Glucantime-resistant Leishmania tropica isolated from Iranian patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis are sensitive to alternative antileishmania drugs.

Abstract

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major health problem in endemic areas of Iran. The pentavalent antimony (SbV) based drug Glucantime is the first line of treatment for CL in Iran, but recently SbV-resistant Leishmania tropica isolates derived from unresponsive patients were reported. We show in this study that these resistant parasites are cross-resistant to the other SbV-containing drug Pentostam and at least for one isolate also to amphotericin B. However, these resistant isolates were shown to be sensitive to miltefosine and paromomycin. The latter two drugs could thus be useful alternatives for the treatment of leishmaniasis in Iran even for SbV-resistant isolates.

• Authors: R Hadighi, P Boucher, A Khamesipour, A R Meamar, G Roy, M Ouellette, M Mohebali
• Journal: Parasitology research (Parasitol Res) Vol. 101 Issue 5 Pg. 1319-22 (Oct 2007) ISSN: 0932-0113 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 17610079 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antiprotozoal Agents
• Organometallic Compounds
• Phosphorylcholine
• miltefosine
• Paromomycin
• Meglumine
• Meglumine Antimoniate
• Amphotericin B
• Antimony Sodium Gluconate

Topics

• Amphotericin B (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Antimony Sodium Gluconate (pharmacology)
• Antiprotozoal Agents (pharmacology)
• Drug Resistance
• Humans
• Iran
• Leishmania tropica (drug effects, isolation & purification)
• Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous (parasitology)
• Meglumine (pharmacology)
• Meglumine Antimoniate
• Organometallic Compounds (pharmacology)
• Parasitic Sensitivity Tests
• Paromomycin (pharmacology)
• Phosphorylcholine (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)