Jonathan D. Berman

Bio: Jonathan D. Berman is an academic researcher from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cutaneous leishmaniasis & Sodium stibogluconate. The author has an hindex of 38, co-authored 70 publications receiving 4777 citations.

Human leishmaniasis: clinical, diagnostic, and chemotherapeutic developments in the last 10 years.

Abstract: The current interest in leishmaniasis stems from the importance of this disease with respect to travel medicine, veterans of Operation Desert Storm, humanitarian concerns, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Herein, I review aspects of leishmaniasis that are of practical value to practitioners, including presentation, diagnosis, and chemotherapy; I will emphasize advances in chemotherapy over the last 10 years. Amphotericin B and its new lipid formulations are now competitive with pentavalent antimony as primary therapy for visceral leishmaniasis. Pentamidine, paromomycin, and adjunctive therapy with interferon-gamma are secondary regimens for the treatment of this condition. High-dose long-term regimens of antimony have been shown to be highly effective for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Preliminary evidence of efficacy has been observed with short courses of pentamidine for the treatment of Leishmania braziliensis complex disease and topical paromomycin/methylbenzethonium chloride for the treatment of Leishmania major disease.

Recommendations for treating leishmaniasis with sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) and review of pertinent clinical studies.

Abstract: Pentavalent antimonial compounds have been the mainstay of the treatment of visceral, cutaneous, and mucosal leishmaniasis for approximately half a century. Pentostam (sodium stibogluconate) is the pentavalent antimonial compound available in the United States (through the Centers for Disease Control). As dosage regimens for treating leishmaniasis have evolved, the daily dose of antimony and the duration of therapy have been progressively increased to combat unresponsiveness to therapy. In the 1980s, the use of 20 mg/kg/day (instead of 10 mg/kg/day) of antimony was recommended, but only to a maximum daily dose of 850 mg. The authors have concluded on the basis of recent efficacy and toxicity data that this 850-mg restriction should be removed; the evidence to date, which is summarized here, suggests that a regimen of 20 mg/kg/day of pentavalent antimony, without an upper limit on the daily dose, is more efficacious and is not substantially more toxic than regimens with lower daily doses. We recommend treating all forms of leishmaniasis with a full 20 mg/kg/day of pentavalent antimony. We treat cutaneous leishmaniasis for 20 days and visceral and mucosal leishmaniasis for 28 days. Our judgment of cure is based on clinical criteria.

Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Sodium Stibogluconate (Pentostam) versus Ketoconazole for Treating Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Guatemala

Abstract: : To determine the relative efficacy and toxicity of stibogluconate and ketoconazole for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, we conducted a comparative trial in which 120 Guatemalan men with parasitologically proven cutaneous leishmaniasis were randomly divided into three treatment groups: sodium stibogluconate (20 mg of antimony per kg per day intravenously for 20 days); ketoconazole (600 mg per day orally for 28 days); and placebo. Stibogluconate was associated with occasional moderate but manageable adverse effects, including abnormal electrocardiograms and elevated transaminase values. Treatment outcome was influenced by species. Among patients infected with Leishmania braziliensis, 24 (96%) of 25 in the stibogluconate group responded. Among L. mexicana-infected patients, only four (57%) of seven in the stibogluconate group but eight (89%) of nine in the ketoconazole group responded. These differences emphasize the importance of specification in the treatment of leishmaniasis.

Pancreatitis Induced by Pentavalent Antimonial Agents During Treatment of Leishmaniasis

Abstract: Pentavalent antimony (Sbv), formulated as sodium stibogluconate or meglumine antimoniate, is the standard treatment for the leishmaniases. In 16 of 17 consecutive, prospectively observed patients in Washington D.C., serum levels of amylase and lipase rose to abnormal values after therapy with sodium stibogluconate was started; 12 of 17 had symptoms of pancreatitis. Sbv therapy was continued to completion in 7 of 17 patients and interrupted in 10 of 17. Pancreatitis improved in every patient after Sbv therapy was stopped. Sbv treatment was resumed after brief interruptions in 6 of 10 patients. All six of these patients had flares of pancreatitis, but each completed therapy. Subsequently, we measured amylase and lipase levels in stored sera from 32 patients treated in Peru with either sodium stibogluconate or meglumine antimoniate for mucosal leishmaniasis. In all 32 Peruvian patients, serum amylase and lipase rose to abnormal levels during Sbv therapy; 11 of 32 had symptoms of pancreatitis. Standard Sbv regimens induce pancreatitis in almost all patients, but continued therapy is often tolerated; pancreatitis subsides when therapy is stopped, and rechallenge may be tolerated after a brief halt in treatment.

An official ATS/IDSA statement: diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases.

