title: [Efficacy of ivermectin for control of microfilaremia recurring after treatment with diethylcarbamazine. I. Clinical and parasitological observations].
abstract: We compared the efficacy of a single dose of ivermectin with that of a standard course of deithylcarbamazine (DEC) for the control of microfilaremia in 60 patients with banrroftian filariasis who had developed recurrent microfilaremia after each of three or more prior treatments with DEC. The study was done as a randomized, double-blind trial. Complete, but transient clearance of microfilaremia was observed in both treatment groups. One year later, recurrent microfilaremia was present in 7 patients treated with ivermectin and in 5 treated with DEC. Pretreatment levels of microfilaremia were significantly higher in patients who relapsed within one year after treatment than in those who remained amicrofilaremia. Side effects of either treatment were common but mild. Febrile reactions were more frequent in the ivermectin group: while localized reactions consistent with a flare up of acute filarial disease occurred mostly in the DEC group. We conclude that ivermectin is an effective and practical alternative to DEC for treatment of recurrent microfilaremia due to bancroftian filariasis.
authors.affiliation: Guizhou Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Guiyang, China.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Piessens
authors.forename: Z H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: X R
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Gan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti
chemical_list: D007559:Ivermectin; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine