RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A DRUG REGIMEN THAT INCLUDES CIPROFLOXACIN FOR THE TREATMENT OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

The fluoroquinolones are promising new antituberculous agents, A rando mized controlled trial of 200 adult patients with sputum smear-positiv e pulmonary tuberculosis was conducted in Tanzania, Patients received either a trial regimen (HRC) consisting of isoniazid (300 mg), rifampi n (600 mg), and ciprofloxacin (750 mg) or a control regimen (HRZE) con sisting of isoniazid (300 mg), rifampin (600 mg), pyrazinamide (25 mg/ kg), and ethambutol (15 mg/kg). The 168 evaluable patients all had neg ative smears and cultures by month 6, but the time to conversion to ne gativity was longer for the HRC group than for the HRZE group because of the poor response of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to the HRC regimen. Relapse was more frequent in the HRC g roup, The sterilizing activity of ciprofloxacin does not appear to be equal to that of the combination of pyrazinamide and ethambutol, but t he difference in outcome was significant only among HIV-infected patie nts.