Pattern of prevalence, risk factors and treatment outcomes among Egyptian patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis

Drug resistance profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates by genotype MTBDRplus line probe assay in Zambia: findings and implications

Background

The emergence of drug resistance is a threat to global tuberculosis (TB) elimination goals. This study investigated the drug resistance profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) using the Genotype MTBDRplus Line Probe Assay at the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL) in Zambia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2019 and December 2020. GenoType MTBDRplus line probe assay records for patients at the NTRL were reviewed to investigate drug susceptibility profiles of M. tuberculosis isolates to rifampicin and isoniazid. Data analysis was done using Stata version 16.1.

Results

Of the 241 patient records reviewed, 77% were for females. Overall, 44% of patients were newly diagnosed with TB, 29% had TB relapse, 10% treatment after failure and 8.3% treatment after loss to follow-up. This study found that 65% of M. tuberculosis isolates were susceptible to rifampicin and isoniazid. Consequently, 35% of the isolates were resistant to rifampicin and/or isoniazid and 21.2% were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Treatment after failure [relative risk ratios (RRR) = 6.1, 95% CI: 1.691-22.011] and treatment after loss to follow-up (RRR = 7.115, 95% CI: 1.995-25.378) were significantly associated with MDR-TB. Unknown HIV status was significantly associated with isoniazid mono-resistance (RRR = 5.449, 95% CI: 1.054-28.184).

Conclusions

This study found that 65% of M. tuberculosis isolates were susceptible to rifampicin and isoniazid while 35% were resistant. Consequently, a high prevalence of MDR-TB is of public health concern. There is a need to heighten laboratory surveillance and early detection of drug-resistant TB to prevent the associated morbidity and mortality.

Impact of bedaquiline regimen on the treatment success rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Egypt

Bedaquiline (BDQ), an innovative anti-tuberculous (TB) agent, has attracted attention for its potential effectiveness against drug-resistant TB. This study investigated the impact of BDQ-containing regimens on treatment success rates among multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients in Egypt. We conducted a prospective cohort study that included all adult non-pregnant patients treated in MDR-TB centers in Egypt from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, with follow-up extended until December 31, 2022. The study compared patients prescribed BDQ according to national protocols with those receiving conventional treatments for MDR-TB. Treatment success rates, mortality rates, and adverse events were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, logistic regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Adjustment for potential confounders was conducted using propensity score matching and Cox-hazard regressions. A total of 84 patients were included in this study. The median age of the study participants was 39 years; 22.6% were women, 57.1% were unemployed or housewives, and 1.2% had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Regarding the treatment regimen, 67.8% were exposed to BDQ-based treatment. Among the 55 patients (65.5%) with treatment success, a significantly higher success rate was observed in the BDQ group (73.7%) compared to the conventional group (48.1%), P = 0.042. Additionally, the incidence of skin discoloration was significantly higher in the BDQ group compared to the conventional group (38.6% versus 0.0%, P < 0.001). Despite the lower mortality incidence in the BDQ-group (14.0% versus 22.2% in the conventional group), the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed no excess mortality associated with the BDQ-group, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.62 (95% CI 0.21-1.78, P = 0.372). Propensity score matching, while considering factors such as lesion site, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C virus, and smoking, revealed a significant increase in the success rate associated with BDQ inclusion, with an HR of 6.79 (95% CI 1.8-25.8). In conclusion, BDQ is an effective and tolerable medication for treating MDR-TB, associated with lower mortality rates compared to conventional treatment.

The association of IL-17A rs2275913 single nucleotide polymorphism with anti-tuberculous drug resistance in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Drug-resistant  Tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a global health burden with high morbidity and mortality in developing countries including Egypt. The susceptibility to infection with DR-TB strains may be genetically determined. Several interleukin gene polymorphisms were investigated as risk factors for tuberculosis infection but focusing on their association with DR-TB was limited. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the association of IL 17 - 197 G > A (rs2275913) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with susceptibility to DR-TB strains in comparison to drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) strains in Egyptian patients with pulmonary TB. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 patients with DR-TB strains and 80 with DS-TB strains as a control group. Both age and sex were comparable among the study's groups. IL-17 - 197 G > A (rs2275913) SNP was genotyped by real-time PCR, and IL-17 serum concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

The GA and AA genotype frequencies of IL 17 - 197 G > A (rs2275913) SNP were significantly higher in patients with DR-TB strains than those with DS-TB strains (p < 0.001). The frequency of the A allele was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in patients with DR-TB group (32.5%) compared to the control group (13.8%). Substantial higher serum levels of IL-17 were detected in the DR-TB group with significant association with AA and AG genotypes.

CONCLUSION

Polymorphism in IL-17 -197 G > A (rs2275913) resulted in higher serum levels of IL-17 and Egyptian patients with such polymorphism are three times at risk of infection with DR-TB strains than patients with wild type.

Evaluation of drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment outcome in Limpopo province, South Africa

BACKGROUND

South Africa has the second-highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence globally. Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment has less successful treatment outcomes as compared with susceptible TB, and it hinders TB control and management programmes.

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate drug-resistant TB treatment outcomes and factors associated with successful treatment outcomes.

SETTING

The study was conducted in five districts in Limpopo province.

METHODS

The study design was retrospective and descriptive. Patients' demographic data, data on clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes data were extracted from the electronic drug-resistant tuberculosis register (EDRWeb) database system for the period, 2010-2018, in Limpopo province. Frequency, percentages and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyse data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0. The significance difference was determined at a 95% confidence interval and p 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 385 drug-resistant records were included in this study. The treatment success rate was 223 (57.9%). A total of 197 (51.2%) patients were cured, 26 (6.8%) completed treatment, 19 (4.9%) treatment failure, 62 (16.1%) died, 78 (20.6%) were recorded as the loss to follow-up, 1 (0.3%) moved to another country and 2 (0.5%) were transferred out.

CONCLUSION

The treatment success rate was 57.9%, which is still below targets set by National Strategic Plan in South Africa and World Health Organization End TB targets.Contribution: The findings of the study reveal that to achieve successful DR-TB control programme and attain End TB targets, monitoring of treatment outcomes is crucial.

Fingerprinting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates by MIRU-VNTR genotyping and detection of isoniazid resistance by real-time PCR

Introduction. Tuberculosis (TB) is a great public health problem in developing countries such as Egypt. Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates has a prominent role in the field of TB prevention.

Aim. This study aimed to evaluate real-time PCR using Minor Groove Binder (MGB) probes and to identify circulating lineages/sub-lineages of M. tuberculosis and their transmission patterns.

Hypothesis. We hypothesize that MIRU-VNTR technique is efficient in identifying circulating M. tuberculosis lineages in Egypt.

Methodology. Fifty sputum specimens positive for acid-fast bacilli were included. Isoniazid (INH) resistance was detected using the 1 % proportion method. Real-time PCR using MGB-probes was used for simultaneous detection of TB infection and INH resistance. Partial sequencing of the katG gene was used to confirm INH resistance results. A standard 15 Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit Variable Number Tandem Repeat (15-MIRU-VNTR) approach was used for genotyping through the MIRU-VNTRplus online platform.

Results. Only seven specimens showed phenotypic resistance to INH. M. tuberculosis was detected in all samples, while a mutation in the katG gene codon 315 was detected only in five samples, which were also phenotypically INH-resistant. Sequencing of the katG gene showed codon 315 mutation genotypically and phenotypically in the five INH-resistant isolates. Molecular genotyping of M. tuberculosis isolates revealed that the majority of isolates (26/50, 52 %) belonged to the S family of lineage_4. A low clustering rate (2 %) was observed among our isolates. According to the Hunter-Gaston Discriminatory Index (HGDI), 11 MIRU-VNTR loci were highly or moderately discriminative, while four loci were less polymorphic.

Conclusion. MIRU-VNTR genotyping revealed a low clustering rate with a low recent transmission rate of M. tuberculosis strains in Alexandria, Egypt.

Prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in East Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world. It is becoming an emerging public health problem in East Africa. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among pulmonary tuberculosis positive individuals in the region has not been thoroughly investigated.

Aim

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among newly diagnosed and previously treated pulmonary tuberculosis cases in East African countries.

