title: Clinical effect of BV-araU on varicella-zoster virus infection in immunocompromised patients with haematological malignancies.
abstract: We evaluated the treatment of varicella-zoster infection with BV-araU in immuno-compromised patients with haematological malignancies in a randomized controlled study. Comparison was made between doses of 150 and 30 mg/day. For ethical reasons there was no placebo group. The percentage of patients given a 'very effective' rating by both attending physicians and the Evaluation Committee was significantly higher in the 150 mg/day group (56.0%) compared to the 30 mg/day group (15.0%). There was no significant difference in efficacy rate ('very effective' plus 'effective') between the two groups. The incidence of side effects was low (7.8%), all were mild and disappeared on stopping treatment. These results suggest that BV-araU is clinically useful, especially at a dose of 150 mg/day in immunocompromised patients. Further comparative studies between BV-araU and acyclovir or vidarabine are indicated.
authors.affiliation: Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masaoka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niimura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil; C031368:sorivudine