title: Follow-up of tuberculosis patients undergoing standard anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy by using a polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: We have analysed the clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum specimens from pulmonary tuberculosis patients undergoing 6-month chemotherapy, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and standard microbiological methods. In a group of 19 patients, 11 (58%) were smear- or culture-positive and 13 (74%) were PCR-positive before treatment. Of the 16 patients followed from 2 months after the start of treatment and thereafter, all became smear-negative and culture-negative, whereas, with PCR, 4 (27%), 2 (13%) and 1 (7%) of these patients remained positive after 2, 3 and 6 months, respectively. These results suggest the possible usefulness of PCR in monitoring the efficacy of treatment when bacteriological tests are negative, so as to identify patients with a high risk of relapse.
authors.affiliation: Institut Territorial de Recherches Médicales Louis Malardé, Papeete, Tahiti.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levée
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glaziou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gicquel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chanteau
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011718:Pyrazinamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011718:Pyrazinamide; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin