IMMUNOCHEMOTHERAPY FOR VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS - A CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL OF ANTIMONY VERSUS ANTIMONY PLUS INTERFERON-GAMMA

Twenty-four Kenyan patients with visceral leishmaniasis were treated f or 30 days with either conventional therapy (daily pentavalent antimon y, n = 14) or experimental immunochemotherapy (daily antimony plus int erferon-gamma [IFN-gamma] every other day, n = 10). All 24 patients re sponded clinically to treatment, and microscopic splenic aspirate scor es rapidly decreased in both groups. As judged by splenic aspirate cul ture results, IFN-gamma-treated patients responded more quickly (50% v ersus 22% culture-negative after one week and 75% versus 58% culture-n egative after two weeks). While not statistically significant, these d ifferences raise the possibility that combination therapy using IFN-ga mma, which was safe and well-tolerated, may accelerate the early paras itologic response in patients with visceral leishmaniasis.