Published online before print
August 9, 2007, 10.1183/09031936.00077307
Eur Respir J 2007; 30:623-626
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2007
Clinical and operational value of the extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis definition
G. B. Migliori1,
G. Besozzi2,
E. Girardi3,
K. Kliiman4,
C. Lange5,
O. S. Toungoussova6,
G. Ferrara7,
D. M. Cirillo8,
A. Gori9,
A. Matteelli10,
A. Spanevello6,
L. R. Codecasa11,
M. C. Raviglione12 SMIRA/TBNET Study Group
1 WHO Collaborating Centre for TB and Lung Diseases, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Care and Research Institute, Tradate, 2 E. Morelli Hospital, Reference Hospital for MDR and HIV TB, Sondalo, 3 National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, Rome, 6 Fondazione S. Maugeri, Care and Research Institute, Cassano delle Murge, 7 University of Perugia, Internal Medicine, Section of Respiratory Diseases, Perugia, 8 Supranational Reference Laboratory, S. Raffaele Institute, 9 San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, and 11 TB Reference Centre, Villa Marelli Institute, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, and 10 University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy., 4 University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia., 5 Division of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Medical Clinic, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany. 12 Stop TB Dept, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
CORRESPONDENCE: G. B. Migliori, WHO Collaborating Centre for TB and Lung Diseases, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Care and Research Institute, via Roncaccio 16, 21049, Tradate, Italy. Fax: 39 331829402. E-mail: gbmigliori{at}fsm.it
Keywords: Clinical value, drug resistance, extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, tuberculosis
Received: June 25, 2007
Accepted July 23, 2007
Currently, no information is available on the effect of resistance/susceptibility to first-line drugs different from isoniazid and rifampicin in determining the outcome of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) patients, and whether being XDR-TB is a more accurate indicator of poor clinical outcome than being resistant to all first-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs.
To investigate this issue, a large series of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and XDR-TB cases diagnosed in Estonia, Germany, Italy and the Russian Federation during the period 1999–2006 were analysed. Drug-susceptibility testing for first- and second-line anti-TB drugs, quality assurance and treatment delivery was performed according to World Health Organization recommendations in all study sites.
Out of 4,583 culture-positive TB cases analysed, 361 (7.9%) were MDR and 64 (1.4%) were XDR. XDR-TB cases had a relative risk (RR) of 1.58 to have an unfavourable outcome compared with MDR-TB cases resistant to all first-line drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin ethambutol, streptomycin and, when tested, pyrazinamide), and an RR of 2.61 compared with "other" MDR-TB cases (those susceptible to at least one first-line anti-TB drug among ethambutol, pyrazinamide and streptomycin, regardless of resistance to the second-line drugs not defining XDR-TB).
The emergence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis confirms that problems in tuberculosis management are still present in Europe. While waiting for new tools which will facilitate management of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, accessibility to quality diagnostic and treatment services should be urgently ensured and adequate public health policies should be rapidly implemented to prevent further development of drug resistance.
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Copyright © 2007 by the European Respiratory Society.
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