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Zhonghua Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue Apr 2018To study the accuracy of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in the diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To study the accuracy of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in the diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP).
METHODS
The data of this systemic review was retrieved from the PubMed, China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang, Weipu and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases from establishment till to October 31st, 2017. Case-control studies about the diagnosis of PCP were enrolled. Enrolled studies were required that patients in case group ware PCP and patients in control group were lung diseases other than PCP. The QUADAS tool was used to evaluate the quality of studies. The RevMan 5.3 software was used to draw a forest plot. The StataMP 14 software was used to make subgroup analyses by drawing receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curves for the whole group, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) group, and the not all-AIDS group, and calculating their diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and 95% confidential interval (95%CI).
RESULTS
Thirteen studies, all in English, were included. There were 825 patients in the case group, in which 650 patients were AIDS. There were 1 341 patients in control group, in which 888 patients were AIDS and most of them were Pulmonary Kaposi Sarcoma, bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis etc. Although there were different positive values of LDH in different studies, from 200 U/L to 598 U/L, sensitivities were good, especially in AIDS patients all values were above 80% (80%-100%). The specificities had big fluctuations, from 6% to 85%, which made them poor. The DOR (95%CI) of LDH in PCP diagnosis of all patients, AIDS patients and not-all AIDS patients were 6.73 (3.19-14.21), 9.17 (3.79-22.18) and 5.07 (1.30-19.80) respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of LDH in the diagnosis of PCP is high, especially in AIDS group. In practice if LDH is negative, there should be more evidences to support the treatment of PCP.
Topics: Humans; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; China; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Oxidoreductases; Pneumocystis; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis
PubMed: 29663992
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.2095-4352.2018.04.007 -
The British Journal of Radiology Feb 2021Chest imaging is often used as a complementary tool in the evaluation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, helping physicians to augment their clinical...
Chest imaging is often used as a complementary tool in the evaluation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, helping physicians to augment their clinical suspicion. Despite not being diagnostic for COVID-19, chest CT may help clinicians to isolate high suspicion patients with suggestive imaging findings. However, COVID-19 findings on CT are also common to other pulmonary infections and non-infectious diseases, and radiologists and point-of-care physicians should be aware of possible mimickers. This state-of-the-art review goal is to summarize and illustrate possible etiologies that may have a similar pattern on chest CT as COVID-19. The review encompasses both infectious etiologies, such as non-COVID viral pneumonia, , , and pulmonary granulomatous infectious, and non-infectious disorders, such as pulmonary embolism, fat embolism, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, non-specific interstitial pneumonia, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and acute and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.
Topics: Adult; Aged; COVID-19; Community-Acquired Infections; Diagnosis, Differential; Embolism, Fat; Female; Granulomatous Disease, Chronic; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Pneumonia, Viral; Pulmonary Embolism; Pulmonary Eosinophilia; Radiography, Thoracic; Time Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 33296607
DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20200703 -
Open Access Macedonian Journal of... Apr 2017Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly used disease-modifying drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, it causes many side effects, including... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly used disease-modifying drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, it causes many side effects, including pulmonary lesions. In this review, we characterised the histopathological features of MTX-induced pulmonary lesions in RA patients.
AIM
We carried out an electronic search of the relevant literature published during the period from 1990 to 2016. We included only the cases with definitive histo-pathological findings caused by MTX therapy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The total number of cases is 27. Male: female ratio was 1:3, and ages ranged from 48 to 87 years old, with a mean (SD) = 65.7 (1.0). The cases were originally from Asia (55%), Europe (41%), and America (4%). The major complications of methotrexate therapy were lymphoproliferative disorders (42%) followed by interstitial fibrosis (33), and infections (25%). The incidence of these complications significantly increases with the duration of MTX treatment (p = 0.044). Among the infections, the most common causative organism was pneumocystis jiroveci. The majority of patients who developed infections following methotrexate therapy were from Europe whereas the majority of those who developed lymphoproliferative disorders were from Asia (p = 0.003).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, methotrexate therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients causes different types pulmonary complications.
PubMed: 28507640
DOI: 10.3889/oamjms.2017.049 -
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism Feb 2023Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) is an opportunistic fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients. The objective of this study was to describe the...
BACKGROUND
Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) is an opportunistic fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients. The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of PJP among patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of incident cases of GCA and PMR was conducted using claims data from the TriNetX database to describe the incidence of PJP during the first 6 months of therapy. Additionally, a systematic review was performed to identify other publications describing PJP among patients with GCA or PMR.
