In vivo and in vitro efficacy of amodiaquine monotherapy for treatment of infection by chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium vivax

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2009 Mar;53(3):1094-9. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01511-08. Epub 2008 Dec 22.

Abstract

Amodiaquine retains efficacy against infection by chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum; however, little information is available on its efficacy against infection by chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium vivax. Patients presenting to a rural clinic with a pure P. vivax infection that recurred after recent antimalarial treatment were retreated, this time with amodiaquine monotherapy, and the risk of further recurrence within 4 weeks was assessed. Of the 87 patients with pure P. vivax infection, 15 patients did not complete a full course of treatment, 4 of whom were intolerant to treatment. In the 72 patients completing treatment, 91% (63 of 69) had cleared their parasitemia within 48 h with no early treatment failure. Follow-up to day 28 or recurrent parasitemia was achieved for 56 patients (78%). The cumulative incidence of treatment failure by day 28 was 22.8% (95% confidence interval, 7.3 to 38%). The in vitro sensitivity profile was determined for a separate set of isolates from outpatients with pure P. vivax infection. The median 50% inhibitory concentration of amodiaquine was 11.3 nM (range, 0.37 to 95.8) and was correlated significantly with that of chloroquine (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, 0.602; P < 0.001). Although amodiaquine results in a rapid clinical response, the risk of recurrence by day 28 is unacceptably high, reducing its suitability as an alternative treatment of infection by chloroquine-resistant P. vivax in this region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Distribution
  • Amodiaquine / administration & dosage
  • Amodiaquine / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
  • Chloroquine / administration & dosage
  • Chloroquine / therapeutic use*
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Drug Resistance
  • Drug Tolerance
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Male
  • Outpatients
  • Parasitemia / drug therapy*
  • Plasmodium vivax / drug effects*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Rural Health
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Failure
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Amodiaquine
  • Chloroquine