Abstract: Diagnostic Criteria of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease Key Laboratory Features of NTM Health Careand Hygiene-associated Disease Prevention Prophylaxis and Treatment of NTM Disease Introduction Methods Taxonomy Epidemiology Pathogenesis Host Defense and Immune Defects Pulmonary Disease Body Morphotype Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibition Laboratory Procedures Collection, Digestion, Decontamination, and Staining of Specimens Respiratory Specimens Body Fluids, Abscesses, and Tissues Blood Specimen Processing Smear Microscopy Culture Techniques Incubation of NTM Cultures NTM Identification Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for NTM Molecular Typing Methods of NTM Clinical Presentations and Diagnostic Criteria Pulmonary Disease Cystic Fibrosis Hypersensitivity-like Disease Transplant Recipients Disseminated Disease Lymphatic Disease Skin, Soft Tissue, and Bone Disease

Guidelines for prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in HIV-infected adults and adolescents: recommendations from CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Abstract: This report updates and combines earlier versions of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections (OIs) in HIV-infected adults (i.e., persons aged >/=18 years) and adolescents (i.e., persons aged 13--17 years), last published in 2002 and 2004, respectively. It has been prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The guidelines are intended for use by clinicians and other health-care providers, HIV-infected patients, and policy makers in the United States. These guidelines address several OIs that occur in the United States and five OIs that might be acquired during international travel. Topic areas covered for each OI include epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, prevention of exposure; prevention of disease by chemoprophylaxis and vaccination; discontinuation of primary prophylaxis after immune reconstitution; treatment of disease; monitoring for adverse effects during treatment; management of treatment failure; prevention of disease recurrence; discontinuation of secondary prophylaxis after immune reconstitution; and special considerations during pregnancy. These guidelines were developed by a panel of specialists from the United States government and academic institutions. For each OI, a small group of specialists with content-matter expertise reviewed the literature for new information since the guidelines were last published; they then proposed revised recommendations at a meeting held at NIH in June 2007. After these presentations and discussion, the revised guidelines were further reviewed by the co-editors; by the Office of AIDS Research, NIH; by specialists at CDC; and by HIVMA of IDSA before final approval and publication. The recommendations are rated by a letter that indicates the strength of the recommendation and a Roman numeral that indicates the quality of evidence supporting the recommendation, so that readers can ascertain how best to apply the recommendations in their practice environments. Major changes in the guidelines include 1) greater emphasis on the importance of antiretroviral therapy for the prevention and treatment of OIs, especially those OIs for which no specific therapy exists; 2) information regarding the diagnosis and management of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndromes; 3) information regarding the use of interferon-gamma release assays for the diagnosis of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection; 4) updated information concerning drug interactions that affect the use of rifamycin drugs for prevention and treatment of TB; 5) the addition of a section on hepatitis B virus infection; and 6) the addition of malaria to the list of OIs that might be acquired during international travel. This report includes eleven tables pertinent to the prevention and treatment of OIs, a figure that pertains to the diagnois of tuberculosis, a figure that describes immunization recommendations, and an appendix that summarizes recommendations for prevention of exposure to opportunistic pathogens.

Visceral leishmaniasis: what are the needs for diagnosis, treatment and control?

Abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic protozoan disease that is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. Poor and neglected populations in East Africa and the Indian sub-continent are particularly affected. Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment remain key components of VL control. In addition to improved diagnostic tests, accurate and simple tests are needed to identify treatment failures. Miltefosine, paromomycin and liposomal amphotericin B are gradually replacing pentavalent antimonials and conventional amphotericin B as the preferred treatments in some regions, but in other areas these drugs are still being evaluated in both mono- and combination therapies. New diagnostic tools and new treatment strategies will only have an impact if they are made widely available to patients.

Drug Resistance in Leishmaniasis

Abstract: Leishmaniasis is a complex disease, with visceral and cutaneous manifestations, and is caused by over 15 different species of the protozoan parasite genus Leishmania. There are significant differences in the sensitivity of these species both to the standard drugs, for example, pentavalent antimonials and miltefosine, and those on clinical trial, for example, paromomycin. Over 60% of patients with visceral leishmaniasis in Bihar State, India, do not respond to treatment with pentavalent antimonials. This is now considered to be due to acquired resistance. Although this class of drugs has been used for over 60 years for leishmaniasis treatment, it is only in the past 2 years that the mechanisms of action and resistance have been identified, related to drug metabolism, thiol metabolism, and drug efflux. With the introduction of new therapies, including miltefosine in 2002 and paromomycin in 2005-2006, it is essential that there be a strategy to prevent the emergence of resistance to new drugs; combination therapy, monitoring of therapy, and improved diagnostics could play an essential role in this strategy.