title: Studies on liver profile after prolonged praziquantel courses for schistosomiasis mansoni in Egyptian children on a field level.
abstract: The effect of prolonged praziquantel courses on the clinical, sonographic and functional aspects of the liver in bilharzial and nonbilharzial school-children on village level was investigated in this study. Bilharzial--positive school--children were divided into three groups according to Praziquantel regimes. Each case received an initial dose of 40 mg/Kg. PZQ. Subsequently the first group received 6-monthly full dose, the second group received 3-monthly half doses and the third group received monthly half doses. Another 3 groups of bilharzial negative children were used as a control receiving oral vitamin B complex as placebo. Clinico-parasitological and sonographic examinations as well as liver function tests were done before and after drug administration. It was concluded according to our results that healing of hepatic pathology was slower than parasitological cure. Moreover complete reversibility of hepatic size required frequent praziquantel doses (from 3 to 7). Hepatic healing is dose related. Less doses are required for parasitological cure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al Azhar Univ., Egypt.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: el Hawey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abdel Aziz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: el-Hak
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Massoud
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rozeik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: el-Dahrouty
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Hashim
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D011223:Praziquantel; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase