title: Comparative efficacy of three different diethylcarbamazine regimens in lymphatic filariasis.
abstract: To assess the efficacy of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) in clearing Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae (mf) from the circulation, we conducted a single blind hospital-based therapeutic trial of 3 DEC regimens. All patients were assessed by filtration of 1 mL of venous blood taken before and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after DEC administration. The efficacy of a 12 d course of 6 mg/kg DEC once daily was identical to that of a similar course with 2 mg/kg given 3 times daily, indicating that split-dose treatment does not improve mf clearance over single daily drug administration. Microfilarial densities in patients treated only once with 6 mg/kg DEC remained significantly higher at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. However, all 3 treatment regimens proved equally effective in controlling microfilaraemia after 12 months, when 41, 42 and 40% of patients in the 3 treatment groups were amicrofilaraemic. These results suggest that a single DEC dose of 6 mg/kg administered annually or biannually may be a suitable regimen to control bancroftian filariasis in Recife, Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu, Magalhães/FIOCRUZ, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Figueredo-Silva
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dreyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti
chemical_list: D004049:Diethylcarbamazine