@article{100280,
  keywords = {Uniform multidrug therapy, Clinical trial, Leprosy, Relapse},
  author = {Penna GO and Pontes MADA and Talhari S and Gonçalves HDS and Talhari C and Pessoa ADS and Pedroza V and Bührer-Sékula S and Stefani MMDA and Penna MLF},
  title = {Late relapses in leprosy patients in Brazil: 10-year post-trial of uniform multidrug therapy (U-MDT/CT-BR)},
  abstract = {<p><strong>Background: </strong>Leprosy is a neglected dermato-neurologic, infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae or M. lepromatosis. Leprosy is treatable and curable by multidrug therapy/ MDT, consisting of 12 months rifampicin, dapsone and clofazimine for multibacillary/MB patients and for 6 months for paucibacillary/PB patients. The relapse rate is considered a crucial treatment outcome. A randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (U-MDT/CT-BR) conducted from 2007‒2012 compared clinical outcomes in MB patients after 12 months regular MDT/R-MDT and 6 months uniform MDT/U-MDT in two highly endemic Brazilian areas.</p>

<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To estimate the 10 years relapse rate of MB patients treated with 6 months U-MDT.</p>

<p><strong>Methods: </strong>The statistical analyses treated the data as a case-control study, sampled from the cohort generated for the randomized trial. Analyses estimated univariate odds ratio and applied logistic regression for multivariate analysis, controlling the confounding variables.</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall relapse rate was 4.08 %: 4.95 % (16 out of 323) in the U-MDT group and 3.10 % (9 out of 290) in the regular/R-MDT group. The difference in relapse proportion between U-MDT and R-MDT groups was 1.85 %, not statistically significant (Odds Ratio = 1.63, 95 % CI 0.71 to 3.74). However, misdiagnosis of relapses, may have introduced bias, underestimating the force of the association represented by the odds ratio.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The relapse estimate of 10 years follow-up study of the first randomized, controlled study on U-MDT/CT-BR was similar to the R-MDT group, supporting strong evidence that 6 months U-MDT for MB patients is an acceptable option to be adopted by leprosy endemic countries worldwide.</p>
},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases},
  volume = {28},
  pages = {1-8},
  publisher = {Elsevier BV},
  issn = {1413-8670},
  url = {https://www.scielo.br/j/bjid/a/QFtBLX3j9KFPFT85QDVhwJs/?format=pdf&lang=en},
  doi = {10.1016/j.bjid.2024.103745},
  language = {ENG},
}