title: Clinical trial of sparfloxacin for lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: Nine previously untreated patients with lepromatous leprosy were treated with 200 mg of sparfloxacin daily for 12 weeks to determine whether this drug is bactericidal for Mycobacterium leprae in humans. The efficacy of therapy was monitored both clinically and by measuring changes in morphological index, mouse footpad infectivity, and the radiorespirometric activity of M. leprae organisms obtained from serial biopsy specimens and also by determining titers of phenolic glycolipid-I in serum. Most patients showed clinical improvement within 2 weeks of treatment; this was accompanied by significant reductions in the morphological index, mouse footpad infectivity, and bacillary radiorespirometric activity. After 4 weeks of treatment, all patients had a morphological index of zero and specimens from most patients were noninfectious for mice, while the median decrease in radiorespirometric activity was > 99%. Overall results by the rapid radiorespirometric assay paralleled those of the mouse footpad and morphological index assays. Sparfloxacin given at 200 mg once daily appears to be rapidly bactericidal in humans, with activity similar to that observed in a previous clinical trial with 400 mg of ofloxacin.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Alabang, Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Garcia-Ignacio
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Livelo
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Parrilla
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Franzblau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D005528:Foot / Q000382:microbiology; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015363:Quinolones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006017:Glycolipids; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D015363:Quinolones; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae; D019308:Palmitic Acid; C061363:sparfloxacin