Persistence of the efficacy of zoster vaccine in the shingles prevention study and the short-term persistence substudy.

BACKGROUND: The Shingles Prevention Study (SPS; Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study 403) demonstrated that zoster vaccine was efficacious through 4 years after vaccination. The Short-Term Persistence Substudy (STPS) was initiated after the SPS to further assess the persistence of vaccine efficacy. METHODS: The STPS re-enrolled 7320 vaccine and 6950 placebo recipients from the 38 546-subject SPS population. Methods of surveillance, case determination, and follow-up were analogous to those in the SPS. Vaccine efficacy for herpes zoster (HZ) burden of illness, incidence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and incidence of HZ were assessed for the STPS population, for the combined SPS and STPS populations, and for each year through year 7 after vaccination. RESULTS: In the STPS as compared to the SPS, vaccine efficacy for HZ burden of illness decreased from 61.1% to 50.1%, vaccine efficacy for the incidence of PHN decreased from 66.5% to 60.1%, and vaccine efficacy for the incidence of HZ decreased from 51.3% to 39.6%, although the differences were not statistically significant. Analysis of vaccine efficacy in each year after vaccination for all 3 outcomes showed a decrease in vaccine efficacy after year 1, with a further decline thereafter. Vaccine efficacy was statistically significant for the incidence of HZ and the HZ burden of illness through year 5. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine efficacy for each study outcome was lower in the STPS than in the SPS. There is evidence of the persistence of vaccine efficacy through year 5 after vaccination but, vaccine efficacy is uncertain beyond that point.

A vaccine to prevent herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in older adults.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and severity of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia increase with age in association with a progressive decline in cell-mediated immunity to varicella-zoster virus (VZV). We tested the hypothesis that vaccination against VZV would decrease the incidence, severity, or both of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among older adults. METHODS: We enrolled 38,546 adults 60 years of age or older in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of an investigational live attenuated Oka/Merck VZV vaccine ("zoster vaccine"). Herpes zoster was diagnosed according to clinical and laboratory criteria. The pain and discomfort associated with herpes zoster were measured repeatedly for six months. The primary end point was the burden of illness due to herpes zoster, a measure affected by the incidence, severity, and duration of the associated pain and discomfort. The secondary end point was the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia. RESULTS: More than 95 percent of the subjects continued in the study to its completion, with a median of 3.12 years of surveillance for herpes zoster. A total of 957 confirmed cases of herpes zoster (315 among vaccine recipients and 642 among placebo recipients) and 107 cases of postherpetic neuralgia (27 among vaccine recipients and 80 among placebo recipients) were included in the efficacy analysis. The use of the zoster vaccine reduced the burden of illness due to herpes zoster by 61.1 percent (P<0.001), reduced the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by 66.5 percent (P<0.001), and reduced the incidence of herpes zoster by 51.3 percent (P<0.001). Reactions at the injection site were more frequent among vaccine recipients but were generally mild. CONCLUSIONS: The zoster vaccine markedly reduced morbidity from herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among older adults.

The effectiveness and safety of oral linezolid for the primary and secondary treatment of osteomyelitis.

The pharmacokinetic profile of oral linezolid makes it an attractive alternative for the treatment of osteomyelitis. Few studies have described the efficacy of linezolid in the treatment of osteomyelitis. A retrospective, observational analysis was conducted at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital. Patients who received oral linezolid from June 2000 to December 2002 were identified from pharmacy records. Forty-two patients who received oral linezolid for osteomyelitis at our institution were identified. Only patients who had received at least six weeks of linezolid therapy were evaluated for clinical effectiveness. Patients were also evaluated for adverse drug reactions due to linezolid. The clinical cure rate was 55% for the 20 patients who received at least six weeks of therapy. Adverse events included gastrointestinal disturbances (15%), thrombocytopenia (10%), anemia (10%), neutropenia (5%) and rash (5%). The authors conclude that oral linezolid is an alterative to intravenous antibiotics for the treatment of osteomyelitis.

Seroprevalence of GB virus C and persistence of RNA and antibody.

