title: The effects of smoking on treatment outcome in patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: Smoking is reported to be associated with tuberculosis (TB), but its effect on sputum smear conversion remains a matter for discussion.
  
  
  
  To assess the effects of smoking and smoking cessation on treatment outcomes in patients newly diagnosed with TB in Iran.
  
  
  
  Newly diagnosed smear-positive TB patients were included in the study. All smokers participated in a smoking cessation programme. Sputum smear status was evaluated at the end of month 2, 5 and 6 of treatment, and smoking status was evaluated at the end of month 2. Differences in smear conversion rates were compared between the three groups, i.e., non-smokers, smokers and quitters.
  
  
  
  A total of 183 smokers and 151 non-smokers were included. When smoking cessation was assessed after 2 months, 42.6% (78/183) of the smokers were found to have quit. The cure rate at the end of 6 months, precisely compatible with the conversion rate, was significantly higher among non-smokers (P = 0.004) and quitters at 2 months (P = 0.049) than among persisting smokers (83.4%, 80.8% and 67.6%, respectively).
  
  
  
  Cure rates in patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary TB were higher in non-smokers and quitters at 2 months than in smokers. Smoking cessation advice should be included in TB control programmes.
authors.affiliation: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Masjedi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Prevention and Control Research Centre, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aryanpur
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology and Pathophysiology Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mortaz
authors.affiliation: Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tabarsi
authors.affiliation: Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soori
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Emami
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.affiliation: Mycobacteriology Research Center, Biostatistics Unit, NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Dizagie
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baikpour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents