title: Use of adjunctive treatment with interferon-gamma in an immunocompromised patient who had refractory multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of the brain.
abstract: We describe a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of the brain and spinal cord. Despite treatment with six antituberculous drugs and a steroid medication for 11 months, there was no appreciable clinical or radiological improvement in the patient's condition. Within 5 months of initiating adjunctive therapy with IFN-gamma and granulocyte colony stimulating factors, substantial neurological and radiological improvement was noted. Therapy with IFN-gamma was continued for 12 months, resulting in complete resolution of the lesions in the brain and spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Specialties, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hachem
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leeds
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawaya
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atweh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D012032:Refractory Period, Electrophysiological; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin