Tratamento da fase crônica da doença de Chagas com nifurtimox associado a corticóide

Abstract

Ten patients with chronic Chagas' disease were treated with nifurtimox (8-9 mg/kg/day) associated with betamethasone (9 mg/day initially and then gradually reduced) during 60 days, with one exception. It was intended to combine the respective anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory actions of these drugs. The expected stimulating effect of betamethasone on the infection could possibly enhance the anti-Trypanosoma cruzi action of nifurtimox. Long term persistence of negative xenodiagnosis, used to control the results, was observed in only one of the cases. Regaridng the other patients, post-treatment positivity of xenodiagnosis and serological testes attested the failure of this therapy. As this study has demonstrated, adequate and long term follow-up of treated cases is necessary to ensure correct conclusions.

The Anti-Trypanosoma cruziActivity of Posaconazole in a Murine Model of Acute Chagas' Disease Is Less Dependent on Gamma Interferon than That of Benznidazole

“…Mice treated with IL-12-and IFN-␥-neutralizing antibodies, as well as those with genetic deficiencies in such cytokines, are more susceptible to T. cruzi infection, showing high parasitemia and mortality levels, compared to those of wild-type (WT) mice (1,18,24). Importantly, chagasic patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, patients with autoimmune diseases, or patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy posttransplantation present episodes of reactivation of the T. cruzi infection (10,16,21,22). Indeed, the occurrence of meningoencephalitis, a rare though severe form of Chagas' disease, was observed in those patients (13).…”

A Busca de fármacos para tratamento da Tripanossomíase Americana: 103 anos de negligência

“…37 O nifurtimox (5nitrofurano) foi introduzido na terapêutica em 1967 38 e o benzonidazol (2 nitroimidazol) em 1972. 39,40 O nifurtimox foi retirado do mercado devido aos diversos efeitos colaterais sofridos pelos pacientes, 41 e desde a década de 1980, o nifurtimox teve a sua comercialização interrompida, primeiramente no Brasil e depois em outros países da América do Sul. 33 Já o benzonidazol um pouco mais efetivo, apesar de apresentar moderada toxicidade, consegue eliminar os parasitas no sangue e nos tecidos, se administrados nadose certa e durante o período de dois meses na fase aguda.…”

Antiprotozoal and molluscicidal activities of five Brazilian plants

“…This parasitic disease may cause mainly cardiomyopathy and megasyndromes (3). Clinical data demonstrate that the current drugs for the treatment of these diseases present several side effects and do not always provide the desired cure levels (3,(5)(6)(7).…”