title: [Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance in patients with HIV and pulmonary tuberculosis infections in Rome: 1987-1996].
abstract: A retrospective chart review was performed on 118 HIV infected patients with pulmonary tuberculosis hospitalized between 1987 and 1996 in a tertiary care center for Infectious Diseases in Rome. The aims of this study were: a) to evaluate global prevalence of and risk factors for drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis; b) to assess trends in prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis over the 10-year study period. Prevalence of drug resistance of first Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates was tested on Lowenstein-Jensen medium with the proportional method. Of the 118 patients studied, 83 had never been treated for tuberculosis and 35 had already been treated for at least 1 month. The overall prevalence of resistance to one or more drugs was 25% (17% in never treated patients vs 46% in already treated patients; p = 0.002). Five percent of isolates were resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin (1% in never treated patients vs 14% in already treated patients; p = 0.008). Resistance rates to individual drugs were: isoniazid 14%, rifampin 8%, ethambutol 0%, streptomycin 13%. During the study period no significant variations in prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis were found. In our area, empiric therapy should include 4 drugs: as well as isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide, we recommend ethambutol. Surveillance of drug-resistant tuberculosis is needed. Directly observed therapy should be considered for HIV patients in order to prevent increases in drug resistance, relapses, and treatment failures.
authors.affiliation: II Divisione, IRCCS L. Spallanzani di Roma.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pellicelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rianda
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bordi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Amato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012384:Rome / Q000453:epidemiology; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents
vernacular_title: La farmaco-resistenza di Mycobacterium tuberculosis nei pazienti con infezione da HIV e tubercolosi polmonare in Roma: 1987-1996.