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Vitamin D (vitD) and L-arginine have important antimycobacterial effects in humans. Adjunctive therapy with these agents has the potential to improve outcomes in active tuberculosis (TB). In a 4-arm randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled factorial trial in adults with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Timika, Indonesia, we tested the effect of oral adjunctive vitD 50,000 IU 4-weekly or matching placebo, and L-arginine 6.0 g daily or matching placebo, for 8 weeks, on proportions of participants with negative 4-week sputum culture, and on an 8-week clinical score (weight, FEV1, cough, sputum, haemoptysis). All participants with available endpoints were included in analyses according to the study arm to which they were originally assigned. Adults with new smear-positive PTB were eligible. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00677339. 200 participants were enrolled, less than the intended sample size: 50 received L-arginine + active vitD, 49 received L-arginine + placebo vit D, 51 received placebo L-arginine + active vitD and 50 received placebo L-arginine + placebo vitD. According to the factorial model, 99 people received arginine, 101 placebo arginine, 101 vitamin D, 99 placebo vitamin D. Results for the primary endpoints were available in 155 (4-week culture) and 167 (clinical score) participants. Sputum culture conversion was achieved by week 4 in 48/76 (63%) participants in the active L-arginine versus 48/79 (61%) in placebo L-arginine arms (risk difference -3%, 95% CI -19 to 13%), and in 44/75 (59%) in the active vitD versus 52/80 (65%) in the placebo vitD arms (risk difference 7%, 95% CI -9 to 22%). The mean clinical outcome score also did not differ between study arms. There were no effects of the interventions on adverse event rates including hypercalcaemia, or other secondary outcomes. Neither vitD nor L-arginine supplementation, at the doses administered and with the power attained, affected TB outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov. Registry number: NCT00677339.

A study of genotyping (pulsotyping) of Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) isolates using pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) methods was performed to examine their genetic diversity, and relationship between genetic characteristics and clinical outcomes. Sixty-six S. typhi isolates obtained from sporadic hospitalized typhoid fever cases were used in this study. Four isolates were found identical and the dendogram constructed showed 33 pulsotypes in which 13 of them can be divided into 30 subtypes. Diversity among them were high as shown by the Dice coefficients that ranged from 0.486 to 1.000. Cluster analysis showed 2 main clusters with 65% degree of similarity, suggested that they were not originated from one clone. Further, at 90% degree of similarity, 9 clusters containing at least 3 isolates were determined to explore any possible existence of relationship between genetic profile and particular clinical outcomes. Clinical manifestations ranged from mild to severe were in fact distributed diversely among these clusters. Although the clinical data obtained were incomplete, 2 out of 4 patients infected by the S. typhi belonged to cluster 1 showed an elevation of total bilirubin, whereas it was not found in 19 other patients distributed in other 8 clusters. Even though specific clinical manifestations were apparently not found to relate with particular clusters of genotypes, S. typhi isolates grouped in cluster 1 seemed to show trophism to hepatobiliary system. (Med J Indones 2003; 12: 13-20)

DNA genomes of Salmonella typhi (S. typhi), which were isolated from sporadic typhoid fever cases who were hospitalized in Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta, during the 1st semester of 1998, were examined for their genetic diversities. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of genomic DNA digested with Xbal was performed for 25 isolates. Electrophoresis patterns of most isolates varied and 18 PFGE types were identified. Cluster analysis showed that all isolates originated from two main groups; and at ≥ 84% level of similarity, 7 clusters were found. Thus, the results showed that genetic diversity of S. typhi was considerably high, and that S. typhi isolated from sporadic typhoid fever cases were derived from multiple clones. (Med J Indones 2001; 10: 158-63)

Background Vitamin D (vitD) and L-arginine have important antimycobacterial effects in humans. Adjunctive therapy with these agents has the potential to improve outcomes in active tuberculosis (TB). Methods In a 4-arm randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled factorial trial in adults with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Timika, Indonesia, we tested the effect of oral adjunctive vitD 50,000 IU 4-weekly or matching placebo, and L-arginine 6.0 g daily or matching placebo, for 8 weeks, on proportions of participants with negative 4-week sputum culture, and on an 8-week clinical score (weight, FEV1, cough, sputum, haemoptysis). All participants with available endpoints were included in analyses according to the study arm to which they were originally assigned. Adults with new smear-positive PTB were eligible. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00677339. Results 200 participants were enrolled, less than the intended sample size: 50 received L-arginine + active vitD, 49 received L-arginine + placebo vit D, 51 received placebo L-arginine + active vitD and 50 received placebo L-arginine + placebo vitD. According to the factorial model, 99 people received arginine, 101 placebo arginine, 101 vitamin D, 99 placebo vitamin D. Results for the primary endpoints were available in 155 (4-week culture) and 167 (clinical score) participants. Sputum culture conversion was achieved by week 4 in 48/76 (63%) participants in the active L-arginine versus 48/79 (61%) in placebo L-arginine arms (risk difference -3%, 95% CI -19 to 13%), and in 44/75 (59%) in the active vitD versus 52/80 (65%) in the placebo vitD arms (risk difference 7%, 95% CI -9 to 22%). The mean clinical outcome score also did not differ between study arms. There were no effects of the interventions on adverse event rates including hypercalcaemia, or other secondary outcomes. Conclusion Neither vitD nor L-arginine supplementation, at the doses administered and with the power attained, affected TB outcomes. Registry ClinicalTrials.gov. Registry number: NCT00677339