Yeast Infection

Yeast Infection

11:34
yeast-infection 
If you are struggling with a yeast infection, you’re not alone. About 75% of women develop at least one vaginal yeast infection during their lives, and almost half have two or more. This infection is also easily prevented and treated, but if you find you have more than four a year, you may want to contact your doctor.

Yeast Infection News


Gene Variants Behind Vulnerability to Yeast Infections:WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Scientists have identified two genetic mutations that help account for the presence of recurring yeast infections in certain women.

Although the researchers focused their work on small and very specific populations with extreme conditions, the findings provide new insights into one of the most common and annoying maladies to afflict women.
“This discovery is important as a starting point for further work,” said Dr. Bart Jan Kullberg, co-author of one of two papers appearing in the Oct. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
“It is the first proof in the area of fungal infections that subtle genetic differences exist that explain why some [apparently healthy] persons do get certain ailments, and even suffer from recurrent episodes, whereas others never acquire these infections,” said Kullberg, a professor of medicine at Radboud University in Nijmegan, the Netherlands.
Although the people studied here had extreme conditions, “you could potentially move to other mutations in the [same] gene or in this pathway to give more subtle phenotypes that we might see in everyday medicine,” said Dr. Anthony Gregg, director of maternal and fetal medicine and medical director of genetics at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Ultimately, researchers hope to use the findings to develop better treatments for these conditions, which become serious in some people.
“Once we understand the pathway, what we can potentially offer is therapies that take advantage of augmenting the normal pathways or utilizing redundant pathways that are working just fine but are not normally turned on to such a high degree,” Gregg said.
At this point, however, the reports really have no relevance to patients, cautioned Dr. Steven Goldstein, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City.
Yeast infections, which are typically caused by Candida albicans, arise from imbalances in the body’s internal flora, especially in the vaginal tract, although it can affect the nail beds, mouth and bloodstream.
“The vagina is a finely tuned ecosystem with almost a dozen bacteria and yeast forms, and as long as they’re in harmony, it’s comfortable,” Goldstein explained. “But if you take antibiotics, for instance, and eliminate some of the normal bacteria, then the yeast that live there all the time have a field day.”
A healthy body is able to detect the first signs of a yeast infection and dispatch immune cells to take care of the problem, but not when one of the mutations is present, explained Narendra Kumar, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in Kingsville.
“It’s like a burglary in your house,” Kumar said. “First, the alarm goes off, and here the mutation alarm does not go off properly so you don’t have the police force coming to your house. That’s how it gets colonized.”
Kullberg’s study looked at one woman and her three sisters who had recurring vaginal yeast infections.
“We discovered that her immune cells did not react normally on encounter with Candida,” Kullberg explained. “Neither she nor her sisters had any other recurrent or severe infections, which underscores that this mutation is very specific, and just affects the susceptibility to mucosal Candida infections, not to Candida bloodstream infections or to other microorganisms. This is an otherwise perfectly healthy young lady.”
The mutation was found in the dectin-1 gene.
The second study looked at 36 members of an extended Iranian family, several of whom had a predisposition to yeast infections. Three died during adolescence, two after invasive fungal infections of the brain.
This time, the mutation was found in the CARD9 gene, also involved in the immune system.
“Both studies are talking about the same sort of immunological pathways that are triggered in Candida type of infections,” Gregg said.
These findings are noteworthy, said Jeffrey Sands, a professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. “We’ve been co-evolving with fungi for millions of years, and we have these mechanisms for detecting fungal infections, maybe not wiping them out but preventing them from becoming really serious in most cases,” Sands said. “The fact that we can now identify individual genes in which there’s a mutation, that’s certainly a major advance.”
More information
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on vaginal yeast infections.
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
SOURCES: Steven Goldstein, M.D., professor, obstetrics and gynecology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York City; Anthony R. Gregg, M.D., board of directors, American College of Medical Genetics, and director, maternal and fetal medicine, and medical director, genetics, University of South Carolina, Columbia; Bart Jan Kullberg, M.D., professor, medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen Institute for Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity, and chief, infectious diseases section, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Jeffrey Sands, Ph.D., professor and former chair, biological sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.; Narendra Kumar, Ph.D., assistant professor, pharmaceutical sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Kingsville; Oct. 29, 2009, New England Journal of Medicine
 opyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved

Birth Control May Help Ward Off Bacterial Vaginosis:

THURSDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) — Women who are prone to the common vaginal infection, bacterial vaginosis, are less likely to have a recurrence if they take hormonal contraception, whether it be birth control pills or Depo-Provera injections, new research suggests.
In the study, researchers examined medical records for 330 women with a mean age of nearly 25 who visited two sexually transmitted disease clinics in Baltimore between April 2005 and October 2006. About 133, or 40.3 percent, were diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis.
The women were prescribed a contraceptive, either progestin only (such as Depo-Provera) or estrogen-progestin combination (a birth control pill).
Women who were taking an oral contraceptive that included estrogen and progestin were 34 percent less likely to have a recurrence of bacterial vaginosis than women not taking a contraceptive. Women who were on a progestin-only contraceptive were 58 percent less likely to have a recurrence, the researchers found.
Though the reduction attributed to the combined pill was not statistically significant, “it’s fair to say a benefit is suggested,” said senior study author Dr. Emily Erbelding, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
The study appears in the July issue of Contraception: An International Reproductive Health Journal.
The study authors said they would not recommend that women who are prone to bacterial vaginosis start taking birth control for the sole purpose of warding off bacterial vaginosis.
“If you have other reasons for choosing birth control, it could be an added benefit,” Erbelding said.
Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, called the findings “encouraging.”
“It supports that birth control pills possibly have additional advantages that can be used for treating bacterial vaginosis,” Wu said.
Bacterial vaginosis occurs when the normal bacterial flora of the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overproduction of other types of bacteria. Symptoms include a fishy odor and discharge, as well as itching, burning or pain. Women can also have bacterial vaginosis without symptoms.
It’s the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age and is associated with preterm delivery and low birth weight babies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though treatable by antibiotics, bacterial vaginosis tends to recur, Erbelding said.
Previous research has shown that 15 percent to 30 percent of women have symptomatic bacterial vaginosis within three months after taking antibiotics, and 70 percent have a recurrence within nine months.
“As a clinician, we are always frustrated by the fact that our treatments aren’t very good,” Erbelding said. “They may ameliorate the symptoms for some time, but often bacterial vaginosis recurs.”
Racial minorities are at greater risk of bacterial vaginosis, Erbelding said. In the study, about 82 percent of participants were black and 69 percent had been diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis before.
Bacterial vaginosis is also associated with sexual activity, douching and sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes simplex virus and HIV.
Researchers aren’t sure if bacterial vaginosis makes a woman more susceptible to the other infections or if the other infections make vaginosis more likely, Erbelding said.
“Nobody really knows which comes first,” Erbelding said.
Hormonal contraceptives may help ward off a recurrence by altering the vaginal ecology or by reducing menstruation, which is also associated with changes to vaginal bacteria levels, according to the study.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on bacterial vaginosis.
By Jennifer Thomas
HealthDay Reporter
SOURCES: Emily Erbelding, M.D., associate professor, medicine, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore; Jennifer Wu, M.D., obstetrician-gynecologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; July 2009 Contraception: An International Reproductive Health Journal
Last Updated: July 30, 2009
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Breast Cancer Drug May Beat Fungal Infection:

July 27, 2009 FRIDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) — A drug used to help prevent recurring breast cancer appears to hold promise as a treatment for deadly fungal infections, new research has found.
University of Rochester Medical Center researchers found that tamoxifen kills yeast in mice with Candida infections, which can be fatal to people with compromised immune systems, including people with cancer or HIV and those taking immunosuppressants for chronic conditions.
At extremely high levels, tamoxifen slashed yeast levels by 150-fold, causing most fungus cells to break up and die while halting surviving cells from progressing into a disease-causing state, their study found.
“It’s still early, but if tamoxifen, or molecules like it, turns out to be an effective treatment against serious fungal infections, it’ll be a welcome addition to our arsenal,” Dr. Damian Krysan, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the university and an author of the study, said in a university news release.
The results are published in the August issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
Available antifungal medications pose some issues for people who need them the most, according to background information in the news release. The only new class of antifungals approved for use in the past two decades is generally effective, but they can only be taken intravenously, which poses logistic and other problems for some patients. And the most common oral antifungal medication only slows fungus cell growth, making it difficult for immune-compromised patients to completely shake their infections.
“We don’t have vaccines against fungal infections, and the few drugs we do have aren’t always effective,” Krysan said. “We’ve got a lot more work to do to figure out whether tamoxifen could be used in high doses or whether it could be used in combination with other treatments, but we’re excited about the possibility of giving doctors another way to help these critically ill patients.”
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about Candidiasis.
— Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: University of Rochester Medical Center, news release, July 20, 2009
Last Updated: July 24, 2009
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved

