title: Relapses in paucibacillary patients after treatment with three short-term regimens containing rifampin.
abstract: Three multidrug regimens all containing rifampin and dapsone have been tried for the treatment of 278 cases of paucibacillary leprosy. Regimen I was the one recommended by the WHO Study Group. Regimen II was the same as Regimen I with depsone alone continued for a further 6 months. Regimen III was the same as Regimen II but rifampin was given daily for the first 7 days. The patients were comparable with regard to disease classification, lepromin status, bacteriological status, and number of lesions. As reported earlier, the disease inactivity rates by 1 year of treatment were much greater with Regimens II and III than with Regimen I (94% and 97% vs 76%). Early reaction was seen in 6% of those in Regimen III and in none in Regimens I and II. Late reaction was observed in 9% of those in Regimen I and none in Regimens II and III. During 3 1/2 years of follow up, 13% of the cases in Regimen I, 1% in Regimen II, and 2% in Regimen III relapsed. Since the patients in the three regimens were otherwise comparable, it is concluded that the high inactivity rate, low relapse rate (1%-2%), and no early or late reaction as observed in Regimen II patients were because of adequate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Central JALMA Institute for Leprosy (ICMR), Taj Ganj, Agra, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ramanathan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Natrajan
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bagga
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003622:Dapsone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007916:Lepromin; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D007916:Lepromin; D003622:Dapsone; D012293:Rifampin