Protease inhibitors syndrome

Pettersen JA, Jones G et al (2006) Sensory neuropathy in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients protease inhibitor-mediated neurotoxicity. Ann Neurol... 

Specific concomitant medications or consumptions (check specific statin package insert for warnings) fibrates (especially gemfibrozil, but other fibrates too), nicotinic acid (rarely), cyclosporine, azole antifungals such as itraconazole and ketoconazole, macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin and clarithromycin, protease inhibitors used to treat Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, nefazodone (antidepressant), verapamil, amiodarone, large quantities of grapefruit juice (usually more than 1 quart per day), and alcohol abuse (independently predisposes to myopathy)... 

Although many patients believe that dietary supplements will not interact with medications, recent literature suggests otherwise. Recently, many St. John s wort-drug interactions have been reported in the literature. Cases of patients developing symptoms of serotonin syndrome have been reported with St. John s wort alone and in concomitant therapy with other antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and venlafaxine. St. John s wort may exacerbate the sedative effects of benzodiazepines, alcohol, narcotics, and other sedatives. St. John s wort may decrease the levels of protease inhibitors, cyclosporine, digoxin, and theophylline. 

However, it is now recognised that neutrophils can contribute to host-tissue damage if they are activated to secrete reactive oxidants and granule enzymes, and if the local concentrations of anti-oxidants and protease inhibitors within the tissue are low or defective. Thus, inappropriate neutrophil activation leading to host-tissue damage has been implicated in reperfusion injury, Crohn s disease, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and rheumatoid arthritis. In these conditions, it is envisaged that neutrophils accumulate in tissues and become inappropriately activated to secrete their cytotoxic products, which then initiate or contribute to host-tissue damage. 

Nearly 40 million people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Over half of those infected reside in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide during 2004, it is estimated that nearly 14,000 people a day were infected. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is the primary etiological source for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Fortunately, people infected with HIV are leading longer and more productive lives due to the availability of more effective therapies. Better medicines have evolved due to the efforts of scientists worldwide who find targets and compounds that inhibit the virus life-cycle. The current treatment for HIV infection is via a drug cocktail that usually includes a protease inhibitor (PI), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). 

In 1995 the FDA approved saquinavir, the first protease inhibitor, for use in combination with other nucleoside analogue medications. In 1999 a soft gel capsule formulation of saquinavir with considerably improved absorption characteristics was developed. Ritonavir and indinavir have been approved for use alone or in combination with nucleoside analogue medications in people with advanced HIV disease. Nelfinavir is the first protease inhibitor labeled for use in children. Amprenavir is the newest of the protease inhibitors. Amprenavir can be taken with or without food, but it should not be taken with a high-fat meal because the fat content may decrease the absorption of the drug. The most disturbing adverse reactions to protease inhibitors consist of the lipodystrophy syndrome with severe hyperlipidemia and unpredictable fat redistributions over the body... 

In normal physiological conditions, it is inhibited by a-1-protease inhibitor of plasma. Damage to connective caused by leakage of elastases leads to damage associated with inflammatory diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema, adult respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock, cystic fibrosis, carcinogenesis, chronic bronchitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Compounds that directly inhibit elastase or its release from human neutrophils are of enormous pharmaceutical and cosmetological interest in the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs. A possible source for elastase inhibitors are the medicinal Asteraceae and Droseraceae, particularly those used as traditional medicine in Asia. 

Cushing s syndrome can be caused by the co-administra-tion of a glucocorticoid and inhibitors of CYP3A4, such as HIV protease inhibitors, resulting in increased plasma glucocorticoid concentrations. 

Samaras K, Pett S, Gowers A, McMurchie M, Cooper DA. Iatrogenic Cushing s syndrome with osteoporosis and secondary adrenal failure in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids and ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors six cases. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005 90(7) 4394-8. 

