ritonavir and Acute-Disease

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is one of the mediators of both pancreas damage and systemic complications like hypotension and multi-organ dysfunction during acute pancreatitis. IL-18 is generated intracellularly from pro-IL-18 by caspase-1 mediated proteolysis. Active caspase-1 itself is generated intracellularly by the action of the inflammasome, autocatalysis and other stimuli. The anti-retroviral drug ritonavir inhibits conversion of inactive pro-caspase-1 to active caspase-1. Since ritonavir is well tolerated in short-term use it may therefore prove useful in treating acute pancreatitis by lowering caspase-1 mediated IL-18 formation and the many inflammatory mediators downstream from that. The alcoholism treatment drug disulfiram has been in continuous use since the 1950s. It likewise has a low risk profile. Disulfiram inhibits several human proteases, among them caspase-1. Given the current morbidity and mortality of pancreatitis, research should be directed to ritonavir and disulfiram as treatment options for illnesses like pancreatitis where excessive IL-18 contributes to pathology. The first clinically used angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, has shown potent caspase-1 inhibiting activity as well and should be investigated in rodent models of human pancreatitis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents; Captopril; Caspase Inhibitors; Disulfiram; Drug Synergism; Enzyme Inhibitors; Humans; Interleukin-18; Models, Biological; Pancreatitis; Remission Induction; Ritonavir; Time Factors

Initiating ART during acute/recent HIV-1 infection reduces viral reservoir formation. It has been proposed that, during this phase, the size of the viral reservoir could be further reduced by the association of immunomodulatory therapy with ART. Contradictory results have emerged, however, from two trials evaluating the impact on immune recovery and the viral reservoir of adding cyclosporine A to ART during primary HIV-1 infection.. Twenty patients with acute/recent HIV-1 infection were randomized to receive ART alone (tenofovir, emtricitabine and lopinavir/ritonavir) or associated with 8 weeks of cyclosporine A (0.3-0.6 mg/kg twice daily). The impact on viral load, immune response and integrated and non-integrated DNA viral reservoir at 0, 8 and 36 weeks of treatment was evaluated.. The estimated median time from HIV-1 infection to ART onset was 63 days (IQR 53; 79.5) with 90% of patients at Fiebig V stage. No significant differences were observed in viral load decay, CD4 T cell recovery, immune response markers or the evolution of integrated DNA at week 8 (end of cyclosporine A) and week 36 between groups. However, non-integrated DNA significantly increased in the cyclosporine A arm between weeks 0 and 36. Cyclosporine A was well tolerated.. Adding cyclosporine A to ART during acute/recent infection did not improve immune recovery. However, unintegrated DNA increased in the cyclosporine A group, suggesting an anti-integration effect, a point warranting further research (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00979706).

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Cyclosporine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Ritonavir; Young Adult

The return of COVID-19 symptoms after Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Nm/R) treatment is being increasingly reported. Limited evidence suggests most cases of rebound symptoms are mild and do not require further intervention. Here we present a male veteran reporting rebound symptoms who was found to be hypoxic with pulmonary emboli. Our case highlights the need to evaluate known complications of SARS-CoV-2 including venous thromboembolism in patients reporting recurring symptoms. Further, cases of severe rebound phenomenon should continue to be reported by clinicians to better appreciate the use of the Nm/R during the Omicron wave and among vaccinated persons.

Topics: Acute Disease; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Humans; Male; Pulmonary Embolism; Ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2

This case series describes three patients affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, who developed polyradiculoneuritis as a probable neurological complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A diagnosis of Guillain Barré syndrome was made on the basis of clinical symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and electroneurography. In all of them, the therapeutic approach included the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (0.4 gr/kg for 5 days), which resulted in the improvement of neurological symptoms. Clinical neurophysiology revealed the presence of conduction block, absence of F waves, and in two cases, a significant decrease in amplitude of compound motor action potential cMAP. Due to the potential role of inflammation on symptoms development and prognosis, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 levels were measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid during the acute phase, while only serum was tested after recovery. Both IL-6 and IL-8 were found increased during the acute phase, both in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid, whereas 4 months after admission (at complete recovery), only IL-8 remained elevated in the serum. These results confirm the inflammatory response that might be linked to peripheral nervous system complications and encourage the use of IL-6 and IL-8 as prognostic biomarkers in COVID-19.

Topics: Action Potentials; Acute Disease; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biomarkers; Convalescence; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Darunavir; Drug Combinations; Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Humans; Hydroxychloroquine; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-8; Lopinavir; Male; Neural Conduction; Peripheral Nervous System; Prognosis; Respiratory Insufficiency; Ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been demonstrated to be the cause of pneumonia. Nevertheless, it has not been reported as the cause of acute myocarditis or fulminant myocarditis.. A 63-year-old male was admitted with pneumonia and cardiac symptoms. He was genetically confirmed as having COVID-19 according to sputum testing on the day of admission. He also had elevated troponin I (Trop I) level (up to 11.37 g/L) and diffuse myocardial dyskinesia along with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on echocardiography. The highest level of interleukin-6 was 272.40 pg/ml. Bedside chest radiographs showed typical ground-glass changes indicative of viral pneumonia. Laboratory test results for viruses that cause myocarditis were all negative. The patient conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese expert consensus statement for fulminant myocarditis. After receiving antiviral therapy and mechanical life support, Trop I was reduced to 0.10 g/L, and interleukin-6 was reduced to 7.63 pg/mL. Moreover, the LVEF of the patient gradually recovered to 68%. The patient died of aggravation of secondary infection on the 33rd day of hospitalization.. COVID-19 patients may develop severe cardiac complications such as myocarditis and heart failure. This is the first report of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis. The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study.

