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Endothelial function can be improved significantly by exercise, smoke cessation, weight loss in overweight or obese persons, and improved diet. Treatment of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are also critical; the major pharmacological interventions to improve endothelial function in those set of patients are statins(HMGCoA-reductase inhibitor), and renin angiotensin system inhibitors, (such as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists).
Some studies have found the consumption of flavonoid-rich fruit and vegetables, potassium
and arginine supplementation to restore impaired endothelial function. A positive relationship exists between the consumption of trans fat (commonly found in hydrogenated products such as margarine) and the development of endothelial dysfunction.
New third-generation β-blockers and 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitors may affect endothelial function. New non-invasive strategies that measure endothelial function will prove critical to assess which set of patients are improving their endothelial function. Statins have major pleiotropic anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive effects besides the cholesterol reduction effect. This immunomodulatory effects of statins may explain why some patients improve their endothelial function with those drugs. Another anti-inflammatory drug that has shown to be effective for treating endothelial dysfunction in patients who also have coronary artery disease is the ipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor.
In general, the treatment of PPH is derived from the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. The best treatment available is the combination of medical therapy and liver transplantation.
The ideal treatment for PPH management is that which can achieve pulmonary vasodilatation and smooth muscle relaxation without exacerbating systemic hypotension. Most of the therapies for PPH have been adapted from the primary pulmonary hypertension literature. Calcium channel blockers, b-blockers and nitrates have all been used – but the most potent and widely used aids are prostaglandin (and prostacyclin) analogs, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, nitric oxide and, most recently, endothelin receptor antagonists and agents capable of reversing the remodeling of pulmonary vasculature.
Inhaled nitric oxide vasodilates, decreasing pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) without affecting systemic artery pressure because it is rapidly inactivated by hemoglobin, and improves oxygenation by redistributing pulmonary blood flow to ventilated areas of lung. Inhaled nitric oxide has been used successfully to bridge patients through liver transplantation and the immediate perioperative period, but there are two significant drawbacks: it requires intubation and cannot be used for long periods of time due to methemoglobinemia.
Prostaglandin PGE1 (Alprostadil) binds G-protein linked cell surface receptors that activate adenylate cyclase to relax vascular smooth muscle. Prostacyclin – PGI2, an arachadonic acid derived lipid mediator (Epoprostenol, Flolan, Treprostenil) – is a vasodilator and, at the same time, the most potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation. More importantly, PGI2 (and not nitrous oxide) is also associated with an improvement in splanchnic perfusion and oxygenation. Epoprostenol and ilioprost (a more stable, longer acting variation) can and does successfully bridge for patients to transplant. Epoprostenol therapy can lower PAP by 29-46% and PVR by 21-71%., Ilioprost shows no evidence of generating tolerance, increases cardiac output and improves gas exchange while lowering PAP and PVR. A subset of patients does not respond to any therapy, likely having fixed vascular anatomic changes.
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE-i) have been employed with excellent results. It has been shown to reduce mean PAP by as much as 50%, though it prolongs bleeding time by inhibiting collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Another drug, Milrinone, a Type 3 PDE-i increases vascular smooth muscle adenosine-3,5-cyclic monophosphate concentrations to cause selective pulmonary vasodilation. Also, by causing the buildup of cAMP in the myocardium, Milrinone increases contractile force, heart rate and the extent of relaxation.
The newest generation in PPH pharmacy shows great promise. Bosentan is a nonspecific endothelin-receptor antagonist capable of neutralizing the most identifiable cirrhosis associated vasoconstrictor, safely and efficaciously improving oxygenation and PVR, especially in conjunction with sildenafil. Finally, where the high pressures and pulmonary tree irritations of PPH cause a medial thickening of the vessels (smooth muscle migration and hyperplasia), one can remove the cause –control the pressure, transplant the liver – yet those morphological changes persist, sometimes necessitating lung transplantation. Imatinib, designed to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, has been shown to reverse the pulmonary remodeling associated with PPH.
Stent implantation has been correlated with impaired endothelial function in several studies. According to Mischie et al., sirolimus eluting stent implantation induces a higher rate of endothelial dysfunction compared to bare metal stents. This is problematic because stents have been used to treat many diseases related to endothelial dysfunction, including coronary artery disease. Sirolimus eluting stents were previously used because they showed very low rates of in-stent restenosis but further investigation showed that they often impair endothelial dysfunction in humans and worsen conditions. Therefore, now the commonly used drug is iopromide-paclitaxel because it showed low rates of in-stent restenosis and thrombosis and it does not worsen the person's health condition.
