title: Intra-cystic drug concentration of albendazole sulphoxide in patients with Echinococcus granulosus cysts.
abstract: Albendazole therapy--alone or in combination with surgery--remains the standard of care for human echinococcosis depending on the stage of disease. However, only limited data are available on target site concentrations in liver cysts and data for non-liver cysts are lacking. We report on intra-cystic concentrations of the biologically active metabolite albendazole sulphoxide in non-liver cysts indicating a relative intra-cystic drug concentration of 48-156% compared with plasma levels. These data are evidence for a satisfactory penetration of albendazole sulphoxide into Echinococcus cysts localized in other organs than the liver and underline the usefulness of albendazole therapy for this indication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Mesküre
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capan
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keltner
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thalhammer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeitlinger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramharter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015766:Albendazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000923:Anticestodal Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003560:Cysts / Q000378:metabolism; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000923:Anticestodal Agents; D015766:Albendazole; C027186:albendazole sulfoxide