Dyslipidemia is a common accompaniment of the lipodystrophy syndrome observed in HIV-infected patients. This syndrome presents as a combination of peripheral lipoatrophy and the metabolic syndrome (central adiposity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia). The term lipodystrophy syndrome was first used in two case reports to describe a clinical picture of subcutaneous fat wasting in the face and limbs of HIV infected patients treated with indinavir, reminiscent of the rare congenital lipodystrophy syndromes (138,139). In addition, benign symmetric lipomatoses on the trunk and neck were described. A systematic study of this syndrome in the Australian HIV cohort showed co-existence of peripheral lipoatrophy with abdominal visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance in HIV-infected patients with or without treatment with protease inhibitors (140). 

Soon after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral combination treatments (HAART), lipodystrophy was associated with the use of protease inhibitors, and several reports have confirmed that a syndrome of peripheral lipodystrophy, central adiposity, breast hypertrophy in women, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance with hyperglycemia is an adverse event associated with the use of potent combination antiretroviral therapy, particularly including HIV-1 protease inhibitors (982-987). 

Lipodystrophy is not limited to patients taking protease inhibitors (992,993). Nevertheless, protease inhibitors are strongly associated with metabolic alterations and with lipodystrophy, while NRTIs are associated with low-grade lactic acidosis and less markedly with lipodystrophy. Some reports have speculated a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and lipodystrophy. It is clear, however, that the syndrome is related to total duration of antiviral therapy and inversely related to viral load. 

Carr A, Samaras K, Burton S, Law M, Freund J, Chisholm DJ, Cooper DA. A syndrome of peripheral lipodystrophy, hyperlipidaemia and insulin resistance in patients receiving HIV protease inhibitors. AIDS 1998 12 F51-8. 

In Netherton syndrome, a severe inherited skin disorder, the molecular defect is thought to involve mutations of the serine protease inhibitor... 

Chavanas S, Bodemer C, Rochat A, et al. Mutations in SPINK5, encoding a serine protease inhibitor, cause Netherton syndrome. Nat Genet 2000 25 141-142. 

Efavirenz (DMP 266) (1) is an effective non-nucleoside inhibitor of reverse transcriptase of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) recently registered by the US Food Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).1 2 3 Inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase by nucleosides like azidothymidine (AZT) (2) is a proven therapy for delaying the progression to AIDS. However, the rapid viral mutation to resistant strains requires the development of new therapeutic agents. The recent development of both protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors offers hope of effective treatment especially when coadministered. 

Angiotensin I converting enzyme Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Aspartic protease inhibitor Bowman Birk protease inhibitor protein Chymotrypsin Cysteine protease inhibitor Endothelin-converting enzyme Elastase... 

SYMPATHOMIMETICS ANTIVIRALS-PROTEASE INHIBITORS 1. Risk of serotonin syndrome when dexamfetamine is administered with ritonavir 2. Indinavir may t phenylpropanolamine levels 1. Protease inhibitors inhibit CYP2D6-mediated metabolism 2. Likely inhibition of phenylpropanolamine metabolism 1. Avoid co-administration 2. Monitor BP closely watch for marked t BP... 

ARIPIPRAZOLE, HALOPERIDOL, CLOZAPINE, PIMOZIDE, RISPERIDONE, SERTINDOLE PROTEASE INHIBITORS Possibly T levels of antipsychotic Inhibition of CYP3A4- and/or CYP2D6-mediated metabolism Avoid co-administration of clozapine with ritonavir, and pimozide or sertindole with protease inhibitors. Use other antipsychotics with caution as 1 dose may be required with risperidone, watch closely for extrapyramidal side-effects and neuroepileptic malignant syndrome... 

PROTEASE INHIBITORS SSRIs t adverse effects of fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline when co-administered with ritonavir (with or without lopinavir). Cardiac and neurological events have been reported, including serotonin syndrome Ritonavir is associated with the most significant interaction of the protease inhibitors due to potent inhibition of CYP3A, CYP2D6, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 isoenzymes Warn patients to watch for t side-effects of SSRIs and consider 1 dose ofSSRI... 

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