Treatment is most commonly directed at autoimmune disease and may be needed to treat bulky lymphoproliferation. First line therapies include corticosteroids (very active but toxic with chronic use), and IVIgG, which are not as effective as in other immune cytopenia syndromes.
Second line therapies include: mycophenolate mofetil (cellcept) which inactivates inosine monophosphate, most studied in clinical trials with responses varying (relapse, resolution, partial response). It does not affect lymphoproliferation or reduce DNTs, with no drug-drug interactions. This treatment is commonly used agent in patients who require chronic treatment based on tolerance and efficacy. It may cause hypogammaglobulinemia (transient) requiring IVIgG replacement.
Sirolimus (rapamycin, rapamune) which is a mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibitor can be active in most patients and can in some cases lead to complete or near-complete resolution of autoimmune disease (>90%) With this treatment most patients have complete resolution of lymphoproliferation, including lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly (>90%) and have elimination of peripheral blood DNTs. Sirolimus may not be as immune suppressive in normal lymphocytes as other agents. Some patients have had improvement in immune function with transition from cellcept to rapamycin and it has not been reported to cause hypogammaglobulinemia. Hypothetically, Sirolimus may have lower risk of secondary cancers as opposed to other immune suppressants and requires therapeutic drug monitoring. It is the second most commonly used agent in patients that require chronic therapy. It is mostly well tolerated (though side effects include mucositis, diarrhea, hyperlipidemia, delayed wound healing) with drug-drug interactions. It has better activity against autoimmune disease and lymphoproliferation than mycophenolate mofetil and other drugs; however, sirolimus requires therapeutic drug monitoring and can cause mucositis. A risk with any agent in pre-cancerous syndrome as immune suppression can decreased tumor immunosurvellence. Its mTOR inhibitors active against lymphomas, especially EBV+ lymphomas. The Goal serum trough is 5-15 ng/ml and can consider PCP prophylaxis but usually not needed.
Other treatments may include drugs like Fansidar, mercaptopurine: More commonly used in Europe. Another is rituximab but this can cause lifelong hypogammaglobulinemia and a splenectomy but there is a >30% risk of pneumococcal sepsis even with vaccination and antibiotic prophylaxis
Immunosuppressive therapies, encompassing corticosteroids, azathioprine, methotrexate and more recently, rituximab, are the mainstay of therapy. Other treatments include PE, IVIG, and thymectomy. Patients reportedly exhibited a heterogenous response to immunomodulation.
Antiepileptics can be used for symptomatic relief of peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. Indeed, some patients have exhibited a spontaneous remission of symptoms.
Treatment for "B cell deficiency"(humoral immune deficiency) depends on the cause, however generally the following applies:
- Treatment of infection(antibiotics)
- Surveillance for malignancies
- Immunoglobulin replacement therapy
The cause of sudden death in Brugada syndrome is ventricular fibrillation (VF). The average age of death is 41. According to clinical reports, sudden death in people with Brugada syndrome most often happens during sleep. The episodes of syncope (fainting) and sudden death (aborted or not) are caused by fast polymorphic ventricular tachycardias or ventricular fibrillation. These arrhythmias appear with no warning. While there is no exact treatment modality that reliably and totally prevents ventricular fibrillation from occurring in this syndrome, treatment lies in termination of this lethal arrhythmia before it causes death. This is done via insertion of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which continuously monitors the heart rhythm and will shock the wearer if ventricular fibrillation is sensed.
Studies have evaluated the role of quinidine, a Class Ia antiarrhythmic drug, for decreasing VF episodes occurring in this syndrome. Quinidine has been found to both decrease the number of VF episodes and correct spontaneous ECG changes, possibly via inhibiting I channels.
Some drugs have been reported to induce the type-1 ECG and/or (fatal) arrhythmias in Brugada syndrome patients. Patients with Brugada syndrome can prevent arrhythmias by avoiding these drugs or using them only in controlled conditions. Those with risk factors for coronary artery disease may require an angiogram before ICD implantation.
Surgical resection of the tumor is the treatment of first choice, either by open laparotomy or laparoscopy. Given the complexity of perioperative management, and the potential for catastrophic intra and postoperative complications, such surgery should be performed only at centers experienced in the management of this disorder. In addition to the surgical expertise that such centers can provide, they will also have the necessary endocrine and anesthesia resources. It may also be necessary to carry out adrenalectomy, a complete surgical removal of the affected adrenal gland(s).
