RESUMO
Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis was treated by a combination of monomycin and an immunotherapeutic agent, leukinferon, representing a complex of cytokines of the first phase of in vitro immune response of human leukocytes with the predominance of the activities of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, macrophage- and leukocyte-inhibiting factors, and alpha-interferon. A total of 182 patients were treated in endemic foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Uzbekistan, 115 patients were followed up. Ointment applications (1000 U) or i.m. injections of leukinferon every 3-4 days were used in the treatment of 50 patients. Monomycin was administered only locally--as an ointment or collagen sponge ("leishmacol"). The best results were attained with combined therapy including i.m. leukinferon and local monomycin. The treatment duration was 3 weeks in grave complicated cases and 2 weeks in cases with a benign course of the disease. Local therapy with any of the drugs alone or combined was less effective, and lasted for about 1.5 months. The combined method is convenient for outpatient therapy, for it helps do without numerous daily injections that are necessary in parenteral monomycin therapy. Another advantage of combined therapy of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis is an essential reduction of the total dose of monomycin, a highly toxic drug.