This study assessed Wuchereria bancrofti-infected patients who received diethylcarbamazine (DEC) to determined if drug levels were comparable between individuals who continued to harbor circulating microfilariae and those whose blood became clear of parasites, between those with high and low microfilaria counts, and between infected and noninfected persons. Haitian volunteers undergoing treatment for W. bancrofti and two nonendemic controls were enrolled. DEC levels in serum and urine samples were determined using a gas chromatographic method. No correlation was found between pre- and posttreatment microfilarial levels and drug levels. Drug levels were comparable in persons with or without residual microfilaria and in infected and uninfected persons. These results indicate that incomplete drug regimens, differences in serum drug levels, and inadequate drug dosage are not the primary causes of treatment failure and suggest there is a degree of parasite tolerance for DEC.
Albendazole chemotherapy of larval Echinococcus multilocularis was studied in the Mongolian jird by administration of medicated feed at various concentrations and durations. The effects were evaluated by comparison of treated and control groups in terms of host mortality, larval metastases to the lungs, and final weight and histologic appearance of larval tissue. Viability of larval tissue at necropsy of each animal was tested by inoculation into two noninfected jirds. Albendazole-medicated feed (0.05%-0.10%) significantly inhibited larval growth. Other effects of the drug included larval degeneration and necrosis, inhibition of protoscolex formation, decreased pulmonary metastases, and reduced mortality of hosts. Adverse effects on the parasite correlated significantly with serum albendazole metabolite levels and duration of therapy. However, serum albendazole levels in jirds equal to or exceeding concentrations achieved in humans receiving daily doses of 10 mg/kg of body weight did not kill the parasite.
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