Either surgical option requires prior treatment with the non-specific and irreversible alpha adrenoceptor blocker phenoxybenzamine or a short acting alpha antagonist (e.g. prazosin, terazosin, or doxazosin). Doing so permits the surgery to proceed while minimizing the likelihood of severe intraoperative hypertension (as might occur when the tumor is manipulated). Some authorities would recommend that a combined alpha/beta blocker such as labetalol also be given in order to slow the heart rate. Regardless, a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor blocker such as propranolol must never be used in the presence of a pheochromocytoma. The mechanism for β-adrenoceptor blocker-associated adverse events is generally ascribed to inhibition of β2-adrenoceptor-mediated vasodilatation, leaving α1-adrenoceptor-mediated vasoconstrictor responses to catecholamines unopposed and, thus, severe and potentially refractory hypertension. However some clinical guidelines permit beta-1 blockade use together with alpha blockers during surgery for control of tachycardia.
The patient with pheochromocytoma is invariably volume depleted. In other words, the chronically elevated adrenergic state characteristic of an untreated pheochromocytoma leads to near-total inhibition of renin-angiotensin activity, resulting in excessive fluid loss in the urine and thus reduced blood volume. Hence, once the pheochromocytoma has been resected, thereby removing the major source of circulating catecholamines, a situation arises where there is both very low sympathetic activity and volume depletion. This can result in profound hypotension. Therefore, it is usually advised to "salt load" pheochromocytoma patients before their surgery. This may consist of simple interventions such as consumption of high salt food pre-operatively, direct salt replacement or through the administration of intravenous saline solution.
The mainstay of treatment consists of thymectomy and immunoglobulin replacement with IVIG (Kelesidis, 2010). Immunodeficiency does not resolve after thymectomy (Arnold, 2015). To treat the autoimmune component of the disease, immune-suppression is sometimes used and it is often challenging to determine if a patient’s symptoms are infectious or autoimmune (Arnold, 2015).
Patients should have serological testing for antibodies to toxoplasma and cytomegalovirus. If receiving a transfusion, CMV negative blood should be used in those with negative serological testing. Live vaccines should also be avoided (Kelesidis, 2010). The CDC recommends pneumococcal, meningococcal, and Hib vaccination in those with diminished humoral and cell-mediated immunity (Hamborsky, 2015).
Some have advocated treating prophylactically with TMP-SMX if CD4 counts are lower than 200 cells/mm^3, similar to AIDS patients (Kelesidis, 2010).
Following diagnosis, mean survival of patients with PPH is 15 months. The survival of those with cirrhosis is sharply curtailed by PPH but can be significantly extended by both medical therapy and liver transplantation, provided the patient remains eligible.
Eligibility for transplantation is generally related to mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). Given the fear that those PPH patients with high PAP will suffer right heart failure following the stress of post-transplant reperfusion or in the immediate perioperative period, patients are typically risk-stratified based on mean PAP. Indeed, the operation-related mortality rate is greater than 50% when pre-operative mean PAP values lie between 35 and 50 mm Hg; if mean PAP exceeds 40-45, transplantation is associated with a perioperative mortality of 70-80% (in those cases without preoperative medical therapy). Patients, then, are considered to have a high risk of perioperative death once their mean PAP exceeds 35 mm_Hg.
Survival is best inferred from published institutional experiences. At one institution, without treatment, 1-year survival was 46% and 5-year survival was 14%. With medical therapy, 1-year survival was 88% and 5-year survival was 55%. Survival at 5 years with medical therapy followed by liver transplantation was 67%. At another institution, of the 67 patients with PPH from 1652 total cirrhotics evaluated for transplant, half (34) were placed on the waiting list. Of these, 16 (48%) were transplanted at a time when 25% of all patients who underwent full evaluation received new livers, meaning the diagnosis of PPH made a patient twice as likely to be transplanted, once on the waiting list. Of those listed for transplant with PPH, 11 (33%) were eventually removed because of PPH, and 5 (15%) died on the waitlist. Of the 16 transplanted patients with PPH, 11 (69%) survived for more than a year after transplant, at a time when overall one-year survival in that center was 86.4%. The three year post-transplant survival for patients with PPH was 62.5% when it was 81.02% overall at this institution.
Ligneous conjunctivitis may be managed by topical treatments of plasminogen, topical and subconjunctival fresh frozen plasma, and fibrinolytic therapy.
A complete recovery following immunotherapy and tumor removal. Untreated cases died within few months of onset. Some patients have a poor outcome despite sustained immunosuppression, but that is often related to tumor progression or associated with the presence of Abs directed against intracellular Ags such as GAD Abs or amphyphysin Abs, which can reflect the involvement of an additional cytotoxic T-cell mechanism in the progression of the disease.
A wide variety of treatment modalities are currently recommended including Immunosuppressive agents, intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), and antiviral agents although the effectiveness of these treatments are not well established and no specific treatment is available.
Although frequently employed to treat patients experiencing the cytokine storm associated with ARDS, corticosteroids and NSAIDs have been evaluated in clinical trials and have shown no effect on lung mechanics, gas exchange, or beneficial outcome in early established ARDS.
Some types of arthritis medications are designed to reduce inflammation by inhibiting the tumor necrosis factor-alpha pathway to immune cell activation; these drugs are known as TNF-alpha blockers. One study found that three different TNF-alpha blockers afforded a slight reduction in antibody presentation after vaccination against influenza in a group of immunocompromised patients, however it did not significantly affect patients' protective factor gained from inoculation. More research is necessary before any conclusions may be made regarding the efficacy of TNF-alpha blockers at reducing the effects of a cytokine storm in hospitalized flu patients.
White dog shaker syndrome (also known as idiopathic steroid responsive shaker syndrome, shaker dog syndrome and "little white shakers" syndrome; Latin name Idiopathic Cerebellitis) causes full body tremors in small dog breeds. It is most common in West Highland White Terriers, Maltese, Bichons, and Poodles, and other small dogs. There is a sudden onset of the disease at one to two years of age. It is more likely to occur, and the symptom is worse during times of stress. Nystagmus, difficulty walking, and seizures may occur in some dogs.
The cause is unknown, but it may be mediated by the immune system. One theory is that there is an autoimmune-induced generalized deficiency of neurotransmitters. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis may reveal an increased number of lymphocytes. Treatment with corticosteroids may put the dog into remission, or diazepam may control the symptoms. Typically the two drugs are used together. There is a good prognosis, and symptoms usually resolve with treatment within a week, although lifelong treatment may be necessary.
There is increased life-time risk of secondary cancers (relative risk 3.63), with a slightly increased mortality risk (1.21) according to a 2004 Swedish study of 481 patients.
The first line treatment for polymyositis is corticosteroids. Specialized exercise therapy may supplement treatment to enhance quality of life.
Neuromuscular junction disease is a medical condition where the normal conduction through the neuromuscular junction fails to function correctly.
Sulfonamide hypersensitivity syndrome is similar to anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome, but the onset is often sooner in the treatment course, generally after 7–14 days of therapy.
It is considered immune-mediated.
Supportive care is the mainstay of therapy in TRALI. Oxygen supplementation is employed in all reported cases of TRALI and aggressive respiratory support is needed in 72 percent of patients. Intravenous administration of fluids, as well as vasopressors, are essential for blood pressure support. Use of diuretics, which are indicated in the management of transfusion associated circulatory overload (TACO), should be avoided in TRALI. Corticosteroids can be beneficial.
In diseases such as myasthenia gravis, the end plate potential (EPP) fails to effectively activate the muscle fiber due to an autoimmune reaction against acetylcholine receptors, resulting in muscle weakness and fatigue.
Myasthenia gravis is caused most commonly by auto-antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor. It has recently been realized that a second category of gravis is due to auto-antibodies against MuSK. A different condition, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, is usually associated with "presynaptic" antibodies to the voltage-dependent calcium channel. It is possible for these conditions to coexist.
Treatment is directed toward the underlying cause. However, in primary eosinophilia, or if the eosinophil count must be lowered, corticosteroids such as prednisone may be used. However, immune suppression, the mechanism of action of corticosteroids, can be fatal in patients with parasitosis.
No cure currently exists; however, gene therapy has been proposed.
There is considerable research into the causes, diagnosis and treatments for FGIDs. Diet, microbiome, genetics, neuromuscular function and immunological response all interact. Heightened mast cell activation has been proposed to be a common factor among FGIDs, contributing to visceral hypersensitivity as well as epithelial, neuromuscular, and motility dysfunction.