Setting: Aerosolized interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) leads to transient conversion of sputum smears in multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
Objective: To test long-term conversion of sputum smears using the new Jena protocol.
Design: Four MDR-TB patients were treated with aerosolized recombinant IFN-gamma (rIFN-gamma) twice weekly for 8 weeks and anti-tuberculosis drugs. Patients were monitored clinically and T-cell subpopulations were analyzed.
Results: The treatment was well tolerated. All sputum smears cleared within 6-8 weeks, and radiological signs of recovery lasted in all patients for 73-106 months (the entire follow-up period). Before treatment, a patient with a 20+ year history of TB showed no gammadelta T-cells; these cells appeared during treatment. The proportion of natural killer (NK) cells was enhanced during treatment and remained elevated. The proportion of CD4+/CD25+ T-cells in the blood rose after treatment and remained elevated at 2 and 10 months afterwards. No significant change in T-cell levels appeared in patients with a shorter history of TB, except for a tendency toward a slight increase in gammadelta T-cells during treatment.
Conclusion: We invite further confirmation, but aerosolized rIFN-gamma plus anti-microbial treatment cured MDR-TB in this case study. The optimal dosing schedule needs to be determined.