title: Thrice-weekly clarithromycin-containing regimen for treatment of Mycobacterium kansasii lung disease: results of a preliminary study.
abstract: We initiated a prospective trial of an intermittent clarithromycin-containing regimen for the treatment of patients with Mycobacterium kansasii lung disease. Eighteen patients (10 men and 8 women) with M. kansasii lung disease received a regimen consisting of 500-1000 mg of clarithromycin, 25 mg/kg ethambutol, and 600 mg of rifampin 3 times per week. The primary treatment end point was a 12-month period during which sputum cultures were sterile while the patient was receiving therapy. Four male patients were lost to follow-up, but all of the remaining patients successfully completed therapy without significant drug-related adverse events. The mean time (+/- standard deviation [SD]) to sputum conversion was 1.0+/-0.9 months, and the mean duration (+/-SD) of therapy was 13.4+/-0.9 months. No patient who successfully completed therapy had relapsed after a mean (+/-SD) of 46+/-8.0 months. Clarithromycin- and rifampin-containing regimens offer the possibility of effective short-course and intermittent treatment of M. kansasii lung disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialty Care, University of Texas Health Center, Tyler, TX 75708, USA. david.griffith@uthct.edu
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Brown-Elliott
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019909:Mycobacterium kansasii
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004977:Ethambutol; D017291:Clarithromycin