Topics: Acute Disease; Antiviral Agents; Bacteroides Infections; Betacoronavirus; Biomarkers; Candidiasis; Coronavirus Infections; COVID-19; Drug Combinations; Echocardiography; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Interleukin-6; Lopinavir; Male; Middle Aged; Myocarditis; Pandemics; Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination; Pneumonia, Viral; Ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2; Stroke Volume; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Troponin I

A patient with COVID-19-related severe respiratory failure, with insufficient response to an antiretroviral therapy, hydroxychloroquine and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) antagonist therapy, presented a prompt resolution of the respiratory function and improvement in the radiological picture after baricitinib at an oral dose of 4 mg per day for 2 weeks.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antiviral Agents; Azetidines; Azithromycin; Betacoronavirus; Coronavirus Infections; COVID-19; Drug Combinations; Drug Repositioning; Humans; Hydroxychloroquine; Lopinavir; Male; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Purines; Pyrazoles; Respiratory Insufficiency; Ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2; Sulfonamides; Treatment Outcome

Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have revolutionized treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients with normal glomerular filtration rate (GFR). However, patients with impaired kidney function have been excluded from several clinical trials. We, therefore, investigated the use, effectiveness, and tolerability of DAAs in patients with GFR less than 30 ml/min in the real-world setting.. An analysis was done within the German Hepatitis C-Registry on 5733 patients including 46 individuals with a baseline GFR less than 30 ml/min treated with sofosbuvir-based (61%) or paritaprevir/ritonavir-based (39%) regimens.. Sustained virological response 12 rates did not differ significantly between patients with baseline GFR less than 30 versus more than 30 ml/min (91 vs. 96%). Nine individuals with a baseline GFR more than 30 ml/min presented with a GFR less than 30 ml/min at the end of treatment. GFR improvement from less than 30 ml/min to more than 30 ml/min was observed in 9/46 cases. Adverse events did not differ in patients with GFR less than 30 versus more than 30 ml/min. However, serious adverse events were significantly more frequent in individuals with GFR less than 30 ml/min and associated with ribavirin.. Different DAA therapies can be safely used with high sustained virological response rates in patients with GFR less than 30 ml/min. Ribavirin has to be avoided because of poor tolerability.

Topics: 2-Naphthylamine; Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Anemia; Anilides; Antiviral Agents; Benzimidazoles; Carbamates; Cyclopropanes; Disease Progression; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fluorenes; Germany; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Hepatitis C, Chronic; Humans; Hypertension; Imidazoles; Lactams, Macrocyclic; Liver Cirrhosis; Macrocyclic Compounds; Male; Middle Aged; Pleural Effusion; Proline; Pyrrolidines; Registries; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Ribavirin; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; Severity of Illness Index; Simeprevir; Sofosbuvir; Sulfonamides; Sustained Virologic Response; Treatment Outcome; Uracil; Uridine Monophosphate; Valine

Neurologic complications associated with viral encephalitis, including seizures and cognitive impairment, are a global health issue, especially in children. We previously showed that hippocampal injury during acute picornavirus infection in mice is associated with calpain activation and is the result of neuronal death triggered by brain-infiltrating inflammatory monocytes. We therefore hypothesized that treatment with a calpain inhibitor would protect neurons from immune-mediated bystander injury. C57BL/6J mice infected with the Daniel's strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus were treated with the FDA-approved drug ritonavir using a dosing regimen that resulted in plasma concentrations within the therapeutic range for calpain inhibition. Ritonavir treatment significantly reduced calpain activity in the hippocampus, protected hippocampal neurons from death, preserved cognitive performance, and suppressed seizure escalation, even when therapy was initiated 36 hours after disease onset. Calpain inhibition by ritonavir may be a powerful tool for preserving neurons and cognitive function and preventing neural circuit dysregulation in humans with neuroinflammatory disorders.

Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Calpain; Cardiovirus Infections; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Hippocampus; Mice; Neuroprotective Agents; Ritonavir; Theilovirus

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Hypertriglyceridemia; Male; Pancreatitis; Pyridines; Pyrones; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Drug Eruptions; Exanthema; HIV Infections; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Occupational Exposure; Pyrimidinones; Ritonavir; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Alanine Transaminase; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anus Neoplasms; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; Budesonide; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Middle Aged; Oxidoreductases, N-Demethylating; Ritonavir

The use of protease inhibitors such as ritonavir to treat HIV-infected individuals has been associated with lipodystrophy, combined hyperlipidemias, and hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis. We report here on the treatment by plasmapheresis of a HIV-patient who presented with a rapid onset of severe ritonavir-induced hypertriglyceridemia complicated with an acute pancreatitis. A 35-year-old HIV-1 positive male following 3 weeks of ritonavir treatment presented with nausea, abdominal pain, a distended abdomen, and the following laboratory values: amylase (238 U/L), lipase (864 U/L), total cholesterol (27.1 mmol/L), and triglycerides (62.9 mmol/L). Following two plasmaphereses, the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, lipase, and amylase declined drastically and the patient was discharged home after 4 days with lipid and pancreatic enzyme levels within the reference range. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pancreatitis due to a PI-induced hyperlipidemia in a HIV-patient treated with plasmapheresis in an acute setting.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; HIV Infections; Humans; Hypertriglyceridemia; Male; Pancreatitis; Plasmapheresis; Protease Inhibitors; Ritonavir

Acute hepatitis led to abnormal coagulopathy, bleeding, and death in a nonhemophiliac infant infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, possibly due to zidovudine or ritonavir or both. Acute hepatitis during ritonavir treatment and episodes of spontaneous bleeding have been reported in patients with hemophilia. Zidovudine is associated with elevated liver enzymes, elevated bilirubin, and hepatomegaly leading to abnormal coagulopathy, bleeding, and death in adults. A temporal relationship between the start of combination antiretroviral therapy and onset of hepatosplenomegaly and rise in liver enzymes suggests that zidovudine or ritonavir, or both, are the likely cause of this adverse event. Ritonavir is believed to cause direct hepatotoxicity, probably by inducing acute mitochondrial toxicity, and may hasten reverse transcriptase inhibitor-induced liver toxicity. Liver function of patients receiving a combination of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and protease inhibitors should be closely monitored.

Topics: Acute Disease; Anti-HIV Agents; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Fatal Outcome; Hemorrhage; HIV Infections; Humans; Infant; Male; Ritonavir; Zidovudine

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Acute Disease; Anti-HIV Agents; Carbamates; Coronary Disease; Dideoxynucleosides; Drug Therapy, Combination; Furans; Hepatitis B; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Hyperlipoproteinemias; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreatitis; Risk Factors; Ritonavir; Sulfonamides

Topics: Acute Disease; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Hypertriglyceridemia; Pancreatitis; Ritonavir; Triglycerides

To evaluate the impact of early initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on disease-induced T-cell activation and maturation abnormalities during asymptomatic HIV infection.. A prospective open-label trial of zidovudine, lamivudine and ritonavir in treatment-naive asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals with CD4 cells > or = 400 x 10(6)/l.. Peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cells derived from 15 asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals (median baseline CD4+ cells, 608 x 10(6)/l; CD8+ cells, 894 x 10(6)/l; plasma HIV RNA, 3.93 log10 copies/ml) undergoing therapy with zidovudine (300 mg twice daily), lamivudine (150 mg twice daily), and ritonavir (600 mg twice daily) were assessed for changes in expression of phenotypic markers of T-cell activation (HLA-DR and CD38) and maturation (CD45RA and CD45RO). At weeks 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24, T-cell subsets were quantified by flow cytometry and plasma HIV viral loads determined using reverse transcription PCR.. HAART-induced decrease in plasma HIV RNA levels coincided with a significant reduction in numbers of activated CD4+/HLA-DR+ (maximum change, -36%; P < or = 0.05), CD8+/HLA-DR+ (maximum change, -66%; P < or = 0.005) and CD8+/CD38+ (maximum change, -51%; P < or = 0.01) T cells. A concomitant significant increase in numbers of naive CD4+/CD45RA+ (maximum change, +12%; P < or = 0.005) and memory CD4+/CD45RO+ (maximum change, +6%; P < or = 0.05) T cells was also evident, which contrasted with a significant decrease in memory CD8+/CD45RO+ cells (maximum change, -42%; P < or = 0.005).. The observed ability of HAART during early asymptomatic HIV infection to initiate rapid reversal of disease-induced T-cell activation and maturation abnormalities, while preserving pretherapy levels of immune function, supports the concept that therapeutic advantage is to be gained by commencing early aggressive antiretroviral therapy.

Topics: Acute Disease; ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; Anti-HIV Agents; Antigens, CD; Antigens, Differentiation; Biomarkers; Female; HIV Infections; HLA-DR Antigens; Humans; Lamivudine; Leukocyte Common Antigens; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Count; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins; NAD+ Nucleosidase; Prospective Studies; Ritonavir; RNA, Viral; T-Lymphocytes; Viral Load; Zidovudine

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; HIV Infections; HIV Protease Inhibitors; Humans; Hypertriglyceridemia; Male; Pancreatitis; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; Ritonavir; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Zidovudine

Topics: Acute Disease; Anti-HIV Agents; Arthritis, Gouty; Didanosine; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ritonavir