Evaluation of the efficacy and security of quinfamide administered in a single dose of 300 mg in adult patients with intestinal amebiasis

Quinfamide is an intraluminal amebicidal with high therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity. Its mechanism of action consists in the intraluminally immobilization of the Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite, and gets its maximum concentration blood level in about 7 hours. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the therapeutic action of quinfamide with a single dose in patients having sub- acute or chronic intestinal amebiasis parasitologicaly demonstrated, and to probe its security. Adults with a coproparasitoscopic exam mean concentration-flotation, as well as a complete clinical study were sudied. The cases that result positive because of the identification of parasite forms of E. histolytica and that fulfill the inclusion requirements besides signing the consent letter were given a single 300 mg dose of quinfamide and were kept in the following days under strict observation with coproparasitoscopic control studies realized the next five, six, seven, fourteen and twenty one days. From 568 persons studied, 221 (38.9%) were positive to the presence of intestinal E. histolytica. The coproparasitoscopic control studies showed that in 35 persons (15.84%), the parasite forms continued to be in the feces; and 186 persons (84.16%) corresponded to negativized cases. The clinical follow up never revealed the presence of secondary effects with the administration of this drug. In conclusion, the therapeutic efficacy of a single dose of quinfamide in the treatment of E. histolytica infection was good in comparison with the quinfamide administration of the same dose but in three intakes a day.