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Callado GY, Gutfreund MC, Pardo I, Hsieh MK, Lin V, Sampson MM, Nava GR, Marins TA, Deliberato RO, Martino MDV, Holubar M, Salinas JL, Marra AR. Syphilis Treatment: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Investigating Nonpenicillin Therapeutic Strategies. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae142. [PMID: 38595955 PMCID: PMC11002953 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Penicillin's long-standing role as the reference standard in syphilis treatment has led to global reliance. However, this dependence presents challenges, prompting the need for alternative strategies. We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of these alternative treatments against nonneurological syphilis. Methods We searched MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to 28 August 2023, and we included studies that compared penicillin or amoxicillin monotherapy to other treatments for the management of nonneurological syphilis. Our primary outcome was serological cure rates. Random-effect models were used to obtain pooled mean differences, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. Results Of 6478 screened studies, 27 met the inclusion criteria, summing 6710 patients. The studies were considerably homogeneous, and stratified analyses considering each alternative treatment separately revealed that penicillin monotherapy did not outperform ceftriaxone (pooled odds ratio, 1.66 [95% confidence interval, .97-2.84]; I2 = 0%), azithromycin (0.92; [.73-1.18]; I2 = 0%), or doxycycline (0.82 [.61-1.10]; I2 = 1%) monotherapies with respect to serological conversion. Conclusions Alternative treatment strategies have serological cure rates equivalent to penicillin, potentially reducing global dependence on this antibiotic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Yano Callado
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Celidonio Gutfreund
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabele Pardo
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana Kim Hsieh
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vivian Lin
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mindy Marie Sampson
- Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Guillermo Rodriguez Nava
- Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Tássia Aporta Marins
- Faculdade de Medicina, Centro Universitário de Adamantina, Adamantina, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Octávio Deliberato
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Biomedical Informatics Division, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Marinês Dalla Valle Martino
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marisa Holubar
- Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jorge L Salinas
- Division of Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alexandre R Marra
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Ubals M, Nadal-Baron P, Arando M, Rivero Á, Mendoza A, Descalzo Jorro V, Ouchi D, Pérez-Mañá C, Álvarez M, Alemany A, Hoyos-Mallecot Y, Nunley E, Lieberman NAP, Greninger AL, Galván-Casas C, Suñer C, G-Beiras C, Paredes R, Rodríguez-Gascón A, Canut A, García-Patos V, Farré M, Marks M, Giacani L, Vall-Mayans M, Mitjà O. Oral linezolid compared with benzathine penicillin G for treatment of early syphilis in adults (Trep-AB Study) in Spain: a prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 24:404-416. [PMID: 38211601 PMCID: PMC10954560 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00683-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Management of syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) with increasing incidence, is challenged by drug shortages, scarcity of randomised trial data, an absence of non-penicillin alternatives for pregnant women with penicillin allergy (other than desensitisation), extended parenteral administration for neurosyphilis and congenital syphilis, and macrolide resistance. Linezolid was shown to be active against Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, in vitro and in the rabbit model. We aimed to assess the efficacy of linezolid for treating early syphilis in adults compared with the standard of care benzathine penicillin G (BPG). METHODS We did a multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of linezolid for treating early syphilis compared with BPG. We recruited participants with serological or molecular confirmation of syphilis (either primary, secondary, or early latent) at one STI unit in a public hospital and two STI community clinics in Catalonia (Spain). Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio using a computer-generated block randomisation list with six participants per block, to receive either oral linezolid (600 mg once per day for 5 days) or intramuscular BPG (single dose of 2·4 million international units) and were assessed for signs and symptoms (once per week until week 6 and at week 12, week 24, and week 48) and reagin titres of non-treponemal antibodies (week 12, week 24, and week 48). The primary endpoint was treatment response, assessed using a composite endpoint that included clinical response, serological response, and absence of relapse. Clinical response was assessed at 2 weeks for primary syphilis and at 6 weeks for secondary syphilis following treatment initiation. Serological cure was defined as a four-fold decline in rapid plasma reagin titre or seroreversion at any of the 12-week, 24-week, or 48-week timepoints. The absence of relapse was defined as the presence of different molecular sequence types of T pallidum in recurrent syphilis. Non-inferiority was shown if the lower limit of the two-sided 95% CI for the difference in rates of treatment response was higher than -10%. The primary analysis was done in the per-protocol population. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05069974) and was stopped for futility after interim analysis. FINDINGS Between Oct 20, 2021, and Sept 15, 2022, 62 patients were assessed for eligibility, and 59 were randomly assigned to linezolid (n=29) or BPG (n=30). In the per-protocol population, after 48 weeks' follow-up, 19 (70%) of 27 participants (95% CI 49·8 to 86·2) in the linezolid group had responded to treatment and 28 (100%) of 28 participants (87·7 to 100·0) in the BPG group (treatment difference -29·6, 95% CI -50·5 to -8·8), which did not meet the non-inferiority criterion. The number of drug-related adverse events (all mild or moderate) was similar in both treatment groups (five [17%] of 29, 95% CI 5·8 to 35·8 in the linezolid group vs five [17%] of 30, 5·6 to 34·7, in the BPG group). No serious adverse events were reported during follow-up. INTERPRETATION The efficacy of linezolid at a daily dose of 600 mg for 5 days did not meet the non-inferiority criteria compared with BPG and, as a result, this treatment regimen should not be used to treat patients with early syphilis. FUNDING European Research Council and Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ubals
