acyclovir and Lung-Diseases

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Smoking adversely affects many organ systems, but especially the lung. Carcinoma of the lung and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease account for most smoking-associated respiratory morbidity and mortality, and their association with smoking is both well established and widely recognized. Cigarette smoking also is associated with differences in the incidence, severity, or natural history of a broad array of other respiratory illnesses, ranging from the common cold to pneumothorax, pulmonary hemorrhage, and various interstitial lung diseases. Interestingly, while the general effect of smoking on respiratory diseases is adverse, in the cases of sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis smoking may actually be associated with a decrease in the incidence of disease. In this article, the author briefly discusses some of the pulmonary and systemic effects of smoking that might mediate its effects on an array of lung diseases, then comprehensively reviews less common or less well-recognized smoking-affected lung diseases such as pulmonary infections, spontaneous pneumothorax, Goodpasture's syndrome, eosinophilic granuloma and other interstitial lung diseases, and pulmonary metastatic disease.

Topics: Acyclovir; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic; Antiviral Agents; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Asbestosis; Bronchiolitis; Chickenpox; Eosinophilic Granuloma; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Pneumonia, Bacterial; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumothorax; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Respiratory Tract Infections; Risk Factors; Smoking

We report the case of a patient who presented with viral encephalitis and a pulmonary infection complicated with bilateral acute retinal necrosis after direct contact with diseased swine. Next-generation sequencing of the cerebrospinal fluid and vitreous humor detected pseudorabies virus (PRV) simultaneously. Intravenous acyclovir and dexamethasone treatment improved the symptoms of encephalitis, and vitrectomy surgery with silicone oil tamponade was used to treat the retinal detachment. This case implies that PRV can infect humans; thus, self-protection is imperative when there is contact with animals.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adult; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antiviral Agents; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Dexamethasone; Encephalitis, Viral; Herpesvirus 1, Suid; Humans; Lung Diseases; Male; Retinal Detachment; Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute; Silicone Oils; Swine; Swine Diseases; Vitrectomy; Vitreous Body; Zoonoses

Guidelines for the diagnosis and grading of lymphocytic bronchiolitis (LB) have been available for more than a decade, but agreement is lacking concerning the clinical implications of this histologic finding.. Study goals were to describe the overall prevalence and incidence of LB in a consecutive cohort of lung transplant recipients and identify risk factors for the onset, frequency, and severity of LB.. A retrospective analysis was done of 2,697 transbronchial biopsy (TBB) specimens obtained during the first 2 years after transplantation from 299 consecutive patients who underwent transplantation between 1996 and 2006.. Full diameter membranous bronchioli were missing in approximately 30% of TBB specimens. The proportion of patients demonstrating LB remained constant during follow-up (trend test, p = 0.2). The cumulative incidence of LB (>or=B2) was 33%, 53%, 62%, and 68% at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months, respectively. Approximately one-quarter and one-half of the patients had a second episode of >or=B2 within 3 months and 2-years of transplantation, respectively. Exposure to LB during the first 2 years after transplantation was independently associated with the frequency and/or severity of acute cellular rejection (p < 0.0001). The choice between anti-thymocyte globulin or daclizumab induction did not alter the overall frequency and/or severity of LB (p = 0.7). LB grade B2 or higher was associated with increased histologic bronchiolitis obliterans (odds ratio, 3.3, 95% confidence interval, 1.5-6.9, p = 0.001).. The frequency and severity of LB was associated with the occurrence and severity of acute cellular rejection.

Topics: Acyclovir; Antiviral Agents; Biomarkers; Biopsy; Body Mass Index; Bronchiolitis; Follow-Up Studies; Graft Rejection; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Transplantation; Middle Aged; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Time Factors

The incidence of varicella infection is increasing in adults, where primary pneumonitis is the main complication. Little information exists concerning treatment of those patients who require admission to a high dependency unit (HDU) facility. A study was performed to examine the risk factors for developing varicella pneumonitis (VP), to document disease progression and assess prognosis for patients with VP requiring HDU admission.. A 10-year retrospective casenote review of patients admitted to the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit HDU. Varicella pneumonitis (VP) was defined as diffuse nodular shadowing on a chest X-ray (CXR) of a patient with a classical chickenpox rash. Severe pneumonitis was defined as an hypoxaemia index (pO2 in mmHG/FiO2) of less than 150 at any time during hospital stay. All patients were treated with intravenous acyclovir at a dose of 10 mg/kg.. A total of 33 patients were admitted to the HDU with VP over the study period, 30 were included in the study. Annual admission rates remained constant. Most patients (76.7%) had at least one recognised risk factor for severe VP: smoking 18/30, pregnancy 9/30, chronic lung disease 7/30. Twelve (40%) patients had severe VP, eight (26.7%) required assisted ventilation. The presence of greater than one risk factor (p < 0.02) was associated with progression to severe VP. There was one death: a 63-year-old man with a long history of chronic airflow limitation whose treatment had included domicillary long-term oxygen therapy. Nine (30%) patients developed secondary bacterial pneumonia; all recovered with appropriate antibiotic treatment. The period of stay in HDU for the majority of patients was short (mean 4.5 days).. The prognosis for severe adult VP with current available treatment is good. The only predictor on admission for severe VP is the presence of more than one recognised risk factor for developing VP.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adolescent; Adult; Antiviral Agents; Chickenpox; Critical Care; Female; Herpes Zoster; Herpesvirus 3, Human; Humans; Lung Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumonia; Pregnancy; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Smoking; Statistics, Nonparametric; Treatment Outcome

A 71-year-old man presented with herpes zoster ophthalmicus and ocular involvement. Following the institution of intravenous therapy with acyclovir, the patient developed fever, hemoptysis, and a pleural friction rub. A ventilation-perfusion lung scan showed no defects; roentgenograms showed bilateral infiltrates and a left-sided pleural effusion. The fever abated promptly following discontinuation of acyclovir, and radiographic abnormalities resolved over ten days. No other anti-infective therapy was given. To our knowledge, the syndrome of fever, pulmonary infiltrates, and pleural effusion following use of acyclovir has not been previously reported.

Topics: Acyclovir; Aged; Fever; Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Male; Pleural Effusion; Radiography

The authors report a new case of respiratory distress syndrome which occurred as complication of varicella in an otherwise healthy adult patient. The case is well documented by images and immunological studies which are discussed in the light of recently published data.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adult; Chickenpox; Humans; Lung Diseases; Male; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We compared the effects of acyclovir (ACV) and 9-(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)guanine (DHPG) on murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) replication in lung and salivary gland tissues, the evolution of interstitial pneumonitis in vivo, and MCMV replication in mouse embryo cells in vitro. As measured by plaque reduction, ACV was more active than DHPG in vitro. In vivo, whether administered orally by gastric intubation or in the drinking water, or subcutaneously, DHPG was more effective than ACV in reducing MCMV titers in lung or salivary gland tissues. This was true in both normal and cyclophosphamide-treated mice. Neither drug was able to prevent MCMV interstitial pneumonitis, despite substantial reductions in virus titer, but both drugs reduced the severity of the pneumonitis.

Topics: Acyclovir; Animals; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus Infections; Female; Ganciclovir; Lung Diseases; Mice; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Time Factors