02022nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653003300080653001100113653001100124653002300135653001200158653000900170653001600179653001500195653001700210653001600227100001500243700001900258700001600277700001300293700001300306700001600319700001300335245012600348856006000474300001000534490000700544050001700551520106600568022001401634       2009                            d  c2009 Aug10aAdolescent10aAdult10aDrug Administration Schedule10aFemale10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRecurrence10aTime Factors10aYoung Adult1 aFajardo TT1 aVillahermosa L1 aPardillo FE1 aAbalos R1 aBurgos J1 aDela Cruz E1 aGelber R00aA comparative clinical trial in multibacillary leprosy with long-term relapse rates of four different multidrug regimens.  uA Comparative Clinical Trial in Multibacillary Leprosy   a330-40 v81  aFAJARDO 20093 a<p>As a participant in a multicenter trial, we evaluated the relapse rate in 189 multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients treated with four different regimens and followed-up for as many as 12 years after the initiation of treatment. Treatment regimens included 1 year of WHO MDT (a regimen including dapsone, clofazimine, and rifampin), 2 years of WHO MDT, 1 month of daily rifampin and daily ofloxacin, and 1 year of WHO MDT plus an initial 1 month of daily rifampin and daily ofloxacin. Relapse rates after 9 and 12 years from the initiation of therapy in the three regimens that included WHO MDT were 0-3%, whereas relapses occurred in those treated with the 1-month regimen alone at a significantly greater rate (P < 0.05): 11% at 9 years and 25% at 12 years. Relapses occurred late, beginning at 5 years after the initiation of therapy, and were confined to those patients histopathologically borderline lepromatous and polar lepromatous having a high bacterial burden. Prospects for an alternative effective short-course therapy of leprosy are presented.</p>  a1476-1645