There was studied the therapeutic efficacy ofinhalations ofaerosolform ofaprotinin delivered by a propellant in the metered-dose inhaler (MDI). This clinical trial was performed during the winter-spring outbreak caused with pandemic Influenza H1N1pdmO9. Aprotinin (a natural antiprotease low molecular weight polypeptide from bovine lungs) is known to be an antiviral drug, which inhibits influenza virus proteolytic activation accomplished by host respiratory proteases. Patients inhaled 2 aerosol doses of aprotinin (160 Kallikrein-inhibiting Units (KIU)) each 2 hours for 5 days. In comparison group, patients were treated with Ingavirin (a synthetic peptidoamine with unknown antiviral target), 90 mg per dayfor 5 days. On day 2 after treatment viral loads in naso-pharyngeal washes were determined. In aprotinin patients about the tenfold decrease of viral load was determined in comparison to Ingavirin patients. Duration of clinical symptoms, such as rhinorrhea, weakness, headache, sore throat, cough, chest pains, fever, in aprotinin group was 1 -2 days shorter then in Ingavirin group. No side effects neither patient discomfort were revealed in aprotinin group of patients. MDI, containing aprotinin as an active substance, can be recommended as a drug against Influenza caused by different viruses, including seasonal H1 N1, H3N2, swine-like H1 N1 pdmO9, and avian-like H7N9 viruses.
Clinical significance of determining the neopterin concentration in body fluids is reviewed. The results of researches on determining the neopterin concentrations in various infectious diseases (vector-borne diseases, herpes, respiratory and intestinal infections, as well as human immunodeficiency virus infection) conducted over the past 2 years are discussed. Neopterin is a biologically stable metabolite, which gives an advantage of its detection to assess the activity of the immune response. Previously neopterin was determined mainly by high-performance liquid chromatography. In recent years, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was introduced and frequently used for determining neopterin concentrations. It was shown that neopterin concentrations can vary also in the absence of the pathological process. In particular, some general factors such as race, age, body mass index, smoking and arterial pressure may influence on the concentrations of neopterin in the human body. Increased level of neopterin in body biological fluids and the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio are measured in diseases involving interferon-γ-mediated immune response activation. In this regard, the highest concentrations of neopterin and increased kynurenine/tryptophan ratio are observed in cases of infectious diseases, malignancies, transplant rejection, a number of cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. It was shown that neopterin can be regarded as a highly specific marker of viral infection, and its blood concentration reflect the prognosis of the disease. Monitoring neopterin level may be useful to assess the severity and activity of an infectious disease, its clinical course, and to control the effectiveness of etiological treatment for many infectious diseases.
The article reviews the clinical significance of measuring acute phase proteins (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and neopterin) for differential diagnosis between bacterial and viral infections. The results of researches preformed at 1984 to 2014, which measured the levels of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and neopterin in body biological fluids in infectious and non-infection diseases, are analyzed. Most frequently the clinician encounters a situation when it is necessary to differentiate the bacterial infection from other possible causes of increased body temperature, in particular, from viral infections. In some cases, the diagnosis of bacterial infection is possible only after the results of bacteriology, therefore, laboratory markers of bacterial infection, which would allow differentiating the causes of fever and minimizing the number of cases of unjustified antibiotic use, are actively sought out. Combined measuring of three acute inflammation markers was performed in patients with both infectious and non- infectious diseases. In was revealed that the levels of those blood markers correlate with the inflammation severity. Higher diagnostic value of simultaneous measurement of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and neopterin, as well as the predictive value of procalcitonin and neopterin in monitoring the course of a number of diseases, was shown. Comprehensive analysis of the concentrations of the studied biomarkers in relation to clinical and microbiological data may help to identify patients at high risk of an unfavorable course of some diseases, allowing timely administration of all necessary treatments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.