Agibothu Kupparam Hemanth Kumar

This study was carried out to assess the role of therapeutic drug monitoring of crucial first-line anti-tubercular drugs [rifampicin (R) and isoniazid (H)] among 75 non-responding proven drug-sensitive tuberculosis (TB) patients on treatment followed by intervention in field conditions. The intervention was done in the form of either an increase in the dosage of R and H in patients with minimally low drug levels or a modification of the regimen in a certain group of patients with significantly low drug levels by augmenting it with three or four second-line drugs in addition to standard first-line drugs. This study also aimed to determine the relationship between the measured plasma concentration of anti-tubercular drugs and various demographic, microbiological, radiological, and malabsorption factors, and the presence of comorbidities affecting them. The study also focused on the clinical impact of the intervention for low plasma levels of anti-tubercular drugs on TB treatment outcomes. In our study, overall, 85.5% of patients had low levels of any drug. In 85.3% of patients, R levels were low, and in 39.1%, H levels were low. On univariate analysis, low body mass index (BMI), hypoalbuminemia, bilateral disease on chest X-rays, and the presence of cavities were found to be significantly associated with low drug levels, while none of the factors were independently significantly associated. Low BMI, pulmonary TB, and disseminated TB, far-advanced disease, and bilateral disease on chest X-ray, presence of cavities, and only low R levels were associated with unfavorable outcomes, with none of the factors found to be significant on multivariate analysis. In our study, it was seen that the treatment outcome was favorable in 59.6% of patients in whom this intervention was done by augmenting the treatment regimen with three/four second-line drugs along with increasing the dose of R and H. To conclude, various factors may be associated with low plasma levels of anti-tubercular drugs. If such patients show clinical non-response after ≥6 months of treatment and have significantly low drug levels, with an absence of drug resistance, their treatment regimen may need augmentation with three/four second-line drugs along with an increase in the dose of R and H, which may lead to a favorable outcome.

Background: Pharmacokinetic studies of bedaquiline and delamanid in patients with pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR TB) will help in the optimization of these drugs for both culture conversion and adverse events. Methods: A prospective cohort of 165 adult patients (56% male with mean [SD] age 29 [9.7] years) with pre-XDR TB was treated with bedaquiline, delamanid, clofazimine, and linezolid for 24 weeks at 5 sites in India. Bedaquiline was administered at 400 mg daily for 2 weeks followed by 200 mg thrice weekly for 22 weeks, whereas delamanid was administered at 100 mg twice daily. In 23 consenting participants at 8 and 16 weeks of treatment, blood was collected at 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours postdosing for an intense pharmacokinetic study. Pharmacokinetic parameters were correlated with sputum culture conversion and adverse events. Results: The mean (SD) age and weight of patients were 30 (10) years and 54 kg, respectively. The median minimum concentration (C_min) and time–concentration curve (AUC) for bedaquiline, respectively, were 0.6 mcg/mL and 27 mcg/mL·h at week 8 and 0.8 mcg/mL and 36 mcg/mL·h at week 16, suggesting drug accumulation over time. The median C_min and AUC of delamanid, respectively, were 0.17 mcg/mL and 5.1 mcg/mL·h at week 8 and 0.20 mcg/mL and 7.5 mcg/mL·h at week 16. Delay in sputum conversion was observed in patients with drug concentrations lower than the targeted concentration. At weeks 8 and 16, 13 adverse events were observed. Adverse events were resolved through symptomatic treatment. Body mass index was found to be significantly associated with drug-exposure parameters. Conclusions: Bedaquiline and delamanid when co-administered exhibit plasma drug levels within the targeted concentrations, showing an exposure–response relationship.

Background: To evaluate the effect of metformin on the plasma levels of rifampicin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide in patients with drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis being treated with first-line antituberculosis treatment (ATT) and to assess the influence of gene polymorphisms on the metabolic pathway of metformin and plasma levels of antitubercular drugs. Methods: Nondiabetic adults aged 18–60 years with pulmonary tuberculosis were randomized to either the standard ATT (ATT group) or ATT plus metformin (METRIF group) groups in a phase IIB clinical trial. An intensive pharmacokinetic study with blood collection at 0 hour (predosing), followed by 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after dosing was conducted during the first month of treatment in a subset of 60 study participants after a minimum of 14 doses. Plasma concentrations of rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and metformin were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography using validated methods, and pharmacokinetic parameters and OCT1 and MATE1 gene polymorphisms were compared between the groups. Results: Significant increases in the clearance of rifampicin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide were observed in patients in the METRIF group (n = 29) compared with those in the ATT group (n = 31). The AA genotypes of the single-nucleotide polymorphism of rs2289669 (MATE1) in the METRIF group showed a significantly decreased area under the concentration–time curve to the last observation point and increased clearance of rifampicin. Conclusions: Metformin altered rifampicin and isoniazid plasma concentrations in patients receiving antituberculosis treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis with little effect on sputum conversion at the end of treatment. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to understand host drug–drug interactions.

OBJECTIVE: A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the estimation of Linezolid in human plasma was developed and validated. METHODS: Samples (100µµL) were deproteinized with acetonitrile and analyzed using LiChrospher 100, RP18e column with PDA detection at 254 nm. The flow rate of the isocratic mobile phase comprising of 0.1% formic acid in 1000 ml of water and acetonitrile in the ratio of 60:40 (v/v) was set at 1.0 ml/min. RESULTS: The calibration curve ranged from 0.50 to 20.0 µg/ml and was linear. The recovery ranged from 96% to 101%. The accuracy ranged from 98 to 101% and intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation was <4.58%. The method reliably eliminated interfering materials from plasma and R2 was 0.9973. The method described was applied to the determination of plasma LZD concentration in multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis patients who are treated with a dose of 600 mg LZD once daily. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method is suitable for determination of plasma LZD in routine care and considered feasible in less-resourced settings

A high performance liquid chromatographic method for estimation of Transitmycin (Tr) in human plasma was developed. The analyte was extracted using solid phase cartridges and the analysis of the eluent was carried out using Atlantis T3 column (150 cm × 4.6 mm ID) and photo diode array detector set at wavelength of 214 nm. The assay was specific for Tr and linear from 0.5 µg/mL to 20.0 µg/mL. The relative standard deviations for intra- and inter-day assays were less than 10%. The method yielded a recovery for Tr that ranged from 94% to 107% and could be used in toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies.