Comparison of Two Chemotherapy Regimen: Doxycycline-rifampicin and Doxycycline Cotrimoxazol in the Brucellosis Patients

Objective: To compare two drugs regimen, doxycycline-rifampicin and doxycycline-cotrimoxazol in the treatment of brucellosis patients Methodology: It is a comparative clinical study conducted in Ahwaz a city southwest Iran, from April 2004 to January 2006. This study was conducted on 102 nomads’ patients with brucellosis. The diagnostic criteria were the finding of >1/80 (Wright) with a 2 mercaptoethanol (2 ME) >1/40, in association with compatible clinical findings (back pain, sweating and fever). Patients were enrolled into the two antimicrobial therapy groups, doxycycline plus rifampicin (DR group) and doxycycline plus co-trimoxazole (DC group). The data in the two groups were statistically compared with SPSS by chi square test. Results: Failure of treatment was seen in one (1.94%) and 5 (9.81%) cases treated in the DC group and DR group, respectively. Relapse was seen in three cases (5.88%) treated in the DC group and in six cases (11.76%) treated in the DR group. Failure of treatment plus relapse was seen in four (7.84%) and 11 (21.56%) cases treated in the DC group and DR group, respectively (p <0.05). Risk for relapse and failure of treatment in DR group was 2.75 times higher than DC group. Conclusion: This study showed that co-trimoxazole plus doxycycline regimen has a better therapeutic effect than doxycycline plus rifampicin regimen.