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. 2015 Aug 21;9(8):e0003976.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003976. eCollection 2015.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated with Strongyloides stercoralis Treatment Failure in Australian Aboriginals

Russell Hays  1 , Adrian Esterman  2 , Robyn McDermott  3
Affiliations

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated with Strongyloides stercoralis Treatment Failure in Australian Aboriginals

Russell Hays et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. .

Abstract

Objective: To explore the efficacy of ivermectin in the treatment of serologically diagnosed cases of Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) infection in an Aboriginal community and to describe factors that may influence the outcome of treatment.

Methods: Longitudinal study of a group of 92 individuals with serologically diagnosed S. stercoralis treated with ivermectin and followed up over a period of approximately 6 months. Main outcomes were serological titers pre and post treatment, diabetic status, and duration of follow up.

Findings: Treatment success was achieved in 62% to 79% of cases dependent on the methods employed for the diagnosis of infection and assessment of treatment outcome. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) was found to be significantly associated with treatment failure in this group for two of the three methods employed.

Interpretation: Ivermectin has been confirmed as an effective treatment for S stercoralis infection in this setting. T2DM appears to be an independent risk factor for treatment failure in this population, and plausible mechanisms to explain this observation are presented.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Percentage of diabetic and non-diabetic patients achieving a post-treatment tire of <0.30, with 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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