Successful treatment with posaconazole of a patient with chronic Chagas disease and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract

American Trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected disease that affects Latin American people worldwide. Two old antiparasitic drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are currently used for specific CD treatment with limited efficacy in chronic infections and frequent side effects. New drugs are needed for patients with chronic CD as well as for immunosuppressed patients, for whom the risk of reactivation is life-threatening. We describe a case of chronic CD and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that required immunosuppression to control the autoimmune process. It was found that benznidazole induced a reduction, but not an elimination, of circulating Trypanosoma cruzi levels, whereas subsequent treatment with posaconazole led to a successful resolution of the infection, despite the maintenance of immunosuppressive therapy.

• Authors: María-Jesús Pinazo, Gerard Espinosa, Montserrat Gállego, Paulo Luis López-Chejade, Julio A Urbina, Joaquim Gascón
• Journal: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene (Am J Trop Med Hyg) Vol. 82 Issue 4 Pg. 583-7 (Apr 2010) ISSN: 1476-1645 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20348503 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Triazoles
• Trypanocidal Agents
• posaconazole

Topics

• Adult
• Chagas Disease (complications, drug therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic (complications)
• Triazoles (therapeutic use)
• Trypanocidal Agents (therapeutic use)