Treatment of canine leishmaniosis with aminosidine at an optimized dosage regimen: a pilot open clinical trial.

Leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum (Syn: L. chagasi) is one of the most common diseases of dogs in Mediterranean countries and also has zoonotic potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an optimized dosage regimen of aminosidine for the treatment of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) in terms of clinical remission, restoration of clinicopathological abnormalities, evolution of antibody titer, lymph node and bone marrow parasitic density and of PCR-based parasitological cure. Twelve non-uremic dogs without proteinuria, presenting clinical signs of CanL were included in the study. The diagnosis was confirmed by serology, microscopy and PCR of lymph node and bone marrow samples. Aminosidine was administered subcutaneously at the dose of 15 mg/kg body weight, once daily, for 21 consecutive days. A partial remission of the clinical signs, amelioration of clinicopathological abnormalities such as anemia, lymphopenia, hyperproteinemia, hyperglobulinemia, and reduced albumin/globulin ratio and reduced lymph node and bone marrow parasitic density were witnessed, although parasitological cure was not achieved. Since data are not supportive enough for the use of aminosidine as an alternative treatment, a large-scale controlled clinical trial using this optimized dosage regimen of aminosidine is warranted to compare efficacy against currently used drugs.