title: Quantification of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA for monitoring the response to meglumine antimoniate therapy in visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) remains the therapeutic cornerstone of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Twenty-one VL patients were treated with Glucantime, extending for 1 week after defervescence. For monitoring the response, Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA loads were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in the blood. The maximum duration of treatment was 14 days. The loads before treatment ranged from 8 to 1,300,000 parasites/mL (mean = 73,095 parasites/mL), and the mean values on days 3, 7, 14, 28, and 90 were 4,902, 506, 6.33, 0.26, and 0.14, respectively. The loads decline to < 1 parasite/mL for 16 (76%) and 20 (95%) patients on days 14 and 28, respectively, and they decline for all patients by day 90. Results showed a dramatic decrease of the parasite loads, although complete clearance was not accomplished at the end of treatment. Only one relapse (4.5%) was observed. The parasite load can also serve as a dependable index for monitoring the response to Glucantime.
authors: Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. bpourabbas@yahoo.com
authors: Bahman
authors: B
authors: Pourabbas
authors: Abdolkarim
authors: A
authors: Ghadimi Moghadam
authors: Gholamreza
authors: G
authors: Pouladfar
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Rezaee
authors: Abdolvahab
authors: A
authors: Alborzi
mesh_terms: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate
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