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[Therapeutic efficacy of a regimen of artesunate-mefloquine-primaquine treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria and treatment effects on gametocytic development]

Author(s): Vasquez AM, Sanin F, Alvarez LG, Tobon A, Rios A, Blair S

Affiliation(s): Grupo de Malaria, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. amvc.ana@gmail.com

Publication date & source: 2009-06, Biomedica., 29(2):307-19.

Publication type: Comparative Study; English Abstract; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria requires a safe and effective therapeutic treatment regimen, which in turn has high impact on the transmission. In 2006, an artesunate (AS)-mefloquine (MQ) treatment program was implemented in Antioquia. In addition, primaquine (PQ) was added to eliminate malaria gametocytes in the bloodstream. OBJECTIVE: The efficacy and gametocytocidal activity was evaluated for two treatment regimens, AS-MQ-PQ and AS-MQ, in patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2007 and February 2008, 50 patients were recruited for the trial in Turbo, Antioquia. A randomized clinical trial was conducted. Treatment compliance was supervised, with a clinical and parasitological assessment on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 to evaluate response rate according to the WHO 2003 protocol. RESULTS: Clinical response and parasite elimination efficacy of AS-MQ (with or without PQ) was 100% (95% CI 86.3%-100%), and parasitemia and fever were absent on day 3 of treatment in all patients. Gametocyte elimination was superior when PQ was used--92% (95% CI: 74%-99%) of patients who received PQ had no gametocytes on day 3, compared to 78.3% (95% CI: 59%-93%) of patients who only received AS-MQ. Furthermore, circulating gametocytes were eliminated on average one week faster when the AS-MQ-PQ treatment scheme was used compared to the scheme without PQ. CONCLUSION: These studies recommend the use of AS-MQ to treat P. falciparum malaria given its good therapeutic efficacy. However, further assessment is suggested concerning the benefit of adding PQ to this treatment scheme.

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