Methods

English published articles were systematically searched from six electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science direct, Web of Science, and Google scholar. The pooled prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and associated risk factors were calculated using Der Simonian and Laird’s random Effects model. Funnel plot symmetry visualization confirmed by Egger’s regression asymmetry test and Begg rank correlation methods was used to assess publication bias. A total of 16 articles published from 2007 to 2019 were included in this study. STATA 14 software was used for analysis.

Results

Out of 1025 articles identified citations, a total of 16 articles were included in final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among newly diagnosed tuberculosis cases and previously treated tuberculosis patients was 4% (95%CI = 2–5%) and 21% (95%CI: 14–28%), respectively. Living conditions, lifestyles (smoking, alcohol use, and drug abuse), previous medical history, diabetes history, and human immunodeficiency virus infection were risk factors contributing to the higher prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in East Africa.

Conclusion

The review found a significant prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the region. An early diagnosis of tuberculosis and rapid detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a critical priority to identify patients who are not responding to the standard treatment and to avoid transmission of resistant strains. It is also very important to strengthen tuberculosis control and improve monitoring of chemotherapy.

Frequency and Management of Adverse Drug Reactions Among Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients: Analysis From a Prospective Study

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) management is often linked with a higher rate of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) needing effective and timely management of these ADRs, which, if left untreated, may result in a higher rate of loss to follow-up of drug-resistant patients.

Study objective: The study was aimed at prospectively identifying the nature, frequency, suspected drugs, and management approaches for ADRs along with risk factors of ADRs occurrence among DR-TB patients at Nishtar Medical University, Hospital, Multan, Pakistan.

Materials and Methods: The prospective study included all the DR-TB patients enrolled for treatment from January 2016 to May 2017 at the study site. Patients were evaluated for the treatment-induced ADRs as per standard criteria of the National Tuberculosis Program, Pakistan. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the independent variables associated with the occurrence of ADRs.

Results: Out of 271 DR-TB patients included in the final analysis, it was observed that 55 patients (20.3%) experienced at least three ADRs. A total of 50 (18.5%) patients experienced zero adverse effects, while 15 (5.5%), 33 (12.2%), and 53 (19.6%) patients experienced one, two, and four ADRs, respectively. Gastrointestinal disturbances (66.7%), nervous system disorders (59.4%), and electrolyte disturbances (55.7%) remained the highest reported ADRs during therapy, followed by arthralgia (49.1%), ototoxicity (24%), pruritic reactions/rash (12.9%), dyspnoea (12.5%), and tinnitus (8.8%). Pulmonary cavitation at the baseline visit (p-value 0.001, OR 3.419; 95% CI (1.694–6.902) was significantly associated with the occurrence of ADRs among DR-TB patients.

Conclusion: The frequency of ADRs was high among the study cohort; however, these were managed effectively. Patients with recognized risk factors for ADRs occurrence need continuous clinical management efforts.

Depression among Tuberculosis patients and its association with treatment outcomes in district Srinagar

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) is among the top 10 causes of death worldwide and there are estimated 10.4 million new (incident) patients, of which about one fourth are in India. There has been calls for rigorous investigations and interventions that may address other factors known to have effect on adherence of treatment like Depression but the amount of research into comorbidity is surprisingly low. The aim of the study was to assess magnitude and impact of depression among TB patients and determine the treatment outcomes of TB in District Srinagar.

METHODS

In this prospective study the adults with newly diagnosed TB were recruited within one month of initiating treatment and were followed upto the end of treatment. Data collection was done at three time-points: baseline, after 2 months and after 6 months of treatment initiation. The sample size of 200 was calculated using OpenEpi, V3 and identified 202 TB patients were interviewed in their local language and PHQ-9 scale was used to measure Depression.

RESULTS

The prevalence of Depression at baseline was 50.5% with CI (43.7%-57.3%). After two months of treatment the prevalence reduced to 9.4% with CI (5.9%-14.0%) and at the end of treatment to 2.5% with CI (0.91%-5.4%). Association between Depression in TB patients and treatment failure was found to be small to medium as revealed by Cramer's V test (0.29-0.59). Binary logistic regression estimated that at baseline TB patients with Depression were at 4.46 times at more risk of treatment failure than patients without Depression and those patients who continued Depression even after intensive phase were 34.5 times at higher risk.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate Depression is associated with poor treatment outcome in these patients, despite TB treatment. TB treatment strategies should consider screening and managing the psychologically distressed individuals among TB patients.

Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in the Northern Region of Zambia: A Retrospective Study

Background

Zambia like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa is affected with drug resistant tuberculosis. However, the drug resistant tuberculosis situation over the years has not been described in various regions of the country. Consequently, this study aims to determine the drug resistant tuberculosis burden in northern regions of Zambia over a four-year period based on data generated from a Regional Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory.

Method

Two hundred and thirty two (232) Tuberculosis Drug Susceptibility Testing results over a four-year period (2016-2019) were reviewed. Data was collected from tuberculosis registers and patient request forms and entered into a pre-tested standardized checklist and later entered in Excel Computer software. Double blinded checking was done by two independent data clerks to minimize duplication of cases. Cleaned data was then imported in R programme for analysis. Bivariant and descriptive statistics were performed and reported.

Results

Of 232 Drug Susceptibility Testing results, 90.9% were drug resistant TB while 9% were drug susceptible. Fifty three percent (53%) of these were multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis and 32% were confirmed as Rifampicin Mono-resistance. Only 1.7% of the Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis patients were Pre-extensively drug-resistant Tuberculosis. Copperbelt province had the largest proportion (46.0%) of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients followed by Luapula (8.1%) and North-Western (4.7%) provinces. In new and previously treated patients, the proportion of Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis was 71.8% and 28.7% respectively. History of previous anti-tuberculosis treatment and treatment failure were associated with multi-drug resistance TB.

Conclusion and Recommendation

This study has shown a small increase in the proportions of drug resistant tuberculosis cases over the four years under review with high rates being recorded on the Copperbelt Province. Previous treatment to first line TB treatment and treatment failure were associated with development of Multi-drug resistance. We therefore recommend strengthened routine laboratory surveillance and improved case management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients in the region.

Prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and rifampicin resistance among presumptive tuberculosis cases visiting tuberculosis clinic of Adare General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia

Objective:

Multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a public health threat in resource-limited countries where it is easily disseminated and difficult to control. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis, rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and associated factors among presumptive tuberculosis cases attending the tuberculosis clinic of Adare General Hospital located in Hawassa city.

Methods:

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 321 tuberculosis suspected patients from April to July 2018. Socio-demographic, environmental, and behavioral data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Sputum specimens were analyzed using GeneXpert. Data entry was made using Epi info version 7 and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Logistic regression models were used to determine the risk factors. A p-value less than 0.05 was taken as a cut point.

Results:

In this study, the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 98 (30.5%) with 95% confidence interval (25.5–35.8), and the prevalence of rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis among the 98 Mycobacterium tuberculosis confirmed cases was 4 (4.1%). The prevalence of rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis among the tuberculosis suspected patients was 1.24%. Participants who had a history of treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs were more likely to develop rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Conclusions:

This study identified relatively high rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis among tuberculosis suspected patients in the study area. Early detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be given enough attention to strengthen the management of tuberculosis cases and improve direct observation therapy short-course and eventually minimize the spread of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis strain in the community.

Molecular detection of multidrug resistance pattern and associated gene mutations in M. tuberculosis isolates from newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION

Multi-drug resistance is a major challenge in the control of tuberculosis. Despite newer modalities for diagnosis and treatment, people are still suffering from this disease. Understanding the common gene mutations conferring rifampicin and isoniazid resistance is crucial for the implementation of effective molecular tools at local and national levels. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the molecular detection of rifampicin and isoniazid-resistant gene mutations in M.tuberculosis isolates in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

METHOD

Health Center-based cross-sectional study was conducted between January and September 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The collected sputum samples were processed for mycobacterial isolation and Region of difference 9 based polymerase chain reaction for species identification. To characterize the rifampicin and isoniazid-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates, a molecular genetic assay (GenoType MTBDRplus) was used; the assay is based on DNA-STRIP technology.

