Evaluation of an intensive intermittent-induction regimen and duration of short-course treatment for human immunodeficiency virus-related pulmonary tuberculosis. Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG)

Clin Infect Dis. 1998 May;26(5):1148-58. doi: 10.1086/520275.

Abstract

This study examined whether adding levofloxacin to a standard four-drug regimen improved the 8-week culture response and compared effectiveness of 9 versus 6 months of intermittent therapy for human immunodeficiency virus-related pansusceptible pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients were randomized to receive either four or five drugs, the fifth being levofloxacin. Patients who completed induction therapy were randomized to complete 9 versus 6 months of intermittent therapy with isoniazid and rifampin. In the randomized induction phase, 97.3% of patients in the four-drug group and 95.8% in the five-drug group had sputum culture conversion at 8 weeks (P = 1.00). In the continuation phase, one patient (2%) assigned to 9 months and two patients (3.9%) assigned to 6 months of therapy had treatment failure/relapse (P = 1.00). In conclusion, this study showed that levofloxacin added no benefit to a highly effective, largely intermittent, four-drug induction regimen. Both 9 and 6 months of intermittent therapy were associated with low treatment failure/relapse rates.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy*
  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Ethambutol / administration & dosage
  • Ethambutol / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Isoniazid / administration & dosage
  • Isoniazid / therapeutic use
  • Levofloxacin*
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Ofloxacin / administration & dosage
  • Ofloxacin / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrazinamide / administration & dosage
  • Pyrazinamide / therapeutic use
  • Recurrence
  • Rifampin / administration & dosage
  • Rifampin / therapeutic use
  • Sputum / microbiology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Pyrazinamide
  • Levofloxacin
  • Ethambutol
  • Ofloxacin
  • Isoniazid
  • Rifampin