ABSTRACT
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy has been introduced to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy due to their antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. But each study reported conflicting result and treatment regimen has not been clearly established. We experienced a case of 28-year-old woman with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy with severely depressed cardiac function. Its onset time was obvious within 1 month. Despite of conservative treatment of heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest was developed. We tried IVIG therapy, and her symptoms and cardiac function were improved after IVIG treatment.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Cardiomyopathy, Dilated , Death, Sudden, Cardiac , Heart Failure , Immunoglobulins , Immunoglobulins, IntravenousABSTRACT
Pulmonary hypertension is one of the serious complications of autoimmune rheumatic disease, and it is becoming an important cause of morbidity and premature death. Pulmonary involvement occurs occasionally in adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), but pulmonary hypertension has not been previously reported in Korea. We describe a 33-year-old woman with 5-year history of AOSD who presented with pulmonary hypertension, without evidences of pleural or parenchymal involvement of the lung, pulmonary embolism or any other obvious cause. Here, we report an AOSD patient with pulmonary hypertension with review of the literatures.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Hypertension, Pulmonary , Korea , Lung , Mortality, Premature , Pulmonary Embolism , Rheumatic Diseases , Still's Disease, Adult-OnsetABSTRACT
Nocardiosis is uncommon in healthy people, but occurs as an opportunistic infection in patients with connective tissue disease, solid organ transplantation, lung disease, malignancies, and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Nocardia is a gram positive, variably acid-fast aerobic bacterium of the family Nocardiaceae characterized by branching and filamentous growth, with distinctive aerial hyphae. In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, immunosuppressiion with cytotoxic drugs or corticosteroids, proteinuria, renal insufficiency, and active SLE itself are known as risk factors for serious bacterial infections and opportunistic infections. We report a case of pulmonary Nocardiosis in patient with lupus nephritis treated with cyclophosphamide and high dose corticosteroid.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Adrenal Cortex Hormones , Bacterial Infections , Connective Tissue Diseases , Cyclophosphamide , Hyphae , Lung Diseases , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Lupus Nephritis , Nocardia , Nocardia Infections , Nocardiaceae , Opportunistic Infections , Organ Transplantation , Proteinuria , Renal Insufficiency , Risk Factors , TransplantsABSTRACT
Acute Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) syndrome should be considered in any patient with possible HIV exposure who presents with acute febrile disease. The diagnosis of acute HIV syndrome is difficult because symptoms are those of common illness. A high index of suspicion and possibility of HIV exposure are important diagnostic clue. Early diagnosis during primary infection permit patient education and treatment that may delay disease progression and improve immune preservation and reconstitution. We report two cases of acute HIV syndrome presenting as an acute febrile disease. The first case had severe illness presenting as acute severe hepatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation, and the second had relatively mild form of disease. Two cases started the treatment with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) and have been well now with no other complications.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Diagnosis , Disease Progression , Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation , Early Diagnosis , Hepatitis , HIV Infections , HIV , Patient Education as TopicABSTRACT
A large outbreak of Shigella sonnei gastrointestinal infections occurred at Cheju Island in Korea from May to August 2000. We selected 54 strains which were isolated from the primary treatment failure cases in the outbreak, and characterized the resistance-determining region of the R-plasmid. The 54 strains showed same antimicrobial resistance patterns; resistance against ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline were mediated by a conjugable plasmid of about 80 kb size, but the trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole resistance was not transferred by this plasmid. The R-determining region of the plasmid was cloned and characterized. The 8,384 bp sequences contained resistance genes in the following order:strA, strB, tetR, tetA, and sul1. Fifty four isolates harbored the same sized plasmid and showed same ribotyping patterns, which suggested the clonal spread of S. sonnei in the outbreak.
Subject(s)
Ampicillin , Clone Cells , Korea , Plasmids , Ribotyping , Shigella sonnei , Shigella , Streptomycin , Sulfamethoxazole , Tetracycline , Treatment Failure , Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug CombinationABSTRACT
A large outbreak of Shigella sonnei gastrointestinal infections occurred at Cheju Island in Korea from May to August 2000. We selected 54 strains which were isolated from the primary treatment failure cases in the outbreak, and characterized the resistance-determining region of the R-plasmid. The 54 strains showed same antimicrobial resistance patterns; resistance against ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline were mediated by a conjugable plasmid of about 80 kb size, but the trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole resistance was not transferred by this plasmid. The R-determining region of the plasmid was cloned and characterized. The 8,384 bp sequences contained resistance genes in the following order:strA, strB, tetR, tetA, and sul1. Fifty four isolates harbored the same sized plasmid and showed same ribotyping patterns, which suggested the clonal spread of S. sonnei in the outbreak.