02429nas a2200193 4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653002900059653001100088653001300099653002300112653001200135653001400147100001600161245006900177300001500246520196000261022001402221 1979 d c1979 Jan-Mar10aClinical Trials as Topic10aHumans10aLepromin10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aPrognosis1 aNoussitou F00aSome aspects of tuberculoid leprosy and chemotherapeutic trials. aII-IV,1-323 a
The author describes the progress made in our knowledge of tuberculoid leprosy since the original case of Jadassohn in 1898. The numerical importance of T patients in different parts of the world is reviewed and their role in the transmission of the disease discussed. An analysis is made of the subgroups into which T leprosy is divided according to the clinical symptoms, bacteriology, histopathology and immunology in the Madrid classification as well as in the Souza-Lima-Souza Campos and Ridley-Jopling studies. The author concludes that a majority of T patients are immunologically stable and belong to two well defined groups, the first called T annular in the Souza-Lima-Souza Campos study and TT in the Ridley-Jopling classification and the second called T reactional by S.L.-S.C. and BT by R.J. Taking into account the high proportion of T cases in most epidemiological situations, their generally accepted good prognosis under treatment and the present availability of several drugs of proved efficacy, the author suggests to carry out in T leprosy under controlled conditions a trial of a number of therapeutic regimens of not more than 12 months duration. Follow-up periods will make possible medium and long-term evaluation of results after 3 and 5 years respectively of the initiation of the chemotherapeutic regimens. The practical implications of effective and well tolerated short-term therapy in T leprosy is stressed. Its widespread use in field programmes will represent among other advantages a considerable economy in personnel and drugs costs. The use of a single protocol is recommended. The one worked out by THELEP for therapeutic trials in lepromatous leprosy could be adopted with a few changes made necessary because of the morphological and bacteriological differences between L and T leprosy. It is suggested that, if the results of the trial are successful, similar regimens could be tried in indeterminate leprosy.
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