Low-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole alone and in association with zidovudine for prevention and treatment of murine Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

摘要

Low-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) alone was found to be as effective as low-dose TMP-SMX plus zidovudine and standard-dose TMP-SMX alone in preventing and treating Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in an immunosuppressed-rat model. Zidovudine alone had no preventive or curative effect on PCP. We conclude that the initially reported reduced incidence of PCP in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients treated with zidovudine alone is not due to anti-P. carinii activity of zidovudine. Furthermore, the clinical efficacy of low-dose TMP-SMX for the prevention and treatment of PCP should be further investigated.