COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF DIETHYLCARBAMAZINE AND MEBENDAZOLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF HUMAN TOXOCARIASIS

An open randomized study was carried out to assess the efficacy of die thylcarbamazine (DEC) and mebendazole (MBZ) across, respectively, 39 a nd 41 patients, all exhibiting clinical and biological features evocat ive of toxocariasis, together with a positive immunodiagnosis by Weste rn blot using Toxocara larvae excretory-secretory antigens. Clinical i mpact of the disease was quantified by a score system (20 parameters). Post-treatment follow-up used also results from eosinophil counts fro m total and specific anti- Toxocara IgE quantitations, and from Wester n blots. All patients attended the control check-up 1 month after the end of treatment. Analysis of the results showed a similar good effica cy of DEC and MBZ on clinical score and eosinophil count that were sig nificantly lowered. MBZ therapy was slightly more efficient on specifi c anti- Toxocara IgE kinetics, while total IgE mean titres were not af fected by either DEC or MBZ treatment. Patients from the DEC group rep orted a significantly higher rate of adverse reactions, most of which could be due to parasite lysis. This fact could be a strong argument f or treating human toxocariasis with MBZ.