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Tuberculous peritonitis in a case receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD) treatment.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis continues to be an important health problem in the world. Besides pulmonary involvement extrapulmonary involvement becomes an affair in developing countries, even in developed countries. CASE PRESENTATION: A thirty-six year old male patient was admitted with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever which had started one week before. The patient had been followed up with predialisis Chronic Renal Failure(CRF) diagnosis for 4 years and receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment for 4 months. In peritoneal fluid, 1600/mm3 cells were detected and 70% of them were polymorphonuclear leukocytosis. The patient begun nonspesific antibiotherapy but no benefit was obtained after 12 days and peritoneal fluid bacterial cultures remained negative. Peritoneal smear was positive for Asid-fast basilli (AFB), and antituberculosis therapy was started with isoniazid, rifampicine, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. After 15 days his peritoneal fluid cell count was decreased and his symptoms were relieved. Peritoneal fluid tuberculosis culture was found positive. CONCLUSION: Considering this case, we think that in patients with CAPD catheter and peritonitis; when peritoneal fluid leukocytes are high and PMNL are dominant, AFB and tuberculosis culture must be investigated besides bacterial culture routinely.

Journal Article↗

Clinical and radiographic findings in disseminated tuberculosis of the brain.

We report clinical and radiographic findings in a patient with disseminated tuberculosis (TB) of the brain. A Burmese man developed a left hemiparesis and mild cognitive difficulty 1 month into therapy for miliary TB. A head MRI showed numerous (> 100) contrast-enhancing supratentorial and infratentorial lesions. Following 9 months of treatment with isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampin, and pyrazinamide, most lesions resolved; however, one cortical tuberculoma enlarged significantly. The patient was continued on isoniazid and rifampin, with radiographic resolution of the tuberculoma 4 months later.

Adult↗

Rate of resolution of histologically verified intracranial tuberculomas.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the rate of radiological resolution of histopathologically proven tuberculomas treated with antituberculous therapy (ATT). The effects of the size of the tuberculomas, the number of tuberculomas, and the addition of corticosteroid therapy on the rate of resolution of the tuberculomas were also studied. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (age range, 5-48 yr; 14 male and 14 female patients) with histologically proven intracranial tuberculomas were prospectively monitored with contrast-enhanced computed tomographic scans. The patients received ATT consisting of rifampicin and isoniazid for a period of 18 months, with ethambutol and/or pyrazinamide for a minimum of 3 months. Fifteen patients also received corticosteroid therapy for 1 to 6 weeks. Of the 28 patients, 17 patients underwent partial excision, 6 underwent open biopsy, and 5 underwent stereotactic biopsy of their tuberculomas. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that, after 9 months of ATT, only 18.2% of the patients demonstrated complete resolution of their tuberculomas; even after 18 months of ATT, 69.2% of the patients had residual lesions. By 24 months, 54% of the patients demonstrated complete resolution of their tuberculomas. Although the number of tuberculomas, corticosteroid administration, prior treatment with ATT, and the duration of symptoms before presentation (<6 mo versus >6 mo) did not influence the rate of resolution, larger tuberculomas (maximal size, >4 cm) were observed to resolve more slowly than smaller tuberculomas (<4 cm) (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: More than two-thirds of patients with partially excised or biopsied intracranial tuberculomas exhibited persistent lesions on computed tomographic scans, even after 18 months of ATT. Therefore, the duration of ATT for patients with intracranial tuberculomas should be based on the radiological responses of the tuberculomas. Our data suggest that some patients with intracranial tuberculomas might require prolonged periods of ATT.

Adolescent↗

Is ritonavir boosting associated with gout?

Asymptomatic hyperuricaemia is associated with ritonavir therapy, but gout has rarely been reported. We present a retrospective cohort study of 1825 HIV-positive patients seen at one inner London HIV clinic over a two-year period. In all, 18 patients had gout, of whom 15 were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Seven had predisposing risk factors for gout (e.g. pyrazinamide therapy, haematological malignancy). Of the remaining 11 patients, two were on no medication and eight (73%) were receiving ritonavir as a boosted protease inhibitor (PI). By comparison, 11% of HIV-positive patients without gout were receiving ritonavir (odds ratio = 22; confidence interval = 5-104). Seven of the 18 patients had documented features of lipodystrophy and dyslipidaemia. Gout was seen in patients with known risk factors for gout or who were receiving ritonavir as a boosted PI and who also had lipodystrophy.

