- General Drug Summary
- Description
- An acyclovir analog that is a potent inhibitor of the Herpesvirus family including cytomegalovirus. Ganciclovir is used to treat complications from AIDS-associated cytomegalovirus infections. [PubChem]
- Also Known As
- GA2; Ganciclovir Sodium
- Categories
- Antiviral Agents
- Structure
- Summary In Neonatal Jaundice
-
2 record(s) for Ganciclovir Effective in Inducing Remission in Neonatal Jaundice.
- PMID
- Drug Name
- Efficacy
- Evidence
- 17355631
- Ganciclovir
- Effective in Inducing Remission
- Clinical Trial
- Summary
- Great efficacy to the early period of cytomegalovirus hepatitis.
- Antiviral therapy in neonatal cholestatic cytomegalovirus hepatitis. BMC gastroenterology, 2007 [Go to PubMed]
- Neonatal hepatitis refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders, caused by many factors including cytomegalovirus infection, revealing similar morphologic changes in the liver of an infant less than 3 months of age. Approximately 40% of cholestasis in infants is due to neonatal hepatitis. It may cause latent or acute cholestatic or chronic hepatitis, including cirrhosis in immunocompetant infant.
Twelve infants diagnosed with neonatal cytomegalovirus hepatitis in the last one year were included in the study. Group 1 consisted of seven babies treated with ganciclovir for 21 days. Group 2 included five cases who did not receive antiviral treatment. Physical examination, biochemical, serologic and virologic tests were done for both groups at the time of diagnosis and in the third month.
Initial levels of total bilirubin, aminotransferases, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase revealed a significant decrease after the treatment in Group 1 (p < 0.05) when compared with Group 2. This study revealed that ganciclovir treatment is a safe and effective in cases with cholestatic hepatitis. Similarly, all the patients in the treatment group had evidence of improvement serologically and virologically, while the comparison group did not reveal any significant change(p < 0.01).
The clinical spectrum of perinatal infection varies from an asymptomatic infection or a mild disease to a severe systemic involvement, including central nervous system. The treatment in the early period of infection improved serologic markers and cholestatic parameters significantly. Further studies will lead us to clarify the efficacy of ganciclovir treatment in the early period of cytomegalovirus hepatitis, and the preventive role of anti-viral therapy on progressive liver disease due to cholestasis and hepatitis in neonatal cytomegalovirus infection.
- 20592976
- Ganciclovir
- Effective in Inducing Remission
- Clinical Trial
- Summary
- A effective treatment to cytomegalovirus (CMV) hepatitis and neonatal jaundice.
- Jaundice in a neonate with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. child health, 2009 Jul [Go to PubMed]
- A six-week-old boy presented to the emergency department with worsening jaundice. His medical history included congenital diaphragmatic hernia repaired shortly after birth. Significant jaundice, unresponsive to phototherapy, was noted on the eighth day of life. His total bilirubin level decreased when he was advanced to full oral feeds. However, on the 23rd day of life, the patient's conjugated bilirubin level had tripled. This was attributed to total parenteral nutrition, and the patient was discharged home. Over the next month, his jaundice worsened. The patient was readmitted and ultimately diagnosed with cytomegalovirus (CMV) hepatitis. After treatment with ganciclovir, his hepatitis completely resolved. CMV infection is a common cause of neonatal hepatitis and congenital malformation. Prolonged neonatal jaundice that does not improve with transitioning from total parenteral nutrition to oral feeds warrants further evaluation. Simple laboratory investigation can avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful edical and surgical interventions. Early treatment of neonatal CMV infection reduces the risk of long-term neurological and hepatic complications.