'U' doctor helps discover remedy to fight pneumonia

In a project headed by a University doctor, four doctors nationwide have discovered a treatment that helps HIV patients battle pneumonia.

Due to a severely weakened immune system, many HIV patients are susceptible to more diseases than the average person, including pneumonia.

Generally, patients suffering from this disease are treated with a drug commonly called Bactrim. In HIV patients, however, there is a high incidence of allergic reactions in response to this drug.

"Sulfa drug (Bactrim), an antibiotic, prevents pneumonia in patients," said Daniel Kaul, clinical instructor of the University's HIV/AIDS treatment program. "(But) one in three patients with AIDS can't take the drug due to severe reactions."

The research project is headed by associate internal medicine Prof. Powel Kazanjian. Kazanjian and three other doctors from the University Medical Center and the Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital found a way around this problem.

Patients who show allergic reactions are given doses of Bactrim in increasing concentrations over an eight-day period. The incremental doses almost entirely eliminates allergic response. Exact results of their research are detailed in the december issue of the medical journal "Allergy, Asthma and Immunology."

"Kazanjian has developed a protocol whereby people can be desensitized to the Bactrim," Kaul said. "Give them Bactrim in small amounts over eight days. They take a dilution of Bactrim and slowly increase the strength."

Pete Barkey, the University Medical Center media coordinator, said increasing the dose strength is effective more than a majority of the time.

"Kazanjian and his colleagues found that 86 percent of the HIV study patients were able to tolerate Bactrim after the eight-day regimen," Barkey said.

According to the research, a few HIV patients were given a small dose of another drug along with the Bactrim, which serves to further combat allergic reaction.

"Another 26 percent were able to successfully take Bactrim, combined with a small dose of prednisone," Barkey said.

There are other drugs that can be taken for pneumonia, but Bactrim is the least expensive and the most easily administered of all currently available treatments, Barkey said. It is taken orally and can be administered at home.

"Bactrim is considered by the Centers for Disease Control to be the medication of choice in treating pneumonia," Barkey said.

Kazanjian's research will be helpful to thousands of HIV patients, Kaul said.

"It will allow a large number of patients who were unable to take this previously to take it," Kaul said.

Kazanjian could not be reached for comment.

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