Exposure to GB virus C (GBV-C) was determined in several U.S. populations by both reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to mammalian cell-expressed GBV-C envelope protein, E2 (GBV-C E2). Most individuals exposed to GBV-C were either RNA positive/ELISA negative or ELISA positive/RNA negative. Exposure, therefore, was measured as the sum of GBV-C RNA positive and GBV-C E2 antibody positive specimens, and was higher in commercial plasmapheresis donors (40.5%) than in volunteer blood donors (5.5%). In intravenous drug users (IVDUs), GBV-C exposure was 89.2%. Serial bleed specimens tested for GBV-C RNA indicate that some patients remain viremic for at least 3 years and fail to produce detectable antibodies to GBV-C E2. In other exposed individuals who tested negative for GBV-C RNA, antibodies to E2 appear to be similarly long-lived (greater than 3 years) with a fairly constant titer (ranging in reciprocal endpoint dilution from 336 to 21,504). Since the detection of GBV-C RNA and GBV-C E2 antibody are mutually exclusive in most exposed individuals, studies pertaining to incidence and prevalence of GBV-C infection require both antibody and nucleic acid detection.

Breast and cutaneous mycobacteriosis: diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

The breast and skin are considered to be rare sites of extrapulmonary mycobacterial infection, comprising 0.1% to 0.5% of all tuberculosis cases, respectively. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a rapid and minimally invasive approach to diagnose extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and has been used successfully in identifying tuberculous lesions in the lymph nodes, thyroid, kidney, pancreas, vertebrae, and testis. Two cases of extrapulmonary mycobacteriosis diagnosed by FNAB are described: a 59-year-old Hispanic male with cutaneous mycobacterial infection of the head and neck region, and a 58-year-old white male with a unilateral tuberculous mastitis. In both instances, the FNAB material demonstrated acute neutrophilic exudate, few isolated aggregates of epithelioid histiocytes and lymphocytes, and on Fite-Farraco stain mycobacteria. Reported cases of tuberculosis diagnosed by FNAB have been few; this is the first case of cutaneous tuberculosis diagnosed by FNAB.

Prevalence studies of GB virus-C infection using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Among the three recently described GB viruses (GBV-A, GBV-B, and GBV-C), only GBV-C has been linked to cryptogenic hepatitis in man. Because of the limited utility of currently available research tests to determine antibody response to GBV-C proteins, the prevalence of GBV-C RNA in human sera was studied using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The prevalence of GBV-C is higher among volunteer blood donors with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (3.9%) than among volunteer blood donors with normal ALT levels (0.8%). Higher rates were also noted among commercial blood donors (12.9%) and intravenous drug users (16.0%). GBV-C was frequently detected in residents of West Africa, where the prevalence was > 10% in most age groups. Approximately 20% of patients diagnosed with either acute or chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) were found to be positive for GBV-C RNA. In addition, GBV-C RNA sequences were detected in individuals diagnosed with non-A-E hepatitis, with clinical courses ranging from mild disease to fulminant hepatitis. Fourteen of sixteen subjects with or without clinically apparent hepatitis were positive for GBV-C RNA more than 1 year after the initial positive result.

Didanosine compared with continuation of zidovudine in HIV-infected patients with signs of clinical deterioration while receiving zidovudine. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The Bristol-Myers Squibb AI454-010 Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the benefits of switching to didanosine compared with continuing zidovudine among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have previously used zidovudine and have signs of clinical deterioration. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, two-armed, parallel, comparative clinical trial with a blinded, compassionate crossover provision at 12 weeks. SETTING: Outpatient clinics at 19 tertiary care medical centers. PATIENTS: 312 patients infected with HIV who had received zidovudine for 6 months or more, had CD4 cell counts of 300/mm3 or less, and had signs of clinical deterioration within 12 weeks before study entry. INTERVENTION: Peroral didanosine tablets (600 mg/d adjusted for weight, "high dose") or zidovudine capsules (600 mg/d). MEASUREMENTS: Primary study end points were death, a new acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)--defining event, or the combination of two new or recurrent HIV-related diagnoses with a 50% decrease in CD4 cells. RESULTS: Switching to didanosine was associated with fewer end points than continuing zidovudine (relative risk [RR] for zidovudine:didanosine = 1.5; 95% Cl, 1.1 to 2.0). This benefit was consistent across subgroups of patients with either AIDS-related complex or AIDS and was most apparent among those with a CD4 count at entry of 100/mm3 or more (RR = 2.2; Cl, 1.1 to 4.4). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a positive treatment effect for switching from zidovudine to didanosine among patients with either AIDS-related complex or AIDS and validates the common practice of using clinical signs or a decrease in the CD4 count as an indication for changing therapy.