Gout↗

The use of immunomodulators as an adjunct to antituberculous chemotherapy in non-responsive patients with osteo-articular tuberculosis.

We studied 51 patients with osteo-articular tuberculosis who were divided into two groups. Group I comprised 31 newly-diagnosed patients who were given first-line antituberculous treatment consisting of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. Group II (non-responders) consisted of 20 patients with a history of clinical non-responsiveness to supervised uninterrupted antituberculous treatment for a minimum of three months or a recurrence of a previous lesion which on clinical observation had healed. No patient in either group was HIV-positive. Group II were treated with an immunomodulation regime of intradermal BCG, oral levamisole and intramuscular diphtheria and tetanus vaccines as an adjunct for eight weeks in addition to antituberculous treatment. We gave antituberculous treatment for a total of 12 to 18 months in both groups and they were followed up for a mean of 30.2 months (24 to 49). A series of 20 healthy blood donors served as a control group.Twenty-nine (93.6%) of the 31 patients in group I and 14 of the 20 (70%) in group II had a clinicoradiological healing response to treatment by five months. The CD4 cell count in both groups was depressed at the time of enrolment, with a greater degree of depression in the group-II patients (686 cells/mm(3) (sd 261) and 545 cells/mm(3) (sd 137), respectively; p < 0.05). After treatment for three months both groups showed significant elevation of the CD4 cell count, reaching a level comparable with the control group. However, the mean CD4 cell count of group II (945 cells/mm(3) (sd 343)) still remained lower than that of group I (1071 cells/mm(3) (sd 290)), but the difference was not significant. Our study has shown encouraging results after immunomodulation and antituberculous treatment in non-responsive patients. The pattern of change in the CD4 cell count in response to treatment may be a reliable clinical indicator.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Tuberculosis and HIV infection: epidemiology, immunology, and treatment.

Tuberculosis and HIV have combined to present a major threat to global public health. Each disease has a negative effect on the other, and mortality in patients with both tuberculosis and HIV is higher than that caused by either condition alone. In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, as many as a third or more of all patients with tuberculosis have concomitant HIV infection. In urban centers in developed nations, HIV co-infection may also be quite common. Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection in persons with HIV is successful in preventing many cases of active disease, and newer ultra-short course regimens, such as those consisting of 2 months of rifampin and pyrazinamide, should aid in this effort. Diagnosis and treatment of active tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients may be difficult. Although treatment of active tuberculosis is generally successful in patients with HIV, drug interactions between anti-tuberculosis medications and antiretrovirals often complicate the matter, and expert guidance should be sought for proper management.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Rifapentine: its role in the treatment of tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, adverse effects, and cost of the newest antitubercular drug, rifapentine. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search using key terms such as rifapentine, rifampin, isoniazid, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and pyrazinamide was conducted for the time period 1966-November 1998. STUDY SELECTION: Animal data were used for basic information and human studies were selected for inclusion if they were randomized, controlled studies assessing efficacy, or if they were single- or multiple-dose studies assessing the pharmacokinetics of rifapentine. Background articles on the pathophysiology of tuberculosis and cost of care and noncontrolled studies assessing drug interactions were also included. DATA SYNTHESIS: Compared with an oral solution, the relative bioavailability of rifapentine is 70% following oral admninistration of tablets. Food increased bioavailability by 55%. Rifapentine accumulated significantly in human macrophages and its elimination half-life was longer than that of rifampin. Comparative studies of rifapentine and rifampin in humans during intensive- and continuation-phase treatment of tuberculosis suggest that at currently accepted doses, rifapentine was slightly less effective than rifampin. The most significant drug interaction with rifapentine involves indinavir: the maximum concentration and AUC of indinavir are reduced by 55% and 70%, respectively, when rifapentine is coadministered with indinavir. Adverse events of rifapentine may occur less frequently at the currently recommended 600-mg dose as compared with rifampin; however, the difference was not statistically significant. If only drug costs were evaluated during the six-month treatment of tuberculosis, rifapentine is more expensive than rifampin. CONCLUSIONS: Rifapentine can be administered twice weekly during the intensive phase of tuberculosis treatment and then once weekly during the continuation phase of treatment. This may improve patient adherence over some other treatments and possibly reduce costs of treatment by preventing development of resistant tubercular strains due to nonadherence. Rifapentine is well tolerated, with most patients experiencing adverse effects at a similar rate as rifampin. Rifapentine induces cytochrome P450 somewhat less than rifampin, although few drug interaction studies have been done with rifapentine. Its efficacy at the currently approved dosage of 600 mg may be slightly lower than that of rifampin. Studies are needed to determine if equal or greater efficacy can be achieved with higher doses of rifapentine. Rifampin is less expensive than rifapentine. Further pharmacoeconomic studies are needed to evaluate costs of relapse and failure in patients receiving these agents.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

