Studies on the Treatment of Leprosy with a Synthesized Thiocarbanilide Derivative L-4

ABSTRACT

A total of 62 leprosy patients, 47 lepromatous type, 9 tuberculoid, 5 borderline group and 1 indeterminate group, have been treated with a synthesized thiocarbanilide L-4, and the effectiveness of L-4 administration in the treatment of leprosy is evaluated on the basis of clinical and bacteriological improvements. The results are summarized and conc1uded as follows; 1. L-4, contained in gelatin capsule, can be safely administered orally to the patients through slow induction, from initial dosages of 50 mg to 100 mg dai1y to the therapeutic maintenance levels of 200 mg to 300 mg daily, for a period of time. 2. L-4 administration has brought apparent and remarkable improvement in clinical symptoms of the patients after a relatively short period of medication compared with that of DDS administration. 3. Changes of SFG values caused by L-4 administration were much speedier than, (or, at least, equivalent to) the effect caused by DDS. The changes of SFG values, in general, synchronized fairly well with clinical improvement of the patients. 4. Lepromatous cases with leprosy reaction or sulfone allergy responded well to L-4 medication with remarkable clinical improvement, and prolonged administration of L-4 did not provoke such a precipitating action to leprosy reaction as did DDS.