Susceptibility to the chemotherapeutical compounds of Schistosoma mansoni from patients treated with oxamniquine and praziquantel and not cured ones

Abstract

Ten inhabitants of Itaquara, Bahia, Brazil treated with oxamniquine and subsequently praziquantel were not cured. Schistosoma mansoni isolated derived from these patients were studied. Snails were infected with miracidia derived from the feces of these patients and the cercariae produced used to infect albino mice. The animals were then treated with a single oral dose of oxamniquine (25, 50 and 100mg/kg) or praziquantel (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg). The response to chemotherapy was significantly different in some of the isolates although it was not possible to characterize any of them as resistant. In addition, DNA analysis of the isolates by means of 'Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA' indicated a low degree of variability as compared with a laboratory strain, LE. Thus, it was not possible to characterize these organisms at a genetic level as a distinct strain.