Majzoobi MM, et al. – This single–blind randomized study was performed with the aim to evaluate the effect of the standard treatment of brucellosis in combination with hydroxychloroquine. The addition of hydroxychloroquine to doxycycline–streptomycin regimen seemed to increase the efficacy of treatment; accelerate improvement of clinical symptoms and significantly reduce relapse rate of brucellosis.

Methods

• Researchers randomized 177 patients with acute brucellosis to one of two treatment groups including doxycycline–streptomycin (DS) and doxycycline–streptomycin–hydroxychloroquine (DSH).
• The groups were compared regarding clinical symptoms and signs, serological tests, and side effects of therapy during treatment course and also at three and six months after the end of drug therapy.

Results

• The mean age of the patients was 40.5±16.9 years; 66.1% were males and the others were females.
• In this study, the mean duration of clinical signs prior to admission was 43.4±41.1 days.
• Findings revealed appropriate clinical responses, relapse, treatment failure, and adverse drug reactions in 98.9%, 1.2%, 0.0%, and 12.6% of patients in DSH group vs. 86.7%, 11.6%, 2.3%, and 19.8% of patients in DS group, respectively.
• The two groups indicated significant differences in clinical response and relapse rates.