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Opportunistic infections: Treatment and developmental therapeutics of cryptosporidiosis and isosporiasis
Author(s) -
St. Georgiev Vassil
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430280402
Subject(s) - azithromycin , spiramycin , isospora , cryptosporidium , immunology , atovaquone , toxoplasmosis , medicine , biology , antibiotics , virology , malaria , microbiology and biotechnology , erythromycin , feces , plasmodium falciparum
Cryptosporidium sp. and Isospora sp. are coccidian protozoans taxonomically related to Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium sp. Although associated with many animal species, these pathogens are also the causative agents of cryptosporidiosis and isosporiasis, 2 invasive opportunistic infections in humans. In immunocompetent hosts, the infections are usually self‐limited, flu‐like gastrointestinal disorders which resolve spontaneously. In immunocompromised patients, however, cryptosporidiosis is a severe, debilitating, and prolonged illness, with high morbidity and no known therapy effective against it. Spiramycin has been proven largely ineffective. In recent years, however, the use of immunotherapy is being actively pursued as one potentially useful approach for the treatment of cryptosoporidiosis. Azithromycin, a new macrolide antibiotic, has also shown promise in preclinical studies. In the case of isosporiasis, the combination of trimethoprim and sulphamethoxazole has been found to be effective, although AIDS patients have shown a high rate of relapse and, therefore, the need for suppressive maintenance therapy. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.