title: Macrofilaricidal effect of 4 weeks of treatment with doxycycline on Wuchereria bancrofti.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of doxycycline as a macrofilaricidal agent against Wuchereria bancrofti.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Western Region of Ghana, 18 patients infected with W. bancrofti were recruited and treated with 200 mg doxycycline per day for 4 weeks. Seven untreated patients served as controls. Four months after doxycycline treatment, all patients received 150 mug/kg ivermectin. Patients were monitored for Wolbachia and microfilaria loads, antigenaemia and filarial dance sign (FDS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four months after doxycycline treatment, cases had a significantly lower Wolbachia load than controls; and 24 months after treatment, microfilaraemia, antigenaemia and frequency of FDS were significantly lower in cases than controls. Most importantly, 4 weeks of doxycycline killed 80% of macrofilariae, which is comparable with the results of a 6-week regimen. Circulating filarial antigenaemia and FDS were strongly correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 4-week regimen of doxycycline seems sufficient to kill adult W. bancrofti and could be advantageous for the treatment of individual patients, e.g. in outpatient clinics.
authors: Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Alexander Yaw
authors: AY
authors: Debrah
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Mand
authors: Yeboah
authors: Y
authors: Marfo-Debrekyei
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Batsa
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Pfarr
authors: Marcelle
authors: M
authors: Buttner
authors: Ohene
authors: O
authors: Adjei
authors: Dietrich
authors: D
authors: Buttner
authors: Achim
authors: A
authors: Hoerauf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D007559:Ivermectin; D004318:Doxycycline