Women's Sexual Health Issues Hit Home:

 THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) — A new survey finds that 70 percent of American women have experienced a sexual health issue, and 22 percent felt very or extremely concerned about it.
The survey defined a sexual health issue as any one of the following conditions: lack of desire for sexual activity, inability to become sexually aroused, inability to have an orgasm, pain during intercourse, vaginal dryness, or excessive desire for sexual activity.
Women who reported a sexual health issue said it had an effect on their romantic relationships (44 percent), self-esteem (43 percent) and mental health (42 percent). Sexual health issues also caused stress and anxiety in 66 percent of those surveyed, and affected sleeping habits in 28 percent and weight in 25 percent, the researchers found.
When they wanted to get information about sexual health issues, 35 percent used the Internet and 32 percent turned to their partner. While many women said they’d be comfortable discussing a sexual health issue with a health-care provider, only 18 percent actually saw a health-care provider when they had a sexual health issue, the findings showed.
The survey, released Thursday, was commissioned by the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC) and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP). The survey was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.
“Given the number of women who experience sexual health issues, it is important to provide them with accurate, unbiased information on conditions they may encounter throughout their lifetime,” Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, executive director of the NWHRC, said in a news release from the center.
“Fortunately, many sexual health issues can be successfully addressed through education, lifestyle changes, counseling and treatment, and we encourage women to talk with their partner and their health-care provider,” Cahill said.
“Health-care providers today have more resources than ever to help women understand and maximize their healthy sexuality throughout the age span,” noted Dr. Beth Jordan, medical director of the ARHP. “It is critical for women to understand the basics of female sexual response and the myriad, and often emotional, factors that impact their sense of sexuality.”
More information
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has more about sexuality and sexual problems.
— Robert Preidt
SOURCE: National Women’s Health Resource Center, news release, June 25, 2009
Last Updated: June 25, 2009
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved

Oral Yogurt 'Vaccine' Could Blunt Ouch Factor:

 WEDNESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) — Imagine how much nicer it would be to get vaccinated by drinking a yogurt smoothie instead of being poked by a needle.

That might someday be the case, thanks to Northwestern University researchers who developed a new oral vaccine using probiotics, which are healthy bacteria found in dairy products such as yogurt and cheese.
In a preclinical study, they found that this approach created immunity to anthrax exposure. The researchers, from the Feinberg School of Medicine, are also trying to develop probiotic-based vaccines for breast cancer and a range of infectious diseases.
The method has more than the obvious no-pain advantage over needles. Delivering the vaccine directly to the gut, they say, would utilize the full power of the primary immune force, which is located in the small intestine.
“This is potentially a great advance in the way we give vaccines to people,” the study’s lead author, Mansour Mohamadzadeh, an associate professor of medicine in gastroenterology, said in a university news release. “Then it’s quickly dispatched throughout your body. If you can activate the immune system in your gut, you get a much more powerful immune response than by injecting it. The pathogenic bacteria will be eliminated faster.”
In the study, the oral anthrax vaccine was fed to mice, which were then exposed to anthrax bacteria. Eighty percent of the mice survived, about the same as mice given an anthrax vaccine injection.
“Their immune response was higher and more robust than with the injected vaccine,” Mohamadzadeh said.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has more about vaccines.
— Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Northwestern University, news release, March 17, 2009
Last Updated: March 25, 2009
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
www

Share this

More

Related Posts

Next
« Prev Post
Previous
Next Post »

:)
:(
hihi
:-)
:D
=D
:-d
;(
;-(
@-)
:P
:o
:>)
(o)
:p
:-?
(p)
:-s
(m)
8-)
:-t
:-b
b-(
:-#
=p~
$-)
(y)
(f)
x-)
(k)
(h)
cheer
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)