title: The efficacy of rifabutin for rifabutin-susceptible, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the efficacy of rifabutin (RFB)-containing regimens for the treatment of RFB-susceptible, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
  
  
  METHODS
  From 146 patients diagnosed with MDR-TB between January 2006 and December 2009 at Asan Medical Center in South Korea, 31 patients (21.2%) were found to have RFB-susceptible MDR-TB. Of these 31 patients, 14 patients who had been treated with RFB for more than one month were included. Forty-two patients with RFB-resistant MDR-TB were selected as a control group, and the outcomes of both groups were retrospectively compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 14 patients with RFB-susceptible MDR-TB, the mean age was 44.4 years and the proportion of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) was 35.7% (5/14). Baseline characteristics and the drug resistance pattern (except RFB) did not differ between the two groups. Treatment success was achieved in 12 (85.7%) patients in the RFB group: cure in 10 (71.4%) and treatment completion in two (14.3%). The treatment success rate was 52.4% (22/42) in the control group (p = 0.032). Treatment failure was more common in patients of the control group (40.5% vs. 14.3%; p = 0.106).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RFB is useful as an additional drug in the treatment of MDR-TB in patients with RFB-susceptible MDR-TB.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 388-1 Pungnap-Dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Wook
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Wonjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yoonki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Sang-Do
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Soon
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Sun
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D017828:Rifabutin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular; D017828:Rifabutin