Posaconazole demonstrated trypanostatic activity during treatment, but it is ineffective long-term in asymptomatic T. cruzi carriers. Benznidazole monotherapy is superior to posaconazole, with high RT-PCR conversion rates sustained at 1 year. Side effects lead to therapy discontinuation in 32%. No advantages were observed with combined therapy versus benznidazole monotherapy. (A Study of the Use of Oral Posaconazole [POS] in the Treatment of Asymptomatic Chronic Chagas Disease [P05267] [STOP CHAGAS]: NCT01377480).

Analysis of available information reveals that the efficacy of treatment in late chronic infection is doubtful. Although data generally point to a beneficial effect, this could be marginal. This uncertainty is largely the result of differences in the study populations, endpoints and follow-up periods, and the fact that almost all of the information on treatment in the late chronic phase comes from non-randomized studies.

No abstract

We calculated an elastase activity index (EAI) by dividing the diameter of the elastin lysis halo by the fungal growth diameter. After 10 days' incubation at 37°C, all strains but one obtained from invasive aspergillosis showed an EAI > 1. Of the 18 strains obtained from colonized patients, only 4 (22.2%) had an EAI > 1, whereas neither of the strains isolated from patients with fungus ball reached this value. Overall, 44 out of the 142 strains obtained from the environment had an EAI > 1 (30.9%).