title: Current problems in treating tuberculosis in Italian HIV-infected patients.
abstract: 31 Italian HIV-infected patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) were reviewed to verify the effectiveness of the most common antituberculosis drugs. The patients were mostly intravenous drug addicts (90%), and 14 (45%) had recently been in prison. 5 patients (16%) had pulmonary TB, 15 (48%) had both pulmonary and extrapulmonary involvement, and 11 (30%) had extrapulmonary disease alone. 6 patients received the association of HRZ, and a 4-drug association including ethambutol was given to an additional 7 patients. The remaining 18 patients were administered the association of HRE. Response to therapy was good in 13 patients (42%), and lacking or delayed in 18 patients (58%). Treatment failure was partly related to the increased occurrence in our area of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains resistant to the first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. These observations, along with the need of a faster response to therapy than that currently obtained for TB in AIDS and in view of epidemiological effects, should prompt the definition of alternative therapeutic and prophylactic regimens.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angarano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carbonara
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Infante
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pastore
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents