Pharmacology of Antifungals Flashcards
Fungus: Review
Mainly seen as opportunistic or “superinfections”
* Cutaneous infections:
* Systemic infections:
common, chronic, seldom dangerous
difficult to diagnose, treat, and often lethal
Visible fungal infection of the mouth can tell you:
(2)
- Immune status
- Drugs they are taking
● Daily oral steroids?
● Immunosuppressive drugs: transplant?
● Antibiotics, Augmentin?
● Leukemia, lymphoma?
● Chemotherapy drugs – neutropenia?
● HIV/AIDS?
Opportunistic mycoses
Treating Fungal Infections- Selective Toxicity
(2)
- Rigid cell walls
contain chitin
and the cell
membrane
contains
ergosterol - Selective toxicity
achieved by
targeting
ergosterol
Medically Important Fungal Groups
(3)
Molds (Dermatophytes) |
Yeasts (Candida, Cryptococcus, Aspergillus)
Dermatophytes:
Dermatophytes:
(4)
Subgroup of molds that live on skin.
Normal inhabitants of skin, contagious, spread by contact.
Produce keratinases that dissolve keratin
Hyphal filaments penetrate into keratin
Invades hair shafts & nail beds
►Dermatophyte (Tinea) infections affect
keratinized tissues
– skin, nails, hair, etc.
Mold: Dermatophytes
Three common pathogenic dermatophytes:
(3)
Trichophyton Common
Epidermophyton
Microsporum
“Tinea” diseases: (“cutaneous mycoses”)
Tinea capitis –
Tinea corporis –
Tinea pedis –
Tinea cruris –
Tinea unguium –
Tinea capitis – scalp, common in children
Tinea corporis – body
Tinea pedis – athlete’s foot
Tinea cruris – groin
Tinea unguium – toenails (onychomycosis)
ALLYLAMINES
(2)
»Terbinafine (Lamisil oral or topical)
»Naftifine (Naftin)
ALLYLAMINES
* Binds/inhibits squalene epoxidase
(2)
- Squalene precursors build up and are also
toxic aiding toxicity - Requires actively growing fungi
ALLYLAMINES
* Fungicidal against Dermatophytes Only.
(3)
- Weak fungistatic activity against Candida
- Little drug interaction potential
- Few side-effects
Yeast: Candida albicans
Candida:
(2)
Most common fungal infection in mouth
» C. albicans normal habitat is the human oral cavity
» propensity to invade and cause disease when an imbalance is created
Oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush)
Symptoms: (4)
Many patients are —
Immunosuppressed patients with thrush often have concomitant —
cottony feeling in the mouth, loss of taste, and/or painful eating and
swallowing.
asymptomatic
Candida esophagitis
Yeast: Candida albicans
Treatment
Oropharyngeal (Tx: 10-days duration)
(3)
- Clotrimazole troches (one 10-mg troche dissolved slowly five times daily)
- difficult to adhere, poor choice in xerostomia, contains sucrose, DDIs in HIV, taste alterations
- Miconazole mucoadhesive buccal tabs (50mg 1xdaily apply to mucosal surface
over canine fossa) - Daily dosing, tasteless & sugar free, more expensive, best patient compliance.
- Nystatin swish and swallow (400,000 to 600,000 units four times daily)
- not always palatable, contains sucrose, concerning for dental caries over prolonged time periods
- Good in xerostomia, good in HIV, co-dispense lozenge if has appliances
Yeast: Candida albicans
Treatment
Esophagitis
(1)
- Fluconazole - 400 mg as a loading dose and then 200 to 400 mg daily for 14 to 21
days given orally
Clotrimazole (Mycelex)
Pro: (1)
Con: (6)
Pro:
* Highly effective
Con:
* Ease of use (5x /day)
* Expense
* Drug interactions
possible
* Irritating to mucosa
* Alters taste
* Contains sugar
Miconazole (Oravig)
Pro: (4)
Con: (2)
Pro:
* Ease of use (daily
troche)
* Highly effective
* Tasteless
* No sugar
Con:
* Expense
* Drug Interactions
possible
Nystatin
Pro: (3)
Con: (4)
Pro:
* No drug interactions
* Inexpensive
* Not irritating to mucosa
Con:
* Ease of use (QID)
* Ease of use (swish contact
time)
* Less effective
* High sugar content
Yeast: Candida albicans
Angular cheilitis (perlèche)
(2)
Acute or chronic inflammation of lateral
commissures
Caused by excessive moisture and maceration
from saliva