RESULT

Culture positivity was confirmed in 82.6% (190/230) of smear-positive newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis cases enrolled in the study. From 190 isolates 93.2% were sensitive for both rifampicin and isoniazid, and 6.8% of the isolates were resistant to at least one of the tested anti-TB drugs. Gene mutations were observed in all studied multidrug resistance-associated gene loci (rpoB, katG, and inhA). Two isolates exhibited heteroresistance, a mutated, as well as wild type sequences, were detected in the respective strains. MDR-TB case was observed in 1.1% (2/190) of the cases. All the MDR-TB cases were positive for HIV and found to have a history of prior hospital admission.

CONCLUSION

In our finding a relatively high prevalence of any drug resistance was observed and the overall prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis was 1.1%.The majority of drug-resistant isolates demonstrated common mutations. Heteroresistant strains were detected, signaling the existence of an M.tuberculosis population with variable responses to anti-tuberculosis drugs or of mixed infections.

Factors predictive of the success of tuberculosis treatment: A systematic review with meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To produce pooled estimates of the global results of tuberculosis (TB) treatment and analyze the predictive factors of successful TB treatment.

METHODS

Studies published between 2014 and 2019 that reported the results of the treatment of pulmonary TB and the factors that influenced these results. The quality of the studies was evaluated according to the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale. A random effects model was used to calculate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) in February 2019 under number CRD42019121512.

RESULTS

A total of 151 studies met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The success rate for the treatment of drug-sensitive TB in adults was 80.1% (95% CI: 78.4-81.7). America had the lowest treatment success rate, 75.9% (95% CI: 73.8-77.9), and Oceania had the highest, 83.9% (95% CI: 75.2-91.0). In children, the success rate was 84.8% (95% CI: 77.7-90.7); in patients coinfected with HIV, it was 71.0% (95% CI: 63.7-77.8), in patients with multidrug-resistant TB, it was 58.4% (95% CI: 51.4-64.6), in patients with and extensively drug-resistant TB it was 27.1% (12.7-44.5). Patients with negative sputum smears two months after treatment were almost three times more likely to be successfully treated (OR 2.7; 1.5-4.8), whereas patients younger than 65 years (OR 2.0; 1.7-2.4), nondrinkers (OR 2.0; 1.6-2.4) and HIV-negative patients (OR 1.9; 1.6-2.5 3) were two times more likely to be successfully treated.

CONCLUSION

The success of TB treatment at the global level was good, but was still below the defined threshold of 85%. Factors such as age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of sputum conversion at two months of treatment and HIV affected the success of TB treatment.

Treatment outcomes of drug resistant tuberculosis patients in Morocco: multi-centric prospective study

Background

Drug resistant tuberculosis is a major public health problem in Morocco and worldwide. Treatment outcome of drug resistant tuberculosis is poor and requires a long period of treatment with many toxic and expensive antituberculosis drugs. The aim of this study is to evaluate treatment outcomes of drug resistant tuberculosis and to determine predictors of poor treatment outcomes in a large region of Morocco.

Methods

It is a multi-centric observational cohort study conducted from January 01, 2014 to January 01, 2016. A questionnaire was established to collect data from clinical charts of patients with confirmed resistant TB. The study was carried out in all the 11 centers located in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region of Morocco where drug resistant tuberculosis is treated. Treatment outcomes were reported and the definitions and classifications of these outcomes were defined according to the WHO guidelines. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to determine factors associated with poor drug resistant tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Morocco.

Results

In our study, 101 patients were treated for drug resistant tuberculosis between January 01, 2014 and January 01, 2016. Patients’ age ranged from 9.5 to70 years; 72patients (71.3%) were male and 80 patients (79.2%) were living in urban areas. Thirty two patients were smokers, 74 patients had multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, 25 patients had rifampicin resistance and 2 patients had isoniazid resistance. Treatment outcomes of tuberculosis patients were as follows: 45 patients were cured (44.5%), 9 completed treatment (8.9%), 5 patients died before completing the treatment, 35 patients were lost to follow up (34.6%) and 7 patients had treatment failure. In the multivariate analysis, being a smoker is an independent risk factor for poor treatment outcomes, (p-value = 0.015, OR = 4.355, IC [1.327–14.292]).

Conclusion

Treatment success outcomes occurred in more than half of the cases, which is lower than the World Health Organization target of at least a 75% success rate. A significant number of patients abandoned their treatment before its completion. These dropouts are a serious public health hazard that needs to be addressed urgently.