title: Efficacy of three chloroquine-primaquine regimens for treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Colombia.
abstract: Plasmodium vivax malaria is an important cause of morbidity in Central and South America. In Colombia, this is the most prevalent malaria infection, representing 75% of the reported cases. To define the efficacy of the chloroquine and primaquine regimen to eliminate hypnozoites and prevent relapses, we conducted a random controlled clinical trial of three primaquine regimens in an open-label study. We evaluated the anti-relapse efficacy of total primaquine doses of 45, 105, and 210 mg administered at a dosage of 15 mg/day in 210 adults with P. vivax infection from the northwestern region of Colombia. Cure rates for blood-stage P. vivax malaria by day 28 of follow-up were 100% in all groups. Post-treatment reappearance of parasitemia during the six months of follow-up was 45%, 36.6% and 17.6%, respectively, for each group. When compared with other groups, administration of 210 mg was a significant protection factor for reappearance of parasitemia in a malaria-endemic area.
authors.affiliation: Grupo Malaria, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Juan-Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Piñeros
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tobón
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maestre
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmona-Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D011319:Primaquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D002738:Chloroquine; D011319:Primaquine