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Qi T, Chen F, Ma S, Zhang R, Liu L, Wang Z, Tang Y, Song W, Sun J, Yang J, Xu S, Zhao B, Shen Y, Chen J. Thalidomide for Recurrence of Symptoms following HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis. Infect Dis Ther 2023:10.1007/s40121-023-00817-x. [PMID: 37286922 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-023-00817-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a serious and fatal fungal infection that affects individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite treatment, recurrence of symptoms is common and could lead to poor outcomes. Corticosteroids are not always useful in treating symptom recurrence following HIV/CM; thus, alternative therapy is needed. Thalidomide has been reported to be effective in treating symptom recurrence in several patients with HIV/CM. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of thalidomide in the treatment of symptom recurrence following HIV/CM. METHODS Patients who were treated with thalidomide for symptom recurrence following HIV/CM were retrospectively included. Clinical outcomes and adverse events were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS Sixteen patients admitted between July 2018 and September 2020 were included in the analysis. During a median follow-up period of 295 (166, 419) days, all patients achieved clinical improvement in a median of 7 (4, 20) days. Among them, nine (56%) achieved complete resolution of symptoms at a median of 187 (131, 253) days, including 40% (2/5) of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), 50% (3/6) of patients with elevated ICP only, and 80% (4/5) of patients with symptoms only. Seven (43%) patients experienced nine episodes of adverse events, but no severe adverse event attributable to thalidomide was observed. None of the patients withdrew from thalidomide due to adverse events. CONCLUSION Thalidomide appears to be effective and safe in treating different types of symptom recurrence in HIV/CM. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting future randomized clinical trials to further investigate the efficacy and safety of thalidomide in treating symptom recurrence in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tangkai Qi
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Fang Chen
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
- Nanchang Ninth Hospital, Nanchang, 330002, Jiangxi, China
| | - Siyue Ma
- School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Renfang Zhang
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Zhenyan Wang
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Yang Tang
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Wei Song
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Junyang Yang
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Shuibao Xu
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Bihe Zhao
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Yinzhong Shen
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, 2901 Caolang Road, Shanghai, 201508, China.
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Lionakis MS. Exploiting antifungal immunity in the clinical context. Semin Immunol 2023; 67:101752. [PMID: 37001464 PMCID: PMC10192293 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The continuous expansion of immunocompromised patient populations at-risk for developing life-threatening opportunistic fungal infections in recent decades has helped develop a deeper understanding of antifungal host defenses, which has provided the foundation for eventually devising immune-based targeted interventions in the clinic. This review outlines how genetic variation in certain immune pathway-related genes may contribute to the observed clinical variability in the risk of acquisition and/or severity of fungal infections and how immunogenetic-based patient stratification may enable the eventual development of personalized strategies for antifungal prophylaxis and/or vaccination. Moreover, this review synthesizes the emerging cytokine-based, cell-based, and other immunotherapeutic strategies that have shown promise as adjunctive therapies for boosting or modulating tissue-specific antifungal immune responses in the context of opportunistic fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michail S Lionakis
- From the Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Eatmann AI, Hamouda E, Hamouda H, Farouk HK, Jobran AWM, Omar AA, Madeeh AK, Al-Dardery NM, Elnoamany S, Abd-Elnasser EG, Koraiem AM, Ahmed AA, Abouzid M, Karaźniewicz-Łada M. Potential Use of Thalidomide in Glioblastoma Treatment: An Updated Brief Overview. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040543. [PMID: 37110201 PMCID: PMC10146416 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Thalidomide is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor that demonstrates antiangiogenic activity, and may provide additive or synergistic anti-tumor effects when co-administered with other antiangiogenic medications. This study is a comprehensive review that highlights the potential benefits of using thalidomide, in combination with other medications, to treat glioblastoma and its associated inflammatory conditions. Additionally, the review examines the mechanism of action of thalidomide in different types of tumors, which may be beneficial in treating glioblastoma. To our knowledge, a similar study has not been conducted. We found that thalidomide, when used in combination with other medications, has been shown to produce better outcomes in several conditions or symptoms, such as myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma, Crohn's disease, colorectal cancer, renal failure carcinoma, breast cancer, glioblastoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, challenges may persist for newly diagnosed or previously treated patients, with moderate side effects being reported, particularly with the various mechanisms of action observed for thalidomide. Therefore, thalidomide, used alone, may not receive significant attention for use in treating glioblastoma in the future. Conducting further research by replicating current studies that show improved outcomes when thalidomide is combined with other medications, using larger sample sizes, different demographic groups and ethnicities, and implementing enhanced therapeutic protocol management, may benefit these patients. A meta-analysis of the combinations of thalidomide with other medications in treating glioblastoma is also needed to investigate its potential benefits further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Ismail Eatmann
- Department of Cell Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, 31-007 Kraków, Poland
| | - Esraa Hamouda
- Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia P.O. Box 5744, Egypt
| | - Heba Hamouda
- Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia P.O. Box 5744, Egypt
| | | | - Afnan W M Jobran
