title: Comparison of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (V.) guyanensis in Brazil: therapeutic response to meglumine antimoniate.
abstract: We conducted a quasi-experimental study to compare the response to meglumine antimoniate in patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis from two endemic areas of Brazil that were infected by two Leishmania species. Sixty-one were infected by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis (group B) and 57 by L. (V.) guyanensis (group G). All had a parasitologically proven diagnosis and were treated with 20 mg of pentavalent antimonial (SbV)/kg/day given intravenously or intramuscularly for 20 days. Main outcomes were diagnosed using clinical criteria three months after treatment and patients were followed for six months. Intention-to-treat analysis showed a higher failure rate in group G (relative risk [RR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-2.0, chi2 = 7.44, P = 0.006). The analysis using an explanatory approach including 52 patients from group B and 49 from group G, who were regularly treated and followed for six months, showed a low cure rate (50.8% in group B and 26.3% in group G) with a greater risk of failure in the latter group (RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.2-2.5, chi2 = 8.56, P = 0.003). The effect of the etiologic agent remained significant after adjusting for age, disease duration, and site and number of lesions that were identified as predictors of failure in a logistic regression model. We concluded that Leishmania species constitute an important factor in predicting the outcome of cutaneous leishmaniasis treated with a pentavalent antimonial.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Paes
authors.forename: V O
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: Macêdo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis; D018334:Leishmania guyanensis; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate