Etiologic treatment of Chagas disease in Brazil

Authors

  • Maria de Fátima Oliveira
  • Aparecida T. Nagao-Dias
  • Vânia Maria Oliveira de Pontes
  • Alcidésio Sales de Souza Júnior
  • Helena Lutéscia Luna Coelho
  • Ivo Castelo Branco Coelho

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/rpt.v37i3.5063

Keywords:

Treatment, Chagas disease, Drug adverse reactions, Benznidazole, Nifurtimox.

Abstract

Our research group has experience in monitoring adverse reactions in Chagas
disease patients in treatment with benznidazole. This article was born out of need
for a review that incorporated different aspects pertaining to the etiologic treatment
of Chagas disease. To this end, a search of original articles and revision papers
indexed to Medline and Lilacs, and other publications related to the topic was
undertaken. Nifurtimox and benznidazole, two chemotherapeutic agents currently
used in Chagas disease patients, have an efficacy higher than 80% in the acute
phase, however only 8 to 30% in the chronic phase. The success of treatment may
be reduced due to various limitations of the currently available drugs, such as
prolonged therapeutic scheme, adverse reactions and parasite genetic variability,
including the existence of T. cruzi strains naturally resistant to these drugs. This
review reveals the necessity of development of new anti-T.cruzi drugs with lower
toxicity and higher effectiveness in the chronic phase.

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Published

2008-11-10

How to Cite

OLIVEIRA, M. de F.; NAGAO-DIAS, A. T.; PONTES, V. M. O. de; SOUZA JÚNIOR, A. S. de; COELHO, H. L. L.; COELHO, I. C. B. Etiologic treatment of Chagas disease in Brazil. Revista de Patologia Tropical / Journal of Tropical Pathology, Goiânia, v. 37, n. 3, p. 209–228, 2008. DOI: 10.5216/rpt.v37i3.5063. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/iptsp/article/view/5063. Acesso em: 2 jan. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 3 (2008)

Section

UP TO DATE

License

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