- Faculty of Medicine, Al Quds University, Jerusalem P.O. Box 51000, Palestine
| | - Abdallah A Omar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services and Sciences, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE-57357), Cairo 11617, Egypt
| | | | | | - Salma Elnoamany
- Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia P.O. Box 5744, Egypt
| | | | | | - Alhassan Ali Ahmed
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-812 Poznan, Poland
- Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-812 Poznan, Poland
| | - Mohamed Abouzid
- Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-812 Poznan, Poland
- Department of Physical Pharmacy and Pharmacokinetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3 St., 60-806 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marta Karaźniewicz-Łada
- Department of Physical Pharmacy and Pharmacokinetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3 St., 60-806 Poznan, Poland
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Chang CY, Mohd Shah SH, Lio JY, Bahari N, Radhakrishnan AP. Cryptococcus gattii meningitis complicated by immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an apparent immunocompetent host in Malaysia. Med Mycol Case Rep 2022; 35:1-4. [PMID: 34984166 PMCID: PMC8693149 DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii. Cryptococcus causes a wide range of diseases, ranging from asymptomatic pulmonary lesions to disseminated disease involving the central nervous system, particularly meningoencephalitis. C. gattii infection has rarely been reported in Malaysia. We present a case of C. gattii meningitis with pulmonary cryptococcosis complicated by immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an apparently immunocompetent person with no prior travel history. Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection causing significant morbidity and mortality. Cryptococcus gattii can present with meningitis and pulmonary cryptococcosis. CSF examination is the cornerstone of diagnosis in cryptococcal meningitis. IRIS is a rare complication of C. gattii infection that can be treated with steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Yik Chang
- Infectious Disease Unit, Medical Department, Hospital Selayang, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Syarul Hafiz Mohd Shah
- Infectious Disease Unit, Medical Department, Hospital Selayang, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jia Yin Lio
- Infectious Disease Unit, Medical Department, Hospital Selayang, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Norazlah Bahari
- Microbiology Unit, Pathology Department, Hospital Selayang, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Anuradha P. Radhakrishnan
- Infectious Disease Unit, Medical Department, Hospital Selayang, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
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Abstract
No pharmaceutical products have been demonstrated to be safe and effective to specifically treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); therefore, the therapy administered to infected patients remains symptomatic and empiric. Alongside the development of new, often high-cost drugs, a different tactic is being applied in parallel, investigating long-established, inexpensive medications originally designed for a variety of diseases to study their potential in treating COVID-19. The skin is the largest organ of the human body. With more than 3,000 skin conditions identified, the specialty of dermatology offers a rich armamentarium of systemic therapeutic agents aimed to treat the various chronic immunologically mediated, metabolic, infectious, occupational, inherited, or paraneoplastic dermatoses. Dermatologists have extensive experience with many drugs that have demonstrated promising in vitro antiviral action (directly targeting the viral replication). Many of these drugs have been used as nonspecific immunosuppressive strategies, such as glucocorticoids, synthetic antimalarials, colchicine, or other immunomodulators, and a number of targeted therapeutics have been directed at controlling hyperinflammatory processes similar to the "cytokine storm" associated with COVID-19 infection. We discuss several dermatologic drugs that have already been used or may have a promising role in the treatment of COVID-19.
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Scavone C, Brusco S, Bertini M, Sportiello L, Rafaniello C, Zoccoli A, Berrino L, Racagni G, Rossi F, Capuano A. Current pharmacological treatments for COVID-19: What's next? Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:4813-4824. [PMID: 32329520 PMCID: PMC7264618 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Since December 2019 SARS-Cov-2 was found responsible for the disease COVID-19, which has spread worldwide. No specific therapies/vaccines are yet available for the treatment of COVID-19. Drug repositioning may offer a strategy and a number of drugs have been repurposed, including lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesivir, favipiravir and tocilizumab. This paper describes the main pharmacological properties of such drugs administered to patients with COVID-19, focusing on their antiviral, immune-modulatory and/or anti-inflammatory actions. Where available, data from clinical trials involving patients with COVID-19 are reported. Preliminary clinical trials seem to support their benefit. However, such drugs in COVID-19 patients have peculiar safety profiles. Thus, adequate clinical trials are necessary for these compounds. Nevertheless, while waiting for effective preventive measures i.e. vaccines, many clinical trials on drugs belonging to different therapeutic classes are currently underway. Their results will help us in defining the best way to treat COVID-19 and reducing its symptoms and complications. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on The Pharmacology of COVID-19. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.21/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Scavone
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
| | - Simona Brusco
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
| | - Michele Bertini
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
| | - Liberata Sportiello
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
| | - Concetta Rafaniello
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
| | - Alice Zoccoli
- Clinical Innovation OfficeUniversità Campus Bio‐medicoRomeItaly
| | - Liberato Berrino
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
| | - Giorgio Racagni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Francesco Rossi
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
- Clinical Innovation OfficeUniversità Campus Bio‐medicoRomeItaly
| | - Annalisa Capuano
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversità degli studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”NaplesItaly
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