Evaluación del ribósido de alopurinol contra la leishmaniasis cutánea ecuatoriana

Abstract

In a random study of 75 Ecuadorian patienis with cutaneous leishmaniasis, the objective was to determine the therapeutical index of a new oral antileishmania drug, allopurinol- riboside (AR) plus probenecid. This agent was evaluated by comparing its effect with positive controls treated with pentostam (Sb) and with other controls who received no treatment at all. The lesions mean area reduced rapidly during treatment, allowing determination of percentage healing in the different groups. The AR group was treated with allopurinal-riboside (1500 mg QID) plus probenecid (500 mg QID) for 28 days. 10 (455%) of these 22 patients were found to have healed lesions. Of those patients treated with Sb (20 mg SbIkgIdía, IM for 20 days), al1 28 (100%) patients presented healed lesions. The control group (that which did not receive any treatment) had an elevated percentage of spontaneous healing in 9 (75,0%) of the 12 patients. Patients who failed to respond to treatment or relapsed, were all later treated with pentostam. This study suggests that allopurinol-riboside plus probenecid has a low efficacy against Ecuadorian cutaneous leishmaniasis.