Pharmacology and Ototoxicity

INF-α and Ototoxicity

INTRODUCTION INF- α is a common drug for the treatment of hepatitis B and C. Although a variety of related complications are discussed, possible ototoxic effects of this mediation are not well described. METHODS AND MATERIALS In a before-after control study, 24 patients who received INF- α for the treatment of hepatitis B and C and 30 normal controls were included. Subjective and objective ot...

Pharmacology and Toxicology of Leflunomide

Leflunomide (LEF), used for rheumatoid arthritis, inhibits dihydro-orotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) and tyrosine kinase (TK) enzymes and has anti-inflammatory, lymphocyte proliferation regulatory, immunosuppression and chondroprotective effects. The most common adverse effects are gastrointestinal disorders, weight loss, hypertension, skin infection, and neurological and hematological toxicity. It...

Ototoxicity: Old and New Foes

Drug-induced ototoxicity has been known for centuries. Already in the seventeenth century, hearing loss was described to be a side effect of quinine. The postWorld War II pharmaceutical industry boomed with the production of aminoglycoside antibiotics followed by diuretics and cytostatic drugs. Wide-spread and long-term usage of these medications brought the knowledge about their unwanted ototo...

Objective Measures of Ototoxicity

A leading cause of preventable sensorineural hearing loss is therapeutic treatment with medications that are toxic to inner ear tissues, including certain drugs used to fight cancer and life-threatening infectious diseases. Ototoxic-induced hearing loss typically begins in the high frequencies and progresses to lower frequencies as drug administration continues (Campbell & Durrant, 1993; Campbe...

Ototoxicity: Current Issues.