title: Foscarnet therapy in five patients with AIDS and acyclovir-resistant varicella-zoster virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether foscarnet has potential efficacy in the treatment of acyclovir-resistant mucocutaneous varicella-zoster infection in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-label study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three university medical centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients with AIDS who were infected with thymidine-kinase-deficient or -altered strains of varicella-zoster virus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foscarnet, 40 mg/kg body weight every 8 hours in 1-hour infusions for 10 or more days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients had healing in response to foscarnet therapy, and each of four tested patients became culture negative for virus during foscarnet therapy. Results of fluorescent antigen testing remained positive during therapy in two patients; one of these patients had concomitant clinical failure but the other patient healed fully. One patient had complete healing despite the emergence of resistance to foscarnet in serial specimens obtained during foscarnet therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foscarnet is a potentially effective and tolerable antiviral agent for patients with acyclovir-resistant, varicella-zoster virus infection; however, the optimal dosage and duration of therapy require further study, as does the relation between clinical findings and in-vitro susceptibility results.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safrin
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gilson
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wofsy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Biron
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D017245:Foscarnet; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017245:Foscarnet; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid; D000212:Acyclovir