title: Short report: Contribution of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to follow-up of visceral leishmaniasis patients treated with meglumine antimoniate.
abstract: Forty-two patients with visceral leishmaniasis in Tunisia were treated with meglumine antimoniate and followed-up for clinical improvement and blood parasite load determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Parasite loads before treatment ranged from 27 to 5.3 x 10(7) parasites/mL. At the end of treatment, parasite load decreased significantly in 39 cured patients (P < 0.001). The decrease in parasite load after treatment was greater than 99% for 34 patients and PCR results became negative in 23 of them. Two patients without clinical improvement showed no or slight decreases in parasite load (209 versus 202 parasites/mL and 1,765 versus 146 parasites/mL). One patient showed had a relapse seven months after showing a good response to treatment. His parasitemia remained high despite a sharp decrease (5.2 x 10(5) versus 5.9 x 10(3) parasites/mL).
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory of Emerging Parasitic Diseases, Tunis, Tunisia. karim.aoun@fmt.rnu.tn
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aoun
authors.forename: Emira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chouihi
authors.forename: Fethi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amri
authors.forename: Nissaf
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Alaya
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raies
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mary
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouratbine
mesh_terms: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate