title: N-Acetylcysteine treatment of rotavirus-associated diarrhea in children.
abstract: Rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe, acute, and dehydrating diarrhea affecting children under 5 years of age worldwide. Despite an important reduction in rotavirus-caused deaths as a consequence of the rotavirus vaccine, alternative or complementary strategies for preventing or treating rotavirus-associated diarrhea are needed mainly in the poorest countries. We describe the cases of four rotavirus-unvaccinated 12-13-month-old girls and a 5-year-old boy who developed rotavirus-associated diarrhea confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunochemistry analyses. After the first day of diarrheal episodes, three of the five patients were immediately administered oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 60 mg/kg daily, divided into three equal doses every 8 hours. The other two patients did not receive NAC and served as controls. Administration of NAC resulted in a decreased number of diarrheal episodes, excretion of fecal rotavirus antigen, and resolution of symptoms after 2 days of treatment. Our results suggest that NAC treatment after the first diarrheal episode could be an efficient strategy for treating rotavirus-affected children and preventing the associated severe life-threatening accompanying dehydration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Diana P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Leidy L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Rafael A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Acosta
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: N-acetylcysteine treatment; gastrointestinal infection; rotavirus-associated diarrhea