THE PHARMACOKINETICS OF CHLOROQUINE IN HEALTHY THAI SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS WITH PLASMODIUM-VIVAX MALARIA

The pharmacokinetics of chloroquine (CQ) and desethylchloroquine (DECQ ) were studied in seven male Thai patients with P. vivax malaria and s even healthy male Thais, after the standard oral dosage regimen of CQ (a total dose of 1500 mg given over 3 days). All patients showed a rap id initial response to the treatment with median (range) values of fev er and parasite clearance times of 13.7 (2-47) and 58 (33-38) h, respe ctively. In the patients, the median range C-max value was significant ly higher (1547 (996-2446) vs 838 (656-1587) ng ml(-1)), and AUC(0,28d ) was greater (281 (250-515) vs 122 (103-182) mu g ml(-1) h). In addit ion, the median (AUC(0,28d) of DECQ was significantly greater (170 (72 -265) vs 77 (49-140) mu g ml(-1) h). The AUC(0,28d) ratio of DECQ to C Q in patients was significantly higher than that in healthy subjects ( 0.67 (0.43-0.90) vs 0.51 (0.39-0.61)).