Peter Mariuz

Wasting in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome is associated with multiple defects in the serum insulin-like growth factor system.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this investigation was to characterize the GH–IGF axis of patients with AIDS associated wasting. A special emphasis was placed on determining whether IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) of patients who have lost more than 10% of their ideal body mass are structurally different from the IGFBPs of patients with no weight loss.

Ciprofloxacin-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an acute-care hospital.

Use of ciprofloxacin as an alternative to vancomycin for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection has been paralleled by the emergence of resistant strains. This phenomenon has also been noticed in our hospital. To confirm our observation, methicillin and ciprofloxacin susceptibilities were tested by disk diffusion and broth microdilution techniques. We studied 83 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from various sources over a 4-month period. Ciprofloxacin resistance (MIC, greater than 2 micrograms/ml) was detected in 69 isolates (83%). Prior use of ciprofloxacin was reported for 24 of 69 patients with ciprofloxacin-resistant strains and 0 of 14 patients with ciprofloxacin-susceptible strains. The day of detection during the hospital stay and the location of the source patient were not significantly different between resistant and susceptible strains. Bacteriophage typing showed a higher occurrence of nontypeable strains among ciprofloxacin-resistant strains (54%). Review of our microbiology register showed a progressive increase in the rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin during the first year of use, with initial rates being about 10% and recent rates being higher than 80%. On the other hand, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus remained uniformly susceptible to ciprofloxacin (98.4%). We conclude that prior use of ciprofloxacin is an important factor for the selection of ciprofloxacin-resistant strains and that ciprofloxacin has limited usefulness against methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

HighStaphylococcus aureus nasal carriage rate in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS-related complex

Staphylococcus aureus has been reported to cause a high number of infections and septicemias, often related to intravenous catheters, in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Our objective was to assess the frequency of S. aureus nasal carriage among patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex (ARC). The nasal carriage rate of S. aureus was determined within 24 hours of admission in 64 consecutively hospitalized patients with AIDS or ARC. Intravenous drug abusers were excluded. A control group of 64 patients with other diseases was also tested. Of 64 patients with AIDS or ARC, 35 (55%) were nasal carriers of S. aureus, compared with 18 (28%) of 64 control patients. Recent hospitalization did not influence carriage rate, nor did the recent use of antibiotics or zidovudine. The significant S. aureus carriage rate in patients with AIDS or ARC may contribute to the high incidence of intravenous catheter-related S. aureus infections in this population.

Extrapulmonary Pneumocystis Infection

Excerpt To the Editor:Extrapulmonary pneumocystosis has recently been reported in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (1-5). This condition appears to be rare despite the hi...

Effects of Minocycline and Valproic Acid Coadministration on Atazanavir Plasma Concentrations in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Adults Receiving Atazanavir-Ritonavir

ABSTRACT Minocycline and valproic acid are potential adjuvant therapies for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether minocycline alone or in combination with valproic acid affected atazanavir plasma concentrations. Twelve adult HIV-infected subjects whose regimen included atazanavir (300 mg)-ritonavir (100 mg) daily for at least 4 weeks were enrolled. Each subject received atazanavir-ritonavir on day 1, atazanavir-ritonavir plus 100 mg minocycline twice daily on days 2 to 15, and atazanavir-ritonavir plus 100 mg minocycline twice daily and 250 mg valproic acid twice daily on days 16 to 30 with meals. The subjects had 11 plasma samples drawn over a dosing interval on days 1, 15, and 30. The coadministration of minocycline and valproic acid with atazanavir-ritonavir was well tolerated in all 12 subjects (six male; mean [± standard deviation] age was 43.1 [8.2] years). The geometric mean ratios (GMRs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) for the atazanavir area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h at steady state (AUC0-24), the plasma concentration 24 h after the dose (Cmin), and the maximum concentration during the dosing interval (Cmax) with and without minocycline were 0.67 (0.50 to 0.90), 0.50 (0.28 to 0.89), and 0.75 (0.58 to 0.95), respectively. Similar decreases in atazanavir exposure were seen after the addition of valproic acid. The GMRs (95% CI) for atazanavir AUC0-24, Cmin, and Cmax with and without minocycline plus valproic acid were 0.68 (0.43 to 1.06), 0.50 (0.24 to 1.06), and 0.66 (0.41 to 1.06), respectively. Coadministration of neither minocycline nor minocycline plus valproic acid appeared to influence the plasma concentrations of ritonavir (P > 0.2). Minocycline coadministration resulted in decreased atazanavir exposure, and there was no evidence that the addition of valproic acid mediated this effect.