Search Results (6)

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) pose a significant clinical challenge in paediatric populations, especially in children with comorbidities who may exhibit underlying immune dysregulation. Inosine pranobex (IP) is an immunomodulatory agent that enhances T-lymphocyte and Natural Killer (NK) cell function, offering a targeted therapeutic rationale for such cases. Objective: This study aimed to retrospectively describe the clinical characteristics, immunological profiles, and outcomes of paediatric patients with complex, PCR-confirmed viral ARIs and significant comorbidities, for whom adjunctive therapy with IP was initiated based on clinical judgment. Methods: This retrospective case series analysed data from 14 paediatric patients hospitalised at a specialised centre (National Institute of Paediatric Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Dolny Smokovec, Slovakia). Cases were selected based on PCR-confirmed viral ARI, a history of recurrent infections, significant comorbidities, and initiation of IP therapy. The indication for IP was guided by the treating physician in cases of severe, prolonged, or recurrent disease course, where immune dysregulation was suspected, often supported by prior immunophenotyping. Results: A frequent observation in this cohort was the presence of baseline cellular immune alterations with a frequent observation of baseline cellular immune alterations, most notably the depletion of natural killer (NK) cells. NK cell depletion was identified in half of the patients (7/14). Following the initiation of treatment regimens that included adjunctive IP, clinical stabilisation or improvement was observed in all 14 patients included in the study. The therapy was well tolerated, with no reported adverse events attributable to IP. Conclusions: This case series highlights the common presence of cellular immune alterations in children with complex ARIs. While the observational nature of this study precludes any conclusions about causality, the favourable clinical course, safety profile, and strong immunological rationale support the need for prospective controlled trials to evaluate the role of IP in this specific high-risk paediatric population. Full article

Improvements in medical care have turned severe diseases into chronic conditions, but often their treatment and the use of medical devices are related to specific complications. Here, we present a clinical case of a long-term dialysis patient who was infected with a rare opportunistic infectious agent—Gordonia sputi. In recent years, the incidence of Gordonia spp. infections in immunocompromised patients with central venous catheters (CVC) has appeared to rise. The isolation and identification of Gordonia spp. are challenging and require modern techniques. In addition, the treatment is usually persistent and often results in CVC extraction, which is associated with further risk and costs for the patient. We also studied the alterations in the immune status of the patient caused by long-term renal replacement therapy and persistent hepatitis C virus infection. Antibiotic therapy and immunostimulation with Inosine pranobex lead to successful eradication of the infection without the need for CVC replacement. Full article

Since its licensing in 1971, the synthetic compound inosine pranobex has been effectively combating viral infections, including herpes zoster, varicella, measles, and infections caused by the herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus, Epstein–Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and respiratory viruses. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, new and existing drugs have been intensively evaluated for their potential as COVID-19 medication. Due to its potent immunomodulatory properties, inosine pranobex, an orally administered drug with pleiotropic effects, can, during early treatment, alter the course of the disease. We describe the action of inosine pranobex in the body and give an overview of existing evidence collected to support further efforts to study this drug in a rigorous clinical trial setup. Full article

Each drug has pharmacokinetics that must be defined for the substance to be used in humans and animals. Currently, one of the basic analytical tools for pharmacokinetics studies is high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. For this analytical method to be fully reliable, it must be properly validated. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop and validate a novel analytical method for 4-acetamidobenzoic acid, a component of the antiviral and immunostimulatory drug Inosine Pranobex, and to apply the method in the first pharmacokinetics study of 4-acetamidobenzoic acid in pigs after oral administration. Inosine Pranobex was administered under farm conditions to pigs via drinking water 2 h after morning feeding at doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg. For sample preparation, we used liquid–liquid extraction with only one step—protein precipitation with 1 mL of acetonitrile. As an internal standard, we used deuterium labeled 4-acetamidobenzoic acid. The results indicate that the described method is replicable, linear (r² ≥ 0.99), precise (2.11% to 13.81%), accurate (89% to 98.57%), selective, and sensitive (limit of quantitation = 10 ng/mL). As sample preparation requires only one step, the method is simple, effective, cheap, and rapid. The results of the pilot pharmacokinetics study indicate that the compound is quickly eliminated (elimination half-life from 0.85 to 1.42 h) and rapidly absorbed (absorption half-life from 0.36 to 2.57 h), and that its absorption increases exponentially as the dose is increased. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly population has been disproportionately affected, especially those in nursing homes (NH). Inosine pranobex (IP) has been previously demonstrated to be effective in treating acute viral respiratory infections. In three NH experiencing the SARS-CoV-2 virus epidemic, we started treatment with IP as soon as clients tested PCR+. In Litovel, CZ, the difference in case-fatality rate (CFR) for the PCR+ group using vs. not using IP was statistically significant, and the odds ratio (OR) was 7.2. When comparing all those taking IP in the three NH vs. the non-drug PCR+ group in Litovel, the odds ratio was lower for all three NH, but still significant at 2.9. The CFR in all three tested NHs, age range 75–84, compared to the CFR in all NHs in the Czech Republic, was significantly reduced (7.5% vs. 18%) (OR: 2.8); there was also a significant difference across all age groups (OR: 1.7). In our study with 301 residents, the CFR was significantly reduced (OR: 2.8) to 11.9% (17/142) in comparison to a study in Ireland with 27.6% (211/764). We think the effect of IP was significant in this reduction; nevertheless, these are preliminary results that need larger-scale trials on COVID-19 patients. Full article