Tuberculosis in orthotopic liver transplant patients: increased toxicity of recommended agents; cure of disseminated infection with nonconventional regimens.

BACKGROUND: Because increased hepatotoxicity was observed with first line antituberculous agents using four drug standard induction therapy in orthotopic liver transplant patients, we evaluated the efficacy and adverse effects of a novel continuation regimen for the treatment of tuberculosis in orthotopic liver transplant patients at a University Hospital in New York City. METHODS: The hospital records of all patients who were referred to Mount Sinai Hospital (n=924) and who underwent orthotopic liver transplant between September 1988 and May 1998 were reviewed. Data were collected from patient records. Nine orthotopic liver transplant patients (0.97%) developed tuberculosis over a 9.5-year period. A total of seven of nine (78%) patients had disseminated tuberculosis including two patients with meningitis. All mycobacterial isolates were sensitive to isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. Standard induction therapy with three or four drugs was given for 2 months (mean). Hepatotoxicity related to the standard induction regimen developed in five of six (83.3%) patients. Liver biopsy during induction therapy revealed drug induced hepatitis in five of six (88%) patients and rejection in three of six (50%) patients. Continuation regimens consisted mainly of ethambutol and ofloxacin; mean length of therapy 9 months. RESULTS: Overall mortality was 33.3% (three of nine patients) over a 4.5-year follow-up period. Tuberculosis associated mortality was 22.2%. One patient died before therapy, another died with concomitant bacterial sepsis during induction therapy. Six of seven patients are alive and disease free. One patient died of recurrent hepatitis C and graft failure without evidence of tuberculous infection at death. Another patient retransplanted for chronic rejection, remains disease free at 1 year. The mean follow-up for six patients that completed treatment was 3.75 years (2.5-5.3 years). Six patients are free of tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience reveals that orthotopic liver transplant patients have poor tolerance for conventional therapy due to inherent toxicity of these agents and their concomitant bouts of organ rejection. Our nonconventional therapy yielded remarkably good results in that six patients, all with disseminated disease, were well after mean 3.5 years of follow-up. Consideration should be given to this novel follow-up therapy in patients without cavitary pulmonary disease who develop hepatotoxicity during induction.