Synergy of levofloxacin (L-ofloxacin) and oxacillin against quinolone-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, measured by the time-kill method.

The synergistic activity of levofloxacin and oxacillin against levofloxacin-resistant isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was tested by the time-kill method. The combination of levofloxacin at 1/4 the MIC for the isolate plus oxacillin at 8 micrograms/ml (< 1/4 the MIC) was synergistic against seven of nine isolates at 8 h, although no significant synergy was demonstrated at 24 h. This combination may prove to be effective against multidrug-resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and further studies are warranted.

The diagnosis of influenza.

Our ability to establish a specific diagnosis of influenza infections has dramatically improved. Clinical signs and symptoms of influenza infection and epidemiological indicators of an influenza outbreak can be verified with a variety of rapid detection methods. Viral isolation and an acute change in serology, which characteristically took from 5 to 28 days, are now being supplemented with methods that detect influenza viral antigen directly on clinical specimens and/or influenza virus in tissue culture within 24 to 48 hours following inoculation. These rapid diagnostic techniques are easily adapted in clinical microbiology laboratories and will provide diagnostic information so that the clinician can prescribe specific antiviral therapy.

Therapy of serious skin and soft tissue infections with ofloxacin administered by intravenous and oral route.

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ofloxacin administered both by the intravenous route and orally in 26 men with serious skin and soft tissue infection. Twenty-one patients completed antimicrobial therapy and were fully evaluable. Of these, 18 were judged to be cured, while 3 failed therapy either during or within 2 weeks after completion of therapy. Overall, Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated pathogen and was found to be susceptible to ofloxacin in 12 of 14 patients. Two patients, 1 with a tolerant isolate of S. aureus, the other patient with a resistant isolate of S. aureus, responded clinically to ofloxacin therapy; a third patient with an initially ofloxacin-sensitive isolate failed therapy, and on subsequent culture an ofloxacin-resistant S. aureus was isolated. Ofloxacin was well tolerated and efficacious in the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections including those caused by staphylococci and streptococci.

Seroprevalence of HTLV-I/II and HIV-1 infection among male intravenous drug abusers in Chicago.

We surveyed for serologic evidence of either HIV-1 or HTLV-I/II infection in 387 male veterans who entered into an inpatient drug treatment center. Serum was obtained after receiving written informed consent. Serum specimens were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to HIV-1 and for antibody to HTLV-I/II; sera that were repeatedly reactive were then tested by Western blot (HIV-1/HTLV-I/II) and radioimmunoprecipitation assay (HTLV-I/II). Sixty-five of 387 (16.79%) patients were tested and confirmed as positive for HTLV-I/II only antibodies and 30 of the 387 (7.75%) were positive for HIV-1 only antibodies. An additional nine patients (2.32%) were seropositive for antibodies to both viruses. A statistically significant difference in the CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio was associated with HIV-1 seropositivity. HTLV-I/II seropositivity was strongly associated with black race, age, and duration of i.v. drug use, but not with sexual intercourse as determined by lifetime history of number of sexual partners, incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, type of drug used, or needle-sharing practices.

Influenza A among hospital personnel and patients. Implications for recognition, prevention, and control.

An outbreak of influenza A/Philippines H3N2 at a 1156-bed Veterans Administration Hospital involved 118 hospital personnel and 49 patients. Prospective surveillance methods that had been established within the hospital were not useful in identifying the number of involved individuals. Community indicators of influenza, which were reviewed retrospectively, would not have identified circulating influenza in this population. Control of the outbreak was accomplished using a creative approach that immunized over a third of the physician and nursing staff. This immunization program was successfully used in subsequent years to increase personnel compliance with the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee recommendations to annually immunize hospital personnel.

Early detection of influenza virus by using a fluorometric assay of infected tissue culture.

A fluorometric substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-ketoside of N-acetylneuramide, was used directly on clinical specimens and infected tissue culture 24 h after inoculation for the detection of influenza viral neuraminidase. Viral neuraminidase was detected in infected tissue culture but not in clinical specimens. The sensitivity of the assay on tissue culture was 92%, and the specificity was 96%.

Bacteremia caused by CDC group Ve-1 in previously healthy patient with granulomatous hepatitis.

This is a case report of CDC group Ve-1 bacteremia in an otherwise healthy patient with granulomatous hepatitis.