title: [Study on treatment of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria by using a combination of dihydroartemisinin and pyronaridine].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a combined medication scheme for the treatment of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Combined administration of dihydroartemisinin and pyronaridine was given to the 32 cases of falciparum malaria cases with multi-drug resistance. The indices for evaluation on day 14, 21, and 28 after treatment included the mean fever subsidence time, mean asexual form clearance time, mean recrudescence time of asexual form and recrudescence rate, proportion of gametocyte carriers, mean density of gametocytes and its mean clearance time, cure rate and rate of side-effects. A double blind clinical test was performed with standard schemes of dihydroartemisinin (20 cases) and pyronaridine (25 cases) as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean fever subsidence time of treated patients by dihydroartemisinin/pyronaridine combination, dihydroartemisinin and pyronaridine was 35.7 +/- 24.7 h, 52.6 +/- 38.9 h and 35.8 +/- 16.5 h respectively, showing a significant difference between the combination group and dihydroartemisinin groups (P < 0.01). The mean asexual form clearance time was 23.8 +/- 10.1 h, 22.9 +/- 6.5 h and 49.4 +/- 20.3 h respectively, showing significantly faster in the combination group than the pyronaridine group (P < 0.01). The recrudescence rate was 0, 4.2% and 0 respectively. The proportion of gametocyte carriers was 20.0%, 16.7% and 60.9% respectively, with a significantly higher rate in the group of pyronaridine than the group of combination (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of dihydroartemsinin and pyronaridine is an ideal medication scheme for the treatment of falciparum malaria cases with multi-drug resistance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai 200025.
authors.forename: De-quan
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shi-gan
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiao-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Wen-jiang
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Pu-lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hui-min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009287:Naphthyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D009287:Naphthyridines; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C039060:artenimol; C027871:pyronaridine