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Montrose Daily Press 041304
montrosepress.com
Treatment for high blood pressure may help West Nile virus patients
Jason Monroe
MONTROSE CO.- A new clinical trial from a St. Louis-based company may help reduce the number of fatal and debilitating cases of West Nile virus in Colorado this year.
The procedure involves drugs used to treat high blood pressure, angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs), to help suppress the immune system and keep it from overreacting to the disease, said Dr. Dave Moskowitz, chief medical officer and chief executive officer of GenoMed Inc., the company that is holding the trial.
"That's the beauty of it. ARBs have been in use for 25 years. ŠThey are less risky than aspirin. About 10 percent of people who use aspirin get stomachaches or some other side effects, but with ARBs, there's nothing that happens above 1 percent," Moskowitz said.
The drug was used on nine patients last year, with eight of the nine showing signs of immediate improvement. The ninth patient, suffering from leukemia and already on several immunosuppressant drugs, died. This year, the company has treated one patient, a 79-year-old with encephalitis. One case last year in which the patient showed dramatic improvement was in a patient who had contracted West Nile virus and become paralyzed in his right leg. Two months after he had contracted the virus, he began taking the blood pressure treatment and "he's up and walking around now," Moskowitz said.
The eight patients who showed improvement ranged in age from 17 to 80, and three of the participating patients received their treatment in a Pueblo hospital.
Much of the West, including Western Colorado, Arizona and the densely populated areas in Southern California are preparing for the traditionally worse second year of the virus. The Arizona Department of Health Services has issued a warning that the virus is present in the state and could constitute a greater threat to residents this year, and the California Department of Health Services has already confirmed the virus in Los Angeles and Orange counties and is bracing for an early West Nile season brought on by unseasonably warm weather.
West Nile virus is transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected bird and then bites another bird, horse or human. Symptoms of the disease include headache, muscle aches and a rash, and some people may also have nausea and vomiting. The risk of the virus causing severe neurological problems such as meningitis and encephalitis are rare, usually one out of 150 people, and increase with age. There is currently no proven treatment for the disease.
Last year, Colorado led the nation in reported cases with 2,947 human cases, including 61 deaths, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. There were 9 cases reported in Montrose County, 10 cases reported in Delta County and 19 cases, including two deaths, reported in Mesa County.
People wishing to get involved in the trial should visit GenoMed's Web site, www.genomedics.com, click on the "West Nile Virus - Clinical Trail Information," and download the required documents at the bottom of the page. The printed materials should then be taken to a doctor, who will act as an "impartial judge" to weigh the benefits and risks for each patient and make the decision whether the trial is considered necessary, Moskowitz said.
So far, there have been about half a dozen people sign up for the trial, but Moskowitz expects between 20 and 30 million to sign up nationwide for the program.
"If I lived in California, I would sign up," he said. "We're going to see if the Internet can handle the high volumes it was designed to do. This should be a lot of fun."
Contact Jason Monroe via e-mail at jasonm@montrosepress.com. |
