ABSTRACT
The objective of this work was to determine the methemoglobinemia and correlate with dapsone levels in multibacillary leprosy patients under leprosy multi-drug therapy. Thirty patients with laboratory and clinical diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy were enrolled. Dapsone was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography and methemoglobinemia by spectrophotometry. The mean dapsone concentrations in male was 1.42 g/mL and in female was 2.42 g/mL. The mean methemoglobin levels in male was 3.09 µg/mL; 191 percent, and in female was 2.84 ± 1.67 percent. No correlations were seen between dapsone levels and methemoglobin in male and female patients. Our results demonstrated that the dosage of dapsone in leprosy treatment does not promote a significant methemoglobinemia.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Dapsone/blood , Leprostatic Agents/administration & dosage , Leprosy, Multibacillary/drug therapy , Methemoglobinemia/diagnosis , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Clofazimine/administration & dosage , Dapsone/administration & dosage , Dapsone/adverse effects , Leprostatic Agents/adverse effects , Leprosy, Multibacillary/blood , Methemoglobinemia/chemically induced , Rifampin/administration & dosage , Spectrophotometry , Young AdultABSTRACT
Irregular drug intake has been a concern of leprosy control programmes for many years and various methods have been used to monitor and encourage patient compliance. This study compares the results of a urine spot test for dapsone as proposed by Huikeshoven, with blood levels measured in the same patients by the modified Bratton Marshall method and by high performance liquid chromatography. Two hundred-sixty urine and blood specimens were obtained from subjects who were taking supervised and unsupervised medications as well as from controls who were taking no medications. The results indicate that the urine spot test is simple and easily performed, and for monitoring patient compliance under routine clinical conditions (hospital or field work) it compares favourably with blood levels of dapsone estimated by the Bratton Marshall method or by high performance liquid chromatography. The study also shows that dapsone level is not a good indicator of compliance in patients who are also taking daily rifampicin but the urine spot test remains useful in such patients.
Subject(s)
Dapsone/blood , Drug Therapy, Combination , Humans , Leprosy/blood , Patient Compliance , Rifampin/therapeutic use , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Humoral responses in M. leprae infected mice were studied through 52 weeks and were found to be directly related to the bacterial load. However, treatment with dapsone (DDS) in the last 12 weeks of infection resulted in an initial enhancement of the humoral responses followed by a gradual decrease, though they were still significantly high at the end of the study.