Am. Khan et al., LONG-TERM EFFECT OF DIETHYLCARBAMAZINE CITRATE ON MICROFILAREMIA STATUS IN TREATED INDIVIDUALS, INDIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, 108, 1998, pp. 134-138
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, General & Internal","Medicine, Research & Experimental",Immunology
Follow up of microfilaraemic individuals infected with Wuchereria banc
rofti at five years after treatment was carried out in a tea workers p
opulation. Diethylcarbamazine citrate in the dose schedule of 72 mg/kg
body weight given in equal daily doses over a period of 21 days clear
ed 51.6 per cent microfilaraemic individuals five year post-treatment.
Eighty five subjects were successfully followed and among these, 10 (
11.8%) showed increase in mf counts, 31 (36.4%) showed reduction but r
emained microfilaraemic and 44 (51.8%) became amicrofilaraemic. The ag
e and sex of the host had no significant effect on the clearance of mf
. Persistence of a relatively stable low number of mf in treated indiv
iduals is more likely due to survival of one or more female worms afte
r the therapy or due to reinfection which could not be ruled out in th
e present study. Overall, findings indicated that diethylcarbamazine c
itrate appeared to give a long-term benefit to treated individuals.