- Stagg, Helen R;
- Bothamley, Graham H;
- Davidson, Jennifer A;
- Kunst, Heinke;
- Lalor, Maeve K;
- Lipman, Marc C;
- Loutet, Miranda G;
- Lozewicz, Stefan;
- Mohiyuddin, Tehreem;
- Abbara, Aula;
- Alexander, Eliza;
- Booth, Helen;
- Creer, Dean D;
- Harris, Ross J;
- Kon, Onn Min;
- Loebinger, Michael R;
- McHugh, Timothy D;
- Milburn, Heather J;
- Palchaudhuri, Paramita;
- Phillips, Patrick PJ;
- Schmok, Erik;
- Taylor, Lucy;
- Abubakar, Ibrahim;
- Baker, Lucy V;
- Barrett, Jessica C;
- Burgess, Helen;
- Cosgrove, Catherine;
- Dunleavy, Anne;
- Francis, Marie;
- Gupta, Urmi;
- Hamid, Shahid;
- Haselden, Brigitte M;
- Holden, Emma;
- Kahr, Vanessa;
- Lynn, William;
- Perrin, Felicity M;
- Rahman, Ananna;
- Soobratty, Mohammad R
2018 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the treatment of isoniazid (H)-resistant (Hr) tuberculosis recommend a four-drug regimen: rifampicin (R), ethambutol (E), pyrazinamide (Z) and levofloxacin (Lfx), with or without H ([H]RZE-Lfx). This is used once Hr is known, such that patients complete 6 months of Lfx (≥6[H]RZE-6Lfx). This cohort study assessed the impact of fluoroquinolones (Fq) on treatment effectiveness, accounting for Hr mutations and degree of phenotypic resistance. This was a retrospective cohort study of 626 Hr tuberculosis patients notified in London, 2009-2013. Regimens were described and logistic regression undertaken of the association between regimen and negative regimen-specific outcomes (broadly, death due to tuberculosis, treatment failure or disease recurrence). Of 594 individuals with regimen information, 330 (55.6%) were treated with (H)RfZE (Rf=rifamycins) and 211 (35.5%) with (H)RfZE-Fq. The median overall treatment period was 11.9 months and median Z duration 2.1 months. In a univariable logistic regression model comparing (H)RfZE with and without Fqs, there was no difference in the odds of a negative regimen-specific outcome (baseline (H)RfZE, cluster-specific odds ratio 1.05 (95% CI 0.60-1.82), p=0.87; cluster NHS trust). Results varied minimally in a multivariable model. This odds ratio dropped (0.57, 95% CI 0.14-2.28) when Hr genotype was included, but this analysis lacked power (p=0.42). In a high-income setting, we found a 12-month (H)RfZE regimen with a short Z duration to be similarly effective for Hr tuberculosis with or without a Fq. This regimen may result in fewer adverse events than the WHO recommendations.