Chemotherapy infectious diseases

Drugs There is an antitoxin stored at the CDC. To arrange to use this antitoxin, call your state health department (or CDC at 404-639-2206 or 404-639-3753 workdays, or call weekends or evenings at 404-639-2888). This chemotherapy (antitoxin) available from CDC is a licensed trivalent equine antitoxin for serotypes A, B, and E. There is no reversal of botulism disease with this drug, but the antitoxin does usually prevent further nerve damage. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has a heptavalent equine despeciated antitoxin for serotypes A - G (IND). DOD also has pentavalent toxoid (vaccine) for serotypes A - E (IND). The currently recommended schedule is for use at zero, two, and twelve weeks with a one year booster. This vaccine is supposed to induce solidly protective antitoxin levels in greater that 90 percent of those vaccinated after one year. Contact USAMRIID, (U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases), Fort Detrick, Maryland. Tel. 301-619-2833. 

The penicillins (or penams) were discovered in 1929 by Sir Alexander Fleming, and developed by Florey, Chain, and Abraham at Oxford University. The history of penicillin became a story of legendary proportions, illustrating the case of a serendipitous discovery combined with brilliant development it also marks the beginning of the modern chemotherapy of infectious diseases. 

Chemotherapy is the use of chemical compounds for the treatment of infectious diseases by killing or inhibiting the growth of causative organisms without damaging the host tissues or cells. 

Amoebiasis is an infectious disease caused by Entamoeba histolytica. It can cause asymptomatic intestinal infection, colitis (mild to moderate), dysentery (severe intestinal infection), ameboma, liver abscess etc. The drugs used in chemotherapy of amoebiasis are classified as in table 9.9.1. 

A large number of compounds in category 3 act at different sites in the pathways for purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis. These compounds are very toxic for rapidly growing tumors and bacteria, making them useful in cancer chemotherapy and treatment of bacterial infections. 6-Mercaptopurine is a potent inhibitor of purine biosynthesis, and 5-fluorouracil inhibits thymidylate synthesis. Some compounds, such as hydroxyurea and sulfonamides, inhibit the synthesis of both purine and pyrimidine nucleotides. These are only a few of the many compounds useful in treating cancer and infectious diseases (see Chapter 10). 

Different tumors with MDR protein overexpression (e.g., hepatomas, lung or colon carcinomas) often show primary (or intrinsic) resistance to cancer chemotherapy. In addition, cancer chemotherapy itself might induce the overexpression of these proteins, so that the MDR clones become less sensitive to chemotherapy (secondary drug resistance). Treatment failure due to MDR is also found in connection with conditions other than cancer, including some autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases [21-23]. 

Hahn, F.E., Gund, P., in Topics in infectious diseases 1. Drug receptor interactions in antimicrobial chemotherapy. Wien Springer 1974, p. 245... 

Thymidylate synthetase catalyzes the conversion of deoxyuridylate to deoxy-thymidylate in a folate-dependent reaction. This enzyme is a target for many agents used in chemotherapy of cancer and treatment of infectious diseases. 

Quinolines represent an important class of heterocycles, and the quinoline skeleton is present in various natural products, especially in alkaloids. Among them quinine is an active ingredient for the treatment of malaria [286]. Despite its relatively low efficacy and tolerability, quinine still plays an important role in the treatment of multiresistant malaria, one of the world s most devastating infectious diseases [287]. Therefore, the design of many drugs and affordable chemotherapies are based upon synthetic quinoline derivatives, such as chloroquine, mefloquine or quinacrine [288-292]. In addition, chimanine alkaloids, are also effective against parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis [293-295]. Besides,... 

Patients with solid organ transplants tend to suffer from oral candidiasis and cryptococcosis, whereas neutropenic patients (chemotherapy because of cancer or bone marrow transplantation) are susceptible to aspergillosis, systemic candidiasis or mucormycosis. AIDS patients - as a general sign of their defective immune system - present with more severe courses of infectious diseases in general, including mycoses like candidiasis, dermatophytosis or seborrhoic dermatitis. 

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy—This British publication addresses all aspects of infectious diseases pharmacotherapy and therapeutics. Both American and European authors contribute to this journal. A review article at the beginning of each issue addresses a pertinent clinical issue. Supplements are published regularly that... 

International Conference of Chemotherapy (ICC)— The ICC is a biannual conference that is similar in size and scope to ICAAC, but is usually held outside the United States. Although the content is excellent, the travel, registration, and housing expenses make this meeting cost prohibitive for most American infectious diseases pharmacists. Those who do attend enjoy the opportunity to interact with practitioners and researchers from around the globe. 

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