Bruno Baršić

Comparative Analysis of Azithromycin and Clarithromycin Efficacy and Tolerability in the Treatment of Chronic Prostatitis Caused by Chlamydia trachomatis

Abstract A total of 123 patients, older than 18 years of age, with symptoms of chronic prostatitis and inflammatory findings as well as the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis confirmed by DNA/RNA DIGENE hybridization method in expressed prostatic secretion or in voided bladder urine collected immediately after prostatic massage, were examined. The patients were randomized to receive a total of 4.5 g of azithromycin for 3 weeks, given as a 3-day therapy of 1×500 mg weekly or clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d. for 15 days. Patients sexual partners were treated at the same time. Clinical and bacteriological efficacy were evaluated 4-6 weeks after the end of therapy. In the group of patients with chronic chlamydial prostatitis the eradication rates (azithromycin 37/46, clarithromycin 36/45) and the clinical cure rates (azithromycin 32/46, clarithromycin 32/45) were not significantly different with regards to the administered drug (p>0.05). In the group of patients with asymptomatic chlamydial prostatitis the eradication rates (azithromycin 11/16, clarithromycin 10/15) were not significantly different with regards to the administered drug (p=1.00, OR=1.1).

Comparative Analysis of Azithromycin and Doxycycline Efficacy in the Treatment of Female Patients with Acute Urethral Syndrome Caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum

While Ureaplasma urealyticum is etiologically related to nongonococcal urethritis, its relation to acute urethral syndrome is still controversial 1,2. Significantly lower rates of clinical cure and pathogen eradication are achieved with the once-daily administration of 1.0 g azithromycin or a 7-day course of doxycycline (100 mg twice daily) in the treatment of acute, symptomatic infections of the lower urogenital tract caused by U. urealyticum, than in the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis infection 3. The fact that administered antibiotics, to which U. urealyticum is susceptible in vitro, show inhibitory but not bactericidal activity in vivo, might be the reason for common treatment failures 4. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of U. urealyticum as a causative pathogen of acute urethral syndrome in female patients, and to compare the efficacy of azithromycin (500 mg once daily for 6 days) Journal of Chemotherapy Vol. 12 n. 2 (186-188) 2000