title: Efficacy of unilamellar liposomal amphotericin B in treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis in persistently granulocytopenic rabbits: the potential role of bronchoalveolar D-mannitol and serum galactomannan as markers of infection.
abstract: A model of primary pulmonary aspergillosis in rabbits was developed to reproduce the persistent levels of profound granulocytopenia and the histopathologic features of bronchopneumonia, vascular invasion, and hemorrhagic infarction encountered in humans. D-mannitol was detectable in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy, and galactomannan was measurable in serum by latex agglutination immunoassay. A pharmacokinetically distinctive unilamellar vesicle formulation of liposomal amphotericin B, 5 mg/kg/day intravenously, compared with high-dose conventional desoxycholate amphotericin B, 1 mg/kg/day intravenously, was more effective in preventing nephrotoxicity, increasing survival, reducing the number of viable organisms, and decreasing tissue injury due to Aspergillus organisms. Thus, D-mannitol in lavage fluid and galactomannan in serum may be useful markers of pulmonary aspergillosis, and liposomal amphotericin B was significantly more effective and safer than desoxycholate amphotericin B for treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis in profoundly granulocytopenic rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Francesconi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bacher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shelhamer
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000150:complications*; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015415:Biomarkers; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D004875:Ergosterol; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D015993:Life Tables; D008081:Liposomes; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008351:Mannans / Q000097:blood; D008353:Mannitol; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D011817:Rabbits; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D015415:Biomarkers; D008081:Liposomes; D008351:Mannans; C012990:galactomannan; D008353:Mannitol; D000666:Amphotericin B; D005690:Galactose; D004875:Ergosterol