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Facultat de Medicina, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Dermatology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Nadal-Baron
- Facultat de Medicina, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maider Arando
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ángel Rivero
- Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Barcelona Checkpoint, Projecte dels NOMS, Hispanosida, Barcelona
| | - Adrià Mendoza
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Vicent Descalzo Jorro
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dan Ouchi
- Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Clara Pérez-Mañá
- Clinical Pharmacology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Marlene Álvarez
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Andrea Alemany
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | | | - Ethan Nunley
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicole A P Lieberman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alexander L Greninger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cristina Galván-Casas
- Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Hospital Universitario de Mostoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Suñer
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Camila G-Beiras
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Roger Paredes
- Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Center for Global Health and Diseases, Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Alicia Rodríguez-Gascón
- Pharmacokinetic, Nanotechnology, and Gene Therapy Group (PharmaNanoGene), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Bioaraba, Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Antimicrobial Agents, and Gene Therapy Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Andrés Canut
- Bioaraba, Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Antimicrobial Agents, and Gene Therapy Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Microbiology Service, Araba University Hospital, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | | | - Magí Farré
- Clinical Pharmacology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Michael Marks
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lorenzo Giacani
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Martí Vall-Mayans
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Oriol Mitjà
- Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections Section, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Fundació Lluita Contra les Infeccions, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
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5
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Lazzarin S, Giacomelli A, Moschese D, Antinori S, Gervasoni C. Drug Shortages Highlight the Need for Expanded Treatment Options for Syphilis. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:1356. [PMID: 37390811 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lazzarin
- III Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Giacomelli
- III Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Moschese
- I Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Spinello Antinori
- III Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italia
| | - Cristina Gervasoni
- III Division of Infectious Diseases, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Gestione Ambulatoriale Politerapie (GAP) Outpatient Clinic, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy
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6
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Inada M, Ando N, Mizushima D, Kikuchi Y, Gatanaga H, Oka S. Effect of unintended short-term 3.0 g/day amoxicillin and probenecid treatment for early syphilis on patients with HIV-1 infection. Ther Adv Infect Dis 2023; 10:20499361231192777. [PMID: 37581104 PMCID: PMC10423441 DOI: 10.1177/20499361231192777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Standard therapy for early syphilis involves intramuscular injections of penicillin G, which frequently faces shortages in several countries. Fourteen-day amoxicillin therapy has been suggested as an alternative to benzathine penicillin G, but the optimal duration of amoxicillin therapy remains unclear and could theoretically be shortened to less than 14 days. The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of short-term amoxicillin therapy for early syphilis. Methods We retrospectively explored the effectiveness of short-term amoxicillin therapy for early syphilis. The treatment data of patients who had received amoxicillin therapy for less than 14 days for unintended reasons were reviewed. Diagnosis was confirmed based on either the physician's description or clinical presentation. Successful treatment was defined as a fourfold or greater decline in the rapid plasma reagin titer or sero-reversion to negative within 12 months. Results Of 295 patients, 8 received short-term amoxicillin treatment. All were men who had sex with men and people living with human immunodeficiency virus. Their median age, CD4 count, and treatment duration were 34 years (range, 26-40), 258/mL (range, 112-930), and 9.5 days (range, 5-11), respectively. One patient had primary syphilis, six had secondary syphilis, and one had early latent syphilis. All patients, except one who showed reinfection, demonstrated a serological response within 4 months. The median time for serological response was 112 days. Conclusion The results indicate that early syphilis could potentially be treated with 5-11 days of amoxicillin therapy combined with probenecid. This suggests that short-term amoxicillin therapy might be a sufficient treatment for early syphilis instead of the standard 14-day course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Inada
- Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naokatsu Ando
- AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1, Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0052, Japan
| | - Daisuke Mizushima
- AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Kikuchi
- AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Gatanaga
- AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Oka
- AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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