title: The Onchocerca volvulus micro- and macrofilarial responses in onchocerciasis patients to increased dosage of diethylcarbamazine.
abstract: The response of 45 severely infected onchocerciasis patients to relatively high doses of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC-C) has been determined. The treatment comprised two sequential phases; the first phase comprised the topical applications of a DEC-C lotion and of the anti-inflammatory steroid betamethasone. The second phase comprised the daily oral administration of high doses of DEC-C (30 mg/kg body wt) for seven days. Onchocerca volvulus microfilarial (o.v.mf.) counts in skin snips of the 45 patients decreased by 96 +/- 1.5% after 5 days of treatment with topical DEC-C lotion. Following the administration of oral DEC, the average O.v.mf. counts in the skin snips at days 51, 97, and 143 remained decreased by 85 to 93%. The mean O.v.mf. counts in 10 nodules excised from 5 treated patients at day 77 had decreased by 93% compared to the mean O.v.mf. counts in 11 nodules taken from 5 untreated patients with similar initial O.v.mf. infection. No visual loss resulted from the treatment.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000469:parasitology; D003315:Cornea / Q000469:parasitology; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000187:drug effects; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004049:Diethylcarbamazine