A rare case of streptomycin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis in a patient with tuberculosis: a therapeutic dilemma.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of streptomycin-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old woman was admitted for treatment of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). She was given standard oral anti-TB chemotherapy including isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and streptomycin. On the fourth day of therapy, she experienced high fever at 39 degrees C, chills, vomiting, pruritus, and diffuse erythema, followed by extensive bullae formation and skin denudation. Diagnosis of TEN was considered, and all anti-TB drugs were discontinued. Skin biopsy disclosed complete epidermal necrosis with dermal-epidermal cleavage and absence of inflammatory infiltrate, highly suggestive of TEN. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. Her general condition and skin lesions improved. A staged-fashion exposure test to the 4 anti-TB drugs allowed the incrimination of streptomycin as the offending agent. DISCUSSION: Anti-TB drugs, mainly rifampin, ethambutol, and isoniazid, have been incriminated in TEN. Streptomycin-induced TEN remains an extremely rare event. However, minor allergic skin reactions (rash, urticaria) have been described with this drug. Our patient presents a rare case of streptomycin-related TEN. Even though dangerous, a step-wise exposure test was necessary to allow safe treatment of active pulmonary TB. It also provided a strong argument of a cause-effect relationship between TEN and streptomycin. An objective causality assessment using the Naranjo rating scale revealed that the adverse drug event was highly probable. CONCLUSIONS: Streptomycin should be added to the list of drugs that induce TEN.

Antibiotics, Antitubercular↗

Bioequivalence of rifampicin when administered as a fixed-dose combined formulation of four drugs versus separate formulations.

A bioequivalence study of the antitubercular drug rifampicin in a four-drug combination (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) and separate formulations of the drugs at the same dose levels was carried out in a group of 22 healthy male volunteers. The investigation was designed as an open crossover study. The drugs were administered once in individual formulations and once in a fixed-dose combination. The WHO-approved protocol was followed according to which six blood samples were collected over a period of 8 h for each volunteer and each experimental session. Pooled urine samples were also collected during the study. Rifampicin and desacetyl rifampicin concentrations in both plasma and urine samples were assessed. Various pharmacokinetic parameters such as AUC0-8 h, Cmax and Tmax were calculated for both rifampicin and desacetyl rifampicin. The results indicated that combined (the four-drug combination) and separate formulations are bioequivalent for rifampicin.

Adult↗

OPC-67683, a nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazole derivative with promising action against tuberculosis in vitro and in mice.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is still a leading cause of death worldwide. Almost a third of the world's population is infected with TB bacilli, and each year approximately 8 million people develop active TB and 2 million die as a result. Today's TB treatment, which dates back to the 1970s, is long and burdensome, requiring at least 6 mo of multidrug chemotherapy. The situation is further compounded by the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and by the infection's lethal synergy with HIV/AIDS. Global health and philanthropic organizations are now pleading for new drug interventions that can address these unmet needs in TB treatment. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we report OPC-67683, a nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazole derivative that was screened to help combat the unmet needs in TB treatment. The compound is a mycolic acid biosynthesis inhibitor found to be free of mutagenicity and to possess highly potent activity against TB, including MDR-TB, as shown by its exceptionally low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of 0.006-0.024 microg/ml in vitro and highly effective therapeutic activity at low doses in vivo. Additionally, the results of the post-antibiotic effect of OPC-67683 on intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed the agent to be highly and dose-dependently active also against intracellular M. tuberculosis H37Rv after a 4-h pulsed exposure, and this activity at a concentration of 0.1 microg/ml was similar to that of the first-line drug rifampicin (RFP) at a concentration of 3 microg/ml. The combination of OPC-67683 with RFP and pyrazinamide (PZA) exhibited a remarkably quicker eradication (by at least 2 mo) of viable TB bacilli in the lung in comparison with the standard regimen consisting of RFP, isoniazid (INH), ethambutol (EB), and PZA. Furthermore, OPC-67683 was not affected by nor did it affect the activity of liver microsome enzymes, suggesting the possibility for OPC-67683 to be used in combination with drugs, including anti-retrovirals, that induce or are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that based on these properties OPC-67683 has the potential to be used as a TB drug to help combat the unmet needs in TB treatment.

