Urinary tract infections and lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Infections are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. OBJECTIVE: To analyse urinary tract infection (UTI) risk factors in lupus patients; the influence of these factors on disease activity, organ damage, and disease development; the type and prevalence of UTI; and the micro-organisms involved. METHOD: 86 control subjects and 81 lupus patients were studied prospectively over a 12 month period and examined on five occasions. Epidemiological data and information on urinary symptoms, disease activity (SLEDAI), and organ damage (SLICC/ACR) data were collected. Autoantibodies, complement levels, urine culture, and antibiogram were determined; urological studies were also carried out. SPPS 10.0 and STATA 6.0. were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of UTI in lupus patients was 36%. Lupus influences the onset of UTI (p = 0.001), regardless of other variables. UTI risk factors in lupus patients were age (p = 0.002), previous cases of UTI (p = 0.0001), antinuclear antibodies (ANA) >1/80 IU/ml (p = 0.022), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.02), and admission to hospital due to UTI (p = 0.002). Leucopenia (p = 0.09) and the weekly administration of methotrexate (p = 0.06) had a bearing on the onset of UTI; disease development (p = 0.99), lupus activity (p = 0.32), and organ damage (p = 0.36) do not. The uropathogen most frequently isolated was E coli (60%). CONCLUSIONS: Lupus patients are likely to have UTI, usually manifesting in the lower tract. They are community acquired, basically caused by E coli, and favoured by age, previous UTI, admissions to hospital due to UTI, thrombopenia, ANA, leucopenia, and methotrexate treatments.

In vitro activity of cloconazole, sulconazole, butoconazole, isoconazole, fenticonazole, and five other antifungal agents against clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Candida spp.

The in vitro activity of several new imidazoles, cloconazole, sulconazole, butoconazole, isoconazole and fenticonazole, were compared with those of amphothericin B, flucytosine, and three azoles: econazole, miconazole and ketoconazole against isolates of pathogenic Candida. A total of 186 clinical isolates of 10 species of the genus Candida and two culture collection strains were tested by an agar-dilution technique. Isoconazole was the most active azole, followed by butoconazole sulconazole. Differences between some of the species in their susceptibility to the antifungal agents were noted. Sulconazole and cloconazole had the highest activity in vitro against 106 isolates of C. albicans. Butoconazole and isoconazole were also very active against isolates of C. albicans, and were the most active azole compounds against 80 isolates of Candida spp.

[Sensitivity of yeasts of the genus Candida to new antifungal agents]. / Sensibilidad de levaduras del género Candida a nuevos agentes antifúngicos.

We studied the in vitro activity of cloconazole, sulconazole, butoconazole, isoconazole, fenticonazole and ciclopirox, as well other classical antifungal agents against 188 Candida spp. strains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) have been determined by dilution-agar technique. Of all the imidazole compound tested, isoconazole showed the greatest activity against 186 Candida strains isolates (MIC 90%: 4 micrograms/ml). Sulconazole and cloconazole showed their best activity against 106 Candida albicans isolates. Butoconazole and isoconazole had demonstrated good activity against C. albicans and also were the most active agents against 80 Candida spp. isolates. In vitro activity of ciclopirox against Candida is close to that of econazole (MIC 90%: 8 micrograms/ml).

[Antimicrobial activity of ornidazole and 6 other antibiotics against anaerobic bacteria]. / Estudio de la actividad antimicrobiana de ornidazol y otros seis antimicrobianos sobre bacterias anaerobias.

The antimicrobial susceptibility of 235 anaerobic bacterial strains to ornidazole, metronidazole, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, penicillin, cefoxitin and imipenem has been studied using agar-dilution technique. Ornidazole and metronidazole were active against 88.6% and 86% of gram-positive cocci. Overall, 99.1% of Bacteroides group fragilis, and 91.3% of non-fragilis Bacteroides were also sensitive to both drugs. We did not find any Clostridium perfringens resistant strain. Cefoxitin and penicillin showed good activity against all Clostridium perfringens strains, and also against 97.7% and 92.5% of gram-positive cocci. We found one single imipenem resistant strain among gram-positive bacteria. Bacteroides fragilis also showed sensitivity to penicillin (41.5%), cefoxitin (85.7%) and imipenem (97.1%). Clindamycin was active against Clostridium perfringens (90.9%), gram-positive cocci (86.7%) and imipenem (68.6%). Chloramphenicol showed good activity against Clostridium perfringens (100%), gram-positive cocci (95.5%) and Bacteroides spp. (99.4%). Our results showed an overall good activity of all the seven drugs tested against anaerobic gram-positive microorganisms. Of notice, we found a good activity of chloramphenicol, imipenem, metronidazole and ornidazole against Bacteroides spp.

Gentamicin therapy monitoring in seriously compromised patients.

Gentamicin therapy was monitored in 30 patients with severe infection and other concomitant disease states. The application of the nomogram of Hull and Sarubbi [6] produced good plasma levels and disappearance of the infective agent without evidence of drug toxicity in 70% of patients. The remaining 30% did not respond satisfactorily to the treatment and showed low drug serum concentrations; and them had heavy fluid losses; when we modified their treatment, outside of the nomogram guidelines, we observed a better response. Since gentamicin distributes essentially in extracellular water, subjects who have alterations of body fluids regulation should be carefully controlled.