This study compared
doxycycline with
ofloxacin in the treatment of nongonococcal
urethritis in men and mucopurulent
cervicitis in women and compared both drugs in the treatment of
infections due to Chlamydia trachomatis in both men and women. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Eighteen men with nongonococcal
urethritis and 12 with previously positive chlamydial cultures were randomly treated with
doxycycline or
ofloxacin. Eleven women with mucopurulent
cervicitis, 14 with a previous positive untreated chlamydial culture, and nine having sexual contacts with men known to have chlamydial
urethritis also were randomly treated. Culture specimens for chlamydia were obtained before treatment, five to nine days after
therapy (return visit 1), and 21 to 28 days after
therapy (return visit 2). Cultures for Ureaplasma urealyticum were obtained only in men. There were no significant differences in results in patients treated with
doxycycline or
ofloxacin. All but three of 20 men with symptoms were symptom-free on return visit 1 and all were symptom-free on return visit 2. Thirteen women with mucopurulent
cervicitis had all resolved at visit 1, although signs of
cervicitis reappeared at the second visit in two patients treated with
doxycycline and one treated with
ofloxacin. All patients with positive chlamydial cultures had negative cultures at the first return visit. One patient treated with
doxycycline was positive at the second return visit. Laboratory and clinical abnormalities were mild and did not prevent completion of
therapy. These data, together with previous published and unpublished data, indicate that
ofloxacin is as effective as
doxycycline in the treatment of chlamydial
infections. The study also demonstrated that
ofloxacin and
doxycycline were equally effective in the treatment of nongonococcal
urethritis in men and mucopurulent
cervicitis in women.