RESULTS
During 547 patient-years of follow-up time, no cases of PJP were identified among 1,168 cases of GCA (incident rate 0 per 1,000 person-years); during 7,446 patient-years of follow up time, one case of PJP was identified out of 15,575 cases of PMR (incident rate 0.07 cases per 1,000 patient-years). This patient was alive at last follow up. Our systematic review identified 1 case-control study, 4 cohort studies, and 18 case series / case reports of PJP among patients with GCA or PMR. The incident rate of PJP was reported from one additional study for GCA and was estimated at 0.08 cases per 1,000 person years; no additional cohort studies were identified for patients with PMR. Over the entirety of the published literature, the total number of cases identified among case series and case reports was 33, from which 4 total deaths were identified.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with newly diagnosed GCA or PMR rarely develop PJP. Existing data does not support routine prescribing of PJP prophylaxis for either group of patients.
Topics: Humans; Giant Cell Arteritis; Polymyalgia Rheumatica; Pneumocystis carinii; Case-Control Studies; Retrospective Studies; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis
PubMed: 36563422
DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2022.152154 -
Respiratory Investigation Jan 2020We evaluated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in the lung in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in the lung in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.
METHODS
We reviewed articles related to IRIS occurrence in the lung in non-HIV patients using a PubMed search. The keywords used for the search were "immune reconstitution syndrome" and "non-HIV." Only patients with lung involvement were included. Those with suggested IRIS caused by white blood cell recovery were excluded.
RESULTS
There were 37 cases of IRIS in the lung in non-HIV patients. Complicating infections included tuberculosis (n = 17), histoplasmosis (n = 9), aspergillosis (n = 5), cryptococcosis (n = 4), and Pneumocystis pneumonia (n = 2). We also evaluated the underlying diseases, IRIS pathogenesis, management, and prognosis. IRIS was most commonly encountered in patients treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antibody who developed disseminated or extrapulmonary tuberculosis, leading to treatment discontinuation.
CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis and management of IRIS in the lung in non-HIV patients should be investigated further, especially in the era of anti-TNF treatment.
Topics: Humans; Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 31791908
DOI: 10.1016/j.resinv.2019.11.001 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Sep 2015Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children account for 1.4 million deaths annually worldwide. Antibiotics could be beneficial in preventing LRTIs in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children account for 1.4 million deaths annually worldwide. Antibiotics could be beneficial in preventing LRTIs in high-risk children, and may also help prevent school absenteeism and work days missed by children and/or carers. While it is well documented that the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis for RTIs decreases over time, there are no reviews that describe the use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent LRTIs in high-risk children aged 12 years and under.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness and safety of antibiotic prophylaxis in the prevention of bacterial LRTIs in high-risk children aged 12 years and under.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2015, Issue 1) and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), MEDLINE and MEDLINE In-Process (OvidSP) (1946 to 13 February 2015), EMBASE (OvidSP) (1974 to 12 February 2015), Science Citation Index Expanded (1945 to 13 February 2015) and Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (Web of Science Core Collection) (1990 to 13 February 2015). We searched for ongoing studies on ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization ICTRP. We handsearched the bibliographies of retrieved full texts of relevant studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing oral or intravenous antibiotics versus placebo or no treatment to prevent infections in high-risk children aged 12 years and under. We used a combination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Health Service (NHS), American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines to define conditions at higher risk of complications. Our primary outcome was the incidence of bacterial lower respiratory infections. Secondary outcomes included clinical function, hospital admission, mortality, growth, use of secondary antibiotics, time off school or parental work, quality of life and adverse events.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We extracted data using a customised data extraction sheet, assessed the risk of bias of included studies using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' criteria, and used the GRADE criteria to rate the quality of the evidence. We used a random-effects model for meta-analysis. We presented the results narratively where we could not statistically combine data.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 10 RCTs of high-risk children using antibiotics (azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, isoniazid, oral penicillin V or vancomycin) to prevent LRTIs. Three studies included HIV-infected children (n = 1345), four cystic fibrosis (n = 429) and one each sickle cell disease (n = 219), cancer (n = 160) and low birth weight neonates with underlying respiratory disorders (n = 40). The study duration ranged from seven days to three years. The quality of the evidence from studies including children with HIV infection, cystic fibrosis or cancer was moderate. Due to inadequate data, we were unable to rate the quality of the evidence for two studies: one in children with sickle cell disease (low risk of bias), and another in low birth weight neonates with underlying respiratory disorders (high risk of bias).In HIV-infected children receiving continuous isoniazid prophylaxis, there was no significant difference in the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis (risk ratio (RR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32 to 1.29, I(2) statistic = 47%, P value = 0.21). There was no significant effect on mortality with co-trimoxazole or isoniazid prophylaxis (RR 0.82, 0.46 to 1.46, I(2) statistic = 76%, P value = 0.58); however, analysis of one study that used co-trimoxazole showed a significant reduction in mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.85, P value = 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the rates of hospital admission per child-year of follow-up with co-trimoxazole prophylaxis in one study (P value = 0.01). There was no evidence of increased adverse events due to antibiotic prophylaxis (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.64, I(2) statistic = 22%, P value = 0.28); however, there was scant reporting of antibiotic resistance - the one study that did assess this found no increase.In two studies of children with cystic fibrosis receiving ciprofloxacin prophylaxis, there was no significant difference in Pseudomonas infections (RR 0.76, 0.44 to 1.31, I(2) statistic = 0%, P value = 0.33). In two studies assessing the benefit of azithromycin prophylaxis, there was a significant reduction in the frequency of pulmonary exacerbations (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.76, I(2) statistic = 0%, P value < 0.0001). The effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on growth in children with cystic fibrosis was inconsistent across the studies. There was an increased risk of emergence of pathogenic strains with either azithromycin or ciprofloxacin prophylaxis in two studies reporting this outcome. There was no significant difference in the quality of life (one study). In three studies, there was no significant increase in the frequency of adverse events with prophylaxis with azithromycin (two studies) or ciprofloxacin (one study). There was no evidence of increased antibiotic resistance in two studies.In the one study of children with sickle cell disease, a significantly lesser proportion of children with pneumococcal septicaemia was reported with penicillin V prophylaxis (P value = 0.0025).In the one study of children with cancer there was a significant decrease in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis (RR 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.47, P value < 0.01). There was no significant increase in the frequency of adverse events with antibiotic prophylaxis.In low birth weight children with underlying respiratory disorders, there was no significant difference in the proportion of children with pulmonary infection with vancomycin prophylaxis (P value = 0.18).No included studies reported time off school or carer time off work.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is inconclusive evidence that antibiotic prophylaxis in certain groups of high-risk children can reduce pneumonia, exacerbations, hospital admission and mortality in certain conditions. However, limitations in the evidence base mean more clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of antibiotics for preventing LRTIs in children at high risk should be conducted. Specifically, clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of antibiotics for preventing LRTIs in congenital heart disease, metabolic disease, endocrine and renal disorders, neurological disease or prematurity should be a priority.
Topics: Anemia, Sickle Cell; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Cystic Fibrosis; HIV Infections; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 26408070
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011530.pub2 -
Rheumatology International Aug 2021The incidence of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) has increased over recent years in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD). PJP prognosis is...
Is cotrimoxazole prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia needed in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases requiring immunosuppressive therapies?
The incidence of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) has increased over recent years in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD). PJP prognosis is poor in those receiving immunosuppressive therapy and glucocorticoids in particular. Despite the effectiveness of cotrimoxazole against PJP, the risk of adverse effects remains significant, and no consensus has emerged regarding the need for PJP prophylaxis in SARD patients undergoing immunosuppressor therapies.Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis against PJP in SARD adult patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Methods: We performed a systematic review, consulting MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases up to April 2020. Outcomes covered prevention of PJP, other infections, morbidity, mortality, and safety. The information obtained was summarized with a narrative review and results were tabulated. Of the 318 identified references, 8 were included. Two were randomized controlled trials and six observational studies. The quality of studies was moderate or low. Despite disparities in the cotrimoxazole prophylaxis regimens described, results were consistent in terms of efficacy, particularly with glucocorticoid doses > 20 mg/day. However, cotrimoxazole 400 mg/80 mg/day, prescribed three times/ week, or 200 mg/40 mg/day or in dose escalation, exhibited similar positive performances. Conversely, cotrimoxazole 400 mg/80 mg/day showed higher incidences of withdrawals and adverse effects. Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis against PJP exhibited efficacy in SARD, mainly in patients taking glucocorticoids ≥ 20 mg/day. All cotrimoxazole regimens exposed seemed equally efficacious, although, higher quality trials are needed. Adverse effects were observed 2 months after initiation, particularly with the 400 mg/80 mg/day regimen. Conversely, escalation dosing or 200 mg/40 mg/day regimens appeared better tolerated.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Female; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumocystis carinii; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Rheumatic Diseases; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination
PubMed: 33656582
DOI: 10.1007/s00296-021-04808-4 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jul 2020Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are life-threatening opportunistic infections that occur in immunocompromised or critically ill people. Early detection and treatment...