Animals↗

Miliary pulmonary infection caused by Mycobacterium terrae in an autologous bone marrow transplant patient.

A 64-year-old woman with ovarian carcinoma that had been treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation presented with a maculopapular rash on the extremities and miliary infiltrates evident on chest roentgenogram. Transbronchial biopsy specimens revealed caseating granulomas, and cultures grew Mycobacterium terrae. Six weeks after therapy with isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide was begun, her rash and pulmonary infiltrates had cleared, despite the in vitro resistance to these drugs and continued spread of her carcinoma. This case suggests that spontaneous resolution may be part of the natural history of M terrae infections.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗

Clarithromycin in the treatment of Mycobacterium avium lung infections in patients without AIDS. Clarithromycin Study Group of France.

Mycobacterium avium complex infections, common in patients with AIDS as either pulmonary or disseminated disease, are infrequent in patients without AIDS. Participants were 45 HIV-negative patients with lung disease and positive sputum cultures for M avium; 10 had documented immunocompromise, and 24 had preexisting lung disease. Clarithromycin dosage was 500 to 2,000 mg daily (mean +/- SD = 1,633 +/- 432 mg). The drug was administered either alone (n = 14) or in combination with rifampin (n = 8), aminoglycoside (n = 1), quinolone (n = 10), clofazimine (n = 18), isoniazid (n = 5), ethambutol (n = 9), pyrazinamide (n = 1), or minocycline (n = 6). At 3 months, 36 patients among 39 bacteriologically assessed had negative sputum cultures, 3 had positive culture, 3 were dead, and 3 discontinued treatment. At the end of treatment, 32 patients remained negative, 7 were positive. The success rate was 15 of 22 (64%) in patients previously treated with antimycobacterial drugs for M avium disease and 17 of 23 (74%) in new patients. Adverse effects included mild hearing loss (n = 4), increase in liver enzyme levels (n = 5), and gastrointestinal pain (n = 10, two of whom had to stop treatment). Patients stopped treatment after 300 +/- 186 days due to side effects (3), death (4), or the patient's (5) or physician's decision (33). During the follow-up, one patient suffered a relapse with peripheral lymph nodes. A daily dose of 30 mg/kg of clarithromycin in the treatment of M avium infections appears to be effective and safe. Concomitant drug therapy should be assessed for its ability to prevent relapse.

Aged↗

Drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and atypical mycobacteria isolated from patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis in Honduras.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is a major health problem in Central America. In Honduras, with an incidence rate of 81/100,000, it is an increasingly common cause of morbidity and hospitalization. This study was conducted to examine drug-resistant tuberculosis and prevalence of infection with atypical mycobacteria in Honduran patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: Pulmonary specimens from 235 Honduran patients with suspected tuberculosis were examined by acid-fast smears and culture. The 95 mycobacterial strains isolated were identified to species level and drug susceptibility tests were carried out. Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains were tested for susceptibility to six additional drugs. Their possible relationship was studied by DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: Drug-resistant strains were found in 13 of 85 culture-verified tuberculosis patients, including 10 with isolates of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Seven of the patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis had smear-positive disease. Nine of them had a history of specific therapy. Two patients with drug-resistant disease were shown to be infected by identical strains. Only one of 11 HIV-positive patients had drug-resistant tuberculosis. Most resistant strains were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, amikacin, kanamycin, and pyrazinamide. Atypical mycobacteria were isolated from 10 patients with suspected tuberculosis. Seven of them were receiving antituberculosis chemotherapy and five had smear-positive samples. CONCLUSIONS: These results illustrate the importance of mycobacterial culture and subsequent species identification and in vitro susceptibility testing for identification of patients with drug-susceptible or drug-resistant tuberculosis and those infected or colonized with other mycobacteria.

Adult↗

Tuberculosis in heart transplant recipients.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To clarify the prevalence and factors associated with tuberculosis, as well as patient survival in heart transplant recipients. DESIGN: A retrospective review of case records of all heart transplant recipients from March 1989 to February 1996 during a 7-year period. SETTING AND PATIENTS: During the period reviewed, 727 orthotopic heart transplantations were performed in 716 patients at the Heart Center Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany. RESULTS: Tuberculosis was proved in seven (1%) patients (four men/three women; age, 33 to 71 years; two miliary lesions, three pulmonary lesions, and two urogenital lesions). None of them had primary history of tuberculosis. Tuberculin skin tests were not performed before transplantation because there were no lesions indicating primary infection of turberculosis. The immunosuppressive regimen was based on double-drug (cyclosporine + azathioprine) therapy. Immunosuppression had been intensified by methylprednisolone pulses at least three times in those seven patients, and prednisone had been used orally in six of seven patients. Tuberculosis developed from 2.5 to 41 months after transplantation. Tuberculosis was found by routine examinations in four of seven patients. Diagnoses were made with both direct microscopy and cultures in six patients, and by histologic study in one. Treatment consisted of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Two patients with miliary lesions were treated with four drugs, and the others were treated with three drugs. Isoniazid was used in all patients. Rifampicin, which decreases cyclosporine serum levels, was not used from the beginning in one patient and treatment with it was stopped halfway in another patient because low cyclosporine level had induced rejection. Six of the seven patients are doing well while receiving antituberculous therapy. One patient died with miliary tuberculosis as a cause of death. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of tuberculosis in heart transplant recipients was higher than that in the general population. We recommend that a high degree of clinical suspicion is maintained for tuberculosis in heart transplant recipients with meticulous follow-up, and that the treatment of tuberculosis has to be with meticulous care, especially during the use of rifampicin.

Adult↗

Pharmacokinetics of rifampin under fasting conditions, with food, and with antacids.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Determine the intrasubject and intersubject variability in, and the effects of food or antacids on, the pharmacokinetics of rifampin (RIF). DESIGN: Randomized, four-period crossover phase I study. SUBJECTS: Fourteen healthy male and female volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects ingested single doses of RIF, 600 mg, under fasting conditions twice, with a high-fat meal, and with aluminum-magnesium antacid. They also received standard doses of isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Serum was collected for 48 h and assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Data were analyzed using noncompartmental methods and a compartmental analysis using nonparametric expectation maximization. Both fasting conditions produced similar results: a mean RIF maximal serum concentration (Cmax) of 10.54+/-3.18 microg/mL, the time at which it occurred (Tmax) of 2.42+/-1.32 h, and the area under the curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-infinity) of 57.15+/-13.41 microg x h/mL. These findings are similar to those reported previously. Antacids did not alter these parameters (Cmax of 10.89+/-5.22 microg/mL, Tmax of 2.36+/-1.28 h, and AUC0-infinity of 58.37+/-18.49 microg x h/mL). In contrast, the Food and Drug Administration high-fat meal reduced RIF Cmax by 36% (7.27+/-2.29 microg/mL), nearly doubled Tmax (4.43+/-1.09 h), but reduced AUC0-infinity by only 6% (55.20+/-14.48 microg x h/mL). CONCLUSIONS: These changes in Cmax, Tmax, and AUC0-infinity can be avoided by giving RIF on an empty stomach whenever possible.

