title: Legionnaire's Disease and Immunosuppressive Drugs.
abstract: Immunosuppressive agents predispose patients to legionnaire's disease. Patients receiving tumor necrosis factor antagonists are generally not severely immunocompromised by the underlying disease. In patients with malignancy receiving immunosuppressive therapies, it is difficult to balance the underlying disease versus the therapy used. Transplant recipients are often on multiple drugs, including immunosuppressants. It seems that immunosuppressive drugs add to the risk for legionella infection. The index of suspicion should be high for legionella infection early during a compatible clinical syndrome. The control of Legionella species and prevention of transmission should be the foremost goal in protecting susceptible populations from Legionnaire's disease.
authors.affiliation: Sentara Infectious Diseases Specialists, Sentara Medical Group, 850 Kempsville Road, Norfolk, VA 23502, USA. Electronic address: TinHanHtwe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tin Han
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Htwe
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Hofheimer Hall, 825 Fairfax Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Khardori
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016952:Legionella pneumophila; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
keywords: Antirejection agents; Chemotherapeutic agents; Immunosuppressive agents; Legionella pneumophila; Legionnaire’s disease; Tumor necrosis factor antagonists