposed arestructuring of global health systems by rethinking spaces used for the care of these patients and the additions of intensive care,infectious diseases and pneumology departments.This paper provides evidence on the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hepatocytes and its direct cytopathic activity,as well as the degree of liver damage due to drug toxicity,inflammation and hypoxia in COVID-19.A review of clinical trials has quantified liver damage through both pathology and biochemistry studies.Additionally,we briefly present the results of a study conducted in our clinic on 849 patients admitted for COVID-19 treatment,of which 31 patients had pre-existing chronic liver disease and 388 patients had values above the normal limit for alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,and total bilirubin.It was observed that patients with abnormal liver tests were significantly statistically older,had more comorbidities and had a higher percentage of unfavourable evolution(death or transfer to intensive care).The conclusion of this paper is that the main causes of liver damage are direct viral aggression,coagulation dysfunction and endothelial damage,and patients with impaired liver function develop more severe forms of COVID-19 which requires special care by a multidisciplinary team that includes a hepatologist.
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> Recently, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been affected by the extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has developed important global health anxiety. At this time, the treatment options for this disease are only moderately successful. Smoking has been related to COVID-19 and its mortality, and it has the potential to affect bacteriological and viral conversion, clinical effects, and treatment outcomes. <strong>Methods:</strong> The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between critical essential trace {zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu)} and toxic {cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni)} elements in human biological samples such as scalp hair, serum, saliva, blood, nasal fluid, and sputum of smoking and nonsmoking male COVID-19 patients (n = 139, age range 25 - 38 years) from Hyderabad, Pakistan. For comparative purposes, the biological specimens of referent persons (n = 83), pulmonary Tuberculosis (T.B) patients (n = 67), Pneumonia (n = 56) of the same age groups were also be analyzed. Microwave oven mediated digestion method was employed, and digestion of samples was carried out with the help of 2:1 mixture solution of HNO<sub>3</sub> (65%) and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (30%). Atomic absorption spectrometry was employed for the determination of elemental concentrations from the microwave oven employed digested samples. <strong>Results:</strong> The found average of essential elements (Zn, Fe, and Cu) in biological specimens of smoker and nonsmoker male COVID-19, T.B, and Pneumonia patients was found to lower, whilst cadmium and nickel were found to be higher when compared with samples from referents (p < 0.001). <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Improved elemental (Cu, Fe, Zn) concentrations may also decrease the risk of bacterial co-infection by enhancing the mucociliary clearance and respiratory epithelial barrier function, in addition to providing direct antibacterial effects against <i>S. pneumoniae</i>. Our findings also suggest that higher Cd and Ni concentrations are linked to cigarette smoking, which could lead to COVID-19 and other lung-infected diseased recurrences. However, further clinical and experimental research is required.
文摘Voriconazole is an azole useful for the prophylaxis and the treatment of aspergillosis and other fungal infections in immunosuppressed subjects, as those found in aplasia after aggressive polychemotherapy treatments, after hematopoietic stem cell, liver or lung transplantation. Its administration in therapeutic doses lead to extremely varied serum levels from patient to patient and even to the same patient. The explanations are varied: nonlinearpharmacokinetics, certain patient-related factors, including genetic polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 2C19 gene, the kidney and liver function, simultaneous administration with other drugs metabolised by the same cytochrome. It is recommended to maintain the serum concentrations of voriconazole between 1.5 and 4 μg/m L. At lower values its efficacy decreases and at higher values the risk of neurological toxicity increases. Even at these concentrations it is not excluded the possible appearance of a variety of toxic effects, including on the liver, manifested by cholestasis, hepatocytolisis, or their combination. It is recommended to monitor the clinical and laboratory evolution of all patients treated with voriconazole, and of the serum levels of the drug of those who belong to risk groups, even if there is still no consensus on this issue, given the lack of correlation between the serum level and the occurrence of adverse effects in many patients.