BACKGROUND
Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are life-threatening opportunistic infections that occur in immunocompromised or critically ill people. Early detection and treatment of IFIs is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality in these populations. (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) is a component of the fungal cell wall that can be detected in the serum of infected individuals. The serum BDG test is a way to quickly detect these infections and initiate treatment before they become life-threatening. Five different versions of the BDG test are commercially available: Fungitell, Glucatell, Wako, Fungitec-G, and Dynamiker Fungus.
OBJECTIVES
To compare the diagnostic accuracy of commercially available tests for serum BDG to detect selected invasive fungal infections (IFIs) among immunocompromised or critically ill people.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched MEDLINE (via Ovid) and Embase (via Ovid) up to 26 June 2019. We used SCOPUS to perform a forward and backward citation search of relevant articles. We placed no restriction on language or study design.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included all references published on or after 1995, which is when the first commercial BDG assays became available. We considered published, peer-reviewed studies on the diagnostic test accuracy of BDG for diagnosis of fungal infections in immunocompromised people or people in intensive care that used the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria or equivalent as a reference standard. We considered all study designs (case-control, prospective consecutive cohort, and retrospective cohort studies). We excluded case studies and studies with fewer than ten participants. We also excluded animal and laboratory studies. We excluded meeting abstracts because they provided insufficient information.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We followed the standard procedures outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Diagnostic Test Accuracy Reviews. Two review authors independently screened studies, extracted data, and performed a quality assessment for each study. For each study, we created a 2 × 2 matrix and calculated sensitivity and specificity, as well as a 95% confidence interval (CI). We evaluated the quality of included studies using the Quality Assessment of Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy-Revised (QUADAS-2). We were unable to perform a meta-analysis due to considerable variation between studies, with the exception of Candida, so we have provided descriptive statistics such as receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) and forest plots by test brand to show variation in study results.
MAIN RESULTS
We included in the review 49 studies with a total of 6244 participants. About half of these studies (24/49; 49%) were conducted with people who had cancer or hematologic malignancies. Most studies (36/49; 73%) focused on the Fungitell BDG test. This was followed by Glucatell (5 studies; 10%), Wako (3 studies; 6%), Fungitec-G (3 studies; 6%), and Dynamiker (2 studies; 4%). About three-quarters of studies (79%) utilized either a prospective or a retrospective consecutive study design; the remainder used a case-control design. Based on the manufacturer's recommended cut-off levels for the Fungitell test, sensitivity ranged from 27% to 100%, and specificity from 0% to 100%. For the Glucatell assay, sensitivity ranged from 50% to 92%, and specificity ranged from 41% to 94%. Limited studies have used the Dynamiker, Wako, and Fungitec-G assays, but individual sensitivities and specificities ranged from 50% to 88%, and from 60% to 100%, respectively. Results show considerable differences between studies, even by manufacturer, which prevented a formal meta-analysis. Most studies (32/49; 65%) had no reported high risk of bias in any of the QUADAS-2 domains. The QUADAS-2 domains that had higher risk of bias included participant selection and flow and timing.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We noted considerable heterogeneity between studies, and these differences precluded a formal meta-analysis. Because of wide variation in the results, it is not possible to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of the BDG test in specific settings. Future studies estimating the accuracy of BDG tests should be linked to the way the test is used in clinical practice and should clearly describe the sampling protocol and the relationship of time of testing to time of diagnosis.
Topics: Aspergillosis; Biomarkers; Candidiasis, Invasive; Case-Control Studies; Critical Illness; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Invasive Fungal Infections; Pneumocystis Infections; Pneumocystis carinii; Prospective Studies; ROC Curve; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 32693433
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009833.pub2 -
International Journal of Rheumatic... Jul 2021Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a more common autoimmune rheumatic disease in the Asia-Pacific region. The prognosis of SLE remains unsatisfactory in some Asian...
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a more common autoimmune rheumatic disease in the Asia-Pacific region. The prognosis of SLE remains unsatisfactory in some Asian countries because of delayed diagnosis, limited access to medications, increased complications and issues of tolerability and adherence to treatment. The Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology SLE special interest group has recently published a set of consensus recommendations on the management of SLE for specialists, family physicians, specialty nurses, and other healthcare professionals in the Asia-Pacific region. This article reports a systematic literature review of the infective complications of SLE in Asia and evidence for prevention of these infections by pre-emptive antimicrobial therapy and vaccination.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Consensus; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Opportunistic Infections; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vaccination
PubMed: 33999518
DOI: 10.1111/1756-185X.14125