Vermox
Soil-transmitted nematode infections and mebendazole treatment in Mafia Island schoolchildren.

Albonico M, Ramsan M, Wright V, Jape K, Haji HJ, Taylor M, Savioli L, Bickle Q.

Ivo de Carneri Foundation, Via IV Marzo 14, 10122, Torino, Italy.

In August 2000, a cross-sectional study was performed to assess the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted nematode infections in schoolchildren on Mafia Island. Hookworm infection was widespread (72.5% prevalence) whereas Trichuris trichiura was less prevalent (39.7%) and Ascaris lumbricoides was present at a low prevalence (4.2%), mainly in urban areas. In a subsample of the study population, both Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale were found, although N. americanus was more prevalent. This survey was followed by a parasitological evaluation of mebendazole treatment using a single, 500-mg dose. The data on outcome were used for comparison with those from recent studies of similar treatment regimens in the neighbouring island of Pemba, Zanzibar, where periodic chemotherapy with mebendazole to schoolchildren has been implemented as part of a helminth-control programme since 1994. A higher efficacy of mebendazole against hookworm infection was found in Mafia Island (where a cure 'rate' of 31.3% and an egg-reduction 'rate' of 78.1% were recorded) when compared with that observed in Pemba Island, possibly indicating that hookworms may be developing mebendazole resistance on Pemba Island as a result of intense exposure to the drug there.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12537633&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Pregnancy outcome after gestational exposure to mebendazole: a prospective controlled cohort study.

Diav-Citrin O, Shechtman S, Arnon J, Lubart I, Ornoy A.

Israeli Teratogen Information Service, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.

OBJECTIVE: Mebendazole is an anthelmintic that is commonly needed in women of reproductive age. Its use in pregnancy is a reason for concern for women and their health care providers. The purpose of this study was to examine the fetal safety of mebendazole. STUDY DESIGN: The Israeli Teratogen Information Service prospectively collected and followed 192 pregnancies exposed to mebendazole in pregnancy, 71.5% of whom had first-trimester exposure. Pregnancy outcome was compared with that of a matched control group, who were counseled for nonteratogenic exposure. RESULTS: There was no increase in the rate of major malformations between the groups (5/150 pregnancies [3.3%; mebendazole] vs 3/175 pregnancies [1.7%; nonteratogenic control subjects]; P =.478). There was a higher rate of elective terminations of pregnancy in the exposed group compared with the control group (22/192 pregnancies [11.5%; mebendazole] vs 3/192 pregnancies [1.6% [nonteratogenic control subjects]; P =.000). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mebendazole does not represent a major teratogenic risk in humans when it is used in the doses that are used commonly for pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) infestation.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12548230&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Outbreak of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with mebendazole and metronidazole use among Filipino laborers in Taiwan.

Chen KT, Twu SJ, Chang HJ, Lin RS.

Field Epidemiology Training Program, Center for Disease Control, Department of Health, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to identify the risk factors associated with an outbreak of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) among Filipino laborers in Taiwan. METHODS: Forty-six SJS/TEN patients were matched to 92 controls according to month of arrival in Taiwan, sex, and age. RESULTS: The odds ratio for development of SJS/TEN was 9.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.9, 23.9) among workers who had used both metronidazole and mebendazole sometime in the preceding 6 weeks. In addition, a gradient increase in the occurrence of SJS/TEN was found with an increasing level of exposure to metronidazole. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak highlights the risk of SJS/TEN resulting from the use of both metronidazole and mebendazole and the need for control measures.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12604501&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Developing a discriminating dissolution test for three mebendazole polymorphs based on solubility differences.

Swanepoel E, Liebenberg W, Devarakonda B, de Villiers MM.

Research Institute for Industrial Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Potchefstroom University for CHE, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Mebendazole, a broad spectrum anthelmintic drug, is practically insoluble in water and exists in three polymorphic forms, A, B, and C, of which C is pharmaceutically favoured. Since the dissolution of drugs from solid oral dosage forms can depend on the crystal form of the drug an attempt should be made while developing dissolution tests to set test parameters that are sensitive to changes in the crystal form. USP 24 describes 0.1 M hydrochloric acid containing 1.0% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) as the dissolution medium for mebendazole tablets. Results showed that the high concentration of sodium lauryl sulphate in the USP dissolution medium does not allow the use of this test to distinguish between the solubility differences of the three mebendazole polymorphs. By decreasing the amount of sodium lauryl sulphate in the dissolution medium clear differences in the dissolution rates of the three forms were observed. The most discriminating medium was 0.1 M HCl, containing no sodium lauryl sulphate.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12641328&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Quality evaluation of generic drugs by dissolution test: changing the USP dissolution medium to distinguish between active and non-active mebendazole polymorphs.

Swanepoel E, Liebenberg W, de Villiers MM.

Research Institute for Industrial Pharmacy, Potchefstroom University for CHE, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Mebendazole is practically insoluble in water and studies of its polymorphism has led to the identification and characterization of three polymorphic forms (A, B, C) displaying solubility and therapeutic differences that show that polymorph C is therapeutically favored. The objective of this study was to adjust the USP dissolution test for mebendazole so that it was able to distinguish between the dissolution properties of three mebendazole polymorphs. This would provide generic manufacturers with one more test to ensure that the therapeutically active polymorph C is used. The results obtained in this study show that the USP dissolution test conditions were not able to distinguish between the dissolution properties of completely dispersed mebendazole polymorphs with comparable particle sizes. When sodium lauryl sulfate was removed from the dissolution medium, the percentage dissolved versus time profiles changed so that polymorph C dissolved faster (70% within 120 min) compared to polymorph B (37% within 120 min) and polymorph A (20% within 120 min).

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12754010&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Combined treatment with interleukin-12 and mebendazole lessens the severity of experimental eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in ICR mice.

Du WY, Liao JW, Fan CK, Su KE.

Division of Parasitology, Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei. Pesticide Toxicology Department, Taiwan Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, Taichung, Taiwan.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the major cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis cases in Taiwan. Mice were orally infected with 35 infective larvae. One group of mice were given a single dose of mebendazole (20 mg/kg of body weight) per os at various times and examined at 14 days postinfection (dpi) for worm recovery rate and pathological studies. A 94 to 97% reduction in worm recovery was observed when medication was given at 4 to 5 dpi. Sections of the brains revealed that untreated infected mice developed typical severe eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Meninges of these mice were thickened by massive infiltration of eosinophils, whereas only moderate pathological change was observed in the brains of mice that were treated with mebendazole at 4 dpi. Infected mice that received daily injections of 10 ng of interleukin-12 (IL-12) only for various numbers of days also exhibited moderate pathological changes in the brain. Eosinophil infiltration in the brains of these mice was low, and severe mechanical injuries in the parenchyma were observed. Treatment with mebendazole in combination with IL-12, however, resulted in low levels of worm recovery and dramatic lessening of the eosinophilic meningitis. A reverse transcriptase PCR assay of mRNA expression in the brain also revealed that the use of IL-12 had shifted the immune response of the mouse from Th2 type to Th1 type. This study could be used in developing strategies for the treatment of human angiostrongylosis.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12819081&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox