Quagliato R, Bechelli L M, Almeida J O, Araujo Arantes M A
Bull World Health Organ. 1975;52(1):57-62.
The study concerns 337 outpatients with lepromatous leprosy who had been receiving dapsone treatment for 1-26 years-69% of them regularly and 31% irregularly. Routine bacterial examination (10 min per slide) by a paramedical technician showed only 50% of these patients to be bacteriologically positive. This rate attained 99% when each slide was examined for 30-60 min by a qualified bacteriologist. Other factors-apart from the limited action of sulfones-might account for these unexpected results: the material was collected by an experienced leprologist; the disease was still clinically active in 75% of the patients; about 25% of them had been treated for only 1-4 years; and the intake of dapsone in long-term treatment gradually decreases.
该研究涉及337名瘤型麻风门诊患者，他们接受氨苯砜治疗已达1至26年，其中69%的患者规律服药，31%的患者不规律服药。一名辅助医务人员进行常规细菌检查（每张玻片检查10分钟），结果显示只有50%的患者细菌学检查呈阳性。当由一名合格的细菌学家对每张玻片检查30至60分钟时，这一比例达到了99%。除了砜类药物作用有限之外，其他因素可能是导致这些意外结果的原因：材料由一位经验丰富的麻风病专家采集；75%的患者疾病仍处于临床活动期；其中约25%的患者仅接受了1至4年的治疗；长期治疗中氨苯砜的摄入量逐渐减少。
