title: Clinical effects and in vitro studies of trifluorothymidine combined with interferon-alpha for treatment of drug-resistant and -sensitive herpes simplex virus infections.
abstract: Three AIDS patients with severe cutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection refractory to therapy with acyclovir and foscarnet (2 patients) were treated with a topical preparation of trifluorothymidine (TFT) and interferon-alpha. Complete healing of lesions occurred in 1 patient; a second had significant regression of the infected area. In the third, the lesion was stabilized twice after application of the preparation and reduced in size after a subsequent treatment. In vitro studies confirmed that isolates from these patients were acyclovir- or acyclovir/foscarnet-resistant. In addition, they revealed strong synergy between TFT and interferon-alpha for these isolates and for strains with wild-type drug sensitivity profiles. Topical TFT/interferon-alpha may be of benefit in the therapy of mucocutaneous HSV infections, especially when they are resistant to treatment with systemic antiviral agents.
authors.affiliation: Virology Department, Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research, Fairfield Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Tyssen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tachedjian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mijch
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005260:Female; D017245:Foscarnet; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects; D014271:Trifluridine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017245:Foscarnet; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid; D014271:Trifluridine; D000212:Acyclovir