Efficacy and tolerability of desensitization in the treatment of delayed drug hypersensitivities to anti-tuberculosis medications.

BACKGROUND: Delayed drug hypersensitivity to first-line anti-tuberculosis medication is a major challenge in tuberculosis treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the efficacy/tolerability of desensitization therapy in treatment of first-line anti-tuberculosis medication hypersensitivity and the usefulness of immunologic evaluation therein. METHODS: This study was conducted as a prospective, observational cohort study. Subjects who experienced hypersensitivity reactions, including maculopapular exanthema (MPE) and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), to first-line anti-tuberculosis medications (isoniazid [INH], ethambutol [EMB], rifampin [RFP], and pyrazinamide [PZA]) were enrolled. Patch, intradermal, lymphocyte transformation, and oral provocation tests were performed to determine culprit drugs, which were desensitized with rapid and graded challenge protocols. Breakthrough reactions (BTRs) during or after desensitization were assessed. RESULTS: In total, 31 desensitization treatments (INH, 8; EMB, 8; RFP, 11; PZA, 4) to 12 patients (8 with MPE and 4 with DRESS) were performed. The overall success rate of desensitization was 80.7%. All the study subjects except one completed the full course of anti-tuberculosis treatment. The overall BTR free rate was 64.5%. Sixteen (80%) treatments for MPE and four (36.4%) for DRESS were BTR free (P = 0.023). Drugs that were positive on any two of three immunologic studies showed significantly high BTR rates (P = 0.014), although this was not correlated with desensitization failure rate. CONCLUSION: Rapid desensitization therapy to multiple anti-tuberculosis medications for delayed drug hypersensitivity was safe and successful. Combination of multiple immunologic evaluations may predict BTR although it needs validation in larger studies.

Clinical, laboratory and imaging findings of the patients with disseminated bacilli Calmette–Guerin disease

OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we reviewed 44 cases of disseminated BCG infection during a 10-year period in an Iranian referral children medical centre hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, all of the patients with clinical and laboratory findings that were compatible with a diagnosis of disseminated BCG were included. RESULTS: Through 10 years evaluation, 44 patients were found with disseminated BCG disease. Hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were seen in 68% and 66% of patients, respectively. Osteomyelitis was observed in 9% of our cases. Decrease in blood cells including anaemia, leucopoenia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were associated with more severe disease and even deaths. Moreover, 80% and 70% of patients who died had high level of C reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Among the dead patients, 80% had abnormal sonography. Thirty nine percent of patients had immunodeficiency, while more than half of the patients who died had no identified immunodeficiency. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the need to do sonography as well as bone imaging immediately in all patients with BCGitis. Assessment of the inflammatory factors in order to predict the prognosis of the disease is recommended. Furthermore, complete blood count would provide important information and should perform in all patients with BCGitis

No disponible

Contact dermatitis to antituberculosis drugs.

The literature has been reviewed for contact dermatitis occurring to antituberculosis agents. Of the 12 known drugs, 6 (isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, para-aminosalicylic acid, streptomycin and kanamycin) have been documented by patch test to cause this type of dermatitis in certain individuals. Cross sensitization has been observed to contribute significantly to the allergic reactions noted from isoniazid, streptomycin, and kanamycin. Hyposensitization has also been discussed in this review.