The present study was carried out on 21 fasciolia patients (6 with acute fascioliasis
and 15 with chronic fascioliasis), and 10 age matched controls. Specific activities of
superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX),
glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glucose 6-phosphate
dehydrogenase (G6-PD) as well as glutathione content (GSH) were measured in red
blood cells as it offers a number of advantage for studying the effects of oxidants.
Egaten (the human form of the fasciolocidal drug Triclabendazole) was supplemented
to all patients in a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for 2 successive days. Before
treatment specific activities of SOD, GPX, GR, G6-PD and GSH content were
significantly reduced in the erythrocytes of all patients. The only exception was CAT
enzyme that didn't show any significant difference from controls and GST that showed
significant elevation. Liver function tests were significantly elevated in plasma of
fasicola patients. After treatment the level of all studied parameters except CAT were
significantly elevated than that before treatment and became more or less round the
figures of controls. Liver function tests became normal again, and anemia was
recovered. Conclusively, Egaten has cured all cases of fascioliasis under study and it
has abolished the effect of the parasite's oxidants on the antioxidant capabilities of
erythrocytes.