The BENEFIT trial: testing the hypothesis that trypanocidal therapy is beneficial for patients with chronic Chagas heart disease
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 104(supl.1): 319-324, July 2009.
Article
em En
| LILACS, SES-SP
| ID: lil-520894
Biblioteca responsável:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Among the pathophysiological derangements operating in the chronic phase of Chagas disease, parasite persistence is likely to constitute the main mechanism of myocardial injury in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. The presence of Trypanosoma cruzi in the heart causes a low-grade, but relentless, inflammatory process and induces myocardial autoimmune injury. These facts suggest that trypanocidal therapy may positively impact the clinical course of patients with chronic Chagas heart disease. However, the experimental and clinical evidence currently available is insufficient to support the routine use of etiologic treatment in these patients. The BENEFIT project - Benznidazole Evaluation for Interrupting Trypanosomiasis - is an international, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of trypanocidal treatment with benznidazole in patients with chronic Chagas heart disease. This project is actually comprised of two studies. The pilot study investigates whether etiologic treatment significantly reduces parasite burden, as assessed by polymerase chain reaction-based techniques and also determines the safety and tolerability profile of the trypanocidal drug in this type of chagasic population. The full-scale study determines whether antitrypanosomal therapy with benznidazole reduces mortality and other major cardiovascular clinical outcomes in patients with chronic Chagas heart disease.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
LILACS
Assunto principal:
Tripanossomicidas
/
Cardiomiopatia Chagásica
/
Ensaios Clínicos como Assunto
/
Nitroimidazóis
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz
/
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
/
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz (Online)
/
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Impresso)
/
Proceedings of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Assunto da revista:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
/
PARASITOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil