1. Albendazole in the treatment of onchocerciasis: double-blind clinical trial in Venezuela
- Author
-
Hernandez Jl, Eberhard Ml, Mather Fj, B. L Cline, De Maza Sn, Convit J, Bartholomew R, Rodulfo S, and Welborn Ca
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Anterior Chamber ,Helminthiasis ,Placebo ,Albendazole ,Onchocerciasis ,Gastroenterology ,Double-Blind Method ,Drug tolerance ,Virology ,Internal medicine ,Onchocerciasis, Ocular ,parasitic diseases ,Medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Anthelmintic ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Microfilariae ,Skin ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,Drug Tolerance ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Venezuela ,Volvulus ,Surgery ,Clinical trial ,Onchocerca volvulus ,Infectious Diseases ,Parasitology ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
A double-blind clinical trial was conducted in Monagas State, Venezuela to assess the tolerance and efficacy of albendazole in the therapy of Onchocerca volvulus infection. Forty-nine patients (26 treated and 23 controls) received a 10-day course of albendazole (400 mg/day) or a placebo. Consistent with the excellent tolerance observed, albendazole did not kill microfilariae. However, analysis of changes in microfilarial densities (mf/mg of skin) over one year showed that albendazole was active against O. volvulus, presumably by interfering with embryogenesis. The nature, degree, and duration of this effect remain to be determined.
- Published
- 1992