01738nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653003000055653002200085653001100107653001200118653001500130653001300145100001500158700001400173700001500187700001600202700001500218700001700233700001500250700001500265245011500280300001000395490000600405520102300411022001401434       1988                            d  c1988 Jun10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFollow-Up Studies10aHumans10aleprosy10aRecurrence10aRifampin1 aPattyn S R1 aGroenen G1 aBourland J1 aDe Muynck A1 aGrillone S1 aGrossetete G1 aHusser J A1 aJanssens L00aThe incubation time of relapses after treatment of multibacillary leprosy with rifampicin containing regimens.  a231-40 v43 a<p>In order to determine the duration of follow-up needed to evaluate the efficacy of short-course bactericidal regimens for multibacillary leprosy, information is needed on the incubation time of relapses after stopping treatment. Several groups of patients, who had been on rifampicin-containing regimens, were followed up for periods ranging from 4 to 10 years. Two groups of relapses were observed: early relapses occurring within 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation time of 1 year and 10 months (upper limit of 95% confidence interval: 2 years); and late relapses occurring more than 3.5 years after stopping treatment, with a median incubation of 5 years. Early relapses are probably due to insufficient treatment, and late relapses to persisting bacilli or to reinfection. It is concluded that the efficacy of short-course RMP-containing therapeutic regimens can be evaluated by observing the occurrence of early relapses, 50% of which occur before 2 years after the end of therapy.</p>  a0393-2990