title: Effectiveness of meglumine antimoniate against L. tropica in a recently emerged focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Birjand, eastern Islamic Republic of Iran.
abstract: With limited options to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis, constant monitoring of the rate of resistance to pentavalent antimony-based drugs is needed. This study identified the infecting Leishmania species and evaluated the results of meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®) therapy in a new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Birjand, eastern Islamic Republic of Iran. Smears from 150 patients showed that 141 patients were infected by L. tropica and 9 by L. major. In total, 141 patients with L. tropica infection completed Glucantime® treatment and follow-up; 63.8% were treated intralesionally and 36.2% by intramuscular administration. The overall success rate after one course of therapy with Glucantime® was 96.5% (136/141), and all the failures (5/141) occurred with intramuscular injections. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the failure rates of intramuscular and intralesional injections. Children < 10 years old had a significantly higher failure rate than adults.
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Research Centre, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Islamic Republic of Iran. karamianm@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamian
authors.affiliation: City Health Centre of Birjand, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: M S Faroghi
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bojd
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salehabadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hemmati
authors.affiliation: City Health Centre of Birjand, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barati
mesh_terms: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007492:Iran; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000187:drug effects*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate