title: Daily 300 mg dose of linezolid for multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: updated analysis of 51 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Linezolid may be an effective treatment for multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB). The objective was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and adverse events of a 300 mg daily dose of linezolid in the treatment of MDR/XDR-TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 51 MDR-TB patients, including 26 patients (51%) with XDR-TB, to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of therapy with 300 mg/day linezolid. All patients had failed previous treatments with second-line anti-TB drugs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were treated with linezolid for a median of 413 days (IQR 237-622 days). Favourable treatment outcome (treatment success or still on treatment after culture conversion) was achieved in 40 patients (78%) with culture conversion at a median of 55 days (IQR 41-91 days) from the start of linezolid therapy. Eleven patients (22%) had unfavourable outcomes (treatment failure or death) and 14 (27%) discontinued treatment due to neurotoxicity (peripheral or optic neuropathy) after a median of 278 days (IQR 174-412 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that linezolid at a daily dose of 300 mg is effective against intractable MDR/XDR-TB, and may be associated with fewer neuropathic side effects than a daily dose of 600 or 1200 mg.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine,  Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Irwon-ro 81, Gangnam-gu, Seoul,  Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Jung
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Yeh Rim
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyeonman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: O Jung
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jiwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: Woo Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Sun
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069349:Linezolid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D000069349:Linezolid