02092nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653001000089653001200099653001100111653004600122653001600168653001400184653001100198653001200209653000900221653001600230653002600246100001300272700001500285245007700300856005900377300001000436490000700446050003200453520125500485022001401740       1991                            d  c1991 Jun10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aChild10aDapsone10aFemale10aGlucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency10aHemoglobins10aHemolysis10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRetrospective Studies1 aByrd S R1 aGelber R H00aEffect of dapsone on haemoglobin concentration in patients with leprosy.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1991/v62n2/pdf/v62n2a08.pdf  a171-80 v62  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Haemolysis and frank anaemia from dapsone therapy of leprosy has been long recognized. However, the frequency and severity of this side-effect have not been well documented. We report herein a retrospective analysis of the effect of daily dapsone (generally 100 mg/day) on the haemoglobin concentration of 100 leprosy patients undergoing initial chemotherapy. The average haemoglobin was found to fall significantly by almost 2 g/dl, from 14.25 +/- 1.27 g/dl to a nadir of 12.31 +/- 1.61 (P less than 0.001). Eighty-three percent of patients had a fall of haemoglobin concentration of 1 g/dl or more, while in 16% of patients the haemoglobin fell greater than or equal to 3 g/dl. Increasing age was found associated with an increased magnitude of dapsone-related haemolysis (P less than or equal to 0.004). Decreasing the daily dose of dapsone was associated with an increased haemoglobin concentration (P less than 0.001%). We have concluded that dapsone commonly results in not only haemolysis but a significant decrease in haemoglobin concentration. This may have serious clinical implications, especially in endemic areas, where, owing to nutrition, malaria, and intestinal parasitism, the haemoglobin concentration is already compromised.</p>  a0305-7518