Adult↗

Outcomes of patients with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis treated with ofloxacin/levofloxacin-containing regimens.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze outcomes of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treated with ofloxacin/levofloxacin-containing regimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 1990 through June 1997, 63 MDR-TB patients (with bacillary resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampin in vitro) were analyzed retrospectively. Twenty-two patients (34.9%) had had no previous antituberculosis chemotherapy. Each patient received either ofloxacin (53) or levofloxacin (10) even though 13 patients had bacilli resistant to ofloxacin in vitro. The other accompanying drugs mainly included aminoglycosides, cycloserine, ethionamide/prothionamide, and pyrazinamide. Sputum smear and culture examinations for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were performed monthly for the initial 6 months and then at 2- to 3-month intervals until the end of treatment. Comparison was made between clinical successes and failures using univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses for the following variables: age, sex, presence of cavitation, extent of disease, sputum smear positivity, in vitro resistance to ofloxacin, in vitro resistance to streptomycin and/or ethambutol, treatment adherence, and the number of drugs per regimen. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (81.0%) were cured, nine patients (14.3%) failed, and three patients (4.7%) died. For the entire group, the mean duration of treatment was 14.0 months, and the mean number of drugs was 4.7. Mean durations of chemotherapy in successful and failed patients were 14.5 and 14.2 months, respectively. Mean time for sputum smear and culture conversions were 1.7 and 2.1 months, respectively. Only cavitation, resistance to ofloxacin, and poor adherence were found to be variables independently associated with adverse outcomes (p < 0.05; odds ratios = 15.9, 13.5, 12.8, respectively). Negative sputum cultures after 2 and 3 months of therapy were 100% predictive of cure. Positive sputum cultures after 2 and 3 months were 52.3% and 84.6% predictive of failure, respectively. One patient (2.1%) relapsed after apparent cure. Twenty-five patients experienced adverse drug reactions, but only 12 of them needed drug modifications. CONCLUSION: Most MDR-TB patients can be treated effectively with ofloxacin/levofloxacin-containing regimens. Presence of cavitation, resistance to ofloxacin in vitro, and poor adherence to therapy portend treatment failure. Monitoring monthly sputum culture for AFB in the initial months of chemotherapy helps predict clinical outcomes.

Adult↗

Treatment of isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis in southeastern Texas.

BACKGROUND: Isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis (INHr-TB) can be treated successfully with several treatment regimens. However, the optimal regimen and duration are unclear. STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy of treatment regimens used for INHr-TB in the southeastern Texas region. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Health-care facilities reporting tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Houston and Tyler areas. SUBJECTS: All patients reported to have INHr-TB from 1991 to 1998. Exclusion criteria included poor compliance, additional first-line drug-resistance (except aminoglycosides), and death before completion of 1 month of treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Main treatment outcomes were treatment failure, relapse, and TB-related death. Fifty-three of 83 patients were included in the study; aminoglycoside resistance coexisted in 37.5% of isolates. Seven types of treatment regimens were identified. Eighteen patients (34%) received rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol thrice weekly for 9 months. Four patients (7.5%) had a total effective treatment duration of < 9 months. Thirty patients (56.6%) and 16 patients (30.2%) received thrice-daily and daily treatment regimens, respectively. Forty-nine patients achieved sputum conversion. Treatment failure and death occurred in one patient (1.9%). Three patients (5.7%) experienced relapses. There was a significant difference in total effective treatment time between patients with and without relapses (8.3 +/- 1.1 months vs 11.1 +/- 2.1 months; p < 0.02). Twice-weekly treatment regimens were associated with relapse (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Several treatment regimens were prescribed for INHr-TB in southeastern Texas. INHr-TB treatment durations were > 7 months, and treatment regimen efficacy was adequate. Twice-weekly treatment was associated with relapse, whereas thrice-weekly and daily treatments performed similarly. A prospective study with different treatment durations is needed to determine the optimal treatment regimen for patients with INHr-TB.

Adolescent↗

The role of passive immunization in hiv-positive patients : a case report.

An HIV-positive patient presented with pulmonary tuberculosis as her AIDS-defining diagnosis in 1993 and was effectively treated with 12 months of standard antituberculosis medications (isoniazide, rifampin, and pyrazinamide for 2 months). She received zidovudine for 6 weeks at the time of her diagnosis; however, because of patient preference, she has not received subsequent standard HIV medications (7 years). Her CD4 count at the time of diagnosis (1993) was 297/microL. Monthly passive immunotherapy was administered (fresh frozen plasma from HIV-negative blood donors with a significant titer for the anti-vasoactive intestinal peptide [VIP]/NTM antibody) from December 1993 to June 1994. Her CD4 count increased to > 400/microL during the passive immunotherapy and has remained stable for the past 6 years. The rational for the use of anti-VIP/NTM antibodies preparations in HIV, the possible mode of action of anti-VIP/NTM antibodies, the use of Ig preparations, and the role of exercise as a natural source of anti-VIP/NTM antibodies are discussed. This case report supports the potential therapeutic use of anti-VIP antibodies for treatment of HIV disease.

Antibodies↗